10 Movies Designed To Give You An Existential Crisis

3. Requiem For A Dream

Darren Aronofsky's masterful drama is one of the bleakest films you're ever likely to see, a deeply upsetting depiction of what addiction can do to the human soul.

Requiem for a Dream lures viewers in with its snazzy, MTV-style visuals and soundtrack only to pull the rug out in the film's second half, as the central quartet of characters are irredeemably overcome by their compulsions.

Though the four protagonists all actually survive the events of the movie, their grim fates are nevertheless devastating proof of how the endless pursuit to fill the spiritual void can ruin everyday lives.

The film also has much to say about how poorly modern society aids the mentally ill, particularly through Sara's (Ellen Burstyn) tragic arc - which, of course, is a fate that can befall any one of us without rhyme or reason.