6 Movies that Guarantee a Good Cry
Writer: Ainsley Nichols
Editor: Natasha Hachinski
Have you ever wanted a reason to ball your eyes out? Everything is going great, so you need something to assist you. What is better than a good, life-altering, and absolutely destructive movie to satisfy those depressing needs? (NOTE: in brackets are genres/ideas the movies present that I feel sum up the type of movie you're getting yourself into if you don't want to read all six recommendations)
#1: Perks of Being a Wallflower (Coming of age)
It starts super strong with Stephen Chbosky’s heartbreaking coming-of-age film. While this may be biased, it is another of my “all-time favorite movies” I have seen over a million times. This movie changed my life. I even read the book, and let me tell you, I am not a reader. This movie left me with a 3-hour cry all the million times I have put myself through this film. Why, you might ask? While it is sad, it is also a beautiful film. The first time I watched this movie, I was 12 years old during the pandemic, trying to get by while feeling like an outsider to every aspect of my life. When I first watched this movie, it resonated so much with me, which is why I thought it hit so hard. 4 years later, after watching it at least 6 times per year, I learned that it was just that sad, and it would always make me cry even if I was on the plane ride to an amazing getaway in Florida. It was the only film I still had downloaded.
#2: A Dog's Purpose (A man's inseparable best friend)
A Dog's Purpose is a beautiful tale about an inseparable connection between a dog and his owner. The dog is reincarnated throughout the film, experiencing life as many different dogs; each lifetime, he and his first owner continue to find their way back to each other. When I first watched this movie, I was 9 years old, and once again, as a person who never loved reading, I even read the book. This film touched me and was the first movie I properly balled my eyes out to. This emotional rollercoaster is a must-watch if you love dogs, heartwarming stories, or simply need a good cry.
#3: Dead Poets Society (Arts / Coming of age)
“No matter what anyone tells you, words and ideas can change the world,” this is the TikTok quote I heard that convinced me to watch this movie. Another common quote is “we don't read and write poetry because it's cute, we read and write poetry because we are members of the human race and the human race is filled with passion…” or “poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for” and if you haven't heard or any, or they didn't hook you enough; that is what I will do. If you love art, acting, poetry, John Keating, and his many other films, you will adore this film. It is set in 1959, focusing on a class of students attending an all-boys private school and their relationship with their teacher and his inspiring persona relative to art and poetry. This movie touches on their experiences and how he teaches them to adore acting and his class, break free of their shells, and chase their dreams.
#4: Lala Land (romance)
In my hunt to find six movies to put on the list, I had one constant recommendation: La La Land. Let me just say it did not disappoint in the ‘left me sobbing’ factor. This movie delves into the entertainment industry while depicting a whimsical relationship. La La Land has a euphoric and magical feel. I don't typically love musicals, but this one was done beautifully, and I might even listen to the soundtrack unironically. You most likely adore Ryan Gosling already, and if you're not weird and crazy like me, you have probably seen this multi-Grammy-winning performance. But, if you were like me 2 weeks ago and had not seen La La Land, I cannot stress enough my love of this film.
#5: Interstellar (Sci-Fi)
Let me lay this movie out for you if you haven't already seen it, which is crazy. This futuristic film is based on a time when a struggling society, reaching the end of the world, believed that no man had ever gone to the moon, and space research had no money going into it because it was believed to be completely made up. However, a scientist named Cooper, one of the few astronauts who almost made it to the moon, while it sounds crazy to the world, can contend with the truth about space. With his previous astronomy skills, Cooper discovers NASA as an underground company, trying to locate a new planet that humans can move to. Cooper, who is selected to be on the team to visit these planets, has to find the one best fit for Earth. He is with a team of scientists, and a team of scientists has previously gone and never returned. With that, he is forced to leave his two children, Murphy and Tom, while time is moving at a rate of 7 earth years into only one hour on these other planets. This beautifully heartbreaking film explores sci-fi and, once again, is life-changing and fascinating.
#5: Beautiful boy (Family Struggles - Drug abuse)
I will start this recommendation with the main character's actor, Timothee Chalamet, because I guarantee that if you have watched any movie he is in, you likely have fallen in love with his character and talent (him) repeatedly. This heart-wrenching film discusses many sensitive topics, such as drug abuse and recovery. This movie touches on addiction and affects the ones you love through Nic Sheff and his relationship with his father, David. This story is based on a true story, and while it has a happy ending, you will likely cry for days anytime you see an edit of a beautiful boy on TikTok like I do.