Thank you so much for this excellent video! My husband and I watched First Reformed a few weeks ago, based on your recommendation, and WOW, that is one that will stick with me for a long time - what an absolutely profound film. I'm obsessed with the screenplay and also surprised like you said that it isn't talked about more. Nothing Bad Can Happen was also well done, and disturbing. Next up: Clean, Shaven. Just trying to space out the bleakness with the usual fluff we watch!
I'm so glad this video and the films mentioned have resonated with you! Thank you. Hope Clean, Shaven is a hit with you too. I don't blame you spacing them out though!
I saw The Witch Who Came from the Sea at a theater doing a Video Nasty revival a few years ago. It was paired with Nightmare Maker (1981) which kind of made sense. Millie Perkins is so good in Witch. She pushes it out of complete exploitation territory into something a little more. It's an interesting dynamic that her husband wrote the film.
That's so cool and I can see why those two would make a good double bill. Definitely a fantastic performance by Millie Perkins in Witch. I didn't realise her husband wrote the film! Very interesting.
I love bleak films because they keep me grounded and in check ;) Check out these new films below: ⚰ Bones and All ⚰ Prey for the Devil Love Ethan Hawk. I'm actually from Western NY :) Peter Straub, a great horror author, who had a book adaption into a movie called "Ghost Story" said in an interview that on the cover of his books it could have said WARNING THIN ICE! Loved that guy, because he understood the importance of the bleak! Thanks for all you do with this channel Alex.
That is a great way of looking at it! Thank you for the recommendations. I hadn't heard of Prey for the Devil so I'll have to look it up. I have to admit I found Ghost Story to be a bit of a mixed bag but definitely has its bleakness! I did love Pork Pie Hat by him which I read in the October Dreams anthology. Thank you so much, that is so kind of you to say!
I think going in blind is the only way to properly view Deadman's Shoes. It is one of those movies that are really good but would be extremely difficult to watch more than once.
True. Not knowing what is going to happen definitely adds to the experience. I have seen it more than once though...clearly I am a glutton for punishment 😂
First Reformed is one of my favorite movies of recent years, and Ethan Hawke's performance is about the best thing he's ever done! Witch Who Came from the Sea is such a weird oddity, good call. Title reminded me of another dark 1970s movie, The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, starring Kris Kristofferson.
I think its important to explore the dark corners, even if we're not in the mood. Its not all about escapism. These films might be more obscure but they're probably closer to the truth. Thanks for the recommendations.
Import/Export (2007) is very bleak and works as a companion piece with Lilya 4-Ever. Also, 8mm (1999) which covers really dark subject matter and conjures a bleak atmosphere that I've not seen in many Hollywood films, also with a surprising performance from James Gandolfini.
You’re probably too young to remember it, but Shane Meadows used to do a really great late night show on C4 showcasing short films. I can’t for the life of me remember the name of it though.
I think it's Shane's World (great title!) that you're thinking of? Apparently the short films in question are available as extras on the Once Upon a Time in the Midlands dvd.
@@CriminOllyBlog Thanks for your reply 🙂. Ah, okay...in that case I'm well and truly stumped! But also very intrigued. The programme sounds like a TV version of Six of the Best, the film festival for shorts that Mr Meadows used to run in Nottingham.
@CriminOllyBlog It was called Shooting Gallery if i remember rightly - some great stuff on there. One I remember was called ‘China’ and had Jessie Birdsall and Reece Dinsdale in it. It was all in black and white with the occasional colour red. I would live to see some of them again!
A few bleak films that spring to mind are Descent with Rosario Dawson, Once Were Warriors (also a book), Sweet Country with Sam Neil. Looking forward (I guess 😆) to your bleak book recommendations. There are a few Joyce Carol Oates books that have really haunted me.
I haven't seen any of those so thank you for the recommendations! My bleak books video is up now if you want to check it out! I've been meaning to read some more JCO. I've only read Foxfire which was interesting but I didn't love it.
Thanks for the video! I watched CLEAN, SHAVEN when it first came out on video and it's stayed with me after all these years. This may be the first time I've ever heard anyone mention the film online for any reasons. Todd Field may be the champion of bleak films with 'In the Bedroom' and 'LIttle Children'. And I remember really liking 'The Sweet Hereafter' but haven't seen it in twenty years. 'May' is another film I have a real fondness. But CLEAN, SHAVEN and the Cronenberg film SPIDER feature my two favorite film representations of mental illness. So yeah .. pretty bleak!
Thank you! Clean, Shaven is such an interesting one so it's a shame that it doesn't seem very well known. I have seen and enjoyed Little Children, May and Spider (saw that one at the cinema when it first came out!) but I haven't seen the others so thanks for the recommendations!
@@TheBookubus AFter thirty years, I absolutely think Clean, Shaven needs to be recognized and remembered. It's funny too, because since this film originally came out, Peter Greene has been associated with straight up villain roles. This movie absolutely has a more nuanced and realistic take on schizophrenia than most movies will ever have. Great overall list!
I've seen First Reformed, Dead Man's Shoes, Lilya 4-Ever, bleak but worthwhile as you said. Recently I watched the Amazon series, The English w/ Emily Blunt, and thought it was fairly bleak, tho didn't bother me. I actually enjoyed it. Some might be turned off in that it's a western, but I like westerns too. It can get rather harrowing too. I enjoy those TV series, I Shouldn't Be Alive, which again can be harrowing. You can see many of them on YT. The Lost Daughter, The Father, Nomadland, the Chernobyl series, Prisoners, can be rather bleak, but worth watching.
Bleak but worthwhile is a great way of putting it! I thought Chernobyl and Prisoners were really excellent but I have not seen the others so thank you for the recommendations.
House of Sand and Fog was a contender for this year but we had to narrow it down! I've been hearing good thing about Banshees. Thanks for the recommendations!
Let's BLEAK it up. Okay, I need to apparently ACTUALLY watch First Reformed, it was one of those 'I've heard good things but is this one of those boring catholic movies'. Have you talked about Dead Man's Shoes before? It is really ringing a bell with me and I am trying to figure out if I watched it like AGES ago or you talked about it prior. Other then that I haven't seen any of these, so I have to put this on the list!
Bleak Week, baby!! 😂 You should absolutely give First Reformed a watch! There's a good chance I have mentioned Dead Man's Shoes before although I am not sure when haha. Hope you 'enjoy' the recs!
Alex, have you ever seen “Frenzy” by Alfred Hitchcock? I tried to watch this movie at the theater in 1972 when I was a teen and had to leave the theater.. LOL. I have thought about this movie over the years and decided to give it a go last year. It was a pretty good movie. Love watching you!!! 🖤🖤Judy🖤🖤
Requiem For a Dream comes to mind when thinking of bleak films. The way drug use is depicted and watching the characters come apart feels awful. It's done so well though.
Indeed, Dead Man's Shoes...jeez, what a film. I also watched it when it was first released and it blew me away. Paddy Considine, what a performance. And that reveal about younger brother Anthony?!.....Have you seen the TV series The Virtues (2019) by Shane Meadows? Another powerhouse performance, this time by Stephen Graham in the lead role. It's a soul-destroying experience but so, so good. Wow, The Witch Who Came From the Sea! I really liked it too. Its title and its reputation as a Nasty are definitely misleading. Clean Shaven! Now there's a film I've not thought about for *years*! In fact, i could do with re-watching it as I can only remember sketchy details about it. As for recommendations, not sure if I can think of anything you won't have heard of as we seem to be on a similar wavelength. But, there's La Haine, I Stand Alone, Dancer in the Dark, House of Sand and Fog, Spider, Jude, The Machinist, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Jacob's Ladder, Spoorlos/The Vanishing....Todd Solondz is a good bleak director [e.g. Happiness, lol] as is Bergman [e.g. Persona]. There's tons more but those are a few that immediately come to mind!
His performance is amazing and the direction the story goes is devastating. An unforgettable film experience. I haven't seen The Virtues but it sounds really good. Great recommendations...I've seen most of them but not House of Sand and Fog (although that was a contender for this year's Bleak Week!) or Jude. Thank you!
![[Live] : ONE 169 วันนี้!! "อนาโตลี vs อูมาร์"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IK3YZVWuFJg/mqdefault.jpg)
A film I find quite bleak is 'One night stand' released in 1984. Nuclear war coming to Australia. Well worth tracking down.
Oh interesting, I'll have to check that one out. Thank you for the recommendation!
Thanks again for the recs
Always great to expand ones watches even if they are tougher than most
I'm glad to hear that. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this excellent video! My husband and I watched First Reformed a few weeks ago, based on your recommendation, and WOW, that is one that will stick with me for a long time - what an absolutely profound film. I'm obsessed with the screenplay and also surprised like you said that it isn't talked about more. Nothing Bad Can Happen was also well done, and disturbing. Next up: Clean, Shaven. Just trying to space out the bleakness with the usual fluff we watch!
I'm so glad this video and the films mentioned have resonated with you! Thank you. Hope Clean, Shaven is a hit with you too. I don't blame you spacing them out though!
I’ve never even heard of these. This was a great video and I’m looking forward to more bleak recs…more books and films please!!!
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the book recommendation video too :)
I saw The Witch Who Came from the Sea at a theater doing a Video Nasty revival a few years ago. It was paired with Nightmare Maker (1981) which kind of made sense. Millie Perkins is so good in Witch. She pushes it out of complete exploitation territory into something a little more. It's an interesting dynamic that her husband wrote the film.
That's so cool and I can see why those two would make a good double bill. Definitely a fantastic performance by Millie Perkins in Witch. I didn't realise her husband wrote the film! Very interesting.
I love bleak films because they keep me grounded and in check ;)
Check out these new films below:
⚰ Bones and All
⚰ Prey for the Devil
Love Ethan Hawk. I'm actually from Western NY :)
Peter Straub, a great horror author, who had a book adaption into a movie called "Ghost Story" said in an interview that on the cover of his books it could have said WARNING THIN ICE! Loved that guy, because he understood the importance of the bleak!
Thanks for all you do with this channel Alex.
That is a great way of looking at it!
Thank you for the recommendations. I hadn't heard of Prey for the Devil so I'll have to look it up.
I have to admit I found Ghost Story to be a bit of a mixed bag but definitely has its bleakness! I did love Pork Pie Hat by him which I read in the October Dreams anthology.
Thank you so much, that is so kind of you to say!
Deadman's Shoes, The Witch Who Came From the Sea, and Clean Shaven sound very particularly interesting, and wow that cover or poster for Witch.
That artwork is so good!
I'm adding all of these movies to my never-ending list! I love bleak and disturbing.
Excellent! Hope you like them.
I think going in blind is the only way to properly view Deadman's Shoes. It is one of those movies that are really good but would be extremely difficult to watch more than once.
True. Not knowing what is going to happen definitely adds to the experience. I have seen it more than once though...clearly I am a glutton for punishment 😂
First Reformed is one of my favorite movies of recent years, and Ethan Hawke's performance is about the best thing he's ever done! Witch Who Came from the Sea is such a weird oddity, good call. Title reminded me of another dark 1970s movie, The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, starring Kris Kristofferson.
Such an amazing performance. It really stuck with me. I haven't heard of that Kristofferson movie so I'll have to check it out!
I think its important to explore the dark corners, even if we're not in the mood. Its not all about escapism. These films might be more obscure but they're probably closer to the truth. Thanks for the recommendations.
That is a very good point! I agree. Thank you for watching!
Import/Export (2007) is very bleak and works as a companion piece with Lilya 4-Ever. Also, 8mm (1999) which covers really dark subject matter and conjures a bleak atmosphere that I've not seen in many Hollywood films, also with a surprising performance from James Gandolfini.
Import/Export is a great pick. I've only seen one other film from that director, Dog Days, but it was excellent. 8mm is a good one!
I have First Reformed on my watch list. Haven’t heard of the other ones. Intriguing sounding films despite being bleak.
I hope you like First Reformed when you get chance to watch it. Thank you, Kat!
Loved First Reformed & Witch from the Sea, I'll check out the rest! I don't know if it qualifies - but Miracle Mile (1989) comes to mind.
I hope you enjoy the others if you give them a watch. I haven't seen Miracle Mile so thank you for the recommendation!
You’re probably too young to remember it, but Shane Meadows used to do a really great late night show on C4 showcasing short films. I can’t for the life of me remember the name of it though.
I don't remember that but it sounds interesting. Late night C4 had some great stuff!
I think it's Shane's World (great title!) that you're thinking of? Apparently the short films in question are available as extras on the Once Upon a Time in the Midlands dvd.
@@jasonkirk7748 no, it wasn’t his own films, he was just the host.
@@CriminOllyBlog Thanks for your reply 🙂. Ah, okay...in that case I'm well and truly stumped! But also very intrigued. The programme sounds like a TV version of Six of the Best, the film festival for shorts that Mr Meadows used to run in Nottingham.
@CriminOllyBlog It was called Shooting Gallery if i remember rightly - some great stuff on there. One I remember was called ‘China’ and had Jessie Birdsall and Reece Dinsdale in it. It was all in black and white with the occasional colour red. I would live to see some of them again!
A few bleak films that spring to mind are Descent with Rosario Dawson, Once Were Warriors (also a book), Sweet Country with Sam Neil.
Looking forward (I guess 😆) to your bleak book recommendations. There are a few Joyce Carol Oates books that have really haunted me.
I haven't seen any of those so thank you for the recommendations!
My bleak books video is up now if you want to check it out! I've been meaning to read some more JCO. I've only read Foxfire which was interesting but I didn't love it.
Thanks for the video! I watched CLEAN, SHAVEN when it first came out on video and it's stayed with me after all these years. This may be the first time I've ever heard anyone mention the film online for any reasons. Todd Field may be the champion of bleak films with 'In the Bedroom' and 'LIttle Children'. And I remember really liking 'The Sweet Hereafter' but haven't seen it in twenty years. 'May' is another film I have a real fondness. But CLEAN, SHAVEN and the Cronenberg film SPIDER feature my two favorite film representations of mental illness. So yeah .. pretty bleak!
Thank you! Clean, Shaven is such an interesting one so it's a shame that it doesn't seem very well known. I have seen and enjoyed Little Children, May and Spider (saw that one at the cinema when it first came out!) but I haven't seen the others so thanks for the recommendations!
@@TheBookubus AFter thirty years, I absolutely think Clean, Shaven needs to be recognized and remembered. It's funny too, because since this film originally came out, Peter Greene has been associated with straight up villain roles. This movie absolutely has a more nuanced and realistic take on schizophrenia than most movies will ever have. Great overall list!
I've seen First Reformed, Dead Man's Shoes, Lilya 4-Ever, bleak but worthwhile as you said. Recently I watched the Amazon series, The English w/ Emily Blunt, and thought it was fairly bleak, tho didn't bother me. I actually enjoyed it. Some might be turned off in that it's a western, but I like westerns too. It can get rather harrowing too. I enjoy those TV series, I Shouldn't Be Alive, which again can be harrowing. You can see many of them on YT. The Lost Daughter, The Father, Nomadland, the Chernobyl series, Prisoners, can be rather bleak, but worth watching.
Bleak but worthwhile is a great way of putting it! I thought Chernobyl and Prisoners were really excellent but I have not seen the others so thank you for the recommendations.
Two more for a future list (if you haven’t seen them). House of Sand and Fog and Banshees of Inisherin.
House of Sand and Fog was a contender for this year but we had to narrow it down! I've been hearing good thing about Banshees. Thanks for the recommendations!
Let's BLEAK it up.
Okay, I need to apparently ACTUALLY watch First Reformed, it was one of those 'I've heard good things but is this one of those boring catholic movies'.
Have you talked about Dead Man's Shoes before? It is really ringing a bell with me and I am trying to figure out if I watched it like AGES ago or you talked about it prior.
Other then that I haven't seen any of these, so I have to put this on the list!
Bleak Week, baby!! 😂
You should absolutely give First Reformed a watch!
There's a good chance I have mentioned Dead Man's Shoes before although I am not sure when haha.
Hope you 'enjoy' the recs!
Alex, have you ever seen “Frenzy” by Alfred Hitchcock? I tried to watch this movie at the theater in 1972 when I was a teen and had to leave the theater.. LOL. I have thought about this movie over the years and decided to give it a go last year. It was a pretty good movie. Love watching you!!! 🖤🖤Judy🖤🖤
I have seen Frenzy and thought it was pretty good too! I'm glad you stuck through it when you rewatched it! Thank you so much, Judy!
Speak No Evil is very bleak.
Definitely. I thought it was an excellent film.
Requiem For a Dream comes to mind when thinking of bleak films. The way drug use is depicted and watching the characters come apart feels awful. It's done so well though.
That one and the book are definitely up there in terms of bleakness!
Indeed, Dead Man's Shoes...jeez, what a film. I also watched it when it was first released and it blew me away. Paddy Considine, what a performance. And that reveal about younger brother Anthony?!.....Have you seen the TV series The Virtues (2019) by Shane Meadows? Another powerhouse performance, this time by Stephen Graham in the lead role. It's a soul-destroying experience but so, so good. Wow, The Witch Who Came From the Sea! I really liked it too. Its title and its reputation as a Nasty are definitely misleading. Clean Shaven! Now there's a film I've not thought about for *years*! In fact, i could do with re-watching it as I can only remember sketchy details about it. As for recommendations, not sure if I can think of anything you won't have heard of as we seem to be on a similar wavelength. But, there's La Haine, I Stand Alone, Dancer in the Dark, House of Sand and Fog, Spider, Jude, The Machinist, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Jacob's Ladder, Spoorlos/The Vanishing....Todd Solondz is a good bleak director [e.g. Happiness, lol] as is Bergman [e.g. Persona]. There's tons more but those are a few that immediately come to mind!
His performance is amazing and the direction the story goes is devastating. An unforgettable film experience. I haven't seen The Virtues but it sounds really good. Great recommendations...I've seen most of them but not House of Sand and Fog (although that was a contender for this year's Bleak Week!) or Jude. Thank you!