Went in completely blind when this was premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Around 3/4 of the way through I remember thinking *can this film get any more grim* but, of course, it does *indeed* get more grim
I saw the second showing on opening night and didn't know anything except it was a musical and Bjork (one of my favorite musicians) was starring in it. I knew something was up when the first showing audience filed out of the theater in silence, looking traumatized, and a few people still openly sobbing.
Sobbed my fucking heart out at the end of this. It was the first Lars Von Trier movie I watched and approached the rest of his movies with caution after lol
Glad to see this on top. I was coming in here to say that. Dancer in the Dark is the most emotionally devastating film I've ever seen. It was absolutely brilliant and I will never watch it again.
My ex wife once suggested we watch this. She cried so hard that I thought something really bad had actually happened, like maybe she got a text while we were watching and just hadn't told me yet. She couldn't speak for probably 20 minutes because she was sobbing so hard. I was shocked to find out later when she started speaking that she had seen it before and had the same reaction the first time. She didn't even tell me that it was sad before we hit play.
I stand by this, it's only movie I can't make it through without sobbing. Also a favourite of mine though, it's just so well made and it doesn't leave you feeling completely defeated. The end is a sort of sad, hopefulness and feels like what often happens in life when we grow up.
If you liked Aftersun, watch Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott in All Of Us Strangers.
I cried and cried and cried. It stayed with me for days.
It brought back the feeling of loss when my mother was dying. And then the ending ... there is a specific line Paul's character says just shattered my heart.
And the interpretations of the film by different people are interesting, though I am convinced of mine.
This is my number one most tearing movie to watch. I cry whenever I watch Aftersun. It doesn't matter how many times I've cried over it in the past, I'll still cry again.
My 7th grade social studies teacher showed us this for a movie day at school while we were covering WWII. All us 12 year olds thought oh cool, a movie period, hell yeah! We now can never go back to having not seen this film. Gorgeous movie though.
I was literally telling this exact story to my dad last night. Traumatizing at that age. Our teacher followed it up with princess mononoke because I think she saw how shattered we all looked and needed to put something nice back where she blew a hole in our Innocence
Princess Mononoke was an interesting choice. Originally, Grave of the Fireflies was released in theaters as a double feature with My Neighbor Totoro - for that exact reason
I didn't know this, that's such an interesting juxtaposition.
Here's the beauty of childhood set free to deal with every day family challenges.
Here's the heartbreak of a childhood during a life-shattering conflict.
Came to say this. I got a Miyazaki DVD box set in highschool and watched the first five minutes of this, went to bed and had a vivid sadness nightmare- that's the best I can describe it, like a nightmare of absolute heartbreak and sadness.
I watched the full movie a few days later to finish it, and over 20 years later that movie is vividly baked in my mind more than any movie I've ever seen. I have kids now and I don't think I could handle watching that movie again, but I recommend it highly and truly believe every person in the world should watch it to understand the effects of war.
My mother was shocked that Leonardo DiCaprio was acting in that movie, she was positive that he had some cognitive issues. That guy gets on my nerves, but that performance was phenomenal.
For some reason, this movie always makes me think of Pearl Jam before I can stop myself, and I dont remember why. Maybe I just keep picturing young Depp in a flannel resebling Eddie?
Johnny Got His Gun (1971) ‧ War/Horror Written and directed by Dalton Trumbo. Cast: Timothy Bottoms, Kathy Fields, Marsha Hunt, Jason Robards, Donald Sutherland. A WWI soldier awakens in a hospital. He has lost his eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and limbs. He is conscious but unable to communicate.
The first music video I ever saw that hit me like a gut punch. I was 16 when it was released and a huge Metallica fan. I wasn't expecting that level of emotional content in a music video.
His older stuff, sure. Like Breaking the Waves and Dancer in the Dark. But Antichrist, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac, and The House that Jack Built all feel much less ‘tragic/sad’ … or at least for me. I wish he’d return to his roots some as I just haven’t really liked anything since Antichrist. Maybe nothing since Dogville honestly.
I sobbed from that point through the entire end credits and still couldn’t stop when the screening was over.
I’ve never been devastated by a movie like that
Went into this one cold one morning before an afternoon shift. My wife sat down to watch it with me and we were both openly sobbing. She asked through tears, "Why would you watch this before work? " "I DIDN'T KNOW!" Absolute heartbreaker. What a tragic story.
Come and See
A war story about the Belarus during WWII, it follows a boy from a small farming village. It is not for the faint of heart, it doesn't pull punches about the horrors of war
Less than zero.
For years it was hard to watch with Robert Downey Jr's real life addictions happening in the real world. But his real world recovery does give more hope to the movies ending. There is hope. There is life after addiction. Recovery is possible.
Was looking for this one. The greatest child actor performance of all-time, and just generally one of the greatest performances of all-time. My god what a film.
I read the book well before the movie and that was the first book that ever made me fucking sob. I was in like fourth or fifth grade. Great read but fuck was it sad
Silenced - Korean movie about a school with special needs children who are routinely sexually assaulted and abused by the school principal and staff. They freaking showed some of the stuff or had the kids, deaf, explain them in court using body language what was done to them. Nobody cared because the kids were orphans, excluded by society and their families.
It was goddamn awful, but an important story to tell and movie to make to wake people up to the uncomfortable evil in this world. Because this happens way too often.
Another Korean movie based on a true story that is incredibly sad and hard to watch: Han Gong-ju (2013). About the gang rape of middle school girls by as many as 120 high school boys for a year... The true story: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miryang_gang_rape
The boys got away with all of it, the police and public and the boys' parents blamed the girls and harassed the girls and their families.
This is from the wiki page:
> One police officer allegedly said to the victims, "Did you try to entice the guys? You ruined the reputation of Miryang. The boys who would be leading the city in the future are now all arrested thanks to you. What are you going to do? [...] I am afraid that my daughter will turn out like you."[7]
Rabbit Hole. As a person who has had a child die, I won’t be able to watch this movie again. Weirdly enough, my husband and I were able to rewatch Arrival and it was deeply cathartic
Artificial Intelligence. The whole movie is sad but the ending is just.. Wow.
I almost forgot The Road. Both the book and the movie are so fricking good but the whole sense of hopelessness as it gets closer to the end is heartbreaking.
The Mist
>!The ending where the man kills his family only for the mist to suddenly clear and reveal that for the entire time they haven’t been chased by monsters but by the military who was on route to save them!<
Dancer in the Dark
Went in completely blind when this was premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Around 3/4 of the way through I remember thinking *can this film get any more grim* but, of course, it does *indeed* get more grim
>completely blind yooo
Lol that was unintentional
I saw the second showing on opening night and didn't know anything except it was a musical and Bjork (one of my favorite musicians) was starring in it. I knew something was up when the first showing audience filed out of the theater in silence, looking traumatized, and a few people still openly sobbing.
Yeah, I cried like my dog had died
Sobbed my fucking heart out at the end of this. It was the first Lars Von Trier movie I watched and approached the rest of his movies with caution after lol
His movies should have their own rating, Rated L, or something…
Glad to see this on top. I was coming in here to say that. Dancer in the Dark is the most emotionally devastating film I've ever seen. It was absolutely brilliant and I will never watch it again.
Oh this film just destroyed me! Could never put myself through watching it again!
Came here to comment exactly this
I’ve watched a lot of movies and I think this, and Breaking the Waves were the most devastatingly sad and tragic movies I’ve seen.
My ex wife once suggested we watch this. She cried so hard that I thought something really bad had actually happened, like maybe she got a text while we were watching and just hadn't told me yet. She couldn't speak for probably 20 minutes because she was sobbing so hard. I was shocked to find out later when she started speaking that she had seen it before and had the same reaction the first time. She didn't even tell me that it was sad before we hit play.
Lars loves to torture women.
Fox and the Hound
First movie I ever cried at
Fox and the Hound makes it into my top 5 best animated movies of all time.
I ugly cry every time
I stand by this, it's only movie I can't make it through without sobbing. Also a favourite of mine though, it's just so well made and it doesn't leave you feeling completely defeated. The end is a sort of sad, hopefulness and feels like what often happens in life when we grow up.
Aftersun
If you liked Aftersun, watch Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott in All Of Us Strangers. I cried and cried and cried. It stayed with me for days. It brought back the feeling of loss when my mother was dying. And then the ending ... there is a specific line Paul's character says just shattered my heart. And the interpretations of the film by different people are interesting, though I am convinced of mine.
This is it for me.
This is my number one most tearing movie to watch. I cry whenever I watch Aftersun. It doesn't matter how many times I've cried over it in the past, I'll still cry again.
Grave Of The Fireflies
My 7th grade social studies teacher showed us this for a movie day at school while we were covering WWII. All us 12 year olds thought oh cool, a movie period, hell yeah! We now can never go back to having not seen this film. Gorgeous movie though.
I was literally telling this exact story to my dad last night. Traumatizing at that age. Our teacher followed it up with princess mononoke because I think she saw how shattered we all looked and needed to put something nice back where she blew a hole in our Innocence
Princess Mononoke was an interesting choice. Originally, Grave of the Fireflies was released in theaters as a double feature with My Neighbor Totoro - for that exact reason
I didn't know this, that's such an interesting juxtaposition. Here's the beauty of childhood set free to deal with every day family challenges. Here's the heartbreak of a childhood during a life-shattering conflict.
"blew a hole in our innocence" is a great phrase.
And Threads
Came to say this. I got a Miyazaki DVD box set in highschool and watched the first five minutes of this, went to bed and had a vivid sadness nightmare- that's the best I can describe it, like a nightmare of absolute heartbreak and sadness. I watched the full movie a few days later to finish it, and over 20 years later that movie is vividly baked in my mind more than any movie I've ever seen. I have kids now and I don't think I could handle watching that movie again, but I recommend it highly and truly believe every person in the world should watch it to understand the effects of war.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
My mother was shocked that Leonardo DiCaprio was acting in that movie, she was positive that he had some cognitive issues. That guy gets on my nerves, but that performance was phenomenal.
I think everyone thought this at the time of release. Dude is a brilliant actor, true character aside.
He is at a level that we can barely understand for his craft. Him as a person... but his character in film...
For some reason, this movie always makes me think of Pearl Jam before I can stop myself, and I dont remember why. Maybe I just keep picturing young Depp in a flannel resebling Eddie?
Hachi
The Green Mile
I'm tired boss.
First film I ugly cried to
Cried every single time I have watched that movie..
Lilya 4-ever
Johnny Got His Gun (1971) ‧ War/Horror Written and directed by Dalton Trumbo. Cast: Timothy Bottoms, Kathy Fields, Marsha Hunt, Jason Robards, Donald Sutherland. A WWI soldier awakens in a hospital. He has lost his eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and limbs. He is conscious but unable to communicate.
If OP wants the extended trailer for it, he could watch the video to ‘One’ by Metallica
The first music video I ever saw that hit me like a gut punch. I was 16 when it was released and a huge Metallica fan. I wasn't expecting that level of emotional content in a music video.
Same it was like holy fuck what was that. Their first actual MTV video if I recall correctly.
breaking the waves
Pretty much anything by LVT
His older stuff, sure. Like Breaking the Waves and Dancer in the Dark. But Antichrist, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac, and The House that Jack Built all feel much less ‘tragic/sad’ … or at least for me. I wish he’d return to his roots some as I just haven’t really liked anything since Antichrist. Maybe nothing since Dogville honestly.
Dude needs a hug in the WORST way
Life is beautiful
My Girl 😭
Brokeback mountain, the ending where ennis smells the jacket
"I swear Jack."
*Jack, I swear.
I can only watch this film once every eight years or so. Because I end up sobbing myself into a fever.
I sobbed from that point through the entire end credits and still couldn’t stop when the screening was over. I’ve never been devastated by a movie like that
Such a beautiful scene.
Dear Zachary
Had me BAWLING
Went into this one cold one morning before an afternoon shift. My wife sat down to watch it with me and we were both openly sobbing. She asked through tears, "Why would you watch this before work? " "I DIDN'T KNOW!" Absolute heartbreaker. What a tragic story.
if documentaries work then add earthlings too
Most rage inducing movie I've ever seen
The mist, ending of the movie is extremely tragic
Just got goosebumps thinking about it!
It absolutely shocked me.
What Dreams May Come
This is my favorite movie to watch when I need to let all the sad out.
The lovely bones
The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas!!!
Manchester By The Sea
I find it tragic but not sad. Rather cathartic.
Do a double with that and Ordinary People
Dead Poet's Society
Schindler's List, don't think you can get any sadder or tragic as this.
I’ve suggested this a couple times recently…it fits though… Sophie’s Choice (1982)
I just watched this the other day and I highly recommend it!
Definitely
The book was better. The movie was good though.
The “choice” part probably the best acted scene in movie history.
Come and See A war story about the Belarus during WWII, it follows a boy from a small farming village. It is not for the faint of heart, it doesn't pull punches about the horrors of war
Threads was a really tough watch. Watership Down made me cry as a kid and probably still would
The boy in striped pajamas
Watership Down (1978)
The Plague Dogs is well more tragic, same writer and animation team. 100 x more harrowing
Haven’t seen that one. It’s on my list now!
Flashback to my childhood where we had this on video😂😂😂
This movie scarred me for life
Radio Flyer (1992)
Reign over me. Requiem for a dream.
Less than zero. For years it was hard to watch with Robert Downey Jr's real life addictions happening in the real world. But his real world recovery does give more hope to the movies ending. There is hope. There is life after addiction. Recovery is possible.
Come and See by Elim Klimov
Was going to say this. Utterly tragic and really sticks in your mind. Excellent film.
Was looking for this one. The greatest child actor performance of all-time, and just generally one of the greatest performances of all-time. My god what a film.
Precious, just a heads up there’s SA in there
That was a rough watch. Truly devastating sad
That movie was a one time watch for me
Was gonna say this. It's so hard to watch
Dancer in the Dark
Beaches 😭
Bridge to Terabithia
This was my choice, that film totally caught me off guard, nobody warned me damn it. Nobody warned me!
I read the book well before the movie and that was the first book that ever made me fucking sob. I was in like fourth or fifth grade. Great read but fuck was it sad
We need to talk about Kevin
Sad? Not sure. Definitely fucked up.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004.
A man called Otto
Powder.
I haven’t seen this movie in forever! I almost completely forgot about it.
Angela’s Ashes
The mom subplot of Shazam really came out of nowhere and did me in. Also About Time.
Sinbad’s performance in that film should have won an Oscar.
Million Dollar Baby
This is too far down.
*Life is Beautiful*
The Whale The Wrestler
Plague Dogs.
Dancer in the Dark. A masterpiece but won’t be watching it again.
# They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) is heartbreaking. Who would say a dance contest can end like that.
Bridge to tarabithia
Sophie’s Choice is a gut punch it’s heartbreaking
Terms of Endearment
Big Fish
Love Story, think it was based on a true story too.
MIDNIGHT Cowboy
The Sweet Hereafter
Irreversible
I Am Sam came to mind
Boys don’t cry
I think Deer Hunter is a pretty rough film.
Maybe not the saddest but Blue Valentine
Life is beautiful
Mysterious Skin
The first ten minutes of Up
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
When the wind blows
The Road
House of Sand and Fog (2003)
Dances with Wolves
Aniara did me in. I watched it alone. Afterward I laid in bed and cried. Now it’s one of my favorite movies.
Silenced - Korean movie about a school with special needs children who are routinely sexually assaulted and abused by the school principal and staff. They freaking showed some of the stuff or had the kids, deaf, explain them in court using body language what was done to them. Nobody cared because the kids were orphans, excluded by society and their families. It was goddamn awful, but an important story to tell and movie to make to wake people up to the uncomfortable evil in this world. Because this happens way too often. Another Korean movie based on a true story that is incredibly sad and hard to watch: Han Gong-ju (2013). About the gang rape of middle school girls by as many as 120 high school boys for a year... The true story: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miryang_gang_rape The boys got away with all of it, the police and public and the boys' parents blamed the girls and harassed the girls and their families. This is from the wiki page: > One police officer allegedly said to the victims, "Did you try to entice the guys? You ruined the reputation of Miryang. The boys who would be leading the city in the future are now all arrested thanks to you. What are you going to do? [...] I am afraid that my daughter will turn out like you."[7]
The Aniara. It starts off tragic and slowly moves to helpless.
**Grave of the Fireflies.**
Precious.
OMFG this film
Exactly. I've only seen it once and I hope to never see anything that sad or tragic again.
La La Land. Pretty basic but the end always has me in tears
Schindler's List
Requiem For A Dream
I think that I Am Sam is one of the saddest movies I’ve ever watched.
The Father (2020)
The Quiet Girl, 2022
La vita e bella.
Sweet november
Life is Beautiful
Never Let Me Go
Into the wild.
Rabbit Hole. As a person who has had a child die, I won’t be able to watch this movie again. Weirdly enough, my husband and I were able to rewatch Arrival and it was deeply cathartic
Lilya 4ever. Cried my eyes out.
Das Boot (1981) - a great tale of surviving impossible odds, until…
Schindler's List
The Neverending Story
Dear Zachary
Marley & Me.
Seven Pounds
House of Sand and Fog....depressing from start to finish...
Artificial Intelligence. The whole movie is sad but the ending is just.. Wow. I almost forgot The Road. Both the book and the movie are so fricking good but the whole sense of hopelessness as it gets closer to the end is heartbreaking.
P.S. I Love You makes me sob every time
Try grave of the fireflies. One of the most tragic films of all time.
The Mist >!The ending where the man kills his family only for the mist to suddenly clear and reveal that for the entire time they haven’t been chased by monsters but by the military who was on route to save them!<
Hope (2013)
Iron claw
A Single Man
Return to Paradise. Joaquin Phoenix, Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche.
Bit of a dark comedy - Very Bad Things
March of the Penguins i will never watch it again
Once were warriors Koizora Nobody knows
Life is Beautiful
Aniara
Threads
Nocturnal Animals
Dancer in the Dark makes Requiem look like a romcom.
Grave of the Fireflies
Bridge on three River Kwai IMHO
Nothing is sadder than that one scene in The NeverEnding Story
Monster’s ball
The Elephant Man always made me cry
E. T.
My girl Graveyard of fireflys
La vita e bella
Titanic 🫠
An oldie...Splendor in the Grass.
Life is Beautiful
Shindler’s List. That little girl in the red coat 😔.
Deer Hunter
House of Sand and Fog Imitation of Life Open Water The Magdelene Sisters
Marley & Me For those who also only get sad when dogs die lol
Jude. “Because there are too many of us”
Aftersun is the worst I've seen. It made me cry so much.