Whenever we feel down, watching fun films is a good way to distract ourselves. But sometimes, just letting it all out and allowing ourselves to have a good cry is even better than averting our attention from what makes us feel blue. Good thing there are also films that can help us release those tears and make us feel something inside. If you’re searching for such movies, this list is for you! We’ve rounded up some Filipino films that will make you ugly cry when you need it!
My Amanda
Directed by Alessandra de Rossi
Starring Alessandra de Rossi and Piolo Pascual
Alessandra de Rossi’s directorial debut follows the unusually close best friends TJ and Amanda, whose friendship remains constant despite the many changes they encounter in their individual lives. While the natural chemistry between De Rossi and her co-star Piolo Pascual had us charmed and entertained, the film also tugged hard at our heartstrings giving us a good crying session.
Watch it here.
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Seven Sundays
Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina
Starring Ronaldo Valdez, Dingdong Dantes, Aga Muhlach, Enrique Gil, and Christine Reyes
A tearjerking film about family, Seven Sundays follows four siblings who reunite upon learning that their father is diagnosed with cancer. As they stay together, past wounds and grudges resurface. This is not the first time that Cathy Garcia-Molina made a film about conflicts within the family, having made the hit Four Sisters and a Wedding back in 2013, but with Seven Sundays, the director was still able to offer a fresh story that also had us wiping tears off our cheeks.
Watch it here.
Kita Kita
Directed by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo
Starring Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez
Kita Kita follows Lea, a Filipina tour guide in Japan who is suffering from temporary blindness. Her bleak life gets a turnaround when she meets Tonyo, her neighbor who is persistently befriending her. With its casting choice, many of us went into theaters thinking that the film is just hilarious sprinkled with some kilig and a bit of drama, but an hour and a half later, we were strolling out of the cinemas with our hankies drenched in tears.
Watch it here.
That Thing Called Tadhana
Directed by Antoinette Jadaone
Starring Angelica Panganiban and JM De Guzman
That Thing Called Tadhana follows the heartbroken Mace who is still trying to move on from her ex. Joined by Anthony, a guy she met during her flight to Manila, Mace goes on a trip to Baguio and Sagada, trying to find the answer to the question: Where do broken hearts go? We couldn’t help but feel Mace’s pain as she pours her heart out to Anthony.
Watch it here.
Through Night and Day
Directed by Veronica Velasco
Starring Alessandra de Rossi and Paolo Contis
Through Night and Day tells the story of couple Ben and Jen who have been together for 13 years. Despite all that time they’ve been together, their relationship is shaken when they go on a trip to Iceland. The film may have flopped when it hit theaters in 2018, but the romcom drama film finally got to shatter many Pinoys’ hearts when it dropped on Netflix about two years later.
Watch it here.
100 Tula Para Kay Stella
Directed by Jason Paul Laxamana1
Starring JC Santos and Bela Padilla
100 Tula Para Kay Stella is about the student Fidel who speaks with a stutter. To express his feelings to the girl he likes, Fidel secretly writes a hundred poems about her. During a time when spoken word poetry is starting to become more popular in the country, the film really caught a lot of attention. And with stellar performances from Bela Padilla and JC Santos, 100 Tula Para Kay Stella proved that the film isn’t all gimmick when it had us ugly-crying over that pivotal confrontation scene.
Watch it here.
Starting Over Again
Directed by Olivia M. Lamasan
Starring Toni Gonzaga and Piolo Pascual
Starting Over Again is about Ginny who gets into a relationship with her professor Marco, which eventually leads to a breakup. When they finally meet again years later, their love for each other gets rekindled, although things are more complicated because Marco is already in another relationship. While it gave us some good laughs, Starting Over Again also got us teary-eyed watching these two people trying to make things work between them.
Watch it here.
Four Sisters and a Wedding
Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina
Starring Coney Reyes, Angel Locsin, Toni Gonzaga, Bea Alonzo, and Shaina Magdayao
“Bakit parang kasalanan ko?”
Cathy Garcia-Molina’s film about four sisters trying to stop their brother’s wedding is so well-loved that certain lines and scenes from the film have become truly iconic. While the film also touches on complicated romantic relationships, at its core is a story about family, and how resentments that are left unspoken can fester within its members. When we finally see Bobbie, Teddie, Gabbie, and Alex release all of their frustrations, we can’t help but feel their pain and even relate to some of their sentiments.
Watch it here.
Magnifico
Directed by Maryo J. De Los Reyes
Starring Jiro Manio, Gloria Romero, and Albert Martinez
A heartwarming tale about a young boy from an impoverished family, Magnifico tugged hard at our heartstrings with its touching story of innocence. With a father working odd jobs to make ends meet, a brother who lost his scholarship, and a mother who takes care of his dying grandmother, Magnifico or Ikoy spends his childhood taking care of his younger sister who has cerebral palsy, while finding ways to help make other people’s lives a little bit better.
Anak
Directed by Rory Quintos
Starring Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto
Who can forget Vilma Santos and Claudine Barretto’s heart-crushing confrontations in Anak? The film is about the mother Josie who worked abroad to give her family a better life. When she comes home, however, her three children are not as welcoming as she had hoped. Her eldest, Carla, even tries to ruin her own life out of resentment towards her mother. Seeing Josie desperately trying to make Carla understand her sacrifices, while her daughter also tells her that she felt abandoned, is definitely one of the most heartbreaking scenes in Philippine cinema.
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