7 Great Movies About Mental Illness That Does It Right

Historically, the movie industry has had plenty of misses when exploring topics of mental illnesses. Sometimes, entertainment value trumps the reality of these conditions in movies about mental illness leading to stigmatization and inaccurate or even offensive portrayals. And as a result, people with mental illnesses suffer and are further ostracized. Fortunately, even though there’s still some work needed to be done, the industry has started taking this concern more seriously.

Mental illness is not a choice. And pop culture has one of the greatest opportunities to make people understand that and to lessen the stigma around it. Movies about mental illness have the power to inform the audience and show them the realities of these conditions. That’s why it’s important to get them right. Understandably, movie makers also have to consider the movie appeal but that does not give an excuse to go backward. Below are some thought-provoking and eyeopening movies about mental illness that treat it with care and respect.

Movies About Mental Illness That Tackles It Right

1. Joker (2019)

Upon its release, Todd Phillips’ “Joker” featuring Joaquin Phoenix’s phenomenal performance as the iconic villain has quickly become the center of controversy because of its topics of violence. Despite that, it has also been lauded for its well-rounded exploration of mental illness. The movie wonderfully captures Joker’s descent into madness and leads audiences to understand how various factors like his background and environment affected it. Leading neurocriminologist Adrian Raine even described “Joker” as a great educational tool in an interview with Vanity Fair.

2. A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Based on the true story of mathematical expert John Forbes Nash Jr., “A Beautiful Mind” fantastically captures the struggles of living with schizophrenia. The magic of this film is that it presents Nash’s story in a way that the audience gets to live his hallucinations with him which feel just as real as they are to him. Not only that, but it also showed the challenges of living with someone with schizophrenia. In the end, it delivers a powerful message about how it is to live on both sides of the illness, one as the inflicted and one as the loved one.

3. Still Alice (2015)

One of the more tearjerking movies in this list is “Still Alice” starring Julianne Moore. It follows Alice, a successful linguistics professor, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As she slowly loses her memory, the film shows how it affects her physically and emotionally and how it affects those around her. Some stay beside her until the end but, some distance themselves from the pain of seeing her deteriorating.  It’s both enlightening and heartbreaking as it explores the harsh realities of someone slowly succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease. From the stages of losing her memory to losing her loved ones, “Still Alice” accurately portrays the psychological and emotional torment of having the disease from the patient’s view.

4. Melancholia (2011)

“Melancholia” is an intricate and artful film about depression. It mixes elements of drama and fiction and ultimately creates a mind-boggling picture of the illness. What makes it hit closer to home is that the director Lans Von Tier was also treated for a severe case of depression. It follows the story of two sisters, each of whom are suffering from different mental illnesses, as they face their impending deaths from another planet colliding with Earth. In the film, Von Tier tried to recreate what he felt. And as complex as it seems, “Melancholia” captures the essence of how depression feels.

5. The Hours (2001)

In “The Hours,” Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman joined forces to deliver a fearless exploration of depression and suicide that spans across generations. Here, they portray three women in different time periods who are simultaneously indirectly or directly affected by depression. The film explores how each woman deals with the illness and sheds light on the signs and behaviors of depressed people. More than that, “The Hours” also highlights how the illness affects those around the people suffering from it. Admittedly, the film might be hard to watch for some. It’s raw and it reaches down to the depth of your emotions. But, it delicately captures just what people suffering from depression are facing in their everyday lives.

6. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

The “Silver Linings Playbook” is a staple in any list of movies about mental health for good reason. The film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper provided a very good depiction of someone suffering from mental illnesses such as manic depressive illness and bipolar disorder. It constantly went against the stigmatizing term “crazy.” And it showcased what it was like to live with a mental illness for someone who’s bright but not entirely informed about it. The best part of the film is that it portrays mental illness in people who are seemingly normal further showing that mental illness can affect anyone.

7. Loving Vincent (2017)

“Loving Vincent” is a spectacular work of art that provides a heartbreaking tribute to Van Gogh. It is the first-ever oil-painted feature film and took a team of 125 artists to paint each frame by hand. And though the primary focus of the film in itself is the art, it also indirectly discusses depression and urges the viewers to see through Van Gogh’s eyes. “Loving Vincent” didn’t clearly explain Van Gogh’s suicide. But, it shows you and makes you feel what depression felt to him. Like a painting, the film urges you to explore its essence on your own and find the hopeful message it yearns to pass on.