The Best Sad Movies Based on True Stories

Published: May 20, 2024 by Jenna Jury

Have you ever walked away from a theater feeling an endorphin boost after watching a heart wrenching film? This sensation is often summed up simply by saying, “I just needed a really good cry.” Many people love to watch sad movies based on true events, but why? First, these films draw us in because of their human interest themes. Whether it’s a film about a national disaster or one based on a tragic event (like “Soul Surfer,” based on Bethany Hamilton’s true story of continuing life after a shark attack), these films have a way of connecting us to our emotions.

Sad films based on true stories have a deep effect on our emotions and have the ability to help us develop empathy. As we watch the resilience and inner strength of the protagonists, we are often inspired to engage our own inner strength. These movies also foster a sense of gratitude for our own relationships and lives as we dive into the depths of real-life tragedies, developing a connection with the characters and their experiences.

Additionally, true movies that evoke an emotional response are valuable for the audiences. According to a study released in 2016, watching tragic events unfold can produce a stress chemical in our bodies. However, throughout the movie, these chemicals are combatted by an emotional release within our brains, possibly promoting endorphins and increasing our pain threshold. Life is full of complex emotions and feelings; watching a sad movie based on actual life events may be precisely what one needs to confront one’s own emotions in a safe environment.

Are you looking for your next great cry movie? One that evokes emotions while also exploring actual life events? There are many excellent and heart wrenching films to choose from, and on this list, you will find 50 of the top sad movies based on true stories. So, grab your tissues and cuddle up with a blanket as you prepare for your next “really good cry.”

To determine the best sad movies based on true stories, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with at least 3,500 user reviews on IMDb were considered. Cast information is from IMDb. (Read our list of 30 of the saddest movies of all time.)

50. The Vow (2012)

Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (196,420 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (127,988 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 31% (135 reviews)
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum, Sam Neill

49. Patch Adams (1998)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (115,620 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (265,199 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 22% (69 reviews)
Starring: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter

48. Heaven & Earth (1993)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (14,534 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (5,000 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 43% (21 reviews)
Starring: Hiep Thi Le, Tommy Lee Jones, Haing S. Ngor

47. Not Without My Daughter (1991)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (13,710 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (16,115 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 50% (16 reviews)
Starring: Sally Field, Alfred Molina, Sheila Rosenthal

46. World Trade Center (2006)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (84,756 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 60% (363,628 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (234 reviews)
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maria Bello

45. An American Crime (2007)

Source: Courtesy of First Look International

IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (35,296 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (11,496 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 38% (13 reviews)
Starring: Elliot Page, Hayley McFarland, Nick Searcy

44. Legend (2015)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (186,212 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (28,400 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 61% (170 reviews)
Starring: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Taron Egerton

43. Soul Surfer (2011)

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (50,464 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (41,703 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 45% (106 reviews)
Starring: AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt

42. The Glass Castle (2017)

The Glass Castle (2017) | Woody Harrelson and Ella Anderson in The Glass Castle (2017)

Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films

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Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films

IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (34,489 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (8,784 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 52% (164 reviews)
Starring: Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts

41. My Friend Dahmer (2017)

Source: Courtesy of FilmRise

IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (22,006 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61% (5,476 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (104 reviews)
Starring: Ross Lynch, Alex Wolff, Anne Heche

40. The Terminal (2004)

Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution

IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (427,304 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (408,234 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 61% (207 reviews)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride

39. At Eternity’s Gate (2018)

Source: Courtesy of CBS Films

IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (36,144 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (1,322 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (189 reviews)
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac

38. Girl, Interrupted (1999)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures Corporation

IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (192,196 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (242,754 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 53% (115 reviews)
Starring: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall

37. Christine (2016)

Source: Courtesy of The Orchard

IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (15,663 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (5,547 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (128 reviews)
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts

36. The Blind Side (2009)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (336,377 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (431,935 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (206 reviews)
Starring: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw

35. Trumbo (2015)

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IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (82,306 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (22,880 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (208 reviews)
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren

34. American Sniper (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (492,587 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (153,604 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (299 reviews)
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner

33. A Cry in the Dark (1988)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (10,926 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (5,000 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (33 reviews)
Starring: Meryl Streep, Sam Neill, Dale Reeves

32. Monster (2003)

Source: Courtesy of Newmarket Films

IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (153,800 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (84,875 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (190 reviews)
Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern

31. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (517,291 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (563,565 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (177 reviews)
Starring: Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton, Jaden Smith

30. Hotel Mumbai (2018)

Source: Courtesy of Bleecker Street Media

IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (65,459 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (1,076 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (215 reviews)
Starring: Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi

29. Patriots Day (2016)

Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate

IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (104,734 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (26,155 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (237 reviews)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, J.K. Simmons

28. The Impossible (2012)

Source: Courtesy of Lions Gate Films

IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (226,654 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (49,422 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (202 reviews)
Starring: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland

27. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Source: Courtesy of CBS Films

IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (146,256 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (45,114 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (286 reviews)
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman

26. The Theory of Everything (2014)

Eddie Redmayne 2016 | 88th Annual Academy Awards - Red Carpet

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Hannah Redmayne (L) and actor Eddie Redmayne attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images