12 Great Recent Movies You'll Never Be Able To Watch Again
3. Manchester By The Sea
There aren't many films from recent times that are as ridiculously, painfully depressing as Manchester By the Sea.
A look at a depressed janitor (Casey Affleck, who won Best Actor for his performance) dealing with grief about both the recent death of his brother and a past tragedy while trying to look after his bereaved nephew (Lucas Hedges), Manchester By the Sea is an utterly miserable viewing.
It is unquestionably a great film and the fact that it hits with such force is a testament to the brilliance of both writer-director Kenneth Lonergan's script and the performances of the cast, but it's not exactly an enjoyable film. It's sad as hell and doesn't provide the uplifting conclusions you often see in such films.
It's also a very realistic look at grief and feels like real life, meaning that you feel the characters' pain even more.
As for the thing in the main character's past that has left him so broken... brace yourself. It's horrible.
It's a must-see film, but do NOT watch it if you're feeling down.