To function as a human being in this complicated world, sometimes, you need a good cry. And there's no better way to let the tears flow than by watching a good sad movie, better known as a "tearjerker," that's sure to bring on all the feels.
In fact, while it might seem like putting yourself through the emotional ringer, studies have shown that watching a sad movie helps to remind us that we're not alone, releases endorphins, and even increase our pain tolerance. It's powerful to feel empathy by watching stories unfold on-screen—whether they're heartbreaking romances, moving coming-of-age stories, or compelling dramas. We've rounded up a handful of films—some of which are considered the best of all time, in any genre—to watch when you feel like shedding a tear (or 10,000): Just be sure to have a tissue box ot two nearby. Below, we give you the best sad movies of all time.
Sad Romance Movies
'A Star is Born' (2018)
Reason You'll Cry: Two musicians find a connection through song, but their relationship breaks down over Jackson Maine's (Bradley Cooper) increasingly obvious vices. While we won't give too much away, things end in such a manner between the two characters (one of whom is Lady Gaga, NBD) that you'll be stifling cries through your sweater.
Weepiness Level: Just when you think you're done crying, you'll cry again.
'A Walk to Remember' (2002)
Reason You’ll Cry: The Notebook tends to get all the tear-jerking credit, but the other Nicholas Sparks book-turned-movie—a Walk to Remember—had my teenage self ugly crying to sleep. Mandy Moore couldn’t be more pure as Jamie Sullivan, the sweet-but-unassuming classmate who makes even the school’s most notorious bad boy (Shane West) want to be a better person. And just when your heart is as full as it can possibly get, they throw a plot twist dagger that will shred it to pieces.
Weepiness Level: Next-day puffy eyes and unabashed snot-drips into your favorite sweatshirt.
'Blue Valentine' (2010)
Reason You’ll Cry: The heartbreaking slice-of-life film starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams chronicles a couple’s relationship, from their sweet meet-cute to the moment it grows so cold that it freezes over. If you're still thinking of the one that got away, maybe pass this one by and save yourself the incredible heartache.
Weepiness Level: Honestly? You may be too stunned to shed a tear.
'The Break-Up' (2006)
Reason You'll Cry: Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn give such convincing performances as a couple whose relationship is on the brink of extinction that I actually wondered if something had died inside of me by the time the film ended. I felt Jen’s pain at being snubbed by Vince and the longing he expresses upon seeing the one that got away. All in all, it left me with a profound sense of sadness and loss.
Weepiness Level: Dry eyes with a side of regret.
'Call Me By Your Name' (2017)
Reason You'll Cry: Sometimes, it's our first love—and our first subsequent heartbreak—that hurts the most. Luca Gaudagnino’s adaptation of André Aciman’s beloved novel brings the whirlwind romance between Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) to life in the Italian countryside. If you’ve ever left things unsaid or lost someone you thought might be your great love, prepare for an emotional hurricane.
Weepiness Level: You’ll cry just as much, if not more, as Chalamet in that final shot.
'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)
Reason You'll Cry: Michel Gondry makes thoughtfully quirky movies that punch you square in the gut. This one stars Jim Carrey as a man who decides to use new technology to have all memories of his ex, Kate Winslet, wiped from his memory. But as the strange, surreal erasure process takes him through every moment they've spent together, he realizes that maybe, just maybe, the good times were worth all the bad ones. A little too real, no?
Weepiness Level: More like 'Eternal Sadness of the Sobbing Mind.'
'Five Feet Apart' (2019)
Reason You'll Cry: This film about two patients with cystic fibrosis, a condition that causes an overproduction of mucus that can fill the lungs and organs, hits close to home, as my dear friend from high school is one of the more than 30,000 Americans who live with the disease. It's also a tragic tale of romance, however, as Will (Cole Sprouse) and Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) must remain six feet apart due to their compromised immune systems despite their deep love for each other.
Weepiness Level: At least one box of tissues. At least.
'Ghost' (1990)
Why You'll Cry: Thanks to an incredible performance by Whoopi Goldberg, this film about a man (Patrick Swayze) killed by a corrupt coworker and who returns as a ghost has plenty of unexpected laughs. (The scene with the nuns never fails to please.) But if you don’t shed one single, perfect Demi Moore-style tear at her famous “Ditto” at the end (there’s a backstory), you’re basically a monster. (I don’t make the rules.)
Weepiness Level: Eyes shining with a hand over your heart.
'Her' (2013)
Reason You'll Cry: This Spike Jones-helmed movie is a unique meditation on loneliness in the age of artificial intelligence. Joaquin Phoenix is brilliant as the companionless Theodore, whose blossoming love for his operating system (Scarlett Johansson) in the face of his isolation will have you questioning how you use technology to cope.
Weepiness Level: Shoulders shaking quietly, staring at your smartphone suspiciously, but with a weird longing.
'Marriage Story' (2019)
Reason You'll Cry: We've all experienced the crushing loss of a relationship as it falls apart, and Marriage Story reflects that pain right back at us. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson's characters don't hold back with it, either, slinging the most hurtful, over-the-top insults each of them can muster at each other. Naturally, they both received Oscar noms for such emotional warfare.
Weepiness Level: Pretending it's allergies even though we all know it's not.
'Me Before You' (2015)
Reason You'll Cry: We'll accept that not all love stories have a happy ending. But it's a harder pill to swallow when that unhappy ending is by choice. Such is the situation in this film adapted from a popular Jojo Moyes novel about tetraplegic William Traynor (Sam Claflen) and his caretaker-turned-girlfriend Lou Clark (Emilia Clarke), who must honor William's wishes about his future even though they're at odds with her own.
Weepiness Level: Ugly crying into a bottle of wine and drunk texting, "I love you," to everyone you care about.
'Moulin Rouge' (2001)
Reason You'll Cry: Music has the power to heighten any emotion, and this musical plays on that fact at every turn. Ewan McGregor sings with such passion about his "sparkling diamond" Satine (Nicole Kidman) that I still get goosebumps during every viewing—and Kidman is no exception, either. By the time the tragic finale draws near, I've already experienced every feeling I can muster—and then some.
Weepiness Level: Lip-quivering with perhaps a contemplative tear.
'The Notebook' (2004)
Reason You'll Cry: There are moments in The Notebook that had me crying so hard, I could barely remember my own name—which is ironically related to the reason this love story is so incredibly moving. The love that exists between Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) is the kind that transcends obstacles, space, and time—all of which they'll face together before the film is through. It's beautiful, it's tragic, and it's a recipe for a makeup ruiner.
Weepiness Level: Tearing up throughout, then heavy, chest-clutching sobbing by the end.
'Revolutionary Road' (2008)
Reason You'll Cry: Aside from being overcome with emotion at Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio's cinematic reunion, you'll cry for their characters of April and Frank Wheeler, whose once-exciting lives have become full of mundane disappointment. A series of unfortunate choices made as a result only makes things worse.
Weepiness Level: Fiery stinging of the eyes, compounded with chest pain.
'Titanic' (1997)
Reason You'll Cry: Based on the true historical disaster that took the lives of more than 1,500 passengers, James Cameron's epic three-hour masterpiece is shrouded in tragedy. The scene where its musicians take up their instruments in the face of impending doom nearly breaks me every time, especially since their actions were later found to be true. And all that's not to mention the emotional turmoil you'll experience over the fictional romance between Jack and Rose (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet). (He could have fit, Rose!)
Weepiness Level: Several fully-formed tears.
'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' (1964)
Reason You'll Cry: It's about two people (Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo) who love each other but can't be together, appealing to our inner romantic masochists. Need we say more?
Weepiness Level: Crying while singing in French, if you can imagine such a thing.
'The Way We Were' (1973)
Reason You'll Cry: Remember the famous scene in Sex and the City when Carrie tells Big his "girl is lovely?" It's from this film right here—a.k.a. the poignant story of two mismatched lovers, Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, who can't quite seems to make things work, undeniable chemistry be damned. (It's set to a killer soundtrack, too.)
Weepiness Level: Blubbering wails that won't end because, honestly? They're not really about the movie, are they?
'Y tu mamá también' (2001)
Reason You'll Cry: This Alfonso Cuarón movie is achingly poetic. It touches not only on literal death but also on the symbolic death of youth, friendship, and innocence through the eyes of two teenage boys (Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal) and the 20-something-year-old woman (Maribel Verdú) they've found themselves on a road trip with as the secrets they've been keeping from each other are slowly revealed.
Weepiness Level: Wine-drunk tears while you stalk your long-lost childhood best friend on Instagram.
Sad War Movies
'All Quiet on the Western Front' (2022)
Reason You'll Cry: This adaptation of the classic German novel presents the horrors of World War I in living color, juxtaposing the bedlam in the trenches with a diplomat's attempt to negotiate a ceasefire. As the fighting winds down, the soldiers try to get in their last last kills, leaving me, as the viewer, confounded by all the needless death and destruction.
Weepiness Level: Grave tears of disappointment in the human race.
'Atonement' (2007)
Reason You'll Cry: Set against the backdrop of England's second World War, this is a beautiful, lush movie about a terrible mistake made by a young girl (Saoirse Ronan) that ruins not only her life but the lives of two innocent people (Keira Knightley and James McAvoy). At its heart, it's an examination of human nature: You'll feel sad for Ronan's character of Briony, who has to live with her fallacy, heartbroken for her sister, who is robbed of her great love, and destroyed for McAvoy's Robbie Turner, who is on the receiving end of Briony's oversight.
Weepiness Level: A steady stream of waterworks.
'Foxtrot' (2017)
Reason You'll Cry: This critical, thought-provoking look at Israel's military by Israeli filmmaker Samuel Maoz begins with a family's all-too-real reaction to their son's death but takes several unexpected turns that somehow make the film even more gut-wrenching than expected.
Weepiness Level: See: All Quiet on the Western Front.
'Grave of the Fireflies' (1989)
Reason You'll Cry: Don't be mistaken by this Japanese movie's animation: Its depiction of World War II from the perspective of two young Japanese children has the power to bring you to your knees.
Weepiness Level: Crying as you request an appointment with your therapist ASAP.
'Hair' (1979)
Reason You'll Cry: Director Miloš Forman changed the ending of this classic musical to make it doubly upsetting. Considering that much of the movie celebrates life, rebellion, and hippie culture, the comedown at the end will have you positively wrecked.
Weepiness Level: Sobbing as you pine for world peace.
'Jojo Rabbit' (2019)
Reason You'll Cry: In this WWII-set movie, a young German boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) has his belief system rocked to the core when he learns that his mother, played by Scarlet Johansson, is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. The entire second half of the movie essentially becomes one big cry fest as Jojo realizes the ugly truth about his life in Nazi Germany.
Weepiness Level: A short mix of crying-laughing-wincing before it gives way to full-out sobs.
'Schindler's List' (1993)
Reason You'll Cry: This is probably the first film you thought of when you read "sad war movies." The real-life story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), it's elicited tears from generations of World History students over the years as our German protagonist discovers that there are some things more important than making his fortune—particularly when human lives are at stake.
Weepiness Level: Just give us all the tissues.
Sad Beautiful Movies
'Aftersun' (2022)
Reason You'll Cry: Father-daughter feels dominate this memoir-like indie hit from filmmaker Charlotte Wells about a father (Paul Mescal) and daughter (Frankie Corio) who vacation together amid his mental health crisis. It’s a beautiful portrayal of a man at his most vulnerable.
Weepiness Level: Glistening eyes and slick, shiny cheeks.
'The Danish Girl' (2015)
Reason You'll Cry: While this LGBTQ+ movie has been considered controversial for casting a cisgender man (Eddie Redmayne) in the lead role of a trans woman, it tells the important story of Lili Elbe. You'll be moved by its depiction of transphobia injustice and the power of unconditional love.
Weepiness Level: Hugging your pillow murmuring, "It's just not fair."
'Dead Poets Society' (1989)
Reason You'll Cry: In this movie, we have the late, great Robin Williams as the teacher figure you always wanted, a group of young men trying to find their way in this scary unknown world, overbearing parents who just won't quit meddling, and the life-altering power of literature. All in all? It's the perfect storm for Niagara Falls.
Weepiness Level: You'll have to stifle your wails to keep from drawing attention to yourself.
'The Farewell' (2019)
Reason You'll Cry: The Farewell forces us to confront a simple fact that we already know but usually choose to ignore: Everyone we love will eventually die, and all we can do is make the most of the time we have with them.
Weepiness Level: Several tissues and a call home to your family.
'Forrest Gump' (1994)
Reason You'll Cry: If the characters in this flick about an extraordinary man (Tom Hanks) with an intellectual disability who makes the most out of the life he's got are moved to tears, we never really stood a chance, did we?
Weepiness Level: Quick and short rain showers in between smiles.
'Happy as Lazzaro' (2018)
Reason You'll Cry: You'll fall in love with the innocent-yet-doomed Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo) in Alice Rohrwacher's ethereal, fable-like flick. In the end, you'll not only be weeping for his character but also out of frustration with a cruel and cynical world.
Weepiness Level: Sobs in Italian.
'Little Women' (2019)
Reason You'll Cry: All we want in this world is for Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) to find love and live the life she deserves. There's another big reason you'll cry, but we won't spoil it if you have yet to read Louisa May Alcott's classic novel (or seen any number of its adaptations over the years).
Weepiness Level: A couple packs of tissues are necessary.
'Loving Vincent' (2019)
Reason You'll Cry: Vincent Van Gogh was misunderstood and mistreated during his lifetime, which is illustrated using different Van Gogh-style paintings for every frame to make things infinitely more poignant. As such, it will be emotional catnip for anyone who's ever felt bullied or taken advantage of.
Weepiness Level: Letting the credits run completely because you're too busy sobbing to stop them.
'Minari' (2020)
Reason You'll Cry: A Korean-American family’s dream of moving to Arkansas and starting a farm proves to be an immense challenge that manages to tear them apart and bring them closer together. Following the adorable, young son (Alan Kim) and his relationship with his grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung), it’s all the more compelling through his child’s eyes.
Weepiness Level: Expect to at least sniffle.
'My Girl' (1994)
Reason You'll Cry: Even if you're not a child of the '90s, Macauley Culkin's turn as an adorably sweet boy with a fatal bee allergy will ruin you. You can't spend one hour and 42 minutes watching Vada Sultenfuss's (Anna Chlumsky) friendship with him and not break down.
Weepiness Level: Several minutes of straight-up bawling.
'Past Lives' (2023)
Reason You'll Cry: Celine Song’s semi-autobiographical movie follows a woman (Greta Lee) who reconnects with a childhood friend (Teo Yoo) online years after immigrating from South Korea to Canada. He subsequently visits her years later, but she's already married by then, making her—and the viewer—wonder about the roads that could have been traveled and where they might have led if life had turned out differently.
Weepiness Level: An aching sorrow from deep within that gives you physical plans.
'Steel Magnolias' (1989)
Reason You'll Cry: Shelby (Julia Roberts) dreams of having a family, but her type 1 diabetes makes pregnancy risky. Considering it's on our list of the best sad movies of all time, you can guess how this one turns out: If you have a pulse, you will cry. But there's also something beautiful about how her mother (Sally Field) and her friends—Dolly Parton as Truvy Jones included—come together to help her pick up the pieces.
Weepiness Level: Snot. Gobs and gobs of dripping snot.
Sad Emotional Movies
'AI: Artificial Intelligence' (2001)
Reason You'll Cry: If you can watch the scene where Haley Joel Osment, a fictional robot who believes he's a real boy, begs his human mother (Frances O'Connor) not to abandon him as she drives away without "getting something in your eye," then you might be the robot.
Weepiness Level: Moderate weeping, as this list goes. Luckily, there are less sob-fest parts of the movie, too.
'Christine' (2016)
Reason You'll Cry: In Christine, we watch the title character (Rebecca Hall) slowly succumb to loneliness until she dies by suicide on live television. Even worse? This one is based on the true story of a real-life reporter named Christine Chubbuck, who felt so isolated from the world at just 29 years old that she took her own life on-air on July 15, 1974.
Weepiness Level: Stunned silence followed by a sudden, drawn-out sob.
'Coco' (2017)
Why You’ll Cry: The ending of Coco is right up there with Up for one of the most poignant Disney moments of all time. Seriously, I can barely type about the feelings that arise once I hear the first chords of “Remember Me." A film about family at its heart, it showcases a love between protagonist Miguel’s great-grandmother and her father that’s truly transcendently weep-worthy.
Weepiness Level: A lump that starts begins in your throat and sting before the sad part has even happened.
'Flow' (2024)
Reason you'll cry: “This cat can’t catch a goddamn break:” That’s what was echoing through my mind for much of this Oscar-winning film. After his house floods, he’s chased by a dog, he’s got seagulls coming at him, it’s all a bit…much. But as his situation becomes direr, and he’s forced to band together with a crew of other misplaced animals to survive, things turn for the seriously sad. One animal is gravely injured. Another, heartsick over a favorite shattered relic. And the one at the finale…well, I can’t even speak of it.
Weepiness Level: A steady stream of tears intensifying as time passes and culminates in an air of despair.
'Fruitvale Station' (2013)
Reason You'll Cry: One of the most realistic and gut-wrenching depictions of an unlawful police shooting ever put to film, Fruitvale Station is a biographical picture about the death of a young Black man named Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan). Though the details of his demise were tragic enough, they're made even more heartbreaking once you get to know him onscreen.
Weepiness Level: A long, deep cry in the shower before bed over the injustices of this world.
'Mary and Max' (2009)
Reason You'll Cry: This stop-motion movie captures the essence of intense loneliness, isolation, depression, and the sheer power of a single, unexpected human connection in a way that few live-action films have. All of this from clay, you ask? Yes, is our answer. So much, yes.
Weepiness Level: More crying than you ever expected to do for claymation characters, that's for sure.
'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' (2015)
Reason You'll Cry: The reason for your tears at this movie is right there in the title: A girl (Olivia Cooke) dies, and even though you know it's coming, the climactic tragedy will still rip you apart.
Weepiness Level: Weep quietly, with tears streaming down your face.
'Never Let Me Go' (2010)
Reason You'll Cry: Swelling orchestral soundtrack? Check. Forbidden, ill-fated love triangle? Check. Doomed friendships? Check. This postmodern fable about clones based on Kishuo Ishiguro's genius book checks all of the weep-inducing boxes.
Weepiness Level: A good, transfixed cry.
'One Day' (2011)
Reason You'll Cry: Based on the David Nicholls novel of the same name, this story follows Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess as two friends who meet in college and meet again on the same day each year for two decades. It's a slow burn, but when the plot twist finally comes, it's like taking a punch to the jaw.
Weepiness Level: A quivering lip that threatens to never stop.
'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' (2012)
Reason You'll Cry: Stephen Chbosky adapted his beloved coming-of-age novel of the same name for the silver screen, and it’s not only one of the best book-to-movie adaptations of all time, it's one of the most beautifully tragic. Following the introverted Charlie (Logan Lerman) during his freshman year of high school as he meets a group of fellow outcasts after his only friend commits suicide, it’s a beautiful look at growing past our trauma.
Weepiness Level: Your eyes will feel like you’ve been through it by the film's conclusion.
'The Pursuit of Happyness' (2006)
Reason You’ll Cry: Anyone who’s ever struggled to make ends meet will find themselves crying alongside Will Smith’s Chris Gardner as he tries to catch just enough of a break to provide for himself and his son against stacked odds. His determination to pick himself up from the knockout punches the world keeps bringing is a true testament to the strength of the human spirit—and better yet, it’s true.
Weepiness Level: Cries of desperation followed by unadulterated tears of joy.
'Pieces of a Woman' (2020)
Reason You'll Cry: A devastating home birth that the main character (Vanessa Kirby) experiences will hit home for many women. The tragedy doesn't stop there, however, as the characters are impacted in terrible ways.
Weepiness Level: Quite a bit of "ugly crying."
'Terms of Endearment' (1983)
Why You’ll Cry: This one’s for any woman with the slightest hint of complexity in their relationship with their mom. Emma (Debra Winger) has just that with her mother, Aurora (Shirley MacLaine), who’s a bit…overbearing. Naturally, Emma can’t wait to escape her clutches, but when times get tough, no one is there for her like Aurora.
Weepiness Level: Choking back guttural sobs you didn’t know you were capable of.
'Toy Story 3' (2010)
Reason You'll Cry: When Andy's toys come face to face with their own potential demise, you'll feel the kind of burning pain in your chest that can only come from a core childhood wound. Don't worry, they make it out, but still.
Weepiness Level: Nostalgic tears that can't—and won't—be stopped.
The Saddest Movies of All Time
'Beaches' (1988)
Reason You'll Cry: Beaches is an O.G. tearjerker about two lifelong friends (Barbara Hershey and Bette Midler) who meet as girls and take on the world together until tragedy tears them apart. It will resonate with anyone who's ever fought with a cherished pal and is vaguely familiar to fans of Netflix's Firefly Lane, which unabashedly drew inspiration from this '80s classic.
Weepiness Level: If you watch it during a girls's night in, you’ll be hugging each other by the end.
'Click' (2006)
Reason You’ll Cry: Yes, I know it’s an Adam Sandler movie, but hear me out: This movie annihilated me. It starts normal enough, with the Sandman marveling at his newfound powers when he comes upon a magical remote control that can fast-forward through the most mundane and unpleasant parts of his life. But it quickly takes a turn when he realizes he can’t control it, and he’s missing out on all the good stuff, too. By the time he realizes what he’s done, it might be too late—cue the waterworks. It’s a stark reminder of how precious life’s little moments are.
Weepiness Level: Buckets and buckets of salty water pouring from your eyes.
'If Beale Street Could Talk' (2018)
Reason You'll Cry: Childhood friends turned love-struck couple Clementine and Alonzo (KiKi Layne and Stephan James) struggle to move forward with their life together when one of them is arrested and put in jail for a crime they didn't commit.
Weepiness Level: A jumbo box of tissues' worth.
'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946)
Why You’ll Cry: I know it’s a Christmas movie, but It’s a Wonderful Life is also one of the most gut-wrenching films you’ll ever see—namely because it reminds us all that our presence in the world matters in ways we don’t even realize. A journey through the life of the banker-next-door, George Bailey (James Stewart), who’s overcome with despair after an unfortunate turn of events, the film explores what the world would be like if George never existed—and the results are soul-shattering.
Weepiness Level: Hugging yourself on the couch for necessary comfort
'Life Itself' (2018)
Reason You’ll Cry: Take the saddest thing you can think of, multiply it by 12, and then double it—that’s the kind of internal massacre you’re in for here. With not one, not two, but five different heartbreaking stories to get through, all interconnected in increasingly agonizing ways, this indie flick about love, loss, and the meaning of life revolves around a central tragic incident that will change the course of many trajectories.
Weepiness Level: Screaming, crying, throwing up sad—and that’s just within the first 45 minutes.
'Lion' (2016)
Reason You'll Cry: To sum up the story of a young Indian boy (Sunny Pawar) who gets separated from his family, adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham), and heads out on a journey in search of his birth family? Ugh, it's so sad!
Weepiness Level: Some of the heaviest crying you'll do in a film, guaranteed.
'Manchester by the Sea' (2016)
Reason You'll Cry: Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is not emotionally well after his children are killed in a fire, and his wife (Michelle Williams) leaves him alone in cold, coastal New England. He's certainly not the primo choice to be a guardian, and yet, that's what he becomes when his brother dies of a heart attack. The subsequent bond he forms with his nephew will make you weep and believe in all things good, all at once.
Weepiness Level: The type accompanied by physical pain in your chest.
'Marley & Me' (2008)
Reason You'll Cry: Marley and Me tracks the life of possibly one of the cutest and most energetic dogs on the planet. The movie was promoted as a comedy—and has its moments—but as we said, it "tracks the life"...including the end. If you've ever owned a pet, prepare for total devastation.
Weepiness Level: Clutching your furry friend's coat while crying.
'Mouchette' (1967)
Reason You'll Cry: Robert Bresson is known for depicting characters in impossible, dire circumstances, and the sight of this orphaned little girl (Nadine Nortier) crying right into the camera, will set you off from the get.
Weepiness Level: Pausing the movie because you can't hear it over your crying.
'Seven Pounds' (2008)
Reason You'll Cry: This one's tough to explain without spoilers, but let's just say that when the truth about the main character's (Will Smith) random acts of kindness is revealed, crying is all but guaranteed.
Weepiness Level: Stunned silence and a steady stream of quiet, body-shaking sobs.
'Sophie's Choice' (1982)
Reason You'll Cry: The titular choice in this movie is synonymous with devastating, no-win situations. That choice is the moment when Holocaust survivor Sophie (Meryl Streep) is forced to choose which of her children to send to their deaths.
Weepiness Level: Existential crisis-induced sobs and a lingering sadness that will hit you again, without warning, for the rest of your life.
'Stepmom' (1998)
Reason You'll Cry: When a photographer (Julia Roberts) starts dating an older man (Ed Harris), she struggles to connect with his children (Jena Malone and Liam Aiken). Not only have they sided with their mom (Susan Sarandon) in the divorce, but they're now facing the reality of her terminal illness, making Isabel (Roberts) a most unwelcome addition. I was 12 years old when this film came out, and I related to Malone's Anna in a majorly: This film takes a sensitive look at all parties involved, and you’ll feel endeared to every character as they undergo the immense changes in their lives.
Weepiness Level: Your fragile heart just might explode.
'Up' (2009)
Reason You'll Cry: You could watch this movie without crying—but you'd need to skip over the first 10 minutes. The gist of what you'll miss? A man and woman meet, they turn out to be soulmates and marry, living in wedded bliss, until the woman dies and the man is forced to carry on while entirely devoid of joy. While Carl (voiced by Edward Asner) retreats from the world in every way he can, there's one person he can't hide from: the tenacious Wilderness Explorer Scout (Jordan Nagai) who desperately wants to assist Carl to earn a badge.
Weepiness Level: A truly traumatizing cry for two minutes, followed by the threat of that cry for the remainder of the film.
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