If you’re a masochist like me, sometimes you just want to watch a movie that will have you curled up in a fetal position sobbing for hours. Luckily, romantic dramas have offered this unconventional therapy method for decades. Naturally, a good chunk of these films center on terminal illnesses that nearly always lead to an unhappy ending.
It’s perfectly fine and relatable to want romantic movies to center on unrealistic expectations and unlikely happily-ever-afters between couples that more often than not are realistically terrible for each other. Yet if we want to watch realistically terrible situationships with inevitable heartbreak, we can do that on Tinder for free. Alternatively, if you did fall for that Toxic Tinder Nightmare, depressing romantic dramas are here to refocus your sadness on fiction so you can properly avoid dealing with your feelings. Other times, we just want realistic movies that don’t sugarcoat the trials and tribulations of the human experience.
Between classics like “A Walk to Remember” and “Remember Me,” here are some romantic dramas on the best streaming services that will leave you in a puddle of tears.
'Five Feet Apart'
We’ve all seen dozens of tragic love stories about illnesses like cancer, but “Five Feet Apart” centers on a lesser-known condition called cystic fibrosis. Given that CF severely impacts the immune system, patients can’t be closer than six feet apart due to the risk of cross-infection. When it comes to chronic and/or terminal illnesses, it’s often comforting to seek a support system with people going through the same thing. While technology has made it easy for patients to connect in the virtual world, in-person contact is strictly forbidden. And nothing can replace the intimacy of a good hug.
Enter “Five Feet Apart” characters Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) and Will (Cole Sprouse), who find themselves embroiled in a potentially deadly Romeo and Juliet love story. Naturally, Will is a bit of a bad boy, and both CF patients find themselves pushing back against the rules. Rather than staying six feet apart, they shave a foot off the standard. Now that we’ve dealt with a pandemic, everyone knows that anything less than a six-foot distance is essentially pointless.
Realistically, both the audience and starcrossed lovers know their relationship is doomed from the start. But we can’t help rooting for them anyway, as the characters meet during a period of mutual hopelessness. At the end of the day, the couple has to decide whether or not to break up or risk death.
Watch on Paramount Plus
'Remember Me'
In 2010, Robert Pattinson proved that he has more than just the skin of a killer, Bella. His movie “Remember Me” gave audiences a glimpse of his dynamic acting prowess with his intense performance as Tyler Hawkins. The movie tackles intense subjects like Tyler’s brother’s death by suicide and his love interest Ally (Emilie de Raven) taking on a more positive life outlook after she watched her mother’s murder.
Unlike many romantic films, it’s not smooth sailing for the couple. Tyler contends with serious depression and self-destructive behavior that causes him and Ally to have realistic roadblocks that often make it feel like their relationship won’t survive. The film is often heavy and heartbreaking, but most of all, it’s just real. Reality often sucks and life is unpredictable. “Remember Me” doesn’t shy away from those intense concepts.
Watch on Tubi
'A Walk To Remember'
This wouldn’t be a list of cry-worthy movies if it didn’t include a Nicholas Sparks drama. Fellow ‘90s kids probably know where I’m going with this. 2002 brought us the gut-wrenching movie “A Walk to Remember” — which, true to its title, we haven’t been able to forget since.
Most “bad boy falls for the reverend’s daughter” movies typically have mostly lighthearted arcs on top of the overbearing dad plotlines (see “Footloose”). When rebellious teen Landon (Shane West) tries to woo Mandy Moore’s Jamie Sullivan, he isn’t aware that she has a terminal cancer diagnosis. Yet that doesn’t put him off from pursuing their whirlwind relationship.
Not only does Landon stand by her through brutal chemo sessions, but he helps her check off every item on her bucket list with a slew of grand romantic gestures. Basically, Landon gives her a lifetime of memories and experiences during their summer together while she fights for her life. “A Walk to Remember” is a heartwarming (and heartbreaking) story about two unlikely teenagers coming together to change each other’s lives for the better.
Watch on Hulu
'Keith'
There are plenty of movies that tackle terminal illnesses in teenagers. But few really dive deep into the psychological component that often goes along with that kind of diagnosis. While it can be helpful to keep a positive outlook during cancer treatment, it’s unrealistic to avoid addressing the depression, anger, and hopelessness that patients often feel. The movie “Keith” doesn’t pull any punches with the teenager’s handling of his cancer diagnosis.
As many high school romances begin, Keith (Jesse McCartney) and his love interest Natalie (Elisabeth Harnois) meet when they’re paired as lab partners. Unsurprisingly, it’s not exactly love at first sight, but the pair grows closer with the typical opposites attract trope. The eventual couple spends time daydreaming about what their lives could look like in the future, even though Keith knows that he might not live long enough to have one.
With that reality looming, he contends with depression and suicidal ideation, wanting to take matters into his own hands. But Natalie is determined to make the most of their time together.
Watch on the Roku Channel
'If I Stay'
When it comes to heartbreaking romantic dramas, “If I Stay” is pretty unique. The film kicks off by introducing us to teenage cello prodigy Mia (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her close relationship with her family. She has everything going for her: a loving boyfriend, a tight-knit family, and she’s eagerly waiting the results of a Julliard audition. As soon as we fall in love with the Halls, we watch them get into a deadly car accident.
After a comatose Mia discovers that she’s an orphan, she has to decide whether or not to keep fighting. What really makes the movie special is the magical realism of the fractured storytelling. Rather than having her life play out at the beginning of the film, Mia’s memories unravel while she’s making her decision in the hospital — all while not knowing whether or not her baby brother survived.
You’ll probably cry periodically throughout the entire movie (or maybe that’s just me), but nothing is more gut-wrenching than Stacy Keach’s Gramps giving his granddaughter permission to let go if she can’t fight anymore. The movie is just as much of a story about familial love as it is about romantic love. But ultimately, it’s a character study of a girl with her entire life ahead of her having to decide whether or not to live or die after her entire world was shattered.
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