You’ll cry watching Prime Video. Naturally in a positive manner. Everyone periodically needs to cry, and doing so while watching an emotionally intense movie is frequently a solid indication of its overall excellence. There are plenty of opportunities to let the tears flow for an hour or two when combined with the countless films in Prime Video’s repertoire. Again, in a good way.
The saddest films on Prime Video are all about overcoming severe adversity, making the best of a difficult circumstance, or just trying to get by. These are some of the saddest films now available to view on Prime Video, whether you’re seeking for a memorable story or you just have extra tissues you could do without.
Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and the final appearance of young performer Judith Barsi lend their voices to the musical drama All Dogs Go to Heaven, which was directed by Gary Coldman (Anastasia). In it, a German Shepherd escapes from Heaven and returns to Earth with the intention of exacting vengeance on those who caused his demise. But will he stick to his original objective after encountering a compassionate orphan?
Boyz n the Hood
Boyz n the Hood, John Singleton’s first picture as a filmmaker, launched his career and led to the first-ever black director receiving an Academy Award nomination. We follow Tre Styles’ journey as he is sent to live with his father in South Central Los Angeles in Cuba Gooding Jr.’s feature picture debut. However, issues start to surface as the local gang culture begins to infiltrate Tre’s life and the lives of his longtime friends.
Boyz n the Hood, the late director’s intensely personal film, was influenced by Singleton’s own experiences as well as the lives of people he knew. With a gorgeously sombre grace, it addresses the awful truths that befell the region without holding back. Boyz n the Hood will pull at your heartstrings by the time of its emotional conclusion thanks to the inclusion of three distinct perspectives.
Brokeback Mountain
Jake Gyllenhal and Heath Ledger Brackish MountainHeath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal co-star in the 2005 drama Brokeback Mountain, which is produced by Focus Features and directed by Ang Lee. Based on a short novel by Annie Proulx, the film shows two cowboys in Wyoming sharing a private moment after a wild night of drinking. The two insist that it was only a fleeting moment, but as they resume their lives, they begin to feel a new sensation of longing that threatens to upend everything they had known.
Brokeback Mountain is generally cited as a pioneering success in LGBTQ+ representation and one of the best dramas of the 2000s despite being passed over at the Academy Awards in favour of Crash. You’re sure to start crying before the credits roll thanks to Gyllenhaal and Ledger’s acting prowess.
Honey Boy
Honey Boy, a 2019 film starring Noah JupeHoney Boy from Amazon Studios is extremely fascinating for a number of reasons. Honey Boy, a film written and starring Shia LaBeouf (Transformers, Fury), is partially based on LaBeouf’s experiences in real life. In Otis Lort, played by Lucas Hedges, a former child star who was sent to rehab due to a drunk driving accident. Faced with a possible prison term, exposure therapy sessions reveal a childhood scarred by an alcoholic father, the demands of acting, and substance misuse as a kind of escapism.
Honey Boy is a film about trauma that is very deeply personal. It illustrates how trauma is transmitted from generation to generation, whether purposefully or not, and how for the majority of people, it is almost unavoidable during their formative years. Even though he acknowledged that some artistic licence was used in his performance, LeBeouf chose to take on the role of his father in the actual movie.
Manchester by the Sea
After his older brother’s unexpected passing, Casey Affleck (Interstellar, Good Will Hunting) returns to his childhood home in Manchester by the Sea. However, as he tries to look after his teenage nephew, a tragic past will reappear as new connections are made, old bonds fall apart, and sadness that has been buried for a long time is abruptly unearthed.
Watch Manchester by the Sea to find out what happens in the heartbreaking conclusion. It’s a personal film that explores depression’s fundamental nature and how its all-encompassing nature can’t always be wrapped up in a big, attractive bow. Even so, our protagonist does the best he can, and by the film’s reflective finale, you’ll find yourself cheering for him with misty eyes. Manchester by the Sea is a melancholy drama that is thought to be among the best films of 2016—and the 2010s, for that matter.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, a Tom Hanks classic, stars him as Andrew Beckett, an AIDS patient who suffers a cruel termination due to his disease. Beckett finds himself fighting the illness and a legal battle to obtain punitive damages for his pain and suffering when he hires Joe Miller, a lawyer played by Denzel Washington.
It is a sorrowful movie that explores a tragic period in American history and is a landmark film for its representation of HIV/AIDS and positive portrayals of LGBT people. Although the stigma connected with the AIDS virus has largely faded, Philadelphia is loosely based on actual occasions that had an influence on both people who had the virus and those who were wrongly stigmatised by it. It’s a real heartbreaker, but the journey will have been worthwhile in the end because of the lovely conclusion.
Rocky Balboa
The final installment of the original Rocky story is Rocky Balboa, which should not be confused with the 1976 picture Rocky. Rocky Balboa, however, is an emotional examination of both the character and the career of the man who plays him, Sylvester Stallone, in contrast to the first Rocky movie, which was an upbeat underdog story. Rocky, now 60 years old and a contented widower whose alienated relationship with his son gnaws at his soul, operates a restaurant. But what will happen to our Philadelphian when Rocky gets one final opportunity to compete in the ring?
Rocky Balboa is a wonderful send-off for a character who has seemingly achieved everything, with his toughest opponent now being a life outside the ring. It is equally sentimental and self-reflective. It’s a movie that, because there are so many homages and references throughout, works even better if you’ve seen all five of the films that came before.
The Color Purple (1985)
Whoopi Goldberg makes her feature film debut in The Colour Purple, an unexpected effort from Steven Spielberg. Celie Harris, a black lady growing up in the early 20th century, is portrayed by Goldberg. Over the course of 40 years, Harris is forced to overcome the institutionalised violence that black women experienced at the time, all the while finding the inner courage to continue with her last shred of hope.
Although Goldberg may be better known for her humorous parts, her powerful tragic work in The Colour Purple readily supports the film. The film’s tone inconsistencies and an artificial sense of sentimentality may irritate some viewers. The most exciting parts of The Colour Purple will still make you wonder if someone is chopping onions. Currently under production and scheduled for release in December 2023 is a remake of the movie.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
The Peanut Butter Falcon, an acclaimed independent film that was released in 2019, marks Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz’s directing debut. Zack Gottsagen plays a young man with down syndrome who escapes from a state-run facility and ends up making friends with a lonely fisherman. To achieve their shared goal of becoming professional wrestlers like our protagonist’s idol, the Salt Water Redneck, the two embark on a river-bound voyage.
This endearing tale, which draws heavily on Huckleberry Finn, is guaranteed to make you smile and cry simultaneously. The overwhelming triumph of the human spirit is guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye, even if it is less obviously gloomy than other titles on our list. If that isn’t convincing enough, the cast also includes John Hawkes, Shia LaBeouf, and Dakota Johnson.
Where the Red Fern Grows (1974)
Where the Red Fern Grows is one of the most well-known books for kids, right up there with Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet as a classic coming-of-age tale about hunting, friendship, and tragedy. In an age-old tale set in the Ozark Mountains, young Billy Coleman (Stewart Peterson) meets Old Dan and Little Ann, two hunting hounds. What initially seems like an ambitious project develops into a successful path for Coleman and his family. However, happy circumstances do not endure, and Coleman will need to develop coping mechanisms for the life cycle and death.
If you were fortunate, this depressing story wasn’t read to you at school. Where the Red Fern Grows, however, is an ultimately uplifting movie that will leave you teary-eyed if you wish to relive this timeless tale of love and sorrow.
