Ever since the release of How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies, we’ve been using millions of tissues to wipe away our tears. No judgement though, crying can be extremely cathartic. If you’re glutton for more, we’ve compiled a list of sad Netflix movies that will make you cry, to find out which one will be your Number 1.
Table of Contents
Starting strong, Your Name is a Japanese Anime film about two time-crossed lovers. Spurred with fantasy and sci-fi, it follows teenagers Mitsuha and Taki, as they fall in love despite existing 3 years apart.
Though the premise is slightly confusing, before you know it you’ll be rooting for these characters to make it through an impossible situation. Aside from the heartwrenching plot, you won’t be able to take your eyes off the mesmerising detail in the animation.
Cry rating: 5/5
Watch Your Name on Netflix.
A film that may have slipped under your radar, 7 Letters is an anthology film about the different experiences that represent being Singaporean. Each tale places its characters in different historical and cultural contexts throughout our country’s existence, and each of them is filled with heavy emotions.
Whether it’s the conflict of political identity in The Flame or the nuances of celebrating Qingming in Grandma Positing Service (GPS), the film is probably going to trigger a few teardrops when you hear the next NDP song.
Cry rating: 3.5/5
Watch 7 Letters on Netflix.
Just on hearing the words ex-convict mortician and orphan, you know your eyes are in for a ride. Lighting Up The Stars follows these two as they begin to form a father-daughter relationship when the orphaned girl, Xiaowen stumbles upon the mortician, Sanmei at a funeral.
The film shines in its stellar performances, especially by the child actress, as well as tackling a complex concept like a child’s perception of death through a simple storyline.
Cry rating: 4.5/5
Watch Lighting Up The Stars on Netflix.
Divorce is one of the most heartbreaking things a family can go through, and the Oscar-nominated Marriage Story navigates it through its 2-hour runtime. There is no time wasted on romanticising a marriage falling apart, with believable characters and realistic obstacles coming their way.
The major thing that differentiates this film from other marriage dramas though, is its focus on family and other stakeholders, rather than solely the couple.
Cry rating: 3.5/5
Watch Marriage Story on Netflix.
A Singaporean remake of the Iranian masterpiece Children of Heaven, Jack Neo’s Homerun, is a wholesome and heart-shattering tale of two siblings in the year of independence. The various hurdles that older brother Kiat Kun has to go through to get his sister, Seow Fang, her shoes back are jarring and frustrating.
Watching this film could introduce younger viewers to a Singapore that seems unimaginable today, without it losing any relevance to the themes and characters.
Cry rating: 4.5/5
Watch Homerun on Netflix.
If you thought your family was dysfunctional, wait till you meet Kapoor and Sons. This movie is known to be one of Bollywood’s more gutsy films because it takes on subjects of homophobia, adultery and losing family without black-and-white stances.
If it’s any solace, there are entertaining dance sequences and even a body-building competition sprinkled in between all the tear-jerking revelations.
Cry rating: 3/5
Watch Kapoor and Sons on Netflix.
Okay hopeless romantics, this one’s for you. Your Name Engraved Herein is pure unrequited love fodder. Set in post-war Taiwan, two students in an all-boys school begin to discover their identities through attraction and the country’s societal changes.
Through gripping monologues and throw-book-at-TV longing looks you’ll be cheering on the boys, even when all roads look dire. This is also one of the more beautifully shot films so you can try to distract yourself with the views.
Cry rating: 5/5
Watch Your Name Engraved Herein on Netflix.
YA book-to-film adaptations usually have cringe-y reputations (Five Feet Apart, we’re looking at you), but All The Bright Places makes a refreshing departure from their tropes. It does start in a familiar spot: two teens finding kinship over their illness and falling in love. However, that’s also where it halts.
The conclusion is brutally bittersweet, showcasing the weight of depressive behaviour and how closure isn’t always the necessary end of a story.
Cry rating: 4.5/5
Watch All The Bright Places on Netflix.
How far would you go to protect a family member from the truth for their own peace? Would it all be worth it if they’re going to die soon anyway? These are the dilemmatic questions The Farewell’s protagonist has to dwell on as her family lies to her grandmother about her terminal disease diagnosis.
Departing from Awkwafina’s comedic pieces, this film is painful and frustrating, especially for third-culture and immigrant kids who have to travel far to reconnect with family.
Cry rating: 4/5
Watch The Farewell on Netflix.
Abang Adik may seem like an action-drama with chase scenes and illegal substances, but its layers are what make every minute compelling. Following two undocumented brothers in Kuala Lumpur, one of whom is hearing-impaired, who have to deal with dodging authorities and weaving out of a murder case.
The movie has been on the Asian Cinema radar since its release, with its actors winning several awards for their performances and their embracing of the grimy setting their characters were in.
Cry rating: 5/5
Watch Abang Adik on Netflix.
We’re telling you straight up that Once In A Summer is known as one of the saddest Korean films ever, so do not come crying back to us. Heartthrob Lee Byung-hun stars as a professor on a gameshow about finding a long-lost love.
The story bounces back and forth between harsh political history and the romantic modern world, and this dreamy essence is enhanced with whispy cinematography and a soothing soundtrack.
Cry rating: 5/5
Watch Once In A Summer on Netflix.
Boxing movies can be sad, too. Keys To The Heart is a Filipino remake of a Korean film with the same title, however, does a complete reimagining to make it feel fresh. Washed-up boxer Joma reunites with his mother and his musical prodigy brother after his career in the ring dissipates.
Winding around boxing fights, piano performances and hard-to-watch conversations, there may not be a better family film that’ll lead to some serious soul-searching afterwards.
Cry rating: 4/5
Watch Keys To The Heart on Netflix.
The trailer of Italian film 100 Days With Tata is enough to make you tear up. The only documentary on this list, it features Miguel and his grandmother or Tata stuck together during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Through cute posts on social media, Tata becomes an overnight sensation.
This is a happy-tears kinda movie, making you gush over their adorable dynamics and also subtly explore themes of mortality and family. After watching this, you’re likely going to run to your grandparents and ask to be their talent manager.
Cry rating: 3.5/5
Watch 100 Days With Tata on Netflix.
Guised as a high school flick, Bang Woo-Ri’s 20th Century Girl is a slow-burn trickster of a tragedy. The film lures you with promises of Y2K Korea nostalgia and young love, that soon spirals into heavy topics as the runtime goes on.
The titular character is Bo-Ra, who is experiencing first love alongside a deep tragedy. However, what hits home is how she gets caught up in the little things, as we do, and forgets about larger, more serious events that plague our lives.
Cry rating: 4/5
Watch 20th Century Girl on Netflix.
Do not underestimate If Anything Happens I Love You’s 12-minute long runtime, as it can sting harder than a full-length feature. The Oscar-winning short film follows the parents of a victim of a school shooting and how they have to process and heal.
You and your eyes will be surprised at how fast the rivers will run down, and it’s definitely one of those films that will stick with you long after watching.
Cry rating: 5/5
Watch If Anything Happens I Love You on Netflix.
It’s not that we want you to cry, but if some of ya’ll are going to anyway with rising prices and toxic relationships, why not make a day of it by binge-watching all these films? Sigh, time to add another million tissue boxes to the grocery list.
For more movie recommendations, check out our list of Netflix horror movies and series for some spooks or our list of Singaporean movies on Netflix for some support local vibes. If you’d like to begin crying from confusion and wonder, you can see our list of mind-bending Netflix movies.
Cover image adapted from: Netflix Singapore
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