Well, I can’t give you just one. I’m a fan of dark, gritty and violent cinema, be it crime drama, noir or horror. I get that’s not for everyone. I will say that Fargo and In Cold Blood are high on the list. So is Blue Velvet. Midnight Express was also supremely well-written and well-acted but supremely hard to watch in some parts. Blood Simple was very twisted, very unpredictable and extremely well-written.

If your tastes run EVEN darker, may I recommend Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer. It’s not for everyone but if you’re a fan of gritty realism, extreme cinema and/or psychological horror, you can’t do much better. There is also Martyrs and I Spit On Your Grave but those two may be crossing the line for your typical moviegoer.

Just last night, I watched a thriller film from 2001 that surpassed my expectations and kept me on edge although I won’t rank it as a favorite. Great storytelling and tension, some surprisingly great performances (especially from Stellan Skargad). The main protagonist is a teenage girl whose parents die in a nasty DUI wreck. She is sent to live with a pair of family friends but slowly begin to suspect that they are harboring some dark secrets. The stepfather is volatile and manic, not to mention he lusts for the main character (who is 17, whereas he is 40 something). The stepmother is a junkie. As the film progresses, you sense the stakes grow higher and darker. The film is called The Glass House. I expected cheap, trashy thrills but got a rather clever Hitchcockian thriller instead.

So I don’t know. I guess I’m just a fan of gritty films that explore morbid topics like drug addiction, corruption, murder, greed, abuse, etc.