10 Sad Movies on Netflix for Those Moments You Just Need to Cry
From tragic love to just plain tragic.

Sometimes, you just really need a good cry. Whether it's a rough breakup, a bad day at work, the state of the world, or just because, a moving film has a way of being beautifully cathartic. When that's the case, Netflix's catalog has plenty of heart-wrenching movies to get the feels going. Take a look at Marie Claire's comprehensive list of the saddest movies on Netflix, below, complete with a handy "ugly cry" ranking, so you can be prepared with the appropriate amount of tissues, ice cream, and water—you know, to rehydrate.
1. 'The Lovely Bones'
When a 14-year-old-girl is tragically murdered, she watches her family search for answers from heaven. It's based on Alice Sebold's book of the same title.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 10/10
2. 'The Time Traveler's Wife'
Not me sitting here bawling my eyes out while Rachel McAdams's character stays missing the love of her life while he travels through time.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 8/10
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
3. 'Five Feet Apart'
Make sure to have a pack of tissues handy, because this one's a doozy. In Five Feet Apart, Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson's characters play teens who are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and risk killing each other if they get too close.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 10/10
4. 'Silver Linings Playbook'
If you or a loved one has dealt with mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder, Silver Linings Playbook will hit close to home. The silver lining: There are a lot of funny one-liners.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 6/10
5. 'Marriage Story'
Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver each earned Oscar nods for their portrayal of a couple going through a grueling breakup that shows the many sides of love, divorce, and family.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 5/10
6. 'Roma'
Quickly into this Netflix film by Alfonso Cuarón you'll realize why it won an Academy Award. Set in the early 1970s, the movie is about a housekeeper's life in Mexico City.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 9/10
'Irreplaceable You'
This Netflix original is about a woman who sets out to find a new girlfriend for her fiancé when she learns she has cancer and little time left to live.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 6/10
8. 'The Pianist'
Adrian Brody won a Best Actor Oscar for his role in this heartbreaking story about the Holocaust, based on real-life events.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 6/10
9. 'Someone Great'
Prepare to be bait-and-switched—in a great way. This movie masquerades as a fun comedy about a girls' night out, but before you know it, you'll be crying uncontrollably about the one who got away.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 8/10
10. 'First They Killed My Father'
This is less of a "eat cookie dough ice cream and cry" movie and more of a "question humanity and bawl your eyes out" film. It's about five-year-old Loung Ung becoming a child soldier during Cambodian genocide.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 10/10
Neha Prakash is Marie Claire's Entertainment Director, where she edits, writes, and ideates culture and current event features with a focus on elevating diverse voices and stories in film and television. She steers and books the brand's print and digital covers as well as oversees the talent and production on MC's video franchises like "How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?" and flagship events, including the Power Play summit. Since joining the team in early 2020, she's produced entertainment packages about buzzy television shows and films, helped oversee culture SEO content, commissioned op-eds from notable writers, and penned widely-shared celebrity profiles and interviews. She also assists with social coverage around major red carpet events, having conducted celebrity interviews at the Met Gala, Oscars, and Golden Globes. Prior to Marie Claire, she held editor roles at Brides, Glamour, Mashable, and Condé Nast, where she launched the Social News Desk. Her pop culture, breaking news, and fashion coverage has appeared on Vanity Fair, GQ, Allure, Teen Vogue, and Architectural Digest. She earned a masters degree from the Columbia School of Journalism in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Pennsylvania State University in 2010. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and dog, Ghost; she loves matcha lattes, Bollywood movies, and has many hot takes about TV reboots. Follow her on Instagram @nehapk.
-
Katie Holmes Debuts a New Spring Outfit Formula Anyone Can Shop
She's worn it at least three times in the last two weeks.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Queen Camilla's Hairdresser Reveals the Meaningful Hidden Message Princess Kate Sent on St. Patrick's Day
Her hair is full of secrets.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Beyoncé Trades Her 'Cowboy Carter' Glam for a Whole New Aesthetic
She's gone corporate core.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Are 'Temptation Island' Stars Ashley Moore and Danny Spongberg Still Together?
The pair found each other on the Netflix reality show...after she called things off with her ex.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Are 'Temptation Island' Stars Tyler Breshears and Kay Carlson Still Together?
Here's where they stand after he left his relationship to find love with one of the tempters.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl' Is a Revolutionary Call to Speak Up Against Female Abuse
After showing how a culture of silence around abuse can devastate entire generations, the arresting A24 film holds a mirror up to the audience and asks, \201cWhat happens if we scream?\201d
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Are 'Temptation Island' Stars Shanté Glover and Brion Whitley Still Together?
Fans have a lot of thoughts about the pair on the Netflix reality series.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Did Jamie Kill Katie? Breaking Down the End of 'Adolescence'
We're breaking down how the four-part miniseries ends.
By Radhika Menon Published
-
Meet the Cast of 'Adolescence'
A newcomer leads the gripping yet heartbreaking British miniseries.
By Radhika Menon Published
-
Your Guide to Netflix's 'Temptation Island' Cast, From the Couples to the Tempters
The question isn't whether cheating goes down on the reality show, but how much?
By Quinci LeGardye Last updated
-
Meet the Cast of 'When Life Gives You Tangerines'
The moving series features some of Korea's biggest stars, including K-pop icon IU.
By Quinci LeGardye Published