Some stories are pure joy, designed to make you smile from beginning to end. Others are built to break your heart, leaving you reaching for a box of tissues. But a special kind of story manages to do both at the same time. These are the narratives that take you on a complete emotional rollercoaster, pulling you from gut-busting laughter one moment to soul-crushing sadness the next. They understand a fundamental truth about being human: life is a messy, beautiful, and often absurd mix of comedy and tragedy. The moments that make us laugh the hardest are often intertwined with the experiences that make us weep.

This unique blend of humor and pathos is what makes a story truly unforgettable. The laughter makes the inevitable heartbreak feel more profound, and the tears make the moments of joy shine even brighter. It’s a delicate balancing act that few creators can pull off successfully. When they do, the result is a story that feels incredibly real and deeply resonant. These are the books and movies that stick with us, the ones we recommend to our friends with the warning, "You're going to laugh so much, but you're also going to need tissues." They remind us that it’s okay to feel everything at once—to find humor in pain and to cry tears of both joy and sorrow. Here are ten stories that master this emotional tightrope walk.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

This book, which was also adapted into a fantastic film, perfectly captures the awkward, funny, and painful experience of being a teenager. The story follows Greg Gaines, a high school senior who spends his time making terrible parodies of classic films with his only friend, Earl. His carefully constructed, low-profile social life is upended when his mom forces him to hang out with Rachel, a classmate who has just been diagnosed with leukemia.

What follows is not your typical tearjerker about a sick teenager. The book is relentlessly funny, filled with Greg’s self-deprecating humor, sharp observations, and genuinely hilarious dialogue. Greg is an unconventional narrator who constantly reminds the reader that this is not a beautiful, life-affirming story. Yet, as he and Earl try to make a film for Rachel, a real, messy, and deeply moving friendship forms. The book’s humor makes the inevitable weight of Rachel’s illness hit that much harder, creating a poignant and unforgettable story about friendship, grief, and the clumsy reality of dealing with tragedy.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Ove is the grumpy old man in your neighborhood. He yells at people for driving where they shouldn't, inspects the recycling bins to make sure everyone is following the rules, and generally believes the world is filled with idiots. Following the death of his wife, the 59-year-old Ove has decided he has had enough. He wants to end his life. But his meticulously planned attempts are constantly interrupted by a boisterous young family who moves in next door and accidentally flattens his mailbox.

This book is a masterclass in shifting from comedy to tragedy. Ove’s present-day grumpiness and his failed, almost slapstick, suicide attempts are hilariously juxtaposed with flashbacks to his past. Through these memories, we see a story of profound love, deep loss, and a life shaped by quiet acts of integrity. You will laugh out loud at Ove's interactions with his new neighbors, and you will weep as you learn about the love he shared with his wife, Sonja. It’s a heartwarming and life-affirming story about how community can find us even when we’ve given up looking for it.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (Film)

This mind-bending, genre-smashing film took the world by storm, and for good reason. On the surface, it’s a wild action-comedy about Evelyn Wang, a stressed-out laundromat owner who discovers she has to connect with parallel universe versions of herself to save the multiverse from a powerful being. The movie is packed with absurd humor, from characters with hot dogs for fingers to a fight scene involving a fanny pack.

But beneath the chaos is a deeply emotional story about a family struggling to connect. It’s about a marriage that has lost its spark, a mother who can’t accept her daughter for who she is, and the weight of generational trauma. The film uses the infinite possibilities of the multiverse to explore themes of regret, depression, and what it means to choose kindness in a seemingly meaningless world. You’ll be laughing at a bizarre fight one minute and crying over a conversation between two rocks the next. It’s a cinematic miracle that is as profound as it is ridiculous.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Set in Nazi Germany and narrated by Death itself, The Book Thief doesn't sound like a candidate for a list of funny stories. And yet, it is filled with moments of warmth, humor, and joy. The story centers on Liesel Meminger, a young girl who is sent to live with foster parents, the kind-hearted Hans and the sharp-tongued but loving Rosa. She learns to read, steals books from Nazi book burnings, and befriends the Jewish man her family is hiding in their basement.

Death, as a narrator, has a surprisingly dry and weary sense of humor. The characters, especially Liesel’s foster parents and her best friend Rudy, find ways to be silly, loving, and defiant even in the darkest of times. The story beautifully illustrates how humanity and love can persist under the most oppressive regimes. Of course, the setting is Nazi Germany, so heartbreak is inevitable. The book will build you up with its moments of light only to leave you completely devastated, reminding you of the beauty and fragility of human life.

Little Miss Sunshine (Film)

This indie darling from 2006 is the ultimate dysfunctional family road trip movie. The Hoover family crams into a barely-working yellow VW bus to drive their seven-year-old daughter, Olive, across the country to compete in the "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty pageant. Every member of the family is on the verge of a personal crisis: the dad is a failed motivational speaker, the uncle is recovering from a suicide attempt, the son has taken a vow of silence, and the grandpa has been kicked out of his retirement home for using heroin.

The film finds endless humor in the family's constant squabbles and the series of disasters that befall them on their trip. But as they get closer to their destination, the layers of sarcasm and dysfunction begin to peel away, revealing a family that, despite everything, deeply loves and supports one another. The film's climax at the pageant is one of the most hilarious and heartwarming scenes in modern cinema, a triumphant celebration of being true to yourself and loving your family, flaws and all.

Fleabag (TV Series)

Written by and starring the brilliant Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag is a television series that feels more like a novel. It follows a witty, grief-stricken, and sharp-tongued woman (known only as Fleabag) as she navigates life, love, and family in London while trying to keep her guinea pig-themed café afloat. She frequently breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the audience with a wry smile or a pained look.

The show is brutally funny, filled with uncomfortable family dinners, awkward romantic encounters, and razor-sharp one-liners. But Fleabag's constant jokes are a defense mechanism, a way to cope with a recent tragedy that she feels responsible for. The show is a devastatingly accurate portrayal of grief and guilt. The second season introduces a "hot priest" and adds a layer of unexpected, forbidden romance that is both hilarious and genuinely heartbreaking. You will be howling with laughter one moment and have your heart ripped out the next.

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

This story has a premise that sounds like a country song. A pregnant seventeen-year-old named Novalee Nation is abandoned by her boyfriend at a Walmart in Oklahoma. With nowhere to go, she secretly lives in the store, giving birth to her baby in aisle five. She is "discovered" and becomes a minor celebrity, but the real story is how she builds a new life for herself with the help of a quirky and kind-hearted cast of characters.

The book is filled with eccentric personalities and sweet, funny moments as Novalee finds a chosen family in the small town. There’s a librarian who gives her a home, a photographer who becomes her best friend, and a whole community that embraces her. But the story doesn't shy away from hardship. Novalee faces poverty, betrayal, and a natural disaster that threatens her newfound happiness. It’s a story about resilience, the kindness of strangers, and the true meaning of family that will warm your heart and make you cry happy tears.

About Time (Film)

From the director of Love Actually, this film is often mistaken for a simple romantic comedy, but it is so much more. On his 21st birthday, Tim learns from his father that the men in their family have the ability to travel in time. Tim decides to use this power to improve his life and get a girlfriend. He meets Mary, and after a few time-travel-related mishaps, they fall in love and build a life together.

The first half of the film is a charming and funny rom-com, using the time travel element to great comedic effect. But as the story progresses, it becomes a profound meditation on life, family, and appreciating the ordinary. Tim learns from his father that the true secret to happiness isn't about redoing the past but about living each day with awareness and gratitude. The film’s final act deals with love, loss, and the relationship between a father and son in a way that is incredibly moving and guaranteed to make you weep.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Based on her popular webcomic, Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half is a collection of illustrated essays about her life. Using simple, crudely drawn MS Paint illustrations, Brosh tells stories about her childhood misadventures, her struggles with her deeply unintelligent dogs, and, most famously, her battle with severe depression.

The book is riotously funny. Brosh’s unique voice and her ability to capture absurd moments with her childlike drawings will have you in stitches. Stories like "The God of Cake" are comedic genius. But then, she pivots to writing about her depression, and the tone shifts dramatically. Her essays "Adventures in Depression" and "Depression Part Two" are considered some of the most accurate and insightful descriptions of the illness ever written. She uses the same simple art style to illustrate the crushing weight and emptiness of depression, making a complex and often misunderstood condition feel tangible. It's a book that will make you laugh until you cry, and then cry for real.

Up (Film)

It is a rare film that can make an entire theater of adults cry within the first ten minutes. Pixar's Up is that film. The opening montage tells the beautiful, heartbreaking love story of Carl and Ellie Fredricksen, from their childhood meeting to their quiet life together and Ellie's eventual passing. It’s a masterwork of silent storytelling that will leave you emotionally wrecked.

And then, the rest of the movie happens. The story turns into a hilarious and high-flying adventure. Carl, a grumpy old widower, ties thousands of balloons to his house to fly it to South America, fulfilling a lifelong promise to Ellie. He accidentally brings along a wilderness explorer scout named Russell, and they are joined by a talking dog and a giant, colorful bird. The film is a classic odd-couple adventure comedy, filled with witty banter and thrilling action sequences. It perfectly balances its profound opening with a story of joy, friendship, and the lesson that adventure is still out there, even after your greatest loss.