

Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Sometimes, you just really need a good cry. Whether it's a rough breakup, a bad day at work, the state of the world, or just because, a moving film has a way of being beautifully cathartic. When that's the case, Netflix's catalog has plenty of heart-wrenching movies to get the feels going. Take a look at Marie Claire's comprehensive list of the saddest movies on Netflix, below, complete with a handy "ugly cry" ranking, so you can be prepared with the appropriate amount of tissues, ice cream, and water—you know, to rehydrate.
1. 'The Lovely Bones'
When a 14-year-old-girl is tragically murdered, she watches her family search for answers from heaven. It's based on Alice Sebold's book of the same title.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 10/10
2. 'The Time Traveler's Wife'
Not me sitting here bawling my eyes out while Rachel McAdams's character stays missing the love of her life while he travels through time.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 8/10
3. 'Five Feet Apart'
Make sure to have a pack of tissues handy, because this one's a doozy. In Five Feet Apart, Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson's characters play teens who are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and risk killing each other if they get too close.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 10/10
4. 'Silver Linings Playbook'
If you or a loved one has dealt with mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder, Silver Linings Playbook will hit close to home. The silver lining: There are a lot of funny one-liners.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 6/10
5. 'Marriage Story'
Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver each earned Oscar nods for their portrayal of a couple going through a grueling breakup that shows the many sides of love, divorce, and family.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 5/10
6. 'Roma'
Quickly into this Netflix film by Alfonso Cuarón you'll realize why it won an Academy Award. Set in the early 1970s, the movie is about a housekeeper's life in Mexico City.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 9/10
'Irreplaceable You'
This Netflix original is about a woman who sets out to find a new girlfriend for her fiancé when she learns she has cancer and little time left to live.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 6/10
8. 'The Pianist'
Adrian Brody won a Best Actor Oscar for his role in this heartbreaking story about the Holocaust, based on real-life events.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 6/10
9. 'Someone Great'
Prepare to be bait-and-switched—in a great way. This movie masquerades as a fun comedy about a girls' night out, but before you know it, you'll be crying uncontrollably about the one who got away.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 8/10
10. 'First They Killed My Father'
This is less of a "eat cookie dough ice cream and cry" movie and more of a "question humanity and bawl your eyes out" film. It's about five-year-old Loung Ung becoming a child soldier during Cambodian genocide.
Odds you'll end up ugly-crying: 10/10
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

As Marie Claire’s Entertainment Director, Neha oversees and executes strategy for all editorial talent bookings and culture coverage across the brand's print and digital entities, including covers, celebrity profiles and features, social takeovers, and video franchises as well as handles talent relations for MC's flagship summit, Power Trip. She's passionate about elevating diverse voices and stories, loves a hot-take, and generally hates reboots. She's worked in media for more than 10 years and her bylines about pop culture, film & tv, and fashion have appeared on Glamour, Vanity Fair, GQ, Allure, Teen Vogue, Brides, and Architectural Digest. She is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.
-
Princess Kate Is Absolutely Nailing the Business Casual Look This Week
Pantsuits everywhere!
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
24 Hours With Naomi Osaka
The tennis star on her new beauty routine after welcoming her baby, easing back into tennis, and her self-care ritual.
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
Leighton Meester Just Went Full Blair Waldorf in Milan
And her dress is in stock!
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
The Best Bollywood Movies of 2023 (So Far)
Including one that just might fill the Riverdale-shaped hole in your heart.
By Andrea Park
-
‘Bachelor in Paradise’ 2023: Everything We Know
Cue up Mike Reno and Ann Wilson’s “Almost Paradise."
By Andrea Park
-
Who Is Gerry Turner, the ‘Golden Bachelor’?
The Indiana native is the first senior citizen to join Bachelor Nation.
By Andrea Park
-
‘Virgin River’ Season 6: Everything We Know
The cast and crew are pausing the hit show in support of the writers' strike.
By Andrea Park
-
The 'Barbie' Movie Poster Is Already This Year's Most Iconic Meme
Your daily dose of internet comedy.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Documentaries About Black History to Educate Yourself With
Take your allyship a step further.
By Bianca Rodriguez
-
The 56 Best Musical Movies of All Time: Iconic Movie Musicals
All the dance numbers! All the show tunes!
By Amanda Mitchell
-
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2: Everything We Know
Netflix owes us answers after that ending.
By Zoe Guy