Some movie endings can leave viewers feeling uplifted or exhilarated, but some leave audiences weeping no matter how many times they’ve seen them. Though they may not always be sad tears, a select few movies know exactly how to pull at the heartstrings and have viewers bawling during the credits.
From animated hits like Wall-E to slice-of-life dramas like The Florida Project, audiences can’t help but feel weepy before things are all said and done. Though plenty of movies have sad endings, only the best can get Redditor’s tears flowing over and over again.
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)
The longer a fandom has to grow attached to a character, the more it hurts when they are suddenly snatched away. User poetdesmond mentioned one such instance when they wrote “Star Trek II. Spock’s funeral always chokes me up”.
Unlike other films where the audience only gets two hours with a character, Trek fans had known the pointy-eared Vulcan for almost two decades by the time he met his end in Star Trek II. Besides that, the scene is so perfectly crafted that even the most disinterested viewer can’t help but shed a tear for Spock and Kirk’s lost friendship.
Stand By Me (1986)
Based on a Stephen King short story, many viewers were surprised to find that the master of horror could also elicit a few tears. A deleted user went personal with their favorite weepy ending, saying “Stand by Me. Always reminds me of my friendgroup in high school and how we slowly drifted apart”.
Essentially an allegory for the fleeting nature of nostalgic youth, the infinitely quotable movie has a lot to say about its time period and modern day as well. Finding out what happens to each member of the group is heartbreaking, and the movie pulls the heartstrings without being too cheesy or overt.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
There is a certain catharsis that can be found after a long and eventful journey, and The Return of the King offered the perfect capper for the lengthy film trilogy. User MaxDomination13 wasn’t afraid to admit that they cried, saying “The last 15-20 minutes of Return of the king always makes me sob like a baby”.
Though it isn’t sad in nature, the finale of the trilogy sees tearful reunions and a renewed sense of purpose for characters that audiences had grown quite attached to. The denizens of Middle Earth were made so likable by the films that seeing them safe and sound back home was enough to bring tears of joy to many viewers’ eyes.
Old Yeller (1957)
Sad dog movies have almost become a cliche in this day and age, but the film that started the whole trend was Old Yeller. User DFSdog had heartbreaking memories dislodged when they recalled “Oh, god…of course, ‘Old Yeller'”.
Viewers of a certain age will remember one of the saddest animal deaths in cinema history, and some haven’t gotten over it even half a century later. Modern viewers are somewhat jaded to the stereotypes of the dog film, but Old Yeller caught most viewers unaware which made it hurt that much worse.
The Green Mile (1999)
Adding prison drama to the list of genres that Stephen King could master, The Green Mile once again proved that fear wasn’t the only emotion he could work into his stories. User funtimefrankie1 wasn’t really enjoying themselves when they said “Ending of green mile is pretty upsetting when John Coffey dies”.
Playing like a modern-day fairy tale, The Green Mile was a surprisingly lyrical work from a titan of terror. The movie does an excellent job of making the audience sympathize with Coffey, and when his time finally comes it exposes capital punishment and all of its flaws. The film is often considered one of the best Stephen King adaptations not only because it is sad, but because it has remained powerful years later.
The Florida Project (2017)
Director Sean Baker has a knack for capturing reality in his films, and they exist in a gray area between fiction and documentary. A deleted user doubted the emotional strength of a film when they commented “The Florida project. That one hit surprisingly close to home the first time I watched it, thought I could handle it the second time but was really, really wrong”.
Like the classic Hollywood cinema of old, The Florida Project has everything from tears to belly laughs. Baker excels at sudden and shocking moments, and the finale of the film comes out of left field and yet seems inevitable as well. Regardless of the interpretation of the ending, Mooney’s escape to the Magic Kingdom is fantastical and tragic simultaneously.
Wall-E (2008)
Despite being a film with little to no dialogue, Wall-E still manages to pack an emotional punch in its pint-sized robot protagonist. User BoggsWH was perplexed by the film’s hold over them, saying “Don’t understand how the love story in Wall-E gets me more than any other movie…2 robots love story gets to me”.
Disney has always excelled at making anthropomorphic beings adorable, and Wall-E’s quest for love and acceptance is so relatable he instantly melts hearts. The finale of the movie is the perfect culmination of his quest, and fans are left dangling several times in emotional limbo which makes the pay-off all the more tear-jerking.
E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)
Movies that broke viewers’ hearts as children can sometimes have the same effect on them as adults as well, and E.T. is the type of movie that usually moves everyone. User joshygill couldn’t contain themselves when they wrote “ET ‘I’ll…be…right…here’ And the music! Chills. Literal chills”.
John Williams’ brilliant score certainly helps to put the emotions home, but audiences are usually already firmly gripped by the movie’s end. Riding on a high of excitement from E.T.’s resurrection and subsequent flight, the audience faces the ultimate heartbreak as Elliott completes his mission and sends his best friend home again.
My Girl (1991)
Coming-of-age films usually all contain the same elements, but My Girl featured a shockingly downbeat ending that left most of the audience heartbroken. User MrsGoldenSnitch pinpointed the exact moment they began to cry, writing, “‘He can’t see without his glasses’ And I sob”.
What was a somewhat innocuous family film up to that point becomes a real-life lesson for many younger viewers. Death is an inevitable part of life, and though it may seem pointless and cruel, the movie handles its subject with class. Despite that, it usually only takes the recitation of the famous heart-wrenching piece of dialogue to get viewers of a certain age misty-eyed.
Coco (2017)
Further proving that Disney knows exactly which buttons to push to garner the most tears from their audience, Coco has perhaps their most heartbreaking ending of all. User Vertical_Runner kept things short and sweet when they said “Coco! Every single time”.
Everyone leaves eventually, but Coco wanted the audience to know that as long as someone is remembered, they live on forever. Accompanying the stunning visuals of the film, the simple yet effective finale featuring Mama Coco softened even the hardest hearts and left many fans emotional wrecks for days afterward.
