A Glean movie guide
Movies That Will Break Your Heart
Grab the tissues.
From quiet grief to devastating tragedy, these films are guaranteed to leave you in tears.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Manchester by the Sea
A raw, unflinching look at a man paralyzed by an unthinkable past tragedy and the weight of insurmountable grief.
After his older brother passes away, Lee Chandler is forced to return home to care for his 16-year-old nephew. There he is compelled to deal with a tragic past that separated him from his family and the community where he was born and raised.
- 02
Grave of the Fireflies
Widely considered one of the most devastating films ever made, depicting two siblings' survival in WWII Japan.
In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.
- 03
Aftersun
A hauntingly beautiful reflection on a daughter’s final holiday with her troubled, loving father.
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories fill the gaps between camcorder footages as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the troubled man she didn't.
- 04
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
A legendary true story of canine loyalty that is guaranteed to wreck any animal lover.
Professor Wilson discovers a lost Akita puppy on his way home. Despite objections from his wife, Hachi endears himself to the family and grows to be Parker's loyal companion. As their bond grows deeper, a beautiful relationship unfolds.
- 05
The Father
A disorienting and deeply moving journey into the reality of a man losing his grip on the world due to dementia.
A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages and, as he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.
- 06
Blue Valentine
A brutally honest autopsy of a dying marriage that contrasts hopeful beginnings with a painful end.
Dean and Cindy live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage.
- 07
Schindler's List
A monumental historical drama that finds profound humanity amidst the horrors of the Holocaust.
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
- 08
Coco
A vibrant exploration of family legacy that builds to one of the most emotional musical finales in animation.
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
- 09
Brokeback Mountain
A sweeping, tragic romance about a forbidden love that spans decades of longing and loss.
In 1960s Wyoming, two men develop a strong emotional and sexual relationship that endures as a lifelong connection complicating their lives as they get married and start families of their own.
- 10
The Green Mile
A powerful tale of empathy and injustice set on death row, featuring a truly soul-crushing climax.
A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
- 11
Bridge to Terabithia
A deceptive coming-of-age story that captures the sudden, sharp pain of childhood loss.
Jesse Aarons trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. So he's very upset when newcomer Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other differences including that she's rich, he's poor, she's a city girl, and he's a country boy the two become fast friends. Together they create Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants where they rule as king and queen.
- 12
A Star Is Born
A soaring yet tragic look at the intersection of fame, love, and the downward spiral of addiction.
Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer — until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.