8. Compliance
Don’t turn away from it because of the 3 star Netflix rating, a lot of people rated it low simply because they found the events hard to swallow. And they are.
The movie tells the true story of a woman who was held hostage and sexually assaulted at a fast food joint strictly because a voice on the phone told her employer told her to. The restaurant in real life was McDonalds. The film spirals into depressing madness as you witness what people will do when they think they’re being ordered by authority and the craziness people will put up with when being told what to do by authority. It’s an emotionally turbulent ride witnessing the hopelessness of modern society.
7. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
This indie film is considered a cult classic and despite its overwhelmingly depressing nature, it’s clear to see why. Johnny Deep gives an excellent performance as a young man in a small town taking care of his morbidly obese mother and mentally challenged brother (another great performance by a young Leonardo Dicaprio).
This movie needs to be experienced because simply, who hasn’t felt completely restless in their life? It does end on a hopeful note which makes it that much more emotionally draining to watch.
6. The Hours
This moving drama revolves around the lives of 3 women from different time periods, but with lives that tightly intertwine. Although this film is slow, brooding and barely makes a blip on the excitement radar, you have to see this if you’re looking to experience a film that’s really honest about the lives of Women. Women will find this movie painful to see, but oddly relatable. While men will learn some painful details about the life of an everyday woman.
5. Hotel Rwanda
Don Cheadle gave an Oscar deserving performance in this period piece about one of the world’s darkest hours: the Rwanda genocide. While hundreds of thousands of people were being murdered, one hotel manager managed to save the lives of over a 1,000 refugees just trying to survive. It’s one of the few dark films that will renew your hope in humanity. If you’re pretty much a human being with emotions, this movie will wear you down.
4. Mary and Max
When you hear of a claymation film you instantly think of something whimsical and funny. While this film is a dark comedy of sorts, be warned, it is very dark. If you’re looking for something to dig emotionally deep into, this is it!
The animated film follows Mary, a little Australian girl and her quirky pen pal relationship with a middle-aged New Yorker named Max who suffers from Aspergers syndrome. The movie faces the subjects of mental illness, depressions and the struggles of life head on. Although you may feel depleted of emotions at the end of the story, you’ll still be able to smile a little bit at the end just being happy experienced something so fantastically real.
3. The Passion of The Christ
Whether you’re a person of faith or not, you have to be a stone cold sociopath to not feel like an emotional wreck after watching this movie. This film could have set Mel Gibson up for life as a legendary filmmaker if he hadn’t made clear what a despicable human being he was and all..
Anyways, the film tells the story of Jesus Christ in Latin and Aramaic (both dead languages) and with unparalleled graphicness. Even if you don’t believe Jesus is the son of God, the moving cinematography will disturb you to know end as you witness the torture of someone who really committed no crime at all. Religious or not, watch this movie for one of the most emotionally stirring movie experiences of all time.
2. Blue Valentine
You know from the very beginning this movie is going to become a roller coaster of a ride, but if you think it is just another romantic-sticky-sweet-romp, think again!
This story is about a couple that was once madly in love, but life has pulled them apart. The storyline may seem simple, but it’s the gut wrenching performance of Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams that make this movie so hard to watch. It will leave you even more emotionally destroyed if you’ve ever been through something like what the movie describes or if you’re currently going through it in your own relationship.
1. The Boy in The Striped Pajamas
It’s a very simply told story with a huge meaning. The movie is about a boy who gets in a relationship with a little boy on the other side of the fence of his own back yard. The little boy wears these strange stripped pajamas and both boys struggle to find out what that means. This powerful movie about the consequences of World War II will leave you emotionally weary for days to come and you’ll never ever forget it!
Author Bio: Janiera Eldridge is a paranormal and horror author. When she’s not writing she’s reading, getting her movie fix or practicing graphic design. Connect with her on her FB fanpage.