25 romantic films with tragic endings

Love stories have been part of cinema history since the first films, and although it's always nice to see a couple in love live happily ever after, sometimes romance movies with sad endings can be even more effective. Films in which romance still ends in tragedy provide emotional catharsis for audiences and help remind them of the love that exists. The film is about the journey, not necessarily the end point.

Since Cheese and guava and all its adaptations, this has been a common device for storytelling and there are several films that use it brilliantly. In some cases, both characters are shunned by society and unable to follow their hearts. Other films present a difficult choice for these couples. And there are also those love stories in which fate intervenes in a painful way. Whatever the case, these romance movies with sad endings touch audiences in a totally different way.

25

Romeo + Juliet

(1996)

…the highlight of the film is certainly Harold Perrineau as Mercutio, who brings home the idea of ​​how tragic the rivalry is.

Shakespeare Cheese and guava is one of the best-known tragic love stories of all time. It has been adapted many times over the years, both on stage and screen, and writers have imagined what would happen next for the families involved in the tragedy. Most of these adaptations, however, kept the story set in the original time period that Shakespeare intended. That's not the case with the 1996 adaptation.

1996 Romeo + Juliet it retains all of Shakespeare's original dialogue, but sets the film in the 1990s, with the two families essentially involved in a gang war. Their swords were replaced with guns. Italian villas are replaced by luxurious mansions. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the lead roles do some of their best work early in their careers, but the highlight of the film is certainly Harold Perrineau as Mercutio, who brings home the idea of ​​just how tragic the rivalry is.

24

City of Angels

(1998)

Inspired by the underrated 1987 film Wings of Desire, City of Angels takes a more tragic path with its story. The film follows an angel (Nicolas Cage) who falls in love with a human woman (Meg Ryan) and decides to give up his immortality to be with her. Along the way, he must learn what it means to be human.

Although the film received mixed reviews from critics upon release, one thing critics seemed to agree on was that the acting in the film is excellent. Meg Ryan, known more for romantic comedies than dramas at the time, was at the top of her game, and most critics singled out her performance in particular. Variety called her “terribly engaging” in the film’s review.

City of Angels It received three Saturn Award nominations and one Golden Globe nomination.

23

The last song

(2010)

At the time, Cyrus was mainly known for her work on Disney Channel as Hannah Montana and The last song it helped show that she could also perform outside the network.

Nicholas Sparks is known for writing emotional stories. Although not all of the novels in his catalog end in tragedy, it seems that these are the ones he remembers most. Most of her novels have been adapted for the screen after they were published, but in this case, the novel and film script were written simultaneously with Miley Cyrus already planned as the star before going into production. At the time, Cyrus was mainly known for her work on Disney Channel as Hannah Montana and The last song it helped show that she could also perform outside the network.

The film finds Cyrus playing Greg Kinnear's slightly rebellious teenage daughter. She and her younger brother are sent to spend the summer with their father because he wants a little more time with his children before he dies from a fatal illness. Along the way, his daughter falls in love for the first time, so the film juxtaposes the emotion of first love with the tragedy of losing a loved one.

22

La La Terra

(2016)

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling impressed in the musical La La Terra. Stone as an aspiring actress and Gosling as a musician star as love interests who become involved in each other's lives as they pursue their dreams in Los Angeles. With its bright colors, wonderful soundtrack and complex dance numbers, the film was breathtaking to watch.

Tragedy arises, however, when it becomes clear that they must decide whether their relationship should mean giving up on their dreams or whether they should go their separate ways to pursue them.

La La Terra was an awards darling, nominated for 13 Academy Awards and winning six of them, including Best Actress for Emma Stone. It also scored seven Golden Globe nominations, including wins for Stone and Gosling. In 2023, it was announced that the film would be adapted for the Broadway stage (via The Hollywood Reporter).

21

Moonlight

(2016)

La La Terra and Moonlight will likely be embedded in the minds of pop culture enthusiasts for years to come thanks to La La Terra being mistakenly announced as the winner of Best Picture at the Oscars instead of Moonlight. However, they are also linked by the tragedy of the relationships within them.

While Moonlight is a coming-of-age story that features a young black man at three different stages in his life as he begins to understand and explore his sexuality and fall in love. It explored themes of race, masculinity and sexuality in a way few other films have. The tragedy here is not the loss of a lover, but rather a life not lived to its fullest, of love left unexplored due to the circumstances in which the men find themselves.

Moonlightas La La TerraIt was also praised by critics for its impressive performances, with each of its protagonists being played by three different actors – children, teenagers and adults. It won three of the eight Oscars for which it was nominated, including Best Picture. It also won one of the six Golden Globes for which it was nominated and was recognized as Best Picture (Wide Release) at the GLAAD Media Awards. Moonlight also received four NAACP Image Awards.

20

A star is born

(2018)

Although A star is bornWhile the songs may steal the show, there's no denying that this particular love story has a sad ending that packs an emotional punch. The remake stars Bradley Cooper as country singer Jackson Maine, who discovers aspiring singer Ally (Lady Gaga). In addition to giving him the opportunity to share his music with the world, the two fall in love.

The film is also about Jackson struggling with alcoholism and the way it gradually destroys his life.

However, the film is also about Jackson struggling with alcoholism and the way it gradually destroys his life. After his antics publicly embarrass Ally, Jackson tries to sober up, only for Ally's insensitive manager to tell him that he is holding Ally back as long as he is around. Feeling that he and his addictions have become too much of a burden for the woman he loves, Jackson decides to take his own life. Ally's song after her death brings a poignant conclusion.

19

Me before you

(2016)

Louisa “Lou” Clark (Emilia Clarke) hasn't had much luck in work or love, but she remains optimistic. She gets a job working for wealthy Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) as a “caregiver” and her life begins to change. Will, once a successful businessman, is now quadriplegic after an accident. It is his mother who chooses to hire Lou, believing that Will, who has suffered from depression since the accident, will benefit from Lou's outlook on life.

The film has a romantic comedy set up when the two face each other, but fall in love. Although Lou helps Will see some things in a better light, he also helps her see things more realistically. Lou grows up because of her experiences, and Will follows the decisions he made before he even met Lou – he doesn't plan to live a long life as a quadriplegic, but instead only allows his parents to live six months.

The tragedy comes from Lou having to say goodbye to Will, honoring his wishes, just as she fell in love with him.. The film, however, ends on a bittersweet note. Will makes sure Lou takes care of his death, leaving her an inheritance so she can follow her own heart wherever it leads.

18

My girl

(1991)

Set during the summer of 1972, those who didn't grow up in the 1990s may consider this film to be more of a coming-of-age story. Although the film sees Vada begin to grow up as she experiences first love, it is also a story of first heartbreak.

Vada (Anna Chlumsky) is a young woman obsessed with death due to her mother dying when she was a baby and her father running a funeral home. Every mildly perceived illness sends her rushing to the doctor for a checkup with her friend Thomas J (Macaulay Culkin). As she and Thomas J. grow closer over the summer, it becomes clearer that there may be more than friendly feelings, despite Vada's crush on her old teacher.

Vada, however, is again faced with mortality when Thomas J. dies after being repeatedly stung by bees searching for his mood ring in the woods.. His death forces Vada to examine her own grief and her father to admit that Vada has been suffering under the weight of all the deaths around her this whole time.

17

Five feet away

(2019)

Patients with cystic fibrosis are encouraged to stay at least two meters away from each other, as different types of bacterial infections that they can transmit to each other can cause death. That's the cloud that hangs over romance in this young adult romantic drama. The threat of tragedy is always present, making the potential romance bittersweet.

The film follows Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) and Will (Cole Sprouse) who undergo treatments at the same facility. Although Stella is on the list for a lung transplant and strictly follows her doctor's orders to ensure she doesn't miss anything, Will has accepted the likelihood of her tragic fate without a transplant. As they get to know each other, they decide to “remove” a foot that separates them. Stella even starts carrying a pool cue exactly five feet long to make sure how far apart they are.

An accident means the two not only touch, but Will performs CPR on Stella. He becomes afraid that interacting with him could cost her the life she so desperately wants. Although he loves her, Will decides he needs to step away from their blossoming relationship to ensure she can live her life. It's not normally the tragic ending audiences would think for a love story, but it shows the depth of Will's love for Stella.

16

If I stay

(2014)

Inspired by the novel by Gayle Forman, If I stay sees teenager Mia (Chloe Moretz) having an out-of-body experience when her family is in a deadly car accident.. The film flashes between Mia's present in a hospital and the past romance she experienced before the accident. Most of the conflict in Mia's life so far has revolved around whether she should continue dating a boy from an up-and-coming band or pursue her own dream of attending Julliard, and the accident puts that conflict into perspective for her.

While Mia is in surgery and then unconscious in a hospital room, she remembers everything that led her to this point and slowly learns about the tragic fate of each of her family members, one by one. Her grandparents speak to her body, letting her know that they would understand if she “went” to be with the rest of her family instead of deciding to stay in this life.

Tragedy for Mia isn't a bad breakup or losing her boyfriend, but no matter what decision she makes, her life or death will be marked by tragic circumstances. In life, she lost her mother, father and brother, but she has the chance to follow her dream. In death, an entire family disappears and its potential is never realized. Only in the final moments of the film does Mia make her decision.

15

Never let Me Go

(2010)

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, Never let Me Go features a sci-fi concept that has even been featured in a Michael Bay action thriller, but is handled in a very minimalist way. Rather than focusing on the technological or science fiction aspects of the story, the film focuses primarily on the drama generated by the lead performances of Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley, and Carey Mulligan.

The film revolves around a group of young clones who were created specifically for organ donation to extend the lives of others. It's not the kind of environment where love can thrive and its appearance ultimately only means heartbreak, with the hopeful characters discovering that the world around them not only doesn't care about their love, but doesn't even consider them human. .

14

Seven pounds

(2007)

A little-seen film by Will Smith, Seven pounds It's an interesting take on a similar subject to Never let Me Go. The film revolves around a good Samaritan motivated by a mysterious and devastating sense of guilt that the audience initially doesn't fully understand.

When he starts to fall in love with one of the people he's helping, the audience can't help but hope that some kind of redemption or forgiveness is on the horizon. However, the end of the film reveals that the main character's endgame must be to end his own life to become an organ donor for the people he has interacted with throughout the story. Although it is not a well-received film by critics, Seven pounds has cultivated a large following over the years for its tragic and memorable ending.

13

Love

(2012)

Most on-screen love stories, even those with sad endings, focus on young love, or at least a time in someone's life when all love feels new. That's not the case here. Michael Haneke's unflinching drama about love in old age is a frank and compelling portrait of a romance that has not been dimmed by time, but which cannot survive forever against the changes it brings.

With his wife's health seriously deteriorating following complications from a stroke, Jean-Louis Trintignant's loving husband smothers her in bed as an act of mercy. The act clearly breaks him emotionally and he is seen behaving delusionally in his final scene. The honesty of the performances and writing make Love a very real experience for the audience and its theme – facing the loss of someone a person loves deeply – is something that most people will inevitably have to face in one way or another in their lives.

12

The English patient

(1996)

This sweeping World War II romance film, adapted from Michael Ondaatje's novel of the same name, swept the Oscars with nine wins, including Best Picture and Best Director for writer-director Anthony Minghella.

The film begins with a badly burned man telling the story of how he got that way, the ending revealing that he was involved in an intense affair with a married woman, leading to her husband trying to kill all three of them in a murder. suicide. He fails, leaving the protagonist and his lover alive, although she is seriously injured. He leaves her to seek help, but the circumstances of the war around him mean he is unable to return in time.

The tragedy is certainly beautiful and satisfying, but it is one of the most heartbreaking endings in cinema history.

11

Madison County Bridges

(1995)

Many notoriously sad movie endings are in some way emotionally uplifting, but few are as effectively bittersweet as the ending of Madison County Bridges. The classic, sad romance revolves around a brief love affair between a traveling photographer and an isolated rural housewife who meet and fall in love while the photographer is on assignment.

Meryl Streep's dissatisfied war bride's decision to stay with her husband and raise her children rather than leave with the man she loves is a revelation to her children. These children only discover the story years after she made the decision – and after her death as a framing device. It's emotionally cathartic for them to still learn about love and life for their mother from beyond the grave, but it's heartbreaking for the audience.

10

Moulin Rouge

(2001)

Moulin Rogue is packed with pop songs, a true jukebox musical, drawing inspiration from Bollywood-style music and dance while telling the heartfelt love story between Satine and Christian.

This Baz Luhrmann musical, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, was unique when it was released in 2001. Moulin Rogue is packed with pop songs, a true jukebox musical, drawing inspiration from Bollywood-style music and dance while telling the heartfelt love story between Satine and Christian. Christian, a poor artist, falls in love with Satine, a courtesan desired by a much richer man. While this provides much of the conflict, that's not where the tragedy comes in.

For a film that is so much about glamor and glitz, Moulin Rouge has a tragic conclusion, with Satine dying of tuberculosis. It's unexpected and moving to see her and Christian express their love for each other and then be faced with such a harsh reality. Satine's death is foreshadowed in the film's opening, but the spectacle surrounding the love story makes the audience forget until the tragedy happens.

9

Message in a bottle

(1999)

Nicholas Sparks has perfected the art of telling a love story that ends in tragedy. Before a series of his novels were adapted into films, Message in a bottle It left a big impression on the audience who didn't know what to expect if they hadn't read the book. The Nicholas Sparks classic is deeply moving and ends with a shocking tragedy rather than a happily ever after. The story is as much about the relationship between Garret (Kevin Costner) and Theresa (Robin Wright) as it is about Garret and his late wife.

After his death, Garret wrote letters to his late wife, as he was unable to accept the loss for a long time. When he finally allowed himself to move on, he decided to say goodbye to his late wife by sending her one last letter. Only this time, on the eve of officially reuniting with Theresa, he was unable to turn back time and tragically drowned during a storm at sea.

8

A ride to remember

(2002)

A classic novel by Nicholas Sparks, this film was an adaptation of his novel of the same name. Jamie (Mandy Moore) and Landon (Shane West) are in high school and she ends up assigned to work with him during tutoring. Although he initially rejects the idea of ​​being in love with her, the two soon fall desperately in love. However, as is typical of a Sparks novel, the lovers face a big surprise when Jamie informs Landon that she is a leukemia patient.

In a film that has a tone of painful melancholy, Jamie and Landon are hastily married and the two spend a little time together before Jamie passes away. The film remains a sweet high school romance that ends in a heartbreaking tragedy.

7

One day

(2011)

Two characters meet and there's an instant connection, but they don't get together right away. Instead, their story is told over several years, highlighting the same day each year as the story unfolds. A romance that seems lighthearted for the most part takes a shocking turn when Emma (Anne Hathaway) tragically dies in a road accident, hit by a rogue truck. The incident comes shortly after she finally hooks up with Dexter (Jim Sturgess), after years of each going their own way, although their chemistry is obvious from the start.

The shocking ending leaves one questioning the pure randomness of life and death. Emma's death naturally leaves Dexter devastated. And it makes us wonder if fate would have played the same cruel game if they had gotten together sooner. One day the story may be tragic, but it is also beloved. It was also adapted into a Netflix series.

6

The Notebook

(2004)

Nicholas Sparks' novels are known for being emotional and The Notebook is no exception. The chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams makes the film a beloved romance. The Notebook has cemented its place as one of the most popular romance films of the 21st century so far. The already iconic story focuses on Noah and Ally having a beautiful summer together before class and social status tear them apart.

They finally come together after several years, but in a shocking discovery, the audience realizes that the older Ally now suffers from Alzheimer's and can't even recognize the man she loved so deeply. In the last scene, the elderly couple is seen lying side by side, dead. Although the ending implies a certain feeling of hope, there is something emotionally wrought about their death together.