PremiumP.S. I Love You to Up, 5 films that guarantee a good cry for emotional catharsis
Not every day is the same. There are bad days, and then there are punch-to-the-gut terrible days. Check out these 5 films for a much-needed emotional purge for unshed tears on those days.
Last Updated: 09.38 AM, Jan 09, 2024
Life has its highs and lows. There are days when you wish to dance in the rain and there are nights when you wish to curl up on a sofa and sob into the pillow. For the latter days, the best solution is a warm beverage, a satisfying snack and a good film to cry and fall asleep to.
This self-ordained therapy not only costs less in both money and energy but also makes those terrible days a tad more bearable. Keep these five films on your watchlist for such occasions; you never know when they might come in handy.
P.S. I Love You (2007)
This romantic drama is a touching exploration of grief and love, based on Cecilia Ahern’s 2004 novel of the same name. The film features a beautiful marital life shared by Holly and Gerry, full of love, laughs, and occasional fights. However, tragedy strikes their happy little world when Gerry dies of a brain tumour one winter. Devastated, Holly withdraws from everything and into her own shell, refusing to accept her beloved partner’s passing. Holly’s 30th birthday arrives, and so do the mysterious cassettes with messages for Holly from Gerry, which he had knowingly recorded before his demise. The film then traces her journey of recovery and healing, coming to terms with her loss and learning to live again, and guarantees a barrage of tears mixed with bittersweet laughter.
The film is available on Google Play Movies for rent.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
This war comedy, directed by Taika Waititi, not only features a stellar cast but also a solid and heartbreaking premise. It is World War II, and young boys in Germany are growing up idolising War and Hitler and hating Jews, just like the film’s 10-year-old protagonist, Johannes ‘Jojo’ Betzler. The film is subtle and sneaky, not giving you a chance to brace yourself for the emotional punch it delivers time and again, making you both weep and gasp in shock.
The film is available on Disney+ Hotstar.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
This anti-war film is based on the eponymous 1929 novel by Eric Maria Remarque. An epic German war saga that highlights the meaningless brutality of war and showcases its harsh and gritty reality, full of muddy sludge and congealed blood. The film follows the journey of idealistic young soldier Paul, who fights for the Germans, and his struggle for survival in a ruthless, hellish landscape where only death reigns supreme and the lives of the millions fighting do not matter. All that counts are the medallions around their necks to keep track of them when they are dead.
The film is available on Netflix.
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
This heartbreaking cinematic adaptation of John Green’s 2012 novel of the same name stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as the leading characters, Hazel and Augustus. In a film centering on the premise of cancer, both protagonists are living and fighting cancer and meet each other at a weekly patient support meeting. As their friendship deepens and love blooms, the film equally tracks the growth of their disease and its impact on their lives and relationships. A devastating watch that is guaranteed to warm your heart with beautiful romance, only to lead to a painful, real-life climax that the dreamy couple did not deserve.
The film is available on Disney+ Hotstar.
Up (2009)
This animated film, produced by Pixar and distributed by Disney, follows the story of a grumpy, elderly widower, Carl, who decides to undertake the adventure of a lifetime to fulfil a promise he made to his late wife, Ellie, on her deathbed. On the journey, he is accompanied by unlikely allies, including a young boy scout, a talking dog, and a giant, rare bird. Since the film shows the beautiful life Carl and Ellie shared till she died, the sweet, touching montage of tiny gestures and moments that built a life-long bond between them ends up making you bawl like a baby as Carl loses her and ends up alone in his old age until he sets out to fulfil her dream.
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The film is available on Disney+ Hotstar.