10 Movies About Death That Will Change Your Life
6. Things We Lost In The Fire (2007)
Susanne Bier's criminally underrated drama Things We Lost In The Fire dares to tackle a complex maze of challenging themes and issues, including substance abuse, mourning, companionship and, of course, mortality. It stars Benicio del Toro and Halle Berry as two radically different people torn apart by tragedy.
Berry stars as Audrey, a woman whose husband Brian is killed in a random act of violence. At the funeral, she reunites with del Toro's Jerry, a heroin addict, Brian's best friend, and someone Audrey had long cut from her life because of his vices. In their reunion, the pair find comfort in each other's pain.
An incredibly moving picture of friendship and the slow, intrusive way the loss of a loved one hits us, Things We Lost In The Fire skates on the edge of over-the-top melodrama but never slips up, allowing Berry and del Toro to deliver two powerhouse portrayals of heartbreak and uncertainty.
Much like Rabbit Hole earlier in the list, it's an intimate drama all about the healing power of time and the virtues of having people to lean on, and it ends with a sweet farewell sure to leave you wistful and optimistic.