When your heart has been broken, little else provides as much relief as the perfect movie, at the perfect moment. Because breakups are a process, full of ups and downs and an array of all kinds of different feelings from day to day, what we need from our cinematic picks changes with our mood.
Luckily for us, there’s something for just about every phase of heartache, from crying into our pillows to laughing so hard our abs hurt. Here are 5 movies to watch at any point in the grieving process, all available to stream on Netflix, right now!
When you need a laugh: Along Came Polly
Risk-averse insurance actuary Reuben Feffer (Ben Stiller) is heartbroken when he catches his wife with their scuba instructor on their honeymoon. Down and dejected, he heads back home to mend his broken heart when he meets Polly (Jennifer Aniston), his total opposite. Along Came Polly makes for an easy watch when you’re feeling down and need a laugh. It also goes to show that no matter how calculated and carefully you play your cards, when it comes to love, nothing is certain. Hearts get broken sometimes, but life does, and will, go on, and may end up working out better than you could have ever planned.
When you need a cry: The Face of Love
While not technically a breakup movie (the main character was widowed,) this movie is still the saddest thing ever, so only proceed with this one if you’re looking for some full-on cathartic sobbing. A widow (Annette Bening) sees a man (Ed Harris) who exactly resembles her late husband. They start dating, she hides him from her family for fear of being judged, they run away together, she realizes the relationship was built on her unhealthy obsession, and he eventually dies. I know it seems like I spoiled it but I really think I just saved you from an evening of hysterical desperation. Maybe just watch Sex and the City again.
When you need to be just pissed-the-hell-off: Kill Bill
For me, breakups progress through many phases, from intense sadness and grieving to eventual acceptance. Somewhere in there lies a good bout of just being pissed off, which makes a solid revenge flick like Kill Bill just the bad medicine I need. A saga in two parts, the film invites us into the life of The Bride (Uma Thurman) as she sets out to avenge her attempted murder, ordered by her ex (David Carradine.) Kill Bill is pretty much just an all-out good opportunity to live vicariously through a scorned assassin as she kicks major ass to a killer soundtrack.
When you need your friends: Tangerine
Filmed entirely on an iPhone 5s (yup!), Tangerine tells the story of two trans sex workers making their way through LA over the course of one day. Having just been released from jail, Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) learns that her pimp/boyfriend cheated while she was locked up, who she spends the day searching for upon learning the news. Her friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) leaves Sin-Dee to search and offers support in the way only a bestie can when things come full circle at the end.
Honorable Mention for when you just need to turn off your brain and geek out on cuteness: Unlikely Animal Friends
Yeah, the name pretty much sums up what this series is about (that’s right! It’s a series! Meaning you can totally check out and just make a Seamless-filled weekend outta this one!) Featuring, you guessed it, unlikely pairs of animal pals, this show introduces viewers to insanely cute odd-couples, such as a donkey and a goat (aww!,) a dog and a polar bear (awwwwww!,) and more!
See more of our Netflix recommendations here. And also see how Netflix impacts your love life!
