Sometimes, when the weather is gloomy or we’re feeling low, we crave nothing more than a good cry. And a devastatingly sad film isn’t just one of the easiest ways to release all of that pent-up emotion; researchers at Oxford University say that a good tearjerker also increases pain tolerance by upping levels of feel-good, pain-killing chemicals produced in the brain, too.

“The argument here is that actually, maybe the emotional wringing you get from tragedy triggers the endorphin system,” Robin Dunbar, a co-author of the study and professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford, told The Guardian.

With that in mind, then, we’ve trawled Netflix to bring you our pick of the best sad movies. From dramas that will hit you right where it hurts, to romances that will make your heart swell, each of these films promises to be every bit as emotional as they are entertaining.

(Un)happy viewing…

Sad films on Netflix: 10 tearjerkers for those in need of a good cry