Movies evoke all sorts of emotions from viewers. If you’re experiencing the loss of a loved one, you may watch comedies or action films to momentarily forget about your grief. However, sometimes watching movies where the characters are experiencing similar emotions as you can help you reflect on your loss and learn ways to grow from it.

Below is a list of movies that can help you reflect on your own loss.

Up

Up is about a man named Carl who lost the love of his life — his wife Ellie. To honor her memory and adventurous spirit, he embarks on a journey by tying thousands of balloons to his house. His goal is to fly his home to Paradise Falls — the place Ellie had always wanted to live.

This movie is a great reminder that after you lose someone who means a lot to you, life continues to go on. You can continue to honor their life and keep them in your heart, but you have to also continue to live your own life.

We Bought a Zoo

After his wife died, Benjamin Mee is having difficulties keeping his children happy. To restart their life, he decides to buy a rundown zoo. Throughout the movie, they face obstacles repairing the zoo. Tensions run high between Benjamin and his son, and everything would be so much easier if his wife were around.

In the end, the family learns to build their new life together, while embracing the loving memory of the mother.

Sunshine Cleaning

Starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, this film is about the complicated relationship between two sisters and their father. They lost their mother to suicide and are struggling to live the lives they intended. After a series of misfortunes, the family learns to forgive one another and grow as individuals.

This is a movie about second chances and shows that tragedy doesn’t have to define your future.

P.S. I Love You

This is a story of a woman named Holly who loses who her beloved husband to a brain tumor. As a young widow, she is not prepared to take on this grief on her own. In the midst of her grieving, she receives a series of letters from her deceased husband. She finds that these letters bring him back to life in her heart.

This is a story of coping with great loss and learning to let go of the past while finding a place for it in your heart. Holly learns that she can still love her deceased husband while moving forward onto her own journey.

What movie has helped you reflect on your own loss? Share by commenting below.