10 Great Films That Are Ugly On Purpose

Darren Aronofsky's mesmerising drama The Wrestler is wholly concerned with immersing the audience in the life of downtrodden pro-wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke).

In addition to Rourke's brilliantly self-reflexive performance, the film is enlivened by Maryse Alberti's grainy Super 16mm cinematography.

Though this results in the film lacking any sort of visual polish or cleanliness whatsoever, it does lend The Wrestler an uncommon grittiness appropriate for the story's many trips to dive bars, seedy strip clubs, and barely-attended wrestling shows.

While few would call it an example of state-of-the-art filmmaking craft, it is entirely effective at reflecting Randy's tawdry existence and evoking that slice-of-life vibe Aronofsky was clearly aiming for.