10 Most Depressing Movies Of The 1990s

The 1990s was a decade full of incredibly iconic movies, with some of the best of them leaving viewers crying by the time the credits rolled. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however, as many sad movies end up being great because of how they can move the viewer. Some of the best movies of all time are incredibly heartbreaking yet moving, showing the importance of crafting an impactful narrative.

Although they are sad, this does not take away from the viewing experience of watching these films but rather is a part of it. Such titles also stand up decades later, with timeless narratives that are still changing cinema through their legacy. This is incredibly important, as these films still compete with some of the all-time best tragedy movies, including sad movies that can be watched on Netflix.

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10

Titanic (1997)

The Tragic Film Based On The Titanic’s True Story

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9/10

Titanic

PG-13
DramaRomance

Titanic is the 1997 blockbuster romantic/disaster epic based on the events surrounding the sinking of the legendary “unsinkable” vessel. Flashing back to the past and forward to the present, the film primarily follows the stories of the well-to-do and somewhat timid Rose and the poor but lively Jack, star-crossed lovers who meet aboard the doomed ship. In addition, the film tells true and fictionalized accounts of the passengers of the RMS Titanic, with an older Rose recounting her tale to the crew of a research ship. 

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Release Date

December 19, 1997

Runtime

3h 14m

Cast

David Warner
, Kathy Bates
, Billy Zane
, Bill Paxton
, Bernard Hill
, Kate Winslet
, Leonardo DiCaprio
, Gloria Stuart
, Frances Fisher
, Victor Garber

Director

James Cameron

Writers

James Cameron

One of the most recognizable movies of all time, Titanic tells the infamous story of the titular sinking ship. It does so through the testimony of a woman who survived the sinking, detailing the happiness she felt with the love of her life quickly followed by the tragedy and death that came when the ship went down. It is heartrending to watch, made even more painful by the happiness that came before and the historical details.

There is an instantly recognizable scene from this film that involves Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jack Dawson, sacrificing himself to save the life of the film’s main character, Rose DeWitt Bukater. He does so by offering her a door to float on as they escape the boat, so she may live and leaving him to freeze. It is forever heartbreaking, showing the love he has for her and the love that is lost when he inevitably dies.

9

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

Filled With Heart, This Homeward Bound Features Doomed Animal Protagonists

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Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

G
AdventureComedyDrama

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey follows the adventure of three pets—a wise old Golden Retriever, a feisty American Bulldog, and a cautious Siamese cat—as they embark on a perilous journey across the wilderness to reunite with their owners. The 1993 family film captures their enduring friendship and determination amidst various challenges.

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Release Date

February 3, 1993

Runtime

84 Minutes

Cast

Michael J. Fox
, Sally Field
, Don Ameche
, Robert Hays
, Kim Greist
, Veronica Lauren
, Kevin Chevalia
, Benj Thall

Director

Duwayne Dunham

Writers

Caroline Thompson
, Linda Woolverton
, Jonathan Roberts

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a film notorious to kids who grew up in the 1990s for its incredibly sad narrative. It follows a group of pets including a bulldog named Chance, a golden retriever named Shadow, and a cat named Sassy. The group is separated from their owners when they move to San Francisco, and decide to go on a long journey to find them again.

Many different animals were used to film the movie, with a total of 10 different cats standing in to play Sassy for different scenes.

The film is full of trials for this group, including a moment in which Chance has his muzzle injured by the quills of a rogue porcupine. This is nothing compared to the saddest part of the film, which shows Shadow injuring his leg and insisting the group go on without him. Shadow’s goodbye is a moment that has made viewers cry for decades, as the death of a beloved character is never easy, especially when that character is a cute dog.

8

My Girl (1991)

My Girl Is A Painfully Real Coming Of Age Story

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My Girl

PG
ComedyDrama

My Girl is a coming-of-age drama film about an eleven-year-old girl named Vada who experiences an unorthodox childhood. With her mother having died during her birth and her father running a funeral parlor from their home, Vada is no stranger to death, but love and life are part of the experience, too – just ones she’s not prepared for.

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Release Date

November 27, 1991

Runtime

102 Minutes

Cast

Dan Aykroyd
, Jamie Lee Curtis
, Macaulay Culkin
, Anna Chlumsky
, Griffin Dunne

Director

Howard Zieff

Writers

Laurice Elehwany

Being a film that deals with themes of grief and loss, My Girl was always going to be a sad movie. My Girl showcases the troubles of an 11-year-old girl named Vada, who is always grappling with her mother having died in childbirth. This is made worse by the fact that her father works in a funeral parlor, leading to her being obsessed with death and the idea that she could die at any moment.

The only thing that seems to help is her friendship with a young boy named Thomas, played by a young Macaulay Culkin. In what is perhaps one of the most painful twists possible, Thomas is killed by his allergies when he steps on a beehive, leading to an emotional gut-punch of an ending. The grief in this film is visceral and real, only made more painful when the protagonist is so young.

7

Sleepers (1996)

An All-Star Cast Makes Sleepers Hit Even Harder

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Sleepers

R
DramaCrimeThriller

Sleepers, directed by Barry Levinson, follows four childhood friends from Hell’s Kitchen who seek justice against a juvenile detention guard when two of them encounter him years later. The film explores themes of friendship and vengeance, culminating in a dramatic court trial.

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Release Date

October 18, 1996

Runtime

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127 Minutes

Cast

Kevin Bacon
, Robert De Niro
, Dustin Hoffman
, Jason Patric
, Brad Pitt
, Brad Renfro
, Minnie Driver
, Billy Crudup
, Ron Eldard
, Vittorio Gassman
, Terry Kinney
, Bruno Kirby
, Frank Medrano
, Joe Perrino
, Geoffrey Wigdor
, Jonathan Tucker
, Peter Appel
, Joseph Attanasio
, Gerry Becker
, Eugene Byrd
, Pasquale Cajano
, Robert W. Castle
, John Di Benedetto
, Jeffrey Donovan
, George Georgiadis

Director

Barry Levinson

Writers

Barry Levinson
, Lorenzo Carcaterra

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Sleepers is a film with a great group of actors, including massive stars such as Robert De Niro, Kevin Bacon, and Minnie Driver, to name a few. It is based on the novel of the same name, revolving around a group of children that end up getting in trouble with the law. However, the abuse they suffer at the hands of the guards changes their lives forever.

This abuse is one of the main focal points of the film, setting the characters up for the rest of their lives. Because this film is filled with such great actors, the acting in Sleepers only elevates the drama as it unfolds, allowing the viewer to connect and empathize with the characters in a way that feels personal. Sleepers is a sad movie throughout, carrying the heavy burden of the main characters’ trauma.

6

The Iron Giant (1999)

Iron Giant Is A Classic Animated Tearjerker

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9.7/10

The Iron Giant

PG
Action Sci-FiFamilyComedyAnimationDramaAdventure

Set in 1957 Maine against the backdrop of the Cold War, The Iron Giant follows Hogarth Hughes, a young boy who finds an alien robot crashlanded in the woods outside his hometown. Determining that the robot is friendly, Hogarth quickly becomes its protector against forces in the US Army who wish to use the robot for their own means. Eli Marienthal voices Hogarth, with a further cast that includes Vin Diesel, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., and Christopher McDonald. 

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Release Date

August 6, 1999

Runtime

86 minutes

Cast

Vin Diesel
, Christopher McDonald
, Harry Connick Jr
, Jennifer Aniston
, Eli Marienthal

Director

Brad Bird

Writers

Tim McCanlies

Standing among the greats as one of the best animated movies of all time, The Iron Giant covers the heartbreaking story of a giant alien robot and a child named Hogarth. Set against the compelling backdrop of the 1950s Cold War, the film takes a look at the paranoid reaction to the discovery of this robot. Hogarth tries to defend the Giant from the U.S. government, the leaders of which attempt to destroy it to supposedly save the country.

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Despite the Giant’s loving and peaceful nature, it flies into a rage once it is led to believe that Hogarth is dead. This leads to a nuclear missile being launched to destroy the Giant and therefore the town, and to save them all, the Giant flies off with the missile, inevitably leading it to be destroyed. In this film, the villain ultimately gets what he wants, leaving Hogarth to grieve before it is shown that the robot is slowly rebuilding itself.

5

Philadelphia (1994)

Philadelphia Is Another ’90s Staple Based On A True Story

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Philadelphia

PG-13
Drama

Philadelphia (1994) is a legal drama directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. Tom Hanks plays Andrew Beckett, a lawyer who is fired due to his HIV-positive status, while Denzel Washington portrays Joe Miller, a personal injury attorney who takes on Beckett’s wrongful dismissal case. The film addresses themes of discrimination, prejudice, and social justice in the context of the early AIDS epidemic.

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Release Date

January 14, 1994

Runtime

125 Minutes

Cast

Tom Hanks
, Denzel Washington
, Roberta Maxwell
, Buzz Kilman
, Karen Finley
, Daniel Chapman
, Mark Sorensen Jr.
, Jeffrey Williamson

Director

Jonathan Demme

Writers

Ron Nyswaner

Loosely based on a trial that actually happened, Philadelphia recounts the painful story of corporate lawyer Andrew Beckett in the city of Philadelphia. After it is revealed that he is a homosexual man with AIDS, he is fired from his firm. The trial that resulted from this discrimination makes up the basis of the film, showing in excruciating detail the horrible treatment that gay people faced back then, and in many ways still face today.

There is a certain hopelessness that is present throughout the film, as it feels like, no matter what happens, this court case is a losing battle. Not only that, but the film ultimately ends with Andrew’s death, succumbing to his disease. Philadelphia is a painful reminder of the horrors the LGBTQ+ community has experienced throughout the years, making the film that much more compelling.

4

Leaving Las Vegas (1996)

Nicolas Cage In A Career-Defining Performance

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Leaving Las Vegas

R

Leaving Las Vegas is a drama directed by Mike Figgis, featuring Nicolas Cage as Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic screenwriter who decides to drink himself to death in Las Vegas. Elisabeth Shue stars as Sera, a prostitute who forms a complex relationship with Ben. The film explores themes of addiction, despair, and human connection.

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Release Date

February 9, 1996

Cast

Nicolas Cage
, Elisabeth Shue
, Julian Sands
, Richard Lewis

Director

Mike Figgis

Leaving Las Vegas is a film that is tragic from the very beginning, sad even in the film’s most basic premise. After losing his entire family, Nicolas Cage’s character Ben Sanderson decides to go to Las Vegas to essentially drink himself to death. He feels as though he has nothing left, and the film doubles down on that despairing feeling at what seems to be every point throughout the story.

Leaving Las Vegas won several awards, including Nicolas Cage earning an Academy Award for Best Actor.

This tragedy doesn’t just extend to himself, but to the characters he interacts with as well. Horrible things happen to his love interest, Sera, seemingly for the sake of showing how terrible life can really be. This all culminates in Ben’s death, showing that he accomplished what he set out to do at the beginning of the film, as sad as it may be.

3

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

One Of Keanu Reeves’ Best Is A Lose Shakespeare Tragedy Adaptation

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My Own Private Idaho

R
Drama

My Own Private Idaho follows the journey of two young friends, Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves), as they navigate the streets of Portland and embark on a quest for meaning and belonging. Directed by Gus Van Sant, this film explores themes of love, identity, and the search for home, filmed with a distinctive visual style and poignant narrative.

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Release Date

February 1, 1991

Runtime

104 Minutes

Cast

River Phoenix
, Keanu Reeves
, William Richert
, Udo Kier
, Chiara Caselli

Director

Gus Van Sant

Writers

Gus Van Sant

Focusing on a pair of friends named Mike and Scott, My Own Private Idaho drifts along their lives as male prostitutes traveling from place to place. The film is mostly driven by the actions of the characters rather than some overarching plot, and Scott eventually leaves to inherit his family’s fortune, leaving Mike alone in the world. This comes about as Mike is taken advantage of by those around him and then abandoned by Scott, the person who is closest to him.

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Mike’s story especially is one that is incredibly heartbreaking, with every positive thing in his life eventually crumbling around him. Scott leaves after Mike tells him how much he cares about him, and Mike never really finds a better life for himself. The movie simply ends with Mike being carried into the car of a stranger after having his things stolen, with his fate left up to interpretation by the viewer.

2

The Green Mile (1999)

Stephen King’s Original Story Has Broken Hearts For Decades

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7/10

The Green Mile

R
DramaCrimeFantasy

Produced and directed by Frank Darabont, The Green Mile is a Drama and Fantasy film based on Stephen King’s book of the same title. Starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan in the lead roles, the film follows a prison guard that experiences supernatural events and forms a touching relationship with a death row inmate.

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Release Date

December 10, 1999

Runtime

189 Minutes

Cast

Tom Hanks
, Michael Clarke Duncan
, David Morse
, Bonnie Hunt
, James Cromwell
, Michael Jeter
, Graham Greene
, Doug Hutchison

Director

Frank Darabont

Writers

Stephen King
, Frank Darabont

Several of Tom Hanks’ most impactful movies came about in the ’90s, including one where he is arguably not the star. Although The Green Mile was originally written by acclaimed horror author Stephen King, it is not a typical horror story. Rather, it is a crime drama about an officer and the death row inmates he supervises, one of whom is a man named John Coffey. Despite being sentenced to death, John never committed the terrible crime he is accused of in the first place.

Even though he is an innocent man, the justice system fails John. He is ultimately executed, something that occurs despite the officers knowing he is innocent. The ending of the film is tragic and poignant at the same time, showing the failings of a system that does not care about those it has incarcerated, even if they are wrongly convicted. Additionally, Michael Clarke Duncan (John) was the actor to get an Oscar nomination for this film, rather than Hanks.

1

Schindler’s List (1993)

This Best Picture Winner Does Not Shy Away From The Horrors Of The Holocaust

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15

9.9/10

Schindler’s List

R
DramaHistoryWar

Schindler’s List is a historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg, chronicling the efforts of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust. Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, the film vividly portrays the atrocities committed during World War II while highlighting Schindler’s transformation from a profit-driven industrialist to a humanitarian savior.

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Release Date

December 15, 1993

Runtime

195 Minutes

Cast

Liam Neeson
, Ben Kingsley
, Ralph Fiennes
, Caroline Goodall
, Jonathan Sagall

Director

Steven Spielberg

Writers

Thomas Keneally
, Steven Zaillian

Directed and produced by legendary filmmaker Stephen Spielberg, Schindler’s List sets out to tell the true story of the titular Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson. This man was best known for his work sheltering victims of the Holocaust, sending refugees to work in his factories, and saving their lives despite being a member of the Nazi Party himself. At the end of the film, Schindler is forced to flee despite the help he has offered, as he would be captured by the Russian military otherwise.

Because of the true-to-life nature of the film, Schindler’s List was shot in black and white and treated like a documentary at the time of filming.

The film is gut-wrenching because of its harsh subject matter, displaying the horrors of the Holocaust in great detail. It does not shy away from the atrocities committed during this time, and though the message is ultimately a hopeful one, the film is still dedicated to showing things as they were. Because of this, the real-life nature of the film, and the dedication to portraying things realistically, Schindler’s List is certainly one of the saddest movies to have been released in the 1990s.

Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment