This look is usually created less by high global contrast and more by tonal compression plus local contrast.

Typical edits:

• lower saturation, and sometimes vibrance
• reduce overall brightness/exposure a bit
• lower global contrast using curves/sliders or tone-mapping
• add strong vignetting
• keep white balance fairly neutral
• increase clarity/local contrast

Why it seems contrasty: clarity boosts midtone/local contrast, which makes textures and edges pop. At the same time, lowering global contrast preserves detail in shadows and highlights, so the image feels dramatic without crushing blacks or blowing highlights.

So the key is: darken the image, compress the tonal range, then add local contrast and a vignette. That combination gives the moody, stylized look seen in many social-media edits.