5 Tearjerkers To Watch, Listen To & Read For When You Need To Get The Tears Flowing

In her feature The Healing Power Of A Good Cry, culture writer Emma Firth explores what makes us cry (from Billy Crystal’s love speech in When Harry Met Sally to life admin and the news) and discovers that, far from being a sign of weakness, crying is an important human communication and bonding tool – not to mention, a joyful release.  

If you need a little help to get the tears flowing, here Firth recommends 5 tearjerkers to try, from a moving podcast episode to the ultimate weepy film and the breakup album we can all relate to. 

1. The Podcast Episode To Download… Desert Island Discs – Specifically, the episode with vascular and war surgeon David Nott. I defy even the most stoic of listener to not be irrevocably moved by his stories that expose the beauty of humanity. 

2. The Movie To Stream… Past Lives – Celine Song’s debut feature film – a love story spanning 20 years, inspired by her childhood sweetheart in Korea – is an achingly tender portrait of sliding doors. Depicting the lives and people we leave behind. Tear-jerking cinema at its absolute finest.    

3. The Album To Listen To… Sour by Olivia Rodrigo – Sometimes listening to a flawless breakup record, revisiting the torture of romantic loss, is all the therapy you need.  

4. The Real-Life Drama To Watch… Society Of The Snow – An unbelievable true story of survival, following a Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the remote Andes mountains in 1972. An inspiring tale that will stay with you long after the closing credits.  

5. The Book To Read… One Day by David Nicholls – If you’re ever in an emotional drought, this modern classic has everything: funny, loving, and devastating all at once.  

READ MORE

5 Tearjerkers To Watch, Listen To & Read For When You Need To Get The Tears Flowing

By Emma Firth

08.08.2024

Emma Firth is a London-based essayist and writer exploring love, intimacy and joy for British Vogue, The Cut, ELLE UK, ES magazine, Rolling Stone, mixed feelings newsletter and more