In addition to delivering the scares and gore, many horror films succeed in taking us on a roller coaster of emotions. Some even make watching feel like a punch right to the gut. So, get the tissues ready as we look at 7 of the most depressing horror movies ever made.
7The Sacrament (2013)
Based on the true events of 1978’s Jonestown Massacre, The Sacrament stars AJ Bowen, a photographer visiting his sister in a secluded religious commune that she lives in. The community’s charismatic leader is referred to as “Father” and, if you’re familiar with the actual events of Jonestown, you can guess what the film leads up to. As the poison-laced punch gets passed around, the cries and terror seen and heard from children and parents is haunting. Anyone refusing suicide is shot down and the body count is massive in the end.
Considering that the film is based on real-life events, it makes The Sacrament even more depressing.
6Megan is Missing (2011)
Megan is Missing follows the story of a 14-year-old girl named Megan Stewart who meets who she thinks is a teenage boy in a chatroom. Not being too savvy when it comes to the dangers of the internet, Megan agrees to meet him in person and disappears. Soon after, graphic images of her begin to surface online and when her friend, Amy, investigates, she meets the same fate.
This may sound like an after school special about online stranger danger, but the ending is brutal to sit through. Viewers see Amy raped and tortured up-close for what seems like an eternity before she meets her grim fate. To top it all off, the film cuts back to Amy and Megan as happy-go-lucky girls planning their nonexistent futures. Heavy.
5Pet Sematary (1989)
Pet Sematary was one of the first horror films I ever saw as a kid, and some of the images haunted my childhood. Even as an adult, it leaves me with a sinking feeling once it’s over. There are so many moments that are heartbreaking, but the scenes that really stand out involve Gage. As if the truck scene alone wasn’t devastating enough, we see his heartbroken dad have to kill him all over again after he comes back from the grave…not right.
“Sometimes, dead is better.”
4The Mist (2007)
As if I could make a list about depressing horror movies and NOT include Stephen King’s The Mist! A thick mist blankets a small town in Maine and unleashes vicious Lovecraftian creatures. Not only are the creatures a serious danger, but fear runs rampant, causing people to become paranoid and cruel at times. The film also features one of the most depressing endings as a man makes the ultimate, yet unneeded, sacrifice.
3The Orphanage (2007)
Directed by J. A. Bayona and executive-produced by Guillermo del Toro, The Orphanage is not only one of the most terrifying supernatural films ever made, but one of the most devastating as well. This Spanish film follows a husband and wife who move into the wife’s childhood home with their adopted son, Simón. The home happens to be a closed orphanage that they plan to reopen. Shortly after, Simón goes missing in the home and strange events start to take place. There are many emotional twists and turns mixed in with sheer horror before a heartbreaking ending you don’t see coming.
2Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Tim Robbins, Jacob’s Ladder is one of the most depressing mind fucks you’ll experience. After his division gets attacked during the Vietnam War, Jacob experiences delusions, disturbing phenomena, and deaths of those around him that he struggles to understand. When the ending finally comes, it is not only a huge twist, but makes the entire film even sadder.
1A Serbian Film (2010)
Upon its release in 2011, Srdjan Spasojevic’s A Serbian Film became one of the most controversial films ever made, as well as one of the most depressing. Miloš is a retired porn star who agrees to make one more film, but it ends up being an extreme “art” film that includes pedophilia, necrophilia, rape, incest, and murder. Yikes, indeed. As if that isn’t enough to make you hate humanity already, the film’s ending is repulsively shocking and a huge downer.
Are there any depressing horror movies you would add to the list? Let us know in comments below or on social media!