Movies have the power to elicit different emotions. People watch comedies for a good laugh, horror movies for the adrenaline rush of a jump scare, and sad movies for a good cry. Often enough, the movies falling into the latter category are so gut-wrenching that they remain in our memories the longest. Usually, films that get emotional responses are those people latch onto and relate to. Whether it is a feature film about heartbreak or a tale about injustice, there are so many certified tearjerkers that can make anyone tear up or even bawl their eyes out. With that in mind, keep reading to discover a list of the saddest movies ever.

Whether people would like to admit it or not, everyone could use a little help sometimes. That is one of the lessons conveyed in Gus Van Sant’s award-winning film Good Will Hunting. The main character, Will Hunting, is a janitor with a special knack for math.  The movie follows Hunting, played by Matt Damon, and the therapy sessions he attends. He goes through hurdles in his life, including his struggles putting his math talent to good use and navigating his love life. Hunting ends up having an emotional breakthrough that would make anyone shed a few tears.

Spike Jonze’s science-fiction romantic-comedy-drama Her is incredibly well done, but it is not for everyone. The film follows the main character Theodore Twombly, played by Joaquin Phoenix and his romantic relationship with Samantha. However, Samantha, played by Scarlett Johansson, isn’t a person but an artificially intelligent virtual assistant with a female voice.  During the film, Twombly is going through a divorce, and he is isolated from the rest of the world, despite living in a big city. As a result, he is lonely and emotional. The movie evokes sadness because these feelings are so relatable. Everyone goes through heartbreak, but sometimes it is about how you handle it that makes all the difference. 

Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge is a musical masterpiece set in the charming, glamorous city of Paris. The film is known for its spectacular stage production, art direction, and costume design. Starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, the movie has musical numbers that were some of the biggest hit songs of the 20th century. This film follows the love story of the main character Satine, a courtesan and an English poet named Christian. Unfortunately, it ends tragically, and there is sadness behind the movie’s glitz and glam. However, the ending is undoubtedly a tear-jerker. Keep a box of tissues on hand when watching this one.

Here is a film that proves how strong a mother’s love is. Susan Sarandon plays the main character Jackie who is a devoted mother. Jackie is always doing what is best for her children, even if it makes things more difficult for herself. Her ex-husband Luke, played by Ed Harris, lives with his fiancé, Julia Roberts's character Isabel. Jackie’s kids hate Isabel at first, but when Jackie’s previous illness returns and becomes terminal, she realizes she has to help her children acclimate to Isabel, given the circumstances. The film's ending is bittersweet since all relationships are improved, but it still feels as heartbreaking as could be.

Though The Tale of Princess Kaguya is an animated movie, it is nothing like a classic Disney movie. Based on ancient folklore and adapted into a motion picture, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is based on a 10th-century Japanese legend and teaches the life lesson of being careful what you wish for. A humble woodcutter initially finds a glowing miniature girl from the moon in a bamboo shoot and decides to raise her with his wife. He and his wife raise her, but she revolts against a life of royalty. She prays for the return of her life on the moon and gets what she wishes for while leaving her loving memories behind. Cue the waterworks!

Every star gets their start somewhere, and for Jennifer Lopez, it was in the film Selena. The movie is based on the life of music superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. The biographical musical drama followed the singer’s brief career leading up to her tragic passing.  Lopez uses her radiance and charisma to play the role of the Queen of Tejano so well. In addition, she highlights her musical achievements and carries on Selena’s legacy, reminding us of the great person and talent that she was. This motion picture is an excellent example of keeping a star’s memory alive, even if it does get emotional.

Before The Notebook took the romantic-drama world by storm and gave viewers a reason to tear up, there was the movie The Way We Were. The 1973 film followed a sweeping love story between Kate Morosky, played by Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford’s character Hubbell Gardiner across decades.  This film is an example of the right person, but at the wrong time. The two constantly run into each other and repeatedly try to make things work. Finally, they end up estranged and married to other people. The vulnerability shown by both Morosky and Gardiner makes this film a gut-wrenching one to watch. 

When people think of Disney movies, they often think of fairytales and happy endings. However, this is not the case with Disney’s animated 2009 tear-jerker Up. Unlike other movies on this list, Up is guaranteed to have viewers tearing up in the film's first ten minutes and at the very end. The beginning of Up goes through the backstory of the main character, Carl Fredricksen, who was played by Ed Asner. Fredricksen was madly in love with his wife, but they could not have children, and he lost her before they could take their dream vacation. Though Up is sad, especially initially, it is a very well done, family-friendly feature worth the watch and tears. 

It might not be easy for a music artist to jump right into acting. However, Lady Gaga made it look easy as pie in the 2018 film A Star Is Born. In the third remake of a tragic tale, Lady Gaga fully immerses herself in her character Ally Maine who is destined for stardom.  With the help of her mentor and future husband Jackson, “Jack” Maine, played by Bradley Cooper, she achieves this goal. The couple gets married, faces hardship in their relationship, and faces tragedy by the end of the movie. The ending, in particular, is what makes this film sad, and it is sure to make any romance film lover misty-eyed.

Bette Midler is a woman of many talents. Not only is she a singer, author and comedian, but she is also an esteemed actress. Midler’s talent shone through in a movie about love between friends called Beaches.  Devoted fans of Beaches know to expect the waterworks, but there is also fun and friendship within this movie that brings it all together. Though C.C. Bloom, played by Midler, becomes famous in the film, she still sustains her friendship with Hilary, played by Barbara Hershey. Like others on this list, when tragedy strikes for the two best friends, the tears begin and rightfully so.

Beast it! 2010’s fantasy drama Beasts of the Southern Wild follows a six-year-old girl named Hushpuppy, played by Quvenzhané Wallis, who lives with her father, Dwight Henry’s character Wink, in a small community called the “Bathtub.” The movie is vibrant with astounding imagery while also incredibly sad.  With a storm coming, the community finds itself in danger. As a result, Hushpuppy learns valuable life lessons at a young age, including that her father is not immortal and that she will one day be on her own. She also understands what is real and what is a fantasy. In the end, this one is a true heartbreaker.

Clint Eastwood’s 2004 sports-oriented drama Million Dollar Baby hones in on a 30-year-old waitress in Los Angeles and her aspirations to be a boxer. Maggie Fitzgerald, played by Hilary Swank, is a lifelong underdog who finally convinces a gym owner, Clint Eastwood, as Frankie to train her.  Maggie fights in a million-dollar match in Las Vegas but sustains multiple severe injuries and finds herself in the hospital. She ends up in the hospital, and while she looks forward to family visiting, they are only around to get Maggie’s assets transferred to them. Maggie eventually passes away, and Frankie never returns to the gym again. Talk about a sad series of events.

Kenneth Lonergan’s masterpiece, Manchester by the Sea, tells the tale of an uncle, Lee Chandler played by Casey Affleck, who is newly the guardian of his 16-year old nephew named Patrick, played by Lucas Hedges. Chandler becomes Patrick’s guardian following a heart-rendering family tragedy. The two go through their ups and downs, and Chandler especially re-lives moments from the past. Affleck’s performance in this movie was arguably the best of his career. Much of what his character goes through with sadness and loss makes it difficult not to shed at least a few tears while watching the film.

Dancer in the Dark follows the journey of Czechoslovakian immigrant Selma Jezkova, portrayed by Bjork and the struggles she faces in the United States. Selma struggles both to earn money and with a genetic medical condition that is causing her to lose her eyesight.  Her goal has been to make enough money for an operation for her son Gene by the time he turns 13 years old. Luckily, she can see just enough to be able to do her job. Things are going well for her until her landlord steals her cash. She hopes everything will work out but is faced with a heartbreaking twist that would leave any viewer in tears.

Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven is Malick's second feature film following Badlands. Days of Heaven tells the tale of Richard Gere’s character Bill and Abby (who is played by Brooke Adams) and the love they shared. The couple flees to the Texas Panhandle after Bill makes a grave mistake. While in the Texas Panhandle, the pair scheme up a storm.  Things seem to be going their way, but things escalate quickly when they are caught and met with consequences. It is difficult not to get attached to characters in this film which makes emotions stronger. Such a shame it had such a sad ending!

The melodrama Atonement occurs just before World War II and focuses on a country house romance between a girl from a wealthy family and the housekeeper’s son. Outside forces come in and make false accusations, and the housekeeper’s son ends up being imprisoned and placed into the army. Before he leaves for war, the lovers meet one last time.   This is yet another twist on the classic star-crossed lovers' romance idea. But that isn’t even the emotional part of this movie. The film's end cuts to the present day, where it ends with a gut punch and makes the title Atonement make sense. So though it will have you in tears, you will also be thinking, wow, that explains so much.

Sometimes, people will lie to protect the people that they love. This is especially common with parents lying to their children to protect them, and it just happens to be the premise of the 1997 film Life is Beautiful. This movie follows a father named Guido Orefice, played by Roberto Benigni, and his young son in concentration camps during World War II. Instead of telling his son the dark reality of the situation, he creates a white lie and makes up games with rules to help him survive. He maintains the story until the end, when he meets his end. The next day the camp is liberated, and the son is reunited with his mother. This one is as sad as it gets and will make anyone cry.

Asghar Farhadi’s Iranian film A Separation paints a picture of everyday life in Iran. The film also displays how difficult it is to make tough decisions involving an entire family. It chronicles a woman’s attempt to leave the country with her husband and her young daughter.  The two argue about living abroad, and her husband refuses to abandon his father in his old age. As a result, the woman wants a divorce, but the couple is not granted a divorce until the very end of the movie. Watching the hardships that every person in the film went through and seeing their suffering is enough to give anyone a good cry.

There is something about war movies that seem to get the waterworks flowing. The 1979 motion picture All Quiet on the Western Front is based on a novel of the same name, and it is a remake of the 1930 movie with the same name. The movie chronicles 18-year-old Paul Baumer, played by Lew Ayres and gives a realistic view of war during World War I.  While he is enthusiastic about fighting for his country at first, this feeling fades when he is exposed to the harsh realities of warfare. Viewers of this film are heartbroken to see Baumer and his friends go through their struggles in war and to see the heartbreaking side of it that people don’t often talk about.

Going into Fruitvale Station, viewers knew that this film would be heartbreaking. The 2013 film reflects on the last day of the life of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old from California before his passing. Michael B. Jordan plays Grant and does an excellent job of realistically portraying his rollercoaster of a relationship with his girlfriend Sophia, played by Melonie Diaz. He gets his job back at the grocery store, and he is shown through his desire to be a good son and father. However, the end of the day ends in a tragedy on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) platform, and his life is taken way too soon. The film is an excellent avenue for keeping Grant’s memory alive but is sure to get anyone in their feelings. 

Though many like to play it safe, some of the best stories in life come from taking risks, and the movie Into the Wild proves that idea to be true. After graduating college as a top student and successful athlete, Christopher McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, risks hitchhiking to Alaska and living in the wilderness.  While on his journey, he meets people and has experiences that shape his life, for better or worse. After a reasonable time in the wild, McCandless decides to return home but does not make it. It is easy for viewers to grow attached to McCandless, and seeing his demise is tragic and disturbing.

If you’re looking for a tear-jerker about a strong-willed woman and her family, the 2014 award-winning drama Still Alice is the movie for you. Based on the 2007 novel by Lisa Genova, Still Alice follows the main character Alice as her memory begins to fade and she daydreams of people and things from her past. Alice is a linguistics professor by trade.  While her brain deteriorates, so does her relationship with her husband, John Howland, played by Alec Baldwin. But, her daughter Lydia moved to California to embark on an acting career but moved home to care for Alice after John moved away for a job offer. It is heartbreaking to see Alice suffer throughout the movie, but the ending takes the cake and sets off the waterworks.

This one is for all of the animal lovers out there. 2008’s comedy-drama Marley and Me tells the story of a newlywed couple and their journey together, starting a family, beginning with a Labrador retriever puppy named Marley. Marley might be a disobedient dog throughout his life, but he brings the family together in every way possible.  When it comes to movies about dogs, or any animal, people expect a happy ending. But, this was not the case with this film. Instead, the ending is sad, and many people took their children to see this movie. It is a heartfelt story, but it sure does one of cinema’s most crushing endings.

Dead Poets Society is a teenage comedy-drama that will go down in history for being one of Robin Williams’s best performances and for being an all-around sad film. The film follows students at a fictional all-boys school where Williams’s character John Keating is a beloved English teacher.   While the school is known for being traditional, Keating uses unorthodox methods to reach out to students and helps them break out of their shells and accomplish whatever their hearts desire. As a result, the film has an unexpected, sad ending that encompasses multiple sensitive topics. Usually, the most shocking, miserable endings hit the hardest.

Starring two big-named stars in Hollywood, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, The Last Song is a coming-of-age teenage drama based on Nicholas Sparks's novel. The movie follows Ronnie's stereotypical rebellious teenager, who reconnects with her father in a quiet beach town when she is 17 years old.  While residing in the beach town, she falls for a popular teen named Will Blakelee. While things end well for the two of them, Ronnie’s father, whom she is visiting (played by Greg Kinnear) ends up passing away. Not all films appear to be sad on the surface, and sometimes it is the ones with tragic undertones and themes that break the most hearts.

2000’s romantic drama Here on Earth is proof that life comes at you fast. The film tells the story of three people: Kelley Morse (played by Chris Klein), Jasper (played by Josh Hartnett), and his girlfriend Samantha (played by Leelee Sobieski). Kelley and Jasper engage in a car race that leaves the diner that Samantha’s mother owns in shambles.  The troublesome duo is sentenced to community service and has to help rebuild the diner. Kelley falls in love with Samantha, creating a love triangle, and each of them makes life-changing discoveries and decisions. The movie’s themes of young love and tragedy striking the diner are undoubtedly the elements of this film that get people emotional.

The 2010 drama Rabbit Hole is every parent’s worst nightmare. The film stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as married couple Becca and Howie Corbett. They were once happily married until their life was turned upside down when their four-year-old son Danny was tragically killed. As a result, both Corbetts grieve and do so differently.  But they both immerse themselves in different things that pull them away from each other. Then, as they are adrift, they make different choices to determine their futures. This film is somber but also an intricate drama that perfectly captures the emotions of those grieving their loved ones. Make sure to have tissues at hand when viewing this one. You’re going to need them.

Will Smith has starred in his fair share of sad films, including the biographical drama The Pursuit of Happyness. Smith’s son Jaden Smith starred alongside him in this motion picture. The movie conveys salesman Chris Gardner’s struggles as a single father and is based on Gardner's memoir.  Gardner and his son are evicted from their apartment and are lost with nowhere to go. The pair lives in a shelter, and Gardner stays persistent in making a better life for himself and his son. For many viewers, the struggles of homelessness are disturbing and unfamiliar. Watching these hardships unfold is sure to get anyone teary-eyed.

Lee Daniels’s emotional drama Precious is based on the 1996 novel Push by Sapphire. Precious follows an illiterate, overweight teen named Claireece Jones, also known as Precious, played by Gabourey Sidibe. Precious was subjected to abuse her entire life. Finally, when she was 16 years old and pregnant with another child, she was transferred to an alternative school.  A teacher, Paula Patton's character Ms. Blu Rain, felt sympathy for her and took her in. Precious ends up indeed growing up herself while living with her son in a halfway house. Though it is good that Precious develops, her story is still somber and sure to make anyone cry their hearts out. 

If you needed one reason to cry, here is Michel Gondry’s science fiction flick Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This film has viewers questioning if ignorance is bliss, but it also proves that sometimes darkness is part of healing.  In this film, Joel Barish, played by Jim Carey, finds that the love of his life, Kate Winslet’s Clementine Kruczynski, had her memories erased after breaking up with him. Joel gets his memories erased, but he relives them as they are erased. As a result, he goes to Clementine again, they reconcile and agree to try again. Though the end of this one doesn’t sound sad, it is the reliving of all of the memories that messes with people’s emotions.

127 Hours is a survival film that tells the tale of a mountaineer named Aron Ralston, played by James Franco. The movie is based on a true story and is said to be relatively accurate to the true events. In addition, Ralston himself and his family make cameos at the end of the movie. Ralston befriends hikers and climbs the Blue John Canyon until a bolder comes loose, and his right arm gets trapped against the wall.  He attempts to move the boulder but realizes that he is stuck. He struggles to survive but escapes and eventually finds help. The film did a great job displaying Ralston’s unfortunate and scary experiences. But, seeing all that he went through could trigger any viewer emotionally, and rightfully so.

Steve McQueen’s 2013 biographical drama tells the tale of an African-American man born free when there was slavery in the United States. Still, he was kidnapped in Washington DC in 1841 and sold into slavery. Based on the 1853 memoir Twelve Years a Slave, the film is an inside look at slavery at its harshest.  Solomon Northup, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, the main character, is subjected to his cruel owner but finds unexpected kindness. His journey is a sad one, and though he does end up returning home to see his family, he still lost twelve years of his life. He missed his children growing into adults and other parts of his life. If this doesn’t scream heartbreak, we don’t know what does.

Possibly one of the most well-known and saddest movies of all time is 1997’s Titanic. Not only has this epic romance been making audiences cry since its release, but it is based on a heartbreaking true story. The world-renowned film follows the sappy love story of Rose DeWitt Bukater and Jack Dawson, played by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, respectively.  The film follows these two people from different worlds who somehow fall in love aboard the Titanic. Everyone knows how this ends, lives are lost, and a tragedy occurs right before the viewer’s eyes. No wonder audiences are sobbing messes after this one.

The 2017 movie Call Me By Your Name is a non-traditional, modern love story between two teens. It takes place in 1983 in Northern Italy and is known for its beautiful scenery, incredibly captivating for all audiences.  The film tells the tale of a 17-year old named Ello, played by Timothee Chalamet, the son of an archeologist. One day, his father had an American researcher come to assist him with his research. From that point forward, his son’s life changes forever. The movie’s slow pace, passionate love story and sad winding combined all evoke sadness.

Sophie's Choice is one of the saddest movies ever made. This psychological drama stars Meryl Streep as Zofia, or “Sophia” Zawistowski. Zawistowski is a Polish immigrant who shares a boarding house in Brooklyn, New York, with her lover Nathan, played by Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol’s character, a young writer named Stingo.  The movie's premise is that while Zawistowski seems carefree in America, flashbacks reveal her terrible memories with Nazis. The scenes in these concentration camps and the film’s tragic ending make it incredibly sad, if not the most miserable on the list. Viewers empathize and feel for Zawistowski after all she went through.