Bring Her Back has left audiences reeling, with some calling it “soul crushing” and “a nightmare” you can’t look away from. If you’ve survived its grief-soaked scares and are craving more films that will absolutely ruin your day, you’re in the right place.
From gut-wrenching Japanese animation and icy French thrillers to nuclear nightmares you’ll never shake off, these nine bleak, devastating films are all streaming now.
They’re not feel-good. They’re not comforting. But they will remind you that cinema, at its darkest, can be unforgettable.
Ready to be wrecked? Here’s what to watch next...
1. Irréversible (Shudder)
Gaspar Noé’s reverse-chronological nightmare about a brutal assault and the fallout that follows is one of the most infamous films of the New French Extremity era.
It’s relentless, shocking, and unshakably sad.
2. Requiem for a Dream (Rent via Prime Video, Apple TV+)
Darren Aronofsky’s unflinching dive into addiction’s spiral remains one of the most harrowing films ever made, with a final act so bleak it’s hard to watch without looking away.
3. Son of Saul (Curzon, Apple TV+) 1
This Oscar-winning Holocaust drama unfolds almost entirely in tight close-up, following a concentration camp prisoner’s desperate mission to bury a boy he believes is his son. It’s claustrophobic and gut-wrenching.
4. Come and See (BFI Player, Apple TV+)
Widely regarded as the greatest anti-war film ever made, this Soviet masterpiece captures the horror of war through the eyes of a teenage boy, leaving you numb by its haunting end.
5. Dancer in the Dark (Rent via Prime Video, Apple TV+)
Lars von Trier’s tragic musical starring Björk is emotionally punishing, with a finale so devastating it can leave viewers sobbing. If you want to feel hollow, it delivers.
6. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Netflix)
Quiet, deeply moving, and devastating, this indie follows a teenage girl’s journey across state lines for an abortion. It’s subtle but heavy, and will stay with you long after.
7. Snowtown (BFI Player via Apple TV+)
Based on a true story, this Australian thriller explores the slow corruption of a teenager drawn into a series of horrific crimes. It’s bleak, cold, and deeply unsettling.
8. Speak No Evil (Shudder)
A polite holiday visit spirals into a gut-wrenching ordeal in this Danish thriller that became a word-of-mouth hit for its unbearable tension and devastating finale.
9. Threads (BBC iPlayer)
The BBC’s depiction of nuclear war and its aftermath in Sheffield is so horrifying it was pulled from television for years. It’s still one of the most harrowing things you can watch.
10. Funny Games (Rent via Prime Video, Apple TV+)
Michael Haneke’s chilling home invasion film is a meta, brutal takedown of violence in cinema that leaves viewers rattled and angry.
11. Grave of the Fireflies (Netflix)
This Studio Ghibli masterpiece is one of the greatest animated films ever made — and one of the saddest. The story of two siblings struggling to survive in wartime Japan will leave you in pieces.
12. Mysterious Skin (MUBI)
Gregg Araki’s powerful drama about two young men dealing with the fallout of childhood trauma is tender, painful, and essential.
13. Kotoko (Arrow Player)
A single mother’s mental health unravels in terrifying, hyper-realistic detail in this Japanese film that won the top prize at Venice and is as emotionally brutal as it is beautiful. Calvaire (Prime Video, Shudder, Arrow Player)
14. Calvaire (Prime Video, Shudder, Arrow Player)
A musician’s car breaks down in the woods, and a local innkeeper’s twisted obsession turns his trip into a waking nightmare in this grim Belgian horror.
Every one of these films will ruin your day in the best, most cinematic way possible. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.
