# Movies about being lonely



## Doc Rice

What is a really depressing, sad movie about loneliness?


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## Dub16

Robinson Crusoe

Stuck on that island fer 28 years without bein able to log on to SAS


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## nork123

johnny got his gun, its about someone who went to war and has his arms, legs eyes, ears, nose, mouth etc. destroyed by a land mine and is basically being kept alive artificially and constantly being sedated and he cant even communicate that he wants to die, cant get much more lonely than that. A very good but very depressing story that shows the horrors of war


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## lazy calm

i think one of my favourite movies *Lost in Translation* is a semi lonely movie but
here's a list. i don't feel up to review them. but they're good trust me

Umberto D
Stroszek
One Hour Photo
Taxi Driver
Der Siebente Kontinent
Space Odyssey 2001
Eternity and A Day
Wings of Desire
Solaris
Eraserhead
Be With Me
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Palindromes
Elephant Man
Happiness
American Beauty
Last Days
Welcome To The Dollhouse
Lars and the Real Girl
The Straight Story
Ratcatcher


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## kenny87

lars and the real girl was a good one. I've seen a few more but that comes to mind.


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## Keith

Taxi Driver, great movie one of my faves


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## BetaBoy90

Elephant Man (it's quite sad, but so true). Also Castaway, although Wilson made quite the friend.


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## mrbojangles

yeah taxi driver is a great movie, here is the scene where travis talks about his loneliness.


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## Georgina 22

What about Cast Away. Tom Hanks stuck on an island with only a football head to talk too lol. I thought it was really sad when he lost his football friend in the sea.


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## Georgina 22

BetaBoy90 said:


> Elephant Man (it's quite sad, but so true). Also Castaway, although Wilson made quite the friend.


oh just realised you'd already mentioned Cast Aaway haha. Yup, Wilson rocked..I need to watch that film again.


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## anxcited

Paper Man (2009) is about a lonely writer (Jeff Daniels)who is unhappily married, and hasn't fully grown up because he still has an imaginary friend/ superhero called paperman (Ryan Reynold). He meets a seventeen years-old girl (Emma Stone) who he befriends. Both are lonely individuals who can't let go of their pasts. Its a good movie and touches on SA.


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## Canadian Brotha

Here's a list that has films that cover loneliness to various degrees. Most of them have depressing overtones at the very least. Perhaps check the plots on IMDB or look up trailers on youtube to see if they what you are looking for

- Into The Wild
- Bella
- Rachel Getting Married
- Broken Flowers
- Reign On Me
- Things We Lost In The Fire
- 21 Grams
- Owning Mahoney
- Memento
- Tsunami The Aftermath
- Changing Lanes
- I Am Sam
- The Missing
- Babel
- Sex, Lies, & Videotape
- No Country For Old Men
- There Will Be Blood
- The Weather Man
- Good Dick
- A Scanner Darkly
- Serpico
- Seven Pounds
- Lost Song


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## sarafinanickelbocker

BetaBoy90 said:


> Elephant Man (it's quite sad, but so true). Also Castaway, although Wilson made quite the friend.


I was going to say Castaway too. I cried when Wilson floated away.


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## EagerMinnow84

Dub16 said:


> Robinson Crusoe
> 
> Stuck on that island fer 28 years without bein able to log on to SAS


:teeth


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## KaiserNeptune

Georgina 22 said:


> What about Cast Away. Tom Hanks stuck on an island with only a football head to talk too lol. I thought it was really sad when he lost his football friend in the sea.


Such a great, but sad film. Also, Silvestri's score is quite emotionally gripping; every time I listen to it, I can't help but reflect upon my own isolation and loneliness. I think I'm going to watch it now either tonight or tomorrow, although it probably will do me no good.

Do yourself a favor a watch this:


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## Snow Bunny

Taxi Driver. I first watched it a couple of years ago during a very lonely period of my life (first year of uni). Very good film.


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## Dreamscape

These are some that I've enjoyed watching (trying to name some that others haven't):

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Lovers of the Arctic Circle
The Science of Sleep
The Sea Inside
The Fountain
Two Lovers
Magnolia
Onegin
Ben X


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## KaiserNeptune

Apotheosis said:


> These are some that I've enjoyed watching (trying to name some that others haven't):
> 
> Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
> The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
> The Lovers of the Arctic Circle
> The Science of Sleep
> The Sea Inside
> The Fountain
> Two Lovers
> Magnolia
> Onegin
> Ben X


"ESSM" has been on my to-see list for quite some time, never seem to get around to watching it though. I bought "The Fountain" on blu-ray a few months back and, in my opinion, it was a little underwhelming, but I only watched it once. Is it one of those movies that gets better upon the 2nd and 3rd viewings? Apparently a lot of people think Aranofsky's (sp?) films are brilliant, so maybe I should have paid closer attention.


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## miminka

Low-budget 60's horror film that deals with the feeling of depersonalization and complete detachment. I relate to the protagonist a lot, and it's also one of my favourite films of all time.


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## redtogo72

Maybe not the best example, but I still remember this movie when I watched it over 10 years ago: The Telephone with Whoopi Goldberg. Ignore the bad rating (only 443 people rated it) on IMDB.


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## Clint Westwood

Psycho is a good one. Norman Bates was a pretty lonely guy.


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## Keith

AudreyHepburn said:


> Low-budget 60's horror film that deals with the feeling of depersonalization and complete detachment. I relate to the protagonist a lot, and it's also one of my favourite films of all time.


Awesome pick i love this movie, glad to see someone else appreciate it!


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## alfredd88

i think I am sam & two Lovers was one of the deserving movies for this category...


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## Dreamscape

KaiserNeptune said:


> "ESSM" has been on my to-see list for quite some time, never seem to get around to watching it though. I bought "The Fountain" on blu-ray a few months back and, in my opinion, it was a little underwhelming, but I only watched it once. Is it one of those movies that gets better upon the 2nd and 3rd viewings? Apparently a lot of people think Aranofsky's (sp?) films are brilliant, so maybe I should have paid closer attention.


You should really watch Eternal Sunshine, it's amazing. Easily one of my favorite films. As for The Fountain, it seems to be a hit or miss. I really enjoyed it myself, especially the artistic quality of Aronofsky. I'm not sure if multiple viewings would help you enjoy it more or not.


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## Arisa1536

nork123 said:


> johnny got his gun, its about someone who went to war and has his arms, legs eyes, ears, nose, mouth etc. destroyed by a land mine and is basically being kept alive artificially and constantly being sedated and he cant even communicate that he wants to die, cant get much more lonely than that. A very good but very depressing story that shows the horrors of war


I realize this is an old thread but i have to comment because I did not know if there was anyone else out there who had seen this film or read the book:b
the story is slow and the acting rather hammy but it portrayed the spirit of war and how brutal it really is underneath the camaraderie and battle, no body wanted to know the soldier who was left for dead in the trenches or came home in a wheelchair due to severe physical deformities. This movie was based on an anti war novel about the casualties of war in the early 20th century during The Great War as it was known then ( the author ironically did not have the book published until 1939 when WW2 broke out)
Very sad and depressing but a real eye opener too
good film, but rather long
i think a remake would be better because they would be able to show you what the man actually looked like, even though he had no face, legs, arms or ears but still, a new one would be good with better effects and more hard core acting


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## Johny

I liked Round Midnight a lot but it's long and not so exciting (depending on your tastes). Cameo appearance by Martin Scorsese though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Midnight_(film)

Also, Blade Runner's a very lonely film (don't remember if it has been posted above).


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## BetaBoy90

Boogie Nights is a great movie and it has loneliness as one of it's main themes.


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## CeilingStarer

nork123 said:


> johnny got his gun, its about someone who went to war and has his arms, legs eyes, ears, nose, mouth etc. destroyed by a land mine and is basically being kept alive artificially and constantly being sedated and he cant even communicate that he wants to die, cant get much more lonely than that. A very good but very depressing story that shows the horrors of war


Is that, that really old film Metallica used during the film-clip for "One?"

I've seen that many good Japanese and Korean films that explore loneliness; I can't remember any names right now.

I love movies that sort of just follow a loner around the place. I guess "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind" was the last Western one I watched. As soon as it showed him standing at the train station in the cold with the voice-over saying "I decided to ditch work today" or whatever, I knew I was going to love it.


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## Shauna The Dead

May & Willard


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## TheRob

Although loneliness is one of the themes of Taxi Driver, the Travis character did get a date (even though he took her to the porno theater).

Steve Martin did a comedy called the Lonely Guy in the mid-1980s. It contains a hilarious scene about eating alone in a restaurant. That hits close to home.


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## BetaBoy90

TheRob said:


> Although loneliness is one of the themes of Taxi Driver, the Travis character did get a date (even though he took her to the porno theater).


It's hard to say if Travis Bickle even experienced actual loneliness in his journey of the movie. It seemed like he was far too warped and psychotic to truly understand feelings of loneliness. Whether one has to truly understand loneliness to have it count, I guess that's a matter of opinion.


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## heavens

I'd say the loneliest movie I've watched so far is Cast Away. He was all alone in a very distant island for several months. His one and only considered companion during the time when he was in the island was a volleyball named "Wilson".


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## Yozo

lonesome jim


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## deeeanabanana

The movie Mary and Max is a good one to describe SA. Mary has not friends or much of family support and Max has Aspergers and his whole life lived isolated not knowing how to deal well with people around him. It's funny and cute and very sad too.

I also remember 3 Iron, it's a korean movie and there the main character is someone who does not relate with other people, he barely talks and he lives on other's people's houses when they are on vacation, like a ghost. Until he finds the woman he loves. It's very good and impressive movie.


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## ManuelVinn

I would like sinpose, not just titles


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## Dan the man

Taxi Driver (already mentioned quite a bit), Punch Drunk Love (I'd venture to say the character has SA), The Wrestler, Buffalo 66, and The Mechanic come to mind off the top of my head.


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## lindseysol

Punch Drunk Love captures the feeling of having social anxiety perfectly. It has a happy ending though. Where The Wild Things Are has a really lonesome vibe too. Has that childhood angst feel

The Science of Sleep is one of my favorite movies. It's all about loneliness and unrequited love, it's pretty easy to relate. And Charlotte Gainsbourg is a qt


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## lindseysol

Serial Experiments Lain has an extremely lonesome vibe too. I'm not even into anime but it's an exception because it's just so damn good. It's like a mixture of The Matrix and Donnie Darko


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## xlavenderx

Her - about a lonely writer who begins dating an Operating System (kind of like Siri I think?). There are so many different levels to this film, and it's not all about loneliness, but there's definitely that vibe of what makes a relationship, relationships with technology, human connection, etc.

Moon - about an astronaut living on the moon for a certain amount of time (there is a reason, although I forget it) and his time to go back to Earth is soon approaching, but things turn strange when he finds another astronaut on the moon with him.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - it's based off a book, and I actually preferred the film. It's beautifully shot and the cast was great. It's about a teenage boy who suffers from a sort of mental illness due to a traumatic episode in his life. He befriends a guy and his step sister who he begins falling for, and becomes a part of their intimate friendship circle - it's cool to watch someone so lonely and needy gain great friendships.

Into the Wild - based on a true story about a young guy who gives up all his money and possessions to hike across the US and Canada, making his way to Alaska. He doesn't want to live like the rest of society and wants to find freedom and happiness in the simpler things in life - this film is so beautiful and the music, done by Eddie Vedder, is equally so.

A Single Man - a professor plans his death as he reflects on the loss of his lover. This movie is also gorgeous to watch.

Laws of Attraction - a couple different story lines that come together in an art school, presenting a sort of live triangle. Kind of shows the more depressing side of college, like suicide and pretentiousness and neediness. Pretty awesome cast, too.

Wristcutters: A Love Story - a guy kills himself and is transported to an afterlife that is like Earth, but even ****tier. He meets a guy who lives with his entire family that also killed themselves. They go on a road trip to find the guys girlfriend because she killed herself too, and end up picking up a hitchhiker who insists she's only there by accident, and has to return to Earth.

The Misfits - a black and white film with Marilyn Monroe. About a sad woman post-divorce and her friend who meet with two cowboys. It appears cowboys are a dying thing and they struggle to make ends meet, not wanting to give into making wages, as they call it.

Butiful - It might be spelled differently, but it's "beautiful" but mispelled. It's a Spanish film with Javier Bardem (a pretty well known Spanish actor) who works with a few other people who hold an illegal immigration operation. Bardem's character finds out he's quickly dying of cancer, but he has two kids he doesn't want to leave with their irresponsible mother. He can also talk with the dead.


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## xlavenderx

gatller said:


> Punch Drunk Love captures the feeling of having social anxiety perfectly. It has a happy ending though. Where The Wild Things Are has a really lonesome vibe too. Has that childhood angst feel
> 
> The Science of Sleep is one of my favorite movies. It's all about loneliness and unrequited love, it's pretty easy to relate. And Charlotte Gainsbourg is a qt


I loved Punch Drunk Love... that movie is so under rated. It was so cool seeing Adam Sandler do a movie that wasn't a goofball comedy.


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## xlavenderx

BetaBoy90 said:


> Boogie Nights is a great movie and it has loneliness as one of it's main themes.


Love this movie... so heartbreaking watching everything unravel for them...


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## fonz

Not sure if it's been mentioned,but I think another good one is Naked (1993). Great film,which I'd recommend to anyone...


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## WhisperingPines05

Sad and depressing films about loneliness? Look no further than the work of Michelangelo Antonioni, who incisively managed to express human loneliness, alienation and ennui better than any filmmaker. 

My favorites are:

Il Grido (1957)
L'Eclisse (1962)
Red Desert (1964)
The Passenger (1975)


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## kjwkjw

LOST

tv-series.


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## Losti

Loneliness, alienation or emptiness might be a small theme in some of these movies, but for whatever reason, they come to mind for this thread.

Drive (you can sense Ryan is lonely and quiet in this film, initially empty)
Babel (the deaf Japanese girls frustration for some reason seemed relateable)
Alcatraz (solitary confinement, need I say more)


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## Knxwledge

5 Centimeters Per Second
It's an anime file, but it's simply beautiful


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