There’s nothing quite like testing your empathy levels through the evocative medium of film. Whether it’s the death of a much-loved protagonist, a tragic case of injustice, or the demise of an animated lion, we’ve all experienced the devastating heartache that’s left us uncontrollably bawling our eyes out.
From light tears to emotional devastation, let’s cast our minds back to 25 tear-jerking forerunners that will stay with us for a lifetime.
Beaches
We only need to hear the opening chords of Bette Midler’s famous soundtrack theme to relive the trauma of tragic endings. C.C. and Hilary navigate career failures, broken marriages, and terminal illness in this 80’s classic. The end? Inconsolable!
The Elephant Man
The inequalities of life meet one man’s unwavering resilience in the face of a rare genetic disease. The saddest part is that it’s based on a true story.
Dead Poets Society
The late Robin Williams exhilarates his students and audience with his magnetic personality. Cut to a tragic ending both on and off-screen. It’s a tough watch if you’re a Williams fan.
My Girl
Who knew that a movie about a couple of kids and a swarm of bees could destroy your soul? A cute best friend coupling and ‘a summer to remember’ sets the scene for the inevitable tragic ending. Be prepared.
P.S. I Love You
Holly and Gerry fall desperately in love only to find that Gerry has a terminal illness. As if that isn’t sad enough, he leaves her a series of notes encouraging her to live life to the fullest. Love conquers all in this often humorous but grief-tinged movie.
The Notebook
The cruelty of war and parental disapproval separate the beloved couple, Allie, and Noah. When they find each other once more, Alzheimer’s has torn Allies memories from her, and we’re left sobbing into our hankies.
Titanic
Real-life tragedy meets lost love in this Oscar-winning epic. DiCaprio steals our hearts as steerage-class traveler, Jack, while Winslet (Rose) beautifully executes the staunch realities of upper-class expectations. Cue an iceberg and it all goes downhill.
Schindler’s List
Hailed as the saddest film of all time, Spielberg’s 3-hour account of the Holocaust leaves nothing to the imagination, and there’s no escaping the fact that such barbaric events occurred during WWII.
Leon
There’s bloodshed, psychopathy, and an assassin that takes on a kid apprentice. But that end scene is devastatingly sad. He’s a nice assassin.
The Pursuit of Happyness
The uplifting true story of a poverty-stricken but doting father’s quest to provide for his young son. A tale of hope that serves as a reminder to persevere through adversity. Expect tears of both sadness and joy.
The Lion King
Adorable lion cub melts your heart before his beloved father is tragically taken from him. Cue Simba finding his way in the cruel world. Hans Zimmer’s award-winning evocative soundtrack further fuels the tears. Oscar-winning heartbreak at its best.
Brokeback Mountain
A ground-breaking movie that dares to delve into sensitive areas. The love between two men under impossible circumstances. Bravely executed but the tragic ending will leave the most hardened of individuals devastated.
Charlotte’s Web
If you don’t think the death of a cartoon spider is sufficient to crush your soul, think again. The movie celebrates a beautiful friendship between a pig called Wilbur, and a spider named Charlotte, and devastatingly demonstrates the impermanence of life.
Fruitvale Station
The horrifying true story of the death of an innocent African American man at the hands of US police. That such atrocities continue to occur in the US only magnifies the sadness of the movie, though it played a significant part in the Black Lives Matter movement.
Still Alice
An eloquent linguistics professor has it all, but we sense it coming before it hits. Her downward spiral into Alzheimer’s coupled with heartfelt dialogue with her daughter cuts impossibly deep.
The Champ
A young Ricky Shroeder applauds his beloved father in the boxing ring, only to see him take a fatal blow. Hailed as the saddest movie ever, the end scene has been scientifically proven to make most humans reach for a hanky. It’s that sad.
Toy Story 3
Andy moves home and away from his toys. The pain is raw, unexpected, and undeniably real. What happened?
The Green Mile
An innocent man on death row, a barbaric prison guard, and a sprinkling of magic. Injustice at its worst and there’s no happy twist. It’s a long movie and a tough one.
Sophies Choice
Meryl Streep’s Oscar-winning performance of an Auschwitz survivor reveals an impossible choice she was forced to make in captivity. Not one for the faint-hearted.
Moulin Rouge
A light-hearted, feel-good movie that elevates your spirits to the moon and ends with tuberculosis. A mixed bag of emotions.
A Star is Born
A musician and an alcoholic make an earth-shattering record and desperately fall in love. It all seems perfectly peachy until he takes his own life. You’ll sob uncontrollably, over, and over.
The Danish Girl
The true story of unconditional love involving a closeted transgender woman in the 1920s. The movie tells us that love can conquer all, but the tragic ending will render you speechless.
Steel Magnolias
Big hair and female bonds at their best. We champion a group of friends as they laugh and cry together at life’s nuances. But one friend’s desperation for a baby leads to her eventual demise, and we’re left broken.
Christine
Not the horror flick of the same name, but the true story of a lonely news anchor who commits suicide live on air. It leaves you stunned and horrified, and themes of depression will resonate with many.
Marley and Me
An emotional rollercoaster involving a comedic couple, a beautiful dog named Marley, and a devastating ending. Dog lovers, beware. It stays with you for days.
