Recommend me movies with hopelessness and dread

[JSR]

I often find it hard to find the kind of movie I'm in the mood for. Right now I'm looking for movies that have a feeling of dread and hopelessness. Preferably in bizarre scenarios where the characters have to make hard choices. A great example of such a movie is A Boy and his Dog. Great post-apocalyptic movie that presents a world radically changed from the one we live in. I also love The Road and 127 Hours, both showing the protagonists in bleak situations.

Anybody got some good suggestions?

[Matt]

You "liked" The Road? Yikes. Couldn't watch it again. Far too depressing, it still dwells in my thoughts.

Try Requiem For A Dream, another "I could only watch it once" affairs. Brilliant film, but I don't want to go there again.

[Soundwave]

Definitely second Requim for A Dream

That is one of the best movies I've ever seen but it's right at the top of my "I can watch it only once" list.
As amazing as it is by the end you're all over the place...it's so well acted, written & paced that you just can't feel anything other than utterly hollow & emotionally drained.

Neil

['Press Start']

I often find it hard to find the kind of movie I'm in the mood for. Right now I'm looking for movies that have a feeling of dread and hopelessness. Preferably in bizarre scenarios where the characters have to make hard choices. A great example of such a movie is A Boy and his Dog. Great post-apocalyptic movie that presents a world radically changed from the one we live in. I also love The Road and 127 Hours, both showing the protagonists in bleak situations.

Anybody got some good suggestions?

Unthinkable. It does not have the despair and bleakness of something like the Road but without giving anything away its not a hollywood 'type' film. Hard choices are something this film has and askes a the question to everyone that watches.

[JazzFunk]

Irreversible. Full of hopelessness and dread, positively takes the cake.

[PaTaito]

Last life in the universe - My favourite asano movie, or in fact world cinema flick of recent years. Dont want to ruin anything but it involves a quiet guy who while himself right on the verge of commiting suicide, witnesses a young girl get killed in a car crash. He then persues the remaining sister looking for......a connection i guess. Despite himself being japanese and the sister being thai, and neither speaking hardly a word of each others language. Ultimately though while enjoyable in places(mostly because its so well acted, and the chemistry between the two is so good....not to mention some downright superb cinematography) its a thouroughly depressing movie by the time the credits roll, so well worth including on this list.

An absolute must see imo though.

[djjimbob]

A Serbian Film

[Soundwave]

A Serbian Film

Lol think that's taking this request a little too far
That one pushes the boundaries of acceptability to a whole other level

Neil

[Brad]

The Eastenders Omnibus?

[Fader209]

Moon?
Probably more on the sad side rather than hopeless and bleak.

[QualityChimp]

Hmmm...

How about some horror films?
Eden Lake?
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Hills Have Eyes
Saw 1 (before they got silly)
The Descent
The Mist
The Fly

Or maybe some dystopian films?
When The Wind Blows (this ain't no "The Snowman"!)
The War Game
The Day After
Threads
Brazil
1984
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 version)
A.I.
Children of Men
Gattaca
Logan's Run
Southland Tales
Soylent Green
THX 1138
Hell Comes to Frogtown (on The Horror Channel this week and features "Rowdy" Roddy Piper!)

Other suggestions:
Nil By Mouth
Requiem For a Dream
Leaving Las Vegas
Kes
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Old Boy
Hotel Rwanda
Dancer in the Dark
The Elephant Man

I can't guarantee that some of these don't offer a glimmer of hope at the end, but there's some seriously downbeat viewing for you there, you miserable git!

If you turn emo after watching that lot, don't blame me!

How about the terror of... ROBOT HOLOCAUST!

[Soundwave]

A lot of those films you mentioned QC are awesome...Hell Comes To Frog Town is the nuts

I can't believe I forgot these but I would highly recommend looking at a lot of the 70's Exploitation cinema as that had some awesome entries...

Last House on the Left
Last House on Dead End Street
House by the edge of the Park
I Spit on Your Grave
They Call her One Eye (Thriller: A Cruel Picture)

To name but a few...if you're interested I can lend you some of those for your viewing (dis)pleasure

Neil

[koopatroopa90]

Children of Men is a good dystopian one and would fit the bill if you just stopped watching a certain way through

I will repeat the suggestion of Requiem for a Dream - good soundtrack too if you're into that kind of music, although I've watched it a few times and don't find it quite as bad as others have said (perhaps I've just become desensitised to it?)

One that hasn't been suggested but might fit in is Thirteen, although you will possibly just find it annoying(!). Personally I watched it when I was 17 and could relate people I knew/had even been friends with to the characters which probably made the film a little more sickening for me. Either way it's one that came to mind and will certainly leave a bitter taste of the world (well, youth at least) in your mouth. Funnily enough it was released the year I turned 13

Oh actually just thought, Mad Max 2?

[bash]

I heard Eden Lake makes you want to commit bloody suicide.

@Koopa, wtf? Mad Max 2 is fricking glorious!

[Scythe]

Agreed about Requiem for a Dream; it's not THAT bad; don't get me wrong I love it but it's a little heavy handed and showing it's age.

How about Grave of the Fireflies:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095327/

There's also Martyrs:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1029234/