10 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Films That Were Much Too Depressing For The Masses

9. The Mist (2007)

For the most part, Frank Darabont's The Mist is a B movie horror romp through Stephen King territory. It's no picnic for the first couple of acts, sure - things get freaky when a scientific experiment gone wrong opens a doorway into another dimension, leading murderous extraterrestrial beasts with a taste for man flesh to inconveniently spew out onto an unsuspecting Maine town. Holed up in a supermarket, a group of townfolk - a microcosm of American society - fend off the monsters while also falling to infighting; a dangerous cult develops around a local religious nut, and human sacrifices are made. As far as horror films go, you've seen worse. But oh, that ending... Your involvement in The Mist relies largely upon protagonist David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his son surviving the ordeal intact. As the whole world around them turns crazy, they're the two remaining proponents of reason and goodwill, so it's a punch-the-air moment when they flee the supermarket in David's car in search of help. Not so much when the car runs out of fuel in the midst of the monster-filled mist and David shoots the group of survivors with him - his son included - out of mercy. Even less pleasant is when rescuing armed forces arrive only seconds later, meaning the now-perished group were just moments away from being saved. The Mist just made its budget back in the US, but a supernatural mega-hit it was not, and it's since become the go-to answer for the question: "What film features the most depressing finale ever?"