Ten sad movie recommendations that will make you cry

1. 

   The Farewell

   2019, United States

   The film follows a Chinese American woman named Billi, who learns her grandmother, Nai Nai, has only a short while left to live. Billi's family has decided to schedule a family wedding before Nai Nai dies to enable her to see all the family one last time, and not tell Nai Nai of her fatal illness. (Wikipedia)

2. 

   The Killing of Two Lovers

   2020, United States

   David wrestles with his separation from Nikki, who is dating her co-worker, Derek, while their eldest daughter, Jess, resents the arrangement. Consumed by jealousy, David’s emotions lead to a violent clash and a tragic misfire. Despite a fleeting moment of family unity, the couple's unresolved pain leaves their future uncertain. (Wikipedia)

3. 

   Flee

   2021, Denmark

   The story of a man under the alias Amin Nawabi, who shares his hidden past of fleeing his home country of Afghanistan to Denmark for the first time. (Wikipedia)

4. 

   Petite Maman

   2021, France

   The film follows a young girl coping with the death of her maternal grandmother by understanding better and bonding with both her mother and grandmother in the past. (Wikipedia)

5. 

   The Eternal Memory

   2023, Chile

   Augusto Góngora, a renowned Chilean journalist, and his wife Paulina Urrutia, an actress and former Minister of Culture, have shared 23 years together. After his Alzheimer’s diagnosis eight years ago, Paulina became his devoted caregiver. Despite the challenges, their love, humor, and commitment keep them strong. (Wikipedia)

6. 

   Capernaum

   2018, Lebanon

   It follows Zain, a 12-year-old from Beirut’s slums, who sues his parents for bringing him into a life of suffering. Through flashbacks, the film reveals his struggles with poverty, his sister’s tragic fate, and his care for an undocumented baby. Despite the hardships, Zain finds a glimmer of hope as he gains an ID card. (Wikipedia)

7. 

   Nobody Knows

   2004, Japan

   Four half-siblings (Akira, Kyōko, Shigeru, and Yuki), aged five to twelve, live in an apartment where only the eldest can be known to the landlord. Three must remain hidden, unable to go outside or attend school. When their mother, who often leaves them alone for weeks, finally abandons them completely, the children must rely solely on each other to survive. (Wikipedia)

8. 

   Neerja

   2016, India

   The plot is based on a real-life event: the attempted hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan by Libyan-backed Abu Nidal Organization on 5 September 1986. The film is shown from the point of view of the head purser of the flight, Neerja Bhanot, who thwarted the hijack attempt by alerting the pilots, thus grounding the plane. Bhanot died trying to help save the passengers and crew, of whom 359 of the 379 on board survived. (Wikipedia)

9. 

   Cemetery of Splendour

   2015, Thailand

   The plot revolves around a spreading epidemic of sleeping sickness where spirits appear to the stricken and hallucination becomes indistinguishable from reality. The epidemic is a metaphor for personal and Thai societal issues. (Wikipedia)

10. 

    Things to Come

    2016, France

    A passionate philosophy teacher in Paris dedicates herself to inspiring independent thought in her students while balancing family responsibilities. When her husband leaves her and her mother dies, she unexpectedly finds herself facing a new kind of freedom. (Wikipedia)