Only 3 Animated Movies Are Sadder Than ‘Grave of the Fireflies’

The realm of animation is no stranger to dark, morbid, and disturbing material. It can be the violent and haunting visuals of Watership Down or the surreal chaos of Belladonna of Sadness, but the medium has long been a way for artists and storytellers to deal with heavy themes through a very creative, colorful, and impactful lens. However, when it comes to sheer misery and bleakness on the animated big screen, it really doesn’t get more harrowing than Grave of the Fireflies, Studio Ghibli’s 1988 anti-war masterpiece. Based on Akiyuki Nosaka‘s 1967 semi-autobiographical short story, the film follows siblings Seita and Setsuko as they attempt to survive in the aftermath of the Kobe bombing of 1945.

As you can probably guess, Grave of the Fireflies doesn’t have a happy ending. In fact, the whole movie is so painful and heart-wrenching that it’s often considered the saddest in the animated medium, and for a good reason; after all, when a movie starts with its two protagonists dying and boarding a train to the afterlife, you know you’re in for some truly bleak stuff. Yet, there is a case to be made that at least three animated movies are sadder than Grave of the Fireflies. One of them is another distressing tale of war told from the eyes of another pair of vulnerable victims; one is an agonizing story of animal cruelty and hopelessness; and the last one is a melancholy reflection of life and human connection. All three movies are beautiful in a distinct way, but they’re also truly heartbreaking experiences that you’ll probably never want to watch again.

‘The Plague Dogs’ (1982)

Snitter and Rowf escaping under the fence in The Plague Dogs

Starting with a truly bleak and depressing gem, we have The Plague Dogs, a 1982 adventure drama based on the 1977 novel by Richard Adams. It centers on Rowf (Christopher Benjamin) and Snitter (Sir John Hurt), a Labrador mix and a smooth fox terrier who are animal test subjects at a facility in the Lake District in north-western England. They have both suffered great pain through experimentation: Snitter’s brain has been tampered with, and Rowf has been repeatedly drowned and resuscitated. One night, they manage to escape into a new life, only to be hit with the harsh reality of the wilderness, all while being hunted by the facility workers.

There are very few things that audiences like less than seeing animals suffering, so be warned before going into The Plague Dogs because it will not be an easy watch; in fact, it’s downright traumatizing. Indeed, it’s filled with rather raw and occasionally gruesome imagery as it depicts the difficult life of stray dogs, who must do everything in their power to survive. The ending is particularly painful, open to interpretation from the viewer but most likely signaling a depressing ending to the canines’ journey to freedom. There is an enduring sense of hopelessness to The Plague Dogs, a feeling of despondency that reigns throughout. Through the eyes of these two innocent dogs, we are exposed to the cruelty of humans, and how they disregard, mistreat, and kill all those whom they deem inferior. It is for sure one of the bleakest animated movies ever made, a staunch statement against animal experimentation and exploitation that will leave anyone who sees it feeling rather empty and disturbed. Hug your dog if you have one, and appreciate that they have someone to be hugged by.

‘When the Wind Blows’ (1986)

Now we go into another war movie, this one made two years before Grave of the Fireflies. When the Wind Blows is a British anti-war movie based on the 1982 graphic novel by Raymond Briggs. John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft voice Jim and Hilda Boggs, an elderly couple living in an isolated cottage in Sussex, England. As tensions during the Soviet-Afghan War escalate, Jim follows the government’s advice and builds a shelter, confident that they can survive just as they did during World War II. Soon, they emerge into a change world: heavy fog covers the sky, vegetation and animal life perish, and the couple themselves begin experiencing symptoms of radiation poisoning, pointing to a bleak future.

Cinema has never been shy about depicting nuclear war in all its brutal, terrifying destructiveness. Seldom, however, has it done it so gently and quietly as in When the Wind Blows, a movie that is as brilliant as it’s haunting and devastating. Like Grave of the Fireflies, the film depicts the senseless cruelty of war through the eyes of the most vulnerable population, an elderly couple who can do little other than wait for death to come and claim them. What’s especially painful is seeing how Jim clings to hope that someone will come help, believing “the government” will soon mount a rescue operation to rescue them. The reality is, war consumes everything, and as Jim and Hilda soon understand, no help is coming. The ending is precise, silent, almost tender, yet no less cruel. Sadly, When the Wind Blows remains as relevant today as it was in 1986, during the final years of the Cold War, when fear of a nuclear strike was as prevalent as it had been during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It’s all one big cycle, and we don’t seem to learn from it.

‘Mary and Max’ (2009)

Max sranding still in a room in Mary and Max

Finally, we have a somber drama about human connection and the struggles many deal with in the quiet of their own lives. Directed by Adam Elliot, Mary and Max is a stop-motion tragicomedy that centers on the unlikely friendship between two pen pals of different generations living on opposite sides of the globe. Max is an overweight man living with autism, then identified as Asperger’s syndrome, in New York City. Mary is a lonely Australian girl alienated by her peers and ignored by her distant parents. One day, she picks up a New York City phonebook and randomly selects a name, Max, writing him a letter. This simple action is the start of a friendship that spans decades and eventually leads to both Mary and Max becoming crucial in each other’s lives.

The criminally underappreciated animated gem that is Mary and Max has a distinct visual identity that makes it instantly stand out. Monochromatic yet full of life, the world these characters inhabit is gloomy but far from hopeless. The tone is melancholy, though, as the film deals with severe issues like addiction, loneliness, mental illness, isolation, and anxiety. At different points in their lives, both Mary and Max deal with despondency, each one dealing with it in different ways, although their friendship is a constant source of joy. Soberingly, Mary and Max argues that human connection is more important than anything, but it’s not necessarily a solution to one’s problems. Pain will always be present, and there’s nothing to do other than endure it. The ending is a real gut-punch; unlike the other two movies on this list, it’s not necessarily pessimistic, but it’s remarkably real and hits close to home. Mary and Max is all about connection, how it changes you, and how it ultimately makes your life have meaning.