The dark and washed out aesthetic is typically found in equally dark dramas where the central protagonist faces life threatening situations. These films also deal with mental illness which is reflected in the cinematography.
Donnie Darko is an example of a character facing a crisis as well as mental illness. his mental state is reflected in the visual aesthetic of the film and mostly the colours used in shots like this one. The shot is dark, mysterious and allows the audience to emphasise with Donnie and understand what he is going through.
Similar to Donnie Darko, The Matrix uses colours of the same shade through out scenes. The Matrix also features a character facing a crisis and the world is seen through his (Neo) eyes. Similar to the overall tone of the film, shots like these are dark and washed out which creates the overall aesthetic.
The ending scene from Seven where Mills (Brad Pitt) learns of his wife's death at the hands of John Doe (Kevin Spacey) is washed out and uses dark yellows and browns to reflect Mills' trauma. It also makes the scene more dramatic and tense.
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