Films that Made Me Cry

We are getting specific now. This one is less prompt-based than my previous film blogs. I wanted to delve into this because I don’t tend to cry at movies. I’m not unemotional or anything, I just can’t really do it for the most part. It isn’t that I don’t connect with the films or characters. I just don’t cry at movies. As a warning, many of the films contain suicide, or suicidal elements. Please take time and care before deciding to watch.

Image from The Iron Claw.

1. The Iron Claw directed by Sean Durkin

This film is one of the most devastating watches of all time. The director even removed a brother for length and story purpose stating "There was a repetition to it, and it was one more tragedy that the film couldn't really withstand." Kevin Von Erich largely enjoyed the film praising Zac Efron's performance, which I found absolutely marvelous. Von Erich was not the most fond of the decision to cut Chris Von Erich, but understood why it was done.

This story was beautiful and heartbreaking. Everyone and their mother was discussing how Margot Robbie was robbed of an Oscar in the 2024 season, but two beautiful, underrated films came out that were largely snubbed: this film and May December. If I had it my way Zac Efron and Charles Melton would hold Oscars for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.

I remember finishing the film sitting at my desk with tears in my eyes while my roommate Lucy Gamblin ‘26 looked at me with concern. I immediately called my Mom later to rave about the coloring, editing choices, and performances. (The film also made me re-fall in love with the song Tom Sawyer by RUSH, but that is not important.)

The marketing for this film did not emphasis how sad it is I must say. I remember talking about this film when it came out and how everyone was hesitant seeing Efron as the lead, but I think a lot of biopic directors seem to get lost on finding the fine line between caricature and impression versus a lazy actor who doesn’t give a damn.

I think what matters is care more than anything else. When you have an actor that cares about the story, THAT is what works. I personally loved Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network because it wasn’t an impression but captured this person who was both cold and calculating and someone the public perceives as cold and calculating. Even if the person someone is portraying is shitty, they have to understand who are they portraying: why are they so shitty, what was it like for them, do the harmful actions done unto them justify any of their actions today? All of that to say, The Iron Claw is a wonderful film and it made me admire all of the actors more for their incredible performances.

Image from Thelma.

2. Thelma directed by Josh Margolin

The next two films are a specific category, which is: films I watched with my grandma that I didn’t realize were about aging/grandmas. I love my grandma. She is a super sweet lady. She is in her 80s, but doesn’t look it and I forget sometimes as she has 95% brown hair with no dye.

She will watch just about anything with me from fast paced horror to a charming drama to a crime thriller. Her favorites are films most people would tend to label as “cute,” or intense thrillers with attractive men like Jason Momoa. My parents took her to the movies recently and her request was The Mandalorian and Grogu. She apparently answered in around 5 seconds flat. It kind of combines her favorite things.

She also loves animated films, which fits into that cute category most of the time. Another film that fits into the I didn't know were about aging/grandmas, but is not the best and did not make me cry, is Leo. Leo is about an aging lizard who has to grapple with the fact that he is dying. The lizard is also from Florida. WE are from Florida. I should do more research for the films I pick because my grandma is more likely to cry than I am. She cried at Leo, this film, and the next. It feels wrong to do that to her.

Onto the actual film, Thelma is a fast-paced, adorable crime-thriller. It deals not only with aging, but seeing your friends age, as well as relatives' disbelief and belief in your thoughts and actions because of age. June Squibb is a great actress and she was so great at making the audience feel empathic, but she was also a badass. This may not be as an emotional film for the next person, especially if you aren’t close with your grandparent, but it might be. It is still a hard reality to lose yourself, and even harder when people that love you no longer talk on your level. I think this film is just a beautiful depiction on how the elderly not only deserve to be treated with respect, but admiration. Like it is badass they are here right now! They have lived through so much and I bet that is the least interesting thing about them.

Image from Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.

3. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On directed by Dean Fleischer Camp

I actually had never seen any of the online content/short films before watching the feature length adaptation. I’m actually only watching it just now as I am writing this. Even knowing and double- triple-checking that Jenny Slate voices Marcel the Shell, it is still so shocking to me. Oftentimes, it seems like most animated roles use her voice as is, when clearly she has a lot of versatility.

Marcel the Shell is adorable. I think it is also so beautiful how this concept came from the abandoned. A chip that has been left to rot, pistachio shells, peanuts, and other things labeled as “junk.” It brings a new life to something we frequently discard, or worse, something we forget to discard.

I think the narrative between Marcel and Nana Connie, especially with they got separated, is so powerful because we typically would never imagine creatures like this, much less in situations far too familiar. Most people don’t look at a shell and find life in it. I’m sure somewhere someone is angrily thinking “I do!” But many don’t. Even other filmmakers. Many filmmakers have their niche and that’s fine! It’s great to have the thing you’re good at because it allows for diversity of thought. It is a beautiful film that finds story even in the smallest things and made me cry because I related to a cute little shell.

Image from A Real Pain.

4. A Real Pain directed by Jesse Eisenberg

I saw this movie on a plane ride back from Europe. (Pretty fitting given the context). The ride had a lot of turbulence. I sat next to now a defunct couple in my choir after switching with another, separate couple. I ended up in the aisle seat, so it could’ve been significantly worse.

I was trying to keep myself together as the film was ending for sheer awkwardness sake. I did not want to be that person crying next to them for no reason. Granted, it was also extremely awkward for me sitting next to cuddling, etc. The film’s ending just got me. Kieran Culkin portrayed an all-too familiar feeling for anyone who has been through mental health troubles, especially those who like to joke or are involved with their community. He can be a dick. Eisenberg’s character can also be a dick. But they don’t feel like two assholes. They feel like real people struggling in their own respective ways. They are grieving not just their grandmother, but history. It also just paints a beautiful picture of family being extremely complicated.

I hope you enjoyed this list. Please remember to check trigger warnings before watching. But if you are in for a good cry, maybe this’ll do it!