Letting out a good cry has a cathartic effect, so if you want to let some weeping out, this article on some of the sad movies on Hulu is for you.
It is not surprising that Greek playwrights used tragedy as a storytelling device because it is one of the strongest emotions a person can feel.
These movies expose our most vulnerable sides: irony, sadness, pride, or complicated relationships. The subtleties of storytelling have changed over time, though, and cinema is now willing to try different genres.
We’ve therefore put together a list of movies on Hulu that you might like if you’re looking for some sad movies on Hulu.
1. The Hero (2017)
Sam Elliott, a seasoned actor (The Big Lebowski, We Were Soldiers), stars in The Hero as an aging Western star coming to terms with his mortality.
It’s heartbreaking, as movies about characters coming to terms with mortality often are in addition to Laura Prepon, Nick Offerman, Krysten Ritter, and Katherine Ross. The rest of the ensemble—including Elliot—also does a fantastic job.
2. Endless (2020)
The romantic drama Endless is also heartbreaking. Riley and Chris met in high school and have been in love ever since. The car accident that changes their lives ends their romantic fantasies of a future together.
Riley feels guilty for the tragedy while Chris fights for his life. Chris and Riley discover a way to communicate despite being trapped in a state of transition between life and death.
After all, it hurts a lot when an unfortunate event alters one’s course in life. Especially if that person was content with their life, that is precisely why this movie makes such a strong emotional impact. This is one of the sad movies on Hulu.
3. Shoplifters (2018)
Shoplifters put their emotions on display. The multi-generational family at the center of Hirokazu Kore-touching media’s movie (and the family they chose) makes a lot of morally dubious choices.
Still, the movie never condemns the characters for it. Instead, Shoplifters is an insightful, agonizing, and frequently damning examination of the society that influenced them.
4. I, Tonya (2017)
Success is not always straightforward; fame brings lots of attention that can make or break one’s social reputation. The biographical drama stars Margot Robbie in the title role and is centered on renowned figure skater Tonya Harding.
The 1994 incident involving Tonya’s rival Nancy Kerrigan. Which reshaped the former’s personal and professional life is highlighted in the sports movie.
Tonya and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly each give their perspective on the story’s events. Making it difficult to understand what transpired.
However, Tonya’s life has suffered due to the controversy, especially since all of her efforts have been in vain and have been forgotten in a flash. This is one of the sad movies on Hulu.
5. Boyz N The Hood (1991)
Despite being a crime drama film, John Singleton’s “Boyz N The Hood” is a moving story of struggle, friendship, and overcoming pain.
The movie, set in South Central Los Angeles, centers on Tre Styles. He moves in with his father in a gang-infested area. Tre and his friends struggle to make sense of their formative years in Crenshaw.
Violence, grief, and loss are a natural part of their reality. Also, the moving story in the critically acclaimed work of art makes it even more poignant.
6. SuperNova (2020)
In every way, the movie Supernova is heartbreaking. It emphasizes the value of letting go in the Harry Macqueen-directed film, Sam and Tusker.
Who has been together for more than 20 years? Start to see things differently now that Tusker was given the early-onset dementia diagnosis two years ago.
Time becomes valuable to them, and they decide to spend it with those they love. The two are forced to face some uncomfortable truths about life, love, and death due to the process. This is one of the sad movies on Hulu.
7. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
If Beale Street Could Talk is a romantic drama written and directed by Barry Jenkins based on James Baldwin’s original 1974 novel.
It follows Tish and Fonny, childhood friends and young lovers whose lives fall apart after the latter is falsely accused of raping a woman.
However, Tish, who is expecting, fights for Fonny’s release and justice so they can be there for the birth of their child together.
Also, it is simultaneously heartbreaking and infuriating because it examines issues of racism and judicial corruption. The movie received many nominations and took home both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
8. Stronger (2017)
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jeff Bauman, a 2013 Boston Marathon bombing survivor, in the movie Stronger. The David Gordon Green-directed film is superior to the typical inspirational true story.
Gyllenhaal deserves much credit for that, but Tatiana Maslany of Orphan Black also deserves credit for her outstanding performance as Erin Hurley, Bauman’s love interest.
9. Tangerine (2015)
Despite having unlimited resources, many films still feel so insignificant that they might as well not even exist.
However, Sean Baker’s Tangerine, one of the sad movies on Hulu, is proof of how much filmmakers can accomplish with little.
Tangerine is a hypnotic, extraordinary film about the friendship between two sex workers. It was shot on an iPhone for relatively little money.
Over a very long day, that bond is tested, and the plot’s apparent simplicity belies its potency. Sin-Dee (Kiki Rodriguez) begins searching for her boyfriend’s mistress after learning that he isn’t faithful.
Alexandra (Mya Taylor) is getting ready to perform at a nearby club in the meantime. Tangerine is the best movie I’ve ever seen to capture Los Angeles’s spirit.
You shot it on a section of Santa Monica known as a hub of prostitution in the city. It is innovative in its accurate portrayal of life on the streets while also being stylish, understated, and stylish.
10. A Teacher (2013)
Stories about teachers having inappropriate relationships with students are heartbreakingly frequent on the news. But they are rarely shown on television.
A teacher discusses the touchy subject of an adult woman abusing a teen student in her class. A Teacher is an unflinching look at a frequently disregarded form of child abuse, from the beginning of the relationship to its destructive conclusion.
Also, the show’s real star is Will Brittain’s Eric, who brings to life a confused teen who gradually realizes something is wrong. Lindsay Burdge is excellent as Mrs. Watts. devastating and strongly advised.
11. Skeleton Twins (2014)
How did a comedy film starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig end up playing only in independent theaters? How? By being a lighthearted yet eerie meditation on unresolved childhood issues.
As Maggie (Wiig) is about to commit suicide, she receives a call informing her that Milo (Hader), her estranged brother, has cut his wrists.
Maggie urges Milo to relocate to New York state to live with her and her husband after rushing to see him in Los Angeles. Although Wiig and Hader do a remarkable job of adding humor to this grim tale, you should carry a box of tissues the entire time.
12. Nomadland (2021)
Nomadland, one of the sad movies on Hulu, is a contemplative movie by acclaimed director Chloé Zhao, which is an adaptation of the nonfiction book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.”
Frances McDormand plays the title character in the film, Fern, a woman who loses everything, including her husband and job. As a result, she decides to downsize her possessions and become a nomad who travels the world in a van.
Fern encounters several people along the way who give her life a new purpose. Even though the story shows Fern moving toward self-acceptance, several painful moments are sprinkled throughout the process.
You can watch the movie here on Hulu if you’d like to experience life through Fern’s eyes briefly. This is one of the sad movies on Hulu.
13. Minding The Gap (2018)
The documentary “Minding the Gap,” directed by Bing Liu, describes his childhood experiences growing up in Rockford, Illinois.
Liu and his friends Keire Johnson and Zack Mulligan reflect on their formative years against the backdrop of skateboard culture. Also, the purpose of this documentary is to show how a person’s upbringing and conception of masculinity are related.
Furthermore, the three friends split up due to unforeseen circumstances. But they still had abuse in their homes as children, which remained a common thread throughout their journeys.
As a result, the documentary nominated for an Academy Award does so in a sensitive and nuanced way. This is one of the sad movies on Hulu.
14. Ben Is Back (2018)
The ideal time for families to get together is on Christmas Eve. Ben, however, is not supposed to be knocking on Holly’s door; instead, he is supposed to be in treatment.
Holly agrees to let Ben stay for 24 hours as long as he can maintain sobriety after hearing that his sponsor gave him a pass.
Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges deliver raw, soul-crushing performances in this heartbreaking portrayal of opioid addiction that will tragically resonate with too many viewers.
15. Border (2018)
Even though fairy tales are often associated with children, they also contain a great deal of tragedy. In the contemporary fairy tale Border, Tina, a character with features reminiscent of Neanderthals, has a superhumanly potent sense of smell.
She assists in the discovery of everything while working as a customs agent, from drugs to child pornography. One day at work, Tina meets a mysterious stranger named Vore, with features reminiscent of a Neanderthal.
More information would be criminal, but we firmly believe this is a fairy tale. This is one of the sad movies on Hulu.
16. Colossal (2016)
Ask Colossal, a movie about people battling their literal inner monsters, how genre filmmaking is a fantastic medium for telling unconventional stories.
Gloria struggles with alcoholism. She was kicked out of her apartment, and her boyfriend dumped her due to her drinking. Gloria’s life is in ruins, so she once more turns to alcohol and her coworkers for support.
Then, during a blackout, a monster appears in Seoul and begins tormenting buildings and killing people. Gloria comes to a horrifying realization very quickly. Only after drinking does the beast emerge. Gloria is merely a revelation from Anne Hathaway. This is one of the sad movies on Hulu.
17. Lucky (2017)
This poignant movie, which was made just before Harry Dean Stanton passed away, featured him as the lead. It examines the life of a reclusive, cantankerous man who initially presents as a comic eccentric but later turns out to be a more tragic and nuanced character than the movie initially leads the audience to believe.
Stanton is the main focus of the John Carroll Lynch-directed film, but it also features Ed Begley Jr., Tom Skerritt, and even David Lynch to help tell the story.
18. The United States Vs. Billie Holiday (2021)
The tireless efforts and sacrifices of those who came before us have led to the world as we know it today. The biographical drama film, based on the book “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs,” centers on the life of singer Billie Holiday. The movie highlights the last few years of her life and how she came to be at the epicenter of the War on Drugs.
Her song “Strange Fruit,” which became a rallying cry against the lynching of black people, is one of her most extraordinary social contributions; this scene is depicted in the movie.
The narrative is more compelling because most of the events in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” occurred. The song is used in the movie at some crucial points in the plot, which adds to the poignant scenes.
