Chris Smith Killer Joe (2012)
The Rock Bottom Moment: Broke druggie Chris (Emile Hirsch) hires ‘Killer Joe’ Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) to off his mother.
Let’s just say things slowly spiral out of control, climaxing in a clucking awesome scene in which Chris’s family is held hostage in a kitchen.
And one of them is forced to gobble down KFC.
How It Helps Your Own Life: KFC is never a good thing. Ever.
Roy Munson Kingpin (1996)
The Rock Bottom Moment: Bowling sensation Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) is a washed-up ex-champion with a rubber hand who now sells bowling alley supplies to pay the rent.
Worst part? When he can’t pay that rent, he ends up having to bed his repulsive landlady (Lin Shaye).
How It Helps Your Own Life: Even if you’ve got a rubber hand, somebody will still want to sleep with you.
The Narrator Fight Club (1999)
The Rock Bottom Moment: The Narrator (Edward Norton) discovers that he and Tyler (Brad Pitt) are actually the same person.
Luckily he’s got a gun (and a metaphorical gun) in his hand…
How It Helps Your Own Life: Jiminy Cricket isn’t always your friend. I.e. that voice in your head? Might not be doing you any good.
Kate Hannah Smashed (2012)
The Rock Bottom Moment: Schoolteacher Kate Hannah (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) realises that her boozing ways have got to change when her antisocial behaviour threatens her livelihood.
But can she give up the plonk?
How It Helps Your Own Life: It’s never too late to turn your life around, as Kate shows.
Even if it is hard.
Kym - Rachel Getting Married (2009)
The Rock Bottom Moment: Kym (Anne Hathaway) is the last person you want at your wedding, as proven when she’s cracked out of rehab for her sister’s wedding ceremony.
After her mother blames her for the death of brother Ethan, Kym drives away crying and crashes her car into a boulder…
How It Helps Your Own Life: Never drive while crying. It never ends well.
Bob Hughes Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
The Rock Bottom Moment: Travelling ‘70s druggie Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon) vows to turn his life around after his pharmacy-raiding ways result in the death of Rick (James Le Gros) – who ODs and dies, and leaves Bob to bury the remains.
How It Helps Your Own Life: Robbing from pharmacies will only ever end badly.
David Prometheus (2012)
The Rock Bottom Moment: After waking up a snoozing Engineer, android David (Michael Fassbender) has his head ripped from his body.
He ends up as nothing more than a head in a bag.
How It Helps Your Own Life: No matter how bad things are, at least you’re not a head in a bag.
Mark Renton Trainspotting (1996)
The Rock Bottom Moment: Pleasure-seeking Scotsman Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) comes unravelled when his drug dependency lands him in hospital.
He’s then consigned to his room where he goes through drug withdrawal on his own – which looks like a really scary version of Hell.
How It Helps Your Own Life: Dependency on any one thing for happiness is never good.
Agnes White Bug (2006)
The Rock Bottom Moment: Agnes White (Ashley Judd) gets involved with discharged soldier Peter Evans (Michael Shannon), who convinces her that their room has been bugged by government agents.
When Dr Sweet (Brian F. O’Byrne) turns up to reveal Evans is delusional, Agnes is already too far gone…
How It Helps Your Own Life: Somebody starts telling you outlandish things? Try to get them verified first.
Lisa Cohen Margaret (2010)
The Rock Bottom Moment: Student Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin) witnesses a woman getting hit (and killed) by a bus, and is wracked with guilt because of her perceived part in it.
Lisa hits rock bottom when she confronts the bus driver (Mark Ruffalo), who denies he did anything wrong. Meanwhile, the dead woman’s family is only interesting in money…
How It Helps Your Own Life: Lisa tries to do the right thing despite the odds against her. Good girl.
