The best films to make you cry

On days when we are more sensitive, sometimes the best remedy is to choose one or more films to cry, get emotional and ease our chest a little. For this, based on Rotten Tomatoes, I selected some film nominations that are distributed among the categories “Films that will move you”, “Films that will definitely make you cry”, “Films that make you cry with a mix of feelings” and, finally, “Extremely sad films”. So grab your box of tissues, find the kind of sad movie you're looking for and... have a good cry!

Films that will move you

Films to cry about that awaken a bittersweet feeling between the happiness of some events in contrast with the tragedies that appear throughout life. There isn't always a moral at the end of the story, but they are films moving enough to spark reflection.

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Original title: L

93% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,3 on IMDb

Where to see: Disney +

This heartwarming classic Disney film follows the story of a spoiled dog named Lady and her comfortable life ending when her owners have a baby. After some tense circumstances, Lady finds herself out on the street, making friends. She becomes the protege of the tough mutt Tramp and a romance begins to blossom between the two dogs.

AfterYang (2021)

90% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,7 on IMDb

Where to watch: Prime Video (VPN)

When the android Yang (Justin H. Min) malfunctions, Jake searches for a way to repair it. In the process, Jake (Collin Farrell) discovers the life that has passed before him and recovers his relationship with his wife and daughter, realizing a distance he didn't know existed. It's a delicate and very beautiful film.

The Princess and the Pauper (1953)

Original title: Roman Holiday

95% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,0 on IMDb 

Where to see: Telecine, Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

It was with this film that Audrey Hepburn won all the spotlight for her and a breaking Oscar. 

While traveling through Europe, this moving film follows an unhappy princess who runs away from her country's embassy in Rome and meets a charming American reporter. When he discovers his true identity, he has the opportunity for a “scoop” of material, but the romance soon gains ground.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Original title: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

92% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,3 on IMDb

Where to see: Apple TV (rent), Prime Video (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

This is one of the saddest and, at the same time, most delicate and genius films ever made. Who has never gone through a relationship breakup so traumatizing that they would do everything to erase all possible memories and be able to move on without remembering that person's existence? What if you were the person the other wants to forget at this point?

Em Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, definitely the best film to make you cry, Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) discovers that the love of his life, Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) underwent a technological procedure to completely erase him from her memory. Bewildered, devastated and extremely indignant, he decides to do the same. The problem is that he changes his mind right in the middle of the process.

Trapped inside his own mind while the specialists keep busy in his apartment, Joel has to warn them to stop while trying to preserve as much of Clementine as possible in this labyrinth of the unconscious.

In a Golden Lake (1981)

Original title: On GoldenPond

91% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,6 on IMDb

Where to see: oldflix

In one of the best movies to cry about, Norman Thayer Jr. (Henry Fonda) and his wife Ethel (Katherine Hepburn) travel to an old country house where they spent the first years of their marriage. There, the couple receives a visit from the daughter they haven't seen in years, Chelsea (Jane Fonda). She asks her parents to look after her stepson while she spends a few weeks with her fiancé. At first, Norman doesn't get along so well with the boy, but little by little a strong bond of friendship will grow between them.

The Iron Giant (1999)

Original title: The Iron Giant

96% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1 on IMDb

Where to see: HBO Max

In this tearjerker, set in 1957, a giant alien robot lands near the small town of Rockwell, Maine. Hogarth, a nine-year-old boy who was exploring the area, finds the robot and the two become friends. But a completely obsessed government agent appears with the aim of destroying the alien at any cost.

The Elephant Man (1980)

Original title: The Elephant Man

92% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,2 on IMDb

Where to see: YouTube (rent), Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Filmes (rent)

In this sad film, John Merrick (John Hurt) was born disfigured and seemed to be doomed to a sad existence as a freak show attraction. However, a London surgeon introduced him to society. Despite his painful experiences, Merrick is kind and intelligent and becomes a frequent guest in Victorian salons, but he needs to completely cover his deformed features.

Where is my friend's house? (1987)

Original title: Khane-ye doust kodjast?

100% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Telecine

In this moving film, 8-year-old Ahmed (Babek Ahmed Poor) mistakenly took his friend Mohammad's (Ahmad Ahmadpour) notebook. He wants to return it, otherwise his friend will be expelled from school, so he goes in search of Mohammad's house in the neighboring village.

Paris, Texas (1984)

94% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Telecine

In one of the best movies to cry about, a man is found exhausted and without memory in a desert in the southern United States. Little by little remembering his life, he is taken in by his brother Walt (Dean Stockwell), who is married to Anne (Aurore Clément). Hunter (Hunter Carson), the son of the man with no memory, also lives with them, who gradually identifies with his father again. The man is Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton), who soon also has to face his wife, Jane (Nastassja Kinski), and try to get his life back together. The final scene is one of the most beautiful and melancholic ever made.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Original title: Little Miss Sunshine

7,8 on IMDb | 91% on Rotten Tomatoes

Where to see: Star +

In the best moving film, little Olive's (Abigail Breslin) dream is to participate in the Little Miss Sunshine contest. To do this, she embarks on a fun and moving journey with her father, uncle, grandfather, brother and mother. 

In this feature film, Steve Carell plays Frank Ginsberg, a gay man who attempted suicide after a series of personal and professional disappointments. He's great in the role and it's great to see him acting in a drama.

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

Original title: If Beale Street Could Talk

95% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

In one of the best tear-jerking movies, Tish (KiKi Layne) is expecting a child as she fights to clear her husband of a wrongful criminal charge and racist subtext in time to have him home for the birth of their baby.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Original title: Dead Poets Society

84% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Star +

In this classic that could also be considered the best emotional film, new English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) is introduced to an all-boys prep school that is known for its ancient traditions and high standards. 

He uses unorthodox methods to reach his students, who face enormous pressure from their parents and school. With Keating's help, students Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) and others learn how to not be so shy, follow their dreams and make the most of every day.

Too Late to Forget (1957)

Original title: An Affair to Remember

67% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,4 on IMDb

Where to see: Star +

In the plot of this sad film, a man and a woman have a romance while on a cruise that departs from Europe to New York City. Despite being engaged to other people, they both agree to reunite at the top of the Empire State Building in six months. However, an unfortunate accident prevents her from going on the date, and he fears that she has gotten married or has stopped loving him.

Umberto D. (1952)

98% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,2 on IMDb

Where to see: Fine Arts à la Carte

This tearjerker film chronicles the daily life of Umberto (Carlo Battisti), a poor and lonely retiree, and his dog as they face the risk of being kicked out of the boarding house by a greedy owner, who prefers to rent the room to another couple.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Original title: The Shawshank Redemption

9,3 on IMDB

Where to see: HBO Max

In this sad film, Andy Dufresne is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the deaths of his wife and her lover. However, only Andy (Tim Robbins) knows that he did not commit the crimes. In prison, for nineteen years, he befriends Red (Morgan Freeman), suffers the brutalities of prison life, adapts, helps the prison guards and tries to survive as best he can.

Past Lives (2023)

Original title: Past Lives

96% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,9 on IMDb

Where to see it: currently showing in cinemas

Definitely one of the best movies to cry about today. In the story, Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), two deeply connected childhood friends, separate after a move. Two decades later, they reunite in New York City for a nostalgic week as they confront reflections on destiny, love and choices.

Viva: Life is a Party (2017)

Original title: Coco

97% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,4 on IMDb

Where to see: Disney +

An exciting film that unites culture, heritage, lots of love, traditions and the eternal passion for music.

Em Viva: Life is a Party, despite his family's generations-long ban on music, young Miguel dreams of becoming a talented musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the dazzlingly colorful Land of the Dead. After meeting a charming rogue named Héctor, the two new friends embark on an extraordinary journey to unravel the true story behind Miguel's family history.

Movies that will definitely make you cry

Whether crying with sadness or crying with joy, one thing is certain: at some point in one of these stories you will become emotional.

Little Women (1994)

Original title: Little Women

93% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,3 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent) and Apple TV (rent) 

In this classic tear-jerker, the March sisters face mounting problems such as lack of money, family tragedies and romantic rivalries in mid-19th century Massachusetts. Jo (Winona Ryder) struggles for independence and sometimes conflicts with her mother and sisters Meg (Trini Alvarado), Amy (Kirsten Dunst) and Beth (Claire Danes). She also deals with grumpy Aunt March (Mary Wickes), impulsive neighbor Laurie (Christian Bale) and kind-hearted professor Friedrich Bhaer (Gabriel Byrne).

Waiting for a Miracle (1999)

Original title: The Green Mile

79% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,6 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video

This is definitely one of the classic films to make you cry. In the story, a prison guard has an unusual and moving relationship with a death row inmate: Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), convicted of brutally killing two nine-year-old twin girls. 

He has the size and strength to kill anyone, but his behavior is completely opposite to his appearance. In addition to being simple, naive and terrified of the dark, he has a supernatural gift. As time passes, the jailer learns that sometimes miracles happen in the most unexpected places.

Casablanca (1942)

99% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,5 on IMDb

Where to see: HBO Max

In this moving film, during World War II, an American exile finds refuge in the city of Casablanca, Morocco, and starts managing a nightclub. He meets an old flame, who is now married and needs help to escape the Nazis.

Central do Brasil (1998)

94% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,0 on IMDb

Where to see: balloon play

Acclaimed and a great heritage of Brazilian cinema, the exciting film Central do Brasil follows Dora (Fernanda Montenegro), an embittered former teacher, who makes a living writing letters to illiterate people, who dictate what they want to tell their families. She pockets the money without even posting the letters. 

One day, Josué (Vinícius de Oliveira), the nine-year-old son of one of his clients, ends up alone when his mother is killed in a bus accident. She is reluctant to take care of the boy, but joins him on a trip through the interior of the Northeast in search of Josué's father, whom he has never met.

Desire and Atonement (2007)

Original title: Atonement

83% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,8 on IMDb

Where to see: Telecine

This sad film based on the book by Ian McEwan follows the lives of two young lovers, Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). When the couple is separated because of a lie invented by Briony (Romola Garai), Cecilia's jealous younger sister, everyone suffers from the consequences. Robbie is arrested, but when their paths cross again during World War II, new hope emerges.

Drive My Car (2021)

Original title: Doraibu mai kâ

7,6 on IMDb | 97% on Rotten Tomatoes

Where to see: Mubi

In one of the best films to cry and get emotional, two years after the death of his wife, Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) receives an offer to direct a play at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There, he meets Misaki Watari (Toko Miura), a reserved young woman, assigned to be his driver. While spending time together, Kafuku confronts the mystery of his wife that haunts him.

Philadelphia (1993)

Original title: Philadelphia

81% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,7 on IMDb

Where to see: Youtube (rent), Google Play Movies (rent), Prime Video (rent) and Apple TV (rent)

Lawyer Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) works at a prestigious law firm. Upon discovering that he has the HIV virus, he is summarily fired. He then hires the services of another lawyer to sue the company.

City Lights (1931)

Original title: C

8,5 on IMDb | 95% on Rotten Tomatoes

Where to see: Telecine

City Lights is a famous emotional film that features one of the greatest highlights of silent cinema, Charlie Chaplin, as its protagonist.

In the story, Chaplin is an unhappy boy who ends up falling in love with a blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill) on one of the city's streets. Upon learning that she and her grandmother are going to be evicted from the house they live in, the man embarks on a series of attempts to earn the money they need to maintain the house – but all of them fail miserably. But after the millionaire (Harry Myers) generously rewards him for saving his life, many things change.

Minari: The Pursuit of Happyness (2020)

Original title: Threatening

98% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,4 on IMDb 

Where to see: Prime Video

The exciting film Threatening  follows a Korean-American family as they move to a small farm in Arkansas in pursuit of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of the cunning, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, the feature film shows the undeniable resilience of the family and what truly makes a home.

The Hound and the Fox (1981)

Original title: The Fox and the Hound

75% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,2 on IMDb

Where to see: Disney +

In this moving film, an innocent friendship between two natural enemies leads to comical situations and conflicts in adulthood. Dodó is an orphaned fox who was adopted by a lady after her mother was killed by a hunter. She grows up alongside Toby, a hound puppy, and the two become great friends. The problem is the different nature of the two: one is a hunter and the other should be the prey.

Jack's Room (2015)

Original title: Room

93% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

Definitely a film to cry about. Is very. In the story, Joy (Brie Larson) and her son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) live isolated in a room. The only contact they both have with the outside world is the periodic visit of Old Nick (Sean Bridgers), the man who holds them captive. Joy does her best to make life there bearable. When her son turns five, she decides to come up with an escape plan. With Jack's help, she tries to trick Nick into returning to reality and introducing her son to a new world.

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Original title: The Best Years of Our Lives

97% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Telecine

The moving film tells the story of three soldiers who return to their hometown after the Second World War. Each person finds themselves, in their own way, having difficulty adapting to normal life after their experience on the front lines.

The Lion King (1994)

Original title: The Lion King

93% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,5 on IMDb

Where to see: Disney +

The exciting film The Lion King, Disney's acclaimed cartoon, follows the adventures of young lion Simba, Mufasa's heir. Simba's evil uncle, Oscar, plans to steal Mufasa's throne by luring father and son into an ambush. Simba manages to escape and only Mufasa dies. With the help of his friends, Timon and Pumbaa, he reappears as an adult to recover his land, stolen by his uncle.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Original title: Brokeback Mountain

7,7 on IMDb | 88% on Rotten Tomatoes

Where to see: Star +

The film is perfect from beginning to end. And the funniest thing is that at the time it was released, the publicity materials tried hard to make it “heterobait”, showing family posters in a conservative tone.

Being the opposite of that, the sad film that was definitely made to make you cry follows Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis (Heath Ledger), two boys who met in Wyoming, in the summer of 1963, when they were called by a rancher to work there. . With loneliness hovering in the mountains, the two end up getting involved.

When work on the ranch is over, everyone goes their own way. Both are married and live with their respective wives. For many years, they don't see each other until, one day, they start to arrange sporadic meetings and maintain a love affair for years.

Florida Project (2017)

Original title: The Florida Project

96% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,6 on IMDb

Where to see: HBO Max

In this sad film, Moonee (Brooklyn Prince), a busy little girl, makes new friends around the Disney parks. She lives with her mother in a roadside lodging and the two count on the protection of manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe) in the daily battle for survival.

A Love to Remember (2002)

Original title: A Walk to Remember

7,3 on IMDb

Where to see: Telecine e Paramount +

In this sad film, a young high school delinquent is forced to be a tutor at a low-income school. There, he falls in love with the pastor's daughter and experiences a passion full of differences and surprises.

Films that make you cry with a mix of feelings

This category is for when you're looking for a good cry and need a movie with a lingering feeling of longing, despair, or a sense of great loss. Melodrama is the perfect genre for this type of film.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

Original title: Goodbye, Mr Chips

84% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,9 on IMDb

Where to see: Youtube

In one of the best movies to cry about, with the help of his beloved Katherine (Greer Garson), Professor Chipping (Robert Donat) manages to gain the trust of his students. But, when everything seems to be in his greatest perfection, a tragedy will change the life of this great master.

Friends Forever (1988)

Original title: Beaches

43% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,0 on IMDb

Where to see: Star +

In this moving film, two friends with very different life structures share ups and downs, joys and sadness throughout their lives. The great friendship they cultivate is crucial to facing a tragedy with humor, delicacy and harmony.

Amor à Fleur da Pele (2000)

Original title: Fa yeung nin wah

Popular title: In the Mood for Love

8,1 on IMDb | 92% on Rotten Tomatoes

Where to see: MUBI

Definitely one of the best films out there. Set in Hong Kong in the early 1960s, two neighbors, Mr. Chow (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) and Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung) form a bond after they begin to suspect that their respective spouses are having an affair together.

Life is Beautiful (1997)

Original title: Life is Beautiful

81% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,6 on IMDb

Where to watch: Oldflix and Google Play Movies

One of the best films to cry from beginning to end. During World War II in Italy, the Jew Guido (Roberto Benigni) and his son Giosué (Giorgio Cantarini) are taken to a Nazi concentration camp. Away from the woman, he needs to use his imagination to make the boy believe that they are participating in a big game, with the aim of protecting him from the terror and violence around him.

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Original title: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso

90% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,5 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent), Apple TV e Google Play Movies (rent)

In the exciting film Cinema Paradiso, the boy Toto is enchanted by cinema and begins a great friendship with the projectionist in his small town. As an adult and now a successful filmmaker, Toto remembers his childhood again when he discovers that his old friend has passed away.

The Notebook (2004)

Original title: The Notebook

54% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,8 on IMDb

Where to see: HBO Max

Sugar water, I know. But it still has a story that makes for a good cry. In the 1940s, in South Carolina, factory worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and rich Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) fall desperately in love, but the young woman's parents do not approve of the relationship. Noah is sent to fight in World War II, and that appears to be the end of the novel. Meanwhile, Allie becomes involved with another man. However, their passion isn't over yet when Noah returns to the small town years later, close to Allie's wedding.

Right to Love (2009)

Original title: A single man

86% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,5 on IMDb

Where to see: HBO Max

In this sad film, George (Colin Firth) is a college professor who recently lost his partner, Jim (Matthew Goode), in a car accident. Very shaken, he plans to commit suicide. As the daily routine unfolds with co-workers, students and an old friend, he will make his final decision.

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Original title: Doctor Zhivago

82% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,9 IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

Based on the novel by Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago is a doctor and poet who initially supported the Russian revolution, but gradually becomes disillusioned with socialism and is torn between two loves: his wife Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin) and the beautiful commoner Lara (Julie Christie).

Legends of Passion (1994)

Original title: Legends of the Fall

59% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,5 on IMDb

Where to see: netflix

In the American state of Montana in the early 20th century, Colonel William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) lives on a remote ranch with his sons Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn) and Samuel (Henry Thomas). The family goes through a tragedy when Samuel is killed in the First World War. Tristan and Alfred survive the war, but upon returning home, they fall in love with Samuel's beautiful bride, Susannah (Julia Ormond). The intense rivalry between the brothers threatens to destroy the family.

Imitation of Life (1959)

Original title: Imitation of Life

82% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,8 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video

In one of the best movies to cry about, Lora Meredith (Lana Turner), a widowed actress, loses her daughter on the beach. The person who finds her is Annie Johnson (Juanita Moore), hired as a housekeeper. The two women establish a solid friendship while dealing with their daughters' problems.

Moonlight: Under the Moonlight (2016)

Original title: Moonlight

98% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,4 on IMDb

Where to see: HBO Max

In this moving film, Black (Trevante Rhodes) embarks on a journey of self-discovery as he tries to escape the easy path of crime and the drug world of Miami. Finding love in surprising places, he dreams of a wonderful future.

The English Patient (1996)

Original title: The English Patient

86% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,4 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

In this sad film set at the end of the Second World War, an unknown man, who suffered widespread burns when his plane was shot down and became known only as the English patient, ends up receiving the care of a Canadian nurse. 

Gradually, he begins to narrate the great involvement he had with his best friend's wife and how this love was strongly reciprocated. However, other details don't seem to come to mind, as if he wanted these facts to remain buried and forgotten.

The Umbrellas of Love (1964)

Original title: Umbrellas of Cherbourg

97% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,8 on IMDb

Where to see: Telecine

Set in Cherbourg, November 1957. Geneviève Emery (Catherine Deneuve), whose mother owns an umbrella shop, loves Guy Foucher (Nino Castelnuovo), a young mechanic. Geneviève's mother does not take kindly to romance and would prefer to marry her daughter to Roland Cassard (Marc Michel), a wealthy diamond merchant. Guy is drafted into the Algerian war. Geneviève surrenders to him before his departure.

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Original title: Romeo + Juliet

74% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,7 on IMDb

Where to see: Star +

In Verona Beach, the Capulets and the Montagues are two families who have always hated each other. But this doesn't stop Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio), a Montague, from falling in love with the beautiful Juliet (Claire Danes), a Capulet.

Always By Your Side (2009)

Original title: Hachi: A Dog's Tale

64% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Telecine e Prime Video

Just because it involves a dog, this is one of the best films to make you cry. In the story, a university professor finds an Akita puppy, known for its loyalty, at the train station. The dog starts to accompany him to the train station and wait for his return. Until an unexpected event changes his life.

Shadows of Life (2017)

Original title: A Ghost Story

91% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,8 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

A sad, delicate and at the same time moving film. C (Casey Affleck) is a recently dead man who returns as a ghost to his suburban home with the intention of comforting his wife (Rooney Mara). In his new spectral form, invisible to mortals, he realizes that he is not affected by time, being condemned to be a mere spectator of the life he had with the woman he loved.

Despite the name referring to suspense or terror, A Ghost Story brings a more reflective purpose to the layer that hovers between life and the possibilities that come after it. It is a sensitive film that does not deal with major events to impact its audience and ties its story together in a melancholic and subjective way. Okay, the premise is the character's death and yes, when we talk about tragedies, it's very uncomfortable. But the way this shock is broken when they portray a grief more similar to what we know on the skin and off the screen, an atmosphere is created in which the fact that C died was just a pass to the complexity that comes next. .

Titanic (1997)

88% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,9 on IMDb

Where to see: Star +

Classic of classics. In this moving film, a poor artist and a rich young woman meet and fall in love on the Titanic's fateful maiden voyage in 1912. Although she is engaged to an arrogant steel mill heir, the young woman defies her family and friends in search of true love.

Up: High Adventures (2009)

https://youtu.be/nKE4u6ftuFg?si=U_6555bpUBDebj0t

Original title: Up

98% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,3 on IMDb

Where to see: Disney +

There's no way not to be moved by Up: High Adventures, this is a fact. The soundtrack, Carl and Ellie's love story and the whole unfolding of the narrative is very unique and extremely emotional.

In the synopsis, Carl Fredricksen is a balloon salesman who, at the age of 78, is about to lose the house he has always lived in with his wife, the late Ellie. After an incident, Carl is deemed a public menace and forced to be institutionalized. To prevent this from happening, he puts balloons in his house, causing it to take off. Carl wants to travel to a forest in South America, where he and Ellie have always wanted to live, but discovers that a problem has come along: Russell, an 8-year-old Boy Scout.

Extremely sad movies

Now, if you want to cry your eyes out, whether with the story or even an impactful and devastating final scene, this is the perfect category.

Sophie's Choice (1982)

Original title: Sophie's Choice

76% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,5 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

In one of the best movies to cry about, Sophie (Meryl Streep) survives Nazi concentration camps and finds a reason to live in Nathan, a brilliant, unstable, Holocaust-obsessed American Jew. But their happiness is threatened by the ghosts of her past.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Original title: It's a Wonderful Life

94% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,6 on IMDb

Where to see: plex tv

In the exciting film Happiness can't be bought, Clarence (Henry Travers) is a spirit candidate for an angel who receives the mission of helping a very worthy, but disillusioned, man. George Bailey (James Stewart) is on the verge of suicide when he is saved by Clarence, who shows him how important he is in many people's lives.

After Sun (2022)

7,7 on IMDb | 96% on Rotten Tomatoes

Where to see: MUBI

Nominated for an Oscar, Aftersun stars Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, a combination that produced the most beautiful and, at the same time, saddest film ever made in recent times. Here, Charlotte Wells' direction was unique.

In the story, in a run-down resort, 11-year-old Sophie (Corio) enjoys rare time with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Mescal). Twenty years later, Sophie's memories of her last vacation become a powerful and painful portrait of their relationship.

AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Original title: AI Artificial Intelligence

76% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,2 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

In one of the best tearjerker movies, David (Haley Joel Osment), the first robot boy programmed to love, is adopted by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. However, a series of unexpected circumstances makes life difficult for David. Without full acceptance from humans or machines, the robot boy embarks on a journey to discover his true world.

Schindler's List (1993)

Original title: Schindler's List

98% on Rotten Tomatoes | 9,0 on IMDb

Where to see: Telecine

In the classic sad movie Schindler's List, German Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) saw Jewish labor as a cheap and viable solution to profit from business during the war. With his strong influence within the Nazi party, it was easy to obtain permits and open a factory. What might seem like the attitude of a not very kind man, turned into one of the greatest love affairs of life, as this German gave up all his fortune to save the lives of more than a thousand Jews in the middle of the fight against German extermination. .

love (2012)

Original title: Love

93% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,9 on IMDb

Where to see: MUBI

In this moving film, Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are two elderly people in love with art and, above all, with each other. The challenges of old age affect the way they live and the way they relate to their daughter, but the love between them remains unshakable.

Bambi (1942)

91% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,3 on IMDb

Where to see: Disneyy+

In the heart of the forest, all the animals are excited about the birth of a deer named Bambi. The cub soon earns the title of prince of the forest, as his father is the most important deer in the region. Bambi grows up, makes friends with other forest animals, learns to survive and discovers love. On this journey of maturity, he realizes that, even in the midst of tragedies, it is possible to be strong and see the beauty in life.

Sex Cry (1961)

Original title: Splendor in the Grass

74% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,7 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent) and Apple TV (rent)

Bud (Warren Beatty) and Deanie's (Natalie Wood) relationship is threatened by their parents' oppressive expectations. When they are warned not to get involved sexually because it would ruin their future, Bud ends up getting involved with another girl and Deanie is admitted to a mental institution.

Dancing in the Dark (2000)

Original title: Dancer in the Dark

7,9 on IMDb | 69% on Rotten Tomatoes

Where to see: MUBI

Em Dancing in the Dark, one of the best films to cry about, Selma, a Czech immigrant (played by Björk, who won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her devastating performance) deals with her progressive blindness by taking refuge in her musical fantasies. Her son Gene could suffer the same fate if she is unable to save enough money to have an operation.

Once Upon a Time in Tokyo (1953)

Original title: Tôkyô monogatari

100% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Fine Arts à La Carte

In this tear-jerking film, an elderly couple leaves their daughter in the countryside to visit their other children in Tokyo, a city they have never been to. However, children receive them with indifference, and are always too busy to have time for their parents.

Steel Flowers (1989)

Original title: Steel Magnolias

67% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,3 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

In one of the best movies to cry about, M'Lynn (Sally Field) is the mother of Shelby Eatenton (Julia Roberts), who is about to get engaged. Friend Truvy Jones (Dolly Parton) does her hair for the engagement with the help of Annelle Dupuy Desoto (Daryl Hannah). Shelby is diabetic and may not be able to have children. Time passes, and the group of women experiences tragedies and happy moments, becoming stronger and getting closer to each other.

Fruitvale Station: The Last Stop (2013)

Original title: Fruitvale station

94% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,5 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video

In this sad film, Oscar (Michael B. Jordan) is a charismatic young man who is very close to his family. However, after getting into trouble with the law, he spends time in prison. Now, without a job and without money, he tries to get back on his feet to support his girlfriend and their daughter.

People Like Us (1980)

Original title: Ordinary People

89% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,7 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent) and Apple TV (rent)

Em People like us, a teenager blames himself after his brother drowned in his boat. Despite intense therapy sessions, he cannot free himself from the belief that he should have died in his place and his parents do not offer much comfort either.

Ghost – From the Other Side of Life (1990)

Original title: Ghost

75% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Telecine e Paramount +

In this classic film to make you cry and move, Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is a young executive in love with his girlfriend, Molly Jensen (Demi Moore). He ends up dead in a robbery, but his spirit doesn't go to the other plane and he discovers that Molly is also in danger. To save her, Sam asks for help from a medium who surprisingly can hear him.

Terms of Endearment (1983)

Original title: Terms of End

82% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,4 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent) and Apple TV (rent)

While widow Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) outwits her admirers, daughter Emma (Debra Winger) faces the harsh side of married life. She discovers that her teacher's husband is having an affair with one of the students. But an even bigger surprise awaits her after a routine doctor's appointment.

Love Story: A Love Story (1970)

Original title: Love Story

66% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,9 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent) and Google Play Content (rent)

In this sad film, Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O'Neal), a Harvard law student, meets Jenny Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw), a Radcliffe music student. It's love at first sight, and they decide to get married. However, Oliver's father, a multimillionaire, does not accept such a union and disinherits his son. Jenny is unable to get pregnant and discovers that she is very ill.

Golden Girl (2004)

Original title: Million Dollar Baby

90% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,1 on IMDb

Where to see: HBO Max

In one of the best movies to cry about, Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a veteran Los Angeles boxing trainer who keeps almost everyone at arm's length, except for old friend and business partner Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman). When Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a factory worker transferred from Missouri, arrives at Frankie's gym looking for her experience, he is reluctant to train the young woman. But when he gives in to his reserved ways, the two form a very close bond that will inevitably change their lives.

My First Love (1991)

Original title: My Girl

50% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,9 on IMDb

Where to see: Netflix

In this classic tearjerker, Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) is an 11-year-old girl obsessed with death. Her mother died when she was born and her father, Harry Sultenfuss (Dan Aykroyd), is a distant undertaker. Vada is in love with Jake Bixler (Griffin Dunne), her English teacher, and is very good friends with Thomas J. Sennett (Macaulay Culkin), a boy who is allergic to everything. When Harry hires makeup artist Shelly DeVoto (Jamie Lee Curtis) for the funerals and falls in love with her, Vada feels rejected and does everything she can to separate them.

Never Leave Me (2010)

Original title: Never Let Me Go

71% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,1 on IMDb

Where to see: Star +

In this sad film, friends Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley) grow up together in what appears to be an idyllic boarding school in the English countryside. When they leave school and the horrible truth about their life's purpose is revealed, they must simultaneously confront their feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal, which threaten to end their friendship.

Our Love Yesterday (1973)

Original title: The Way We Were

64% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,0 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent)

Opposites attract when, during her college years, Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand), a Jewish activist girl, meets Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford), a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant. Years later, in the wake of World War II, they meet again and, regardless of their differences, get married. Hubbell wants to be a screenwriter and the two move to California, despite Katie's opposition. But the wife's activism could put the writer's reputation at risk.

The Shining of a Passion (2009)

Original title: Bright Star

83% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,9 on IMDb

Where to see: Youtube (rent), Prime Video (rent) and Google Play Movies (rent)

Set in London, 1818. In this sad film, the young poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) is a neighbor of Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), a fashion student with strong opinions. Her worlds could not be more different. When John's brother falls ill, Fanny offers her care. Delighted, John approaches the girl and offers to teach her poetry. The two end up falling in love. When Fanny's mother and John's best friend discover the affair, it is too late to try to counsel them.

My Best Companion (1957)

Original title: Old Yeller

100% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,2 on IMDb

Where to see: Disney +

In this moving film, while Jim Coates (Fess Parker) is out herding cattle, his wife Katie (Dorothy McGuire) and children Travis (Tommy Kirk) and Arliss (Kevin Corcoran) stay at their Texas ranch. When a stray dog ​​causes damage to one of the crops, Travis tries to chase it away, but the animal ends up saving Arliss from a bear.

The Renegades (1985)

Original title: Vagabond

100% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,7 on IMDb

Where to see: Prime Video (rent)

It's winter in the south of France and the body of a young girl is found in a ditch. Mona (Sandrine Bonnaire) was a wanderer and spent her last days walking the roads. Those with whom Mona crossed paths, met or talked are the ones who tell who she was and what happened.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Original title: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

96% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,0 on IMDb

Where to see: HBO Max

In this sad film, George (Richard Burton), an alcoholic professor, and Martha (Elizabeth Taylor), a frustrated and domineering woman, are married and hate each other. One afternoon, they invite a new teacher and his wife for a drink and begin a cruel game.

Silver Serenade (1941)

https://youtu.be/lqu1oGLC50I?si=MiJWOEeAxrE_NsqQ

Original title: Penny Serenade

94% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,1 on IMDb

Where to see: plex tv

In the best moving film, Julie (Irene Dunne) listens to a record and begins to remember the past. Her moments in love, her son's death and her marriage problems. She must now embark on a merry-go-round of emotions and make an important decision.

All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Original title: All Dogs Go to Heaven

44% on Rotten Tomatoes | 6,7 on IMDb

Where to see: HBO Max

A German shepherd is killed by a supposed friend, but upon arriving in heaven, he is given the right to return thanks to the powers of a magical clock. He seeks revenge with the help of an angel and a little orphan girl, capable of speaking to animals.

Tomb of Fireflies (1988)

Original title: hotaru no haka

100% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,5 on IMDb

Where to watch: Now and Claro TV+

In one of the best films to make you cry, brothers Setsuko and Seita live in Japan in the middle of World War II. After their mother's death in a bombing and their father's call to war, they go to live with some relatives. Dissatisfied, they leave the city and end up in a shelter in the forest.

Go and See (1985)

Original title: Go and have a look

90% on Rotten Tomatoes | 8,4 on IMDb

Where to see: Fine Arts à La Carte

The film is an experience of pain and loss, making it one of the best films to cry about. Considered wild and lyrical, check out the trajectory of Florya (Alexei Jewgenjewitsch Krawtschenko), a young man separated from his commanders during the Second World War.

Savage Virtue (1946)

Original title: The Yearling

100% on Rotten Tomatoes | 7,2 on IMDb

Where to see: Looke

Em Wild Virtue, Jody Baxter (Claude Jarman Jr.) lives with his parents on a farm in Florida. He convinces them to adopt a baby deer as a pet, but this friendship is compromised as the baby grows and begins to destroy everything in sight.

See also other features

Mubi's best films

Best romantic comedy movies of all time

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim