Do you enjoy watching sad movies? Lately, I’ve been avoiding three-hankie tearjerkers like The Fault in Our Stars out of fear that I’ll leave the theater feeling more depressed than entertained. Where’s the enjoyment in that?
Also, I don’t need to spend $10 (plus the cost of movie theater popcorn) to have a good cry when I can do it for free at home. All I need to do is think about my never-ending to-do list, our upcoming move, or how tired I always am and the tears start flowing. (Unless I’m too exhausted to even cry, which has happened before.)
However, according to this article, watching a movie with a sad ending actually increases our happiness:
When we see a tragedy unfold, we’re motivated to think about our own close relationships, which spurs happy thoughts. Witnessing an onscreen tragedy also offers a glimmer of hope and a sense of transcendence about human existence. It puts our daily troubles in perspective and makes us consider the deeper meaning of life.
Something to think about when choosing a movie this weekend!
What’s in your Netflix queue? Any Kleenex-worthy films?
(image via Instagram)
Interesting!! That article makes me feel better about all the sad-sap movies I tend toward. I’ve avoided The Fault in Our Stars because I read the book and need more time to forget it before watching it. I’m otherwise so out of the movie loop… and our furniture-free setup isn’t conducive to movie watching these days. I wish we were closer so I could entertain one or both of the boys long enough for you guys to sneak in a nap!
The first thing I got out of this post is that your movie night out costs $10. Are you sure you want to move back East? 🙂
I’ve actually heard the same thing about the benefit of a good cry to a sad movie. Although it may help your thinking in the long term, the short term crying is not that appealing for me either right now. We’ve been trying to catch up on all the award winning films lately like Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years a Slave, etc. And then the fun indie comedies here and there.