Table of contents
• Bridesmaids
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• Blue Valentine
• In the Mood for Love
• Marriage Story
• Someone Great
• The First Wives Club
• An innovative way of healing
Films that help you heal after heartbreak
Films are important as an escapist medium, especially for viewers dealing with difficult emotions, but there is a whole world of cinema that pursues escapism through meditation or confusion and not by being genuinely engaging. Then, some films don’t ask viewers to escape at all. As someone who’s newly single, now could be the best time to rise to the challenge of watching a difficult film. It’s likely that connecting with fundamentally lonely films, some of which are masterpieces, is easier when you feel lonely.
Movies have always been mirrors of the human experience. Whether it’s love, heartbreak, or self-discovery, films allow us to process emotions through the stories of others. Watching characters navigate grief, regret, or rediscovery can help us make sense of our own lives and emotions. The right film at the right time can be both comforting and empowering — it validates your feelings while showing that healing and happiness can still follow loss.
Tips to avoid further pain and discomfort
The best movie for overcoming past relationships depends on what stage the viewer is at. Breaking up is bad, but watching a rom-com when you’re still reeling from the loss is even worse. The juxtaposition of your temporarily painful reality with the genre’s carefree essence could ruin your movie night. Getting back into the anxious-romantic headspace might be exciting, but you’ll also need some time to overcome the sadness.
How long will it take to get over your ex? Factors such as having a new partner, a stable and satisfying social network, and having initiated the breakup are associated with more positive emotional outcomes after a separation, a 2024 study of 2,709 individuals aged 18-48 revealed. Additionally, the length of time that has passed since the separation is inversely proportional to the level of distress; time heals, as they say.
Choosing the right film can actually help the process. Avoid overly romanticized love stories immediately after a breakup. Instead, opt for stories of resilience, rediscovery, and independence. These narratives remind you that heartbreak is not the end but often the beginning of something better.
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids deals with many types of loss, making it the perfect breakup movie. The lead character loses not only her relationship but also her freedom, her business, and her best friend. It’s raw, hilarious, and comforting all at once. The humor doesn’t undermine the pain — it reminds us that laughter can coexist with healing. Watching this film can feel like sharing wine with a friend who understands exactly what you’re going through.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This movie proves without a doubt that erasing all memory of your ex is a bad idea. It shows you shouldn’t regret remembering how much someone meant to you, even if they don’t anymore, or the mere thought of them fills you with grief. There could be at least one good memory to cherish once the hurt passes. The film is not for everyone and can produce painful feelings, even termed “self-imposed emotional devastation” by some critics.
The movie also raises profound questions about memory, closure, and what it means to truly move on. Sometimes, healing isn’t about forgetting but about accepting the experiences that shaped you — even the painful ones.
Blue Valentine
Watching a relationship dissolve, slowly and beautifully, could make you feel like someone out there understands how you feel, and that might be all you need. Blue Valentine captures the rawness of love turning into loss, of passion fading into distance. It’s a sobering reminder that not every love story is meant to last, but every one of them teaches us something about who we are.
In the Mood for Love
A newspaper editor and his wife move into a building inhabited by an executive and his wife, a secretary. The secretary and editor find themselves in the same situation, quietly coping with heartache as it emerges their spouses have been cheating and finding comfort in each other’s presence. However, that’s not necessarily enough for a happy ending.
This film is a visual masterpiece and a slow, delicate exploration of loneliness and longing. Its unspoken emotions and restrained storytelling mirror the real-life difficulty of moving on — when desire and restraint collide.
Marriage Story
Marriage Story is about two people who were in love but were unable to make their relationship work, and explores the challenges and complexity of divorce, although both people can be much happier once it’s all over. The film humanizes both sides of a breakup and offers a realistic look at how love can transform rather than simply end.
It’s deeply relatable for anyone who’s ever had to choose between self-fulfillment and companionship. The film shows that closure isn’t always neat, but peace comes from learning to respect both your past and your personal growth.
Someone Great
A woman’s life starts over after her longtime boyfriend dumps her. This movie is gold if you’re looking for something to inspire and empower you. Someone Great is more than a breakup story; it’s about rediscovering who you are when everything you thought defined you suddenly disappears. It’s the perfect watch for anyone ready to reclaim joy and independence.
The film also highlights the importance of friendship in healing — that sometimes, love from friends can be just as transformative as romantic love.
The First Wives Club
Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, and Bette Midler create the First Wives Club to get back at the husbands who cheated on them. This movie was a hit before Instagram even existed, yet it has everything you need for shady breakup post captions and serves as a reminder that relationships can be messy regardless of age.
The film celebrates sisterhood and humor as the ultimate tools for empowerment. It’s a reminder that revenge isn’t the goal — self-respect and confidence are.
An innovative way of healing
While movies help us feel less alone, research also shows they can actively support emotional recovery. A longitudinal study of adults aged 18–25 found that about 37% had experienced a romantic breakup over the past year. Over a quarter (26.8%) of those who had broken up reported depressive symptoms after six months. The same study revealed that 29.7% of college students had anxiety symptoms after a breakup.
In another longitudinal study, researchers compared newlywed couples who watched and talked about relationship-focused films over a month to a control group of newlyweds who didn’t watch any and compared their divorce rates three years later. The rate was 24% in the control group but just 11% in the experimental one. On average, one in four marriages ends in divorce.
Watching movies can help people process emotions, find clarity, and even learn communication skills by observing how characters handle conflict and closure. It’s not just entertainment — it’s a safe space to explore emotions, develop empathy, and even practice forgiveness from a distance.
Conclusion: finding closure through cinema
Moving on from a past relationship is never linear, but art — especially film — can guide us through that process. Movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Marriage Story remind us that heartbreak is universal, while comedies like Bridesmaids or The First Wives Club teach us to laugh again.
Cinema helps us see that even when love fades, personal growth remains. It allows us to feel deeply, reflect honestly, and eventually heal gracefully. When words fail, films remind us that everyone has a story of love and loss — and that healing, like good storytelling, always takes time.