The saddest movies of all time
by Aalkazar | created - 09 Apr 2013 | updated - 26 Aug 2021 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Best of Youth (2003)
R | 374 min | Drama, Romance
An Italian epic that follows the lives of two brothers from the 1960s to the 2000s.
Director: Marco Tullio Giordana | Stars: Luigi Lo Cascio, Alessio Boni, Jasmine Trinca, Adriana Asti
Votes: 23,198 | Gross: $0.27M
2. The Barbarian Invasions (2003)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
During his final days, a dying man is reunited with old friends, former lovers, his ex-wife, and his estranged son.
Director: Denys Arcand | Stars: Rémy Girard, Dorothée Berryman, Stéphane Rousseau, Marie-Josée Croze
Votes: 30,025 | Gross: $3.43M
3. Never Let Me Go (2010)
R | 103 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
The lives of three friends, from their early school days into young adulthood, when the reality of the world they live in comes knocking.
Director: Mark Romanek | Stars: Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Izzy Meikle-Small
Votes: 153,186 | Gross: $2.43M
4. Behind the Sun (2001)
PG-13 | 105 min | Drama
When ordered by his father to avenge the death of his older brother, a young man questions the tradition of violence between two rival families.
Director: Walter Salles | Stars: José Dumont, Rodrigo Santoro, Rita Assemany, Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos
Votes: 7,400 | Gross: $0.06M
5. The Lives of Others (2006)
R | 137 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck | Stars: Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur
Votes: 410,259 | Gross: $11.29M
6. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
R | 140 min | Crime, Drama, Musical
An Eastern European US immigrant with a love for musicals has to cope with the gradual loss of her vision.
Director: Lars von Trier | Stars: Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Peter Stormare
Votes: 116,754 | Gross: $4.18M
7. Gallipoli (1981)
PG | 110 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, Bill Kerr, Harold Hopkins
Votes: 41,939 | Gross: $5.73M
8. Don't Worry, I'm Fine (2006)
92 min | Drama
Lili returns from holidays and learns that her twin brother left the house after a violent argument with their father.
Director: Philippe Lioret | Stars: Mélanie Laurent, Kad Merad, Isabelle Renauld, Julien Boisselier
Votes: 11,295
9. Two Birds (2008)
15 min | Short, Drama
2 Birds takes place during one bright summer night and follows a group of young teenagers on a journey from innocence to adulthood. The main character is a timid boy who has a typical ... See full summary »
Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson | Stars: Atli Óskar Fjalarsson, Hera Hilmar, Sigurdur Jakob Helgason, Thorunn Jakobsdóttir
Votes: 789
10. My Dear Brother (1973)
85 min | Drama
Two poor men try to find a television as a last wish for the terminally ill brother of one of them.
Director: Ertem Egilmez | Stars: Tarik Akan, Kahraman Kiral, Halit Akçatepe, Metin Akpinar
Votes: 10,252
11. The Sea Inside (I) (2004)
PG-13 | 126 min | Biography, Drama
The factual story of Spaniard Ramon Sampedro, who fought a 28-year campaign in favor of euthanasia and his own right to die.
Director: Alejandro Amenábar | Stars: Javier Bardem, Belén Rueda, Lola Dueñas, Mabel Rivera
Votes: 85,237 | Gross: $2.09M
12. The Postman (1994)
PG | 108 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A simple Italian postman learns to love poetry while delivering mail to a famous poet, and then uses this to woo local beauty Beatrice.
Directors: Michael Radford, Massimo Troisi | Stars: Massimo Troisi, Philippe Noiret, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Renato Scarpa
Votes: 38,992 | Gross: $21.85M
13. Landscape in the Mist (1988)
TV-MA | 127 min | Drama
Two children journey the long road to Germany to find the man they believe to be their father.
Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos | Stars: Michalis Zeke, Tania Palaiologou, Stratos Tzortzoglou, Eva Kotamanidou
Votes: 9,638
14. Mediterraneo (1991)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, War
In WW2, an Italian Army unit of misfits occupies an isolated non-strategic Greek island for the duration of the war.
Director: Gabriele Salvatores | Stars: Diego Abatantuono, Claudio Bigagli, Giuseppe Cederna, Claudio Bisio
Votes: 16,413 | Gross: $4.53M
15. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama
In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.
Director: Vittorio De Sica | Stars: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri
Votes: 175,062 | Gross: $0.33M
16. Incendies (2010)
R | 131 min | Drama, Mystery, War
Twins journey to the Middle East to discover their family history and fulfill their mother's last wishes.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Mustafa Kamel
Votes: 199,988 | Gross: $6.86M
17. The Way Home (2002)
PG | 80 min | Drama
This is the story of a 7-year-old boy, Sang-woo, born and raised in the big city, and his mute grandmother, who has spent her whole life in a small rural village.
Director: Jeong-hyang Lee | Stars: Yoo Seung-ho, Eul-boon Kim, Hyo-hee Dong, Kyung-hyun Min
Votes: 5,893 | Gross: $0.44M
18. Ben X (2007)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama, Thriller
As an alternative to getting bullied at school, an autistic teenager retreats into the world of online role-playing games.
Director: Nic Balthazar | Stars: Marijke Pinoy, Greg Timmermans, Cesar De Sutter, Gilles De Schryver
Votes: 19,377 | Gross: $0.00M
19. The Class (2007)
99 min | Drama
An average Estonian high-schooler decides to defend his bullied classmate. This starts war between him and the informal leader of the class. As teenagers' honour is a touchy thing, everything ends in bloodshed.
Director: Ilmar Raag | Stars: Vallo Kirs, Pärt Uusberg, Lauri Pedaja, Paula Solvak
Votes: 15,850
20. Billy Elliot (2000)
R | 110 min | Drama, Music
A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family.
Director: Stephen Daldry | Stars: Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Jean Heywood, Jamie Draven
Votes: 142,556 | Gross: $22.00M
21. Kes (1969)
PG-13 | 111 min | Drama, Family
A working-class English boy spends his free time caring for and training his pet kestrel.
Director: Ken Loach | Stars: David Bradley, Brian Glover, Freddie Fletcher, Lynne Perrie
Votes: 22,920
22. Shower (1999)
PG-13 | 92 min | Comedy, Drama
A young wealthy businessman's icy attitude toward his working-class background is about to thaw as he is forced to reconnect with his elderly father and mentally challenged younger brother, who together run a public bathhouse.
Director: Yang Zhang | Stars: Jiayi Du, Zheng Fang, Bing He, Wu Jiang
Votes: 4,221 | Gross: $1.15M
23. Terra Estrangeira (1995)
110 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After the death of his mother, a young Brazilian decides to leave his country and travel to his mother's native land. In a foreign land, he finds love and danger.
Directors: Walter Salles, Daniela Thomas | Stars: Fernanda Torres, Fernando Alves Pinto, Alexandre Borges, Luís Melo
Votes: 1,923
24. Muhsin Bey (1987)
119 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Ingenuous countryman Ali Nazik migrates to Istanbul and meets producer Muhsin Kanadikirik to have his first album.
Director: Yavuz Turgul | Stars: Sener Sen, Ugur Yücel, Sermin Hürmeriç, Osman Cavci
Votes: 11,700
25. Tyrannosaur (2011)
Not Rated | 92 min | Drama
Joseph, a man plagued by violence and a rage that is driving him to self-destruction, earns a chance of redemption that appears in the form of Hannah, a Christian charity shop worker.
Director: Paddy Considine | Stars: Peter Mullan, Archie Lal, Jag Sanghera, Mike Fearnley
Votes: 33,758 | Gross: $0.02M
26. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later.
Director: Juan José Campanella | Stars: Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago, Carla Quevedo
Votes: 222,272 | Gross: $6.39M
27. Malena (2000)
R | 108 min | Drama, Romance, War
Amidst the war climate, a teenage boy discovering himself becomes love-stricken by Malèna, a sensual woman living in a small, narrow-minded Italian town.
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore | Stars: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Luciano Federico, Matilde Piana
Votes: 111,921 | Gross: $3.45M
28. Suzhou River (2000)
83 min | Drama, Romance
After getting out of prison, small-time crook Mardar stumbles upon a woman who looks exactly like his long-lost lover.
Director: Ye Lou | Stars: Xun Zhou, Hongsheng Jia, Zhongkai Hua, Anlian Yao
Votes: 6,409 | Gross: $0.10M
29. Il posto (1961)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama
Bursting with big dreams and plans, an Italian teen goes to Milan to work in a big impersonal corporate office, where he becomes disillusioned and drained of all his individualism.
Director: Ermanno Olmi | Stars: Sandro Panseri, Loredana Detto, Corrado Aprile, Guido Chiti
Votes: 6,730 | Gross: $0.01M
30. The Son's Room (2001)
R | 99 min | Drama
A psychoanalyst and his family go through profound emotional trauma when their son dies in a scuba-diving accident.
Director: Nanni Moretti | Stars: Nanni Moretti, Laura Morante, Jasmine Trinca, Giuseppe Sanfelice
Votes: 21,433 | Gross: $1.01M
31. Eternity and a Day (1998)
Unrated | 137 min | Drama
Famous writer Alexander is very ill and has little time left to live. He meets a little boy on the street, who is an illegal immigrant from Albania, and goes on a journey with him to take the boy home.
Director: Theodoros Angelopoulos | Stars: Bruno Ganz, Isabelle Renauld, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Ahilleas Skevis
Votes: 14,414 | Gross: $0.11M
32. The Broken Landlord (1985)
101 min | Comedy, Drama
The landlord of a village in eastern Turkey decides to sell his land after a severe drought and migrates to Istanbul with his family. However the struggle for survival in the 'big city' will not be easier for them.
Director: Nesli Çölgeçen | Stars: Sener Sen, Erdal Özyagcilar, Nilgün Nazli, Füsun Demirel
Votes: 16,358
33. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
R | 174 min | Drama, Romance
A filmmaker recalls his childhood when falling in love with the pictures at the cinema of his home village and forms a deep friendship with the cinema's projectionist.
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore | Stars: Philippe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale, Antonella Attili, Isa Danieli
Votes: 282,705 | Gross: $11.99M
34. The Legend of 1900 (1998)
R | 169 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A baby boy discovered on an ocean liner in 1900 grows into a musical prodigy, never setting foot on land.
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore | Stars: Tim Roth, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Mélanie Thierry, Bill Nunn
Votes: 69,106 | Gross: $0.26M
35. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
R | 102 min | Drama
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans
Votes: 898,014 | Gross: $3.64M
36. The Last Farm (2004)
TV-PG | 17 min | Short, Drama
In a remote, windswept valley somewhere in the rugged landscapes of Iceland, a solitary elderly couple prepares for the forthcoming winter. However, the urge to work in such feverish haste remains unknown.
Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson | Stars: Jón Sigurbjörnsson, Kristjana Vagnsdottir, Kjartan Bjargmundsson, Arnheiður Steinþórsdóttir
Votes: 1,313
37. The Road (1954)
Not Rated | 108 min | Drama
A care-free girl is sold to a traveling entertainer, consequently enduring physical and emotional pain along the way.
Director: Federico Fellini | Stars: Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart, Aldo Silvani
Votes: 66,556
38. Ghosts (2006)
96 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
A young Chinese girl is smuggled into the UK so she can support her son and family in China.
Director: Nick Broomfield | Stars: Zhan Yu, Tao Li, Ai Qin Lin, Zhe Wei
Votes: 843
39. Goodbye Solo (2008)
R | 91 min | Drama
Two men form an unlikely friendship that will change both of their lives forever.
Director: Ramin Bahrani | Stars: Souleymane Sy Savane, Red West, Diana Franco Galindo, Lane 'Roc' Williams
Votes: 6,154 | Gross: $0.87M
40. Breaking the Waves (1996)
R | 159 min | Drama
Oilman Jan is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when Jan urges her to have sex with another.
Director: Lars von Trier | Stars: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin Cartlidge, Jean-Marc Barr
Votes: 71,536 | Gross: $4.04M
41. Angels of the Universe (2000)
100 min | Biography, Drama
Páll is an artistic and sensitive young man. Getting dumped by his girlfriend, Dagny, triggers his descent into madness. We follow him on his way to what seems like inevitable doom; at home... See full summary »
Director: Friðrik Þór Friðriksson | Stars: Ingvar Sigurdsson, Baltasar Kormákur, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Jörundur Friðbjörnsson
Votes: 3,049
42. Days of Darkness (2007)
104 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Jean-Marc Leblanc (Labrèche), a desperate civil servant, escapes reality as we know it by imagining himself as the hero in imaginary adventures.
Director: Denys Arcand | Stars: Marc Labrèche, Diane Kruger, Sylvie Léonard, Caroline Néron
Votes: 3,204
43. Pelle the Conqueror (1987)
PG-13 | 157 min | Drama
When his wife dies, Lasse takes his 12-year-old son, Pelle, from their home in Sweden to Denmark in search of a better life.
Director: Bille August | Stars: Pelle Hvenegaard, Max von Sydow, Erik Paaske, Björn Granath
Votes: 11,850 | Gross: $2.05M
44. The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972)
Not Rated | 88 min | Drama
Hans Epp is a self-destructive man who lives a dissatisfied life. He tries to find meaning as a fruit vendor, but a heart attack impedes his ability to work, which turns his dissatisfaction into despair.
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder | Stars: Hans Hirschmüller, Irm Hermann, Hanna Schygulla, Klaus Löwitsch
Votes: 5,251
45. Journey of Hope (1990)
PG | 105 min | Adventure, Drama
The story of a poor Turkish family who try to emigrate illegally to Switzerland.
Director: Xavier Koller | Stars: Necmettin Çobanoglu, Nur Sürer, Emin Sivas, Erdinç Akbas
Votes: 2,247 | Gross: $0.26M
46. Journey to the Sun (1999)
104 min | Drama
Mehmet, a young Turkish man newly migrated from the village Tire, takes a job searching for water leaks below the surface of the streets of Istanbul. Due to a strange set of events, he is ... See full summary »
Director: Yesim Ustaoglu | Stars: Nazmi Kirik, Newroz Baz, Mizgin Kapazan, Ara Güler
Votes: 1,888 | Gross: $0.00M
47. Summer with Monika (1953)
R | 96 min | Drama, Romance
A pair of teenagers meet one summer day, start a reckless affair and abandon their families to be with one another.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Harriet Andersson, Lars Ekborg, Dagmar Ebbesen, Åke Fridell
Votes: 16,161
48. One Hundred Steps (2000)
114 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
"I cento passi" (one hundred steps) was the distance between the Impastatos' house and the house of Tano Badalamenti, an important Mafia boss, in the small Sicilian town of Cinisi. The ... See full summary »
Director: Marco Tullio Giordana | Stars: Luigi Lo Cascio, Luigi Maria Burruano, Lucia Sardo, Paolo Briguglia
Votes: 6,394
49. Zorba the Greek (1964)
Not Rated | 142 min | Comedy, Drama
An uptight English writer travelling to Crete, on a matter of business, finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba.
Director: Michael Cacoyannis | Stars: Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas, Lila Kedrova
Votes: 24,104
50. Otobüs (1975)
87 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A group of illegal immigrants are brought to Stockholm in a bus by a smuggler who takes all their money and passports, and then runs away.
Director: Bay Okan | Stars: Bay Okan, Björn Gedda, Tuncel Kurtiz, Oguz Arlas
Votes: 2,252
51. 14 Numara (1985)
83 min | Drama
Yaprak is just one of thousands of young women, who leave their quiet village lives behind them to seek their fortune in Istanbul. But the reality of life in a big city is harsh, and Yaprak... See full summary »
Director: Sinan Çetin | Stars: Hakan Balamir, Serpil Çakmakli, Bülent Bilgiç, Keriman Ulusoy
Votes: 454
52. The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)
Passed | 75 min | Drama, Western
When a posse captures three men suspected of killing a local farmer, they become strongly divided over whether or not to lynch the men.
Director: William A. Wellman | Stars: Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Mary Beth Hughes, Anthony Quinn
Votes: 24,946 | Gross: $1.64M
53. 11'e 10 Kala (2009)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
Mithat Bey is a retired civil servant. Ali is doorman of his apartment. The two men belong to different worlds, unless they live in same apartment.
Director: Pelin Esmer | Stars: Nejat Isler, Mithat Esmer, Laçin Ceylan, Tayanç Ayaydin
Votes: 2,825
54. Peppermint Candy (1999)
Not Rated | 129 min | Drama
Following a man's suicide, time traverses back to reveal six chapters of his life on why he committed suicide.
Director: Lee Chang-dong | Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Kim Yeo-jin, Moon So-ri, Se-beom Park
Votes: 10,808
55. The Browning Version (1951)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama
Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave), a classics teacher at an English school, is afflicted with a heart ailment and an unfaithful wife (Jean Kent). His interest in his pupils wanes as he looks towards his final days in employment.
Director: Anthony Asquith | Stars: Michael Redgrave, Jean Kent, Nigel Patrick, Wilfrid Hyde-White
Votes: 5,435
56. We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974)
124 min | Comedy, Drama
Three partisans bound by a strong friendship return home after the war, but the clash with everyday reality puts a strain on their bond.
Director: Ettore Scola | Stars: Nino Manfredi, Vittorio Gassman, Stefania Sandrelli, Stefano Satta Flores
Votes: 7,269
57. A Short Film About Love (1988)
Not Rated | 87 min | Drama, Romance
A naive inexperienced young man spies on a woman who lives across the courtyard, and falls in love with her. He starts using tricks which he hopes will lead to them meeting.
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski | Stars: Grazyna Szapolowska, Olaf Lubaszenko, Stefania Iwinska, Piotr Machalica
Votes: 26,058
58. The Lacemaker (1977)
R | 107 min | Drama, Romance
A reserved young woman moves into an apartment with a young student she met while on vacation.
Director: Claude Goretta | Stars: Isabelle Huppert, Yves Beneyton, Florence Giorgetti, Annemarie Düringer
Votes: 3,021
59. Not One Less (1999)
G | 106 min | Drama
In a remote mountain village, the teacher must leave for a month, and the mayor can find only a 13-year old girl, Wei Minzhi, to substitute. The teacher leaves one stick of chalk for each ... See full summary »
Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Minzhi Wei, Huike Zhang, Zhenda Tian, Enman Gao
Votes: 9,357 | Gross: $0.59M
60. Lamerica (1994)
116 min | Comedy, Drama
Immediately after the fall of communism in Albania, two Italians go there to embezzle investment money by creating a fake company. As the chairman/fall guy, they pick a former political prisoner who turns out to be more than meets the eye.
Director: Gianni Amelio | Stars: Enrico Lo Verso, Michele Placido, Piro Milkani, Carmelo Di Mazzarelli
Votes: 2,377 | Gross: $0.44M
61. The Stolen Children (1992)
114 min | Crime, Drama
Antonio, a policeman (carabiniere), has an order to take two children (Rosetta and her brother Luciano) from Milan to Sicily to an orphanage. Their mother has been arrested for forcing ... See full summary »
Director: Gianni Amelio | Stars: Enrico Lo Verso, Valentina Scalici, Giuseppe Ieracitano, Florence Darel
Votes: 2,874 | Gross: $0.93M
62. Before Night Falls (2000)
R | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The life of Cuban poet and novelist, Reinaldo Arenas.
Director: Julian Schnabel | Stars: Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, Olatz López Garmendia, Giovani Florido
Votes: 26,363 | Gross: $4.22M
63. Sen Türkülerini Söyle (1986)
84 min | Drama
A man is released after military intervention serving 7 years of prison. He sees all his friends lost their ideas, feels disturbed and depressed and can not adopt to new conditions.
Director: Serif Gören | Stars: Merih Firat, Kadir Inanir, Muadelet Tibet, Sibel Turnagöl
Votes: 165
64. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
R | 147 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with a superior olfactory sense, creates the world's finest perfume. His work, however, takes a dark turn as he searches for the ultimate scent.
Director: Tom Tykwer | Stars: Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman, Francesc Albiol
Votes: 265,673 | Gross: $2.22M
65. Mamma Roma (1962)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
An ex-prostitute reunites with her son, but an extortion scheme threatens her aspirations for a decent life.
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini | Stars: Anna Magnani, Ettore Garofolo, Franco Citti, Silvana Corsini
Votes: 10,468
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