10 Emotional Movies That Will Take You Back to Your Childhood
- By Kiran Taj
- December 25, 2024
Childhood, a time when the world felt vast yet safe. Where each day was painted with the innocence and the purest kind of love. However, it was a time when you lived through moments of wonder. Yet some of you lived a childhood with heart-wrenching challenges. Some of those memories remain seared in our hearts forever. A bittersweet reminder of who we once were. This list of emotional childhood movies captures fleeting moments. It sends you back to your childhood filled with innocence, resilience and scars that mark your journey to adulthood. You can enjoy all these movies on Netflixhowe.
Table of Contents
Toggle1. The Children's Train
The Children’s Train is based on a true story. Watching it, you’ll encounter the harsh realities many of us faced as children. Life demanded resilience from the youngest among us. This deeply emotional tale shows children separated from their families after World War II. The heart-wrenching story will stir something deep inside you. You’ll recall moments when the world seemed far too large. Yet, somehow, you found strength in the chaos. If your childhood held moments of sacrifice or yearning for a better future, this film will bring those memories rushing back.
The pain of leaving everything familiar for the unknown—it’s something we’ve all felt. Whether it was a big move or a sudden change, it’s all too familiar. The Children’s Train will remind you of the sacrifices children make. It shows the courage it takes to face a world that doesn’t always seem kind. This is one of those movies with emotional childhood memories that will wrap around your heart and never let go.
2. The Quiet Girl
Do you remember the quiet moments of your childhood when the world around you felt overwhelming, and all you wanted was understanding and a place to belong? The Quiet Girl is a film that will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt invisible or neglected in their early years. This tender story of a shy, neglected girl finding love and solace in an unexpected place will stir memories of your own search for connection. It will take you back to those fragile moments when a small act of kindness made all the difference.
If you were ever the quiet one, the one who observed but rarely spoke, you’ll recognize the transformative power of love in The Quiet Girl. The movie beautifully captures the emotional awakening that happens when a child is finally seen — truly seen. It’s a story that will bring back the soft, delicate emotions of growing up in a world that often overlooked the quietest souls.
3. Where the Crawdads Sing
Growing up can sometimes feel like an endless battle for survival, and Where the Crawdads Sing perfectly captures that feeling. The film follows Kya, a young girl abandoned by her family, learning to navigate life alone in the unforgiving wilderness. Watching her struggle to survive, to trust, to find herself — you might be reminded of your own formative years when you had to fend for yourself emotionally, with no one to turn to. The loneliness and the quiet strength Kya exudes will resonate with anyone who has ever felt abandoned, or had to face hardship alone.
This is one of those movies with emotional childhood memories that will make you feel every ounce of Kya’s pain, but also the resilience and power she discovers within herself. It’s a reminder that, as children, we often face moments of overwhelming isolation, but it’s during those moments that we learn to rely on our inner strength. Where the Crawdads Sing is an emotional journey that will tug at your heartstrings, making you reflect on your own journey of survival.
4. Ordinary Angels
Sometimes, childhood isn’t just about innocence — it’s about facing a harsh world that doesn’t always understand or protect you. Armageddon Time is a raw exploration of the clash between childhood dreams and the bitter realities of the world. Set against the backdrop of 1980s New York, it follows a young boy’s coming-of-age journey through moments of racial inequality, familial pressure, and personal awakening. The stark contrast between childhood purity and the painful truths of adulthood will make you recall those moments when you first realized the world wasn’t as kind as you thought.
If you’ve ever felt the growing pains of understanding life’s complexities — the moments when you were forced to face a truth that shattered your childhood illusions — Armageddon Time will take you there. The film will remind you of the emotional struggle of trying to preserve your innocence while navigating a world full of contradictions. It’s a powerful look at how childhood memories are shaped by both the joys and the heartaches that come with growing up.
5. Armageddon Time
Sometimes, childhood isn’t just about innocence — it’s about facing a harsh world that doesn’t always understand or protect you. Armageddon Time is a raw exploration of the clash between childhood dreams and the bitter realities of the world. Set against the backdrop of 1980s New York, it follows a young boy’s coming-of-age journey through moments of racial inequality, familial pressure, and personal awakening. The stark contrast between childhood purity and the painful truths of adulthood will make you recall those moments when you first realized the world wasn’t as kind as you thought.
If you ever felt the growing pains of understanding the complexities of life — the moments when you were forced to face a truth that shattered your childhood illusions — Armageddon Time will take you there. The film will remind you of the emotional struggle of trying to preserve your innocence while navigating a world full of contradictions. It’s a potent look at how childhood memories are shaped by both the joys and the heartaches that come with growing up.
6. Aftersun
Have you ever looked back at a moment from your childhood and wished you had understood it better? Aftersun is a hauntingly beautiful film that explores the relationship between a father and daughter during a vacation. Through the lens of memory, the film captures fleeting moments of happiness tinged with sorrow. If you’ve ever reflected on moments with your parents — the ones that seemed small at the time but are now cherished — this film will hit close to home.
The bittersweet nature of Aftersun reminds you that childhood isn’t just about the moments we live, but the ones we remember. The emotional weight of the film, filled with nostalgia and unspoken love, will resonate with anyone who has looked back on their family memories with a mix of longing and sadness. It’s a poignant exploration of how we understand our childhoods differently as adults.
7. The Innocents
Childhood is a time of wonder and discovery, but it’s also a time of fear — fear of the unknown, fear of the dark, fear of things we don’t yet understand. The Innocents taps into these emotions with its eerie story of children developing supernatural powers during a seemingly idyllic summer. But beneath the surface, the film explores the darker side of childhood: the fear of growing up, of losing innocence, and of confronting your deepest emotions. Watching The Innocents will make you recall the fears you had as a child — the monsters under the bed, the shadowy corners of your mind.
The haunting nature of The Innocents speaks to the universal experience of growing up in a world that often seems both magical and terrifying. If you’ve ever grappled with those childhood fears that you couldn’t quite put into words, this film will stir something deep inside you. It’s one of the movies with emotional childhood memories that perfectly captures the delicate balance between innocence and the awakening of a more complex, sometimes frightening world.
8. 18 Presents
What would you do if you had one last chance to feel the love of someone you lost? 18 Presents explores the powerful bond between a mother and daughter, focusing on a mother who leaves behind 18 gifts to guide her daughter through life after her death. This touching story will evoke memories of your own relationships with your parents, particularly those moments when you wished you could hold on to them forever.
As you watch the daughter unravel the love and wisdom her mother left behind, you’ll be reminded of your own childhood experiences with love, loss, and the longing for something you can’t hold on to. 18 Presents is a movie that will make you reflect on how deeply those childhood connections shape who you are, and how you carry those memories with you long after they’re gone.
9. The Hand of God
The Hand of God is a heartfelt, semi-autobiographical tale that captures the complexities of growing up in a family filled with love, loss, and personal tragedy. Set in Naples during the 1980s, it follows a young boy as he faces the challenges of adolescence and a life marked by both joy and sorrow. The film will remind you of those moments in childhood when life was both beautiful and messy, when you first began to understand the world’s imperfections.
If you’ve ever found solace in your family’s love or struggled with the loss of a loved one, The Hand of God will resonate deeply with you. It’s a movie about finding strength in the face of hardship, and how the emotional landscape of childhood shapes who we become. This film captures the bittersweet nature of growing up and how we carry those moments with us forever.
10. The Whale
The Whale is a powerful exploration of childhood trauma, family relationships, and the emotional scars that linger long into adulthood. While it focuses on the strained relationship between a father and daughter, the film also delves into the deep, unhealed wounds from childhood that shape our identities. For anyone who has ever struggled with their relationship with their parents, The Whale will evoke a deep emotional connection to your own childhood memories.
The father-daughter relationship at the heart of The Whale will remind you of the complex emotions we carry from childhood. It’s a powerful look at how our early years — the love, the neglect, the pain — stay with us and influence who we become. If you’ve ever yearned for something more from your childhood or struggled to reconcile with your past, this film will tug at your heartstrings in ways you won’t forget.
Rediscover Your Childhood in These Films
In a world that moves too fast, these films offer you a chance to slow down and reconnect with the childhood memories you might have forgotten to cherish. As you watch these stories unfold, it’s like peeling back the layers of your own past. The joy, the sorrow, the innocence, and even the pain, they capture it all. The next time you sit down to watch one, let it remind you of the child you once were and the memories that still live inside you, waiting to be rediscovered.