15 Diverse Movies Dealing With Mental Illness In A Compelling Way

 / 

, ,

Are you ready to dive deep into the human mind? These movies dealing with mental illness offer support in such a beautiful way. All of them will touch sensitive emotions and will show you how you can triumph over them.

About 1 in 5 adults in the US has a diagnosed mental health condition. But when it comes to diversity in movies, not every picture hits the mark. A few even perpetuate harmful stereotypes or flat-out make things up.

But worry not! Weโ€™ve made a list of 11 best mental health films that manage to showcase mental health issues as accurately and respectively as possible.

From anxiety and trauma all the way to emotions and grief, these movies dealing with mental illness cover a whole range of topics with careful accuracy.

Watch The Diversity In Movies Dealing With Mental Illness

1. The Kingโ€™s Speech (2010): Overcoming Stuttering and Insecurities

Diversity In Movies Dealing With Mental Illness

This is one of the best mental illness movies, where we see real-life King George VI struggle with stuttering, anxiety, and public speaking.

But the movie goes beyond this by showing us more than just a man struggling to talk; it shows us a kingโ€™s relationship with his speech therapist.

Related: 7 Must-See Powerful Movies About Teenage Depression

2. Silver Linings Playbook (2012): Navigating Life with Bipolar Disorder

silver-linings-playbook

Directed by David O. Russell, โ€œSilver Linings Playbookโ€ follows Pat Solitano as he tries to rebuild his life after being released from a mental health facility.

This is one of the best mental health films about bipolar disorder and how mental health can make relationships complicated. Bradley Cooper plays Pat perfectly as he learns to manage his own mental health while also understanding human connections.

3. A Beautiful Mind (2001): Unveiling the Struggles of Schizophrenia

a-beautiful-mind

Ron Howardโ€™s โ€œA Beautiful Mindโ€ is a biographical drama and one of the best mental health films that unfolds the life of John Nash โ€” an incredible mathematician who struggles with schizophrenia.

Russell Croweโ€™s powerful performance captures Nashโ€™s inner turmoil beautifully as he challenges the stigma surrounding mental illness.

The film underscores how important support and understanding are in times filled with mental health battles โ€” showcasing how vital strong support systems are for recovery.

4. Inside Out (2015): Embracing Emotions

movies dealing with mental illness

Pixarโ€™s โ€œInside Outโ€ takes us inside 11-year-old Rileyโ€™s mind as we watch her emotions personified throughout her day-to-day life. The cleverly animated masterpiece spans across all sorts of emotions, and serves as a great example for the importance of expressing feelings and understanding them.

With humor and heart, this film delivers a super relatable message about the importance of understanding and accepting our emotions.

5. One Flew Over the Cuckooโ€™s Nest (1975): Challenges Of Mental Health Institutions

movies dealing with mental illness

In โ€œOne Flew Over the Cuckooโ€™s Nest,โ€ weโ€™re faced with an array of dehumanizing aspects tied to psychiatric institutions. This is one of the best mental health movies that begs us to reevaluate societal attitudes towards those struggling with mental health issues.

It critiques, in great detail, just how oppressive these facilities are by highlighting some not-so-pretty truths about staff dynamics. Nurse Ratched symbolizes authoritarian control while shining light on systemic problems within mental health institutions.

Through the challenges faced by Randle and other patients, the movie prompts reflection on the need for humane and patient-centered approaches to mental health care.

6. Shutter Island (2010): A Mind-Bending Psychological Thriller

movies dealing with mental illness

Directed by Martin Scorsese, โ€œShutter Islandโ€ follows U.S Marshal Teddy Daniels as he investigates an escape from Ashecliffe Hospital โ€” a prison-like psychiatric facility. Leonardo DiCaprioโ€™s character delves deep into themes like memory, perception, and even reality as you know it.

You will be sitting at the edge of your seat wondering if you can even trust what you see or hear throughout the whole movie while it poses questions about mental health issues at every corner.

7. Whatโ€™s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993): The Challenges of Long-Term Caregiving

movies dealing with mental illness

โ€œWhatโ€™s Eating Gilbert Grapeโ€ tackles the issue of long-term caregiving through the life of, you guessed it, Gilbert Grape. The movie brings to light what it feels like to care for someone with special needs and does an amazing job at portraying the complexities and difficulties faced by those in this role.

ย ย Johnny Depp plays the main character, and he gives a great performance that touches on topics like sacrifice and emotional trauma. This film shows us how important it is to understand people in situations like this one.

8. โ€œThe Babadookโ€: Unaddressed Grief and Repressed Emotions

movies dealing with mental illness

This 2014 psychological horror flick takes a look at unaddressed grief and repressed emotions. As you can imagine, things go south when a mother and son are haunted by something they cannot quite comprehend.

The whole thing revolves around a mysterious presence that represents unresolved pain. Through horror elements, we get a glimpse into how ignoring your feelings has implications on mental health โ€“ hence serving as a metaphor for avoiding grief until itโ€™s too late.

9. โ€œBlack Swanโ€ (2010): A Reminder That Perfection Isnโ€™t Worth It

movies dealing with mental illness

Darren Aronofsky directed this dark piece of cinema back in 2010. โ€œBlack Swanโ€ tells the story of ballerina Nina Sayers (played by Natalie Portman) who claims sheโ€™s committed to her craft but slowly unravels over time.

As you might expect from its title, once she breaks down her pursuit of becoming perfect transforms into an obsession โ€” which then causes one hell of a negative effect on her mental health. To say she goes through some trials would be putting it lightly because nobody should ever be subjected to what she experiences in this film.

10. โ€œLittle Miss Sunshineโ€ (2006): Quirks And Life Of A Dysfunctional Family

movies dealing with mental illness

The Hoover family was already dysfunctional before they all piled up into their yellow van for their road trip.

But โ€œLittle Miss Sunshineโ€ shows us that sometimes, you need to take a leap of faith and hope things get better. In their case, they were all seeking self-discovery, which was just as important at the time as it is now. The film brings forth issues like self-esteem, family dynamics, and societal expectations in a humorous but heartwarming way.

11. โ€œIโ€™m Thinking of Ending Thingsโ€ (2020): When Delusion Disorder Meets Thriller

movies dealing with mental illness

The film revolves around Jake and his girlfriend Lucy as they take a road trip to visit Jakeโ€™s parents.

But things take a morbid turn as the evening unfolds when Jakeโ€™s mental state, depression, and contemplation of suicide are central themes in the film, portrayed through the characters of Lucy and the elderly janitor.

Related: 15 Best Mental Health Movies To Watch

4 More Depiction of Mental Illness In Movies

  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
  • Beautiful Boy (2018)
  • Girl, Interrupted (1999)
  • Melancholia (2011)

If you were looking for diversity in movies with regard to mental health, this list is one of the best you will come across as it ranges from emotions to thrillers, entertainment, and heart-touching stories.

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!


movies dealing with mental illness

— Share —

— About the Author —

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next

9 Olympic Games for All Ages: Fun for Kids, Adults, and Students

Olympic Games For All Ages Fun for Kids Adults Students

Introduce the excitement of the Olympic Games into your own home! There are so many ways to have fun with children, party for adults, or plan activities for students that mimic the Olympic spirit.

You can play imaginative and energetic games with young kids, adults can participate in competitive yet entertaining challenges, and students can take part in educational but still engaging activities โ€” there is something for everyone!

So, letโ€™s get along, laughing and having a great time with these creative and fun Olympic games for students and kids by turning any space into a

Up Next

Movies To Watch Based On Your Zodiac Signโ€”See Whatโ€™s Perfect For You!

Movies To Watch Based On Your Zodiac Sign See

Struggling to connect with your sign? There are tons of zodiac memes, but what about zodiac movies? Explore some fun movies to watch based on your zodiac sign that matches your personality!

Every zodiac sign has its own characteristics and peculiarities, which means there is a movie out there for each one. They all speak to different parts of our personalities as well as give us new ways of looking at ourselves based on our astrological signs.

Take a plunge into something cinematic that best represents youโ€”you might just find some hidden truths about yourself!

Up Next

House Of The Dragon Quiz: Which Targaryen Are You?

While House of The Dragon is winning rave reviews from all over, and people (I am people) are going gaga over the show, while watching the last episode, I wondered if I was a Targaryen, where would I fall in the Targaryen family tree. Well, this House of the Dragon quiz might just answer that!

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Now letโ€™s be honest, every Game of Thrones a

Up Next

5 Mental Health Lessons From Inside Out 2: Helping Kids Understand Difficult Emotions

Disneyโ€™s Pixar has captivated audiences once again with mental health lessons from Inside Out 2, a film that not only entertains but also provides insights into our emotional lives.ย 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

While Riley experiences puberty, new emotions in Inside Out 2 join our old friends Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear. Anxiety, Envy, Embarras

Up Next

Top 7 Motivational Movies For Students

Cinema uniquely inspires us, especially when achieving success. Here are seven motivational movies for students that can ignite passion and drive them to excel their studies.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Encouraging movies for students can play a powerful role in influencing their studying habits. They can provide much-needed breaks from acad

Up Next

Inside Out Zodiac Signs: Which Emotion Represents You The Best?

Ever wondered how the personalities of zodiacs could match up with the colorful characters from the beloved animated film โ€œInside Out 2โ€? The Inside Out zodiac signs, much like the emotions in the movie, bring their own blend of traits and quirks to the table.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

So, if youโ€™re a Pixar fan and want to see zodiac signs as Inside

Up Next

25+ Hilarious 4th Of July Memes To Celebrate Americaโ€™s Independence

You probably have many activities on your 4th of July agenda: A barbecue, a day at the beach, maybe even one of these patriotic movies where Will Smith fights off aliens to protect the planet and then comes the illegal backyard fireworks. But inde-pun-dence (geddit?) is incomplete without some good 4th of July memes.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Weโ€™ve scoured the in