10 Sad Movies To Watch After A Breakup If You Feel Like You Just Need To Cry

After a breakup, one of the most important steps to healing and moving on is to take the time you need cry it the eff out. While you probably have plenty of weep-worthy inspiration currently in your life (you know, the breakup and all), sometimes, looking to real life can just be too raw. This is supposed to be cathartic, not put you in an emotional tailspin. So instead, when I need to get all my feelings out, I like to get my hands on a stack of sad movies to watch after a breakup and just cry, cry, cry.

So what makes for a great post-breakup tearjerker? Well, the answer is obvious: doomed romance, of course. Oh, and bonus points for any movie where one of our romantic leads dies at the end. Tragic! Honestly, I think I may start crying right now just thinking about some of my favorite sad movies. That may sound overly dramatic, but a good cry — one that leaves you soothed and satiated — can be exactly what you need when your heart is aching. So, without further ado, grab your biggest box of tissues, because here are 10 sad movies guaranteed to get those tears a-flowin’.

1. The Notebook

OK, let’s just go ahead and get this one out of the way, shall we? I mean, you can’t have a list of romantic tearjerkers without including The Notebook on it. So much romance. So much strife. So much dreamy Gosling… sorry, got distracted for a minute there.

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

No movie captures those feelings of "I wish I never even met them" like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But what makes this movie so incredible is that it also reminds you that ,while endings bring pain, there was plenty of joy along the way, too. And it even manages to squeeze in a little hope.

3. Blue Is The Warmest Color

I’m still not emotionally over this movie. It is so passionate and beautiful and yet so painful. If you really want to get your weep on, just watch Emma and Adele's love story unfold — and then fall apart — for yourself.

4. My Girl

My Girl, AKA my earliest childhood trauma, is so sweet and poignant that it’s utterly unforgettable. I dare you not to bawl your eyes out over Thomas' glasses. If you haven't seen it, trust me, these are the saddest spectacles ever to grace the silver screen.

5. Brokeback Mountain

The first time I saw this movie, I was devastated for days. Seriously, true story. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and when I did, I would spontaneously burst into tears. Jack and Enis' doomed romance rocked me to my core. If you really need to cry until you don’t have a single tear left in your body, you can't go wrong with Brokeback Mountain.

6. The Fault In Our Stars

Love and loss and the fragility of life? Uh yeah, I think this movie qualifies for this list. If you need me, I'll be over here crying and imagining my funeral. NBD.

7. Celeste & Jesse Forever

One of the reasons breaking up is so hard is because, oftentimes, there is so much uncertainty. Was it the right choice? Did I make a rash decision? Absolute torture. Celeste & Jessie Forever totally nails the unique struggle of a relationship that ends amicably and is a great reminder of why you should not just pick up the phone and demand a friendship right away. Give it time, girlfriend.

8. Atonement

You won't find a film more epically (and unnecessarily) tragic than the doomed romance of Robbie and Cecelia in Atonement, which is exactly why it's so amazing. Also, the costumes. Drool.

9. A Walk To Remember

Oh, I'm sorry, did you say you wanted a sad movie? Challenge accepted. Feast your eyes on A Walk To Remember. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't already seen it, but let’s just say, you're going to need a lot of tissues when they talk about "the wind." Did I say “a lot” of tissues? What I actually meant is all. The. Tissues.

10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

I know this one is a bit of a cheat since it’s a comedy, but I think, after all these sad movies, you need a little joy and hope in your life. And what better movie to give you that than Forgetting Sarah Marshall? Yes, the breakup is heartbreaking, and we can all sympathize with how much it sucks to see your ex with a new lover, but what really makes this movie a perfect post-split watch is that it’s also a reminder that you can love again after heartbreak. Who doesn’t need that message right now?

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