15 Most Unexpectedly Depressing Movies Of All-Time

7. Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

Alfonso Cuaron's brilliant road movie, Y Tu Mamá También, is a generally fun and adventurous film for most of its runtime. The plot, as seemingly carefree as Emmanuel Lubezki's wandering camerawork, sees two young college students on a trip to find a secret beach paradise in Mexico with an easy-going older woman named Luisa that they meet along the way. It's a film of great spirit, candid moments and very sexy scenes. But beneath the surface, Y Tu Mamá También is a really sad and arguably depressing film - one that doesn't really inform you of such a thing until the last half an hour, upon which we learn that Luisa actually has terminal cancer and hasn't got long left to live. The main characters - Julio and Teloch - also share a sexual encounter that ruins their friendship, and upon returning home we're informed that they lost contact and rarely spoke again. Such an unexpectedly bleak ending, realistic as it is. But it's the sort of tonal switch that might stop you re-watching Y Tu Mamá También in order to avoid the melancholia.