There may not be a movie as depressing as “Melancholia,” a fitting title for a good movie you’re probably better off not seeing.

It takes an intimate look at the end of the world, focusing on the emotional state of two sisters rather than the destruction of national landmarks. There are no sensational news reports, few CGI effects, and not a single kid fretting over the nighttime use of Pull-Ups (I’m looking at you, John Cusack’s daughter in “2012”).

“Melancholia,” directed by the controversial filmmaker Lars von Trier (“Dogville,” “Antichrist”), is more about the state of melancholia rather than a giant gaseous planet on a collision course with Earth (also called Melancholia). It’s available now on home video and is streaming on Netflix Instant starting April 13.

The movie is separated into two parts, the first focusing on the lavish wedding of Justine (Kirsten Dunst). She’s trying her best to be happy, but the combination of feuding parents, unrelenting bosses and her own emotional instability results in a miserable evening that serves as the catalyst for Justine’s pending mental illness. (more…)