Great Movies About Sad Loner Characters

Updated March 28, 2020 2.0k votes 306 voters 17.2k 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.

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Taxi Driver
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster
Released: 1976
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Martin... more
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Joker
Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro
Released: 2019
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Joker is a 2019 American crime drama film directed by Todd Phillips, based on the DC Comics... more
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Into The Wild
Kristen Stewart, Vince Vaughn
Released: 2007
Directed by: Sean Penn
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Rebel Without A Cause
Natalie Wood, James Dean
Released: 1955
Directed by: Nicholas Ray
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban,... more
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Midnight Cowboy
Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight
Released: 1969
Directed by: John Schlesinger
Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 American drama film based on the 1965 novel of the same name by... more
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Ghost World
Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi
Released: 2001
Directed by: Terry Zwigoff
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The Wrestler
Evan Rachel Wood, Mickey Rourke
Released: 2008
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
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The Machinist
Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Released: 2004
Directed by: Brad Anderson
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Pi
Mark Margolis, Ajay Naidu
Released: 1998
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
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Lars And The Real Girl
Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer
Released: 2007
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
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Barton Fink
John Goodman, Steve Buscemi
Released: 1991
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
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Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Forest Whitaker, Henry Silva
Released: 1999
Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
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Shame
Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan
Released: 2011
Directed by: Steve McQueen
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A Beautiful Mind
Jennifer Connelly, Russell Crowe
Released: 2001
Directed by: Ron Howard
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The Station Agent
Michelle Williams, Peter Dinklage
Released: 2003
Directed by: Thomas McCarthy
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The Master
Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix
Released: 2012
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
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The Punisher
John Travolta, Rebecca Romijn
Released: 2004
Directed by: Jonathan Hensleigh
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Punch-Drunk Love
Adam Sandler, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Released: 2002
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
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The Ground Beneath My Feet
Valerie Pachner, Pia Hierzegger
Released: 2019
Directed by: Marie Kreutzer
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About Schmidt
Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates
Released: 2002
Directed by: Alexander Payne
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Another Earth
Brit Marling, William Mapother
Released: 2011
Directed by: Mike Cahill
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The Panic In Needle Park
Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino
Released: 1971
Directed by: Jerry Schatzberg
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The Piano Teacher
Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot
Released: 2001
Directed by: Michael Haneke
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Buffalo '66
Christina Ricci, Mickey Rourke
Released: 1998
Directed by: Vincent Gallo
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Horse Girl
Alison Brie, Robin Tunney
Released: 2020
Directed by: Jeff Baena
Horse Girl is a 2020 American drama film directed by Jeff Baena. A socially awkward woman... more