Breakups suck. Period. You know it as well as I do. Whether you were in a long term committed relationship or even if it wasn’t that great to begin with, ending a relationship is never easy. In fact it can suck even more if you are being ghosted. It doesn’t matter if you are the dumper or the dumpee, saying goodbye to someone you shared your life with comes with a certain amount of pain, regret, anger and frustration.
Get. Set. Mourn.
The connection you developed with your partner is now broken. Life as you know it is now over. But that doesn’t necessarily need to be a bad thing. As life takes you to an all new avenue full of opportunities, excitement and endless love, it is this transition which you need to face and overcome. There is no shortcut through it.
You need to mourn the end of your relationship. You need to accept that the person you thought was ‘The One’ is now gone, perhaps forever.
You need to feel angry. You need to feel sad. You need to eat all the ice-cream you can. You need to block their ass on social media. You need to rebound. You need to go as crazy as you feel like. But you need to get over it and start your life over.
Although I am no expert expert on moving on, but the easiest way to start the mourning process is by starting to watch breakup movies. What? Yup. That’s right.
If you want to start moving on, then start by watching the best movies on breakup Hollywood has to offer.
It is one of the tried and tested ways to distract yourself and go through this process of self healing. Whether you watch it with friends or alone, curling up on your couch with a lot of snacks and the best breakup movies can do wonders for you.
Time for movie therapy
Watching the right movies can help us go through various challenges in our lives, including breakups. If you are stuck crying on your bed, then it’s time to move your bum and start watching some of the greatest breakup movies. Watching fictional characters going through real challenges of breakup can be the best way for you to start moving on. Irrespective of which stage of grief you are in right now, there are various movies for you out there that can lift your mood up.
But that’s not all. Movies can even help you heal and open your heart to new love. Psychotherapists are now using movies to help people cope with difficult emotions under the guidance of life coaches and movie experts. Known as film therapy, it uses positive psychology and allows you to start the healing process by watching the right movies, looking at posters, reading quotes and other forms of visual analysis.
Movie therapy is being considered as an effective psychological tool due to the following reasons:
- Identification: As most of us relate with characters in a movie. It allows us to find hope through their fictional happy endings.
- Learning: Watching movies have various beneficial cognitive effects that help us learn and be more creative.
- Duration: Usually the length of a typical Hollywood film is almost the same as a therapy session.
- Attention: By focusing on the visuals and sounds we tend to become more mindful and get distracted from our debilitating thoughts.
- Relaxation: Movies redirect our attention and reduces anxiety. It enables us to disconnect, revitalize and relax.
- Enjoyment: Movies make us laugh and affects our mood. Through various fictional yet relatable scenarios movies influence our mental health.
- Reflection: Films can make us self reflect and introspect on a spiritual and existential level.
- Dealing with loss: Movies offer us new perspectives about life and help us in dealing with heartbreak by changing our attitude.
- Cathartic release: Movies on breakups can help you face your deepest emotions. It allows you to express your true feelings by shedding your tears and experiencing relief.
Movies can inspire us, encourage us, boost our mood and even help us find the most fantastic solutions to life problems. Watching the right breakup movies will undoubtedly help you get over your breakup and make you feel happier in time.
Perfect breakup movies to help you move on
Here is my list of the absolute must-watch breakup movies that will make you laugh, cry, feel inspired, feel relieved and restart your life. Here we go.
#1 The Break-Up (2006)
“It’s not about doing the things you love, it’s about doing things with the one you love!”
Yes, this seems like the most obvious choice, but it’s definitely a good one. After Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) and Gary (Vince Vaughn) breakup, they continue to live in their shared apartment. As you can guess, things get crazy as both exes try to get the other to cave in. From lovers to exes to hostile roommates. Yikes!
#2 To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
“The more people you let into your life, the more that can just walk right out.”
Lara Jean (Lana Condor) is a teenage high school girl who writes love letters to all her former crushes but never sends them out. But when all of them get released accidentally and all the boys start approaching her, Lara’s life goes completely out of control. This is a fantastic movie about love and life that you can’t afford to miss.
#3 Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
“Shut up, please. I am very busy and important.”
Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) decides to take charge of her life on a New Year and starts writing a diary. She puts her life together through written words that turns out to be the most hysterical, erotic and provocative document ever. Her diary talks about everything from food to exercise, from men to sex and everything else you can imagine. This movie will remind you that you are perfect as you are and you should not settle for anyone who is not worth it.
#4 Call Me by Your Name (2017)
“How you live your life is your business, just remember, our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once. And before you know it, your heart is worn out, and, as for your body, there comes a point when no one looks at it, much less wants to come near it. Right now, there’s sorrow, pain. Don’t kill it and with it the joy you’ve felt.”
This beautiful coming-of-age romantic drama tells the story of 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) who falls in love with Oliver (Armie Hammer), a handsome doctoral student. But their love gradually grows apart and it hurts just like any other breakup. This amazing movie show how love can transform us and break our hearts. Take the tissues out and get ready for some cathartic release.
#5 Crazy, Stupid Love (2011)
“You play to your strengths, pal. That’s all any of us can do.”
If you want to get over your breakup, then nothing can be better than a healthy dose of Ryan Gosling. Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) gets his heartbroken after he finds out that his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) has cheated on him. The 40 years old shy and confused Cal files for divorce and starts dating again. That’s when he meets Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a smooth talking player who teaches him everything he needs to know and turns his life around. You have to watch it to know how great it is.
#6 Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
“Maybe my life hasn’t been so chaotic. It’s just the world that is and the only real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.”
What do you need to heal from a breakup? Pizza. Meditation. And the willingness to open your heart. After Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) gets divorced and moves away from her rebound relationship, she decides to turn her life around by getting out of her comfort zone. Liz embarks on a transformative journey for self-exploration and self-discovery through Italy, India and Bali. This is one of the most inspiring movies you can watch post breakup.
#7 Wild (2014)
“Here’s some questions I’ve been asking myself. What if I forgive myself? What if I was sorry? What if I could go back in time? I wouldn’t do a single thing differently. What if all those things I did were the things that got me here?”
Based on a true story, Wild is a movie about failures, loss, struggles, self-discovery and triumph. Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) decides to find herself after a downward spiral resulting from her mother’s death and a failed marriage. With the aim of getting her life back on track, Cheryl starts hiking the Pacific Crest Trail without any outdoors experience. As she faces challenges, both internal and external, she finds out who she truly is as a person and what life has in store for her.
#8 Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
“Would you like to pick out the outfit you break up with me in?”
Composer Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) is devastated after his girlfriend, TV star Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), dumps him. To deal with the breakup, he goes on a Hawaiian vacation only to find out that Sarah and her new boyfriend (Russell Brand) are staying in the same hotel. As things get weird, a beautiful hotel clerk Rachel (Mila Kunis) comes to his rescue. This is a sweet and funny film that shows you no matter how bad it gets, you can always get over a breakup.
#9 Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
“You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, you have a shot at a silver lining.”
Healing your broken heart doesn’t get prettier than this. Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) goes back to his parents after losing his wife and his job. He wishes to reunite with his wife but first he needs to rebuild his own life. Soon he meets the beautiful Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who promises to help him reconnect with his wife only if he agrees to do something special for her. Silver Linings Playbook is a highly enjoyable road to recovery from heartbreak.
#10 The Wedding Singer (1998)
“You’ll know when you meet the right girl because it’s not how you feel about her it’s how she makes you feel about yourself.”
Perhaps the cutest movie on this list, this romcom will make you laugh and get inspired to move on at the same time. Wedding singer Robbie (Adam Sandler) gets his heart broken when his fiancé dumps him at the altar. He loses all hope until he meets the gorgeous Julia (Drew Barrymore) who recruits him to plan her own wedding. Now he must win her heart before Julia gets married. This just goes to show that we find true love only after our worst breakups.
Bonus list
Want more? Well, here’s my bonus list just to help you get over your bad breakup–
- The Parent Trap (1998)
- Legally Blonde (2001)
- The Notebook (2004)
- John Tucker Must Die (2006)
- How to Be Single (2016)
- Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
- High Fidelity (2000)
- Blue Valentine (2010)
- Celeste And Jesse Forever (2012)
- 500 Days of Summer (2009)
So that was my must-watch list of the best breakup movies that you need to watch to start moving on.
Movies are therapeutic
Breakups not only affect us emotionally, but it can also impact our physical and mental health. This is why the sooner you start the healing process and embark on your journey to regain your life, the better it will be for you. But you know that already.
So use your new-found freedom and time and watch these amazing movies to get started. Laugh, cry, scream and eat. Do whatever you need to get it your of your system. But once your done, get a shower, put on your best clothes, get out there and live your life as amazing as you can.
Don’t give up on love yet. Your ‘happily forever’ is waiting for you.
You may also like:
- 5 Mistakes that People Make After A Breakup
- 7 Important Things You Must Know About Healing After A Divorce Or Breakup
- 10 Ways To Go Through A Breakup Without Feeling Miserable
- 9 Things You Should Never Do After A Breakup
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