[title]
Scientists in Holland have discovered that crying at a movie actually makes us happier. For our reader-takeover issue hitting streets tomorrow, we asked five film fanatics who follow Time Out New York (our favorite kind of film fanatic) to reveal the tearjerkers that make them gush.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the Reader takeover 2017
FROM: Tim Nicolai, 35, Carroll Gardens
“Moonlight. I dealt with bullying as a kid, so it was rough to watch. Then to see how homophobia shapes how someone feels they’re forced to live their life—and change their identity—was incredibly sad. Beyond that, the writing, the direction, the cinematography and the cast were extraordinary. It was as close to a perfect film as I can remember.”
FROM: Lily Rouff, 30, Williamsburg
“I’m a film crier. I remember seeing Big Daddy in theaters as a kid and hiding my tears from my family. I just can’t help myself. But the last film I saw in theaters that made me cry for good reason was Lion. That movie was so emotionally impactful and such a beautiful telling of human courage, perseverance, compassion and love. I left so puffy-eyed that afterward I had to drag myself into the Crate and Barrel next-door to neutralize. That store is so sterile and emotionless, in a cathartic sort of way.”
FROM: Gaby, 29, Williamsburg
“The last movie I saw in theaters that made me cry was Suburbicon. It isn’t your typical ‘sad’ film, but it’s one of the most cringeworthy movies I’ve ever seen. The scene I really lost it in was toward the end, where the dad and the son were sitting across from each other at the dinner table. The boy’s fear is palpable: Tears are welling up in his eyes and uncontrollably slopping down his cheeks. I was filled with an instinct to protect him from all the unspeakable evils he had witnessed.”
FROM: PJ Brennan, 31, West Midwood
The last film that I saw in the theater that made me cry is a recent one: Tom of Finland. There’s a recurring visual motif of the protagonist, Touko (or Tom), pouncing on a lone Russian paratrooper in a field during World War II. It’s haunted me to this day. Touko notices how handsome the young Russian man is as he examines the dead body, and how wasteful it all seems. He caresses his face. The tenderness is hard to watch. We come to understand that Tom's art is a catharsis, that he can't let go of this young Russian soldier no matter how many times he sketches him. It made my guts twitch.
FROM: Tom Moran, 57, East Village
“It takes a lot to make me emotional in a movie theater—like the end of Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights. But I have to admit, when I recently looked down and saw the price on my ticket stub, I cried like a baby.”
Sign up to receive great Time Out deals in your inbox each day.