Shutter Island is a 2010 psychological mystery thriller directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is considered one of the most disturbing and frightening psychological horror films to this day. Although arguably not technically about mental illness, the film has been lauded by teachers and mental health experts for bringing accessible positive messages and themes about mental health and managing feelings to children (and adults). High school -- those are your prime suffering years.". The film is considered one of the best films ever made, and was deemed "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and was selected to be preserved by the National Film Registry. 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. Vote up your favorites below or add a film about mental illness that isn't already on the list. They are last seen making grilled cheese sandwiches together with an iron happily. Benny & Joon was very refreshing because it showed a mentally ill person in a romantic relationship. Joon is widely considered to be schizophrenic. Using Bianca, he built relationships with other people and engaged in human interaction, which led to him no longer need Bianca. The film follows a dysfunctional family on their road trip in a barely functioning Volkswagen Microbus to take seven year old Olive to a beauty pageant in Redondo Beach, California. Documentary. Frank was refreshing to see in the film because little focus was put on his suicidal past. While this concept is interesting, it is far from the common reality of people who suffer from dissociative identity disorder. You suggested films focused on mental health institutions and rehab such as ‘28 days’, 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and 'Silver Linings Playbook'. Susanna (Ryder) attempts to mix alcohol with pills and nearly kills herself. Black Swan, the 2010 psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky, covers several themes of mental illness. List RulesFilms about mental illness and people who suffer from it. You can also find several good mental illness movies on Netflix. 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The town in, Some people debate whether or not Andrew was actually suffering from a mental illness, but the setting of. The classic 1993 romantic comedy Benny & Joon was directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and stars Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson. 20 Best Movies About Mental Health Naming best movies about mental illness are always subjective because each individual has specific attitude or understanding of on-screen events. 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. The film is a unique piece of cinema that presents two different versions of the same scenes throughout the film, some in black and white and some in color going, in reverse. Lisa (Jolie) is a chronic resident at the hospital and has escaped many times. However, there's nothing fictional about what survivors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) endure on a daily basis. Mentally ill people are often portrayed as murderous, delusional villains in horror movies, or are grossly misrepresented in films, shows, and other media. The 2008 postmodern drama Synecdoche, New York was directed by Charlie Kaufman. The poor conditions of the mental facility and eventual lobotomization of Andrew gave us a dark look into how inhumane mental health facilities were not too long ago. Mental health is a subject that some may find hard to tackle, but that doesn’t mean we lack the resources to learn about it. Lisa may seem like she was painted in a terrible light, but it was not without its purpose. Unfortunately, so many movies … He ends up staying in the adult unit because the youth wing is under renovation. Netflix movies and shows about mental health. 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. She is admitted by her mother to a psychiatric hospital after slashing her wrist in an attempt to plug wires into her body. This film is great because the nurses and doctors aren't the saviors of Young-Goon. The illness plagues his life and causes his mind to operate poorly in an altered state. “Canvas is a serious film about mental illness and a sentimental heart-warmer and succeeds in both ways. The narrator is deeply unhappy with his life and job, and unconsciously becomes Tyler to compensate for his perceived lack of masculinity and power. 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. 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. Sure, Silver Linings Playbook isn’t always realistic. Olive's uncle Frank temporarily lives with the family after attempting suicide. Natalie Portman portrays Nina Sayers, a professional ballerina who suffers from an eating disorder as well as chronic hallucinations. How to look after your mental health. 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 50 Highest Grossing '90s Movies, Ranked. Mental illness movies allow us to view the world through a different lens by giving us access to other people’s perspectives from all walks of life. Here’s a list of the best movies about mental health issues from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): It’s becoming increasingly more common for Hollywood to highlight mental health conditions in films. “Prioritise your self-care, do something that … The film follows John's slow development of paranoid schizophrenia. Joon meets Sam (Depp) and they begin to fall in love. These movies — many of which can be watched on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime — can evoke some powerful responses in viewers who may see their own struggles accurately represented on screen for the first time. 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. The 2000 psychological thriller Memento was directed by Christopher Nolan and is based on the short story Memento Mori by Jonathan Nolan. However, there's nothing fictional about what survivors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) endure on a daily basis. Trevor is blamed for this accident and is further alienated by his coworkers. Films about mental illness and people who suffer from it. They also contain the diagnosis, whether obvious or subtle, of the characters involved. While it was mostly unsuccessful upon its release, Fight Club became a cult film. After the man who Blanche has been interested in finds out the truth, he leaves her. 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. So if you’re looking for something new to watch while … The 2001 biographical drama A Beautiful Mind was directed by Ron Howard and based on the life of famed mathematician John Nash. Some take more of a realistic, dramatic look at what happens when a person suffers from a mental illness and how it affects their loved ones. I Am Sam is a 2001 American drama film directed by Jessie Nelson. The purpose of this style of filming was to put the audience in the place of Leonard (Guy Pearce) who suffers from anterograde amnesia, a memory disorder that prevents a person from creating new memories after the event that caused the condition. Blanche dislikes Stanley's loud, scruffy demeanor. The following list is in chronological order and contains films that take on a variety of mental illnesses invoking comedy, dramedy, or tragicomedy. The theme of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds surrounds a science experiment of Matilda's in which she shows that radium affects marigolds-- some wither and die while others mutate into spectacular creations. Frank was clearly still suffering from depression through the film, but was making attempts to keep going with his life despite his mental illness. It is revealed that Frank's desire to kill himself stemmed from his ex-boyfriend leaving him for a rival scholar. Mental health is a topic that is receiving more attention by filmmakers, particularly with Netflix commissioning both mental health-themed tv series and films. Vote up your favorites below or add a film about mental illness that isn't already on the list. Historically, the movie industry has had plenty of misses when exploring topics of mental illnesses. 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