Visibility in films is important. In a world where culture is greatly influenced by films and television, it is great to find validation of who you are and where you come from in films. For people who deal with mental illness on a daily basis, however, that visibility is often less than ideal and can be outright dangerous. Mentally ill people are often portrayed as murderous, delusional villains in horror movies, or are grossly misrepresented in films, shows, and other media. For this list of films that depict mental illness, we tried to find films that were engaging, at least somewhat realistic in their approach to presenting the experience of mental illness, and did not demonize or negatively portray (without reason) those who have mental illnesses.
There are quite a lot of spoilers in this list, so beware!
Read on to learn about 21 Great Films that Depict Mental Illness.
21. Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Girl, Interrupted is a classic 1999 drama film directed by James Mangold and Jonathan Kahn. The films stars Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie as two young women who have been itted to a mental hospital in the late sixties.
The two characters differ wildly. Susanna (Ryder) attempts to mix alcohol with pills and nearly kills herself. Throughout the film, it is up in the air if Susanna is actually suffering from a mental illness or is just dealing poorly with her family life and future. Even Susanna questions this at the end of the film. Lisa (Jolie) is a chronic resident at the hospital and has escaped many times. She is considered a sociopath with manipulative and rebellious tendencies. Lisa may seem like she was painted in a terrible light, but it was not without its purpose. Lisa chooses to avoid getting help for her condition, and in turn becomes responsible for her own life falling apart. On several occasions in the film, it becomes clear that Lisa is a good but frightened person who is just lost in her illness.
20. I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK (2006)
Park Chan-wook, director of popular Korean films such as Lady Vengeance and Oldboy, went in a very different and less dark direction for the 2006 film I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK. This romantic comedy follows the story of Young-Goon, a young woman who is convinced that she is a cyborg. She is itted by her mother to a psychiatric hospital after slashing her wrist in an attempt to plug wires into her body. She then refuses to eat human food because she believes she runs on batteries.
In I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK, we see many interesting characters who are suffering from various psychological problems, including Young-Goon's eventual love interest, Il-Sun. A lot of past trauma is revealed in the lives of the characters as the source of their illnesses, and the idea of mental illness being hereditary for some people is also brought up. This film is great because the nurses and doctors aren't the saviors of Young-Goon. Instead, it is Il-Sun who convinces Young-Goon to eat. It is very refreshing to see such a sweet portrayal of people with mental illnesses fall in love and help each other survive.
19. Melancholia (2011)
The 2011 science fiction psychological drama film Melancholia is not the only film that Lars von Trier directed which features themes of mental illness. Part of the unofficially titled Depression Trilogy, von Trier's Antichrist and Nymphomaniac also feature some themes of mental illness. Something about Melancholia, though, is different from his other films.
Melancholia paints a very realistic picture of how depressed people face adversity or disaster with a sense of peacefulness. For those suffering from depression, the world has fallen apart every day and is put back together the next day.
In the film, Justine sabotages her wedding night and soon after descends into an almost catatonic depression in which she cannot bathe or eat without tasting ash. Each member of her very dysfunctional family represents some ugly trait of humanity, all likely contributing to Justine's numbness and mental state. When a rogue gas giant enters the solar system and threatens to collide with Earth, everyone around Justine descends into panic while Justine seems to awaken from her depression with a sense of wisdom and acceptance.
Melancholia is widely considered a masterpiece for its engaging story and beautiful cinematography.
18. Black Swan (2010)
Black Swan, the 2010 psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky, covers several themes of mental illness. The overall theme of the film is said by some to be a metaphor for achieving perfection and the unfortunate price that must be paid to do so. Natalie Portman portrays Nina Sayers, a professional ballerina who suffers from an eating disorder as well as chronic hallucinations. While the validity of those hallucinations are disputed, Nina does indeed suffer from some form of eating disorder, likely bulimia nervosa, and is seen vomiting in the film.
Black Swan has many themes outside of mental illness, but putting in the spotlight the problem of eating disorders in the dance world that still persists today was intentional, even if it was a very small part of the film. Eating disorders have been a serious problem through history and has come to a peak in the last few decades. Anorexia nervosa, one of the most common eating disorders, is considered to be the most deadly mental illness today.
17. The Machinist (2004)
In this 2004 psychological thriller directed by Brad Anderson, we are introduced to a man named Trevor who suffers from an extreme case of insomnia. The illness plagues his life and causes his mind to operate poorly in an altered state.
Trevor's insomnia causes a number of problems for him. Because of his lack of sleep, he is incredibly emaciated. He begins to hallucinate a man at his machinist job, and is distracted by the hallucination when a coworker becomes trapped in a machine and loses his arm. Trevor is blamed for this accident and is further alienated by his coworkers. He descends into paranoia and lashes out at the people he cares about and hallucinates more characters and events throughout the film. It is eventually revealed that a guilty act on Trevor's part is what induced his year-long insomnia and once he confronts this he is finally able to sleep. Unfortunately, for the one tenth of American adults who suffer from chronic insomnia, confronting a guilty act won't cure them of their illness.
16. They Look Like People (2015)
They Look Like People is a 2015 psychological thriller film directed (and shot, and edited, and written, and produced) by Perry Blackshear. The film is an on-the-edge-of-your-seat indie treat that is entertaining and spooky, but also poses a difficult question: If someone you care about is suffering from a dangerous mental illness, how can you help them in a way that is loving?
In the film, old pals Wyatt and Christian reunite in New York City and stay at Christian's flat for the duration of the visit. Both men have endured hardship recently. Wyatt broke off his engagement with his fiancee and has become withdrawn and unstable, while Christian has lost his girlfriend and has resorted to aggressive bodybuilding and a macho attitude in order to deal with his insecurities. What ensues is Wyatt's descent into what appears to be schizophrenia and his increasing hallucinations make him distrustful of everyone around him, including Christian.
While the film does portray Wyatt, its mentally ill character, as violent at moments, the friendship between Wyatt and Christian is endearing and full of a trust that many people suffering from schizophrenia unfortunately do not have.
15. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
The 2001 biographical drama A Beautiful Mind was directed by Ron Howard and based on the life of famed mathematician John Nash. The film follows John's slow development of paranoid schizophrenia.
A Beautiful Mind is an accurate take on the mental illness for many reasons. John Nash's character is relatable. He is not depicted as a monster, as those with paranoid schizophrenia often are. He is an awkward, sweet, and very smart man who is forced to watch his relationships crumble and the people he loves get hurt as a result of a mental illness he cannot control. The focus of the film is not entirely on how hard it is for families of mentally ill people, though. The film provides an internal and honest interpretation of John's feeling and suffering and is sympathetic towards him.
The ending of A Beautiful Mind is quite inspiring. There is unfortunately no cure for schizophrenia, and John continues to deal with his hallucinations while living his life as best he can.
14. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
Lars and the Real Girl is a 2007 comedy drama directed by Craig Gillespie. Ryan Gosling portrays a socially awkward young man man named Lars who builds a romantic relationship with a sex doll named Bianca.
Lars' story is another great film that showcases how important a community and family is when it comes to recovering from a mental illness or nervous breakdown. Lars is a young man whose mother died when he was an infant and had a distant father, who died at the beginning at the film, as well as a brother, who skipped town as soon as he was old enough. Lars has a fear of intimacy and investment in other people, stemming from a very valid fear of abandonment. His relationship with Bianca is definitely a coping mechanism for that, and the way that his psychologist and the entire town band together to validate his belief in Bianca is touching. Using Bianca, he built relationships with other people and engaged in human interaction, which led to him no longer need Bianca.
13. Benny & Joon (1993)
The classic 1993 romantic comedy Benny & Joon was directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and stars Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson. The film follows the lives of brother Benny (Aiden Quinn) and sister Joon (Masterson), who live together after their parents away. Joon meets Sam (Depp) and they begin to fall in love.
Joon is widely considered to be schizophrenic. In the film, Benny says that Joon often hears voices and is very sensitive to noise. Benny & Joon was very refreshing because it showed a mentally ill person in a romantic relationship. People with developmental disabilities and/or mental illnesses are often considered incapable of being in a healthy romantic relationship. Even Joon's brother Benny was outraged to find out that she and Sam were involved, so much that he threatened to send her to a group home. This prejudice is very common. However, Sam and Joon reunite and live a happy life together in their own apartment. They are last seen making grilled cheese sandwiches together with an iron happily. Benny & Joon showed the world that just because someone is a little different from the status quo doesn't mean they can't be in healthy, loving, happy relationships.
12. Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 psychological horror film directed by Adrian Lyne. The film follows Jacob, a Vietnam War veteran who experiences intensely scary flashbacks and hallucinations following his experiences during the war. The film has quite the twist at the end, but the bulk of the film is a view into what it is like to suffer from intense trauma.
The film is considered one of the most disturbing and frightening psychological horror films to this day. However, there's nothing fictional about what survivors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) endure on a daily basis. The terrible sights and frightening imagery seen in Jacob's hallucinations are not much different from what real people with PTSD endure. Symptoms of PTSD include disturbing thoughts and dreams, as well as mental and physical distress to cues related to trauma (triggers). People with PTSD are at a high risk for homelessness and suicide. Jacob's Ladder was very accurate in showing how scary the life of a PTSD sufferer can be.