Favourite depressing movies

If you're looking for a depressing father-son movie, this week's new releases have got a couple of treats for you.

The long-awaited movie version of The Road has finally reached New Zealand cinemas.

Fans of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel probably couldn't envisage the apocalyptic tale as a movie, yet here it is, starring the ever impressive Viggo Mortensen as the man trying to keep his son alive in a world where desperate people have turned to cannibalism.

While I don't imagine there will be flocks of people queuing around the block saying "Thank god! I was way too happy. I was really looking for a movie to gloom me down," it's been awarded five stars in tomorrow's Weekend Press film review section (oops! Did I give something away?).

Also worth seeing for that pick-me-down is The Boys Are Back, starring Clive Owen as an Australia-based English sports journo whose wife dies, leaving him bereft and eccentrically looking after a grieving-in-his-own-way six-year-old son. To further complicate matters, his older son - whom he abandoned to be with his Aussie wife - comes over from England to stay with them.

It's a tearjerker, for sure, but in a manly - or boy-sy - way.

If you're looking for something, well, not necessarily lighter, but with 100 per cent more explosions, Green Zone, starring Matt Damon, has also just opened. It's his latest collaboration with Bourne director Paul Greengrass and it's a doozy. Sort of Bourne in Iraq, with extra political stuff.

This breathless, action-packed message movie is not up to Greengrass and Damon's usual high grade, but having said that, the standard of Green Zone is still well above your average no-brainer action film for its ability to mix intelligent storytelling and politics with big explosions and gun battles. Never boring, Green Zone brings a dusty, murky, cynical authenticity to the complex modern war zone that other Iraq-war films have lacked. (Will be interesting to compare and contrast it to Oscar-winner The Hurt Locker after it opens here, April 1.)

For something far more frivolous and silly, the other big release this week is the uber-tanned Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler as a warring couple in The Bounty Hunter - he's the bounty hunter and she's his target. Painful.

Given that the best films opening this week are both rather depressingly death-oriented, today's question is: What's your favourite depressing movie? And why?

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jo2lo   #1   02:03 pm Mar 19 2010

Once were worriers. At the end the son stands up to dad and protects his mum. Classic tale of ongoing family violence were the son has learned daddies methods of dealing with conflict.

Michael   #2   02:10 pm Mar 19 2010

Really enjoyed The Road. Whenever I hear the term 'depressing movie' it always conjurs up memories of Requiem for a Drem. Love The Wrestler, Taxi Driver, Schindler's List and The Pianist too.

chosen_one15   #3   02:20 pm Mar 19 2010

Requiem for a Dream! The effect of drugs...great movie but also very depressing

Jen   #4   02:38 pm Mar 19 2010

Rain by Christine Jeffs. Watch it and that's why :(

Kat   #5   03:05 pm Mar 19 2010

American Beauty. The most depressing yet hilarious and ultimately uplifting movie in my Top 10 all time list.

I really want to see The Road, as I love Viggo and it sounds like a damn good plot, but I don't think I could bear the gore. I'm a wuss when it comes to gratuitous torture-death scenes.

Mike   #6   03:08 pm Mar 19 2010

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas. Its almost a light, happy film until the end.

His Lordship   #7   03:23 pm Mar 19 2010

Apocalypse Now is not exactly a "set your spirit free with a smile on your face" type of film. I vote for that.

Jim   #8   03:39 pm Mar 19 2010

City of Angels is pleasantly bleak and redemptive at the same time.

d   #9   03:47 pm Mar 19 2010

dancer in the dark...i wanted to eat my own eye balls. it was so depressing in the good way.

wayno   #10   04:23 pm Mar 19 2010

Leaving Las Vegas - He came, he drank, he died. refreshing(?)change from the normal pap from Hollywood and an amazing performance by Nicolas Cage

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