HBO Max’s library is deep, but it’s also fluid: titles rotate in and out, and availability can vary by region. With that in mind, here are 15 emotionally heavy picks—movies that leave a mark, whether they’re built around grief, regret, love, or survival.
15 Most Emotional Movies on HBO Max
Aftersun (2022)
A quiet, devastating father–daughter story that hits harder the more you sit with what’s left unsaid.
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
A simple premise with crushing moral weight—one small loss spirals into something bigger about dignity and desperation.
Brief Encounter (1945)
A restrained romance fueled by longing and restraint—heartbreak that’s all in the pauses.
Cries and Whispers (1973)
Intimate, raw, and unsparing—Bergman at maximum emotional intensity inside a family’s fractures.
Dope Sick Love (2005)
A documentary that doesn’t soften the edges—painfully human, and difficult in exactly the way it’s meant to be.
Every Brilliant Thing (2016)
A deeply moving (and surprisingly warm) piece about holding onto small reasons to keep going.
The Fallout (2022)
A tender, quietly brutal portrait of young people processing trauma—and trying to feel normal again.
Ikiru (1952)
One of cinema’s great reckonings with mortality and meaning—aching, humane, and unforgettable.
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Romance as regret: exquisite restraint, impossible timing, and longing you can practically hear.
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999)
A moving biographical drama about ambition, pressure, and the cost of being first in an industry built to resist change.
The Iron Claw (2023)
A true story shaped by love and loss—hard to watch at points, but anchored by genuine tenderness.
Watership Down (1978)
Beautiful and haunting—an animated survival story that refuses to treat its emotions lightly.
We Live in Time (2024)
A time-hopping romance that leans into joy and heartbreak in the same breath, powered by two big performances.
Wit (2001)
Smart, clear-eyed, and emotionally direct—an acting showcase that confronts illness and identity without cheap sentiment.
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
A towering, painful character study—messy, intimate, and emotionally overwhelming in the best way.
