Films That Have Made Me Cry
by JoshStainer | created - 21 Apr 2020 | updated - 3 weeks ago | PublicFrom Sophie’s Choice to Pixar classics, film has the power to draw out emotions that are not visible on the surface. They make us think about our own lives. And this is a selection of Movies and TV Shows which have done just that.
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1. Sophie's Choice (1982)
R | 150 min | Drama, Romance
Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps, who has found a reason to live with Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust.
Director: Alan J. Pakula | Stars: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Peter MacNicol, Rita Karin
Votes: 52,767 | Gross: $30.04M
2. The Lion King (1994)
G | 88 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself.
Directors: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg
Votes: 1,142,280 | Gross: $422.78M
3. Good Will Hunting (1997)
R | 126 min | Drama, Romance
Will Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård
Votes: 1,067,996 | Gross: $138.43M
4. Love Actually (2003)
R | 135 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.
Director: Richard Curtis | Stars: Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney
Votes: 531,512 | Gross: $59.70M
5. Modern Family (2009–2020)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Three different, but related, families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.
Stars: Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell
Votes: 483,519
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
PG-13 | 130 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Harry, Ron, and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.
Director: David Yates | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon
Votes: 948,514 | Gross: $381.01M
7. The Impossible (2012)
PG-13 | 114 min | Drama, History, Thriller
The story of a tourist family in Thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Director: J.A. Bayona | Stars: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Oaklee Pendergast
Votes: 244,067 | Gross: $19.02M
8. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
PG-13 | 125 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Author P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.
Director: John Lee Hancock | Stars: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell
Votes: 170,042 | Gross: $83.30M
9. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
R | 134 min | Biography, Drama, History
In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free Black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt
Votes: 741,291 | Gross: $56.67M
10. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
PG-13 | 126 min | Drama, Romance
Hazel and Gus are teenagers who meet at a cancer support group and fall in love. They both share the same acerbic wit and a love of books, especially "An Imperial Affliction", so they embark on a journey to visit an author in Amsterdam.
Director: Josh Boone | Stars: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern
Votes: 401,125 | Gross: $124.87M
11. The Theory of Everything (2014)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Stephen Hawking gets unprecedented success in the field of physics despite being diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 21. He defeats awful odds as his first wife Jane aids him loyally.
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior, Sophie Perry
Votes: 482,061 | Gross: $35.89M
12. Brooklyn (2015)
PG-13 | 117 min | Drama, Romance
An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.
Director: John Crowley | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent
Votes: 150,487 | Gross: $38.32M
13. Room (I) (2015)
R | 118 min | Drama, Thriller
A little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.
Director: Lenny Abrahamson | Stars: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers, Wendy Crewson
Votes: 450,515 | Gross: $14.68M
14. Fleabag (2016–2019)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
Series adapted from the award-winning play about a young woman trying to cope with life in London whilst coming to terms with a recent tragedy.
Stars: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Olivia Colman, Jenny Rainsford
Votes: 201,400
15. This Is Us (2016–2022)
TV-14 | 45 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A heartwarming and emotional story about a unique set of triplets, their struggles, and their wonderful parents.
Stars: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz
Votes: 159,192
16. A Monster Calls (2016)
PG-13 | 108 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Conor, a twelve-year-old boy, encounters an ancient tree monster who proceeds to help him cope with his mother's terminal illness and being bullied in school.
Director: J.A. Bayona | Stars: Lewis MacDougall, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell
Votes: 93,831 | Gross: $3.74M
17. La La Land (2016)
PG-13 | 128 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
While navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.
Director: Damien Chazelle | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt, J.K. Simmons
Votes: 671,430 | Gross: $151.10M
18. Paddington 2 (2017)
PG | 103 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.
Director: Paul King | Stars: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins
Votes: 93,985 | Gross: $40.44M
19. Coco (I) (2017)
PG | 105 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.
Directors: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina | Stars: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach
Votes: 590,424 | Gross: $209.73M
20. Lady Bird (2017)
R | 94 min | Comedy, Drama
In 2002, an artistically inclined 17-year-old girl comes of age in Sacramento, California.
Director: Greta Gerwig | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges
Votes: 328,903 | Gross: $48.96M
21. Love, Simon (2018)
PG-13 | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
Simon Spier keeps a huge secret from his family, his friends and all of his classmates: he's gay. When that secret is threatened, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity.
Director: Greg Berlanti | Stars: Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford
Votes: 125,890 | Gross: $40.83M
22. Modern Love (2019–2021)
TV-MA | 513 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
TV series based on the New York Times column that explores relationships, love, and the human connection.
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey, Andy Garcia, Dev Patel
Votes: 36,483
23. Little Women (2019)
PG | 135 min | Drama, Romance
Jo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.
Director: Greta Gerwig | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen
Votes: 245,807 | Gross: $108.10M
24. Her (2013)
R | 126 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.
Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara
Votes: 669,608 | Gross: $25.57M
25. The Help (2011)
PG-13 | 146 min | Drama
An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.
Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 492,808 | Gross: $169.71M
26. Green Book (2018)
PG-13 | 130 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver for an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.
Director: Peter Farrelly | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Maniscalco
Votes: 572,111 | Gross: $85.08M
27. Normal People (2020)
TV-14 | 28 min | Drama, Romance
Follows Marianne and Connell, from different backgrounds but the same small town in Ireland, as they weave in and out of each other's romantic lives.
Stars: Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Desmond Eastwood, Aislín McGuckin
Votes: 90,919
28. Killing Eve (2018–2022)
TV-14 | 42 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After a series of events, the lives of a security operative and an assassin become inextricably linked.
Stars: Jodie Comer, Sandra Oh, Fiona Shaw, Kim Bodnia
Votes: 134,956
29. Soul (2020)
PG | 100 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Joe is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn't quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is jazz. But when he travels to another realm to help someone find their passion, he soon discovers what it means to have soul.
Directors: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House
Votes: 379,742
30. The Escape (II) (2017)
Unrated | 101 min | Drama
An ordinary woman makes an extraordinary decision which will change her life forever.
Director: Dominic Savage | Stars: Gemma Arterton, Dominic Cooper, Frances Barber, Marthe Keller
Votes: 2,453 | Gross: $0.01M
31. It's a Sin (2021)
TV-MA | 48 min | Comedy, Drama, History
The lives of a group of friends living in 1980s London are irreparably changed by the AIDS crisis.
Stars: Olly Alexander, Nathaniel Curtis, Shaun Dooley, Omari Douglas
Votes: 36,891
32. One Night in Miami... (2020)
R | 114 min | Drama
A fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the Civil Rights Movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.
Director: Regina King | Stars: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
Votes: 34,280
33. Minari (2020)
PG-13 | 115 min | Drama
A Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.
Director: Lee Isaac Chung | Stars: Steven Yeun, Han Yeri, Alan Kim, Noel Cho
Votes: 97,003
34. Luca (2021)
PG | 95 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
On the Italian Riviera, an unlikely but strong friendship grows between a human being and a sea monster disguised as a human.
Director: Enrico Casarosa | Stars: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo
Votes: 194,300
35. CODA (2021)
PG-13 | 111 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her passion at Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents.
Director: Sian Heder | Stars: Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant
Votes: 164,940
36. Call Me by Your Name (2017)
R | 132 min | Drama, Romance
In 1980s Italy, romance blossoms between a seventeen-year-old student and the older man hired as his father's research assistant.
Director: Luca Guadagnino | Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar
Votes: 315,741 | Gross: $18.10M
37. Encanto (2021)
PG | 102 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
A Colombian teenage girl has to face the frustration of being the only member of her family without magical powers.
Directors: Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith | Stars: Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo
Votes: 262,248 | Gross: $96.09M
38. Marriage Story (2019)
R | 137 min | Drama, Romance
Noah Baumbach's incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together.
Director: Noah Baumbach | Stars: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Greer, Azhy Robertson
Votes: 346,375 | Gross: $2.00M
39. About Time (I) (2013)
R | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
At the age of 21, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. His decision to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend turns out not to be as easy as you might think.
Director: Richard Curtis | Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson
Votes: 385,862 | Gross: $15.32M
40. Close (I) (2022)
PG-13 | 104 min | Drama
The intense friendship between two thirteen-year old boys Leo and Remi suddenly gets disrupted. Struggling to understand what has happened, Léo approaches Sophie, Rémi's mother. "Close" is a film about friendship and responsibility.
Director: Lukas Dhont | Stars: Eden Dambrine, Gustav De Waele, Émilie Dequenne, Léa Drucker
Votes: 34,775
41. Past Lives (2023)
PG-13 | 105 min | Drama, Romance
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.
Director: Celine Song | Stars: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro, Moon Seung-ah
Votes: 114,754
42. All of Us Strangers (2023)
R | 105 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
A screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with his downstairs neighbor while discovering a mysterious new way to heal from losing his parents 30 years ago.
Director: Andrew Haigh | Stars: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Carter John Grout, Jamie Bell
Votes: 44,402
43. 1985 (2018)
85 min | Drama
A closeted young man goes home for the holidays and struggles to reveal his dire circumstances to his conservative family.
Director: Yen Tan | Stars: Cory Michael Smith, Virginia Madsen, Michael Chiklis, Jamie Chung
Votes: 2,519
44. One Day (2024)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.
Stars: Leo Woodall, Ambika Mod, Amber Grappy, Brendan Quinn
Votes: 41,443
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