Do you know that feeling when you just want to cry for no good reason? I’ll admit this happens to me (and my roommates) a lot. At least once a month we sit down on the couch with some popcorn and chocolate to watch a movie we know is guaranteed to make us cry. By the end of the movie you can find me in the bathroom blowing my nose, wiping my tears, and using a warm washcloth in an attempt to depuff my eyes before anyone sees me. Thankfully, I have come up with a list of the 5 best movies to watch that will make you bawl your eyes out (but in the best way possible).
1. My Sister’s Keeper
This movie absolutely destroys me every time I watch it. Last time I watched it I cried harder than I have possibly in my entire life. It’s not a movie with just one sad part, it’s the kind of movie that you cry for the entire two hours. It’s based on a true story about a family with a daughter named Kate who is diagnosed with leukemia when she is very young. In order to save their daughter, the parents decide to have another child who they genetically engineer to be a match for Kate in order to become a donor to her needs. This child’s name is Anna, and when she is 11-years-old she sues her parents for ‘medical emancipation.’ This means that she no longer wants to donate parts of her body to her sister, which in turn means her sister will die. The movie follows the trial in court, Kate’s journey with cancer, and the family’s everyday life. If you watch this one, keep a box of tissues close by and only watch with people who you’ll let see you ugly cry. You can watch My Sister’s Keeper with an HBO MAX subscription, or rent it for $2.99 across multiple platforms.
2. Marley and Me
Marley and Me is a classic sad movie that everyone should watch at least once. This movie is amazing for many reasons, one of them being that the main characters are played by Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. As an added bonus, McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy plays a role in this film as well. Anyone who had a childhood dog, or any pet, can relate to this movie. It follows a newly married couple named John and Jennifer Grogan on their journey of creating a family. This family, of course, starts with a puppy. We probably all know where this movie goes in order to be #2 on my list of crying movies, but watch it anyway for the experience. You can rent Marley & Me on multiple platforms for $3.99.
3. Armageddon
This isn’t a typical sappy romance that everyone has seen before. Armageddon is the perfect mix of action and romance that will make you cry but also keep you on edge the whole time. An important thing to note about this film is that young Ben Affleck is the male romantic lead. In Armageddon, there is a giant meteor approaching earth, and if it hits the world will end. To save the world NASA calls in an oil drilling team to go into space, drill into the meteor, and save the world. The leader of the oil drilling team (Bruce Willis) has a daughter who has fallen in love with one of the members of his crew (Ben Affleck). These are the only two people in the world that she loves, and she watches as they go on a dangerous space mission to try to save the world, or die trying. There’s action, romance, comedy, and so many plot twists in this movie. It’s one of my favorites because the ending never fails to break my heart into a million pieces. You can watch Armageddon with a subscription to HBO MAX, Hulu (with HBO MAX add-on), or Amazon Prime Premium Video. You can also rent it on multiple platforms for $3.99.
4. The Notebook
I’m pretty sure everyone has seen this one before. Oddly, I didn’t watch this movie until my freshman year of college. Even if you’ve seen it before, this movie will make you cry every time. Rachel McAdams, the queen of romance movies, stars in this alongside Ryan Gosling. We also get the added bonus of James Marsden in this film. The Notebook follows the journey of a young couple from their first date to their elder years. The story is narrated by the male lead, Noah, as he tells their love story to his wife, Allie, who has Alzheimers. The story flashes between their young years and current time in the retirement home. This is a classic Nicholas Sparks story so it’s bound to have everyone crying by the end, if not sooner.
5. The Last Song
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth star in this movie. That should be enough to convince you to watch this, but if it’s not, this is actually an amazing movie. The plot follows Ronnie, played by Cyrus, during a summer spent at her estranged father’s house. Ronnie meets a local boy named Will, played by Hemsworth, and they date throughout the summer. There’s teenage drama, romance, coming of age, and a lot of family love in this film. The ending takes an unexpected turn which is when the sadness begins. The soundtrack to this film is also noteworthy if, like me, you love Miley Cyrus’s voice. You can watch The Last Song with a Disney+ subscription, or rent it for $3.99 on Amazon Prime.