13 Movies That Have Little Hope For Humanity

8. Happiness

Todd Solondz's extremely controversial 1998 black comedy may be a heightened, satirical look at the seedy underbelly of "prosperous" suburban life, but it's really only as funny as it is because Solondz's observations are so authentic and weirdly empathetic.

This is a "comedy" where Jon Lovitz commits suicide after being romantically rejected, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a sad sack who gets off making obscene phone calls to women, and to top it all off, Dylan Baker gives an incredible performance as Bill Maplewood, a psychiatrist who drugs and rapes his son's schoolfriend. When Bill's son learns of this fact and asks if he'd ever rape him, he gives the nauseating response, "I'd jerk off instead."

That's to say nothing of the sheer, unrelenting misery inflicted upon the movie's other characters, who typically fail in love and finding satisfaction in their lives. Solondz seems to argue that the pursuit of happiness is a futile exercise in an uncaring world.

How It Ends: Bill's son Billy's (Rufus Read) numerous attempts throughout the film to make himself ejaculate climax (sorry) with him successfully masturbating to a topless sunbather. Naturally, his dog licks up the seminal deposit and he proudly announces the emission to the rest of his family.

At least someone ended up happy, at least for a moment, right?