Maybe you don’t really want to feel like a room without a roof right now. Maybe you need a good ugly-cry. Maybe you’re on the hunt for a nice and depressing movie to kill what you’re going through now. If you want to feel stupendously sad, if you want to be humane, you need to watch these poignant movies ASAP.
1) The Green Mile (1999)
Paul Edgecomb, the head guard of a prison, meets an inmate, John Coffey, a black man who is accused of murdering two girls. His life changes drastically when he discovers that John has a special gift.
Available On: Netflix
2) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
Bruno is the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp during WWII. His friendship with a Jewish boy he meets across the fence leads to unexpected consequences.
Available On: Netflix
3) Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
A devastating meditation on the human cost of war, this animated tale follows Seita, a teenager charged with the care of his younger sister, Setsuko, after an American firebombing during World War II separates the two children from their parents. Their tale of survival is as heartbreaking as it is true to life. The siblings rely completely on each other and struggle against all odds to stay together and stay alive.
Available On: Youtube
4) Titanic (1997)
Seventeen-year-old Rose hails from an aristocratic family and is set to be married. When she boards the Titanic, she meets Jack Dawson, an artist, and falls in love with him.
Available On: Disney + Hotstar
5) Life Is Beautiful (1997)
A Jewish father and his family are surrounded by Nazi death camps. Living in a hostile environment, he uses humor to shield his young son from the grim realities of war.
6) The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006)
Chris Gardner takes up an unpaid internship in a brokerage firm after he loses his life’s earnings selling a product he invested in. His wife leaves him and he is left with the custody of his son.
Available On: Netflix
7) Forrest Gump (1994)
Forrest, a man with low IQ, recounts the early years of his life when he found himself in the middle of key historical events. All he wants now is to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Jenny.
Available On: Netflix
8) Schindler’s List (1993)
Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and member of the Nazi party, tries to save his Jewish employees after witnessing the persecution of Jews in Poland.
Available On: Prime Video
9) The Pianist (2002)
During the WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.
Available On: Netflix
10) Braveheart (1995)
William Wallace, a Scottish rebel, along with his clan, sets out to battle King Edward I of England, who killed his bride a day after their marriage.
Available On: Prime Video
11) Miracle In Cell No.7 (2013)
Inmates at a Korean prison join forces to protect a comrade and his young daughter, who cannot bear to be separated for even a moment.
Available On: Youtube
12) Gladiator (2000)
Commodus takes over power and demotes Maximus, one of the preferred generals of his father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius. As a result, Maximus is relegated to fighting till death as a gladiator.
Available On: Youtube
13) Into The Wild (2007)
Christopher McCandless, a young graduate, decides to renounce all his possessions and hitchhike across America. During his journey, he encounters several situations which change him as a person.
Available On: Netflix
14) Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, leads a happy life with his wife and children in Rwanda. He displays immense courage by saving the lives of many helpless refugees during a communal war.
Available On: Prime Video
15) Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Imaginatively evoking the inner landscape of human beings longing to connect, to love and feel loved, the film is a parable of happiness gloriously found and tragically lost. “Requiem for a Dream” tells parallel stories that are linked by the relationship between the lonely, widowed Sara Goldfarb and her sweet but aimless son, Harry. The plump Sara, galvanized by the prospect of appearing on a TV game show, has started on a dangerous diet regimen to beautify herself for a national audience.
Available On: Netflix
