10 Harrowing Movies You Can’t Watch Twice

Even by the bleak standards of Todd Solondz, Happiness is a dark movie. Less than a few minutes in, it becomes apparent that the film's title is supposed to be ironic: this is a case study that dives deep into the abyss of human despair.

Happiness follows three sisters with very different lives. One is a housewife with a seemingly perfect existence, who is blissfully unaware her husband is a pedophile. The middle sibling is a successful author, while the youngster is a teacher at an immigration centre who feels alone after being used by one of her adult students.

Each sister is dissatisfied with their life for their own set of reasons, but this isn't your run-of-the-mill black comedy about the pursuit of fulfillment. There's no escaping Solondz's misanthropy during this in-depth examination of depravity.

Happiness was controversial at the time of release and it's easy to see why. Finding the film too rich for its tastes, the Sundance Film Festival said thanks but no thanks when Solondz attempted to exhibit it there in 1998.