30+ Films Perfect For When You Need A Good Cry

Some movies do more than entertain, they hit so hard that you end up reaching for tissues before the credits roll. That is part of the appeal here, because the best tearjerkers turn heartbreak, nostalgia, and even small moments into something unforgettable.

This list pulls together more than 30 films known for their emotional punch, from animated favorites to romance, drama, and a few unexpected gut punches. Whether you want a quiet cry or a full-on sob session, these picks cover a lot of different kinds of sadness.

If you are in the mood for a movie that will absolutely wreck you, this lineup has plenty to choose from.

1. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

"I can hardly watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind it always makes me so emotional. I don’t know if it’s the style of the movie or the dialogue or the themes, but the 'things ending' feel makes me cry every time." —mrkellyFocus Features

2. Homeward Bound

"Just the last bit of Homeward Bound when you think the dog is dead but he comes running over the hill." —juliahowie1988"My god. I know it’s a kids movie but the ending has me BAWLING every time! You think Shadow (the dog) doesn’t make it and his owner is upset only to have him trudge up the hill saying 'oh Peter I missed you!' Talk about an ugly cry." —emilya38Walt Disney Pictures

3. Portrait Of A Lady On Fire

"I saw it in the theatre, and was not expecting that ending to be such a bittersweet punch in the gut. I sat there feeling my feels and sobbing while the ushers tidied up around me." —anne0c0hPyramide Films

4. 21 Grams

"I have no idea how Naomi Watts did not get an Oscar for that film. She was spectacular and raw as a grieving mother and wife." —jlocke1Focus Features

5. Onward

"Surprisingly, Onward. It’s a newer Disney and Pixar movie and usually I’m a sucker for the classics, but the first time I watched it I cried so much throughout the whole thing. It’s a really good movie and has a great story. It’s hits you right in the feels." —lafoutloudDisney Pixar

6. Five Feet Apart

"It's such a beautiful movie, and the heartbreaking but somehow hopeful ending gets me every time." —rebeldreamerCBS Films

7. Marley & Me

"No explanation needed." —nopersont"That movie is banned in my household." —natalieboh20th Century Fox

8. The Fault In Our Stars

"Specifically at the end when Hazel reads Augustus' letter with 'Wait' by M83 playing. Watching that causes such a cathartic waterfall of tears, every single time." —katcloud20th Century Fox

9. Dead Poets Society

"It takes you on this incredible journey with such a simple story. You become so invested in their lives, then the rug gets pulled right out from under your feet. I still get so emotional and I've seen it a hundred times." —elh1983Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

10. Crazy Rich Asians

"I can’t get through the wedding scene without sobbing because it’s all just so ridiculously beautiful!" —tarryngWarner Bros. Pictures

11. Inside Out

"It’s about emotional health and how it’s okay to be sad, and that you need to feel sadness sometimes to feel real happiness. This one hit hard— way too relatable for me. It’s an easy go-to if I ever want to cry. Pixar did it again!" —suzyqdaisy"I actually cry more when Riley breaks down to her parents then when Bing Bong dies but overall it’s such a heartwarming but also devastating movie." —campbells4dbe23c87Disney Pixar

12. Pride

"It’s based on real events and it’s just such great portrayal of two very different groups (a lesbian and gay group from London and a group of Welsh miners) during the miners strike of 1984, coming together to support each other. The final scene of the Pride march always makes me cry." —vyvyanbasterd"Whenever the buses pull up at the end of the movie with the miners in solidarity with the LGSM, I bawl every single time. Also when they sing 'Bread and Roses' gets me worked up." —laoisedunphy"Such a lovely film about an incredible true story and the 80’s music just tops it off. The ending where everyone is at the Pride march makes me cry every time!" —jessies4d5bf6ac6"The ending always makes me happy and sad in equal measures and is full of great messages. One of the best and most underrated films." —laraterryr20th Century Fox

The same kind of “wait, what?” vibe shows up in these small moments that prove the world is still full of surprises.

13. Steel Magnolias

"Particularly the scene with Sally Fields crying and monologuing in the cemetery. Destroys me every time." —chelseajack"Every. Single. Time. I used to watch with my grandmother all the time! I mean Julia, Sally, Dolly, Daryl... never fails." —beevs"A sad story, but the way the women come together and support each other through it all is so beautiful. The cast is stacked and the acting is impeccable. It always forces me to shed both sad and happy tears." —rkkearney"Basically from the opening credits I'm constantly fighting (and failing) to hold back the tears." —juniorbizarre"Sally Field’s performance in the funeral scene is gut wrenching and gets me every time" —fayep4bdcda3fc"It’s so heartbreaking and hilarious! It’s the only movie that has ever had me simultaneously sobbing and laughing hysterically. The women are all different ages, at different places in their lives, and they stand together and support each other through even the most devastating circumstances. Plus, it has Dolly Parton in it, and that is always a good thing!" —strangerthanitseems"I saw this in the theatre with my best friend and her mum. We were told to bring tissues, so we brought a whole box. The theatre was packed, and we ended up just passing the box back and forth to the sobbing people in our row and around it. It’s so weird, but all of these years later, it’s one of my favourite memories. I felt like we were all so connected. I still watch that movie about once a month." —lisamariegcTriStar Pictures

14. Into The Wild

"I like that it’s not just sad – it’s uplifting too. It’s an amazing true story, but also sad." —sickboy_aliceParamount Vantage

15. The Green Mile

"When Michael Clarke Duncan grabs Tom Hanks hand to 'show him what he sees' (the flashback to the girl's murder) and the look on Hank's face when he 'sees' it, then he just starts breaking down and crying, gets me every time..Theres a bunch of those types of scenes throughout the whole movie that are just a gut-punch. Such a great movie though." —michaeldavid"One hundred percent guaranteed to make me cry when I need to have a good cry." —a49d3345f7Warner Bros. Pictures

16. Wonder Woman 1984

"The part where she says she still believes in humanity, even after everything she’s seen." —mattface346Warner Bros Pictures

17. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

"It always makes me cry because it reminds me of how much I love all of the characters and how important their friendships are. I especially love Charlie, he is my favourite fictional character of all time and reminds me to always be kind to others and see the good in them." —alliechunterSummit Entertainment

18. Mona Lisa Smile

"The relationship the girls have with Julia Roberts as the new Art History professor will always remind me of how my AP History teacher opened my eyes to how magical and fascinating history could be. I later went on to get a degree in history hoping to encourage people the way she encouraged me. When Julia Roberts is driving away and the newly graduated girls are following close behind on their bikes, and one reaches her hand out to thank her teacher one last time and refuses to let go....I’m tearing up just thinking about it. My teacher saved my life in so many ways, and there’s not enough time for me to properly say thank you to her." —graceelizabethb3Sony Pictures Releasing

19. Up

"I end up bawling like a baby every time. The first ten minutes alone are enough to have me sobbing, but the ending is so poignant and beautiful as well." —omalice30Disney Pixar

20. Hachi: A Dog's Tale

"It is absolutely the most beautifully heartbreaking film I’ve ever seen. I full on ugly cry every single time I watch it!"—ashmed812Stage 6 Films

21. Cinema Paradiso

"It's an older Italian movie ('80s) and I've watched it throughout my entire life. It doesn't matter if you're emotional or not, this movie WILL get you. I've seen it make even the coldest people turn into puddles! I still cry every time I watch it, even though I know the movie so well." —gustocompostoMiramax Films

22. The Fall

"The Fall by Tarsem Singh – the movie is so visually beautiful and seems really innocent, but it’s actually really dark and the ending is so, so sad." —itsezraRoadside Attractions

23. Pocahontas

"Pocahontas, to be perfectly honest with you. The ending gets me every time." —eivor1612Disney

24. 50/50

"50/50 is the best, most heartbreaking movie about friendship ever." —mattl50Summit Entertainment

25. The Princess Bride

"The first time I watched The Princess Bride, I loved it so much that I happy cried at the end." —kal6320th Century Fox

26. Slumdog Millionaire

"You’re watching Jamal’s childhood and life throughout the movie and his journey with his relationships between Latika and Salem pulls your heart strings. I cry both good and bad tears in this movie. Never disappoints." —laurengastonPathé Distribution

27. A Little Princess

"The ending where she finds her father again and he doesn’t remember her and then she starts crying and screaming and then he remembers and yells out her name and they embrace in the rain." —liaailani"This might be a little lame for a 36 year-old, but A Little Princess. I know it has a very different ending to the book, but when her father remembers her and runs after her shouting her name – crikey, I can’t even see my screen to type right now. It's.gone all blurry for some reason." —stipyitWarner Bros Pictures

28. Avengers: Endgame

"It makes me really happy at first, and then rips out my heart." —valkyrie_77Marvel Studios / Disney

29. The Holiday

"I only really watch it around this time of year but The Holiday always gets me. The score is phenomenal and a real tearjerker." —mrkellySony Pictures Releasing

30. Dear John

"The scene where his father is in the hospital after having a heart attack and John reads the letter to him is heartbreaking. " —s463b03bd4Sony Pictures Releasing

31. Big Fish

"There is something about the ending when the son is with his father as he is dying telling him one more story – that just gets me every time." —emilya38Sony Pictures Releasing

Movies, undoubtedly, are truly the best way to just detach from reality and engross yourself with fictional characters and a story that touches our hearts, as well as sends our minds into an imaginative spiral. It's also great to see movies progress throughout the years, and it's amazing to think that humanity never runs out of stories to tell, even if they may only be a variation of another.

What are your favorite movies that made you cry? Comment down your thoughts, or share this list for all your family and friends to see!

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