Here’s a sorta unusual list, counting down the 20 best feel-bad movies of the last 20 years. These are different from standard tearjerkers, movies that go for the melodramatic in order to elicit a cathartic sniffle; rather, these are movies with an essentially tragic view of life, yet which are full of the vitality of the human experience in even the most adverse and painful circumstances. I’m glad someone paid tribute to the oddly exhilarating, cleansingfeeling of despair one gets from watching an exquisitely crafteddowner, and it’s particularly good to see shoutouts to The Sweet Hereafter, Igby Goes Down, Henry Fool, Safe, and Lilya 4-Ever. Still, how can you make a list of recent feel-bad movies without mentioning Neil LaBute (particularly Your Friends and Neighbors, pictured) or Todd Solondz or Lars von Trier? Where’s Requiem for a Dream, or Maria Full of Grace, or Magnolia? List your favorite feel-bad movies below; you’ll feel better, I promise.
Apr 10
2008
12:00 PM ET
What's your favorite feel-bad movie?
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No list like this can be complete without “Requiem for a Dream”. Its the only good movie ever that I have specifically told people not to watch. If someone asked me, “Is it good?” I say “Yep”. “Should I watch it?” “Nope”.
Have you ever seen “Water”? Oh my gosh- fantastic movie but SAD!!! I totally did not know what it was about when I watched it. I think I was sad for over a week- kept coming back to me you know?
i remember leaving “the life of henry gale” and thinking to myself, “wow. that was poignant and depressing.” sounds pretty feel-bad to me!
We can’t forget “Terms of Endearment” which had an ending leaving 3 motherless children with an overbearing grandmother who couldn’t stand their father. It also led to a horrible sequel.
love Story…Ryan O’Neal and Ali Mcgraw. She dies in the end. They both were each others first love. “Love means never having to say your sorry”. Enough said.
I’m on-board with Requiem for a Dream, but to add to the list, where’s In the Company of Men?
After watching The Sweet Hereafter and Magnolia, which were well made, I swore off ‘feel bad movies’. Truth be told, I don’t want to feel bad. I get that every time I turn on CNN.
Sorry, but I wanna feel good.
Children of Men comes to mind, which is a stunningly bleak look at the last days of mankind. Also, Brokeback Mountain.
The House of Sand and Fog is one for me. The movie captures all the tragic events, but the main character is significantly less attractive in the book than Jennifer Connelly is in the movie. But, hey, that’s Hollywood.
As an architect and someone who grew up in a beach house every summer for the last 30 years, I’ve always been very partial to films about a person’s connection with their home. That’s why I loved LIFE AS A HOUSE. But very, very sad at the end. See it for yourself.
To Eric F: Life as a House is a wonderful movie I had completely forgotten about! Thanks for the reminder. I’m an architect too.
I’m going with “House of Sand and Fog.”
No Country for Old Men. I was totally, totally depressed after I saw it.
If the music didn’t make me feel so good, I would say “Once”. When I found out the translation of what the girl said to the guy when he asked her if she loved her husband, it really depressed me that they didn’t get together in the end.
“Boogie Nights” is one of the most depressing films in recent memory. “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” is no picnic at Grandma’s and the end of Frank Darabount’s “The Mist” couldn’t be awfuller (yes, I just made up a word).