Movies about grief can be a great outlet for those suffering a loss.
In one way, they serve as a brief distraction from the pain we might feel after losing a loved one. They also offer new perspectives on life, including the complicated emotions faced after losing a loved one.
Some movies inspire us with comforting messages when we need them the most, and many show us that we’re not alone in our grief. Take a look at the list below for movies about grief that can help you understand your feelings following the loss of a loved one.
Movies About Grief
This is Where I Leave You
When their father passes away, four siblings return to their childhood home to stay together for a week with their widowed mother. As the brothers and sisters re-visit their shared history and the status of family relationships, they reconnect in significant ways.
This film shows how a distant family can be brought back together even after a tragic loss of a loved one.
Image Source: YouTube
Coco
“Coco” is an animated movie that takes place almost entirely in the Land of the Dead. The film celebrates the Mexican tradition El Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with bright and colorful visuals, memorable music and relatable characters. While it is a joy to watch, it also helps us understand a new perspective on the complexities of life and death.
This film is especially helpful for children trying to understand grief after a loss, and for families who want to stay connected to their roots.
Image Source: YouTube
Tuesdays with Morrie
Despite his success, sports writer Mitch Albom feels there is something missing in his life. After rekindling his relationship with former university professor Morrie Schwartz who now suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease, Mitch starts to feel meaning again. However, sooner rather than later Morrie passes from this incurable disease.
This film offers comfort to those coping with the anticipatory grief felt when a loved one is battling a long-term illness.
Image Source: YouTube
Movies About Loss of a Child
Rabbit Hole
Eight months after the passing of their 4-year-old son, Howie and Becca are struggling to overcome their grief. During this process, disagreements begin to surface as Howie tries to hold on to the past, while Becca wants to sell the couple’s home in hopes of a fresh start.
“Rabbit Hole” is a realistic look at how a husband and wife handle their heartbreak, both individually and as a couple. This film may be helpful for those mourning the tragic loss of a child.
Image Source: YouTube
One Week and a Day
“One Week and a Day” portrays a married couple who lost their son to cancer. The father experiences intense grief and looks for a connection by spending time with his son’s friend who lives next door.
This movie about grief explores the conundrum of loss and the ways a death in the family can cause one to become incapable of going on—even though that’s what is most essential.
Image Source: YouTube
Collateral Beauty
When a successful advertising executive suffers the tragedy of losing his daughter, he retreats from life. While his concerned friends try desperately to reconnect with him, he seeks answers from the universe by writing letters to Love, Time and Death. Soon he begins to understand how even the deepest loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.
This film teaches parents how to cope with the loss of their child by finding the collateral beauty of it all.
Image Source: YouTube
Movies About Loss of a Parent
The Last Song
Teenager Ronnie Miller is angered to learn that she and her younger brother Jonah are being sent to stay with their father for the summer. Little do they know, their father has fallen ill of a terminal diagnosis and this may be their last time to see him.
This movie shares the valuable lessons of appreciating parents, healing relationships and coping with the loss of a parent from terminal illness.
Image Source: YouTube
We Bought a Zoo
After suddenly losing his wife, Benjamin quits his job and starts over by purchasing a large house with a zoo. The film follows the renovation of the zoo as Benjamin adjusts to a new situation and learns how to connect with his children during this trying time.
This movie can be useful for those grieving the loss of a family member or a parent mourning the loss of a spouse.
Image Source: YouTube
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” is an emotional story of a child trying to cope with the sudden loss of his father by embarking on a scavenger hunt through New York City.
This movie is instructive for anyone who has experienced sudden tragedy and might be particularly relatable for children grieving the loss of a parent.
Image Source: YouTube
Movies About Loss of a Spouse
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Henry De Tamble suffers from a rare genetic disorder that causes him to drift uncontrollably back and forth through time. While traveling, he meets and marries the love of his life, Claire. However, the problems and complexities of any relationship are multiplied by Henry's inability to remain in one time and place, so that he and his beloved are continually out of sync.
This film is helpful for anyone suffering the loss of their soulmate or their spouse. It also demonstrates the enhanced grief felt by the absence of your loved one.
Image Source: YouTube
P.S. I Love You
Holly Kennedy loses the love of her life when her husband, Gerry, dies from an illness. Knowing the emotional toll his passing will take on Holly, Gerry plans ahead and writes her a series of letters designed to ease her grief and encourage her to move forward with her life.
This movie is helpful for those coping with the loss of a spouse, showing how grief affects us and how life can change as a result.
Image Source: YouTube
A Star is Born
Seasoned musician Jackson Maine falls in love with struggling artist Ally. As Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with alcoholism.
This film is helpful for anyone coping with the loss of a spouse to alcohol addiction. It shows how alcoholism and other addictions can cause grief within a relationship—even before taking a loved one’s life.
Image Source: YouTube
Ongoing Grief Support and Memorialization Resources
Memorializing a loved one in the midst of grieving their loss can be overwhelming and challenging. If you're looking for support and information to not only help you through the memorialization process but also the stages of grief, subscribe to our monthly newsletter, The Turning Stone.
