You’re in the right place if you’re looking for an emotional movie that doesn’t end on a bright and happy note. A user on a popular online forum asked movie-buffs for suggestions of films with unhappy endings. People replied in the comments with their recommendations.
1. Hud (1963)
Hud is a Western drama about a young man who freeloads on his father’s ranch and has a drinking problem. The film is about the man’s relationships with his family members, like his hard-working father and his argumentative nephew. As the film progresses, viewers feel the unease of a tragedy waiting to happen.
2. Electra Glide in Blue (1973)
A rookie cop who dreams of making it into the homicide department gets patrol duty until he finally gets his first murder case. But as he investigates the murder, he bonds with the “hippies” the other cops hate. When the other officers realize he’s not on their side, he gets demoted back to a traffic cop, where he solves the murder on his own time.
3. Mystic River (2003)
Mystic River is an action-packed crime drama. When a man’s daughter is brutally killed, he seeks the help of an old pal who is now a homicide detective. Together, the two examine the case until one suspect jumps out at them: another old friend from the man’s past.
4. Threads (1984)
Threads is a war drama that takes place during an imagining of a nuclear attack in Sheffield, England during the Cold War. It follows a young couple awaiting the birth of their first child. The two are separated when the explosion throws their once-scenic town into chaos, leaving the pregnant woman to fend for herself in a brutal new world.
5. Sleep Tight (2011)
This disturbing Spanish psychological thriller is about an apartment concierge with a mission to make every person living in the building feel terrible. As he unleashes terrible pranks on the residents, he finds his favorite target in a joyful woman. The concierge amps up his attacks until he’s sure the woman will be miserable forever.
6. Carlito’s Way (1993)
Carlito’s Way tells an honest story of an ex-con who desperately wants to turn his life around but gets sucked back into the criminal world due to his circumstances. But this time, the man’s criminal behavior won’t land him in prison, but somewhere much worse.
7. Atonement (2007)
Atonement is a period drama about a tragic romance that’s torn apart by the schemes of the woman’s younger sister. Confined in prison, the man desperately wishes to reunite with his love again.
8. Bad Lieutenant (1992)
When a drug-addicted corrupt cop’s debt catches up to him, he must act fast to find a way to scrounge together a massive chunk of cash before the mob takes him out. But when he learns the police announced a $50,000 reward for catching a twisted criminal on the loose, the corrupt cop tries with all of his might to be the one who cracks the case.
9. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Cool Hand Luke is an inspiring crime drama about a prisoner who won’t give in to the correction officers’ requests. Forced to spend much of his time locked up all alone in “the box,” the prisoner refuses to back down. As the other inmates come together to support the willful prisoner, the guards wonder what they can do to break the prisoner’s spirit.
10. Scarface (1983)
This crime thriller follows Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a terrifying criminal overlord in the drug scene. The film chronicles his rise to the top and his drug-fueled downfall when he flies a little too close to the sun.
11. Revolutionary Road (2008)
Revolutionary Road is a compelling romantic drama about a couple who disdain their typical suburban life. As the husband works a mindless corporate job and the wife stays home as a bored housewife, the two grow tired of their mundane lives and hatch a plan to escape suburbia for good.
12. The Conversation (1974)
When a private detective takes a job recording a conversation between two people discussing something mysterious and dangerous, he wonders what his secretive client has planned for the people. The detective grows increasingly obsessed with the conversation, which begins to blend with a job gone wrong from his past.
13. Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas is a mob drama about a young mobster who quickly rises the ranks in his criminal career. His lust for wealth keeps him oblivious to the pain he unleashes on others every day. But as his arrogance grows, he makes some crucial missteps that threaten to cost him everything he has.
14. Deep End (1970)
When a young man who works at a bathhouse falls for his beautiful older co-worker, they first strike up a friendship that benefits them both. But when the woman suddenly begins ignoring the younger man, he discovers she’s cheating on her fiance. Enraged by his abandonment, the young man’s interest in the woman turns sinister.
15. Tess (1979)
Tess is a compelling drama about a woman’s life and her trials and tribulations with romance. She gets pregnant after entering a relationship with her cousin, but the baby dies. Years later, she meets a man and falls in love. But when he learns about her past with her cousin, her new man is disgusted.
Source: Reddit.
Maya (she/they) is a queer entertainment and culture journalist. They cover interviews, reviews, roundups, news, and more. She loves horror, history, and creativity. They hope their writing both entertains readers and inspires them to think critically. Her favorite pastimes include needle felting, gaming, and drawing.
