Mental illness at the Movies
Below is a list of movies that, in one way or another, are about mental illness. Some fiction, some non-fiction, some for a Friday night’s entertainment. There are a variety of movies about the many types of mental disorders, some of which we highly recommend. Below are 24 links and a short introduction for the movies list. Some helped me understand my son’s world a little better. Some were encouraging, some made me laugh, a couple were kinda scary. Watching other people deal with their loved one can be helpful. If you’re a movie person, there’s something here for you. If you know of a movie that fits on our list, send us an email. (Many of these are rated MA)
23
A man who becomes obsessed with the 23 enigma once he reads about it in a strange book that seemingly mirrors his own life.
Broken Diamonds
A young writer sees his dream of moving to Paris put in jeopardy when he's forced to temporarily take in his wildly unpredictable, mentally ill sister.
It’s Kind Of A Funny Story
A clinically-depressed teenager gets a new start after he checks himself into an adult psychiatric ward.
Paper Spiders
A bittersweet story about coming of age in the shadow of mental illness.
55 Steps
Patients' rights lawyer Hughes meets psychiatric patient Eleanor, unaware she will inspire her to fight for better mental health care.
Childhood 2.0
Kids spend more time online and less engaging in real life, free play and autonomy. This is Childhood 2.0.
Lars and The Real Girl
A delusional young man strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.
Spider
A mentally disturbed man takes residence in a halfway house where he replays a key part of his childhood..
A Beautiful Mind
After John Nash, a brilliant but asocial mathematician, accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn for the nightmarish.
Girl, Interrupted
Based on writer Susanna Kaysen's account of her 18-month stay at a mental hospital in the late 1960s.
Medicating Normal
The stories of five subjects harmed by prescribed medications they believed would help them.
Split
A man with dissociative identity disorder who kidnaps and imprisons three teenage girls in an isolated underground facility.
As Good As It Gets
A writer with severe OCD learns that with medication he can start to gain control of his life and discover love and relationships.
Gutterbug
A crust punk named Bug grapples with the realities of homelessness, mental health, drug use and toxic friendships.
Misteries Of Mental Illness
The attempts across generations to unravel the mysteries of mental illness, including its causes and treatments.
The Alienist
In the 19th Century, persons suffering from mental illness were thought to be alienated from their own true natures. (MA, watch with caution)
Beautiful Boy
The heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.
I Met A Girl
Devon falls in love mysterious girl when she suddenly vanishes, he embarks on an epic journey to find her. His brother thinks that Lucy is all in his head.
No Letting Go
A teenager struggles with a debilitating mental illness as his mom risks everything to save him without losing her family.
The Other Half
A bipolar woman and a grief-stricken man struggle to forge a simple life.
Bipolarized
Challenges conventional wisdom about mental illness and drug therapy through the personal journey of a man diagnosed as bipolar.
Infinitley Polar Bear
A father struggling with bipolar disorder tries to win back his wife by attempting to take full responsibility of their two young, spirited daughters.
Out Of Mind Out of Sight
Documentary: Profiles four residents of a forensic psychiatric hospital for people who have committed violent crimes.
Words On Bathroom Walls
A teen struggles to keep his diagnosis a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him.
No Letting Go
MOVIE REVIEWS
“This was a very emotional story for me. I lived the pain that these parents experienced, but it gave me hope for others feeling hopeless and confused about their young child showing these signs. The treatment was beyond what most people can afford, but maybe one day we can find a way to make it more accessible. My son is in his 30s and he still struggles. He’s autonomous and we have a good relationship, and I’ll never stop praying that he finds some peace.”
Words on Bathroom Walls
“I’ve never seen a film that so completely explains to the outsider what it must be like to suffer with schizophrenia. My best friend in our teens, a brother- and sister-in-law, a nephew and a stepson, all have the diagnosis. I’ve experienced the trials and chaos experienced by those of us living with and loving them. This movie nailed it. The characters, the dialog, the events all rang true. The main character made schizophrenia a little easier to comprehend. After watching this, I gained a little more patience and compassion for the one suffering.”