One of the advents of dramatic cinemais the ability to touch on dark subject material that may be hard to wrestle with otherwise. Roger Ebertis often quoted as saying that “the movies are a machine that generates empathy,” and there’s always room for disturbing films to connect with viewers who may be struggling in their personal lives. As hard as it is to watch some of these films, exploring a truly ambitious work is generally going to be advantageous to any committed moviegoer.
Drama films need to be depthful and compassionate to justify their serious themes, as there is no point in including shocking moments purely to take the audience by surprise. While watching such dark films on a regular basis may not bebeneficial to a viewer’s mental health, it certainly exposes them to some astounding works of art. Here are the ten darkest drama movies, ranked.
10‘M’ (1931)
Directed by Fritz Lang
Mis one of the great films of the German Expressionist movement that laid the groundworkfor the crime drama genreas it is known today. Fritz Lang’s gripping drama centers on an enigmatic child killer (Peter Lorre), who becomes a target for both the police and the mafia in Germany. It’s an absorbing thriller that shows the true depravity of evil, and how the most shocking circumstances can lead to unexpected alliances between rival organizations.
Mmay have been limited in the content that it could show because of the Hays Code, but it still contains some truly shocking momentsthat detail that anguish that a community deals with as their youth is preyed upon by a malicious serial killer.Mpresents that sort of nightmare scenario that is sure to disturb any parent, and still manages to make everyone else pretty uneasy.
In a city paralyzed by terror, a series of child murders has left the police scrambling to find the perpetrator. The criminal underworld, frustrated by the intense police presence disrupting their activities, bands together to track down the murderer themselves. As the tension mounts, both the law enforcement and the criminal community engage in a relentless pursuit, culminating in a gripping and morally complex showdown that reveals the desperation and darkness within society.
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9‘Tokyo Story’ (1953)
Directed by Yasujirō Ozu
Tokyo Storyis one of the great films by Yasujirō Ozu, the legendary Japanese filmmaker known for creatingstories about familial dysfunction.While Ozu has many masterpieces on his resume and has certainly shaped the way Japanese cinema evolved,Tokyo Storyis perhaps his most probing and disturbing work. The intimate drama focuses on two generations of a family as they slowly realize that they are out of touch.
Tokyo Storyis disturbing because of how realistic it is; even those unfamiliar with Japanese customs can comprehend the idea of elderly people being forgotten by their descendants, who don’t share the same respect for traditional family values.Tokyo Storyisn’t just an indictment of the way that young people forget where they came from, but a reminder to celebrate the limited time that they have left with family members that could easily be lost at any moment.
Tokyo Story
An old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.
8‘A Woman Under the Influence’ (1974)
Directed by John Cassavetes
A Woman Under the Influenceis one of the many masterpieces of John Cassavetes' career, and perhaps one of thegreatest films about the dissolution of a marriage. The masterful drama examines starsGena RowlandsandPeter Falkas a couple whose relationship begins to splinter as the result of lingering anxieties about their future. The film is so realistic in its rambling conversations and awkward exchanges that at times it could be mistaken for a documentary about a real couple.
A Woman Under The Influencewas unafraid to tackle such intimate topics as drug abuse, infidelity, sexual repression, and depression, which were all the more noteworthy when it was released in 1974. While Cassavettes made many films about the sinister reality of the human condition,A Woman Under The Influencemay be the single most cynical film he ever made.
A Woman Under The Influence
7‘The Deer Hunter’ (1978)
Directed by Michael Cimino
The Deer Hunteris one of the most disturbingfilms ever made about the Vietnam War, as it explores the effects that post-traumatic stress disorder have on an entire community that is reeling from their experiences in combat.Michael Cimino’s Best Picture winning masterpiece centers on a group of friends from Pennsylvania that return from Vietnam as shells of the men that they once were; most heartbreaking is the incredible performance byChristopher Walken, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a suicidal veteran.
The Deer Hunterdepicted moments of torture, depression, and familial conflictthat hit particularly hard for anyone within a military family. It remains a controversial classic of the “New Hollywood” era that tore down the idealism of the “American Dream” by showing the bleak outlook that many veterans faced in the aftermath of their service.
The Deer Hunter
An in-depth examination of the ways in which the Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of several friends in a small steel mill town in Pennsylvania.
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6‘Apocalypse Now’ (1979)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Apocalypse Nowis often cited asone of the greatest war films ever made, and for good reason.Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious epic isn’t just about the Vietnam conflict, but about how war can bring out an animalistic, evil side of people that sacrifice their humanity. The 1979 classic focuses on a lone soldier (Martin Sheen) who ventures deep into the Vietnamese jungle to assassinate a crazed United States Colonel (Marlon Brando) who has formed his own separatist movement.
Apocalypse Nowconjures up horrific imagery that feels taken out of a surrealist arthouse film, as Coppola was deeply inspired by the musings ofJoseph Campbelland his classic novelHeart of Darkness. There’s no better depiction of the sentiment that “war is hell” thanApocalypse Now, a film that shows how truly dehumanizing it can be when nations are forced to settle their conflicts through armed battle.
Apocalypse Now
A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.
5‘Star 80’ (1983)
Directed by Bob Fosse
Star 80is based on one of the most shocking tragedies in Hollywood history, and has remained controversial ever since its initial release in 1983.Bob Fosse’s final film couldn’t be anymore different than his musicalCabaret; it explores the life of the actress Dorothy Stratten (Mariel Hemmingway), who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Paul Snider (Eric Roberts) at the time that she was expected to appear in the new comedy filmThey All Laughedfrom directorPeter Bogdanovich.
Star 80is unflinching in its depiction of emotional abuse and sexual assault, which is all the more disturbing when considering how close to the real events the film was released.There have been modern debates on whether Fosse was the best person to tell this particular story, butStar 80is certainly a film that shows just how seedy of a place Hollywood can be for those that never get to achieve their dream.
4‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’ (1992)
Directed by David Lynch
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Meis a horrifying prequel to David Lynch’s hugely inspirational television dramaTwin Peaksthat managed to getdarker and more graphic than the show would ever have been capable of.WhileTwin Peaksopened with the revelation that the high school homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) had been murdered and wrapped in plastic, the 1992 prequel explored the last weeks of her life as she suffers from abuse at the hands of her father, Leland (Ray Wise).
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Meconjures spiritual visions of pure evil, while also featuring very realistic depictions of sexual assault. While the story is given greater context in Lynch’s follow up seriesTwin Peaks: The Return, it doesn’t make watching Laura’s suffering inTwin Peaks: Fire Walk With Meany easier to sit through more than once.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Laura Palmer’s harrowing final days are chronicled one year after the murder of Teresa Banks, a resident of Twin Peaks' neighboring town.
3‘American History X’ (1998)
Directed by Tony Kaye
American History Xwas an uncompromising examination of the rise of fascist ideology in the United Statesthat featuresone of the bleakest endings in film history.Tony Kaye’s disturbing drama centers on a former neo-Nazi skinhead (Edward Norton) who tries to change the viewpoints of his younger brother (Edward Furlong) after being released from prison for his role in a hate crime.American History Xis both a brutal prison drama and an examination of wounded masculinity.
American History Xshows how susceptible wounded young men are to hateful thinking, and how hard it can be to break them out of this disturbing cycle. Norton earned a very well deserved Academy Award nomination for a performance that is as heartbreaking as it is terrifying; however, it’s the tragic role from Furlong that shows why combating these extremist viewpoints is important in preventing future instances of violent tragedy.
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Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
Bad Educationisa twisty crime drama fromPedro Almodóvar, a filmmaker known for crossing the line when it comes to content with his controversial filmsWoman On The Verge Of A Nervous BreakdownandAll About My Brother. A story told in three parts with characters assuming different identities,Bad Educationexplores two former school friends who come to grips with the abuse they received as children as they both grow up to hold prominent roles within the entertainment industry.
Bad Educationexamines the lingering sense of guilt and shame that victims feel as they grow older, and shows how art is just one tool that can be instructive in the healing process.Bad Educationis one of the highest grossing NC-17 movies ever made, indicating that this intimate story of conspiracy and friendship resonated with a significant amount of viewers.
1‘Melancholia’ (2011)
Directed by Lars Von Trier
Melancholiamay be the darkest film that Lars Von Trier has ever made, which is fairly impressive considering that he has directed some of the most depressing films of all-time. The2011 apocalyptic drama starsKirsten Dunstas a woman who copes with her family dysfunction as she awaits the destruction of Earth in a seismic weather event.
Rarely has hopelessness been conveyed on screen better than it was inMelancholia, as Von Trier shows how horrifying it can be to know there is nothing to be done about the forces of nature that are beyond control. AlthoughMelancholiais certainly a metaphor for climate change and mankind’s ignorance on the effects of pollution, its focus on feelings of isolation and depression hit particularly hard amidst the COVID-19 crisis that shut down a majority of the world’s infrastructure in early 2020.
Melancholia
Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.
