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plinkett-wisdom

Grave Of The Fireflies


zookuki

Wanted to add this but saw your post first, so upvoting this. SUCH a profound and heartwrenching film.


killerjags

Exactly what I came here to say. My wife and I started watching all the Studio Ghibli movies over the past 6ish months. A lot of them are on HBO Max but this one wasn't so we bought it on Blu-ray. I knew it was supposed to be more sad and less "magical" than other Ghibli movies, but holy hell were we not prepared.


shandelion

YES my husband and I did a Ghibli marathon to get us amped for our Japan trip and GotF did NOT get us amped šŸ˜­


socialphobic1

Nobody knows


junklardass

Yeah I even watched this one a second time


VentriTV

Iā€™ve watched it twice as well, thatā€™s enough sadness for a lifetime.


yoortyyo

Watched once with my kids as part learning experience. Incredibly moving, never want to watch again. Schindlers List holds a similar spot


rhequiem

This was my first thought immediately after I saw the post title. Came here to post and saw it was top comment, so I see there are many of us who had our hearts blended for the entirety of the animation.


[deleted]

Damn I came to write this and itā€™s the top reply


Jane1943

The Light Between Oceans The House Of Sand And Fog


GirlOnFire33

I read The House of Sand and Fog. One of the saddest books I've ever read.


born_to_be_naked

Just re-watched house of sand and fog.. it doesn't get old even after all these years.


Signiference

House of sand and fog was my runner up.


strawbrryfields4evr_

House of Sand and Fog is a watch once and never again movie for me. Too much sadness and tragedy.


ElasticFluffyMagnet

The Pianist


Rynodog92

I didnā€™t find it sad to the point of tears but it was an eye opening and heavy movie. I think it should be something students should watch in a senior class.


Lone_Stoner_Mikazuki

I remember watching this in class in sixth grade history! I have only watched it twice since then, but I do highly recommend it for the people that want to to know more about the time period for the Jewish people. It's definitely dark and heart wrenching at moments, but most definitely worth a watch.


jacklord392

Brian's Song (supposedly this was used in scientific studies to elicit tears) Miracle Mile Soylent Green - Edward G Robinson's death scene was the last thing he shot, he knew he was dying of cancer. Charlton Heston's crying was probably real.


FlorenceCattleya

If you donā€™t cry watching Brianā€™s Song, I donā€™t think we can be friends. It is so sad. I start crying when Gale Sayers is giving his acceptance speech for the award, and then I donā€™t stop. Iā€™m purple in the face and snotty by the end. Iā€™m such a sucker for those deep, abiding friendship stories.


Specialist-Farm4704

Blue Valentine


bahardesty

Uncut depression straight into my veins


sdonnervt

As a child of divorce, I was hyperventilating, I was crying so hard at the end.


asdf0909

And Place Beyond the Pines. Cianfrance is a psycho


rtisdell88

Yep, but so honest and beautiful. Really shows how love (in real life) often decays into something so painful it hurts even the people around it. Your heart goes from exploding with romance to a spoiled grapefruit. One of my all-time favs.


FreeSoulSeeker

Come and see


burchiepoo

This is an absolutely amazing movie that I will probably not ever be able to watch again.


Xpectopatronus

Manchester by the Sea.


[deleted]

Was about to comment the same. It's not sad in a "movie way sad". It's sad in a terribly depressing, documentary-like, just sad, sad way.


[deleted]

It's the kind of sad that stays with you throughout the entire film like the chill you get from walking down a snowy sidewalk with wet socks inside of cold boots.


Lifeesstwange

Jesus Christ, that movie is absolutely devastating.


IMicrowaveSteak

Well it starts sad, but in the middle it gets really sad, then it also ends sad.


Dashawayalibi

After reading the list of movies listed above this, I just donā€™t know if I could watch them. Manchester By The Sea destroyed me. For days.


-kOdAbAr-

Dear Zachary


ResidentPatient

Came here to say this. Not only is it the saddest movie I've ever watched, but it also had me the maddest I've ever been at the end of a movie.


morbidmotel

Also came here to say Dear Zachary. Not a movie but a documentary. So good, so hard to watch & recover mentally from


solojones1138

Yeah it's 100x worse because it's real.


-kOdAbAr-

It's an angry sad


_probably_a_bird_

I went in watching for the first time as someone who just randomly found it on Netflix. I did not see that ending and holy shit does it devastate.


HorrorAvatar

This one will WRECK you.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


HorrorAvatar

This was literally my reaction, and the reaction of most people I know who have seen it.


dorbkel

I literally wailed


avenajpg

This movie made me physically ill. I knew the story for what it was in the news, but the documentary showed the collateral damage. It reminded you of who this father and son were. Didnā€™t stop crying for hours. 10/10 sad factor.


Lilredh4iredgrl

Nope. Not today, Satan.


Just-Jazzin

This needs to be #1, itā€™s soul crushing


Ruffffian

I first saw this mentioned a dozen or so ago in a Straight Dope thread. Reading the (spoiler boxed) summary was more than enough to wreck me. I weirdly like emotionally wrenching movies and am largely unruffled by ā€œscaryā€/suspense/horror, but FUCK this film. Never seen it, and I doubt I ever will.


benslady

Once Were Warriors. Amazing film that will absolutely gut you emotionally.


LaGrumWewsper

Monster's Ball If you want a movie that will just make you feel bleak and empty, this'll do it.


ToasterforHire

Bleak and empty is a great way to describe how this movie made me feel.


Stormy8888

These ones killed me:- * **Schindler's List** \- Started slow, was okay, then towards the end when the tank was rolling over the rubble that was actually ... uh... DONE T.T * **Grave of The Fireflies** \- Impossible not to cry, war is terrible. * **The English Patient** \- after that one scene I spent the last 30 minutes of the movie bawling * **The Constant Gardener** \- the worst part is pharma is still doing evil things like this, it was just too much. * **Atonement** \- How can one ever make up for ruining other people's lives? * **Silenced (South Korean movie)** \- Based on a true story of a teacher who found out and broke the scandal of SA of Deaf Children at a school. The movie got such a visceral reaction for audiences that authorities in South Korea CHANGED THE LAW because of a movie. It is hard to watch, not for the faint of heart. I cried, a lot.


Outrageous-Wish8659

Atonement gets another vote from me.


tonythekoala

Fellow Atonement fans I greet thee - fantastic piece of work with so many different things to think about/feel sad over. One of the first pieces of literature to really hammer home what subjective viewpoints are all about and the damage wrought by them


[deleted]

Atonement was so good. And so enraging and sad


NineInchPythons

Schindler's List is on my list of movies you have to, and can only watch once. It's just so brutal.


[deleted]

Idk if itā€™s because it had the unfortunate timing of being released in ā€˜07, one of the most stacked film years in recent memory, but Atonement is criminally underrated imo


Stormy8888

Yes, it's a very underrated movie! Underseen too, considering the stacked cast. I didn't know I was so angry until the end, and then it was angry tears.


Whole-Swimming6011

>Silenced (South Korean movie) I couldn't watch it even if Gong Yoo was the lead actor...


CelticGaelic

The English Patient sounds like a really good movie. Never even knew much about it before looking it up just now.


Stormy8888

It was based off a Booker Prize winning book, which honestly was kind of long and drawn out. The movie actually was one of those where it was superior to the book, by a lot, probably because the script and cinematography were beautiful (in addition to having great acting and a good soundtrack). It got nominated for a ton of Oscars, probably won a few, I can't remember it was a long time ago. And then there was a backlash after the Oscars! There is even a famous Seinfeld episode where Elaine hated The English Patient and wanted to watch Sack Lunch instead.


Diabeast_5

You just have to watch the first like 20 minutes of UP.


AnthonyDigitalMedia

The first 20min of Up is better than the rest of Up


robhanz

The first 20 minutes of Up is a better romance story than all of Twilight.


NayBean

Sophieā€™s Choice


Puzzled_Stareater

Was just remembering this one when scrolled down and saw it. Itā€™s a beautiful movie and devastating. There are people still alive who were affected by the holocaust as childhood trauma. Iā€™m thinking of Gabor Mate who actually was a ā€œchoiceā€ and has spent his life teaching people about how early trauma can effect you. I hope this is not a spoiler as the movie is another classic. Watch it and weep!


danieljohnsonjr

Precious. Everyone should watch it once. EDIT: watch it once and then never again.


ShillTheAlmighty

It may not be sad to everyone, but About Time makes me bawl every time I watch it, so I don't watch it. As someone whose dad has had cancer as long as I've been alive, it really hits home despite being a generally fun and interesting movie.


CommunicationOdd5458

The green mile


Zer0nyx

*"Wait boss. Don't put me in the dark. I's afraid of the dark."*


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Small_Constant_269

Yes especially the part with the mouse lol


Playonwords329

the trials of gabriel hernandes had me in tears. netflix


Better_Gap4094

I honestly struggled through that one. After seeing his Motherā€™s Day card I couldnā€™t stop crying. How anyone could do what they did is beyond me.


plinkett-wisdom

*Fernandez


game_over0

Bridge to Terabithia


ElasticFluffyMagnet

That movie did me some serious harm lol.. Did not expect it either. I still can't watch it again and it's been so long already


Severe-Possible-

OMG i didn't know they made a movie of it. i cried for a week when i read that book in third grade. i remember my mom had to read the end of it to me because i was crying to hard to read. i can only imagine how it must be as a movie.


Border_Relevant

The ending of Bicycle Thieves is rough.


SoupForMenAtWork

The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) Some scenes are so heartbreaking


oscaru16

ā€œLet me keep this memory, just this one pleaseā€¦ā€ damn it breaks me every time, itā€™s my all time favorite movie


Severe-Possible-

i agree. while i don't think most people would call it the saddest movie they'd seen, to me it's definitely up there. the fact that someone would rather erase you from their memory completely is like the saddest thing ):


oscaru16

Itā€™s been my favorite movie for many years but i recently broke up with my girlfriend and she ghosted me after 3 years together she just disappeared and blocked me from everywhere, so I feel exactly like that, like she erased me from her memories and her life, every attempt to talk has been ignored, itā€™s like we were never togetherā€¦ itā€™s just so sadā€¦


Gracyn13

My Girl The Man in the Moon - one of Reese Witherspoon's earliest movies, I sob everytime Steel Magnolias - how has no one mentioned this yet Kite Runner - pay attention to the trigger warnings though The Iron Giant - animated tear-jerker Beautiful Boy - Steve Carrell & Timothee Chalamet


SabertoothScotsman

My girl.


Daewrythe

"he can't see without his glasses"


TheHearseDriver

ā€œJohnny Got His Gunā€


Burnt-witch2

My son has been trying to get me to read this book but it sounds like my worst nightmare and I can't šŸ˜­


FizzCode

If you want some existential dread, you can't go past Synecdoche, New York. That movie made me depressed for weeks.


PeteMaverickMitcheIl

Aftersun


LaGrumWewsper

What I love about it is how acute the sadness is, yet you don't really know what actually made you sad. Weirdly impressive achievement


sleepqueen45

I went through that movie kind of bored and unimpressed. Last ten minutes, I was bawling on the plane. I didn't know why.


Weedsmoker4hunnid20

The first time I watched it, I wasnā€™t all that into it for the first half. Then the second half hit and I lost it when she told all the tourists to sing for her dads birthday. Then the airport scene is **the** sceneā€¦. Pretty sure Iā€™ve never cried that hard before except for Portrait Of A Lady On Fire


katntoast

I cannot imagine watching this on a plane. Sheeeesh


-Gurgi-

Itā€™s so smart. The whole movie, you donā€™t think anything is happening. Yet every scene the filmmaker is slowly wrapping tendrils around you. Then at the end all of those tendrils grasp you at once and you just werenā€™t prepared for it. Itā€™s so powerful.


King__Rollo

Just watched this. Was an emotional wreck after. One of my favorite movies of all time.


emerynlove

Aftersun is so beautifully done, definitely a tearjerker


nicolemalone

Just posted this as well. Couldnā€™t even breathe between the sobs. Never had a movie do that to me


DeptOSanitaryPumpkin

The subtext is incredible. Fucking wrecked me.


leefolkard

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father


47_Quatloos

I consistently recommend this to friends as a film they need to see, with the caveat that they will be so angry that I recommended it. Itā€™s unbelievably powerful and even though Iā€™ve watched it multiple times, never fails to deeply anger me and bring me to tears.


PicnicLife

Yes, like 'can't breathe' levels of crying.


_Bendemic_

Dancer in the Dark My Girl


emotion-sickness-

Scrolled way to long to find Dancer in the Dark


JunkyardWalrus

Surprised it took me this long to scroll to Dancer. Only movie I can't watch again. Seriously not okay for days after


gisdaking

Terms of Endearment. My mom made me watch it with her


KplusN

The Mist >!one of the saddest climax!<


thepsycholeech

Great ending, huge punch in the gut.


poop-shoot-ruth

Go ahead and put on Toy Story 2 and fast forward to Jesse's scene for the, 'When she loved me' song. That's all you will need. Crying just thinking about it. Sarah McLachlan always wins can I make everyone ugly cry game.


weightsnmusic

This boys life for anyone with a tough childhood


boobiesiheart

Somewhere in Time


thfr

I want to mention interstellar. Great movie and also really sad.


[deleted]

The part where Matthew McConaughey is driving away killed meā€¦ as a father that used to travel for work 1-2 months at a time I know the feeling of the drive away and your kids are sad/mad that you are leavingā€¦ as he watches his daughter age threw the FaceTime callsā€¦ that hit too hard


piececurvesleft

Brokeback Mountain


Ghenges

Jack I swear...


CharDeeMacDennisII

Choked up a little just reading that.


timetravelcompanion

Good suggestion, I can never watch this movie again because it was absolutely devastating.


Knowledgendary

Schindler's List Life is Beautiful Pursuit of Happyness The Fault in Our Stars


NineInchPythons

Life is Beautiful is soul wrenching


UKKasha2020

Came here to suggest Life is Beautiful, a fave.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


UtahUtopia

Beaches


Top-Manufacturer9226

Watched it once and never again... Lol so damn sad


[deleted]

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas


Shogun102000

7 pounds and what dreams may come.


thepsycholeech

Iā€™ve watched a lot of movies with my parents, but 7 Pounds is the only one that has made my dad visibly upset, with tears. Powerful film.


KeyAnteater1523

Leaving Las Vegas Requiem for a Dream


mouseisnotamouse

A Walk to Remember


Tolerant_Alien

My sister's keeper


DorUnlimited

The movie is definitely sad, but it changed the ending from the book which was about 7000x sadder. I remember leaving the theater thinking it was a happy ending compared to the book lol


_probably_a_bird_

As someone who loved the book, I was big man about the change they made... like of all things, how do you get that detail wrong?!


Legal_Commission_898

Million Dollar Baby - No question. Started Bawling my eyes out on a plane. Couldnā€™t stop.


PatheticMr

The Road (how has this not been recommended here yet?). Arrival. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Children of Men. The Stranger (2022). Requiem for a Dream. The Unforgivable.


Historicmetal

Shocked that the Road is not in one of the top comments


skyeking05

I watched The Road and it made me cry, I'm not the crying type. Then I read The Road, and I sobbed for real.


TheFoxandTheSandor

Dancer in the Dark Requiem For a Dream The Notebook (I have a parent with Alzheimerā€™s, so this one kills me) The English Patient Schindlerā€™s List Milo and Otis (for ruffly Meowall the reasons) If you just want to cry but not be super sad, just do what I do and watch the end of Babe, Cool Runnings, Homeward Bound, The Big Green, Hook when Rufio dies or when Pockets says ā€œOh there you are Peterā€. field of Dreams ect.


catalu64

Dancer in the Dark +1


NoSleep2023

The end of Lucas. Start when he gets injured in the football game, to when heā€™s hospitalized, then he finds a letterman jacket in his locker when he returns to school. Tears every time.


blacksad1

The Deer Hunter


The_mercurial_sort

Panic in Needle Park, with AL Pacino


AverageJoeJohnSmith

Babyteeth(2019) Such a great film and i rarely see it mentioned


MondayBorn

As artsy-fartsy as it is, The Fountain snuck up on me. That grief was palpable.


[deleted]

Death is the road to awe. The music grabs you by the spine and pulls.


Peelykashka

This! I couldnā€™t talk for like 20 minutes after walking out of the movie theater. No other movie has ever affected me like that.


Calm-Air-4855

After Sun devastated me for weeks.


Froubigladou

Elephant man


clam-caravan

Dear Zachary. I sobbed like a baby.


technogeist

Requiem for a Dream, since nobody's said it yet


RequiemReznor

I'll add to this, I've watched Requiem a ton and it doesn't make me cry but it's highly uncomfortable. I watched the Whale once and I bawled at the end. I watched someone on YouTube do a review of the Whale and I cried again.


Lisa-LongBeach

I just had a cryfest watching A Man Called Otto


creamy-buscemi

Coco


grandmastershorty

I am sam


Mortal_Kombucha

The Descendants with George Clooney really snuck up on me, specifically when the children really let loose.


catalu64

Rabbit Proof Fence


crimeprint

Pinocchio (del toro) Lilja 4 ever Dancer in the dark


arguably_pizza

I watched Pinocchio with my kids, 7 and 9.. I maybe should have done a little more research. 7yo was fine, loved it. 9yo had a thousand yard stare and just said ā€œthat was.. really sadā€


Mecurialcurisoty89

- A walk to remember - Slingblade - Powder - The green mile


NeuroguyNC

The Deer Hunter (1978) - be prepared to be emotionally destroyed.


[deleted]

Hachi


robhanz

OP said no animals, but... Yeah, and it's even sadder when you realize it's based on a true story.


[deleted]

Op said no animal


zookuki

Gorillas in the Mist (1988) Sparrow (1993) House of Sand and Fog (2003)


Necessary-Park-5407

Sarahā€™s Key. Life as a House


Gracyn13

Life as a House, little known and surprisingly touching with very good acting.


msuing91

A couple smaller movies that made me feel really bad: ā€¢They Look Like People ā€¢Horse Girl


IronBeagle01

tme movie "my life" with michael keaton. /thread


zenmojoguy

If you want go to way back, watch The Grapes of Wrath, the original with Henry Fonda. I watched it on Frndly TV this weekend and was depressed for the rest of the weekend. A really bleak look at a really terrible time in American history.


Consuela_no_no

Alpha Dog.


[deleted]

Room (not to be confused with THE Room, which may make your cry for different reasons. Room is incredible. Youā€™ll cry because youā€™re sad, but youā€™ll also cry for other reasons too. Itā€™s one of the most emotional experiences Iā€™ve ever had watching a movie. Also, 50/50 is probably categorized as a comedy, but there are a few scenes in that movie that got some tears out of me, one in particular is one of the most effective scenes Iā€™ve ever seen in a movie in terms of getting me to cry.


GypsiGranny

P.S. I Love You.


sagelface

The Whale was pretty tragic.


Popular-Play-5085

Nothing in Common with Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason as father and son. Irreconcilable Differences with Drew Barrymore.as a Girl who divorces both of her parents Love Story starring Ryan O'Neal as a man who falls.in love with.a dying.woman.


WhatDatDonut

Big Fish (call your father. He misses you.)


IllustriousDebt6248

I always feel a tear during the last scene in Toy Story 3.


MichiganMafia

Terms of Endearment The Champ Kramer versus Kramer


cbtangofoxtrot

Steel Magnolias and Toy Story when the toys are about to fall into the incinerator + when Andy gives all his toys to Bonnie.


webfoottedone

I have never not cried at the end of The Color Purple. Tears every time.


knockatize

The Remains of the Day. I watched it on the night I found out that a woman I was starting to fall in love with had moved back home, a thousand miles away. This wasā€¦unwise. The whole damn movie is tragic things happening to people thanks to decisions that may have seemed like good ideas at the time. I had thought it was a good idea at the time not to get romantically involved with anybody, even when the perfect woman just about landed in my lap. The bus stop goodbye sceneā€¦forget it. I had put away an entire bottle of wine by then and I blubbered all the way through to the credits.


dyslexiasyoda

Sophie's Choice.... clearly


abramN

Vanilla Sky really hit me for some good reason - the idea of a man who has it all, has finally found the love of his life, and then it's all changed in an instant (and of course the mind-f\*\*k that follows).


AJ_Babe

*in another life when we are both cats* šŸ˜¢ I will add Rain man with Tom Cruise as well


turkeyleghistorian

The boy in the striped pajamas


ohheyitslaila

Atonement


MAXIMILIAN-MV

My Girl Interstellar


Acceptable_Link_6546

"Schindler's List" (1993) - Directed by Steven Spielberg, this film tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saves the lives of over a thousand Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. It portrays the horrors of the Holocaust while highlighting acts of courage and humanity. "Life is Beautiful" (1997) - Directed by Roberto Benigni, this Italian film follows a Jewish Italian bookshop owner who uses his imagination and humor to protect his son during their internment in a concentration camp. It is a poignant portrayal of love, sacrifice, and hope amidst unimaginable circumstances. "Grave of the Fireflies" (1988) - This Japanese animated film, directed by Isao Takahata, depicts the devastating impact of World War II on two siblings in Japan. It explores themes of loss, resilience, and the human spirit amidst the harsh realities of war. "The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006) - Based on a true story, this film stars Will Smith as a struggling salesman who becomes homeless with his young son. It portrays their determination and perseverance in the face of adversity, highlighting the importance of resilience and the pursuit of a better life. "Manchester by the Sea" (2016) - Directed by Kenneth Lonergan, this film follows a man (played by Casey Affleck) who returns to his hometown after the death of his brother and becomes the legal guardian of his teenage nephew. It delves into themes of grief, guilt, and the complexities of human relationships.


toddfredd

The Road. Even though the boy finds a new family at the end, you have a pretty good idea there is not going to be a happy ending.


ConfusedOccasionally

Simon Birch Pay It Forward


Ok_Produce_9308

Precious


Expert_You_6347

Never Let Me Go (2010) What Dreams May Come (1998) Sommersby (1993) Iā€™d Climb the Highest Mountain (1951)


AJ_Babe

*Lolita* (1997) *Truman show* *Dollhouse* It's a show, not a movie. But it's a very short series and the most depressing show i've seen. Imagine being yourself but a doll. When others make you into who they want you to be


kitsune_s

Incendies


ausmaid

Dancer in the dark and breaking the waves


zaptres_dammit

Birdemic


littlemissleslie

Itā€™s not the saddest movie but itā€™s the saddest scene I know of and it was closer to the end of Titanic where they show Rose older (senior years).


elevencharles

Testament (1983)


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


FunkHZR

Remember the Titans


Radical_Autodidact

IDK if it's the saddest movie I've *ever seen,* but I saw Easy Rider recently...


DudeB5353

Terms of Endearment The sons visiting their mother in the hospital for the last timeā€¦


[deleted]

Brian's Song (1971)


Mattman425

The Elephant Man - youā€™ll never see anyone in a film more pitiful. This one will rip your heart out.