16 Movies About Personality And Mood Disorders That Aren't Afraid To Explore The Human Psyche
Human beings may not agree on much, but just about everyone can agree that curling up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a good movie is fantastic way to spend an evening. While some prefer heartbreaking love stories or laughing at the hysterical antics of our finest comedic actors, it is often the movies that allow for deep dives into the human psyche that make the biggest impression on us.
Whether classified as a horror, thriller, or a dramatic masterpiece, movies about psychology, mental health, and the painful complexities of various mood and personality disorders all tackle difficult subject matter in an entertaining way. While they may initially unsettle or disturb us, they also force us to think about the mind in new ways. The truly great films can even inspire empathy for both the characters and the real-life people who suffer from the same conditions.
- 134 VOTESPhoto: 20th Century Fox
The Breakdown: When a depressed insomniac with dissociative identity disorder (Edward Norton) meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a charismatic soap salesman, the two launch an underground fight club where men fight out their frustration with feelings of boredom, alienation, and societal conformity.
Why It's Worth Watching: Fight Club is a gritty psychological thriller that explores themes of consumerism, anarchy, identity, rebellion, and masculinity in the modern world. Although Fight Club didn't win many major awards, it is a beloved cult classic full of complex, deeply flawed characters that cleverly explores the experience of a person living with DID.
Moment That Sticks With Us: “The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club.” -Tyler Durden
Interesting Fact: A real-life beat-down inspired the 1996 novel Fight Club and the subsequent film. Author Chuck Palahniuk was on a camping trip when a rowdy group camping beside him refused to quiet down, beating him up instead. When he returned to work, no one said a word about his wounds, leading him to believe that people would rather ignore the bad things that happen to them than face the issues head on.
Actors: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Jared Leto, Helena Bonham Carter
Released: 1999
Directed by: David FincherMore Fight Club
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- #8 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
- 222 VOTESPhoto: United Artists
The Breakdown: Rebellious criminal Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is the newest patient at a mental hospital run by Head Nurse Mildred Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a sadistic tyrant who abuses her power and frightens her patients into submission. Determined to escape the electroconvulsive therapy he has been prescribed, McMurphy chooses defiance by instigating fights with orderlies, encouraging the other inmates to rebel, and even making plans to escape with his new friend and fellow inmate “Chief” Bromden (Will Sampson). This behavior locks Ratched and McMurphy into a power struggle that has dire consequences for both of them.
Why It's Worth Watching: Regarded as one of the best films ever made, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest explores the repressive nature of conformity, the dehumanizing nature of power hungry people and systems, and the consequences of institutional abuse. It isn't a lighthearted watch, but it will make you think.
Moment That Sticks With Us: In one volatile scene, Nurse Ratched leads an intense group therapy session with no clear aim. The discussion she starts quickly devolves into screaming and chaos. As orderlies escort several upset patients away from the group, a calm, pleased-looking Nurse Ratched shares a look with an unimpressed McMurphy in a show of complete power. The film won the Oscars for best picture, director, and adpated screenplay, and Nicholson and Fletcher won for best actor and actress, respectively.
Interesting Fact: Before Jack Nicholson got the part, director Miloš Forman considered Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando for the role of Randle McMurphy.
Actors: Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Louise Fletcher, Will Sampson, Christopher Lloyd
Released: 1975
Director: Miloš Forman- Dig Deeper...Movies That Won Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes
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- 320 VOTESPhoto: Universal Pictures
The Breakdown: A brilliant mathematician and undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, John Nash (Russell Crowe), finds himself questioning his own reality when he is asked to help the US military track down Soviet spies.
Why It's Worth Watching: Loosely based on the life and struggles of the Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash Jr., the harrowing film features outstanding performances by Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly. The film won best picture and director (Ron Howard) at the Oscars, and Connelly won best supporting actress, with Crowe nominated for best actor.
Moment That Sticks With Us: In a particularly impactful scene that illustrates Nash's genius, he stands surrounded by US military members and stares at a wall full of numbers identified as an unbreakable Soviet encryption. In a matter of minutes, he identifies the patterns in his mind and solves the code.
Interesting Fact: The real-life John Nash, after winning a Nobel Prize, did not give a speech honoring his wife and their love as shown in the film.
Actors: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Paul Bettany
Released: 2001
Director: Ron Howard - 430 VOTESPhoto: Orion Pictures
The Breakdown: Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is top of her class at the FBI training academy when she is asked to assist in catching a serial killer called “Buffalo Bill” (Ted Levine). To do so, she must interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a psychiatrist and violent psychopath currently serving life in prison for cannibalism and murder.
Why It's Worth Watching: The Silence of the Lambs is currently the only psychological horror movie to win the Oscar for best picture, and Hopkins and Foster won Oscars for their acting. In addition to being frightfully suspenseful, it is also an intelligent look at one woman's fight to save lives in a male-dominated world.
Moment That Sticks With Us: “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” - Hannibal Lecter
Interesting Fact: The above quote is not only one of the most famous lines in movie history, but is also one of Lecter's dark jokes. According to The Independent, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) could have been used to treat Lecter, but liver, beans, and wine aren't allowed to be consumed while taking the medicine. This line is Lecter's way of telling Clarice he doesn't take his meds.
Actors: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine
Released: 1991
Director: Jonathan Demme - 519 VOTESPhoto: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Breakdown: Socially awkward and mentally unstable Sy Parrish (Robin Williams) lives to work at the one-hour photo stand in SavMart. Over the years, he develops an unhealthy interest in the idyllic Yorkin family (Connie Nielsen, Michal Vartan, Dylan Smith). When he discovers that Mr. Yorkin is having an affair, his view of the perfect family shatters, causing him to lose both his job and his grip on reality.
Why It's Worth Watching: Horror fans will appreciate Robin Williams's eerie portrayal of Sy and his isolated, methodical life and the terrifying tension that grows as the film progresses.
Moment That Sticks With Us: “And if these pictures have anything important to say to future generations, it's this… I was here. I existed. I was young. I was happy… and someone cared enough about me in this world to take my picture.” - Sy Parrish
Interesting Fact: Robin Williams said he wanted to play Sy because he was “looking for especially dark characters” at the time instead of his usual comic roles.
Actors: Robin Wiliams, Connie Nielsen, Michal Vartan, Dylan Smith, Eric La Salle
Released: 2002
Director: Mark RomanekMore One Hour Photo- #35 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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- 621 VOTESPhoto: Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Breakdown: Talented prima ballerina Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is given the role of Odette in a New York City Ballet production of Swan Lake. She finds herself competing with her alternate Lily (Mila Kunis), a ballerina who better embodies the dark and sensual Black Swan and could steal her part. Drowning in her pursuit for perfection, Nina slowly loses her grip on reality and begins to suffer from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and first-break psychosis.
Why It's Worth Watching: Set in the highly competitive and often brutal world of professional ballet, this psychological horror film examines what it is like to be haunted by your own obsessions. At times dark and disturbing, the film also studies themes of success, insecurity, and the toll the pursuit of perfection can take on the mind and body. Portman won as Oscar for best actress, and the movies was nominated for best picture.
Moment That Sticks With Us: While on stage during her performance as the Black Swan, Nina hallucinates transforming into an actual swan with apparent delight. Her red-eyed gaze staring into the camera as the transformation occurs is eerie and unnerving juxtaposed against the fluidity and beauty of her movements.
Interesting Fact: In an attempt to amp up the on-screen tension between Portman and Kunis, director Darren Aronofsky tried to start drama between them by sending the actresses text messages about the other's performance. According to the actresses, these attempts to mess with their heads failed thanks to their preexisting friendship.
Actors: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, Vincent Cassel
Released: 2010
Director: Darren AronofskyMore Black Swan- #58 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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- 717 VOTESPhoto: Paramount Classics
The Breakdown: Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) is a factory machinist who hasn't slept in a year thanks to an extreme bout of insomnia. He begins to struggle with delusions, anxiety, and paranoia, and after a series of mysterious Post-it notes appear on his fridge, he becomes increasingly convinced that someone is after him.
Why It's Worth Watching: Bale gives a memorable performance of a troubled man doubting his own reality and watching his world disintegrate.
Moment That Sticks With Us: “If you were any thinner, you wouldn't exist.” - Stevie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) talking to Trevor
Interesting Fact: Trevor Reznik's name was inspired by Trent Reznor, the frontman for Nine Inch Nails, and their album The Downward Spiral.
Actors: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Ironside, John Sharian
Released: 2004
Director: Brad AndersonMore The Machinist- #61 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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- 825 VOTESPhoto: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Breakdown: Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a failed stand-up comedian and party clown struggling to manage depression, visual delusions, and fits of socially inappropriate laughter in a world that refuses to accept or understand him. When an act of self-defense unintentionally sparks a wave of riots against Gotham City's wealthiest residents, Fleck is catapulted into the limelight and becomes a figurehead for rebellion and anarchy. Despite this, he is continually mocked and belittled by those in power, causing him to adopt a nihilistic, clown-inspired criminal persona.
Why It's Worth Watching: Joker is both a villain origin story and a character study of a lonely, isolated man trying (and failing) to make others laugh, even though he himself can't stop. His vulnerability makes him likable, and his struggles and lack of resources inspire empathy, even as his transformation into the Joker becomes complete and catastrophic violence ensues. Phoenix won the Oscar for best actor, and the film was nominated for best picture.
Moment That Sticks With Us: “When you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash… you get what you f***ing deserve!” - Arthur Fleck
Interesting Fact: Fleck's uncontrollable laughter is based on a real disorder called pseudobulbar affect (PBA).
Actors: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Zazie Beetz
Released: 2019
Director: Todd PhillipsMore Joker - 925 VOTESPhoto: Universal Pictures
The Breakdown: Kevin (James McAvoy), a man with dissociative identity disorder and 23 unique personalities, kidnaps three teenage girls and holds them in a secret underground bunker. The girls must fight to survive the distinct and occasionally violent personalities and escape before a 24th personality called The Beast emerges.
Why It's Worth Watching: Although the movie's depiction of DID was deemed controversial by many mental health professionals, it is a complex and well-acted thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final credits roll.
Moment That Sticks With Us: After being cornered by The Beast and days of captivity, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) finally meets Kevin. He doesn't know who she is or remember how they ended up in his home. He begs her to kill him, but all his personalities emerge in one intense confrontation to save their lives.
Interesting Fact: Kevin catalogs video files of all his personalities on his computer. Fans of M. Night Shyamalan's work will recognize the name “Mr. Pritchard" on one of these files, a nod to Lionel Prichard, a character from the movie Signs.
Actors: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Hayley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula
Released: 2016
Director: M. Night ShyamalanMore Split- #17 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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- 1018 VOTESPhoto: Columbia Pictures
The Breakdown: After a nervous breakdown and failed suicide attempt, 18-year old Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder) is admitted to Claymoore Psychiatric Hospital, where she is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. During her stay, Susanna forges fraught friendships with a number of young women struggling with their own mental health concerns.
Why It's Worth Watching: Girl Interrupted is a dark and startling look at the realities of institutionalization during the 1960s. It confronts themes of sanity, liberation, and identity while continuously shining a light on the stigma of mental illnesses within the medical community. Angelina Jolie, who plays Lisa, diagnosed as a sociopath, won a supporting actress Oscar for the role.
Interesting Fact: Ryder was an executive producer on the film; her interest in the subject matter stemmed from her own brief stay in a psychiatry ward when she was 19.
Actors: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Elizabeth Moss, Clea DuVall, Brittany Murphy
Released: 1999
Director: James MangoldMore Girl, Interrupted- #647 of 769 onThe Most Rewatchable Movies
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- 1123 VOTESPhoto: Paramount Pictures
The Breakdown: US Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives on Shutter Island to investigate a disappearance at Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane. With the help of his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), Teddy hunts for the truth of the missing patient as well as the whereabouts of Andrew Laeddis, the man responsible for Teddy's wife's death.
Why It's Worth Watching: Teddy's hunt, as well as the unbelievable connections he reveals throughout his journey, is a slow, tense burn that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Moment That Sticks With Us: “This place makes me wonder, which would be worse? To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?” - Teddy Daniels
Interesting Fact: The title “Shutter Island” is an anagram for “truths and lies."
Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams
Released: 2010
Director: Martin ScorseseMore Shutter Island- #6 of 252 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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- 1223 VOTESPhoto: Summit Entertainment
The Breakdown: Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a socially awkward high school teenager suffering from PTSD and clinical depression. His world begins to expand when he meets Sam (Emma Watson) and her stepbrother Patrick (Ezra Miller), who welcome him into their friend group and teach him about love, hope, and enduring friendship.
Why It's Worth Watching: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a beloved coming-of-age film that explores how beautiful and difficult being a teenager really is.
Moment That Sticks With Us: In one of the iconic tunnel scenes, Charlie, Sam, and Patrick drive through the Fort Pitt Tunnel screaming and laughing while hopeful music blares. In this moment of pure joy, Charlie leaves behind his pain and says he feels “infinite.”
Interesting Fact: In the film, the tunnel song playing in the truck is “Heroes” by David Bowie, but in the book the friends listen to Fleetwood Mac's “Landslide.”
Actors: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd, Nina Dobrev
Released: 2012
Director: Stephen Chbosky- #81 of 136 onThe 100+ Best Movies For Date Night
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- 1316 VOTESPhoto: The Weinstein Company
The Breakdown: After a court-ordered stint in a psychiatric hospital, former high school teacher Pat Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper) is eager to turn his life around and reunite with his estranged ex-wife. While living with his parents (Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver), Pat struggles to manage his bipolar disorder and achieve his goals. To get the attention of his ex-wife, he begins training for a dance competition with Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence), a widow with a volatile temper and compulsive tendencies.
Why It's Worth Watching: The film showcases the breadth of mental illness in a relatable and humane light. It is considered a realistic portrayal of a family unit living with numerous mental health conditions and the ups and downs they experience as a result. Lawrence won a best actress Oscar for the role, and the film received seven other Academy Award nominations, including best picture.
Moment That Sticks With Us: Pat Sr. sits down with Pat Jr. in a heartfelt scene and tearfully admits he didn't know how to handle Pat's behavior when he was growing up. In an attempt to connect and bond with his son, Pat Sr. asks Pat to spend time with him by watching the Philadelphia Eagles games.
Interesting Fact: Director David O. Russell's son, who has bipolar disorder, made a cameo as a nosy high school student who wants to interview Pat about his mental breakdown.
Actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker, Jacki Weaver
Released: 2012
Director: David O. Russell- #660 of 703 onThe All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
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- 1411 VOTESPhoto: Sony Pictures Classics
The Breakdown: Kym Buchman (Anne Hathaway) is released from her most recent stint in rehab to attend her sister Rachel's (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding. She suffers from drug addiction, alcoholism, and antisocial personality disorder, and her self-destructive behavior over the years has caused significant rifts between her and her family members, which adds a layer of undeniable gloom to the wedding festivities.
Why It's Worth Watching: Rachel Getting Married is as much an angsty family drama as it is a layered exploration of a woman struggling with sobriety. Filmed documentary style, the violent altercations and painful conversations that accompany Kym's re-entry into her family lend a sense of realism and make you feel as though you are part of the unfolding drama.
Moment That Sticks With Us: After a potential suicide attempt, Kym returns home the morning of Rachel's wedding bloody and bruised. Despite an earth-shattering argument the previous day, Rachel cares for Kym in a tender show of sisterly affection.
Interesting Fact: Musicians composed the movie's score live on set.
Actors: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sebastian Stan, Debra Winger
Released: 2008
Director: Jonathan Demme- #410 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
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- 157 VOTESPhoto: Focus Features
The Breakdown: Marlo Moreau (Charlize Theron) is a struggling mom with two children and a newborn baby. Battling exhaustion and sleep deprivation alongside the everyday trials of motherhood, Marlo seeks the help of a night nanny, Tully (Mackenzie Davis). The two form a lifesaving friendship until Tully decides she can no longer work for the Moreau family.
Why It's Worth Watching: Although Marlo's exhaustion and postpartum psychosis prompts a frightening mental breakdown, the film is a funny, emotional, and honest portrayal of what it's like to be a modern mom.
Moment That Sticks With Us: “If I had a dream that didn't come true, I could at least be p*ssed off at the world. Instead I'm just p*ssed off at myself.” - Marlo
Interesting Fact: Charlize Theron gained 50 pounds for the role to embody Marlo and her postpartum experience.
Actors: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Ron Livingston
Released: 2018
Director: Jason ReitmanMore Tully- #8 of 26 onThe Best Movies About Surprise Pregnancies
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- 169 VOTESPhoto: Miramax Films
The Breakdown: During her first year at Harvard, promising writer Lizzie Wurtzel (Christina Ricci) struggles with depression, emotional instability, and substance abuse. Lizzie's self-destructive behavior forces her to confront her inner demons while simultaneously causing increasingly strained relationships with her parents (Jessica Lange, Nicholas Campbell), best friend (Michelle Williams), and romantic partners (Johnathan Rhys-Meyers, Jason Biggs).
Why It's Worth Watching: The movie was one of the first to look at depression through a stark, unflinching lens. It does not romanticize depression, demonstrating instead the heartbreaking, ugly, and sometimes truly unlikable sides of a person struggling to overcome this disorder.
Moment That Sticks With Us: “If only my life could be more like the movies. I want an angel to swoop down to me like he does to Jimmy Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life and talk me out of suicide… But he won't come. It doesn't happen that way.” - Lizzie Wurtzel
Interesting Fact: The film was adapted from Elizabeth Wurtzel's 1994 memoir of the same name, which was originally titled I Hate Myself and I Want to Die.
Actors: Christina Ricci, Michelle Williams, Jessica Lange, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Jason Biggs
Released: 2001
Director: Erik SkjoldbjærgMore Prozac Nation- #120 of 133 onThe Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made
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