15 Movies on Netflix That Will Snap You Out of a Breakup Funk

You dated. You suffered. And now that you’ve broken up—PRAISE!—you are free to watch any damn thing you want on Netflix. So grab your favorite pint o’ Ben & Jerry’s, own every cliché in the book, and kick back with these stellar flicks to help you make it through any kind of breakup.

Tiny Furniture

This early-career Lena Dunham gem kicks off with Aura (played by Dunham) getting dumped by her college boyfriend. If you’ve ever felt anxious about where your post-college life, career, and romantic pursuits are headed—we’re raising our hands with everyone here—you’ll find this flick oddly inspiring. It will remind you that there’s more to life than dating and what you perceive in the moment as a huge fiasco is often just paving the way for your next greatest triumph. Hallelujah!

Goodbye to All That

Blindsided by a crazy breakup out of thin air? Dumped by a particularly hot and heavy summer fling? Newly divorced? OWN IT. Hot Dad? Throw it at us. Paul Schneider dazzles (he won Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film at Tribeca Film Festival, after all) as he picks himself up and puts himself back out there. Rebound sex abounds, plus he learns some valuable lessons about real relationships along the way.

Mona Lisa Smile

Personal life emergencies call for two things: a constant stream of text support from your BFFs and Julia Roberts. Really. In this uplifting flick that will snap you out of your whiskey-infused woe, Julia Roberts (supported by other #GirlBoss idols like Kirsten Dunst and Julia Stiles) plays the role of newly-anointed art history professor at Wellesley. Sure, it can get get a bit gushy, but it’s a powerful reminder that the relationship you have with yourself is the most significant one you’ll ever have.

Sliding Doors

It may have been filmed in the 90s, but the lessons Gwyneth Paltrow preaches about love and betrayal ring just as true today. Ultimately, this film reminds you that, yes, you may in fact fall into a post-breakup funk but better times lie ahead. It’s both super empowering and has a big dose of serendipity (we swear, that real-life twist-of-fate can happen to you, too). Plus, it’s funny. So go ahead and rock that Springsteen adage, “Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night,” as you get ready for your first post-breakup (Tinder date)[/story/smart-photos-tool-will-change-your-tinder-game].

An Unmarried Woman

First of all, Jill Clayburgh? HELL YES. Second, life feels a whole lot better after watching this film where a Manhattanite loses her husband of 16 years to a younger woman. If Clayburgh-as-Erica can reinvent herself and become stronger, happier, and more independent, post-relationship, then so can you. Did we mention bae Jill Clayburgh is in this?

Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids

…because Justin Timberlake. This upbeat concert doc filled with the bright lights of Las Vegas, slick moves, and big band energy is loud, just a little bit kooky, and enough to get your pretty self out of bed for a solo dance party. Hey, go ahead and blast the volume full-throttle—no one’s gonna steal the damn remote now.

The Last Five Years

You’ll want to text every ex you’ve ever had after watching this to let them know, “So glad we didn’t work out! I’m much better without you.” This 2015 rom com starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan gives you the unique vantage point of watching a relationship unfold from the start and from the end in tandem, before the storylines finally tangle in the middle. Whether your last relationship lasted three years or three months, it will remind you that perhaps, some day, it will be pleasing to recall such hardships. Also there’s singing.

The Princess Bride

You may not have to scale crazy rock formations or evade ocean predators to get to your own happy ending, but this romantic AF cult classic is a great reminder that it’s out there. Now pass the Doritos.

13 Going on 30

Becky: “I like your dress.” Jenna: “That’s because I have these incredible boobs to fill it out.” Ah, if the spit-your-food-out-it’s-so-funny script doesn’t shake you into a better mood, we just don’t know what will. You know the storyline: Awkward teen magically wakes up as a 30-year-old bombshell, with road bumps, romance, and plenty of humor along the way. A great reminder that Jennifer Garner should seriously be cast in every movie.

Failure to Launch

If you’ve already watched every episode of Sex and the City twice, get your dose of SJP in this refreshing and uplifting rom-com from 2006 and be magically transported to a simpler time of Uggs and stretchy pants. If your last relationship was with a thirtysomething who lived in their parents’ basement, this is for you. Watch, laugh, and go to sleep knowing your folks will never suffer the sad fate of having to hire a relationship consultant for you. We promise.

Begin Again

Just when you feel like you’re never gonna meet someone again, in streams this endearing modern-day rom com where…a guy walks into a bar, and the rest will instantly knock any negativity out of your brain. With plenty of amusing one-liners and the eye candy that is Adam Levine, we can’t think of a better way to postpone the inevitable meet-up with your ex (at least by an hour-and-forty-five minutes).

Last Holiday

Aside from the fact that LL Cool J makes everything better, we love the message of this film. Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) finds out she has less than a month to live and decides that there’s always time to reinvent yourself. That goes for you, too.

A Little Bit of Heaven

And a little bit of “hell yeah.” Another dim backdrop sets the stage here: Marley (played by Kate Hudson) finds out she has terminal cancer. Several plot twists and hearty chuckles later, her and her doctor, Julian (played by Gael García Bernal), fall for each other. The end’s a real tear-jerker, but also a potent reminder to pick yourself up—even if today that just means washing your dishes and brushing your hair. You just gotta keep going through the motions until it starts feeling like your life again. P.S. It will.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

A movie after our own temporarily sad hearts. The plot is simple: attractive male (Matthew McConaughey) tells his co-workers he can make a woman fall in love with him in less than two weeks. Meanwhile, Andie, played by Kate Hudson, is writing an article called “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” Who will achieve what they set out to do? You probably know the answer and have seen it three times already. But does that bathroom scene ever get old? Nope!

Save the Last Dance

Probably a staple of your pre-teen sleepover circuit, it’s time to give this 2001 classic a re-watch. Sure, there’s plenty of stellar dance scenes (the young Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas are insane) but the best part of this movie is the reminder that love often comes at the most unexpected times. Speaking of which, now’s your excuse to join that running club or vegan cooking class you’ve been curious about…