Distressing Dramas
March 17, 2013 8:24 PM Subscribe
Would you happen to know of any movies or series with tension as continuous and agonizing as the third season of *Moral Orel*, the movies of John Cassavetes, *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*, *Scenes from a Marriage*, and the Japanese series *I am Mita, Your Housekeeper*?
I think I know exactly what tension you're going for, and this isn't 100% that, but still very palpable: We Need to Talk About Kevin.
But I do know, so I'll come back with some more suggestions.
posted by war wrath of wraith at 8:40 PM on March 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
But I do know, so I'll come back with some more suggestions.
posted by war wrath of wraith at 8:40 PM on March 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Second half of Audition - or hell, most of it.
posted by gottabefunky at 8:41 PM on March 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by gottabefunky at 8:41 PM on March 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
David Mamet's Oleanna (and potentially Glengarry Glen Ross), Tom Noonan's What Happened Was..., many of Lars Von Trier's films (start with Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark and Melancholia), Thomas Vintenberg's The Celebration. Seconding war wrath of wraith on We Need to Talk About Kevin. Oh, and A Separation and Everybody in Our Family.
posted by eschatfische at 9:09 PM on March 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by eschatfische at 9:09 PM on March 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Based on an original play, Mike Nichol's Closer, 2004.
Damn, did I love this film!!
posted by jbenben at 9:12 PM on March 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Damn, did I love this film!!
posted by jbenben at 9:12 PM on March 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yeah, I was coming back to recommend "A Separation" that eschatfische mentions, and yes, definitely, Von Trier's work and Vintenberg's "The Celebration" hit those notes.
Along those lines, early PT Anderson ("Boogie Nights", "Magnolia") has that quality as well, sometimes (in my view) to the point of manipulation (Von Trier's also guilty of this), but YMMV.
posted by war wrath of wraith at 9:26 PM on March 17, 2013
Along those lines, early PT Anderson ("Boogie Nights", "Magnolia") has that quality as well, sometimes (in my view) to the point of manipulation (Von Trier's also guilty of this), but YMMV.
posted by war wrath of wraith at 9:26 PM on March 17, 2013
Death and the Maiden and The Prisoner episode Once upon a Time.
posted by rjs at 10:16 PM on March 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by rjs at 10:16 PM on March 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Dreamlife of Angels.
I handle dramatic tension very poorly (as in I've run out of movie theaters because I get so overwhelmed), so tend to avoid most emotionally tense films, but this one was so heartbreakingly good I soldiered through the agony.
posted by spamandkimchi at 11:02 PM on March 17, 2013
I handle dramatic tension very poorly (as in I've run out of movie theaters because I get so overwhelmed), so tend to avoid most emotionally tense films, but this one was so heartbreakingly good I soldiered through the agony.
posted by spamandkimchi at 11:02 PM on March 17, 2013
The River's Edge from 1986.
posted by crush-onastick at 6:01 AM on March 18, 2013
posted by crush-onastick at 6:01 AM on March 18, 2013
Gabrielle, directed by Patrice Chéreau with the brilliant actors Isabelle Huppert and Pascal Greggory
Maybe - another with Huppert The Piano Teacher (very difficult to watch)
posted by citron at 10:28 AM on March 18, 2013
Maybe - another with Huppert The Piano Teacher (very difficult to watch)
posted by citron at 10:28 AM on March 18, 2013
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posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 8:32 PM on March 17, 2013 [4 favorites]