Melancholia
Lars von Trier, 2011, 135 min 

The possibilities for ecological apocalypse extend beyond the bounds of even our own solar system in Lars von Trier’s cosmic-view diptych drama, which begins with a wedding party gone awry and ends in the shadow of an incoming extinction-level event. Shot through from beginning to end with a profound feeling for what it is to live in the grips of depression, as Kirsten Dunst’s baleful bride predicts forthcoming catastrophe, telling her sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg): “The Earth is evil, we don’t need to grieve for it. Nobody will miss it.” Von Trier has created a disaster film for the ages, both immeasurably sad and beautiful.