Sometimes life just gets you down, and nothing does the body better than a good long hearty cry. If you are looking for cinematic stimulus to get those tears rolling, you have come to the right place! Here are our top ten tear-jerking movies which will be sure to get you reaching for the tissues.
Click
If you are judging us for putting an Adam Sandler flick on this list, you have clearly never watched Click. Unlike most of Sandler’s other films, this one is no laughing matter.
When a man finds a remote that allows him to pause, rewind and fast forward time, at first, it seems like an easy way to get whatever he wants. No more nagging from his wife, endless free time and all that jazz. But taking a closer look at time means he begins to see what he has been missing, and it may be too late to get it back…
The Fault In Our Stars
At first glance, this film is your classic teen love story with a semi-tragic semi-cringy twist. However, when it comes to cancer-love-stories, this was the original. As much as people want to hate on this film for being overly cheesy, even they will be sniffing back tears at the climax of the movie.
Not only do you witness a love story with a not so happy ending, watching the friends and family of this modern-day Romeo and Juliet cope with the tragedy before them is equally gut-wrenching. Best get a whole pack of tissues for this one.
Moulin Rouge
This film will show you that musicals are not always fun and games, and not everyone gets a happy ending. Moulin Rouge is the epitome of films under the ‘life’s not fair’ category, and it will have you shaking your television with angry tears streaming down your face.
While the film does have a handful of happy moments, and some banger tunes, it does a great job of reminding you of the impending doom of these characters — way to kill the mood.
Boy Erased
Movies based on real events always have a way of really hitting hard, and this film is no exception. When the son of a conservative family comes out as gay, he is forced into conversion therapy or face being ostracised by his family.
What follows is a heartbreaking series of events, which is made all the more upsetting with the knowledge that these camps are still rampant across the world. Someone should grab the tissues because this film is not for the faint of heart.
Little Women
There have been countless adaptations of this classic coming of age story, ranging from the 1940s all the way to a release later this year. However, the best adaptation came in 1994, and by gosh was it a tear jerker.
Audiences will watch the four March sisters grow up in an impoverished but loving household. As they journey into adulthood, their bonds are tested by with romantic rivalries, quests for independence and the difficulties which arise from leading a less fortunate life in the 19th century.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Just like Adam Sandler, Jim Carry may be known for his stellar humour, but this film presents the actor in a totally new light. The film was released in 2004 but has remained one of the biggest sadness-inducing films of all time.
Breakups can be undoubtedly tricky, so a young couple decides to undergo a procedure to remove each other from their memories. In doing so, they reignite their love for one another and find themselves battling their minds to keep their precious memories. Talk about a heartbreaker.
Amy
Amy Winehouse was undoubtedly a musical superstar and one that was taken far before her time. Longtime fans are taken on a journey through the singer’s life and learn about her continuous struggles with relationships and substance abuse, which eventually claimed her life.
While the execution of the film is undoubtedly touching, what will really tug at your heartstrings is the understanding that the events unfolding were real, and this poor young woman faced a world that at many times was unkind to her.
A Star Is Born
This was one of the biggest films of 2018, and if you haven’t already seen it, you are probably living under a rock somewhere. If be some weird coincidence you haven’t seen it, then you will be in for a world of emotions.
The film contains some of the greatest hits of the year including Shallow and Always Remember Us This Way, which are pretty tear-worthy in their own right. Once they are paired with a tragic love story and a series of shocking twists, there will be no way to stop the blubbering.
Marley and Me
You can always rely on a doggie flick to really target your emotions. Animal lovers, in particular, will be sobbing all night long as they watch the young, and highly erratic puppy Marley weasel his way into the heart of his forever family.
The film has some light moments too, where you can laugh along with the rest of the characters as Marley causes utter mayhem on the daily. Unfortunately, the sweet moments will do nothing to soften the blow of the film’s final moments, but hey you asked for a tear jerker.
Lion
Now, this one is so sad we would not recommend watching it without a friend to give you a reassuring hug immediately after. You will watch Saroo struggle with his desire to search for the Indian family he left behind when he was adopted so many years ago, and when he finally gives in and goes hunting what he finds will devastate you.
You will fall in love with these characters then watch as they are torn apart by the things they uncover. Not only is the world of the film utterly gut-wrenching, but revelations about the world we really live in will leave you shell-shocked at cried dry.
