12 Great Films That Focus on People Who Believe They’ve Wasted Their Lives

Many deep films explore themes of regret with characters who look back on their lives with dismay. On a popular online movie forum, someone asked fellow movie-buffs for suggestions of films with characters who feel like they've wasted their lives. Respondents recommended their favorites in the comments.

A man's problems are piling up so much that he considers taking his own life. But his guardian angel takes him on a journey to show him what the world would look like if he'd never been born, and it's a sorry sight.

When a bored salesman looks back on his career, all he feels is regret. During a midlife crisis, he discovers intense feelings for his daughter's best friend that change his and his family's lives forever.

A man in a dead-end job making photocopies all day wards off boredom with his vivid daydreams. But when his bosses send him on a new task, he takes the opportunity to impress his crush.

When a woman takes what she hopes will be a relaxing seaside vacation, she meets a woman and daughter that spark old memories from her past. The woman must confront her past as she obsessively pursues the woman and her child.

A depressed artist reflects on his childhood memories of his recently deceased father in this dramatic romance. When he meets a stunning actress named Anna, sparks fly but challenges connected to the artist's past soon arise and threaten his new relationship.

When a disillusioned high-school English teacher's son takes his own life, his father forges his son's final note. But when the school publishes the letter, the father gets a taste of the literary fame he always craved. He soon writes an entire diary from his late son's perspective to garner more public interest.

A bitter man in an unhappy marriage tries to prevent his daughter's upcoming wedding. But when his wife dies, and he discovers love notes written to her by his best friend, he must grapple with his life choices and decide how he wants to spend his remaining years on Earth.

Soul follows a middle-school band teacher who's always dreamed of becoming a famous jazz musician. When he's invited to play at a gig that could be his big break, he accidentally falls into a manhole and dies before the big performance. In a realm between life and the afterlife, the band teacher must come to terms with his life and see it in a new light.

When a long-time cop is assigned a mission to investigate corruption in the police force, he's hesitant to rat on his friends and colleagues. But as he learns more about the department's relationship with drug crimes, he's torn on what to do with what he knows.

Wild follows a woman's journey for self-improvement after her mother's loss and her romantic relationship's failure. After a self-destructive slide, the woman decides enough is enough and takes a trip to hike the Pacific Rim alone.

When two sisters realize they're wasting their lives away, they start an unusual yet profitable business to advance their careers. The two open a crime-scene cleanup business and must work together to toughen up and turn their lives around.

A recent college graduate drowning in student debt with no job prospects lining up doesn't know what to do with her life. But when she begins a credit card scam, she must confront her past choices and regrets.

What other films feature characters have you seen hit rock bottom?

Source: Reddit.

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