15 Movies With the Most Unexpected and Heartbreaking Endings

Have you ever watched a long movie and finished it with a heavy heart? Countless great movies have gut-wrenching and heartbreaking twists at the end. These endings stick with us for years. A popular, heartbreaking film is “Bridge to Terabithia.” This beautiful film touches on tough topics and ends on an even harder one. Since this article is about movie endings, fair warning that there are spoilers ahead.

“Bridge to Terabithia” is just one of many movies with sad endings. Very few people don’t cry when watching the end. Not all sad and unexpected movie endings though are related to death. Some involve illnesses, distance, and time.

Even movies with expected sad endings can still leave you speechless. Movies are powerful. They not only tell stories but can influence and inspire viewers. They are used to spread messages and sometimes even heal hearts. No one likes talking about death, aging, or sickness. Movies have a way of bringing these topics to life while extending conversations from the movie theater to the real world.

The saddest movies are the ones that hold some truth. Did you know there is some truth to “Bridge to Terabithia?” We’ll dive into it later.

It’s hard to rate the unexpectedness and heartbreaking sadness of movies. These are subjective feelings. To curate this list of movies with the most unexpected and heartbreaking endings, we reviewed listicles on IMDb . To learn more about these films, we also used Rotten Tomatoes. We also used some creative liberty when listing the films and their tragic endings. (After this article, click here for the best sad movies based on true stories .)

Keep reading to learn about movies with the most unexpected and heartbreaking endings.

“The Lovely Bones” (2009)

“The Lovely Bones” can be a hard movie to watch. The whole movie is about Susie Salmon, a young 14-year-old with big dreams. She’s tragically killed and never found. The audience views the film from Susie’s perspective as she watches her family and her killer from “In-Between.” The end is so infuriating to watch. Harvey, the man who kills her, dies of a freak accident. However, Susie gets to watch as her family heals from her passing.

The last part of the film is when Susie says, “My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name is Susie. I was 14 years old when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. I was here for a moment and then I was gone. I wish you all a long and happy life.”

“Bridge To Terabithia” (2007)

Two years before “The Lovely Bones” was released, “Bridge to Terabithia” hit the big screen. This movie, and the book it’s based on, are commonly read/watched in school. It follows two friends who are oddballs in their community. They help each other grow and imagine a unique imaginary world. Sadly though, the ending hurts. Leslie Burk, the new girl in town, passes away while swinging on a frail rope to their imaginary world. Jess struggles to accept his new reality without her. Even those who know the ending, still shed tears when it happens.

“Bridge to Terabithia” was released on February 16, 2007. The novel was inspired by real-life events that the author’s son experienced. His best friend passed away from a lightning bolt accident, which was hard to navigate being so young.

“Instructions Not Included” (2013)

Also on our list of movies with the most unexpected and heartbreaking endings is “Instructions Not Included.” This movie is a comedy-drama filled with wackiness. It tells the story of Valentín Bravo as he becomes a parent out of nowhere. The mother leaves the baby with him and he steps up to take care of her.

During the film, we see Valentin constantly in doctor’s visits. This beautiful misdirection though comes back later to haunt audience members. The mother comes back and reveals Valentin isn’t the father. She wants custody, but he doesn’t care if they don’t share blood. At the end of the film, it’s revealed that his daughter is the one with a heart defect. She passes peacefully in his lap, next to her biological mother. How could you not cry watching this tense, yet peaceful scene?

“Tick, Tick… Boom!” (2021)

“ Tick, Tick… Boom!” is a catchy American biographical musical. It’s about Jonathan Larson and his journey in theater. He is close to thirty and is going through a lot of negative things. His relationship with his girlfriend is rocky and no one is picking up his work. Finally, he has a workshop. He pours all his energy into this workshop, pushing away the people who care. His best friend is sick with HIV, which devastates Jonathan. In the end, his workshop does great . His career starts to bloom, and he finishes a very popular musical, “Rent.”

But what’s heartbreaking about this? At the end of the film , the narrator tells the audience of Jonathan’s unexpected death. Right before “Rent’s” off-Broadway previews begin, he dies of a sudden aortic dissection. He never saw the success of “Rent.”

“Dead Poets Society” (1989)

“Dead Poets Society” is a gut-wrenching American coming-of-age drama. It was released on June 2, 1989. This phenomenal film was an immediate success, grossing $235.9 million, against a budget of $16.4 million. Robin Williams plays John Keating, an English teacher with unique teaching methods. Throughout the movie, we get to see his students grow and learn more about literature and themselves. This is probably why the ending hurts so much.

Neil, one of the boys in Keating’s class, commits suicide after his father takes him out of school, forcing him to quit acting. This shocking death is blamed on Mr. Keating. At the end of the film though, on his last day, the students stand on their desks in allegiance with Mr. Keating, stating, “O Captain! My Captain!” even after they are threatened to be expelled.

“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” (2008)

Most World War 2 movies are heartbreaking. How can they not be when they tell stories of an atrocious time? One of the most heartbreaking movies to depict the Holocaust is “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” The movie is mainly about two young boys, from different sides that become friends. Bruno is a young German boy who is shielded from the war. He lives near a concentration camp that he thinks is a farm.

At a barbed wire fence, he meets Shmuel, a Jewish eight-year-old boy. The saddest part of this film though is the ending. Shmuel’s father goes missing. Bruno wants to help him find his father and dresses in prisoner clothes. They are both then taken to a gas chamber and executed. Ralf, Bruno’s father, is too late.

“The Mist” (2007)

Another movie with a tragic ending is “The Mist.” This film was released on November 21, 2007, and is no stranger to death. Most of the main characters we are introduced to die. The film is about a group of survivors, looking to get out of the mist and reunite with their loved ones. The mist is a mysterious phenomenon filled with strange and deadly creatures.

The main character, David Drayton, finds a way out with a few other survivors and his son, Billy. This is after experiencing horrendous things while stuck in a grocery store. The group quickly loses gas and hope. David, to save everyone from the pain of the monsters, kills each person in the car, including his son. He screams and steps out ready to meet his end. However, at the last second, a group of military vans push through the mist. It dissipates, meaning David and the group were so close to safety and that he killed his son for no reason.

“Stand By Me” (1986)

“Stand by Me” also has a tear-jerking ending. It’s unexpected, heartbreaking, and yet realistic. This movie is one of the few that doesn’t end in death — at least not entirely. Instead, the group of boys we watch struggle the whole movie drift apart. Still, Gordon “Gordie” Lachance fondly remembers his friendship with the boys when they were 12. He hears of his old friend’s death, Chris, and states he will miss him forever. After finding a dead body together and going through the things the group did, you’d think they’d stay in touch. But life happens, and they slowly all part ways.

“Grave of the Fireflies” (1988)

“Grave of the Fireflies” is not a movie for the faint-hearted. This heartbreaking film ends in misery and follows Seita and Setsuko as they try to survive a war. Their mother is severely injured and dies, which Seita keeps a secret. He tries to keep Setsuko calm and happy, even with the bombings. Sadly, Setsuko is severely malnourished and passes away, leaving Seita alone. Seita, heartbreakingly carries Setsuko’s ashes with him, before also passing away of starvation.

“Marley and Me” (2008)

Dogs don’t live forever. Wouldn’t it be nice though if they did? “Marley and Me” is an American comedy-drama. It was based on the memoir of the same name. The film follows Marley, an adorable and silly labrador, and his owners John and Jenny Grogan. They adopt Marley after considering having a child. Marley causes lots of havoc and chaos but also brings love to their life.

The ending is easy to guess, but still hard to watch. Marley grows old and suffers from an intestinal disorder. He is put to sleep after a second attack of the disorder.

“La La Land” (2016)

“La La Land” is a fun musical, but musicals can also have sad endings. It’s hard to imagine Seb and Mia without each other. They are both struggling to make it in the industry and fall in love. The audience gets to see their relationship and feelings develop. Still, after some time together, they argue and fight.

They drift apart and five years later, we see them acting like strangers. Mia is a successful actress. She’s also married and has a daughter. Mia and her husband find a beautiful jazz bar that she immediately recognizes. Seb has opened his own jazz club, with the logo she created. They share a look and imagine what life would have been like if they’d stayed together. In the end, though, all they do is offer a simple smile, before going their separate ways.

“My Girl” (1991)

Another heartbreaking film is “My Girl,” a coming-of-age comedy-drama. It tells the story of 11-year-old Vada. Her father runs a funeral parlor where they live. Because of this, she grows scared of death and illnesses. The movie is set in Tennessee, during a summer in 1972. Vada is best friends with Thomas J. Sennett, who has a lot of allergies. He isn’t popular, but is kind.

One day, while playing with Thomas, she loses her mood ring. They knock down an active beehive, but can’t find it. Not too long later, they share a kiss at the willow tree, the place they always hang around. Thomas looks for the ring, only to get stung by a bee and die from an allergic reaction. Seeing Vada grieve her best friend’s death is hard to watch. Death is hard to understand, even more so for children.

“The Florida Project” (2017)

“The Florida Project” is an underrated movie. It’s about the families living in Orlando, the most magical place on earth, and how many live in hotels. This specific movie follows Moonee, a six-year-old girl who lives in the hotels near Disney. Her mother, Halley, is young, single, and struggling to make ends meet. She’s fired from her job and has to find another way to make money, quickly.

In the same hotel are Scooty and his mother Ashley. She works at a nearby diner and provides food for Moonee and her mother. While Halley tries to make money, Moonee goes on wacky unsupervised adventures with her friends who also live in the hotels. The ending is not happy. DCF investigators try and take Moonee away. Her response is to run away. In the last shots of the film, Moonee is running, hand-in-hand, with her friend, through Disney World’s Magic Kingdom — an escape from what’s actually going on.

“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” (2012)

Also on our list is “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.” This movie explores an anxiety most people have — what would they do if they knew the world was ending? Dodge is seemingly in denial at the start of the movie. He is indifferent to the news of the world’s impending doom, so much so, that his wife leaves. Eventually, he connects with his neighbor Penny, who is crying over breaking up with her boyfriend Owen. She wanted to see her family one last time but missed the chance because of him.

In this 101-minute movie, we watch the two strangers become close. Dodge and Penny try to find a way for Penny to see her family for the last time, who live in England. When they find an opportunity, Dodge pushes Penny to take it, staying behind. In the final shot, Dodge lays in bed, waiting for the asteroid to hit. Penny comes back, and they lie comforting each other.

“Brokeback Mountain” (2005)

The ending of “Brokeback Mountain” is gut-wrenching. It’s a tear-jerker for sure. “Brokeback Mountain” was released on December 9, 2005, in the United States. The film tells the story of two American cowboys and their love for each other. It was a movie, ahead of its time. Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist spend a summer on Brokeback Mountain, herding sheep. Eventually, though, Ennis gets married and has two children. Jack also gets married back in Texas.

They meet four years later and share a kiss. The two continue seeing each other during private fishing trips. Ennis gets divorced. Jack tries to start a true relationship with Ennis, but he refuses, afraid to abandon his children and come out to the world. Their last fishing trip ends in an argument, full of tears and regret. Sadly, Jack passes away from an accident. He visits Jack’s family home and leaves with two shirts they used a long time ago. In the last scene, Ennis is still grieving the loss of Jack and stares at the shirts and a postcard. (Still want to read about tear-jerking films? Check out our article on 50 of the greatest – and saddest – movies of all time .)

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