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 1. Culture
 2. Movies


THE 48 BEST SAD MOVIES FOR WHEN YOU NEED A GOOD CRY

Better than crying about the state of the world, right?

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(Image credit: Alamy)

Jump to category:
 * Sad Romance Movies
 * Sad War Movies
 * Sad Beautiful Movies
 * Sad Emotional Movies
 * The Saddest Movies of All Time

By Cady Drell
last updated 27 days ago

To keep functioning as a human in a complicated world, sometimes you need to
just let loose and have a good cry. Studies have found that crying can relieve
stress, help us cope with scary situations, and release endorphins. And what
better way to cue the waterworks than to put on a sad movie, dim the lights, and
feel all the feelings? That's why we at Marie Claire have compiled a list of the
saddest movies we turn to when we feel like taking a moment. 



The sad films below are listed by category so you can narrow down the search for
what type of cry you’re looking to have. For example, a cry about a war movie
(think Grave of the Fireflies or Sophie’s Choice) can lead to one kind of
emotional state—contemplative, meditating on the inherent brutality of
humanity—while a sad romance movie (The Notebook, One Day) will lead to a very
different set of feelings—wistfulness, swooning appreciation for the things that
make life meaningful. And then, of course, there are the all-time best sad
movies, which you’ll find toward the bottom of the page. We’re talking Marley
and Me, Manchester By the Sea, the first five minutes of Pixar’s Up—the kind of
scenes guaranteed to lead to some heaving, ugly sobs. Hyperspecificity is what
we were going for with this list of sad movies: A taxonomy of the particular
kinds of sad, courtesy of your really emotionally healthy friends at Marie
Claire.



So check out our list of the best sad films streaming now, get the tissues
ready, and call us if you need anything. (Oh, and if you're looking for the best
sad movies on Netflix specifically, we've got a list for that too.) Happy
sniffling! 




Spoiler alert: In order to talk about what's sad in these movies, sharing some
crucial details are essential. You've been warned.




SAD ROMANCE MOVIES


THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: It's about two people who love each other but can't be
together. Need I say more?



Weepiness Level: Crying while singing in French, if you can imagine such a
thing.

watch now




HER (2013)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: This movie is a unique meditation on loneliness in the age of
artificial intelligence, and it will have you questioning the ways you use
technology to cope.



Weepiness Level: Shoulder shaking quietly, staring at your smartphone
suspiciously but also with a weird longing.

watch now




MOULIN ROUGE (2001)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: A fun, gorgeous, sexy, musical romp about love that
ultimately ends in tuberculosis. So unfair.

Weepiness Level: Lip-quivering with perhaps a contemplative tear.

watch now




THE WAY WE WERE (1973)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford have undeniable chemistry
in this story of two mismatched lovers who, in the end, just can't make it work.
It's sad because it'll remind you of your own lost loves. Also, it's got a
killer soundtrack.

Weepiness Level: Sobs that won't stop because, honestly, they're not really
about the movie, are they?

watch now




ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Michel Gondry makes movies that are thoughtfully quirky and
then punch you right in the gut. This one stars Jim Carey as a man reeling from
a crappy breakup who decides to use new technology to have all memories of his
ex, Kate Winslet, wiped from his memory. But as the strange, surreal erasure
process starts to take him through every memory he has with her, he realizes
that maybe relationships are filled with good and bad—and that's sort of the
point of everything.

Weepiness Level: More like Eternal Sadness of the Sobbing Mind.

watch now




MARRIAGE STORY (2019)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: We've all experienced the crushing loss of a relationship
falling apart and Marriage Story reflects that pain right back to us. 

Weepiness Level: Pretending it's allergies to everyone watching with you even
though it is clearly not just allergies.

watch now




THE NOTEBOOK (2004)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Look, this movie is schmaltzy as hell. But it's also deeply
romantic and tragic in the way that all love stories are tragic because they
can't possibly last forever and...I'm sorry, I just need a minute.

Weepiness Level: Crying in spite of yourself.

watch now




TITANIC (1997)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Ummm, how about because an entire ship full of people meet
their watery doom? But mostly due to the scene in which two old people lay in
bed and wait for the Grim Reaper to take them. Also Jack. Poor, sweet Jack.
There was almost certainly room for him on that door. 

Weepiness Level: Several fully-formed tears.

watch now




Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN (2001)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: This movie is achingly poetic, and it touches not only on
literal death, but also on the death of youth, friendship, and innocence.

Weepiness Level: Wine-drunk tears while you stalk your long-lost childhood best
friend on Instagram.

watch now




ME BEFORE YOU (2015)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Because not all love stories have a happy ending, but it's
even sadder when that sad ending is part of a choice and not fate stepping in. 

Weepiness Level: Ugly crying into a bottle of wine and drunk texting "I love
you" to everyone you care about.

watch now




REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (2008)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Because of the death of these people's hopes and dreams...and
also because of literal death.

Weepiness Level: Tearfully reminding your confused and concerned significant
other that you love and appreciate them.

watch now




A STAR IS BORN (2018)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Two musicians come together to create arguably one of the
best songs of all time *cough* "Shallow" *cough* and fall in love. If this was a
perfect world, the film would end there, but because it's a movie, Bradley
Cooper's character is a pill-popping alcoholic who desperately needs to be
saved.

Weepiness Level: When you think you're done crying, it'll make you cry again.

watch now


SAD WAR MOVIES




JOJO RABBIT (2019)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Basically the entire second half of the movie, as Jojo's life
crumbles around him once he realizes the truth of his life in Nazi Germany.

Weepiness Level: A short mix of crying-laughing-wincing, before it gives way to
full out sobs.

watch now




ATONEMENT (2007)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: A beautiful, lush movie about a terrible mistake made by a
young girl that ruins not only her life but the lives of two innocent, very
attractive people? Ugh, fine, pass the tissues.

Weepiness Level: Horrified tears.

watch now




HAIR (1979)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Director Milos Forman changed the ending of this classic
musical to make it doubly as upsetting. Much of the movie is a celebration of
life, rebellion, and hippie culture, so the comedown at the end will have you
positively wrecked.

Weepiness Level: Sobbing as you pine for world peace and stick flowers in your
long, untamed hair.

watch now




FOXTROT



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: This critical, thought-provoking look at Israel's military by
Israeli filmmaker Samuel Maoz starts with a family's reaction to their son's
death―but takes several unexpected turns that somehow makes the film even more
gut-wrenching than expected.

Weepiness Level: Sobs interrupted by intermittent cries of, "War is pointless!"

watch now




ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (2022)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: This adaptation of the classic German novel presents the
horrors of World War I in living color, juxtaposing the horrors in the trenches
with a diplomat's attempt to negotiate a ceasefire.

Weepiness Level: See Foxtrot.




GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (2011)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: This depiction of World War II from the perspective of two
young Japanese children absolutely gutted me. For some reason, this film was
released on a double-bill with the delightful childhood classic My Neighbor
Totoro, resulting in scores of traumatized movie-goers who'd been expecting a
lighthearted trip to the movies.

Weepiness Level: Crying as you request an appointment with your therapist ASAP.

watch now




SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: This is probably the first film you thought of when you read
"sad war movies," as the real-life story of Oskar Schindler has already elicited
tears from generations of World History students.

Weepiness Level: Just give us all the tissues.

watch now


SAD BEAUTIFUL MOVIES




THE FAREWELL (2019)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Because you'll be reminded of a simple fact that we all know,
but usually try to ignore actively thinking about: Everyone we love will
eventually die and all we can do is make the most of the time we have with
them. 

Weepiness Level: Several tissues and a call home to your family.

watch now




FORREST GUMP (1994)



(Image credit: Paramount)

Reason You'll Cry: Do you know anyone who can keep from crying during this
movie?? I sure don't. Even the characters within the film are moved to tears by
Forrest and Jenny's stories.

Weepiness Level: Crying to '60s and '70s rock classics―an odd vibe.

watch now




LOVING VINCENT (2019)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Van Gogh was terribly misunderstood and treated cruelly
during his lifetime. And the fact that this movie was made using different Van
Gogh-style paintings for every single frame makes it infinitely more poignant.

Weepiness Level: Letting the credits run completely because you're too busy
sobbing to stop them.

watch now




THE DANISH GIRL (2015)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: The injustice of transphobia + the endurance of unconditional
love + the fact that this is a true story. I see no reason not to cry

Weepiness Level: Hugging your pillow to your chest, murmuring, "It's just not
fair" over and over again.

watch now




STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1989)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: It's a movie about a group of sister-friends, one of whom
dies tragically while fulfilling her dream of having a family (even knowing the
potential consequences). If you have a pulse, you will cry. Also, Dolly Parton
is in it which is not a reason to cry but it is good to know.

Weepiness Level: Snotty nose-blowing.

watch now




LITTLE WOMEN (2019) 



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: All we want is for Jo March to find love and live the life
she deserves. There's another big reason you'll cry, but we won't spoil it for
you.

Weepiness Level: A couple packs of tissues are necessary. 

WATCH NOW




MY GIRL (1994)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Even if you're not a chid of the '90s, Macauley Culkin as an
adorably sweet dweeb with a fatal bee allergy will ruin you.

Weepiness Level: A few minutes of bawling.

watch now




HAPPY AS LAZZARO (2018)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: You'll fall in love with the innocent yet doomed Lazzaro in
Alice Rohrwacher's ethereal, fable-like film. And at the end, you'll be crying
not only for him, but also out of frustration that the world is the way it is.

Weepiness Level: *sobs in Italian*

watch now




INSIDE OUT (2015)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: In this movie, we have: Robin Williams as the teacher figure
you always wanted, a group of young men trying to find there way in this scary
unknown world, overbearing parents who just won't quit meddling, and the
life-altering power of literature.

Weepiness Level: The kind where you have to hold in your sobs to not draw
attention. 

watch now


SAD EMOTIONAL MOVIES




ONE DAY (2011)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Described by several people on the MarieClaire.com staff as
"one of the most manipulative movies of all time" (in a good-cry way), this
story follows Anne Hathaway (with an accent) and Jim Sturgess as two people who
meet in college and meet up again on the same day each year for two decades.
There is more death than there probably needs to be for something that's such a
slow burn. Even telling you the plot might make you tear up.

Weepiness Level: Tears over how unfair life (and this movie) can sometimes be.

watch now




PIECES OF A WOMAN (2020)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: A devastating home birth the main character experiences will
hit home for a lot of women.

Weepiness Level: Quite a bit of "ugly crying."

WATCH NOW




MARY AND MAX (2009)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: This movie captures the essence of intense loneliness,
isolation, suicidal depression, and the sheer power of a single, unexpected
human connection in a way that no movie with live-action actors ever has.

Weepiness Level: More crying than you ever expected to do for claymation
characters, that's for sure.

watch now




ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL (2015)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: It's in the title. A girl dies, and even though you know it's
coming, the climactic tragedy still rips you apart.

Weepiness Level: The first time I saw this film, I was in a room full of people,
and when the lights came back on at the end, every single person quietly had
tears on their face.

watch now




FIVE FEET APART (2019)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: More than 30,000 Americans live with cystic fibrosis, and we
get a glimpse of how the disease takes a toll on young people.

Weepiness Level: At least one box of tissues and a call to your mom after the
movie ends. 

watch now




TOY STORY 3 (2010)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: When Andy's toys come face to face with their own, horrifying
demise and then just accept that they're going to burn to death in an
incinerator, you'll feel the burning pain of your own childhood dying a little.
Don't worry, they make it out (is that even a spoiler, since there's a Toy Story
4?). But still. 

Weepiness Level: The always-jarring feeling of being forced to acknowledge your
own mortality, paired with a setting that makes you consider that through the
lens of childhood. BRB, dying inside a little (/a lot).

watch now




DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: In this movie, we have: Robin Williams as the teacher figure
you always wanted, a group of young men trying to find there way in this scary
unknown world, overbearing parents who just won't quit meddling, and the
life-altering power of literature.

Weepiness Level: The kind where you have to hold in your sobs to not draw
attention. 

watch now




AI: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2001)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: If you can watch the scene where Haley Joel Osment, playing a
robot who believes he's a real boy, begs his human mother not to abandon him as
she drives away and leaves him to mourn her love for all eternity,
then you might be the robot.

Weepiness Level: Moderate weeping, as this list goes. Luckily, there are less
sob-fest parts of the movie, too.

watch now




CHRISTINE (2016)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: In Christine, we watch the title character (played by Rebecca
Hall) slowly succumb to loneliness until she kills herself on live television.
And it's based on a true story.

Weepiness Level: Stunned silence followed by a sudden, drawn-out sob.

watch now




NEVER LET ME GO (2010)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Swelling orchestral soundtrack? Check. Romantic, forbidden
love triangle? Check. Doomed loves? Check. Postmodern fable about clones based
on a (genius) book by Kishuo Ishiguro? Um, also check.

Weepiness Level: A good, transfixed cry.

watch now




THE LOVELY BONES (2009)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Grappling with the murder of a young girl and the lack of
answers her family receives about her death throughout the movie, plus
experiencing the life she had ahead of her.

Weepiness Level: You'll be calling your parents at least three times after
finishing the movie.

WATCH NOW




FRUITVALE STATION (2013)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: One of the most realistic and gut-wrenching depictions of an
unlawful police shooting ever put to film.

Weepiness Level: Dismayed sobs and a call to your father/brother/son/etc.

watch now


THE SADDEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME




MARLEY AND ME (2008)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: It tracks the life of possibly one of the cutest and most
energetic dogs on the planet. It's promoted as a comedy, which, trust us, does
have its moments, but like we said, "tracks the life," so uh, that also includes
the end.

Weepiness Level: Clutching your furry friend's coat while crying.

watch now




MOUCHETTE (1967)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Robert Bresson is known for depicting characters in
impossible, dire circumstances, and the sight of this orphaned little girl
crying right into the camera, will absolutely set you off.

Weepiness Level: Pausing the movie because you can't hear it over your crying.

watch now




MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (2016)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry:  Kids dying and lifelong guilt and lost love in cold, coastal
New England. 

Weepiness Level: The type that's accompanied by physical pain in your chest.

watch now




SEVEN POUNDS (2008)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: We'll try to be as un-spoilery as possible here, but let's
just say that when the truth about the main character's random acts of kindness
is revealed, crying is guaranteed.

Weepiness Level: Stunned silence and then a steady stream of quiet, body-shaking
sobs.

watch now




IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (2018)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Childhood friends turned love-struck couple struggle to move
forward with their life together when one of them is arrested and put in jail
for a crime they didn't commit. You'll never want to scream at your television
more.

Weepiness Level: A jumbo box of tissues' worth.

watch now




SOPHIE'S CHOICE (1982)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: The titular choice in this movie is synonymous with
devastating, no-win situations. That choice, if you haven't seen the movie, is
the moment when Holocaust survivor Sophie (played by Meryl Streep) was forced to
choose which of her children to send to their death.

Weepiness Level: Existential crisis-induced sobs and a lingering sadness that
will hit you again, without warning, for the rest of your life.

watch now




LION (2016)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: The story of a little Indian boy who gets separated from his
family, adopted by an Australian couple, and then who goes in search of his
birth family. Ugh, it's so sad! 

Weepiness Level: Some of the heaviest crying you'll do in a film, guaranteed.

watch now




UP (2009)



(Image credit: Courtesy)

Reason You'll Cry: Honestly, you can watch this movie and not cry, but it would
require skipping the first 10 minutes. The gist is: Woman meets man, woman
marries man, woman lives a perfect life with man, woman dies, man has to keep on
going somehow. Even typing that made me well up.

Weepiness Level: A truly traumatizing cry for two minutes, and then the shadow
of that cry for the rest of the movie.

watch now






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Cady Drell is a writer, editor, researcher and pet enthusiast from Brooklyn.





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