Sometimes, you want to watch a movie where a couple has a meet-cute, overcomes obstacles that present in the third act, and end up happily ever after. Sometimes, that's the last thing you want. Whether you're a romantic cynic, going through a breakup, or simply interested in seeing a different kind of story, there are actually a lot of sad romance movies out there; for every "When Harry Met Sally" or "Pretty Woman," there's a heart-wrenching story of a couple who just couldn't make it work (or worse, a couple split apart for reasons beyond their control).

It does seem unfair, though, to distill the movies on this list — which are not ranked but presented in no particular order — down to "sad romances," because each and every one of them is a careful and thoughtful examination of human emotion and the way that, despite one's best efforts, it can be particularly heartbreaking when people in love can't be together. If you need a good cry, here are 13 sad romance movies to check out — and where you can stream them.

Derek Cianfrance's dark romance film "Blue Valentine" came out in 2010, and pretty quickly, audiences realized it's not a standard romantic comedy by literally any metric. The film is told in a non-linear style and splits its narrative between two plotlines, contrasting the happier start of the relationship between Dean Pereira (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy Heller Pereira (Michelle Williams) with their troubled marriage and difficulty parenting their five-year-old daughter Frankie. Right away, we realize that Dean is struggling with an alcohol addiction, and Cindy, in response, is desperately trying to work as a nurse and hold the small family together; what we witness between the couple, though, is extremely bitter and frankly, outright difficult to watch. (Plus, when we realize that the origin of Dean and Cindy's relationship isn't actually all that happy, it paints everything in a new light.)