After over three years of COVID-19 pandemic, it’s natural if you’re crying a little more than you used to before the words quarantine and social distancing bore any special meaning to you. If you’re not into crying, may I just extol the practice’s virtues for a second? Shedding emotional tears is scientifically proven to release oxytocin and endorphins. (That’s why you sometimes feel refreshed or calmer after a good cry.) Below, find a list of our all-time favorite sad movies that are all but guaranteed to induce a cathartic crying jag.

This tragicomedy directed and written by Martin McDonagh tells the poignant story of two friends whose relationship comes to a sudden end at the close of the Irish Civil War in 1923. There's plenty to get tearful about in *Banshees—*the punishing effects of isolation, the claustrophobia of a life with limited options, the tender bond between the character played by Colin Farrell and his sister. And perhaps you've heard of the sad fate of Jenny the donkey, perhaps the most sob-inducing performance of them all.

How to watch: Stream on HBO Max.