When choosing a movie to watch, people often go for the one that will satisfy a certain mood or feeling. If you want to get scared, throw on The Conjuring. If you want to get the blood pumping and the heart racing, Terminator 2 will certainly do the trick. And if you want to laugh and feel good, any sort of comedy would do the trick.
But comedies aren’t always a good time. Sure, you’ll laugh, but you might not feel good about it. And sometimes a funny movie can blindside you with an incredibly (and perhaps unexpectedly) emotional ending. If that’s an itch you’re looking to scratch, then here are ten comedy movies that might leave you in tears when the credits roll.
Of course, this article contains major spoilers for these movies. Read at your own risk.
10 Superbad
Now, Superbad doesn’t necessarily have a “depressing” ending – it’s more bittersweet than anything. But for such an irreverent movie that’s largely about three teenagers trying to score some booze to impress the girls they like, Superbad’s ending certainly packs an emotional punch.
The Greg Mottola-directed high-school comedy focuses primarily around Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera), two best friends on the cusp of graduating from high school. When they’re invited to a party by the girls they both like, the two make it their mission to buy some beer and impress them. But the duo’s plans quickly go sideways in a series of hilarious and awkward misadventures.
While Superbad is loaded with raunchy comedy, it also has a lot of heart. Underneath the laughs is a bittersweet story of two best friends facing an uncertain future, and whether they will remain friends once college begins. The closing shot of the movie, which sees Seth and Evan going their separate ways, is shockingly emotional. It’s not “depressing” in the same vein as other movies on this list, but it definitely pulls on the heartstrings.
9 Chasing Amy
One would never expect a Kevin Smith movie to be on a list of comedies with depressing endings, but Chasing Amy – one of the director’s earlier films – is a lot more emotionally resonant than a lot of the director’s other movies.
The film stars Ben Affleck as Holden McNeil, a comic book artist who befriends fellow artist Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams) at a convention. Though Alyssa identifies as a lesbian, she and Holden develop a genuine connection and begin a relationship, much to the disappointment of Holden’s best friend Banky, who may or may not have feelings for his friend. An awkward pseudo-love-triangle ensues, and hearts are broken.
Come the end of the movie, no one gets what they want: not only does Alyssa break up with Holden (despite his best efforts to earn her love back), but Holden and Banky are no longer friends, either. This might not make you weep like other movies on this list, but it’s quite a downer ending for an otherwise raunchy Kevin Smith comedy.
8 The Big Lebowski
Everyone knows The Big Lebowski, the Coen Brothers’ seminal stoner-noir comedy. The film stars Jeff Bridges as the iconic Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski, a slacker and bowler who gets mistaken for a different Jeffrey Lebowski and becomes entangled in a convoluted web of crime and stupidity.
For the most part, The Big Lebowski is flat out funny; watching The Dude dig himself deeper and deeper into the far-reaching conspiracy – mainly due to the incompetence of his hard-headed buddy Walter (John Goodman) – is both engrossing and hilarious. But the movie unexpectedly pulls at our heartstrings near the end with the death of Donny (Steve Buscemi) – Lebowski and Walter’s mousy but otherwise genial bowling buddy. The two friends scatter his ashes off a cliff overlooking the ocean, but even in this otherwise touching moment, the Coen Brothers manage to squeeze out a laugh.
Much like Superbad, this probably won’t be the most “depressing” movie on the list, but the unexpected emotional wallop at the end hits harder than you might expect.
7 Being John Malkovich
Being John Malkovich is one of those movies that shouldn’t work on paper, but somehow does. The surreal comedy – directed by Spike Jonze and scripted by Charlie Kaufman – stars John Cusack as Craig Schwartz, a failed puppeteer who discovers a literal portal into the mind of John Malkovich; for fifteen minutes at a time, Craig can live as someone else. He exploits this portal, selling off trips into the mind of Malkovich. Along the way, he grows more distant from his estranged girlfriend Lotte (Cameron Diaz) and develops feelings for his co-worker, Maxine (Catherine Keener). Things, as you might imagine, get very weird.
While Being John Malkovich doesn’t have a depressing ending, per se, it does end on a subtly haunting (and existentially horrifying) note; after entering the portal in a bid to extend his own life, Craig becomes trapped in the body of the Emily, the infant daughter belonging to Maxine and Lotte (long story – just watch the movie). Imprisoned and not in control, Craig is forced to helplessly watch as his ex and the love of his life live the joyous life that he has always wanted.
6 The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson has an incredibly unique style. In a lot of ways, the superficial artifice of his films, mixed with the deadpan delivery of every line from every character, almost robs his films of their emotional resonance (some more than others, of course).
But this isn’t the case with The Grand Budapest Hotel. The story is set during the early twentieth-century in the fictional Eastern-European country of Zubrowka, which is on the brink of war. It follows Monsieur Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), the famous and enigmatic concierge of a mountainside resort and his trusted, refugee protégé Zero (Tony Revolori). When Gustave is framed for the murder of a wealthy and frequent guest and bequeathed a prize painting, he and Zero must go on the run from her jealous son who wants them dead and the painting in his possession.
While the movie is often very funny, it ends on quite the sad note. Zero and his love Agatha (Saoirse Ronan) have just been wed, and they and Gustave are on the train back to the Grand Budapest Hotel. However, their train is stopped and boarded by hostile soldiers who rip up Zero’s papers. In a bid to defend his protégé, Gustave intervenes and is killed in the process. And if that wasn’t sad enough, it’s revealed that Agatha later perishes from the flu, along with her and Zero’s infant son. For such an otherwise fun and quirky movie, the ending is unexpectedly very emotional.
5 In Bruges
Universal
There are dark comedies, and then there are Martin McDonagh comedies. The man behind last year’s The Banshees of Inisherin burst onto the cinematic scene with the tar-black 2008 comedy In Bruges.
The film stars Colin Farrell as Ray, an inexperienced hitman who accidentally kills a child in an assassination gone wrong. His employer, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), sends him and his mentor Ken (Brendan Gleeson) to the sleepy town of Bruges to hide out and await further instruction. Secretly, Harry gives Ken the go-ahead to kill Ray, seeing the murder of an innocent child as inexcusable. Although Ken feels badly about it, he does as he’s told. But when he discovers that Ray is suicidal and ready to take his own life, Ken decides to go against his boss in a bid to secure Ray a second chance at life.
For a comedy, In Bruges deals with a lot of heavy topics; suicide, assassinations, and the death of a child. It’s undeniably heavy stuff, and the ending – which turns quite bloody – is not exactly all that uplifting, despite Ray coming to the conclusion that life is worth living, and beginning his journey of redemption.
4 Click
Click stars Adam Sandler as Michael Newman, a workaholic who doesn’t have time for his wife and two kids. On a trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond one night, a mysterious stranger (Christopher Walken) gifts Michael a “universal remote” that gives him the power to fast-forward, rewind, and pause life – much like a TV. Michael takes advantage of the remote to “fast-forward” through all the boring parts of his life. But the remote, adjusting to what it believes is Michael’s preferences, begins fast-forwarding through life automatically. With Michael unable to stop it, he slowly watches his life fall apart around him as the consequences of his selfish actions push him away from everyone he loves.
Although Click starts off like many other Adam Sandler movies (re: a tad juvenile), the movie takes an unexpected turn into some serious drama. Although the premise is a bit goofy, it mines a lot of truly heart-wrenching moments from the material; watching Michael’s life literally flash before his eyes, everything he’s ever loved growing more and more distant, is truly heartbreaking stuff. The movie ultimately has an uplifting (if incredibly cliché) happy ending, whereby Michael realizes this was all a dream, but man – the audience is really put through the emotional wringer before getting there.
3 Harold and Maude
Harold and Maude, Hal Ashby’s dark romantic-comedy, was largely misunderstood when it was first released back in 1971. It was both a critical and commercial failure, but in the years after its release, it has garnered renewed life as a cult classic.
The film centers around Harold Chasen (Bud Cort), a wealthy young man who is obsessed with death. His overbearing mother desperately tries to change his ways, but Harold is incredibly resistant. While attending the funeral of a stranger (something Harold often does), he meets 79-year-old Maude (Ruth Gordon), a quirky and otherwise cheerful elderly woman. The two develop a quick friendship that ultimately turns into a romance, with Maude helping Harold to make the most out of his time on earth. But unbeknownst to Harold, Maude plans to commit suicide on her eightieth birthday, sending him – and the audience – on a collision course with some pretty heavy emotions.
2 About Time
About Time is a British sci-fi romantic comedy starring Domhall Gleeson as Tim Lake, a young lawyer who discovers he possesses the ability to travel back in time. Rather than exploit his powers to achieve wealth and fame, he decides to use it to find love. He meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) and immediately falls in love. Complications arise, however, when he discovers that using his powers can significantly alter his present life; Tim learns that once he has kids, he cannot change events prior to their birth and ensure the same exact child will be conceived.
When Tim learns that his father (Bill Nighy) has lung cancer, he wishes to go back in time to help him kick his smoking habit. But going so far back in time would undo his and his sister’s birth, and must come to the realization that he cannot help him. After he dies, Tim goes back in time occasionally to spend time with him. But when Mary says she wants to have another child, Tim realizes that means he will never be able to go back in time and see him again.
While About Time is more of a dramedy than it is a straight-up comedy, it does pack in a lot of feel-good laughs. But the ending is an emotional gut-punch; it’s both depressing and uplifting. Keep the tissues close by for this movie – you’ll need them.
1 Marley and Me
Sometimes you’re caught off-guard by a movie’s emotional heft, but other times you just need a good cry. The family comedy Marley & Me certainly fits that mold. Right from the very beginning you know what you’re in for, and all you can do is hold on tight and endure the emotional rollercoaster.
Marley & Me stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston as newlyweds John and Jenny Grogan, who adopt a dog to test their readiness for parenthood. The disobedient but incredibly-cute Marley becomes an essential part of the family. The film spans Marley’s life, as the Grogan’s have children, suffer tragedies, and grow as a family.
Marley & Me has a notoriously heartbreaking ending, which sees Marley – sick with an intestinal disorder – euthanized to spare him a painful and slow death. Make sure you have the tissues ready when you watch this movie – tears are guaranteed to flow.
