Tearjerker is not technically a film genre, but it does justify the name.If the Film makes you weep, then it’s probably a tearjerker.
Tearjerkers resonate with everyone because they give you time to invest in the characters.
These films do not rely on action sequences to grab our attention but use the subtle art of storytelling and character development to deliver a much more worthwhile film.
Typically sad, Tearjerkers may help you get emotional relief and escape into the world of its characters.
Here are some of the most underrated Tearjerker films you can watch on Disney+.
Onward
Onward is a 2020 Computer Animated Fantasy Adventure Film.
This film is produced by Pixar Animation Studios and Distributed Worldwide by Walt Disney Studios.
The plot follows the life of two teenage Elf brothers- Ian and Barley Lightfoot. Together they go on a surreal pursuit to devote one more day to their late father.
Their path is filled with obstacles, mysteries, and cryptic maps they need to solve to reach their goal.
They must find a mystical artifact to bring back their late father before it’s too late. Tom Holland and Chris pratt do the voice acting for the lead characters and bring their absolute best to the Film.
Due to covid restrictions, the Film underperformed at the box office but was praised and well-received by the critics.
Until the release of Lightyear in June 2022, Onward was the last Film Pixar released worldwide.
Onward might not be the best Pixar film to date, but it certainly is a heartfelt film filled with emotions.
The message of Onward is that “not everything can be quote unquote fixed in a day; sometimes things take time.
Onward is a beautifully crafted tearjerker with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 88% and an IMDb score of 7.4.
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is an emotionally resonant 1993 adventure film.
It follows the life of three pets. They are left behind while their owners go on vacation.
The bulldog pup, the Himalayan cat, and the golden retriever are so innocent that they think their owners have abandoned them.
The pets start worrying and embark on a journey to California to reunite with them.
Homeward Bound is a fun and emotional Film that every pet owner can relate to.
Watching these furries reunite with their owners is sure to bring tears of joy to your soul.
Children are particularly fond of this Film.
The voice talents also do justice to their parts, making this underrated gem a must-watch for everyone.
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is indeed an emotional ride with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 87% and an IMDb score of 6.9.
Togo (2019)
Who doesn’t love a movie starring the talented William Dafoe?
This guy brings his A-game to every project, and Togo is no different.
Togo is a 2019 tearjerker drama film with a duration of 1 hour and 54 minutes.
The Director uses every minute of the Film’s runtime to tell a compelling story about the relationship between a Siberian husky and its owner.
Leonard, played by William Dafoe, adopts a fragile Siberian husky named Togo.
He trains him to become more resilient, athletic, and strong.
Togo is based on a true story about champion dogsled trainer Leonard Seppala and his dog Togo.
Together they go on a quest across the dangerous terrain of Alaska to transfer the medicine to a distant town.
The animal love portrayed in this Film makes it an extremely affectionate watch for dog lovers.
It is a beautiful tale about an underdog and his musher.
With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 93% and an IMDb score of 7.9, Togo is a perfect movie for every dog lover.
Toy Story 3
The third chapter in the Toy Story franchise is a real tear-jerker. Toy Story 3 is an expertly animated 2010 Pixar movie.
The movie starts with Andy leaving for college. In the meantime, all his toys are misplaced in a daycare center.
The Toys get sad, thinking they are probably abandoned by their owner Andy, but Woddy convinces them otherwise.
Together with Woody and Buzz Lightyear, all the toys go on an epic quest to return home.
If you are familiar with other Pixar projects, then you know that their stories are very emotionally resonant and unique.
Toy Story is no different and might be the best in the series.
Watching the Toys that we have grown to love and dealing with the possibility of being abandoned is heartbreaking, but the movie manages to be lighthearted in its execution.
The plot is undoubtedly spectacular, and the visuals are vibrant and immersive.Every new character gets to do something, and no one feels left out in Toy Story 3.
With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 98% and an IMDb of 8.3, Toy Story 3 is a must-watch for cinema fans.
Old Yeller (1957)
This is another beautiful story about a stray dog and his loving owner that managed to make this list.
Old Yeller was initially released in 1957 and is quite dated, but the Film still has heart, which is timeless.
The old Yeller tells the story of a stray dog who rescues our protagonist’s (Travis) brother from a bear attack.
Initially, Travis didn’t like the dog and tried to drive him away as the dog had damaged one of their fields.
Soon Travis grows more fond of the old Yeller and adopts the dog.
Old Yeller is an emotional coming-of-age movie that understands the elemental bond between a dog and its owner.
Old Yeller is the best boy-and-his-dog Film out there, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 100% and an IMDb of 7.3.
The Odd Life Of Timothy Green
This is a 2012 family fantasy drama film.
It uses its 1 hour and 45 minutes long runtime to tell a beautiful story about parenting that stays uplifting without getting bogged down by its darker premise.
It tells the story of a young couple who learns that they cannot conceive a child.
They are devastated by this ordeal, but the sudden appearance of an orphan boy puts the couple out of their misery.
The movie starts with a couple burying a box in their backyard.
The box contains all their wishes about having an infant.
Suddenly a young boy named Timothy appears at their doorstep, and they understand that sometimes the unexpected can bring us the greatest joy.
It is one of the most delightest and most emotional films out there.
With an IMDb score of 6.6, The Odd Life Of Timothy Geen is a beautiful tearjerker film.
Into The Woods
This is a 2014 Musical fantasy drama film directed by Rob Marshall.
Into The Woods is a record-breaking box office music hit with Three Golden Globe nominations.
The movie is metaphorical and uses characters and plot devices to tell a much deeper story.
Due to a witch’s curse, A baker and his wife cannot conceive a child.
To raise the curse and conceive a child of their own, they have to obtain four mystical objects.
Three days remain before the rise of the Blue Moon, so they quickly venture into the woods to find the ingredients to reverse the spell.
They meet Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Jack on their quest.
What more can you ask from 2 hours and 5 minutes long musical drama?
With a Rotten Tomatoes Rating of 71% and an IMDb of 5.9, Into The Woods is a nice pace emotional journey.
Bambi
Bambi is the story of an adorable young deer who is chosen to become a prince of the forest like his father.
He is joined by a rabbit and a skank in his exploration of the forest.
As Bambi grows up, he learns more about friendship, relations, and life in general.
He learns valuable lessons that tragedies can always be avoided and that there is both beauty and heartache in the life of a forest animal.
Being a classic Disney animated film from 1953, Bambi has a certain charm to its visuals and presentation style.
Bambi is a short movie with a runtime of only 70 minutes, so you can easily watch it in your spare time.
As we have come to expect from Disney classics, the plot is unique, and the characters are relatable.
Bambi is a much sad and dark film outside the fantasy elements.
It explores the cyclical nature of life and death.
With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 91% and an IMDb of 7.3, Bambi is one of the most tragic and emotional Disney films.
Saving Mr. Banks
Saving Mr. Banks is a 2003 musical biographical drama film directed by John Lee Hancock.
The film follows the life of a financially broke Author(Pamela Travers).
She decides to meet Walt Disney in Los Angeles.
Walt is keen to make a film of her masterpiece, “Marry Poppins,” but their visions differ.
This movie is loosely based on true events and explores the life and perspective of Pamela Travers.
She wants her characters to turn into something other than mechanical Hollywood stereotypes.
On the other hand, her book needs to sell more, and she is down on finances.
Her life situation forces her to reluctantly consider Walt Disney’s proposition.
With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 79% and an IMDb score of 7.5, Saving Mr. Backs is a must-watch.
Bao
Bao is an imaginative 2018 short film directed and written by Domee Shi.
It uses computer animation to tell its story and is produced by Pixar Studios.
Bao is the first Pixar short film, and it tells the story of an elderly Chinese woman.
She is feeling alone because the offspring move out of the house.
She gets her hopes back when she gets another probability at motherhood when one of her dumplings comes to life.
The story of Bao is unique, beautiful, and emotional.
The animation style is top-notch and fits the vibe of the Film perfectly.
With a runtime of only 8 minutes, Bao manages to tell a heartfelt movie that is sure to bring tears to your eyes.
With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 89% and an IMDb of 7.5, Bao is a beautiful short film that is most definitely worth your time.
The Fault In Our Stars
The Fault In Our Stars is a beautifully made 2014 Romance Drama Film by Josh Boone.
It follows the life of a 16 years old cancer patient- Hazel Grace Lancaster.
Hazel meets and falls in love with a boy named Gus Waters.
Gus is similarly afflicted like her, so she feels he understands her better than her family.
When he gains an invitation to connect with the author of their favorite book “An Imperial Affliction, They go on what could be the last adventure of their life.
The Film has an interesting plot, and the screenplay is perfect.
The Fault In Our Stars is funny, witty, and at the same time. It teaches us that love can be found no matter what.
The Fault in Our Stars is a 2012 novel of the same name by John Green.
With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 81% and a 7.7 IMDb score, This is a must-watch for all the fans of romantic films.
Queen Of Katwe
Queen Of Katwe is a 2016 sports biographical drama directed by Mira Nair.
The film follows the life of a young girl named Phiona.
Phiona lives in the slums of Katwe in Kampala.
The 10-year-old girl and her family are struggling due to poor living conditions in Uganda.
Her life is changed when she meets Robert Katende. Robert teaches her to play chess.
With his training, she becomes a top-class chess player and gets an opportunity to escape poverty.
The performances by the actors are amazing and make you feel the emotions that the characters are going through.
With a Rotten Tomatoes Score of 94% and an IMDb of 7.4, Queen of Katwe is an amazing coming-of-age film that is equally emotional.
Black Beauty (2020)
Black Beauty is an amazing 2020 adventure drama film by Ashley Avis.
It follows the life of a teenage girl named Jo Green.
She comes across a wild horse bought up to Birtwick Stables, whose name is Black Beauty.
Black Beauty and Jo soon bond and go through different challenges and adventures.
The story is narrated from the point of view of this handsome, well-bred horse.
Black Beauty is initially owned by caring owners but is sold to successively crueler owners until he ends up with Jo.
Black Beauty is based on a book of the same name by Anna Sewell.
If you are an animal lover, you’ll love this flick.
With an IMDb of 6.4, Black Beauty is a worthwhile watch.
The Fox And The Hound
The Fox and the Hound is a 1981 family musical animated film directed by Richard Rich, Art Stevens, and Ted Berman.
It follows the life of a red fox named Tod and a dog named cooper.
Both furries develop a strong affinity for each other since childhood.
But their master thinks they are, in fact, natural enemies.
As they enter adulthood, they yield to peer pressure, and the distance between them grows.
Both of them must put their instinctive differences aside to save their friendship.
The Fox and The Hound, regardless of being an animated film, was the 14th highest-grossing Film of the year.
The Film is not just about cute pets. It forces us to rethink how society influences our life and decisions.
The emotional weight that this Film carries is also applauding.
With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 70 % and an IMDb of 7.2, The Fox And The Hound is a well-written, thought-provoking film that everyone needs to watch.
Clouds (2020)
Clouds is a 2020 musical drama film.
It uses its 2-hour and 1 minutes runtime to tell a heartbreaking yet beautiful story about a cancer patient named Zach.
Zach has little time left as he realizes that the cancer is spreading rapidly.
He is very passionate about music, so he decides to release an album before his time runs out.
The album turns out to be a viral sensation.
The film is based on the true life of Zach Sobiech- a singer, songwriter, brother, and son.
It is a tragic yet awe-inspiring tale about his short life.
“Clouds” story is really simple but heart-touching.
This biopic feels genuine to its core and emotionally overwhelming.
This Film deserves so much more love, don’t forget to check it out on Disney+ immediately.
With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 76% and an IMDb score of 7.5, Clouds is probably the most emotional and inspiring Film on this list.