You know those tearjerker romance movies that wreck you every time, even at a young age with zero dating experience? The emotional ones that still hit hard once you’ve felt real loss yourself?
Yeah, those. We can’t get enough of the sad romances that make you sob. Deep down we know most characters are fictional. But the emotions and heartbreaks still feel so real, and that’s what matters.
We’ve rounded up the best sad romance films that will make you cry, even if you swear you have no tear ducts! Keep tissues handy and get ready to revel in tragic love stories.
1. All the Bright Places (2020)
This movie is heart-wrenching from the start. Violet is dealing with surviving guilt after her sister died in a car crash. As she prepares to jump off the same bridge as her sister did, she meets Theodore. Theodore talks her out of it, and they start a relationship based on both feeling lost in life.
2. A Star is Born (2018)
We were rooting for Ally and Jackson from the moment they met at a bar where she’s singing Edith Piaf beautifully. With Jackson’s help, a star is born – and so is an epic romance. It seems so hopeful at first, and even when things shift, we still hope it’ll be okay somehow.
And if you’ve already sobbed through Gaga and Cooper’s remake, try the 1937 version with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. Or you can also choose the 1954 version stars Judy Garland and James Mason. And the 1976 remake with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.
3. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Romeo + Juliet is obviously sad since it’s one of the most tragic love stories. But Baz Luhrmann’s gorgeous film really makes it impactful. The beach setting, costume party, and ’90s Leonardo DiCaprio have you reciting those famous lines.
4. Moonlight (2016)
Moonlight pulls hard on the heartstrings. It follows one Black gay man growing up poor in Miami with an addicted mom. We see Chiron come to terms with his identity and feelings for his friend Kevin in three life chapters. It was the first LGBTQ and all-Black cast film to win Best Picture – a must-watch.
5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Set in 1770s France, Marianne is hired to secretly paint engaged Héloïse. Héloïse doesn’t want to marry, and she and Marianne share a dreamy 5 days of love and female bonding. After you may feel like sobbing to Vivaldi and opening any book to page 28.
6. La La Land (2016)
La La Land follows two aspiring artists who fall in love in Los Angeles. Just when it seems their relationship will lead to a happy ending, realities and missed connections tear them apart. The final nostalgic montage is a real tearjerker.
7. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Based on James Baldwin’s novel, this movie is about Black love facing obstacles. In 1970s Harlem, childhood friends turned lovers Tish and Fonny want to start a life together. But their plans take a tragic turn when Fonny is falsely imprisoned.
8. Titanic (1997)
No list of sad, romantic movies is complete without Titanic. Even knowing the ending, you still shed buckets when Rose tells Jack she’ll never let go. Or when Rose jumps back on the sinking ship – that’s the real sob moment.
9. Amour (2012)
It’s about an elderly couple still deeply in love. Facing mortality, George and Anne keep their devotion and promises, like her wish to never return to the hospital after a stroke. If movies about later-life love get you, this one will wreck you.
10. Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Fried Green Tomatoes follows the story between Idgie and Ruth, two women in the 1920s American South. Their undeniable connection and loyalty in the face of societal challenges make for a touching LGBTQ love story. It deserves its spot as a tearjerker, though which storyline hits you most may vary.
11. Irreplaceable You (2018)
In this movie, Abbie is diagnosed with terminal cancer and tries to find someone new for her fiancé after she’s gone. Trying to find your love’s next partner because you’re dying? That’s true love right there.
12. Atonement (2007)
Atonement is a classic tragic romance. Two young lovers, Cecilia and Robbie, are just starting their love story. However, Cecilia’s sister lies and falsely accuses Robbie of a crime. It leads to the heartbreaking separation of them and ruins their lives.
13. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
This visually dazzling film depicts the tragic romance between a writer and a courtesan in glamorous 1890s Paris. It shows sad love in Baz Luhrmann’s signature colors, with its message “The greatest thing is to love and be loved”.
14. Up (2009)
This film will have you sobbing buckets. It begins with a montage following Carl and Ellie’s life together from childhood into old age. Their enduring love through joy and hardship is incredibly poignant, especially when Carl must learn to go on alone. It’s a poignant look at how love defines us even when those we love are gone.
15. Seven Pounds (2008)
In Seven Pounds, the man called Ben Thomas wants to redeem himself by changing the lives of seven deserving people. But he falls in love with a woman with a terminal illness. Believe me, you’ll need plenty of tissues.