Think of a movie that you really loved. In fact, think about your favorite movie. Like most, I’m pretty sure that you’ve watched this movie thousands of times. It becomes your comfort movie – the type of movie you watch after a hard day of classes. Overall, it’s a movie that you tend to revisit often. In my case, however, some of the movies that I love are movies that will probably never grace my screen ever again.
It sounds contradictory, but trust me – there are movies out there that are so beautifully heartbreaking that you will love. In my case though, I choose to only want my heart to break once. I picked some of my favorites that I recommend watching at least once! :)
- Atonement (2007)
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I recently watched Atonement, and it is now burned into my mind forever. The romantic tragedy war film features lovers Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), whose lives are twisted and torn apart due to the jealousy of Cecilia’s sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan).
This act of jealousy causes Robbie Turner to end up in prison. However, faith and hope comes into the game when Robbie joins the army during World War II just to get out of prison, where he ends up reencountering Cecilia, who is now a nurse.
This film is based on the book of the same name by Ian McEwan. It’s a beautiful story involving love, passion, tragedy, and a little raigebait (if I’m being honest).
- Schindler’s List (1993)
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The first time I watched this film, I was probably seven. Even though I didn’t understand what was going on, I could feel the sadness radiate from this movie. The black and white of the film and its cinematography translates the tone of the story.
The last time I watched this movie, it was in my junior year history class. Schindler’s List is based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson. It follows him during the time of World War II, specifically the Holocaust. Schindler develops a factory where he hires Jews so they aren’t taken to concentration camps.
It’s a very emotional film, especially since it showcases reality. Steven Spielberg actually worked on both Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List at the same time, which was definitely a challenge due to the opposing themes of each.
- A Star is Born (2018)
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I was not expecting the twist in this film at all! I had heard a lot of talk surrounding this film, but it took me a long time to get around to watching it. I’m sure many of you have heard the song “Shallow.” Well, glad to break it to you: it’s from A Star is Born.
This movie starts off when musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) meets aspiring artist Ally Campana (Lady Gaga), whom he later falls in love with. Her involvement with Jackson skyrockets her career. Though Ally’s career is better than ever, not much can be said about her relationship with Jackson, as it continues to plummet due to Jackson’s internal battle.
If you’re not into this genre, at least watch it for the songs. They are so amazing! It’s Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, for goodness’ sake.
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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This is a famous one for sure, but I had to include it. This is one of the first films that had an impact on me, maybe because I watched it at a young age, or maybe just because it’s incredibly sad. As a matter of fact, one of the most famous screams (that is often used as a TikTok sound) originated from this movie – most likely you’ve heard it.
Like Schindler’s List, this movie takes place during World War II. Eight-year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield) and his family move from Berlin to Poland near a concentration camp where his father (David Thewlis) becomes commandant. One day, while bored, Bruno wanders from his home to the borders of the concentration camp, where he meets a Jewish boy named Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), who is being kept in the camp.
Though there is barbed wire separating them, the boys develop a genuine friendship while oblivious to what is going on around them. It surrounds a very tough topic, which makes it hard-watch, but I recommend it immensely!
- When Life Gives You Tangerines
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I absolutely loved this K-drama. It’s at the top of my list. This is a mini series of one season – 16 episodes. Trust me when I say I cried in every episode.
This series walks us through the life of Ae-Sun (IU) and Yan Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum). The show starts off with them as children and illustrates how their love grows as they enter their teens. This story doesn’t involve villains, evil stepmothers, monsters, or enemies. It’s simply life – the obstacles and the victories that these two go through together until the end of their lives.
I highly recommend this series; it’s one of the best out there. This is coming from someone who doesn’t really watch K-dramas, but this one really dragged me in. Grab tissues – you’re going to need them!
Bonus: Lastly, for fun, a TV show that I would probably not watch again would be You. Maybe it’s a bit controversial, but there are some scenes that I genuinely wouldn’t be able to watch again (there is a reason it’s rated TV-MA)!
Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Joe Goldberg? Maybe the guy you’re talking to has said he relates to him? Or maybe your crazy ex mentioned “Joe Goldberg’s” methods? I know I’ve heard those before. The show follows this guy, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) who frequently falls in love with women on sight. This causes him to become obsessed and stalk them on social media as well as in person (creepyyyy).
He uses the information he finds to his advantage to “organically” get close to her. He likes to resolve their life problems and be their man in shining armor, even if that includes making problematic people disappear… yup.
I like the overall message at the end of the series – that’s why I recommend it, but viewer discretion is advised!