What makes a film ‘too bleak’?

One of the arguments recently levelled against Australian films is that they tend to be too bleak or too miserable (Last Ride, Beautiful Kate, Blessed, etc.).

But many of the greatest films ever made are incredibly dark to the point you might label them ‘bleak’ or ‘miserable’.

So what makes a film ‘too bleak’? I don’t really know, but maybe;

• Relentless Suffering Without Reprieve
• Characters With Absolutely No Control of their Destiny
• Characters Who are Absolutely Powerless to Act
• Monotonous Story Rhythm (Boring)

Imagine ‘Dancer in the Dark’ without the dancing… that might qualify as ‘too bleak’.