Cinema has a profound influence on our emotions. Often we resonate so deeply with the characters that their emotions and feelings transcend the screen and are reflected in our own emotions.
Here is a list of 20 movies that are meant to challenge the stereotypical notion that men don’t cry. They are so sad and heartwarming that they are bound to make you shed tears.
20) Marley and Me
Marley and Me is a movie about the love and connection between a dog and his owner. Spoiler Alert: The dog dies in the ending but this is a movie that makes you laugh, makes you smile, and then shatters you. Through its beautiful portrayal of the bonding between a pet and his owner, this movie will definitely make you cry.
19) The Fault in Our Stars
When choosing a sad movie, a classic, and one that you can never go wrong with is Fault in our Stars. This movie based on John Green's book of the same name is a tear-jerker. Portraying the life of two kids suffering from chronic cancer, this movie is a sure way of making you weep. Hazel and Augustus meet in a support group for kids with cancer and set out on a mission to find the author of an uncompleted book before time betrays them.
18) The Lion King
This Disney Movie about Simba ( a lion cub), heir to the reign of the Great Mufasa shows how melancholic and challenging it could be to fit in unknown places and accept one's destiny. But fate is set in stone and despite the hardships life throws your way, what is meant to be, will be. It's a perfect blend of the highs and the lows and leaves the audience emotional.
17) Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks, is a heartwarming story of a simple man with a low IQ. Despite the hardships coming his way because of his inability to comprehend situations sharply, he coincidently becomes part of a lot of defining moments of the 20th century. The movie’s careful portrayal of Forrest’s vulnerability and innocence touches one’s heart and leaves one with tears.
16) Manchester by the Sea
Manchester by the Sea is an emotional story of Lee, who returns to his hometown for the funeral of his brother. There he discovers that his brother left him the custody of his teenage son. Together they navigate grief, loss, teenage rebellion, and how it is one’s family that stands with them throughout. It is a heart-wrenching insight into real-life struggles and highlights how the importance of emotions in one’s life.
15) Schindler's List
Schindler’s list is based on the atrocities faced by the Jewish during the Nazi regime. It has one of the most heartbreaking scenes of a little girl in a red jacket who is wandering alone and later found dead. This movie conveys how the political games of powerful men often affect innocent people, mostly children who have nothing to do with it.
It's a story about Oskar Schindler , a businessman who after witnessing the loss of the little girl in red jacket takes it on himself to help save as many jewish life as possible.
14) Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare’s tale of love and loss is reflected perfectly in this movie of the same name. This movie shows how two people get lucky to find their true love but then situations and misunderstandings take both of them apart. Renowned worldwide, this story leaves one shattered.
Witnessing the loss of one's partner causes grief that makes the audience sympathetic and will surely make them shed some tears.
13) Up
Up is another beautiful animated movie about loss and separation. Two people fall in love when they are young and then get separated when the wife dies. To meet his departed wife, the husband attaches thousands of helium balloons to his house.
It's a very emotional tale with themes of old age and the desire to unite with your loved ones.
12) A Walk to Remember
Author Nicholas Spark is known for writing emotional stories that really connect with the audience. Based on one of his best-selling books, A Walk to Remember is a love story of Landon and Jamie who are two very different humans but end up falling for each other during a school play. But fate has other plans for both of them. Jamie has leukemia and although she has accepted her fate, Landon braces to steal from the clutches of fate, the girl he loves.
11) The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption is a tragic story of a man who is wrongly acquitted of murder and has to spend 19 years in prison. This movie clearly portrays the hardships prison life poses, especially when you haven’t done anything to deserve it. Another beautiful theme of the movie is friendships formed in unusual circumstances and how they last a lifetime.
10) Dead Poets Society
One of the most sacred relations in the world is that of a teacher and students. Dead Poets Society is one such tale about an English Teacher whose style of teaching is not much appreciated by the school administration. Still, he has sincere dedication and unwavering commitment towards helping his students grow and teaching them the infamous art of ‘Carpe Diem’ - Seizing the day. Infused with poetry and literature, Dead Poets Society is a movie that for sure will connect with the viewers and leave them in tears by the end of it.
9) Titanic
If we are talking about depressing movies, titanic always makes the cut. Jack and Rose have had the most tragic of love stories. Everyone knows the ending, but no matter how many times you see this movie, it can make you weep every single time. With themes of forbidden love, tragedy, and sacrifice, it is one of the highest-grossing movies, and rightly so.
8) Bambi
There is an episode in the series, Friends where Chandler can’t cry so his friends make him watch Bambi. Rightly so, Bambi is a movie of grief and loss which it portrays quite intricately and manages to shatter one's heart. It is an animated movie about Bambi, a deer, who is very close to his mother. A hunter kills Bambi’s mother and he loses the most important person in his life. It is an accurate portrayal of the circle of life and one of the saddest movies ever made.
7) Before Sunrise
Two strangers meet on a train in the middle of Europe. They decide to spend 24 hours together in the city of Vienna only to never meet again. Theirs is a connection very hard to find and knowing that the fleeting nature of time will take its toll only makes every moment they spend together more and more special. This movie takes you on a ride that is bound to leave you feeling depressed and dreadful by the end of it.
6) The Pursuit of Happyness
Starring Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness is a true story of a homeless man and his son trying to survive in this cruel world. They are in debt and struggling to make ends meet but their determination to make a better life is unwavering. A story with real-world problems and the beautiful bond of a son and father, this is a heartwarming tale about unconditional love.
5) A Beautiful Mind
Portraying the life of acclaimed mathematician, John Nash, this movie takes you through the ups and downs of his life, navigating fame and showing the hardships faced by introverts in adjusting to social situations. It takes a cruel turn by showing how your mind can become your biggest enemy and is bound to leave you in tears by the end of it.
4) Room
Based on a real-life story of a mother and a son held in captivity, this thriller is bound to leave you depressed for days. The son has never seen the outside world and for him, his room is his entire world. This movie not only shows the struggle of the duo in adjusting and surviving in captivity but also the struggles they face after they are released.
3) The Notebook
It is a truth widely acknowledged that take a Nicholas Sparks book, cast Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams and you have the recipe for the most melancholic movie ever. The Notebook is a second-chance romance with a case of Alzheimer's. Nothing sadder than a girl not being able to recognize the love of her life.
2) Me Before You
This is a love story that ends in euthanasia. Also, the fact that Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin have together poured their heart and soul into this project. This movie is a must-watch and should be seen with a box of ice cream and tissue paper next to you.
1) The Boy in Striped Pyjamas
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Even the trailer of this movie makes you depressed. Based on the genocide of the Jews by Adolf Hitler, showcases how political ideologies are strictly limited to a few power-hungry men. Two little boys, one living in a concentration camp and the other son of a Nazi Officer in charge of that concentration camp befriend each other. Without revealing much, we will simply say that the end is devastating.
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