Sometimes all we need some nights and weekends is a good tearjerker, a movie that offers a cathartic cry and makes your heart grow three sizes. Thankfully, there are a lot of Netflix movies that fit that bill, including the adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s best-seller Remarkably Bright Creatures, which made its premiere on the streamer ahead of Mother’s Day weekend.
Remarkably Bright Creatures stars Sally Field and Lewis Pullman and centers on a widow named Tova (Field) who finds herself befriending Marcellus, an octopus at her local aquarium, and working with him to explore the circumstances surrounding her son’s death. Soon, Tova becomes close to Cameron (Pullman) and helps him with his own personal journey, in turn helping her, too.
Netflix’s latest page-to-screen adaptation will for sure tug on your heartstrings and leave you feeling inspired to keep the emotional movie marathon going. If you’re wondering what other Netflix movies you can add to your watch list, we’re sharing a trio of star-studded selections from past and present that will hit you in the feels in the same way. Which one will you watch next?
Good Grief (2023)
- Directed By: Dan Levy
- Starring: Dan Levy, Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel, Luke Evans, Celia Imrie, David Bradley, Arnaud Valois, Mehdi Baki, Emma Corrin, Jamael Westman, Kaitlyn Dever
Before Emmy Award winning Schitt’s Creek creator, writer, and star Dan Levy returned to Netflix with his crime comedy series Big Mistakes, he made his directorial debut with the film Good Grief. The Netflix original movie debuted in December 2023 and showed a new side of the beloved star with a story that went much deeper and more vulnerable than his most well-known work so far.
Both written and directed by Levy, Good Grief also stars the multi-hyphenate as Marc, a man whose life appears to be going well until his husband Oliver (Luke Evans) dies in a car accident after a Christmas party. Marc attempts to move through his grief with his friends Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel) by his side, especially after finding a note from Oliver about his affair.
Good Grief provides both romance and laughs, but it will also punch you right in the gut with emotion and vulnerability in the midst of Marc’s touching story. The film was well received, even if its release wasn’t filled with lots of fanfare, and even almost four years later, it’s worth watching or discovering for the first time if you missed it. But be warned, you probably won’t make it out with dry eyes!
The Starling (2021)
- Directed By: Theodore Melfi
- Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Timothy Olyphant, Daveed Diggs, Skyler Gisondo, Laura Harrier, Kim Quinn, Rosalind Chao, Loretta Devine, Kevin Kline
Between Remarkably Bright Creatures and the previous recommendation, Good Grief, a large theme in this list of heartfelt Netflix movies is grief. Unfortunately, it’s a universal feeling everyone will go through in different ways, and as difficult as it can be to watch films that tackle this theme, it can also provide comfort—especially when its in the hands of talents like Melissa McCarthy.
Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Melissa McCarthy might be best known for her work in comedy, like her movie The Boss, which has found success on Netflix in May 2026, but she’s also an underrated dramatic actress. Back in September 2021, McCarthy headlined the Netflix original comedy-drama film The Starling, which many might have missed.
In The Starling, McCarthy stars as Lilly, a mother grappling with the loss of her daughter in different ways than her husband Jack (Chris O’Dowd). Before long, Lilly tackles her grief on her own while also fighting back against a pesky bird taking up space in her garden. While the movie wasn’t positively reviewed upon its release, it should still find its way to viewers who can appreciate its message.
Like Father (2018)
- Directed By: Lauren Miller
- Starring: Kristen Bell, Kelsey Grammer, Seth Rogen, Paul W. Downs, Zach Appelman, Amber Hodgkiss, Leonard Ouzts, Blaire Brooks, Anthony Laciura, Mary Looram, Brett Gelman, Lauren Miller, Jon Foster, Kimiko Glenn
Aside from grief, another large theme present throughout Remarkably Bright Creatures is that of the relationship between a parent and a child. In that story, the parent has lost their child and grown closer to a young friend who feels like a surrogate child, but in this forgotten Netflix original movie, an estranged father-daughter duo are unexpectedly forced together to repair their relationship.
Like Father premiered on Netflix back in 2018 and comes from writer-director Lauren Miller (the real-life wife of Seth Rogen, who also appears in the movie). Kristen Bell stars as Rachel, a woman who was left at the altar and winds up spending what would have been her honeymoon cruise with the father (played by Kelsey Grammer) she hasn’t seen since she was a young child.
The movie earned middling reviews, but Like Father is the kind of feel-good movie that also has something relatable to say about strained familial relationships. But whether you can relate or not, any movie starring Bell is simply a must-watch. If you need another heartfelt movie to watch after Remarkably Bright Creatures or you’re just a Nobody Wants This fan, here’s your next watch.
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