We know how hard breakups are and how lonely you might feel right now. That's why we made a list of movies to watch after a breakup. They are all of the different kinds, so it's impossible not to find yourself in at least one. Each sends a strong message that's meant to ease your transition from coupled to single life. Read on and pick the scenario that best fits your situation.
Breaking Up (1997)
Director: Robert Greenwald | Stars: Russell Crowe, Salma Hayek, Abraham Alvarez, Carlo Corazon
Monica (Salma Hayek) and Steve (Russell Crowe) are in love. He is a sarcastic photographer and she is an ultra-sensitive teacher. They are caught between pleasure and suffering, satisfaction and frustration, understanding and blind anger. Even so, they can't live apart.
This movie teaches us that love isn't enough in order to make a relationship work. It's about finding a way to nurture it. The main characters break up and get back together several times in their attempt to make things work. However, sometimes it's best to just let go.
Someone Like You (2001)
Director: Tony Goldwyn | Stars: Ashley Judd, Greg Kinnear, Hugh Jackman, Marisa Tomei
Jane Goodale (Ashley Judd) is a young New Yorker determined to succeed both in her career and in her personal life. While working on a talk show, she meets the new executive producer, Ray Brown (Greg Kinnear). They quickly become involved and start getting ready to move in together. However, Ray changes his mind in an unexpected and seemingly inexplicable way.
In her attempt to find an explanation for his behavior, Jane Goodale ends up studying various animal mating rituals. Meanwhile, she finds comfort in the arms of a work colleague, Eddie Alden (Hugh Jackman), who offers her a place to stay. After publishing her findings and becoming the most popular woman in the country, she realizes that a man's soul is far more complicated than she thought.
This is among the breakup movies that will make you feel better about getting dumped without an explanation.
500 Days of Summer (2009)
Director: Marc Webb | Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz
500 Days of Summer is the story of Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his relationship with Summer (Zooey Deschanel). She doesn't believe in true love, soul mates or "the one." Tom, on the other hand, is an incurable romantic who doesn't want to give up on her. Everything he does is aimed at convincing her that the concept of love written in the stars is real.
500 Days of Summer is among the best movies to watch after a breakup because it depicts two individuals with different views regarding love. Tom is the one suffering the most because of his beliefs.
Sliding Doors (1998)
Director: Peter Howitt | Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah, John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn
After getting fired, Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) decides to take the subway and go home. Something surprising happens when she runs, trying to catch it. Time goes back a few seconds, creating another version of her. From this point on, she experiences two realities.
In one of them, she arrives home and catches her boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch) in bed with another woman. However, during her ride she meets James (John Hannah), who will turn out to be the right one for her.
In the other version of reality, she loses the subway, someone robs her and she ends up in a hospital. She doesn't find out that Gerry was cheating on her.
The moral of the movie is that even if someone cheated on you, you will still find the person with whom you are meant to be.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Gerry Robert Byrne
Joel (Jim Carrey) learns something very shocking about his ex-girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet). Due to an experimental procedure, she was able to opt for having her memories involving Joel and their relationship erased. He decides to do the same, but the procedure doesn't go smoothly. Joel ends up fighting his own mind in order to save the memories related to her.
The message, although a classic, is subtle and staged in a sensitive manner without clichés. No matter how hard breakups are, none of us wants to forget the beautiful parts.
How to Be Single (2016)
Director: Christian Ditter | Stars: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, Alison Brie
Some people enjoy single life while others are very unhappy. Alice (Dakota Johnson), Robin (Rebel Wilson), Lucy (Alison Brie), Meg (Leslie Mann), Tom (Anders Holm) and David (Damon Wayans Jr.) are all single people who live in New York. They wish to find their soul mates, have a romantic relationship, a fling, or something similar. They all need to learn to embrace being single and try to be happy in a world where the definition of love changes constantly.
This movie, as well as other similar movies to watch after a breakup, teaches us to adapt, find happiness within, have fun, and cherish friendship.
Legally Blonde (2001)
Director: Robert Luketic | Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis
Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is a beautiful blonde woman who is successful in everything she does. Even so, her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, dumps her for his ex-girlfriend, whom he re-encounters at Harvard. In her attempt to find a way to win him back, Elle signs up for law school at the same university. She leaves her beauty habits behind and focuses on school. She is determined to seek revenge for all blonde women who suffer from prejudice.
Legally Blonde is an empowering movie. It will give you strength to move on past your breakup, work on improving yourself, and be more confident.
The Break-Up (2006)
Director: Peyton Reed | Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Joey Lauren Adams
The Break-Up is an unconventional romantic comedy that tells a funny, painful, and engaging story. It's about a couple that experiences monotony and slowly starts falling apart. Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston are Gary and Brooke, a couple who lets a small misunderstanding ruin their entire relationship. Although broken up, neither of them is willing to move out from the apartment where they lived for two years. They compromise and decide to live together as roommates. At some point, the inevitable happens and they are both forced to move out.
Such breakup movies are meant to show us that we're not the only ones who were involved in dysfunctional relationships. People are generally clueless when it comes to relationships.
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Director: Sharon Maguire | Stars: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Gemma Jones
Bridget Jones's Diary presents the typical story of a 30-year-old woman who is single, disappointed by her former romantic relationships, a little chubby, and who has the bad habit of blaming others for her dissatisfaction. However, deep inside she has a sensible soul that craves for love and hopes each man she meets is the one.
The film unfolds more on the inside, channeling Bridget Jones's (Renée Zellweger) emotions, feelings, and disappointments. Her main flaws are overthinking and being too sincere. Instead of living in the moment, she invests too much in each relationship.
Bottom line, this movie is a frothy romantic comedy. It is a bit melodramatic, but it also puts a smile on your face and urges you to meditate. It makes you empathize with the character, hoping that she will find happiness.
He's Just Not That Into You (2009)
Director: Ken Kwapis | Stars: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Morgan Lily
The last on our list of movies to watch after a breakup, He's Just Not That Into You presents an amalgam of love stories. It is based on a bestseller written by the screenwriters of Sex and the City.
Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) wishes to meet a man who calls her the next day, while Beth (Jennifer Aniston) starts questioning her relationship with Neil (Ben Affleck) after he refuses to marry her. Janine (Jennifer Connelly) suspects her husband Ben (Bradley Cooper) is cheating on her, and Mary (Drew Barrymore) is struggling to find a heterosexual male as a friend.
Overall, this is a savory movie about life and love which can help you gain another perspective over your breakup.
Summary
The listed movies are meant to help you get over your breakup in one way or another. They present different scenarios from which you can learn something. Some of them are empowering, while others leave you thinking. Watch one or more if you're looking for comfort.