The Best Sad Films On Netflix To Watch In 2025

Sometimes we all need a good cry, which is exactly what the best sad films on Netflix are for.

There’s nothing like sobbing while watching someone else’s relationship fall apart, or watching a person who is struggling finally find hope again, is there?

So, grab your popcorn, a box of tissues and someone to hug, and let’s dive into the best sad movies on Netflix.

Marriage Story

This film breaks your heart from the very first scene, with Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) reading lists of everything they love about each other, followed by the revelation they are divorcing. Marriage Story is the kind of film that makes you feel like you’ve accidentally walked in on something very personal. It’s heartbreaking to watch a relationship fall apart, and there are some truly raw scenes with the couple arguing that seem way too real. You’ve been warned.

Roma

I don’t know what I was expecting when I watched the critically-acclaimed Roma, but all I know is I came away from it broken. The film follows Cleo, a live-in housekeeper for a middle-class family in 1970s Mexico City. But it’s really a story about love, memory and nostalgia. It’s visually stunning – shot in black and white – and the story and the characters stay with you a long time after the credits roll.

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Pieces Of A Woman

You may want to give this one a miss if you’re currently expecting. The film follows Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean (Shia LaBeouf) during a traumatic home birth, and then the fallout. The home birth scene is long and gut-wrenching, so here is your trigger warning. The story explores loss, isolation and resentment, and what happens when your whole world suddenly changes.

The Six Triple Eight

If you enjoy period dramas and sad movies, this is the one for you. The Six Triple Eight is based on an inspiring true story about an all-Black, all-female battalion in WWII. The fact that this was based on real-life made the events and characters even more heartbreaking to watch. Starring Kerry Washington and Oprah Winfrey, the women face racism, sexism and horrible working conditions but remain committed to the cause.

High Ground

This Australian gem of a movie stars Simon Baker and Jacob Junior Nayinggul in 1930s Australia. Simon Baker plays a former soldier turned police tracker who recruits Gutjuk (Nayinggul) to help track an Aboriginal warrior. It’s a confronting look at Australia’s past that speaks volumes through raw, emotional performances. The cinematography adds another layer, with the Northern Territory backdrop almost haunting.

Good Grief

As a fan of Dan Levy I was caught off guard by Good Grief, but in a good way. Described as a comedy/drama, the film follows two friends helping a man following the death of his husband. It explores grief (obviously), but I would say it’s also about friendship. This film is a real emotional gem and it feels like an honest portrayal of grief, which often sees sadness mixed with some humour.

The Theory Of Everything

I was expecting this to be sad, but this is one of those films that slowly builds and then unravels you emotionally. It tells the story of Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife Jane (Felicity Jones) as Hawking’s motor neurone disease slowly progresses. It is fascinating but also tragic to watch one of the greatest minds of our time slowly lose the ability to walk and talk, and how this impacted his personal life.

Main image credit | Netflix

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