What makes these 10 movies that depict mental illness so compelling?
We discuss…
Media has long been fascinated with mental illness.
Sometimes these depictions are good and sometimes they are more than a little problematic.
And we as an audience are so fascinated with mental illness.
They should not be viewed as accurate portrayals of mental illness.
Nevertheless, we are going to explore what these films depict and how well they do it.
Babydoll is locked away in an institution to cover up the murder of her sister.
All the while we are shown the actual events that are mirroring Babydolls fantasy world.
In the end her disassociation may be the only thing truly saving her from a life of misery.
Zack Snyder uses the setting of the asylum to play out this incredible fantasy world.
It is visually stunning and an incredible view if you havent seen it.
Wristcutters: A Love Story (2007)
A comedy about suicide?
That seems…dark.
Which is exactly what this beautiful and funny movie is.
This film almost serves as an in-joke to everyone who has contemplated suicide.
It takes place in the afterlife for people who have killed themselves.
No, its not hell.
No, its not heaven.
Its something else entirely.
You still have to get a job, pay rent, and be a responsible adult.
She keeps insisting that someone made a mistake and that she certainly didnt commit suicide.
So they go on an adventure to find the people in charge so that they can correct this mistake.
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8.
American Psycho (2000)
There are a lot of people who argue that Patrick Bateman is violently antisocial.
And we definitely think this film supports the incorrect association between violence and mental illness.
But we think most analyses overlook at major fact.
We think these people fail to grasp the end of the film.
When it turns out these were all fantasies of his.
He is having serious issues distinguishing his intensely violent fantasy life from his real life.
Obviously this is only one level that this film exists on.
It is also a very radical rejection of the yuppism of the 1980s.
It also takes materialism and wealth obsession to a whole new level.
Nina struggles with her dual role as the white swan and the black swan.
This struggle is embodied with her conflict and attraction to her understudy Lily.
She also struggles with sexual harassment from the director.
She continues to be plagued by distressing delusions including an imagined sexual encounter with her archnemesis Lily.
She also imagines she is turning into the black swan, feathers and all.
Her world continues in a downward spiral as the show gets closer and closer.
It is strange that so many apparently missed that Nina struggles with mental illness.
She is clearly haunted by perfectionist tendencies and sexual issues.
She doesnt allow herself any kind of freedom.
A fact only reinforced by her domineering mother.
Its horrifying to watch unfold.
Donnie Darko (2001)
This one may cause some controversy for its place on our list.
After all, is this a film about mental illness?
Is Donnie Darko mentally ill?
Or is this a fantasy film about time travel?
Or is it fake?
And thats exactly the struggle Donnie faces as the film progresses.
Are his visions of time travel real?
Or is he having a break from reality?
Either way this is an incredibly good film that has gone on to become a cult classic.
And its soundtrack is amazing.
There is something about this film that people find a connection with.
Maybe we are drawn in by the darkness of the film.
Or perhaps it is Donnie that we cheer for.
It is also one of the only films to portray a schizophrenic person as non-violent and likable.
We LIKE Donnie Darko.
We want him to prove time travel can be done and win the girl.
But one of the most amazing things about this film is how it truly humanizes the patients.
And obviously Jack Nicholson does an incredible job in his performance.
We want him to escape.
And we want him to take all of these amazing and interesting men with him.
But of course, thats not really the way the story can end.
But it is beautiful nonetheless.
If you have never seen this film we strongly recommend you check it out.
It isnt terribly violent.
There isnt too much sex.
It is just disturbing.
It looks right into the face of what it means to be addicted to drugs.
And even when we want to look away it never lets us.
It destroys stereotypes about who uses and why they use.
But dont worry about the glamorization of drug use.
It certainly does not do that.
It is probably one of the most honest views of addiction out there.
It really gives an interesting view on the history of depression.
Lizzie medicates herself with sex, drugs, and other forms of escapism.
She attempts to kill herself and is completely unable to cope with reality.
She throws all her success and opportunities out the window.
She destroys her relationship with her mother.
And therapy isnt working.
The Hours (2002)
The Hoursis a film that tells the story of three women living parallel lives.
One is Virginia Woolf who is struggling with bipolar disorder while attempting to write Mrs. Dalloway.
Finally we are left with a woman planning a party.
She puts on a smile but she seems to be empty on the inside.
All three stories are tied together by mental illness and suicide.
They all struggle with being their true selves while also making the people around them happy.
They are all confined in narrow roles.
They each ultimately must choose their own fates.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
This is also an incredibly haunting film about mental illness.
And given the recent mass shootings, it is a film that has even more meaning.
It follows the story of a mother raising a young child.
Their relationship starts out on a sour note when she finds herself pregnant and miserable.
The two of them have conflicts even when he is a small child.
We arent sure if we are horrified by her actions or sympathetic.
This child is a monster.
And it only continues to get worse as he gets older.
He is seriously violent towards his little sister eventually causing her to go blind.
He seems to enjoy the fact that he is ruining his mothers life.
He goes into class and shoots fellow classmates with a bow.
But not before killing his little sister and his father.
We are only left to wonder why he spared his mother.
Does he identify with her?
Does he feel that he can hurt her more by letting her live?
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