15 Feel-Bad Movies That Make You Feel Like Sh*t
12. American History X
A tale of two brothers who get involved with Los Angeles’ neo-Nazi
movement, American History X stars Edward Norton as Derek Vinyard – an angry
young man who finds solace in white supremacy after the murder of his father
(also racist, unsurprisingly) in a black neighbourhood and Edward Furlong as
his impressionable younger sibling Danny.
After Derek also commits murder, he lands himself a spell in jail and eventually sees the error of his ways. But just as the film’s tone turns somewhat optimistic and redemptive, Derek finds that history has a terrible way of repeating itself and by the time of his release, young Danny is almost a fully-fledged neo-Nazi too.
Racism, inherited hatred, death by curb stomping, prison rape – it’s just one brutal and disheartening reminder after another of the terrible and irreparable consequences of ignorance, intolerance and senseless violence.