Thrillers and rom-coms are great and all, but sometimes you're just in the mood for a good cry. Curling up on the couch in your coziest jammies with a pint of your favorite ice cream and letting your feels hang all the way out while streaming a sad movie is like the lazy, free version of a private therapy sesh.
If you’re the type to start tearing up from just a sad movie trailer (hi, guilty), then you should be warned that every single one of the movies on this list will have you destroying an entire box of tissues. But if you’re the type of robot human who needs something REALLY sad to get the water works flowing, I found some options to split open your ice cold heart, too. No matter which movie you pick, you’re gonna be clutching your heart (and your ice cream) reaaaaaaal tight. From '90s classics like Titanic to more recent hits like Marriage Story, here are the 34 best sad movies you can stream on Netflix tonight.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Set in 1983 Italy, this coming-of-age movie has both beautiful scenery and a beautifully heartbreaking story. It follows a steamy summer romance between 17-year-old Elio and the graduate student, Oliver, who's staying with his family. It'll have you crying, laughing, and everything in between.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
All Quiet on the Western Front is a classic WWI novel that was turned into a movie last year, and let me tell ya, it's just as tragic in film form. It follows a group of young men in Germany who enlist in the army out of a seeming patriotic duty to their country. But as soon as they see the battlefield and the reality of war sets in, it starts to take a toll on their spirit.
Worth (2020)
In the wake of 9/11, Kenneth Feinberg had a job no one would ever wish for themselves: determining how much money victims should be given from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The movie, which is based on a true story, explores the questions of how much is a life worth, and how to navigate the complexities of justice.
Other People (2016)
I think we're all used to seeing Molly Shannon and Jesse Plemons in movies that'll have you laughing from start to finish, so Other People is a bit of a change, but it's an amazing one. Plemons plays David, a struggling comedy writer who goes home to take care of his mother (played by Molly Shannon) after she's diagnosed with cancer. The movie does have plenty of funny moments, but it's ultimately about family and loss.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
Jumping back to 1927 Chicago, this movie, which revolves around a recording session of blues singer Ma Rainey, delves into the exploitation of Black musicians and racial tensions at the time. It also features Chadwick Boseman's final movie performance before he sadly passed away, and that alone is enough to make you tear up.
The Zookeeper's Wife (2017)
This is based on the true story of Antonia and Jan Zabinski who, during WWII, sheltered hundreds of Jewish people at the Warsaw Zoo. It's both an inspirational and tragic movie, portraying kindness and courage amid the atrocity of the Holocaust.
Boy Erased (2018)
Another movie based on a true story (the memoir of Garrard Conley) it follows the son of a Baptist preacher in Arkansas who comes out as gay and is soon forced into conversion therapy. It has stellar performances from Lucas Hedges and Nicole Kidman, with other familiar faces like Troye Sivan and Joe Alwyn also having parts in the film.
First Match (2018)
While still coping with her mother's death, Brooklyn teenager Monique joins the boys' wrestling team in an attempt to reconnect with her estranged father. It's a great movie about finding yourself and what it's like to be a young woman in a male-dominated world.
Purple Hearts (2022)
When an aspiring singer named Cassie and a Marine named Luke decide to get married as a way to get military benefits, they agree they'll get divorced after a year. But the lines between real and fake get blurred real quick, and an emotional roller coaster ensues.
Pieces of a Woman (2020)
This powerful drama (which stars the likes of Vanessa Kirby, Sarah Snook, and Shia LaBeouf) explores the heartbreaking journey of a woman who experiences a devastating loss. It's a raw and gut-wrenching depiction of grief, reminding us that life can shatter into a million pieces, but somehow we find the strength to keep going.
The Age of Adaline (2015)
Never having to age a day past 29 sounds great in terms of not having to fight off wrinkles, but as this movie tells it, it's a pretty lonely experience. After a freak accident leaves her unable to get older, Adaline is faced with many lifetimes of isolation and heartache, never able to get too close to anyone for too long for fear of them finding out her secret.
6 Balloons (2018)
Starring Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco, this movie tells the story of a sister who's just trying to get by while helping her heroin-addicted brother and looking after his 2-year-old daughter. Prepare to have you heartstrings pulled in multiple directions.
Titanic (1997)
Grab your emotional lifejacket, because this movie never fails to hit ya in the feels. The combination of Leo and Kate Winslet as star-crossed loves and the tragedy of the real-life events will never not make that culminating "I'll never let go" scene punch you right in the gut. Oh, and for the record, he totally could have fit on the door.
Kodachrome (2017)
Say "cheese," 'cause this heartwarming drama will have you smiling through the tears. When a photojournalist father is diagnosed with terminal cancer, his dying wish is to go on a road trip with his son from New York to Kansas to process his last rolls of Kodachrome film before the only place that'll still do it closes.
The Choice (2016)
You can count on pretty much any movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel to have you welling up, and The Choice is no exception. When Travis, a total bachelor-lifestyle-loving ladies' man, and Gabbie, a medical student about to settle down with her long-term bf, end up as neighbors, there's an irresistible attraction between them that throws both of their lives for a loop.
The Unforgivable (2021)
I hope you've been working out 'cause this movie is heavy (well, emotionally speaking, anyway). Sandra Bullock plays a woman who's just been released from prison after serving time for murder and is trying to get her life back together. But in a society that won't forget her crime, it feels impossible.
If Anything Happens I Love You (2020)
Who says movies have to be long to wreck you emotionally!? This Oscar-winning short film is just 12 minutes in length, and tells the story of two grieving parents who've lost their child in a school shooting. It depicts the aftermath of such a senseless tragedy in an incredibly impactful way.
Paper Lives (2021)
Hop in, 'cause we're heading out on an emotional ride through the streets of Istanbul. Mehmet runs a waste warehouse in a poor area of the city, and although he's always trying to help the homeless kids in the area, it's not until he meets a particular 8-year-old boy that his life totally changes.
Despite the title, this is actually a movie about divorce. And with Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver giving some of the most powerful performances of their career, you're gonna be moved to tears, no matter whose side of the divorce you're on.
Mari Gilbert is desperately trying to find her missing daughter, who, unbeknownst to her, has become the latest victim of the Long Island serial killer. The part that makes this movie even more upsetting is the fact that it's based on a disturbing true story.
Someone Great (2019)
After getting dumped by her long-term boyfriend, Jenny has one last night out in NYC with her two besties before she plans to move across the country to California. Yeah, the movie is pretty cute and funny, but you'll still shed a few tears watching Jenny come to terms with the end of her relationship.
Roma (2018)
This movie was intentionally edited in black and white, so you know it's going to be emotional. It follows the life of a live-in maid in a rich household in 1970s Mexico City. There are domestic issues in the home and political issues in the city, so overall, it's an extremely emotional journey.
All the Bright Places (2020)
Elle Fanning and Justice Smith play two teens struggling to deal with scars from their pasts. Together they discover that even in dark times, there are bright places. (Aww.)
Tallulah (2016)
As dark as this movie is (it's about a young woman who kidnaps a baby from an irresponsible mother and then pretends the baby is her own), it's also features some good laughs to lighten the mood.
Dear John (2010)
When super hot soldier John Tyree (aka Channing Tatum) falls in love with Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried), they decide to write letters to each other during his deployment. But—surprise—it's not super easy to keep a relationship going with letters alone.
To the Bone (2017)
Lily Collins plays a young woman battling anorexia. She's been in and out of all different kinds of treatment programs with no success. But then she meets an unconventional doctor who challenges her to really face her condition. You should know, btw, that this movie was pretty controversial when the trailer first dropped—people accused it of glamorizing eating disorders.
Mudbound (2017)
If anything's gonna get you feeling The Feels, it's watching two men (one black and one white) who fought together in the war return to their *still* *very* *racist* home in Mississippi.
6 Years (2015)
This movie follows a young couple that has been together for six years (that alone is a true feat, IMO). Now, it's almost time for their college graduation, but in the span of a few weeks, things turn violent and opportunities for their futures pull them apart.
Irreplaceable You (2018)
What do you do when you're given a terminal cancer diagnosis? Well, if you're Abbie, you try to find a new love for your fiancé.
Blue Jay (2016)
This movie follows two former high-school sweethearts, Jim and Amanda, who unexpectedly reunite in their California hometown. Amanda's sister is pregnant, Jim's mother has just passed, and the duo find themselves speaking for the first time in years. It truly has all of the makings of an emotional gem, and we're obsessed.
Brain on Fire (2016)
Chloë Grace Moretz plays a New York Post writer who seemingly has it all until she begins suffering from erratic behavior, and none of her doctors can figure out why. It's also based on a true story by Susannah Cahalan, which makes it all the more compelling.
The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)
In this comedy starring Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, and Selena Gomez, Paul plays a man who takes a job as a caregiver for an 18-year-old with muscular dystrophy. The two set out on a road trip, meet tons of interesting people along the way, and form an unexpected bond. It definitely has its funny moments throughout, but some scenes will def make you shed a tear or two.
All Together Now (2020)
All Together Now is based on the book Sorta Like A Rockstar by Matthew Quick, who also just so happened to write The Silver Linings Playbook. In this adaptation, though, a high schooler is invited to audition for the drama program at Carnegie Mellon University while also navigating temporarily homelessness with her mother and other obstacles in her path. It's heart-wrenching, real, and honestly amazing.
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