There are actors that I like seeing on screen, and then there are those that it feels like I would follow into endless stories with. Andrew Garfield has long been the latter for me. I got into his career through Spider-Man at a time when I was really starting to follow actors on my own for the first time and find my taste in films outside of my household. I think he’s one of the best we have, with more on the way in the 2026 movie schedule too, but can we talk about how devastating his films are?
It’s been about fifteen years now that I’ve been following Garfield’s career, and I thought it then, and I thought it now: the guy loves a tragic premise. And hey, I get it, and I have all the respect for him and his career thus far, but my goodness! This is less so me complaining, and more so realizing this through the progression of his career.
The Amount Of Andrew Garfield Sad Movie Moments Is Wild
I think the first movie I ever watched of Andrew Garfield’s was probably The Social Network. I mean, come on, that “fuck you flip flips” scene! Iconic. That scene could have been played in a hundred different ways, but there’s something about Garfield being on the verge of tears while he confronts his former friend, Mark Zuckerberg, and the betrayal he feels towards him. I think he really brought through the emotion of that movie and anchored it beautifully.
Then, there’s his take as Spider-Man. It's kind of a sad story in of itself because there were a lot of unresolved things before his version of Spidey was replaced with Tom Holland. There’s also the way it ended. His high school sweetheart literally dies in his arms because he couldn’t save her, and that’s straight up how the movie ends. An 18-year-old kid who feels responsible for his girlfriend’s death. I mean… just thinking about it makes me want to sob.
My favorite Garfield movie is probably Tick, Tick… Boom! It’s a musical about the life of Jonathan Larson, the playwright behind Rent. The movie is ridden with a lot of emotions, and ultimately quite hopeful, but it is about someone who died at the age of 35. Another one that really crept up on me, though, was We Live In Time. I thought it might be Garfield’s first rom-com, but it ended up being one of the saddest love stories I’ve ever watched. I adored it to absolute pieces, but by now I’ve been expecting tragedy out of Garfield movies.
How The Trend Has Changed Recently
In recent years, there has been a change of the tide. There was something healing about seeing Tobey Maguire and Garfield show up in No Way Home and crack jokes about being Spider-Man. The moment when he saved MJ in a way he didn’t get to do for Gwen Stacy?! It made me so happy his version of the character got to have that.
That brings me to his latest film, The Magic Faraway Tree, which is a pivot for the actor into a family-friendly fantasy film. It was kind of a breath of fresh air for a longtime fan of his like me because I watched as he still brought his depth to a role that’s purely fantastical and devoid of tragedy. Though I did find myself thinking for a moment if the movie was going to end sadly, I think due to his past projects.
Now, part of why I love Andrew Garfield as an actor is he’s not afraid of deep emotion and sadness. I don’t want to see that change suddenly. But whoa, what a run so far. I can’t wait to see what he does next – whether that be a round of tear-jerkers or a sudden pivot into an action comedy or something.
