Entertainment

318 voters

Great Movies About Sad Loner Characters

Updated March 28, 2020 2.0k votes 318 voters 18.0k views37 items

List RulesVote up your favorite films about a lone wolf character who hasn't quite figured out this whole life thing.

Since loner types prefer to spent most of their time in solitude, the best way to examine their lives is at the movies. The top lone wolf movies spotlight introverted characters who struggle to identify with the bulk of society. This is a list of the greatest movies about lonely characters including everything from Taxi Driver to Rebel Without a Cause to The Wrestler.

What films will you find on this list of the best movies about lonely and pathetic characters? Into the Wild was inspired by the real-life Alaskan adventures of Chris McCandless. Emile Hirsch starred in the 2007 drama, which was based on Jon Krakauer's book of the same name. Barton Fink is another fascinating film about a loner character. Ghost World follows a pair of teenage girls as they befriend a sad loner after setting him up on a fake blind date. Other good films about loner characters include About Schmidt, Safety Not Guaranteed, and The Panic in Needle Park.

Which movie about a loner is the best? Vote your favorites up to the top of the list, and please add any good features that are missing.

Photo:

...more

1
167
27
Taxi Driver
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Martin... more
More Taxi Driver
12 Behind-The-Scenes Stories From 'Taxi Driver' That Are As Wild As The Film Itself#25 of 54 The Best Movies Where the Bad Guy Wins
2
122
24
Joker
Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro
Joker is a 2019 American crime drama film directed by Todd Phillips, based on the DC Comics... more
3
60
17
The Wrestler
Evan Rachel Wood, Mickey Rourke
The Wrestler is a 2008 American sports drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by... more
More The Wrestler
#143 of 277 The Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry#43 of 204 The Best Sports Movies Ever Made
4
79
36
Into The Wild
Kristen Stewart, Vince Vaughn
Into the Wild is a 2007 American biographical drama survival film written and directed by Sean... more
More Into the Wild
Everything That Had To Go Wrong For Chris McCandless To Meet His Fate#41 of 172 The Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made
5
70
29
Rebel Without A Cause
Natalie Wood, James Dean
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban,... more
More Rebel Without a Cause
#147 of 246 The Best Rainy Day Movies#134 of 197 The Biggest Tearjerker Movies of All Time
6
43
14
Midnight Cowboy
Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight
Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 American drama film based on the 1965 novel of the same name by... more
More Midnight Cowboy
#119 of 1,184 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#47 of 92 The Very Best Oscar-Winning Movies For Best Picture
7
61
36
Lars And The Real Girl
Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer
Lars and the Real Girl is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Craig Gillespie. A sweet but... more
More Lars and the Real Girl
#8 of 76 50+ Quirky Romance Movies That Are Unique in Their Own Way#29 of 29 Great Movies About Male-Female Friendships
8
58
35
The Machinist
Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh
The Machinist is a 2004 English-language Spanish psychological thriller film directed by Brad... more
More The Machinist
#29 of 139 The Best Movies You Never Want to Watch Again#379 of 557 The Greatest Film Scores of All Time
9
59
36
Ghost World
Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi
Ghost World is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Terry Zwigoff, based on the comic... more
More Ghost World
#134 of 370 The Best Movies Based On Books#100 of 291 The Greatest Soundtracks of All Time
10
48
29
Pi
Mark Margolis, Ajay Naidu
Pi, also titled π, is a 1998 American surrealist psychological thriller film written and... more
More Pi
#135 of 230 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time#30 of 126 The Greatest Directorial Debuts Of All Time

11
26
12
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Forest Whitaker, Henry Silva
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 American action film written and directed by Jim... more
More Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
#90 of 123 The Best Mafia Films Of All Time#34 of 123 The Best Assassin Movies
12
48
38
A Beautiful Mind
Jennifer Connelly, Russell Crowe
A Beautiful Mind is a 2001 American biographical drama film based on the life of John Nash, a... more
More A Beautiful Mind
#38 of 46 Movies That Won Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes#14 of 24 The Best Movies with Twist Endings
13
27
13
The Station Agent
Michelle Williams, Peter Dinklage
The Station Agent is a 2003 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas... more
More The Station Agent
#14 of 28 The Best Movies Where Nothing Really Happens#12 of 20 The Best Independent Films Starring Huge Hollywood Actors
14
36
26
Before Sunrise
Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
Before Sunrise is a 1995 American romantic drama film directed by Richard Linklater and... more
More Before Sunrise
#579 of 781 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made#337 of 375 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime
15
39
34
Barton Fink
John Goodman, Steve Buscemi
Barton Fink is a 1991 American period film written, produced, directed and edited by the Coen... more
More Barton Fink
#587 of 922 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films#192 of 252 The Funniest '90s Movies
16
28
20
The Punisher
John Travolta, Rebecca Romijn
The Punisher is a 2004 American comic book vigilante action film based on the Marvel Comics... more
More The Punisher
How The Punisher Became The Cosmic Ghost Rider And Why He's Road-Tripping With A Baby Thanos#93 of 116 The Worst Superhero Movies Ever Made
17
24
17
The Master
Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix
The Master is a 2012 American drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Paul Thomas... more
18
17
10
Hard Eight
Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson
Hard Eight is a 1996 American neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Paul Thomas... more
19
0
4
The Ground Beneath My Feet
Valerie Pachner, Pia Hierzegger
The Ground Beneath My Feet is a 2019 Austrian drama film directed by Marie Kreutzer. A... more
20
36
34
Punch-Drunk Love
Adam Sandler, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Punch-Drunk Love is a 2002 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas... more
More Punch-Drunk Love
#80 of 126 The Funniest Movies Starring SNL Cast Members#46 of 54 The Best and Worst of Adam Sandler

21
40
40
Shame
Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan
Shame is a 2011 drama film written by Steve McQueen and Abi Morgan and directed by Steve... more
More Shame
#433 of 675 The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars#40 of 80 The Best Movies About Depression
22
9
2
Horse Girl
Alison Brie, Robin Tunney
Horse Girl is a 2020 American drama film directed by Jeff Baena. A socially awkward woman... more
23
16
12
The Panic In Needle Park
Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino
The Panic in Needle Park is a 1971 American film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Al... more
24
16
14
About Schmidt
Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates
About Schmidt is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne, starring Jack... more
More About Schmidt
#51 of 121 The Best Father-Daughter Movies#32 of 39 Great Movies About the Death of a Spouse
25
14
11
Another Earth
Brit Marling, William Mapother
Another Earth is a 2010 drama film written by Brit Marling and Mike Cahill directed by Mike... more