15 sad movies on Netflix to watch when you just need to cry

From sad romantic movies to emotionally gripping dramas based on real stories, these definitely require tissues. Fortunately, Netflix has you covered with some of the best sad movies that will undoubtedly tug at anyone’s heartstrings.

Of course, Netflix has plenty of heartbreaking romantic films, but there are also historical dramas, depicting life in an era we may know little about, movies about families anyone can relate to, and many films focused on teenagers, which manage to evoke nostalgic emotions no one planned to revisit, but here we are…

No matter what kind of sad movie you’re looking for to shed tears, grab a blanket and a box of tissues and get ready to leave it all out there.

15 Sad Movies on Netflix

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence portray two strangers facing life’s tough moments… though perhaps not in the healthiest way. Pat (Bradley) seeks to reconcile with his ex-wife when Tiffany (Jennifer) enters his orbit. She offers to help him if he agrees to participate in a dance contest as her partner. This initiates an unlikely friendship that leads to romantic feelings and heartbreaking moments.

Blue Jay (2016)

Ah, the sadness of what could have been. This movie follows two high school exes who reunite in their hometown and reminisce while revealing what was left unsaid over all those years.

The Book of Henry (2017)

Henry, an 11-year-old genius, lives with his volatile mother and precocious brother in a small town in the Hudson Valley. When a death rocks the family, grief affects them in unexpected (and sometimes puzzling) ways. Put this on when you’re in the mood for something sad but also unconventional.

6 Balloons (2018)

Abbi Jacobsen and Dave Franco play siblings Katie and Seth. When it seems like Seth has relapsed into heroin use, Katie attempts to get him into rehab while caring for her young child. Though it takes place over a limited timeframe, a powerful portrait of drug addiction and how it affects families emerges.

Tell Me Who I Am (2019)

Sometimes real life is sadder than we can imagine. This documentary follows twins Alex and Marcus Lewis. When Alex loses his memory in a motorcycle accident, Marcus helps him with the lost memories of their childhood but omits other traumas they faced in their lives.

All Together Now (2020)

Amber seems like a typical teenager, but she harbors a secret: she’s homeless and lives on the bus her mother drives. Can she maintain her optimistic spirit in the face of all that adversity?

The Vow (2012)

Inspired by the true story of Kim and Kitt Carpenter, Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams play Leo and Paige, a couple thrown into crisis when they end up in a car accident. When Paige wakes up from a coma with amnesia and, therefore, no memories of their romance, Leo decides to risk it all to remind her why they fell in love in the first place.

A Man Called Otto (2022)

Based on Fredrik Backman’s 2012 novel, A Man Called Ove, Tom Hanks portrays a cantankerous older man who lost his wife to cancer. When a new family moves in next door, they decide to bring Otto into their world and pull him out of the isolation he’s been in. As he realizes there’s more to the world after losing a great love, he begins to soften in ways he never expected.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Academy Award-nominated for Best Picture, the war drama follows barely legal adult Paul as he joins the Western Front in World War I. While initially thrilled to be recruited, he soon discovers there are many horrors looming ahead with waging war… all while living in trenches causing more harm.

The Boys in the Band (2020)

Based on the 1968 play of the same name, Jim Parsons and Matt Bomer star in a film that follows a group of gay friends attending a birthday party in 1960s New York City.

Pieces of a Woman (2021)

Director Kornél Mundruczó and writer Kata Wéber based this film on their own experiences with infant loss, making it intensely personal and powerful. In the film, Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf play a couple who grapple with whether it’s possible to move forward after their baby doesn’t survive childbirth.

tick, tick…BOOM! (2021)

This movie is sad for what happens both on and off the screen. It’s based on a play by Rent writer Jonathan Larson and is about his struggles to find success on and off the stage. In that way, it also serves as a poignant portrait of an artist who died before he could see his biggest Broadway success. The film was directed by another Broadway hitmaker: Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

This movie is ostensibly a breakup movie, but because it’s from director Charlie Kaufman, who also wrote Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it’s anything but straightforward. It’s sad, confusing, cerebral, unsettling, and surreal all at the same time.

The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021)

Nothing brings out the waterworks faster than stories of lost love. This movie tells of a romance that unfolds in the 1960s and a modern-day journalist who discovers their correspondence and seeks out what happened to all the parties involved.

Marriage Story (2019)

Noah Baumbach’s Best Picture-nominated film closely and unflinchingly examines a family going through a divorce. From tender moments to explosive fights, the movie truly makes you feel for everyone involved.

Want to watch these sad movies? With a Netflix Gift Card, you can.

With a simple Netflix Gift Card, you can access a world of emotions and cinematic experiences from the comfort of your home. Don’t miss the chance to immerse yourself in touching and captivating stories. Get your virtual Netflix pin now at YourPremiumPass and start enjoying a wide catalog of sad movies and series to cry!