10 Most Depressing Blockbuster Movies, Ranked
Collider has published a ranked opinion piece by writer Diego Pineda Pacheco identifying the ten most depressing blockbuster films ever made. The article's premise is that although blockbusters — big-budget, mass-market films in the mould of Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975) — are usually associated with excitement and crowd-pleasing thrills, a handful have achieved commercial success while being deeply sombre and emotionally devastating, which the author considers a notable achievement.
The available excerpt covers the lower end of the list. At number 10 is My Girl (1991), a coming-of-age romantic dramedy starring Macaulay Culkin that audiences embraced despite lukewarm reviews. Number 9 is Legends of the Fall (1994), a sweeping Brad Pitt Western epic noted for James Horner's score and John Toll's Oscar-winning cinematography, and for its succession of tragic losses. Number 8 is Kevin Costner's directorial debut Dances With Wolves (1990), a three-hour revisionist Western praised for confronting historical tragedy and challenging the genre's colonialist perspective. The remaining seven entries are not included in the provided text.
- Collider ranks the ten most depressing yet successful blockbuster films.
- My Girl, Legends of the Fall and Dances With Wolves take the bottom three spots.
- The piece argues sombre blockbusters can still succeed commercially.