21 of the saddest movie deaths ever
The combination of hibernation season on the horizon, and a potential second lockdown looming, calls for one thing: movie nights. Lots and lots of movie nights. With cold, gloomy nights drawing in, there's nothing better than drawing the curtains, grabbing a large glass of wine and getting cosy on the sofa with a good film.
While rom-coms, chick flicks and comedies are our go-to most of the time, sometimes it's really cathartic to have a solid cry at a sad movie. During these challenging times when our emotions are running higher than ever before, a major weep fest is a surprisingly good solution.
But then there are the films that take it too far and break our hearts into a thousand tiny pieces by killing off a central character – just when you've got really, really attached.
Take Baz Luhrmann's 1996 take on Romeo and Juliet starring Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio. It is one of the greatest on-screen romances of all time, and just when you think their love has finally found tranquility, tragedy hits. Stock up on the kleenex for this one, you're going to need a lot more than the one packet.
Then there's Marley and Me, the ultimate tear jerker for dog lovers - and non dog lovers alike. The story centers around Marley, a dog adopted by newlyweds John and Jenny, who quickly becomes the focal point of their lives. Before long, Marley's bones start to decline and he is consequently put down. If you've ever lost of a pet or simply can't imagine the thought of it, this one will really hit home.
Here's our countdown of the most tragic movie deaths ever that will inspire a good cry.
We advise stocking up on tissues before you read on.
*warning: massive spoilers ahead*
The movie: Baz Luhrmann's 1996 take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
The death: After their romance is doomed, Juliet consumes poison at the church altar to be found by Romeo moments later who then takes his own life too.
Tearjerker rating: Arguable one of the most tragic on-screen love stories, this is easily 10/10.
Rex FeaturesThe Green Mile: John
The movie: Paul (Tom Hanks) is a guard on death row who’s seen hundreds of prisoners pass through ‘the green mile’. An inmate named John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), who is accused of the murder and rape of a pair of sisters, is like no one he’s ever met before, causing him to question whether he’s really guilty.
The death: Paul is forced to order John’s death in the electric chair. He can’t bear to give the order as John tears up being heckled by the crowd, and pleads to forgo having a cloth cover his face, reminding them that he’s scared of the dark. When the lever is flipped to start the execution the guards are seen weeping.
Tearjerker rating: 10/10. It’s hard to even watch this one.
Rex FeaturesMy Girl: Thomas J
**The movie:**My Girl starts out as a touching tale of childhood friendship, only to turn sour when motherless Vada (Anna Chlumsky) learns that Thomas is the second significant person in her life to pass away.
The death: Vada’s tearful father tells her that Thomas J has been stung by a swarm of bees and was allergic. Needless to say she’s heartbroken and we were scared of bees for evermore. The funeral included an open casket, so we actually saw a solemn Macaulay Culkin play dead. Haunting stuff. Children’s films did not sugarcoat things back in the 90s, that’s for sure.
Tearjerker rating: 9/10
Rex FeaturesForrest Gump: Bubba, Mrs Gump, Jenny
The movie: Forrest is the endearingly slow narrator of his own life story. His “box of chocolates” tale sees him somehow involved in pretty much every major historical event of the last half of the 20th century.
The deaths: Yes, plural. His beloved mum passes away, it’s pretty sad. He loses his best buddy Bubba at war, we blubbered. Then his childhood best friend, Jenny (Robin Wright) – who he’s spent the entire movie hunting down – dies of AIDS. We challenge you not weep uncontrollably.
Tearjerker rating: 11/10. If you don’t shed a tear at at least one of these deaths, you’re probably a monster.
Rex FeaturesThe Land Before Time: Littlefoot’s mum
The movie: Littlefoot the brontosaurus and his fellow orphaned friends journey in pursuit of the legendary Great Valley to find safety and shelter from the trecherous T. rex.
The death: That aforementioned T. rex is responsible for killing Littlefoot’s mum right at the beginning of the movie. Her dying advice to the tiny dino is: “Let your heart guide you; it whispers, so listen closely.” Like we said, kids movies before the 2000s really didn’t hold back on the morbid moments.
Tearjerker rating: 7/10.
AlamyMarley and Me: Marley
The movie: Newlyweds John (Owen Wilson) and Jenny (Jennifer Aniston) adopt Marley as a pup. As he and his family grow, the dog brings out the best in them – even if he does chew everything to bits.
The death: Poor Marley has to be put to sleep as his old bones are just too tired to go on. John watches him slip away.
Tearjerker rating: 8/10, or 10/10 if you’re a dog owner.
Rex FeaturesMy Sister’s Keeper: Kate
The movie: Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) was born via IVF as a "saviour sister", specifically to help her sister Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), who has leukaemia, by donating blood and organs. Age 15, Kate falls ill, meaning Anna would need to donate a kidney. Instead, she sues her parents to emancipate herself and gain freedom over her body.
The death: We find out that it was Kate who convinced her sister to refuse to donate her kidney so that she can die on her own terms. Kate gifts her mum Sara (Cameron Diaz) with a memory book she has made over the years in secret, and dies shortly after in her sleep. The really emotional part is when Anna narrates the ending, explaining why she couldn't save her sister and that she'll see her again one day. weeps into keyboard
Tearjerker rating: 10/10.
Rex FeaturesA Walk To Remember: Jamie
The movie: A pretty soppy teen movie about Jamie (Mandy Moore), a minister’s daughter who’s been diagnosed with leukaemia and falls for Landon (Shane), the school rebel. Yes, you guessed it – it’s based on a Nicholas Sparks book (he also did uber-weepie, The Notebook).
The death: Just after we see them exchange vows, Landon tells the audience that after a summer in which they shared “more love than many people know in a lifetime”, Jamie passed away. Classic Sparks.
Tear-jerk rating: 6/10.
Pixar/Disney/SkyUp: Ellie
The movie: In this charming Pixar movie, pensioner Carl ties a thousand balloons to his house to fly to South America, accompanied by a stowaway Boy Scout named Russell.
The death: Carl’s wife Ellie dies at the start, after falling ill. She’s the catalyst to his adventure, as they’d long vowed to complete the trip together. A montage of the pair meeting as kids, and growing old together, is enough to thaw even the iciest of hearts.
Tearjerker rating: 8/10.
Rex FeaturesSteel Magonlias, Shelby
The movie: Classic comedy-drama about the importance of female friendship in a small tale in Louisiana, and how the community copes with the loss of diabetes sufferer, Shelby (Julia Roberts). It also stars Sally Field as her mother, M'Lynn, and Dolly Parton as the town gossip.
The death: Shelby is hospitalised after her body has rejected a new kidney, donated by her mum, which she needed to save her life. She falls into a coma and her family are forced to give her up. Her husband and father can't bear to watch watch her go, but M'Lynn stays with her to the end as her life support machine flatlines. It's an incredibly touching portrayal of the bond between mother and daughter.
Tearjerker rating: 9/10.
Rex FeaturesCast Away: Wilson
The movie: While travelling to Malaysia, engineer Chuck's (Tom Hanks) plane goes down in the Pacific Ocean. He survives by clinging to a life boat and wakes up alone on a deserted island. His only companion is a football with a face drawn into his bloodied handprint, until...
The death: While trying to flee the island to find help, Chuck wakens from passing out on his raft, only to discover Wilson is no longer on the raft. Chuck is weak, but tries desperately to retrieve him. Forced to let him float away so he doesn’t lose his raft, Chuck is left crying out for his friend. Yes, it’s a volleyball, but it’s really, really sad, OK!
Tearjerker rating: 5/10
Rex FeaturesStepmom: Jackie
The movie: In this totally 90s drama Julia Roberts plays Isabel, the long-suffering stepmom trying to win over the kids of her husband's ex-wife, Jackie (Susan Sarandon) – who just happens to have cancer.
The death: Technically we don't see Jackie pass away, but in the closing scenes Jackie is bed-bound and it’s a sign she’s only just hanging in there. The scene that probably gets us worst is when the two women discuss their fears for the kids' futures at a bar. "I can have her past, and you can have her future,” says Jackie. Seriously – what a line.
Tearjerker rating: 7/10. Stick on Marvin Gaye, dance around with your hairbrush and you'll probably feel better pretty quick.
Rex FeaturesBambi: Bambi’s mum
The movie: The adorable Disney classic about a young deer coming of age in a sometimes blissful, sometimes dangerous forest. This movie opened the floodgates for many an animated death.
The death: In a heart-stopping scene, little Bambi and his mother are pursued by a hunter. Bambi sprints away to safety only to release his mother hasn’t followed. While searching frantically, his father finds him and tells him she won’t be coming back. When his huge puppy-dog eyes shed a tear, we challenge your lip not quiver.
Tearjerker rating: 10/10. Life really isn’t fair!
Rex FeaturesGhost: Sam
The movie: Sam (Patrick Swayze) dies and comes back to life as a – you guessed it – a ghost. Whoopi Goldberg plays the psychic, Oda Mae Brown, who helps him communicate with his girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore) and reap revenge on his killer.
The death: Molly and Sam are happily strolling down the street when a man holds them up with a gun, asking for money. Sam tries to be a hero and fight him, and seems to have succeeded when we see him running after the robber. But then he turns around and sees himself lying dead in Molly’s arms. She begs him to wake up while Sam realises mournfully that he’s dead, and now a ghost.
Tearjerker rating: 3/10. The really sad bit is when Sam says goodbye to Molly and disappears to rest in peace.
Rex FeaturesThe Notebook, Allie and Noah
The movie: The heart-warming story of the on-off, then on for evermore romance, between wealthy Allie and mill worker Noah (based on another classic Nicholas Sparks weepie). Now elderly, he reads their love story to her in an effort to break through her dementia and remind her of their past.
The deaths: Noah succeeds in helping Allie become lucid so they can have a few minutes back together. But then she has a panic attack and forgets him and he suffers a suspected heart attack. In the final scene, he promises never to leave her, they then die peacefully in their sleep together on her bed.
Tearjerker rating: 10/10.
Rex FeaturesTitanic: Jack
The movie: We all know Titanic; it’s the award-winning period drama about a couple who find love somewhere between the top and bottom deck of a famous cruise ship. He’s an artist, she’s the posh lady who wants him to draw her “like one of his French girls.” There's a steamed-up vintage car and an unfortunately placed iceberg.
The death: Heroic Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) sacrifices himself and freezes to death in the sea so that his beloved Rose (Kate Winslet) can live to tell the tale. It’s super-sad to see Leo turn blue and bob below the water, but viewers will forever hold a grudge over the fact that he totally could have fitted on that make-shift raft, too.
Tearjerker rating: 7/10.
Rex FeaturesAtonement: Robbie
The movie: War novel-turned-movie about lovers Robbie (James McAvoy) and Cecilia (Keira Knightley) separated by the false allegations made by Cecilia’s jealous younger sister Briony.
The death: As a pensioner, Briony is interviewed about a novel she’s written, retelling the story of the young lovers. She reveals that she has imagined an ending in which she visits the couple to repent for her lie, as actually, Robbie died from septicaemia while at war. Gutting.
Tearjerker rating: 7/10
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Han Solo
The movie: In the first of the new sequels, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) go in search of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and join the resistance against Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order – oh, and did we mention Kylo Ren is the son of Leia and Han Solo?
The death: Leia (Carrie Fisher) has ordered the safe return of her son, so Han confronts Ren at Starkiller Base, and tries to convince him to abandon the dark side, but Ren refuses. Rey, Finn and Chewbacca watch on and we hear as Ren kills Han, stabbing him suddenly with a lightsaber. We hear you Chewie, we hear you.
Tearjerker rating: 7/10.
Disney/SkyThe Lion King: Mufasa
**The movie:**The Lion King is an emotional rollercoaster that taught us about the animal food chain the hard way.
The death: Poor Mufasa is callously betrayed by his brother Scar who lets him fall to his death from Pride Rock. Mufas's son, Simba, sees the whole thing, and rushes to his rescue to try and wake him. No one is around to help the poor confused cub. We’re tearing up just thinking about it.
Tearjerker rating: 9/10. Thank god for Timon and Pumbaa cheering us up or we’d never be able to watch this movie again.
Rex FeaturesCruel Intentions: Sebastian
The movie: This sassy teen movie has it all: sex, drugs, deceit, comedy and a hot central couple played by Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, who were also real-life BF and GF at the time.
The death: It was serious curve-ball that just when he decided to turn his back on scheming in favour of his first love, Annette (Witherspoon), Sebastian (Philippe) dies trying to save her from being hit by a car. In his last breath he tells her he loves her. Cue the waterworks. Shame on you Sean Patrick Thomas – you were the good guy in Save The Last Dance.
Tearjerks rating: 6/10. The fact that Annette gets her revenge afterwards kinda makes up for it.
Rex FeaturesBrokeback Mountain: Jack
The movie: Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ellis (Heath Ledger) meet as sheep herders on the remote Wyoming mountains. They fall in love, but agree to lead separate lives as Ellis fears homophobic persecution.
The death: After learning Jack has passed away, via a postcard returned to sender, Ellis phones Jack's wife, Lureen, who spins a story about an accidental death. Meanwhile we see the brutal attack that really happened. If that isn’t enough to make you blub, then the moment Ellis finds their shirts hanging side by side at Jack’s mum’s house definitely will be.
Tearjerker rating: 10/10.
AlamyHarry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: Albus Dumbledore
The movie: The sixth and spookiest instalment of the Harry Potter franchise sees the Death Eaters wreak havoc. No one is safe, not even Dumbledore.
The death: In a tense scene on the tallest tower at Hogwarts, Dumbledore is confronted by the Death Eaters. Draco attempts to kill him as an order from Lord Voldermort. He fails, but during a battle Severus Snape murders him. Later it turns out the headmaster had planned his own murder with his colleague in order to avert one of Voldermort’s horcruxes, but it doesn’t make it any less emotional.
Tearjerker rating: 7/10.
