Every year, awards season seems to follow a trend: movies with an emphasis on sad storylines reign supreme in nominations and in awards. With the real world experiencing negativity on a near-constant basis, why is it that these movies continue to be perceived as those most worthy of nominations and awards? Perhaps the movies give audiences a sense of solidarity, or they process audience emotions on behalf of audiences. Or, it could be because movie that center sadness or other negative emotions tend to be perceived as more serious than movies with an emphasis on joyous or upbeat themes.Â
When we look at the Best Picture winners at the Oscars from 2014 to 2025, the winners include: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Spotlight, Moonlight, The Shape of Water, Green Book, Parasite, Nomadland, CODA, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Oppenheimer, and most recently, Anora. Although not all of these movies deal with heavy themes, sadness or other strong emotions is definitely a prevalent theme in many of the films.Â
The other nominees for Best Picture at the 96th Oscars included American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Killers of the Flower Moon, Past Lives, and The Zone of Interest. Oppenheimer took home the trophy, and the subject matter of director Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus makes it so that it’s nearly impossible to not be a heavy movie. It follows J. Robert Oppenheimer as he deals with the weight of creating a weapon of mass destruction … that doesn’t really stand a chance of being uplifting, right? Fellow nominees Killers of the Flower Moon and The Zone of Interest respectively follow the true story of the Osage murders and the life of an Auschwitz commandant and his family as they live in serenity on the opposite side of the fence from the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi Germany.Â
The argument over whether sad movies are inherently artistically worthy — whether it emerges in conversation or through critical perception — has two sides, especially during their mass influx in recent years. Many, including myself, view movies both as an escape from the world — especially one that is as tense as ours is today — as well as a medium to deliver messages that audiences need to be reminded of or educated about.Â
Just like there is an argument to be made for the support of emotionally dense movies, there’s also an argument to be made against them. Sometimes, movie are dubbed as “Oscar-bait,” created with the sole purpose of garnering critical praise and awards. Hollywood Insider says Oscar-bait movies tend to “fall under four categories: the historical drama, the musician biopic, the melodrama, and the quirky indie comedy.” When films are created with the intention to appease others (namely, critics) and not to serve the purpose necessary to its creator(s), they run the risk of falling flat. If art is created for the sole purpose of validation and not for connection or self-expression, it can be argued that it does not fit the definition of art in the first place.Â
There’s also the issue of films being mis-advertised to stand out among competition. A 96th Oscars Best Picture Nominee American Fiction, for example, includes themes of caretaking for an ailing parent, struggling with personal growth within a career, unexpected grief, drug addiction in the family, and struggles with systemic racism in the United States. When I went to the theater to watch the movie, I was surprised at how heavy the subject matter was, because it had primarily been advertised as a “dramedy” (with emphasis on the comedy).Â
On the other hand, as mentioned above, these sad movies can serve a greater purpose as well. When a movie covers heavy subject matter, it can be a vehicle for processing emotions on behalf of its audiences and creators. The film Aftersun, for example, primarily deals with grief and processing the loss of a parent. The fact that the film is semi-autobiographical for writer/director Charlotte Wells further emphasizes the idea that Wells is using art as a means to process her personal experiences with her father (portrayed by Paul Mescal in the film). Because of this, I can’t judge Aftersun too harshly; after all, it is in my Top Four on Letterboxd (in fact, all four of my Top Four were on the list of Top 250 Films with the Most Fans on Letterboxd. My other favorites on the app, if you’re curious, are Mamma Mia!, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Almost Famous)!
Despite following the equation for a sad movie, there are still issues with how these heavy movies are perceived based on the identities of their creators. For example, Aftersun received only one nomination at the Oscars, and it was for Paul Mescal’s performance as Calum. The same year, no women were nominated for Best Director, despite many female-directed films being heralded highly in the award circuit, review cycles, and audience reactions. So, there is an argument to be made that even if a director creates a textbook Oscar-winning film, they can be passed over because of their gender identity.Â
Even though it seems like the award circuit in particular loves these movies, it’s not just critics who have an affinity for sad films. Social media app Letterboxd’s aformentioned Top 250 Films with the Most Fans list includes titles like Little Miss Sunshine, Brokeback Mountain, and The Florida Project. Although Little Miss Sunshine is a great movie and often labeled as a comedy, it follows a family with lots of dysfunction and heavy subject matter. Brokeback Mountain is a staple in the “bury your gays” trope, a narrative trend in which queer characters deal with misfortune and sadness (if you’ve seen Brokeback, you know exactly how this exists within the film). Lastly, The Florida Project (which is still one of the saddest movies I’ve ever seen) is a popular favorite on the app. Part of what made The Florida Project so sad to me was its utilization of a young girl’s perspective, grounded in innocence and naivety, to show the grim reality of low-income individuals who live near Disney World. This point of view used as an emotional tool made the film hit me that much harder.
Although every movie I’ve mentioned serves an artistic purpose, it’s important as viewers to continue engaging with both heavy and lighthearted movies. We must hold appreciation for both types as artistically valid and necessary. Your favorites list can be populated by titles like Superbad as much as it is by titles like Interstellar. After all, movies are all about providing entertainment and explaining the world around us — an objective which can be accomplished across many genres, themes, and emotional cores.