The 18 best sad movies streaming on Amazon Prime right now

Add a tissue box to your order while you’re on the streamer.

As Nicole Kidman says in those AMC ads, “We come to this place for magic… to cry, to care, because we need that.” Sometimes, the only way to let go of a rough week (or a good one) is to bawl your eyes out with a tried-and-true tearjerker.

In many ways, sad movies are cinema's oldest genre, and Amazon Prime Video offers many classic weepies across all decades of Hollywood. From older favorites like Terms of Endearment to recent Oscar winners like Manchester by the Sea, these titles are ready to tear down your emotional defenses.

Here are the best sad movies streaming on Amazon Prime Video right now.

Beautiful Boy (2018)

Timothée Chalamet stars in this semi-biographical portrait of New York Times columnist David Sheff (Steve Carell​​) and his son, Nic (Chalamet), who has a substance abuse disorder. Directed by Felix van Groeningen, the film is resolutely hard-nosed but not without moments of levity and an ultimately redemptive arc for its young lead.

Groeningen wisely universalizes a story that could have played as a privileged, unpigmented vision of drug addiction. There’s nothing in Beautiful Boy you haven’t seen before, but the notes are played with such humanism that it still stands on its own two feet. —Declan Gallagher

Where to watch Beautiful Boy: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Felix van Groeningen

Cast: Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, Amy Ryan

Related content: Steve Carell discusses why he couldn't shake Beautiful Boy after filming

The Big Sick (2017)

Michael Showalter​​ cemented himself as a journeyman director with this understated romantic dramedy based on co-writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon’s love story. Nanjiani plays a version of himself, a struggling Pakistani comic who meets young American student Emily (Zoe Kazan) when she heckles him during his act. The two begin a tentative romance, aware of their disparate cultures, but things take a dark turn when Emily is diagnosed with a rare disorder.

Showalter and his crew turn up the emotional honesty in this tremendously effective feature, which never loses sight of the absurd comedy within this deathly serious situation. —D.G.

Where to watch The Big Sick: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Michael Showalter

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher

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Bones and All (2022)

Director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name) reenlists Timothée Chalamet for this oddball cannibal romance. The wispy star and Taylor Russell play star-crossed lovers cutting a bloody swath across the Midwest as they attempt to satiate their blood lust.

Guadagnino presents a distinct, compelling vision of America (he does so again in 2024’s Challengers) that is as dark and creepy as it is wide open and free. Several effective horror sequences recall Claire Denis’ Trouble Every Day, and the plot crescendos in an unexpectedly emotional catharsis. —D.G.

Where to watch Bones and All: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Cast: Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, André Holland, Chloë Sevigny, Mark Rylance

Related content: Bones and All director thinks his gory cannibal movie should be filed under 'romance'

Brief Encounter (1946)

The emotional themes featured in this British classic are as resonant today as they were in the 1940s. David Lean’s intimate drama follows an unfulfilled married woman (Celia Johnson) who meets a charming married doctor (Trevor Howard) and connects instantly. As they continue to spend more time together, they are tempted to take their relationship to the next level, despite the realities of their home lives.

The push and pull between the union they want and the pressures of society is potent and free of judgment, and Johnson’s soulful eyes tell us everything even when she’s not saying a word. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch Brief Encounter: Amazon Prime Video

Director: David Lean

Cast: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway

Related content: 25 best movie tearjerkers ever

Imitation of Life (1959)

There’s nothing like a good Douglas Sirk melodrama, and this devastating story of mothers and daughters is so emotionally rich it could power an entire primetime soap. White widowed mother Lora (Lana Turner) takes in a Black single mother, Annie (Juanita Moore), giving her a job taking care of the house while Lora follows her dreams of being an actress.

As the women and their children live together, tension arises as Annie’s daughter has light skin and wishes to be seen as white rather than embrace her true identity, straining her relationship with her mother. Sirk tackles heavy themes about race relations and prejudice with a sensitive touch, leading to a whopper of an ending. —K.J.

Where to watch Imitation of Life: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Douglas Sirk

Cast: Lana Turner, Juanita Moore, John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Susan Kohner, Dan O'Herlihy

Related content: John Legend and Lynn Nottage developing Imitation of Life musical

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

It’s a Wonderful Life is a cherished Christmas classic, one that’s a step above other holiday movies for its themes. After all, the entire premise centers on George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) wanting to jump off a bridge and end his life after a series of unfortunate events leads him to believe he’s worthless. But, after a guardian angel intervenes, George sees that he’s made a far more positive impact than he ever imagined.

A touching tribute to the value of family and community, It’s a Wonderful Life offers a rollercoaster of emotions that leaves you with happy, grateful tears by its cathartic conclusion. —K.J.

Where to watch It's a Wonderful Life: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Frank Capra

Cast: Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers

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Last Flag Flying (2017)

Richard Linklater’s tale of Vietnam vets (Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne) making a cross-country journey to bury the young son of one of their number (Steve Carell) is by turns somber and spirited, but always represents the very best of what the director is capable of. He’s a filmmaker who can find uncommon depth and lingering beauty in the smallest of life’s moments.

Here, Linklater eschews the overwrought trappings that these types of movies typically fall into. There’s no rah-rah patriotism; there’s no epic grandstanding. There’s just a pervasive sense of loss, of lives torn asunder for no particular reason, and a cast highly adept at delivering these punches. —D.G.

Where to watch Last Flag Flying: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Richard Linklater

Cast: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne, Yul Vazquez, Cicely Tyson

Related content: Last Flag Flying: Steve Carell is comforted by a soldier's memories in touching clip

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Kenneth Lonergan’s scorched-earth domestic drama stars an Oscar-winning Casey Affleck as a ne’er-do-well repairman called back to the sleepy Massachusetts hamlet of his youth to care for his nephew (Lucas Hedges) after his brother’s (Kyle Chandler) death. Lonergan pitches this film at an occasionally hysterical level, but he never lets the material get away from him, nor does it descend into pieties.

Affleck excels here in a tremendously off-putting role (seemingly the one he was born to play), but the film’s most cogent, exciting moments come when Lonergan splits off to show us the town’s bizarre side characters. —D.G.

Where to watch Manchester by the Sea: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Kenneth Lonergan

Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges

Related content: Manchester by the Sea: Casey Affleck, Kenneth Lonergan on their special relationship

The Pianist (2002)

Based on real-life Polish pianist Władysław Szpilman’s experiences during the Holocaust, this Oscar-winning drama is a harrowing journey through one of the most shameful eras of history. Adrien Brody stars as Szpilman, who is separated from his family while trying to escape the destruction, leading to a perilous solo quest for survival.

It’s far from an easy watch — nor should it be one. As EW’s critic writes, The Pianist is “a huge, straightforward picture built of countless small, shockingly casual details of brutality, desperation, and kindness.” —K.J.

Where to watch The Pianist: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Roman Polanski

Cast: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox

Related content: How The Pianist scored its surprising Oscar wins

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

One of the true exemplars of hopeless cinema, this wrenching indie drama follows four people whose interconnected lives are irrevocably changed by drug addiction. Harry (Jared Leto), his girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly), and their friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) use heroin, while Harry’s mother, Sara (Ellen Burstyn, in a stunning Oscar-nominated performance), takes dangerous diet pills with dire consequences.

As each tries to achieve their respective dreams, their substance abuses cause them to spiral into despair with little hope for the future. Devastating yet engrossing due to its fully committed performances, Requiem for a Dream is one of the most powerful anti-drug films ever made. —K.J.

Where to watch Requiem for a Dream: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans

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Short Term 12 (2013)

Destin Daniel Cretton’s debut feature concerns a group of counselors (headed by Brie Larson’s Grace) at a home for at-risk teens who must deal with their own traumatic pasts while shepherding their patients to a brighter future. A modern indie favorite, Short Term 12 announced Cretton, Larson, and LaKeith Stanfield as major talents in their respective fields.

This is a movie that subverts and morphs the audience’s expectations with great intelligence at each turn. Its twists are as shocking as those in a conventional thriller, and Cretton is a master of selling emotions and entire character arcs with a single shot. —D.G.

Where to watch Short Term 12: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Cast: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, LaKeith Stanfield

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Sound of Metal (2020)

Riz Ahmed stars in this moving indie drama as Ruben, a heavy metal drummer grappling with sudden hearing loss. The musician, who also has a substance abuse disorder, enters a rehab shelter treating deaf recovering addicts. Desperate to regain any semblance of the life he led before, Ruben struggles to accept what he cannot change, despite the best efforts of the shelter’s leader (Paul Raci).

Featuring a soul-bearing performance by Ahmed and an Oscar-winning sound design that takes us inside Ruben’s mind, Sound of Metal is a quietly powerful experience. “As Ruben's fear and rage begins to open itself to the unknown, the movie reaches toward something profound,” writes EW’s critic, “finding real, furious power in the spaces between the sound.” —K.J.

Where to watch Sound of Metal: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Darius Marder

Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, Mathieu Amalric

Related content: Riz Ahmed on his ASL-learning, punk-drumming performance in Sound of Metal

Stillwater (2021)

Tom McCarthy’s true-crime-adjacent drama stars Matt Damon as a father whose daughter (Abigail Breslin) has been jailed in France after being accused of murdering her lover. Stillwater was met with divisive reactions upon its release, perhaps by those expecting a more conventional thriller — or less conventional, perhaps, considering McCarthy’s filmography.

Whilst undoubtedly a departure from his other works, Stillwater is a bold and thought-provoking meditation on the justice system and a parent’s duty to protect their child regardless of the risks, leading to an understated but paralyzing final act. —D.G.

Where to watch Stillwater: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Tom McCarthy

Cast: Matt Damon, Camille Cottin, Abigail Breslin

Related content: Matt Damon on the surprising life lessons he learned shadowing roughnecks for Stillwater

Terms of Endearment (1983)

One of the best parts of this Oscar-winning classic is its balance of tones. Just like life, the story of single mother Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger) is full of highs and lows; victories and disappointments; joy and sorrow. No matter how their relationship changes over the years, their bond is unbreakable, which is exactly what makes Emma’s eventual cancer diagnosis so wrenching. Both MacLaine and Winger deliver career-best performances as willful women trying to figure out their complicated lives as best they can. —K.J.

Where to watch Terms of Endearment: Amazon Prime Video

Director: James L. Brooks

Cast: Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, John Lithgow

Related content: James L. Brooks looks back at the making of his unforgettable films

Thirteen Lives (2022)

Ron Howard’s unabashed weepy reconstructs the daring true-story rescue of young Thai soccer players and their coaches after they become trapped inside a cave amidst heavy flooding. As the divers tasked with rescuing the stranded team, Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton give committed, un-showy performances.

With the precision of a great documentarian and the pace of an expert thriller director, Howard mounts an enviably well-rounded procedural dramatization of a story that captivated headlines in 2018. There are moments in Thirteen Lives that have such verisimilitude you’d swear you’re watching actual footage of the event. —D.G.

Where to watch Thirteen Lives: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Ron Howard

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, Tom Bateman

Related content: Thai cave hero reveals the major difference between Thirteen Lives and the real rescue

The Visitor (2008)

The Visitor stars Richard Jenkins as Walter, a professor who returns to his long-vacant New York apartment to find two undocumented immigrants, Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and Zainab (Danai Gurira), living in the space. Discovering they rented the apartment in a scam, Walter lets them continue living there. As the three become a sort of makeshift family, a tragedy drives them apart and brings Tarek’s mother (Hiam Abbass) into Walter’s orbit.

Tom McCarthy’s picture is comprised of minuscule, realistic moments and interactions that form a profoundly impactful piece of cinema. It’s another picture that earns its tears well and honestly. —D.G.

Where to watch The Visitor: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Tom McCarthy

Cast: Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira

Related content: Richard Jenkins: Entertainer of the year

Waves (2019)

This modern American tragedy centers on a family grappling with the weight of expectations and the impact of their choices. Kelvin Harrison Jr. stars as Tyler, a high school star athlete who struggles to live up to the demands of his strict father as well as the revelation that his girlfriend is pregnant. It all leads up to a tragic accident that fundamentally changes the trajectory of all of their lives.

Imbued with dread, Waves is a sobering drama that lingers long after its conclusion, tackling themes of toxic masculinity, the relationships between parents and children, and the collateral damage of one fateful night. —K.J.

Where to watch Waves: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Trey Edward Shults

Cast: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Taylor Russell, Sterling K. Brown, Renée Elise Goldsberry

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Women Talking (2022)

Another remarkable entry in Sarah Polley’s filmography, Women Talking centers on women in an isolated religious community who gather to discuss the pros and cons of fleeing after suffering routine, horrific abuse by the men. What sounds like a tremendously tough sit is in fact one of the most rewarding, cathartic, and unexpectedly romantic pieces of cinema to come along in decades. Polley’s film is a real tears-pooling-in-your-clavicles heartbreaker, but it’s never depressing and, in fact, rather defiantly uplifting by the end. —D.G.

Where to watch Women Talking: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Sarah Polley

Cast: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, Frances McDormand

Related content: Director Sarah Polley explains how 'many voices' made Women Talking

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.