Subscribe to ListverseTop 10 Depressing Scenes in Cinema
- Published October 10, 2007 - 183 Comments
Rather than commenting on each scene, I am just going to let you watch them. This list contains spoilers, graphic scenes, and depictions of death or suicide. The top 10 depressing scenes in cinema:
10. The Sixth Sense
You need to skip to 02:50. The first clip (From The Champ) is not entirely joyful either. This scene contains spoilers.
9. The Truman Show
WARNING: Spoilers
8. The Royal Tenenbaums
WARNING: Depiction of suicide
7. The Green Mile
WARNING: Spoilers
6. The Rules of Attraction
WARNING: This scene graphically depicts suicide.
5. The Elephant Man
4. Death in Venice
WARNING: Spoilers
3. The Grapes of Wrath
WARNING: Spoilers
2. Requiem for a Dream
WARNING: Spoilers
1. Dancer in the Dark
WARNING: Extreme Spoilers
Notable Omissions: The Great Escape, Cast Away, House of Sand and Fog, Betty Blue
Technorati Tags: movies
October 10th, 2007 at 7:47 am
I feel you might need to do an extention to this one JF. I can think of quite a few others,but then mabey the ones I am thinking of are just depressing to me. One of them for instance is the end of T2.
October 10th, 2007 at 8:15 am
I remember The Green Mile. That is a great movie, I’m glad it’s on this list cause it was the first movie I though of when I saw the title of this list.
October 10th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Blue Lagoon
October 10th, 2007 at 8:49 am
no old yeller or brians song? those are two movies that can even the tough man to tear up.
October 10th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Im Schindlers list, you know, near the end, where he starts crying because he thinks he could have saved more jews, only film ive ever cried to, more emotional than depressing i suppose
October 10th, 2007 at 9:09 am
That scene in The Truman Show is only depressing until it is directly followed by the most uplifting and powerful scene in the movie.
But I digress.
I probably would have put the final scene of The Elephant Man at number one, actually every film featuring that piece of music.
Adagio For Strings is the most depressing piece of music ever.
October 10th, 2007 at 9:21 am
wooo great list!
Have you ever seen the movie Old Boy? The ending to that movie was really depressing, but it ties together every event in the movie. It’s really great if you haven’t seen it.
Also, I’d have to agree with JMurf. Schindler’s List was one of the hardest movies I’ve ever had to watch!
October 10th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Green Mile is one of my favorite movies. I am glad that it made the list.
October 10th, 2007 at 10:26 am
One of the top 10 depressing scenes in cinema: The entire movie, “Requiem for a Dream”. I saw it with two of my best friends, a stoic sixty-something-year-old and his equally-stony son. They were both bawling openly for the last half hour of it.
I’ve added the rest of the items to my ‘must see’ list. Good job, as usual!
October 10th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Angela: Old Boy is on one of the other lists here – if you search for it you should find it
FekketCantenel: I agree with your comment about Requiem for a Dream – definitely depressing. I love it though. Ellen Burstyn was brilliant in it.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:14 am
I may be the only one here, but I cry like a baby at the end of Forest Gump. Both at the very end and at the scene with Forest and Bubba after the ambush.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:59 am
I like these choices. I have seen them all except “Dancer in the Dark,” and they are all excellent choices for this topic.
One I would have had to consider adding is Rutger Hauer’s death scene in Blade Runner which can be found here:
October 10th, 2007 at 11:59 am
the last scene in Soylent green is pretty depressing. Well i take that back, every scene in soylent green was depressing.
October 10th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Where The Red Fern Grows at the end when the two dogs die is certainly worthy of this list. I don’t cry to movies but this one made me tear up like a little girl. The saddest part is when the second dog dies due to a broken heart over the death of the first dog.
October 10th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much at the end of the green mile than any other time…really incredible movie.
October 10th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
oh man…DANCER IN THE DARK…..what a depressing film.
I’m not sure if you’ve seen it, but ONCE WERE WARRIORS has a couple of scenes that tear your heart out. i won’t spoil it just in case you haven’t seen it.
October 10th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
tonybrush: I love Dancer in the Dark. I have seen Once were Warriors – I did a road trip with two of the main actors in fact (the Aunty and the head of the Gang)
October 10th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
i guess its sad that my favorite movie on this list is The Royal Tenenbaums…
October 10th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
SelfDestruct, i cry everytime i see forest gump, and ive probably seen it about 40 times. its incredibly depressing though, i find it uplifting, mainly because of forest’s talk to jenny at the end.
October 10th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
sophie’s choice – the scene where sophie had to decide which one of her children she would have to abandon.
October 10th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
I have to admit I’ve only ever seen one of the movies, but I have The Sixth Sense on my Netflix.
The one I’ve seen is The Truman Show. Such a good movie, but it was so sad when he found out the truth. Ironic how his name was Truman.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
I strongly recommend ‘Threads’ and ‘Come and See’ – both very great films, both soul-crushingly depressing.
Also, the scene in ‘Amores Perros’ where El Chivo comes home to his dogs… just awful.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
http://youtube.com/watch?v=82Oc5ny3hjg
Sophies Choice, she is forced to either choose one of her two small children not to be killed at the concentration camp or have them both killed.
Should been number one.
October 10th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
ive seen a lot more depressing scenes in asian cinema…this should be renamed
October 10th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Oh F****CK! I just spent some time typing in a thought on this thing when something happened and I was shot into another page elsewhere and was unable to retreve what I had just wrote!!AAARRHH! Damn ghosts in the machine!
Anyway, I cant repeat exactly- nor do I want to, but the jist of it was in agreeing with MRSELFDESRUCT and BLACKMAMBA :
My name is Diogenes and I too am a Forest Gump cry baby.
I hate to admit it. I wasnt one of the millions of saps that saw it in the theater, but in catching it on t.v. I found myself absorbed and getting choked up and ..yes crying. What the hell? I have consistantly like everything I’ve seen of Zemekis, but Forest Gump? Why?
Anyway I agree.
I highly recommend “Forbidden Games” by Rene Clement. No no no, it’s not an erotic thriller, but one of the most beautiful and sad films I’ve seen. some heavy tear jerking stuff.
I agree with the top 5 hereas being pretty depressing scenes (but maybe not as a top 5 completly). Unfortunately, with Dancer in the Dark, I saw it with someone in thier livingroom and they were entirely removed (and unmoved) by & from it . I fought back weeping as the person next to me remaind stone faced and careless. How the hell this could be with so many difficult moments I just cant understand.
I suppose viewing it like this when I did, placed me in a more extreme sensibility…So It remains in my memory. Actually as I recall this, I am connected to the original connection to having seen a similliar ending with the film “In Cold Blood” A somewhat different effect, in story as a whole, is gotten from both endings, but very halting none the less.
October 10th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Requiem for a Dream, that one gets me everytime. And hey, what about Ol’ Yeller?
October 10th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
This may sound really odd, but the end of Von Ryan’s Express with Frank Sinatra always bothers me. I was fairly young when I saw it and it was the first time I can remember seeing a movie where the main character (the hero) dies instead of riding triumphantly off into the sunset.
Odd, but true, despite seeing all sorts of depressing movies over the years, Von Ryan’s Express is still the first I think of. Just goes to show what sort of impression can be made on a young mind.
October 10th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
The Grey Zone is the most depressing movie ever. I linked one of the less depressing scenes from youtube; for the remotely sensitive I would recommend against watching this longer clip. The movie makes Schindler’s List look almost lighthearted. The film is about the Sonderkommando XII in the Auschwitz concentration camp in October 1944. These prisoners were made to assist the Germans in shepherding their victims to the gas chambers and disposal of the bodies in ovens. Oh, did I mention that it’s based on a true story? Details are too depressing to post here; read the link.
For most depressing children’s movies I’ll nominate The Littlest Horse Thieves, a pleasant little film about a group of plucky children trying to save a bunch of coal mine ponies from the glue factory. Which they do, except for the one who, at the end, accidentally gets left behind to die in a mine fire. Ooops. I had the pleasure of seeing this as a child, which probably explains a lot about my outlook on life now.
October 10th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
requiem for a dream is a horribly depressing movie and hands down the most depressing book i have ever read.
October 10th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
By far the movie that made me cry openly was the end of “My Life” with Michael Keaton. I am a grown man and I cry like a baby whenever I see that flick. Please check it out!
October 10th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
you know, earlier i just looked at the list and made a comment about a movie i thought was depressing. just now, i had some extra free time so i decided to watch every one of these clips back to back to back… the result: don’t feel all that well…
which is my way of saying excellent list
October 10th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
what is the name of the song from “the royal tenenbaums”?
October 10th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
watch the movie pay it forward that is one sad movie
October 10th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
american history x has quite a few
October 10th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
american history x has quite a few
and american beauty too
October 11th, 2007 at 12:22 am
Diogenes: I still haven’t read or seen In Cold Blood but I will – I love Capote’s writing.
Jack: Needle in the Hay by Elliot Smith. You can see a live performance of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfWxa-FN8X4
October 11th, 2007 at 12:42 am
The funeral scene in Four Weddings and a Funeral always gets to me.
October 11th, 2007 at 12:48 am
Fil: yes – that is a good scene – especially the inclusion of the Funeral Blues by Auden – beautiful poem. Benjamin Britten set it to music – stunning.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:03 am
I had the misfortune of watching the end of “Se7en” on DVD before going to bed. I remember just laying my head slowly on the pillow thinking, “Hope? What hope? There is no hope.”
Still depresses me to this day.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:15 am
strych9: that is a great film
October 11th, 2007 at 3:40 am
Simon Birch is quite depressing. I remember watching it at a friends house one day- 3 of us were there, and at the same moment all of us looked at one another, and we were bawling like babies. Braveheart also has a few very sad and depressing scenes
October 11th, 2007 at 3:52 am
Cassady: I enjoyed Simon Birch – but I loved the book it was based on more
October 11th, 2007 at 4:12 am
“Jude” with Kate Winslet. The ending is EASILY the most depressing of any movie. It comes out of nowhere and makes the whole movie pointless.
October 11th, 2007 at 4:15 am
jf, Must agree with you about Simon Birch (I have a problem calling it that). That is still one of my top 5 books. I cried beginning to end watching The Elephant Man. Amazing film. The Green Mile was brilliant as well, and as daggy as it may sound, Dead Poet’s Society gets me every time.
October 11th, 2007 at 4:33 am
The Champ was bad for me when I saw it when I was younger.
The Green Mile was just so unfair to me. (as I guess it was supposed to be)
Personally I recently saw bridge to Terabithia, which had a depressing scene but was an important part to the movie.
Then there is the great depressing movie Babel that is also fairly recent. Man, it was just depressing from start till end. I was sorry to have seen it.
October 11th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Not sure it can really be encapsulated in one scene but “Life is Beautiful” destroys my emotions when i watch it.
Excellent choice of “The Truman Show”. That movie gets so little respect, but the music of that scene along with Jim Carey’s acting and the visuals of being alone are tremendous.
BTW, i read your lists all the time jfrater and this is my first comment. I love this site. Possible list idea…”greatest comedic lines from movies”.
October 11th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
DiscHuker: Thanks
I have noted your suggestion – an excellent one. I love Life is Beautiful – I own it on DVD.
October 11th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
to jfrater- a return reply:
” In Cold Blood” is an excellent book and movie. Both have their controversies of which I think still apply. The book is one of the best “investigatve insights” regarding the actual time of the actual events that occured, that I have read ( “Into The Wild” , I had read shortly before and I also think highly of in the smae way. I havent seen the movie yet)
“Into Cold Blood” the movie, is known for having been filmed in the places and the actual house of the murdered family. And it was madee close enough after, like tthe book.
October 11th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
jf, you are the best, thanks for giving me the link and thanks for putting so much time and effort into the lists and comments.
October 11th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Diogenes: I just looked the 1967 film up on IMDB – it was nominated for 4 oscars! I will definitely have to watch it. And it is a Conrad Hall film so it will have to be good.
October 11th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Im suprised no one has mentioned Whats Eating Gilbert Grape. That definately has a few, and Land Before Time for sure
October 12th, 2007 at 6:28 am
The ending of the Movie “High Tension” is pretty depressing (and creepy).
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1gEfkP-JiWU
October 12th, 2007 at 8:39 am
If you want a depressing ending try “Miracle Mile” .. It’s actually an engrossing if not a preachy, idealized little flick.
October 12th, 2007 at 9:02 am
How about “Simon Burch”. That whole movie is one big depressing scene. Or “Pay It Forward”. The end of that movie makes you want to vomit.
October 14th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Titanic?
October 14th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Anonymous: totally.
We can also add “Bad Santa” and “Monster Ball” – both starring Billy-Bob Thornton.
October 16th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
The scene in “Gigot” where Jackie Gleason is trying to explain the concept of Jesus and Mary to a prostitute’s daughter: but he is a mute WWI veteran…
October 16th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
And you all must be too young to remember the scene from “Old Yeller” when the son has to shoot the dog!
October 17th, 2007 at 1:44 am
loop: that is definitely true of me (too young to remember old yeller. Do you have a clip for it?
October 20th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
No “Million Dollar Baby”?
October 20th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Sid – you win that one – Million Dollar Baby was incredible depressing – especially when the family visited
October 20th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
Schindler’s List really needs to be recognized as THE most heartbreaking film i’ve ever seen. I was hysterical during the scene where Neeson breaks down over all the people he could have saved. And the scene where we see the girl in the red coat, then later in the film we see a red coat in the pile of bodies going to be burned… I felt like I had been punched.
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:56 pm
Honestly, did anyone consider like MOST of AI? There is not a DARN thing HAPPY about that movie… The end is the worst part tho… that whole scene where the mother finally dies, and the narorator says, “Then David went to the place where dreams come true…” he dies too I mean, it’s so sad.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
The scene where Dawn’s baby dies in Trainspotting. God, it’s grim.
November 4th, 2007 at 4:58 am
Has anyone here seen THE HOUSE OF MIRTH starring The X-Files Gillian Anderson? That is one depressing film.
November 4th, 2007 at 6:38 am
I just remembered another VERY depressing Film. WHEN THE WIND BLOWS from 1986. It’s an animated anti-nuke film. An elderly couple are trying to survive after a nuclear attack, but they are so naive about the effects of radiation that they don’t know that they are doomed.
November 4th, 2007 at 6:42 am
*SPOILERS*
In the Shawshank Redemption, just after the guy carves his initials into the roof frame thing (Okay, not really a spoiler). That was sad.
Or Forrest Gump, where you’re not sure in the end if Forrest and L’il Forrest have AIDs too. That’s always gets me
November 4th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Hobolad: I agree about Shawshank redemption – that was a very sad scene.
November 6th, 2007 at 5:29 am
i love this list there all great depressing scenes but they just dont have the same feel as they did in the movies they were there not as depressing as they should be coz its not as good out of contexted like this so next time u do a list please a lil explanation like why doest this scene depressing which would mae the list even better
November 9th, 2007 at 11:15 pm
requiem for a dream thoroughly depressed me… for about 10 minutes after the movie… thanks to my tiny attention span and poor short term memory!
then end of truman show was sad. i’m not sure but i probably cried at some point.
forrest gump makes me cry every time.
November 19th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
One of my favs – Grapes of Wrath. Actually the book is much darker. AFI listed Henry Fonda as one of the most inspirational performances.
cool site jfrater!
November 20th, 2007 at 12:00 am
jbjr: Grapes of Wrath is such a great film – it lets us get a real feel for how things were during the dustbowl. And thanks
November 20th, 2007 at 12:05 am
Your welcome and keep up the great work.
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:12 pm
The funeral scene in Steel Magnolias is a heartbreaker. Also, the final scene in Braveheart kills me every time
Oh, yeah, Terms of Endearment, anyone?
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:20 pm
wanna know somthing.. william wallace’s death in history was actually more brutal then in the movie
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:33 pm
yknow that part in the greenmile has always gotten to me
November 26th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
PATCH ADAMS-When the woman is shot…GIRL, INTERRUPTED-Suicide of the girl…and of course SCHINDLER’S LIST.
November 27th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I have to disagree with the Truman show entry. I absolutely love this movie but I always say that scene with his escape to be extremely uplifting and inspiring, especially when viewed as the metaphor it is.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Maybe cos I bawled when it saw it as a kid but I still think the end of La Bamba is one of the most depressing endings to a film ever.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Walter I agree also the end Selena comes to mind.
November 28th, 2007 at 2:16 am
Yikes, I will never enjoy Harry Nillson’s beautiful “Without You” the same again.
Competely agree about the scene’s having less impact out of context, but if it a movie you have seen before, revisiting these scenes brings it all back.
My mother, dead these 15 years now, was traumatised by John Merrick’s treatment in Elephant Man, so watching that made me think of her, as well as shed tears for the poor man.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Earlier today my mother mentioned that she cried so much during “Bambi” that her parents had to take her out of the theater.
The first time I ever heard “Adaggio For Strings” was only a few weeks ago. My thought was “That sounds like sobbing or weeping.”
November 28th, 2007 at 3:19 am
“Adagio” not “adaggio”
I heard that the Disney company received a large amount of complaints when in the sequal to Beethoven (the dog movie) they had the dog die.
November 28th, 2007 at 5:17 am
Drogo: ‘Sequel’ not ‘Sequal’
November 28th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Hey, you guys, if correcting other people’s typos makes you feel good, there are a bunch in my comment above (#81).
November 30th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Grave of the Fireflies.
I wept uncontrollably after watching this movie. Saw it once, and never again.
Roger Ebert calls it one of the greatest war films ever made.
November 30th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
United 93 was pretty damn depressing…
December 6th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
I knew Requiem for a Dream HAD to be on here!
Honestly, after watching that movie at sat in my dark basement alone for a few hours, and my friends that watched the movie with me did not talk at all the entire movie, and that’s saying something. It’s one of those movies that you just watch the credits scroll. My friend Carrie said after it was over, “Okay, I’m going to go kill myself now.” If that movie doesn’t make you feel depressed/suicidal, I don’t know what does. The music and the use of camera makes the movie for you.
The Royal Tennembaums scene was also very good, as watching one cutting one’s wrists over unrequited love that he cannot possibly persue, AND there is Elliot Smith playing in the background can’t be happy.
December 6th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
The Green MIle makes me feel teary too…
No movie has actually ever made me cry though.
I await the one that does with apprehension.
And I wont count any movie takign place during menopause or pregnancies, either. =)
December 9th, 2007 at 4:43 am
Alright I’m sorry but to leave out City of Angels is almost atrocious. Scenes with depression? Even the beginning, when the little girl dies and Nick Cage takes her (“what did you like best?”…”pajamas with feet”)
Or, and not to spoil it for anyone, don’t read on if it will, the death scene toward the end with one of the main characters. I’m amazed no one even mentioned it yet.
Although I will also throw in a vote for “blow”, the ending scene with Depp.
December 16th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Million dollar baby had me bawling, so did the end of the professional,
Mitchsn- I refuse to watch that movie, sounds way too depressing
Requiem for a dream always gets me, so does the end of moulin rouge
December 19th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
This was a horrible list! *sob*
December 29th, 2007 at 5:12 am
That scene from ‘The Rules of Attraction’ literally made me feel sick. :S
Also, the scene in ‘The Land Before Time’ where Littlefoot’s mother is dying, and he keeps telling her to get up. Added with the msuic playing in the background, it’ heartbreaking – especially when you’re about 7.
January 1st, 2008 at 2:57 am
The closing moments of Rock Hudson’s only good movie (no kidding) ‘Seconds’ (Dir. John Frankenheimer, 1966). I won’t spoil it for you, but your heart will plummet…
January 1st, 2008 at 3:13 am
Excuse me, should have included this on the last post, but how about the last moments of ‘Charly’ (1968) when Cliff Robertson’s titular character reverts from ‘genius’ back to retarded? Oh noooooo..
January 8th, 2008 at 5:52 am
Most depressing one for me is towards the end of “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” when Arnie goes upstairs to wake up Momma. I cry each and every time. Leonardo DiCaprio was PHENOMENAL in that role.
January 8th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I still weep like hell during the dying scene in Click, lol.
January 13th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I cry in click too! aw they tricked me. funny movie my ass :O
January 14th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Dude ok.
1. Click. That movie makes me cry every time. Like uncontrollably. It kills me.
2. Its a wonderful life. Stupid? Yes. But its like so happy its sad.
3. I am sam. Retard+love+child. It seriously like ugh. It is just remarkable.
I haven’t seen very many of those but ill check em out. Great list!
January 26th, 2008 at 5:00 am
Last scene of “Blow”.
The Lion King where Mufasa dies.
Irreversible-pretty much the whole movie!
January 26th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
The Hospital scene with the nurse in Requiem for a dream has been popping in my head from time to time since I saw the movie 3 years ago. So depressing..
It may not be a great movie, but one scene in Artificial Intelligence is propably the most heartbraking I’ve ever seen. It’s when the mommy played by Frances O’Connor abandons her “robot son” in the wood. It hurts really.
January 26th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Helene: I remember that scene and I agree with you completely!
January 30th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
You have to add I Am Legend to this list now…that scean is undeniably number 1.
February 12th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I’m watching another movie now and definitly think this list needs to be edited, elongated or extended.
Two words. Shawshank Redemption. When Brooks Hatlin gets released from jail and has a 4-5 minute monologue ending with him committing suicide. If that isn’t one of the most depressing scenes ever then I don’t know what is.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I was trying to think of recent movies that had emotional scenes, and the one that springs to mind which no-one has mentioned yet is “Crash” (the Crash with Don Cheadle) – the scene when the little girl gets ’shot’ when running outside to give her dad his ‘magic coat’ to protect him. I normally dont get too emotional in movies, but that scene made me stop breathing.
February 24th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape was pretty depressing at the end. I also just watched Philadelphia and that really hit me hard. I’ve also heard that Terms of Endearment is very depressing.
March 6th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Great list. Another one that comes to mind is a lessor known film called Open Water. (possibly an indie film) but after watching it makes you really think. I like movies that can stir the emotions so that you are thinking about it long after watching it.
March 6th, 2008 at 2:46 am
Frazzzld: is that the one with the two people that get lost in the open sea? I found that very harrowing!
March 6th, 2008 at 2:50 am
Yes thats the one… They actually get left behind. The worst part is that its based on a true account but the woman survived.
April 4th, 2008 at 7:45 am
The most depressing scene ever is the part in Sophies Choice,(starring Meryle Streep) where she has to choose between her son or her daughter, it is truly awful just thinking about, let alone to knowing these kind of things things happened.
April 12th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
What about the based-on-a-true-story movie “Radio” with Cuba Gooding Jr. It’s about a male boy who has a disease somewhat like Down Syndrome. The most tear-jerking scene is when you hear that his mother died and the boy’s (maybe 18) new guardian goes to his room and Cuba Gooding is crying. You want to cry with him because he has no one now in his life. What makes this so emotional is that this movie is true and it all happened.
April 14th, 2008 at 2:49 am
The scene from the movie Letters From Iwo Jima when the young soldier is forced to shoot the dog is quite sad and when they are forced to commit mass suicide
April 14th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Requim For a Dream is in my top 5 favorite movies of all time. Although depressing. Marvins Room is sad too. Dumb though..boring..but sad
April 28th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:06 am
what abut barry lyndon, barry’s son’s death?
May 8th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
This is silly, but I found the scene in I Am Legend where he had to kill his dog Sam to be insanely depressing. I’ve seen it like 4 times and it has made me cry every time.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
After watching the Rules of Attraction Scene…I think i will be changing my method….
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:11 am
Definatley on this list needs to be the entire film Moon Child….That and World Trade Center…I cried til I couldn’t any more!
June 1st, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Come on… what about the end of Turner and Hooch?
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
OMG, ‘Dancer In The Dark’ @ nr 1! So correct!
Very depressing end…
Björk did a great job as an actress in that movie.
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:46 am
I dont know what’s wrong with you people but the Dancer in the Dark finale was funny as hell! I wasn’t depressed at all…but then again I naturally dislike everything about Bjork…if you want to talk about depressing movie scenes…When Apollo died in Rocky IV that was pretty sad. The Lion King, when mufassa died was pretty deep for a rated “G” movie. All three hours of Private Ryan were tough to digest…and what about the ending of Million Dollar Baby?
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:19 am
I have a few more….how bout when Bambi’s mother gets shot? My Life was pretty sad. The Spongebob movie when Patrick and Spongebob are dead for a few moments is pretty rough (if you are a kid) One Flew Over the Coo-coo’s nest was pretty rough. And the scene in the God Father when Vito gets shot when he buying fruit from the market place, and then Fredo drops his gun and screams PAAHHHHPAAAA! and various scenes from Forrest Gump are sad, when bubba, his mother, and Jenny dies. I never seen Schindler’s List but I want to.
June 6th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
LA STRADA!?
June 7th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Since Disney movies have been mentioned I’m shocked nobody mentioned Finding Nemo. I thought it was heartbreaking at the beginning when the shark comes and eats the mom and all the little babies (other than Nemo). That was horrible. Anytime I’ve watched that movie (after the first time when I was basically stabbed in the heart with a rusty serrated knife) I fast forward that scene, change the channel, or leave the room untill it’s all over.
June 21st, 2008 at 7:13 pm
the elefhant man is so ugly
July 7th, 2008 at 1:40 am
theres a film called Dead Mans Shoes with Paddy Consadine, i’m not one for sad films (i’m scottish and braveheart still doesn’t do it for me!) but theres a scene in this film which is just tragic, anyone watched it?
July 7th, 2008 at 5:22 am
matt.
dead man shoes is a pure quality british film i reccomend to all
July 13th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
i was waiting for dancer in the dark and there it is.. great list. i also find cinema paradiso depressing..
July 17th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Great list, although one that gets me teared up is the end of Saving Private Ryan, i don’t remember if it’s in the regular version but i have the 60th anniversary and at the end it shows Ryan coming back to Normandy when he’s like 80 and when he sees the graves he asks his wife if he’s lead a good life, that part always makes me sad for like a good 20 minutes
July 24th, 2008 at 2:29 am
I have watched Forrest Gump more times than I can count, and I NEVER realised that the women died of AIDS. Forrest was so naieve(sp?) that he’d never even THINK to get him and the boy tested. Whoa…
*stares blankly at the computer screen*
July 25th, 2008 at 6:46 am
Try Walk The Line, where Johnny Cash’s little brother and bestfriend dies when they’re just kids, his dad blames it on him and he feels responsible.
sophies choice and schindlers list are both incredibly sad, espechially the scene in schindlers list with the baby…i can think about that for days….
also 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later….really depressing + scary….
August 13th, 2008 at 8:24 am
2:37 should be included
that is traumatic
August 16th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
i have a few suggestions perhaps for what should have gotten mentions, at least haha:
2:37
Schindler’s List
A Walk To Remember
The Rose
Home Room
Sid & Nancy
Thirteen
Australian Rules
September 5th, 2008 at 2:58 am
what about the pianist the movie was so depressing i cried the whole time
September 6th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Louis Malle’s The Fire Within, Ingmar Bergman’s Winter Light, and Robert Bresson’s Mouchette are the most soul crushing films I’ve ever seen.
September 12th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
1966, The Sand Pebbles, starring Steve McQueen. Walked out of the theater; sat on a bench; cried for what seemed like a very long time. The movie was heart breaking on so many levels. After all these years I still think of it when the topic of sad, heart wretching films is discussed. Oh, the choices here are all excellent: The Green Mile, Sophie’s Choice, Forrest Gump…but the Sand Pebbles is right there. If one has the opportunity watch it you may find yourself on a bench…feeling a very deep and profound sadness.
September 13th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Requiem for a Dream is my favorite movie, even tho I own it I rarely watch it because of the ending. Great list
September 18th, 2008 at 3:14 am
Great list
September 28th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
not really my scene but it perked me up a bit
September 29th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
The Mist
October 12th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
American History X’s ending.
Talk about depressing…
October 12th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Valerie (141) That’s one of my favorite movies. I own it. The ending gets me every time. I’ll never forget the first time I saw it. Brutal and heartbreaking cuz you know the truth behind it.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:08 am
My contenders for movies I have bawled my eyes out are Imitation of Life (1959) starring Lana Turner. The scene at the end of the movie where the daughter runs after her mother’s coffin begging forgiveness is heartbreaking (albiet melodramtic). Coming a bit more up to date is Legends of the Fall with Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt and Aiden Quinn. I cried so much that my top was soaked through and my husband was laughing at quite how upset I was! I love a good cry, great release.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
the end of alpha dog was ungodly depressing – i have really bad anxiety and the end of that movie – where he knows hes going to die but yet justin timberlakes character frankie keeps reassuring him that everything will be okay…..so depressing
October 19th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
one you should add to this list is “La Vita E Bella”
(Life Is Beautiful). choose any scene from that movie and it’s depressing
October 19th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Does anyone remember the last scene in “Silent Running” with Bruce Dern? The image of the last little robot tending the last garden with the battered watering can, before which Dern destroys the ship with the other injured robot to ensure the last robot’s survival? Those little robots really tug at the heartstrings.
There’s that, and the scene in the original Italian Job where the mafia goon wrecks the two E-Types and the Aston Martin. I well up every time.
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Titanic has the most saddest scenes of all time! That movie makes me cry everytime Iwatch it! Best movie ever!!!
November 15th, 2008 at 3:21 am
the part of shawshank redemption when brooks ( i think thats his name) hangs himself b/c he can’t live outside of prison makes me cry like an infant
December 6th, 2008 at 11:53 am
the end of American History X… the most depressing thing i have ever seen in my entire life. whenever i see it i can’t stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks.
December 19th, 2008 at 9:38 am
I don’t see what’s depressing about The Sixth Sense Scene….
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:14 pm
What about Of Mice and Men? That one always gets me.
December 30th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Blow
The Fisher King
In The Name of The Father
January 8th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
How about the last few scenes in Armageddon? Premonition may have not made any sense but it was veeery depressing all the way through the movie.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Oh yeah and I forgot to mention this..the scenes in Tears of the Sun was pretty depressing. OHH!! And Selena was a depressing movie too, well especially at the end.
January 13th, 2009 at 8:46 am
How about Dead Man Walking?
January 17th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Terms of Endearment, The Color Purple, The Godfather trilogy…
January 17th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
One movie that makes me cry every time i watch it : a walk to remember… when she says she had no reason to hate god.. she came to accept she was going to die until she met him. so sad. such a sad movie.
January 18th, 2009 at 5:22 am
For me its braveheart, the end scene where Wallace is being tortured and his freinds in the crowd can do nothing but watch.
Also the beginning after his father and brother are killed and as a little boy he is at the funeral and the little girl who later becomes his wife,hands him a thistle as even though she is a young child she can feel his pain and wants to make it all better.
Maybe im a big poof LOL, but they are emotional scenes for me.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Did anyone mention the end of THE ENGLISH PATIENT when Ralph Fiennes is carrying his Kristen Scott Thomas’s dead body out of the Cave of Swimmers?
How about the JOY LUCK CLUB when the mother decides to ’set the soul of her baby free’.
OUT OF AFRICA when Finch Hatten dies?
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:49 pm
When i was about 7years old, i remember watching E.T, it made me choke
February 10th, 2009 at 9:56 am
GREAT LIST!
February 10th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Every scene with Juliane Moore in MAGNOLIA is so sad,specily the scene in the pharmacy.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
This may seem strange, but I HATE the final fight scene in the 4th Alien movie where the newborn alien is being sucked out that tiny hole into space. Just the way she is crying out to Ripley because she think shes her mother and shes wondering why shes not helping her. And then when the alien’s skin finally rips and her insides are being sucked out, her scream changes into one of complete agony! I hate watching that so much, I bawled my eyes out. The alien just suffers for so long, and I know its been going around killing people but its horrible to watch something like that happen to anyone. Just thinking about the scream makes me shudder…
February 12th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
In no particular order:
Sid & Nancy
Requiem for a Dream
Fresh
Once Were Warriors
Kids
American History X
The Green Mile
Suburbia (the ’80’s one)
March 16th, 2009 at 4:01 am
The scene in “Kindergarten Cop” where you find out that Arnie has a tumor.
March 18th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
The most depressing scene I have EVER seen was in the City of God. The scene was so sad that when I watched it my chest actually hurt from crying and I have never been able to see the movie since.
Its when Lil Ze picks those 2 young boys who look no more than 5 and 8 years old each and asks them if they want to be shot in the hand or foot. The fear and crying of the young boys totally broke me and then when he does shoot them in the foot, the wailing of the two boys especially the younger one was just too much to bear.
In the end when he makes the other child pick out who to shoot dead, I just had to leave the room because I couldn’t take their desperate crying anymore. Damn its depressing me even writing about it now
Nevertheless the movie in itself was brilliant simply because it was so thought-provoking so I strongly recommend those (of steel emotions) to watch it!
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Ok, why hasn’t “Schindler’s List” been listed.?
Everyone has to see that movie at least once in there life. Their hasn’t been anyone I know who could sit through the entire thing and not cried their eyes out. The scene in “Dancer In The Dark” was terribly sad though, even though I think the scene in “Schindler’s List” where Oscar Schindler breaks down, thinking he could have done more, should have been at least number two. I bawled for three hours.
March 30th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
“I am human” said by the elephant man when cornered in the station. That scene eally had a life changing effect on me. I realized how easy it was for people to objectify other people and to forget this. It definately made me more compassionate towards people whom most would consider “undesirable” and helped change my world view. I have this movie in my collection and watch it at every few years. It’s an excellent movie but entirely depressing.
April 10th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
OK, this might just be because I’m black, but the scene where Ricky dies in “Boys from the Hood” makes me cry every time. I well up just thinking about it. I forget that these characters aren’t real. Seriously breaks my heart.
April 11th, 2009 at 7:22 am
The Color Purple:
When Shug is walking down the road to meet her father in the church and singing “God’s Trying to Tell You Something”.
…you can give me the kleenix now.
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:45 am
OMG what about Mystic River I have never cryed so hard for a movie as i did with that one
May 25th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Huricane was a very depressing film and i totaly agree with Green miles, Elephant men , Requiem for a dream …but i
personally think that BEGOTTEN is very very depressing !!!
Passion of the christ by mel gibson is very depressing as well. Irreversible as a very deep effect in the subconsciousness and the effect is depression the same
with COME AND SEE which i think is one of the most depressing film ever and by the way there is a film called THE GIRL NEXT DOOR not to mistake with the 2004 comedie , this one was made in 2007 and is directed by
jack ketchum or something like that ….this movie will
crawl all over you , actually i dare you to watch this movie and not be sick’nd or sad by this story which is
based on a true story , that makes it even worst !!
I reed on the net the true story of what really happend
to that child and it made me sick to my stomach …can you believe its even worst then what the movie is depicting , arghhh !!!!!! this is depressing trusth me !!
May 29th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
requiem for a dream definately. grave of the fireflies is another horribly depressing film.
June 7th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
the death scene in sever pounds is very sad although the only film iv come close to crying in is the green mile a truly great film with an incredible ending although another film with a very depressing ending is the mist
August 6th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Ice age. When they’re looking at the cave drawings and Manny remembers his family.
And Frankenweeie. Gets me every time.
August 6th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Frankenweenie
August 9th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
No Magnolia or The End Of The affair both movies are extremely depressing. Is there a Most depressing movies list.
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:20 pm
What?????????????????????? What about a time to kill???????? Thats the only movie I ever saw that actually made me cry. Watch the closing argument on youtube. Type “a time to kill” and watch the closing argument.
November 9th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
i haven’t seen most of those movies but the only movie scene that ever made me cry was in the end of Staley Kubrick’s Lolita when Humbert gives a recently married Lolita like a thousand dollars, crying the whole time (both me and Humbert)
p.s. I find Forrest Gump a tad overrated- still a good movie, just not the best
November 17th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
@JMurf (5): First one I though of. Gets me everytime!