Posted on Nov 14, 2021

17 Movies With Unhappy Endings That People Still Love

"Best movie I never want to watch again."

by Morgan Sloss

BuzzFeed Staff

"Incredible movie that introduced me to Robin Williams' more serious acting. I cried seeing him crying at the end when he heard the news, and another round when he left the class at the end."
–u/Nafeels
"That beautiful film was warning us about toxic masculinity 40 years ago."
–u/ConsiderationSea1347 — Buena Vista Pictures

"Incredible movie that introduced me to Robin Williams' more serious acting. I cried seeing him crying at the end when he heard the news, and another round when he left the class at the end."
–u/Nafeels
"That beautiful film was warning us about toxic masculinity 40 years ago."
–u/ConsiderationSea1347

Buena Vista Pictures

"Incredible movie that introduced me to Robin Williams' more serious acting. I cried seeing him crying at the end when he heard the news, and another round when he left the class at the end."
–u/Nafeels
"That beautiful film was warning us about toxic masculinity 40 years ago."
–u/ConsiderationSea1347

"I went to the theater to see a Steve Carell comedy and came home with a lifelong existential crisis."
–u/-kilgoretrout-
"I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a cult classic one day."
–u/8_bit_brandon — Focus Features

"I went to the theater to see a Steve Carell comedy and came home with a lifelong existential crisis."
–u/-kilgoretrout-
"I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a cult classic one day."
–u/8_bit_brandon

Focus Features

"I went to the theater to see a Steve Carell comedy and came home with a lifelong existential crisis."
–u/-kilgoretrout-
"I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a cult classic one day."
–u/8_bit_brandon

"My friends and I watched this movie. It's with Tom Hanks, and we knew it would be sad. But hell, we were all sobbing the whole movie and cried in the end. Great movie but would never watch again."
–u/a3rt3m1s — Warner Bros.

"My friends and I watched this movie. It's with Tom Hanks, and we knew it would be sad. But hell, we were all sobbing the whole movie and cried in the end. Great movie but would never watch again."
–u/a3rt3m1s

Warner Bros.

"My friends and I watched this movie. It's with Tom Hanks, and we knew it would be sad. But hell, we were all sobbing the whole movie and cried in the end. Great movie but would never watch again."
–u/a3rt3m1s

"How heartbreaking when he comes out of the forest, and she races out to see him. Always trying to catch a moment with a lost loved one is almost worse than just being able to move on."
–u/Seanathan65 — Warner Bros.

"How heartbreaking when he comes out of the forest, and she races out to see him. Always trying to catch a moment with a lost loved one is almost worse than just being able to move on."
–u/Seanathan65

Warner Bros.

"How heartbreaking when he comes out of the forest, and she races out to see him. Always trying to catch a moment with a lost loved one is almost worse than just being able to move on."
–u/Seanathan65

"I was depressed to find out almost all of the kids grew up to have their lives derailed. When he types, 'I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?' in the typewriter, that one hit me so hard."
–u/MTVChallengeFan — Columbia

"I was depressed to find out almost all of the kids grew up to have their lives derailed. When he types, 'I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?' in the typewriter, that one hit me so hard."
–u/MTVChallengeFan

Columbia

"I was depressed to find out almost all of the kids grew up to have their lives derailed. When he types, 'I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?' in the typewriter, that one hit me so hard."
–u/MTVChallengeFan

"As sad as it is that he doesn't end up with her, I love it because it's much more realistic."
–u/tpierce071 — 20th Century Fox

"As sad as it is that he doesn't end up with her, I love it because it's much more realistic."
–u/tpierce071

20th Century Fox

"As sad as it is that he doesn't end up with her, I love it because it's much more realistic."
–u/tpierce071

"Underrated movie. It's a sad ending when you realize that if you forget all your mistakes, you’re just going to make them all over again, and living with the pain is inevitable."
–u/Annual_Rooster5678 — Focus Features

"Underrated movie. It's a sad ending when you realize that if you forget all your mistakes, you’re just going to make them all over again, and living with the pain is inevitable."
–u/Annual_Rooster5678

Focus Features

"Underrated movie. It's a sad ending when you realize that if you forget all your mistakes, you’re just going to make them all over again, and living with the pain is inevitable."
–u/Annual_Rooster5678

"Yeah, yeah, they‘re not enemies anymore, but that deep friendship is gone and will never return. It died alongside their childhood, and it makes me cry just thinking about it. They are now strangers living in different worlds with only their memories, thinking, You know my best buddy from years ago? Hope he's good."
–u/JAR_Melethril — Disney

"Yeah, yeah, they‘re not enemies anymore, but that deep friendship is gone and will never return. It died alongside their childhood, and it makes me cry just thinking about it. They are now strangers living in different worlds with only their memories, thinking, You know my best buddy from years ago? Hope he's good."
–u/JAR_Melethril

Disney

"Yeah, yeah, they‘re not enemies anymore, but that deep friendship is gone and will never return. It died alongside their childhood, and it makes me cry just thinking about it. They are now strangers living in different worlds with only their memories, thinking, You know my best buddy from years ago? Hope he's good."
–u/JAR_Melethril

"Best movie I never want to watch again."
–u/red-eee — Artisan Entertainment

"Best movie I never want to watch again."
–u/red-eee

Artisan Entertainment

"Best movie I never want to watch again."
–u/red-eee

"It came out of nowhere. What a wild movie. I could literally feel my heart beating faster the whole time!"
–u/eyenation — A24

"It came out of nowhere. What a wild movie. I could literally feel my heart beating faster the whole time!"
–u/eyenation

A24

"It came out of nowhere. What a wild movie. I could literally feel my heart beating faster the whole time!"
–u/eyenation

"Perfect ending. Brad Pitt put a clause in his contract that the studio couldn't change the ending even if it didn’t test well. That movie would have sucked if the ending were any different. Well played, Brad, well played."
–u/juliango — New Line Cinema

"Perfect ending. Brad Pitt put a clause in his contract that the studio couldn't change the ending even if it didn’t test well. That movie would have sucked if the ending were any different. Well played, Brad, well played."
–u/juliango

New Line Cinema

"Perfect ending. Brad Pitt put a clause in his contract that the studio couldn't change the ending even if it didn’t test well. That movie would have sucked if the ending were any different. Well played, Brad, well played."
–u/juliango

"Not fun fact: The story is based on a true story that happened to the author's son and his friend. The girl in real life died from being struck by lightning, but the publishers thought that was too fantastical so it was changed to drowning. Then, the son of the author grew up and wrote the screenplay for the film based on his childhood."
–u/Anti-waxxer — Buena Vista Pictures

"Not fun fact: The story is based on a true story that happened to the author's son and his friend. The girl in real life died from being struck by lightning, but the publishers thought that was too fantastical so it was changed to drowning. Then, the son of the author grew up and wrote the screenplay for the film based on his childhood."
–u/Anti-waxxer

Buena Vista Pictures

"Not fun fact: The story is based on a true story that happened to the author's son and his friend. The girl in real life died from being struck by lightning, but the publishers thought that was too fantastical so it was changed to drowning. Then, the son of the author grew up and wrote the screenplay for the film based on his childhood."
–u/Anti-waxxer

"It's kind of a sad ending, but probably the only ending Maximus would have wanted after the death of his wife and kid."
–u/HacksawJimDGN
"That's what gets me. He tries so hard and is only really whole when he's with his family."
–u/arkayer — DreamWorks

"It's kind of a sad ending, but probably the only ending Maximus would have wanted after the death of his wife and kid."
–u/HacksawJimDGN
"That's what gets me. He tries so hard and is only really whole when he's with his family."
–u/arkayer

DreamWorks

"It's kind of a sad ending, but probably the only ending Maximus would have wanted after the death of his wife and kid."
–u/HacksawJimDGN
"That's what gets me. He tries so hard and is only really whole when he's with his family."
–u/arkayer

"Without thinking about it, it looks like a happy ending. But when you think about it, you realize Truman will never have a normal life."
–u/Phyclops_
"Even if he could live a normal life afterward, he will never get back everything that was taken from him."
–u/Priest_of_Heathens — Paramount

"Without thinking about it, it looks like a happy ending. But when you think about it, you realize Truman will never have a normal life."
–u/Phyclops_
"Even if he could live a normal life afterward, he will never get back everything that was taken from him."
–u/Priest_of_Heathens

Paramount

"Without thinking about it, it looks like a happy ending. But when you think about it, you realize Truman will never have a normal life."
–u/Phyclops_
"Even if he could live a normal life afterward, he will never get back everything that was taken from him."
–u/Priest_of_Heathens

"Saw this in the theater, and there was dead silence after the end."
–u/YogiAU
"What’s scary is that the book ending is infinitely more fucked up. Movie Amy is tame compared to Book Amy."
–u/Paddock9652 — 20th Century Fox

"Saw this in the theater, and there was dead silence after the end."
–u/YogiAU
"What’s scary is that the book ending is infinitely more fucked up. Movie Amy is tame compared to Book Amy."
–u/Paddock9652

20th Century Fox

"Saw this in the theater, and there was dead silence after the end."
–u/YogiAU
"What’s scary is that the book ending is infinitely more fucked up. Movie Amy is tame compared to Book Amy."
–u/Paddock9652

"What a great movie and a shocking ending."
–u/mrchuckles5 — Warner Bros.

"What a great movie and a shocking ending."
–u/mrchuckles5

Warner Bros.

"What a great movie and a shocking ending."
–u/mrchuckles5

"Cried like a baby at the end. Great movie though, and very eye-opening."
–u/BlackCloudWrecker
"I watched that with a friend at their insistence. I was sobbing throughout. Completely inconsolable. I will never watch it again. I don't think my heart can take it."
–u/Eormet — Walt Disney Studios / Motion Pictures

"Cried like a baby at the end. Great movie though, and very eye-opening."
–u/BlackCloudWrecker
"I watched that with a friend at their insistence. I was sobbing throughout. Completely inconsolable. I will never watch it again. I don't think my heart can take it."
–u/Eormet

Walt Disney Studios / Motion Pictures

"Cried like a baby at the end. Great movie though, and very eye-opening."
–u/BlackCloudWrecker
"I watched that with a friend at their insistence. I was sobbing throughout. Completely inconsolable. I will never watch it again. I don't think my heart can take it."
–u/Eormet

Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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