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! We’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 King’s Speech (2010): Overcoming Stuttering and Insecurities
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 king’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
Directed by David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook” 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
Ron Howard’s “A Beautiful Mind” is a biographical drama and one of the best mental health films that unfolds the life of John Nash — an incredible mathematician who struggles with schizophrenia.
Russell Crowe’s powerful performance captures Nash’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 — showcasing how vital strong support systems are for recovery.
4. Inside Out (2015): Embracing Emotions
Pixar’s “Inside Out” takes us inside 11-year-old Riley’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 Cuckoo’s Nest (1975): Challenges Of Mental Health Institutions
In “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” we’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
Directed by Martin Scorsese, “Shutter Island” follows U.S Marshal Teddy Daniels as he investigates an escape from Ashecliffe Hospital — a prison-like psychiatric facility. Leonardo DiCaprio’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. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993): The Challenges of Long-Term Caregiving
“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” 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.
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. “The Babadook”: Unaddressed Grief and Repressed Emotions
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 – hence serving as a metaphor for avoiding grief until it’s too late.
9. “Black Swan” (2010): A Reminder That Perfection Isn’t Worth It
Darren Aronofsky directed this dark piece of cinema back in 2010. “Black Swan” tells the story of ballerina Nina Sayers (played by Natalie Portman) who claims she’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 — 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. “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006): Quirks And Life Of A Dysfunctional Family
The Hoover family was already dysfunctional before they all piled up into their yellow van for their road trip.
But “Little Miss Sunshine” 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. “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” (2020): When Delusion Disorder Meets Thriller
The film revolves around Jake and his girlfriend Lucy as they take a road trip to visit Jake’s parents.
But things take a morbid turn as the evening unfolds when Jake’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.
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