Movies about griefmay not be easy watching experiences, but the best stories of this kind can help us to deal with such difficult and universal issues. Grief can take many forms in a story, with most of the best movies on the subject dealing with personal loss and the dark cloud that can hang over a person in the aftermath. However, just as there are many different ways for people to experience grief, there have been many different approaches to the subject in movies.
Most people associate the theme of grief with morose and tragic dramas. Certainly, there are a lot of those types of movies that have dealt with the subject in a meaningful way. However, there are also a number of horror movies that have used grief as the foundation of their stories. From thrillers to family-friendly adventures to action movies, grief can be explored in any number of ways, but it is only the most notable movies that have something worthwhile to say on the subject.
Ryan Gosling stars in this biopic as Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. While the movie details the immense danger of the mission and Armstrong’s dedication to it, it is alsoan exploration of the loss that motivated him, giving new insight into the iconic figure.
Liam Neeson stars in this brutal thriller as a hunter who is stranded in the frozen tundra along with several survivors of a plane crash as they brace the elements while being hunted by a pack of wolves. While it might seem like a strange movie to discuss grief, Neeson’s widower characterexemplifies finding the will to fight after succumbing to such a loss.
Jake Gyllenhaal starsin this drama about a man who has recently lost his wife and seeks to start over by literally tearing down the life he had before and starting over. Gyllenhaal’s performance capturesthe feeling of needing to escape reality when overcome with grief, as well as the idea of ridding yourself of reminders of the loss.
Halle Berry won an Oscar for her powerful performance in this story of two people from very different worlds who come together following respective losses and grieve together. It isa harrowing and difficult look at people sharing painas well as the difficulty in a relationship shaped out of such pain.
Denis Villeneuve’s beautiful sci-fi movie stars Amy Adams as a linguist who is recruited to help establish communication with extra-terrestrials who have recently arrived on Earth. WithinArrival’s complex story, there is a message about howthe loss of a loved one can be painful, but the time spent with them should never be regretted, even though it hurts in the end.
Tim Burton directsone of his best movies with this tale of a man who prepares to say goodbye to his dying father, a man who has spent his whole life telling elaborate tall tales of his life, making it difficult to connect with him. The rare movie aboutgrieving someone who is still alive,Big Fishdeals with the idea of not knowing someone you’ve spent your whole life with but making peace with the person they want to be seen as.
Casey Affleck stars inA Ghost Storyas a man who is killed in a car accident and comes back as a ghost, silently observing his wife as she deals with life without him.Seeing grief through the eyes of the person who was lost is a unique approach, but the scene of a grief-stricken Rooney Mara eating an entire pie in despair is a grounded and authentic moment of depression.
Robert Redford directed this Oscar-winning drama about a family coping with the loss of a child and how it has gradually torn the rest of them apart. It isa devastating and realistic look at mourning and how these family members cope with it separately from each other, despite the fact that they are all sharing the same pain.
Hilary Swank stars inP.S. I Love Youas a woman who is dealing with the loss of her husband, only to discover that he has left behind a series of messages for her in order to help her on her path of healing. It isa rare rom-com that can be funny, charming, and romantic while still dealing with such a sad storyand the memories people can make together.
Viggo Mortensen gives a wonderful performance as an eccentric father raising his brilliant children in the wilderness, but must travel with them into “regular society” for his wife’s funeral. It is an entertaining and thought-provoking movie about parenting while alsocommenting on how people grieve in their own ways.
