Trigger warning: intense themes
There is something to be said for movies that rip your heart out, hurt your stomach, or make you blankly stare at the black screen as the credits roll. They aren’t generally the right films for a night-in with your roomies or a break from your frantic midterm studying, but I’ve found that sad movies are sometimes the best ones I’ve ever watched. Something about seeing my deepest, darkest emotions played out on a screen, listening to haunting, elegiac scores, remembering that suffering is an experience that every human will one day know — it’s deeply cathartic, maybe even necessary.
We can’t empathize with people experiencing grief or trauma without seeking to understand the depth of their sadness, and I think film is one of the best mediums to gain that understanding. So here are five films that bring me to tears, touch my soul, and help me understand what it is to be human.
- The Stranger (2022)
-
This Netflix original was released with little fanfare but shot to the Top 10 list of movies on the streaming service within just a few days — and for good reason. A dark, haunting (and mostly true) story of justice and loss, this film, set in the lonely plains of Western Australia, is absolutely heartbreaking. It explores the dark side of humanity, residual trauma, stolen innocence, the duality of man, and aching grief. The cinematography is gloomy, the score stirring, and the acting eerily good. By the end of this film, I was sitting in shock, my stomach swirling with sadness and horror, my body glued to my couch — all signs of an amazing, important film.
- Dear Zachary (A Letter to a Son About His Father) (2008)
-
Where to even begin with this documentary? I remember seeing it on multiple TikTok countdowns and magazine listicles, all describing it as one of the saddest, most unbearable films to watch, and deciding to see for myself if all of these rumors were true. They were.
This documentary is almost agonizing in its depiction of a true, devastating story that could’ve ended so differently. I’ve watched it three times, and each time I was left with tears pouring down my face, gasping with heartbreak. But as breathtakingly sad as it is, it’s an absolutely beautiful film filled with love and remembrance and honor. In a world full of crass, money-hungry true crime media, this documentary is a reminder of how victims are real, beloved people, and how crimes leave families and friends heartbroken forever.
- All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)
-
This movie was also recently released on Netflix, exposing millions of people to the story first told in an early 20th-century novel. It is grim and haunting, made more so by how honest it is. A story about a young German soldier in World War I, it is one of the most enduring anti-war tales in the Western canon. It depicts the slow descent into despair and dehumanization that befalls most soldiers, showing in detail the endless suffering, unbelievable horror, and pointless heartbreak of war. The visuals are gorgeous and terrifying, and the music is almost otherworldly. A must-see.
- Mass (2021)
-
This is an incredibly difficult film to watch, not because it’s graphic or gory, but because it is so deeply intimate. The entire movie takes place in one room with a minuscule cast, little exposition, and hardly any action whatsoever. It depicts a conversation between families affected by a school shooting. Both families lost a child, but one family’s child killed the other. The acting and dialogue are shattering, and this topic has never been so timely. It’s a necessary and gripping film that I highly recommend.
- A Ghost Story (2017)
-
This is the definition of an artsy film: beautiful and unique cinematography, a strange and quiet plot, and weird scenes that seem unnecessary but are maybe the most important of all. This movie spans not only generations but eons — from dinosaurs to settler colonialism to futuristic cityscapes. It’s a story of the connection between those alive and those dead, those remembered and those forgotten. It is a reminder of how little time we have and how small we are in the grand scheme of things, but also how interconnected we are to each and every being in this world, both before and after our lives. It’s a thought-provoking, tear-jerking, and challenging film that will change your life — but only if you let it.
These movies are definitely not easy to view — not light, funny, or feel-good. However, if you’re looking for a film that will break your heart open, connect you to your fellow human, and honor the importance of grief and suffering, these will do just that.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!