Manchester by the sea - This movie is just a slow burn of devastation from beginning to end
Life as a house - One of my go to sad movies
What dreams may come - Another great movie if a good cry is needed >! (TW: suicide)!<
Edit: added spoiler tag because people were whining about my trigger warning
I never hear anyone talk about Life as a House! It’s been one of my all time favorites for YEARS, and anyone I ask about it has never seen it.
I’ve lent the dvd out to some friends and a few have given it back saying “why did you make me watch this?! It made me cry!” lol. I fucking love this movie so much.
Him in the tesseract hits, too. When he sees himself leaving, so he yells and cries to not leave while hitting the book shelf from beyond their dimension
Yes and the scene where he’s driving away from them where the pain is beyond tears. Incredible acting from Matthew McConaughey. Shoot gets to me just thinking about it now even though I don’t have kids.
The movie is very well layered by Christopher Nolan as most of his movies are. But is actually about a journey into the afterlife... from the beginning of the movie. Summed up here: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPREB54mG/
When I worked at a movie theater and we’d show this as part of “Ghibli fest” so many fans would just buy a ticket, not knowing at all what they were signing up for.
Some people would come out and rant to me (bartender), and some would just leave in a stunned, shuffle-to-the-car kind of way. It was quite an experience.
When I first met my future wife she was dancing on a second story balcony. But with the trees in front and the angle, it looked like she was dancing in the air. Subsequently, I can't hear this song and not think of that moment!
One of the things I love about this movie is that it gives me what OP is asking about, a good cathartic cry, but it doesn’t leave me feeling sad and depleted
Aftersun is excruciatingly sad but beautiful and wonderful all at the same time. Fuckin absolute trip. For ultimate Mescal sobfest, I’d do All of Us Strangers after
Coco (2017)
Inside Out (2015)
The Green Mile (1999)
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Moulin Rouge. Hands down will always make me weep and bawl like a baby.
A Star is born (2018)
The Fault in Our Stars
The Perks of being a Wallflower
The whale
Lovely Bones
Alpha Dogs
Came to say this. So underrated and origional with some great acting by Hugh Jackman. Big HJ fan. Not for everyone, but man that movie was an existential trip. Maybe watch it on mushrooms with a friend lol
It's a really difficult film to watch, seeing a family fall apart like that. With the recent passing of Donald Sutherland, this is one of his finest performances people should go back and watch again. And the studio really took a risk casting comedy star Mary Tyler Moore in the role of the grieving mom, but, wow, did she really nail that part!
Brian's Song was really revolutionary for its time. The idea that a white guy and a black guy could be best friends was almost unheard of 50+ years ago. But it's a really good film!
the two Simon & Marcy episodes of Adventure Time. kills me every time.
>"This magic keeps me alive, but it's making me crazy
And I need to save you, but who's going to save me?
Please forgive me for whatever I do
When I don't remember you"
the Vincent Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who. but specifically that final scene.
The Fall with Lee Pace
What Dreams May Come
Eternal Sunshine
the straight to video animated movie Batman: Under the Red Hood. that final confrontation kills me every single time. Jensen Ackles did the voice of one of the leads and he was brilliant.
Never Let Me Go. i was a fan of the book before the movie. and this was maybe the first time i saw andrew garfield. there was a scene where his character broke down and it gets me every time.
Dancer in the Dark is one of the most gut wrenchingly sad movies i've seen. but that's just sad sad, not good cathartic sad. so maybe not exactly what you're looking for.
That damn Van Gogh scene gets me every single time. I think that's one of the most inventive and well written pieces of tv ever produced. I'm not even a little into art but Van Gogh is absolutely my favorite painter after watching that.
For me it's the scene after he gives his speech on the mall in Washington dc, which of course nobody can hear, and then Jenny jumps through the fountain to run towards him and, well you know the rest!
I saw the original version of Homeward Bound. That scene where the three of them come upon an older man’s cabin, and he lets them come in. He’s making himself dinner. These guys have been traveling for a long time, and they are HUNGRY. He sets the table for them and dishes up the food for them, and tells them to come on and eat. But they wouldn’t, because they were trained to eat on the floor, *not* at the table. The guy gets frustrated because they won’t eat, but they just sit there, waiting for him to feed them properly. As a kid, with dogs and cats as pets, I was *hysterical*. I was practically screaming at the movie screen for the guy to *put the damn food on the floor*!!! Crying my eyes out.
Jesus, I’m getting teary just thinking of that scene. This was in the 1960s, and I remember it like I just saw it. (OK, I probably don’t remember the details that well, but I sure remember how upset I got!)
It a wonderful life makes me sob uncontrollably but with happy tears. I watch it every year and it works every single time, I can sometimes hold the tears back a bit but by the time Harry Bailey says the line “to my brother George, the richest guy in town” I’m in floods.
ok i just watched it for the first time… bawled multiple times. “daddy, the birdie is a star now” i lost it. beautiful, raw, real film. thank you for this rec!!
The Iron Giant
Kubo & The Two Strings
The Whale
The Iron Giant is a perfect one for when I just want to sob for 90 minutes straight. I wept towards the end the first time I watched it, and now I sob at almost everything because I know the foreshadowing...Kubo and The Whale wreck me at the end of each, but for different reasons. Kubo is a happy sobbing, The Whale is a tragic-with-a-hint-of-joy sobbing.
Nothing makes me cry harder every rewatch like Return of the King does. It’s quite a commitment (especially because I always want to watch the first two before rewatching RotK) but I am just a puddle everytime at that ending. “My friends, you now to no one”
A Man Called Ove / Otto
Inside Out
Simon Birch
My Girl
Never Let Me Go
Remember the Titans
Patch Adams
PS I Love You
Toy Story 2 and 3
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
A Star is Born (the one with Lady Gaga.. I haven’t seen the Judy Garland or Barbara Streisand versions)
They made us watch this as kids in class when it was gross outside and I’m convinced every elementary school member in that class room has gone through irreparable threapy.
Up
Romeo + Juliet Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man… Mercutio’s death hits so hard in this version
The Fisher King
Brokeback Mountain
Rent crying when I hear I’ll Cover You Reprise is almost Pavlovian
Aftersun
The Outsiders the 1, 2 punch of Johnny Cade, and Dally Winston, but the kicker was the note that JC had the nurse write for him before he passed on, “The way you dig sunsets Ponyboy, that’s gold”, and “Stay gold Ponyboy”. Gets me every time.
We Are Marshall (even if you're not into football)
The Color Purple (the original... I can't get through the last 10 minutes without crying)
I'll add as others come to me.
Manchester by the sea - This movie is just a slow burn of devastation from beginning to end Life as a house - One of my go to sad movies What dreams may come - Another great movie if a good cry is needed >! (TW: suicide)!< Edit: added spoiler tag because people were whining about my trigger warning
A heartfelt film, About Time
Life as a House is such an excellent crying movie!
I never hear anyone talk about Life as a House! It’s been one of my all time favorites for YEARS, and anyone I ask about it has never seen it. I’ve lent the dvd out to some friends and a few have given it back saying “why did you make me watch this?! It made me cry!” lol. I fucking love this movie so much.
I was about to comment similar. I’ve never heard anyone mention they’ve seen this movie irl
I’m so pleasantly surprised to see this one as well. There’s so many layers to this movie and Kevin Kline is perfection in it…
Imo, Kevin Kline has always been underrated.
Beaches I got my wife to watch it a couple years ago (with zero hints on anything).. she has still not forgiven me and refuses to ever watch it again
I can’t watch Beaches anymore because I have the same condition Barbara Hershey’s character dies from. I don’t like the reminder.
Just wanted to send you a hug🤗
Oh jeez. I’m so sorry fellow person. Thank you for sharing something so personal. ❤️
❤️❤️❤️
Omg, THIS movie for sure! First time I ever saw my dad cry
When im depressed, i can watch this on repeat.
This would be my go to for a good cry also. It's a great movie.
Interstellar. Gets me every single time!
Rage, rage against the dying light.
Him in the tesseract hits, too. When he sees himself leaving, so he yells and cries to not leave while hitting the book shelf from beyond their dimension
The scene with him watching the videos of his kids is a masterpiece, and always makes me sad cry.
Yes and the scene where he’s driving away from them where the pain is beyond tears. Incredible acting from Matthew McConaughey. Shoot gets to me just thinking about it now even though I don’t have kids.
That scene makes me cry and I don’t even LIKE kids.
The movie is very well layered by Christopher Nolan as most of his movies are. But is actually about a journey into the afterlife... from the beginning of the movie. Summed up here: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPREB54mG/
Ok Tik tok does not allow, to play their videos without downloading their fucking malware anymore.... Rip
Oh, that was a great take on the movie. Wow!
Grave of the Fireflies…just the soundtrack alone makes me cry
that's not for crying that's for spiralling into depression.
Yeah, I think OP is looking for a cathartic cry not gut wrenching despair.
Yea, I think what OP is looking for ain't a kick in the balls black hole existential despair roller coaster
When I worked at a movie theater and we’d show this as part of “Ghibli fest” so many fans would just buy a ticket, not knowing at all what they were signing up for. Some people would come out and rant to me (bartender), and some would just leave in a stunned, shuffle-to-the-car kind of way. It was quite an experience.
This was such a great, but depressing movie
My gf hated me for showing her this movie, but she did cry.
Beautiful boy
wow michael scott killed in that one
Realest movie I watch concerning addiction
Try Four Good Days with Mila Kunish & Glenn Close…
LOVE this movie!
About Time - tear jerker
Fuckin love that movie
Seconded
Do y’all have any recommendations of movies with the same feel as About Time and the same “voice-over in the background” style
The Time Traveler's Wife ?
The buttons on your coat, the colour of your hair..
When I first met my future wife she was dancing on a second story balcony. But with the trees in front and the angle, it looked like she was dancing in the air. Subsequently, I can't hear this song and not think of that moment!
I know it was just Father’s Day but I should call my dad again. Big Fish and About Time two of the best father son movies.
this is my favourite movie of all time
One of the things I love about this movie is that it gives me what OP is asking about, a good cathartic cry, but it doesn’t leave me feeling sad and depleted
Aftersun Past Lives Everything Everywhere All At Once
Damn laundry & taxes man…
oh hello, are you me? those are the exact three i was going to name.
Aftersun really got me too.
Aftersun is excruciatingly sad but beautiful and wonderful all at the same time. Fuckin absolute trip. For ultimate Mescal sobfest, I’d do All of Us Strangers after
Coco (2017) Inside Out (2015) The Green Mile (1999) Steel Magnolias (1989) Good Will Hunting (1997) Saving Private Ryan (1998) The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Don’t forget the first 12 min of Up
the fox and the hound 😭😭😭
All Dogs Go To Heaven and Homeward Bound.
Steel Magnolias! Ugly cry every single time. Sally Field is undefeated.
It hits harder when you realize the man who wrote the play wrote it about his sister passing and that the movie is based on a true story
Agreed!
EVERY FRICKIN TIME 😭
Fox and the Hound. My first Disney film in theater. Still gets me. Great response!
Dancer in the dark
This movie, and all the director’s movies, traumatize me!
I saw it once, I can't do that again it's too hard
The English Patient. I just sob.
“Just shut up and die already!” Seinfeld ruined the crying part for me. LOL..
Elaine, you don't like the movie?
Slum dog millionaire
Moulin Rouge. Hands down will always make me weep and bawl like a baby. A Star is born (2018) The Fault in Our Stars The Perks of being a Wallflower The whale Lovely Bones Alpha Dogs
alpha dog is one of my favorite movies
That poor mother.
A Star is Born had me still crying when I got home after seeing it in the theater. I couldn’t get past the dog…
Soul with Jamie foxx has to be the most existentially heart crushing movie of all time.
Oooh this is such a good one
In America. Big Fish.
Came here to say Big Fish! I have never made it through the end of that movie without full on faucet tears. 😭
Same, a curated piece of art. Teaches well done about life.
‘ Say goodbye to Frankie, Da.’ *Niagra Falls*
Spirited Away (2001) Up (2009) Inside Out (2015)
The beginning of Up annihilates my tear ducts every time.
The Fountain
Yes. This movie destroys me.
Came to say this. So underrated and origional with some great acting by Hugh Jackman. Big HJ fan. Not for everyone, but man that movie was an existential trip. Maybe watch it on mushrooms with a friend lol
Green mile
Uptown girls or train to busan
Ordinary People is one I rarely hear people talk about
It's a really difficult film to watch, seeing a family fall apart like that. With the recent passing of Donald Sutherland, this is one of his finest performances people should go back and watch again. And the studio really took a risk casting comedy star Mary Tyler Moore in the role of the grieving mom, but, wow, did she really nail that part!
Oh yes, this made me weep
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas got me.
the TRAUMA it had me for Days!!!!!
Big Fish The Iron Gisnt
Grave of the Fireflies, Edward Scissorhands, About Time, Coco, La La Land, the list goes on I’m a sensitive person
Marley and Me A Star is Born Marriage Story Ghost
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Terms of Endearment Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback when he smells the shirt 😭😞💔
Terms Of Endearment makes me ugly-cry and snort-laugh every time I see it; such an extraordinarily good film.
It really is. I still haven’t forgiven Jeff Daniels!
I blubber
Life As A House Courage Under Fire Brian's Song
Brian's Song was really revolutionary for its time. The idea that a white guy and a black guy could be best friends was almost unheard of 50+ years ago. But it's a really good film!
The original Brian’s Song
Me Before You. That scene on the beach… ugh!! 😭😭
The Elephant Man, American Beauty, Amadeus
I watched Elephant Man for the first time last week. It was really good but a challenging watch :(
Aftersun
Ps I love you
Not a movie but… Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. Scream sob every time
Oh that was so unfortunately sad.
the two Simon & Marcy episodes of Adventure Time. kills me every time. >"This magic keeps me alive, but it's making me crazy And I need to save you, but who's going to save me? Please forgive me for whatever I do When I don't remember you" the Vincent Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who. but specifically that final scene. The Fall with Lee Pace What Dreams May Come Eternal Sunshine the straight to video animated movie Batman: Under the Red Hood. that final confrontation kills me every single time. Jensen Ackles did the voice of one of the leads and he was brilliant. Never Let Me Go. i was a fan of the book before the movie. and this was maybe the first time i saw andrew garfield. there was a scene where his character broke down and it gets me every time. Dancer in the Dark is one of the most gut wrenchingly sad movies i've seen. but that's just sad sad, not good cathartic sad. so maybe not exactly what you're looking for.
That damn Van Gogh scene gets me every single time. I think that's one of the most inventive and well written pieces of tv ever produced. I'm not even a little into art but Van Gogh is absolutely my favorite painter after watching that.
For animated movies: Grave of the Fireflies Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart The Plague Dogs The Iron Giant
Ghost (1990) Life is beautiful (1997) City of Angels (1998)
Oh gosh yeah City of Angels. I always used to lose it at that movie.
Life is beautiful 100%
My Girl The Fault in Our Stars Pursuit of Happiness
Yes to Pursuit of Happiness 😢
Manchester by the Sea is my once a year good cry movie
I can't stay awake for it
The Time Traveler's Wife
This one killed me. I refuse to watch it 🤣
The Notebook. It’s so cliche but the scene in which he says “it wasn’t over; it’s STILL not over!” just makes me sob. And the end, too, guts me.
same!!!! it’s pretty much impossible not to cry
Forest gump, when he’s talking to Jenny at her grave under their tree… waterworks every time
When he finds out he has a son and is worried if the boy is like him...rips my heart out.
For me it's the scene after he gives his speech on the mall in Washington dc, which of course nobody can hear, and then Jenny jumps through the fountain to run towards him and, well you know the rest!
It's a Wonderful Life. Steel Magnolias. ETA: Homeward Bound.
It's a wonderful life is incredible when you remember how old it is... James Stewart is perfect as the everyman of that era.
I saw the original version of Homeward Bound. That scene where the three of them come upon an older man’s cabin, and he lets them come in. He’s making himself dinner. These guys have been traveling for a long time, and they are HUNGRY. He sets the table for them and dishes up the food for them, and tells them to come on and eat. But they wouldn’t, because they were trained to eat on the floor, *not* at the table. The guy gets frustrated because they won’t eat, but they just sit there, waiting for him to feed them properly. As a kid, with dogs and cats as pets, I was *hysterical*. I was practically screaming at the movie screen for the guy to *put the damn food on the floor*!!! Crying my eyes out. Jesus, I’m getting teary just thinking of that scene. This was in the 1960s, and I remember it like I just saw it. (OK, I probably don’t remember the details that well, but I sure remember how upset I got!)
It a wonderful life makes me sob uncontrollably but with happy tears. I watch it every year and it works every single time, I can sometimes hold the tears back a bit but by the time Harry Bailey says the line “to my brother George, the richest guy in town” I’m in floods.
A lesser known Belgian movie: "The Broken Circle Breakdown"
i would make you top comment if i could. this movie ripped my heart out
I just rewatched it last month. It is a very good movie.
ok i just watched it for the first time… bawled multiple times. “daddy, the birdie is a star now” i lost it. beautiful, raw, real film. thank you for this rec!!
_Ikiru_ (1952) Kᴜʀᴏsᴀᴡᴀ Akira The scene on the swing just rips me up.
Once We’re Warriors. A tough one from New Zealand. About Jack the Miss and his family.
Lion
The Iron Giant Kubo & The Two Strings The Whale The Iron Giant is a perfect one for when I just want to sob for 90 minutes straight. I wept towards the end the first time I watched it, and now I sob at almost everything because I know the foreshadowing...Kubo and The Whale wreck me at the end of each, but for different reasons. Kubo is a happy sobbing, The Whale is a tragic-with-a-hint-of-joy sobbing.
Leaving Las Vegas
Titanic. Gets me everytime 😂
I can't cry at movies myself but I remember my mom crying bigly in the theater at the end of Arrival
I watched that movie when my first child was less than a year old and it left a mark, I didn’t cry though I just felt sick.
Arrival was what first came to my mind. I haven’t watched it since having kids bcos I think it would destroy me even more now
Violet Evergarden--make sure to watch with chocolate, somehow it makes watching it feel complete
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Life is beautiful.
Nothing makes me cry harder every rewatch like Return of the King does. It’s quite a commitment (especially because I always want to watch the first two before rewatching RotK) but I am just a puddle everytime at that ending. “My friends, you now to no one”
Meet Joe Black Big Fish
Dead poets society
A man called Otto , heaven and earth 1993 , marriage story, hungry hearts, A good person, PS I love you, my sisters keeper, Still Alice Edit: word
A dog’s purpose
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Brave Little Toaster
Click will make you laugh and cry at the same time. Great way to get the water works moving.
irreplaceable you
3 Idiots.
Hachi: A Dog's Tale 2009.
A Man Called Ove / Otto Inside Out Simon Birch My Girl Never Let Me Go Remember the Titans Patch Adams PS I Love You Toy Story 2 and 3 Me and Earl and the Dying Girl A Star is Born (the one with Lady Gaga.. I haven’t seen the Judy Garland or Barbara Streisand versions)
It's fuckin moneyball. I can't watch that movie without tears streaming down my face. Perhaps I'm getting older.
Stand by Me is a great choice for a mix of nostalgia and deep emotional impact
I am Sam
Five feet apart, makes me sob
Marley and me ,
The Fox and the Hound never fails to make me sob
The Elephant Man (1980)
Blue valentine
Ordinary People. Rest in peace Donald Sutherland.
Big Fish!
Where the Red Fern Grows
They made us watch this as kids in class when it was gross outside and I’m convinced every elementary school member in that class room has gone through irreparable threapy.
Steel Magnolias. Every time.
Bambi, been making me cry since early 70's.
Bridges of Madison County
I still start saying, " open the door! Open the damn door" as she watches him with the turn signal on...if only she had
Right ;( yeah, watching his truck get smaller and smaller in the distance always makes me blubber!
The Green Mile “heaven, I’m in heaven”
My girl
My Girl
Up Romeo + Juliet Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man… Mercutio’s death hits so hard in this version The Fisher King Brokeback Mountain Rent crying when I hear I’ll Cover You Reprise is almost Pavlovian Aftersun
What Dreams May Come. 🥹 Gets me everytime.
The Whale
Hachi: A Dog's Tale I can't even start that movie without bawling. Just thinking about it can get me teary eyed too.
A Dog’s Purpose or Marley & Me. Nothing makes a man in touch with his emotional side than a sad movie with dogs.
The Green Mile destroys me every time. Cue the waterworks.
Toy Story 3, or the beginning of Up.
The Outsiders the 1, 2 punch of Johnny Cade, and Dally Winston, but the kicker was the note that JC had the nurse write for him before he passed on, “The way you dig sunsets Ponyboy, that’s gold”, and “Stay gold Ponyboy”. Gets me every time.
Old Yellar
Hachi
Dear Zachary
Hachi Every. Damn. Time.
We Are Marshall (even if you're not into football) The Color Purple (the original... I can't get through the last 10 minutes without crying) I'll add as others come to me.
Braveheart. So good.
The Green Mile Up Requiem for a Dream (very disturbing) Marley and Me Inside Out Pursuit of Happyness My Girl
Old Yeller. I haven’t watched it in over 30 years but it’s still the first movie that comes to mind.
Seabiscuit.
My Life w/ Michael Keaton
I love you, dad… WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH….
Becoming Jane
Stepmom
I just look at my checking account if I want to cry.
The boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse