10 Films That Want You To HATE Them
9. Melancholia (2011)
Lars von Trier's Melancholia might make you hate it for any number of reasons, but a sense of urgency isn't one of them.
A slow bubbling pot of pain from beginning to end, aptly reflecting the period of depression von Trier suffered prior to writing it, Melancholia tells a micro vs macro story of two sisters, one going through a severe period of depression, while a celestial body (the titular 'rogue' planet) is on a collision course with Earth.
It has the impressive cast that any von Trier flick can pull in these days - Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt and two Skarsgårds - but this is no testament to its entertainment quality. The 135 minutes runtime feels like twice the length and every single one of the few plot beats and many protracted emotional moments feel tailored to a mean-spirited attempt to see just how much audiences will put up with.
It is undeniably a beautiful film, and its themes run deep, but it is designed to elicit a feeling of depression and melancholia, like the world is indeed ending - and that is not most people's idea of a good time.