I have decided to do an Emo Flicks post to ensure that I lower your expectations so that when the Sci-Fi post does come out, you will be absolutely blown away! Just a quick warning, the following movies are SO depressing, they will bring you doooown man, reeeeaaalll doooownnnn:
- Suicide Room (2011): Suicide Room (2011) is a foreign film that touches on what is unfortunately all too common these days; cyber-bullying and teen suicides. Granted, some parts of the movie are pretty over the top, particularly relating to the internet chatroom sequences but if you are able to suspend belief a bit, the actors really do an incredibly good job.
- Excision (2012): This is a really weird, lurid, ghastly, gross movie. Normally, I like movies that are a bit "off-beat" but I felt like this movie just kept pushing the envelope for the sake of it, completely compromising the storyline. What is the storyline? This movie is about a teenager who suffers from some fairly serious mental health issues but people around her simply classify her as weird/ quirky/ defiant or troubled teen/ etc. Another issue I had with the movie is that I felt the lead actor had a tendency of really overplaying some of her parts. Her character, Pauline, is a very erratic and awkward individual who does and says a lot of outrageous things; so when the actor overplays her role (e.g. slouching too awkwardly or making weird facial expressions) it was very unnecessary and distracting. Still, there are a few scenes in this movie that are really quite good so if you can muster through it, it is not that bad.
- I've Loved You So Long (2008): This is a pretty good movie. It is French movie so if you do not mind subtitles, what are you waiting for? Go watch it! The movie begins with the lead character coming out of prison. We learn that she was incarcerated for murdering a child. As the movie progresses, we watch her interact in a claustrophobic society with a nice assortment of characters; the depressed parole officer, the eager-to-please younger sister, etc. There's a whole lot of symbolism at work here, and even though this movie is depressing, there are a lot of cathartic moments too so it strikes a nice balance.
- Peppermint Candy (1999): Another foreign film, this movie begins with our lead, Yong-Ho, committing suicide. As the movie unravels, we are taken through crucial moments in Yong-Ho's life that help us understand why he has decided to take his own life. There is a pretty heavy message in this movie and I am not exactly sure how to articulate it. I think it is asking the viewer to have the courage to live the life you want to live because it is far too easy to live a life that is burdensome and devoid of meaning. But it might also have a more nihilistic message, confessing instead that there are far too many random factors and you can never truly be in control of your life. Chang-dong Lee is the director of this movie, and if you know anything about him, he is a master of making REALLY depressing movies.
- Secret Sunshine (2007): Another Chang-dong Lee movie makes the cut! If you did not get your emo on after watching Peppermint Candy (1999), you will after watching Secret Sunshine (2007)! Honestly, this is probably the most depressing movie I have ever seen! Shin-ae is the lead character whose life is literally a series of one horrendous event after another. Every time this poor woman finds the strength to push forward and try to overcome her pains; life sends her a mean left hook and knocks her down again. It is a good movie but I would not recommend it to someone who is in a good mood and wishes to remain that way!
- American Beauty (1999): I am willing to bet that you have seen this movie because it was pretty huge when it came out. Like Peppermint Candy (1999), the lead character dies at the beginning and the rest of the movie covers his life upto this point. Lots of big names in this movie including Kevin Spacey, Thora Birch, Annette Benning, Scott Bakula, and Mena Suvari, to name a few. Really nice movie that centres around Lester Burnham's dysfunctional family: Dad going through a mid-life crisis, mom trying to manage dad's crisis in her own weird way, daughter tackling teen angst and feelings of isolation and depression, etc. It is a bit of a cookie-cutter emo movie.
- Donnie Darko (2001): Another cookie-cutter emo movie, Donnie Darko (2001) could also easily be in the Sci-Fi post because it deals with themes such as wormholes/ time travel, etc. This is a really great teen-angst movie. Again, it also has some pretty big names including Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Noal Wyle and Patrick Swayze. The best part of this movie for me was the soundtrack, it really carries the movie and is a strong part of the movie. I guess at its heart, Donnie Darko (2001) is a love story where the lead character has severe psychosis, and suffers from hallucinations involving a man in a bunny costume that encourages him to property destruct. Nice movie.
- Another Happy Day (2011): I really do not understand how this movie is rated so poorly on IMDB. It makes me genuinely irritated that a garbage movie like Garden State (2004) could get a 7.6 score and this movie gets a pitiful score of 5.4!!! Garden State (2004) was pure shit. Please, do not watch it, it is hipster-garbage, awful-awful, shallow, hollow, devoid of any talent, poorly-acted, awful-dialogue'd piece of garbage. God, I really cannot stand that movie. It is hollywood trying to be off-beat and cute, it is like Juno (2007) but much, much worse. Another Happy Day (2011) is a much richer and better executed movie. We follow the lives of a colourful dysfunctional family. If you like weird unconventional movies like Happiness (1998), you will definitely like this movie. There are some very beautiful scenes in this movie that can really hit home for me personally.
- Naked (1993): If I was feeling emo, this is the kind of movie I would like to watch. The main character is Johnny (a.k.a. Professor Lupin from the Harry Potter series!) who is a transient that travels from one place to another, forging meaningful but fleeting relationships, impacting the lives of others in a huge way but with aimless intent. Really nice movie.
- Melancholia (2011):
Kirsten Dunst does a really good job in this movie. Even though there
is a major end-of-the-world theme, it somehow manages not to overshadow
the characters' individual storylines which is really nice. This movie
deals heavily with mental health, in particular, Dunst's character,
Justine suffers from severe depression.
- The Virgin Suicides (1999): Another Kirsten Dunst movie makes the list! This is of the cookie-cutter emo variety for sure. It was directed by Sofia Coppola and like Donnie Darko (2001), the soundtrack has a pretty prominent part. The movie tells a story about the lives of 5 sisters and well, as the title suggests, it touches on the topic of suicide among other things. It is a really well-made, well-acted and memorable film.
How are you doing, you okay? Do not worry, the Sci Fi post will trip you out!
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