Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
25submissions
1week left
25 Movies With Sad Endings That Viewers Still Can’t Get Over
Time for a cozy movie night! Grab the popcorn, gummy bears, chocolate-covered raisins, and I'll prepare the fluffy blankets. Put on your PJs, grab your sparkling beverage of choice, and settle into the couch. Now, what would you like to watch this evening: an uplifting film full of laughter and joy or a depressing drama that will turn you into a puddle of tears?
Redditors have been discussing movies that have anything but a happy ending, so we’ve gathered some of the saddest ones below. If you’re looking for something to watch with your kids, you might want to skip these. But if you’re in the mood for some much-needed catharsis, keep these heartbreaking films in mind! And continue reading to find a conversation with John Barker, Managing Director at All The Right Movies.
Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The Green Mile.
I spent the whole movie hoping for the truth to come out and for him to be exonerated.
>!Then the truth comes out and everyone that matters is poised to do exactly that and the poor f*** is just so tired and beaten down from all the hate and hurt in the world that he just wants to get it over with. Everyone involved knows full and [darn] well he's innocent and they go ahead with the e*******n anyway, because this literal angel full of childlike love and innocence basically begs them to set him free from this mean a*s world. !<
It's one of only a couple of movies that are both on my "Favorite movies of all time" list and also on me "Can never ever watch it again" list.
RELATED:
#2
Stand By Me. Listening to narrator talk about how friends fade into obscurity and only memories remain becomes more relatable every time I watch it.
Awesomekip:
“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
Hits hard.
#3
Dead Poets Society.
ihavesomestuff:
In my top 10 favorite movies. One of the few movies that destroyed me emotionally but I've still watched multiple times. It's just that good.
To learn more about some of these surprisingly sad films, we reached out to John Barker, Managing Director at All The Right Movies. He was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and discuss some films that would certainly fit on this list.
"Some of the most memorable films ever made have downbeat endings: Casablanca, where Rick sacrifices his chance at happiness with Ilsa is timeless," John shared. "A more modern (and equally devastating) one is Million Dollar Baby, where Frankie turns off Maggie's life-support system."
"Maybe the saddest for me, though, is Chinatown, where Evelyn is shot, and her daughter is left alone with her abusive father," the cinephile says. "Truly tragic and highlights the theme of the film, the futility of fighting corruption."
#4
Hands down it's Grave of the Fireflies.
ravravioli:
In the 90s, my parents found this movie for us because we loved Totoro. They put it on for us and then went out to dinner. They came back to utter chaos. 20+ years later I am still traumatized.
#5
The boy in the striped Pajamas.
PaperStSoapCO_:
God [darn] I recently rewatched this and it f****d me up real good. Everything about it, obviously the ending but I was bawling through the entire thing. It hurts me.
#6
Hachi: A Dog's Tale - a serious tearjerker this one.
michyeosseo1998:
Even to this day, I tear up the moment I hear the soundtrack of the movie, let alone watch the movie itself...
On the other hand, we wanted to know if there were any upsetting films that John wouldn't ever want to watch again.
"Requiem for a Dream is one; a film about addiction that ends with all characters in varying states of ruin," he shared. "A finale far too bleak for more than one viewing - for me, anyway."
"The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: Set during the H*******t, the ending involves the death of the main characters," he continued. "Something we've seen before, but the way in which it happens (no spoilers) is pretty shattering, and unexpected."
"The one that stayed with me the longest was probably Grave of the Fireflies," John added. "It's an animation, but there's not much you can call fun about it. Set during World War II and following the tale of two orphans, describing the end would reveal too much. It's superb, but you'll probably not want to watch it again."
#7
The Land Before Time.
That's a tragedy for those poor dino kids. Heck. That movie even reminds me of my dead pets. To top it off, the melancholic tone of "If We Hold On Together" by Diana Ross as its main theme. It gets me everytime.
#8
Million dollar baby
xMCioffi1986x:
Yeah, there's no tiptoeing or silver lining, it's just brutally honest "your life can completely change in a split second and sometimes there is no happy ending."
#9
Pan's Labyrinth.
Kuhneel:
Between the bottle scene and the ending, I don't think I could sit through it again.
Amazing, but emotionally exhausting.
Finally, we wanted to know if John believes viewers should go into a film knowing that there will be a sad ending or if the element of surprise can make these endings more powerful.
"Knowing a film has a sad ending allows the viewer to prepare themselves, meaning they can focus on how the story is crafted, or on what the message of the film is - this is probably a benefit for more artistic filmmakers," he noted. "On the other hand, the act of unfolding a story can be an artform in itself. A sad ending can be a more powerful and memorable way to climax your story, and the user not knowing what is coming allows a filmmaker to build narrative tension - a key part of many films."
#11
The Fox and the Hound.
arothmanmusic:
I saw that in the theatre as a birthday party. You know what ruins a birthday party? A bunch of crying children. That ruins a birthday party.
#12
Se7en
Cynthus68:
This is the one that popped into my head right away. That was horrible. Definitely no warm and fuzzy feels with that ending.
"What's in the boooox?"
"It can depend on genre too," John continued. "Going into a war or horror film, a viewer has certain expectations and is probably more prepared for a potential sad ending than they might be if watching another genre. This is one of the reasons Grave of the Fireflies hits so hard."
"As with many things in movies, to say which 'works better' is totally subjective," the cinephile added. "Most viewers probably want to have expectations subverted. There are some, though, who might find a shock, sad ending genuinely upsetting. Cinema is all about storytelling so it is - or should be - the filmmaker's call on how the story is told. If they think the tale works best with a sad ending - surprise or not - they are the ones to make that creative decision."
#13
Bridge to Terabithia, I saw that movie as a kid and rewatched it last year and again I cried like a b***h.
Kotekan:
I was NOT prepared for that in the slightest, me and my best friend sat in shock.
#15
The Mist. I think it's why they made an alternate ending.
Anon:
One of the only movies I can remember watching in theater that had me legit mad after walking out, because it was just so good, but so painful.
I didn't even realize until seeing it pointed out later down the line that it was even worse because, as I recall, a woman who left early in the movie to save her kids, crying that nobody would come out to accompany her, was part of the group of people being escorted by the military.
F*****g h**l, that movie is a good one.
#16
Donnie Darko. That rendition of the song Mad World further makes the ending more depressing and full of dread.
#17
The Lovely Bones.
Sammie2Dope:
I cannot finish this movie without getting anxiety and stressing out. This is one of the saddest movies.
#18
Forrest Gump!
I cry every single time I watch the scene where he visits Jenny's grave. Tom Hanks’ talent is extraordinary!
#19
Leaving Las Vegas.
moinatx:
This one wrecked me for some time. When people hate on Nic Cage as an actor I think about how affecting he was in this film.
#20
No Country for Old Men. Nobody wins, except maybe Anton.
Research_Liborian:
This...x 10.
Only movie that ever left me hungover, despite my watching it completely sober.
#21
Atonement.
pinkleaf8:
I had no idea what the movie was about & was blown away by it & then have never been able to stop thinking about what happened - the injustice, the separation before their love even got started, the sadness, the deaths.
#22
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.
beamer4:
Yes. Worst part is this isn’t fan fiction, it’s a real life nightmare that no family ever deserved. One of the few times I have felt physically gutted regarding people I’ve never met.
Philo Domingo 7 hours ago
This doc left me soooo angry. Great film though; I highly recommend it! Probably not the best to go see on Valentines Day though...
#23
Memento is a singular movie to me where I thought it was brilliant and I never want to watch it ever again.
YariAttano:
The ending lines are forever burned into my mind:
“I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can’t remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world’s still there. Do I believe the world’s still there? Is it still out there?... Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I’m no different.”
#24
The Butterfly Effect.
hellsbelle51:
I actually watched it with the Directors cut playing. didnt know. felt so F*****g empty inside after that.
#25
Brokeback Mountain.
Anon:
I put off watching this for so many years because I knew it was sad. I watched it this year, a few months after my relationship didn't work out. I think I had to carry the movie sadness with me for months. I don't know if I can watch it ever again.
You might also like: Hollywood careers: 29 actors who squandered their potential
Add Your Answer! This post is a community curated
Add Your Answer!
Related on Bored Panda
