There exists a world of art, and here motion pictures, in particular, that goes beyond the banal and much-seen categorization of just action, romance or comedy. Psychological movies are one such genre that gives a creative voice to the innate layers of human experiences. Mental health and disorders are already issues that are highly misunderstood or often knowingly ignored. Big Screen then becomes a medium for exploring this very parallel universe. Some of these aren’t an easy watch but it’s a popular medium for spreading social awareness about conditions that affect a far greater number of people.
And to break the ice, along with being sensitive and realistic, these movies are a mixed bag of overwhelming emotions, defining love, drama, and tragedy in their own unique way. When combined with just the right amount, psychological movies become quite an unnerving experience one cannot afford to skip.
Bipolar disorder: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) has lost his wife, job and the good opinion of the society. He’s out from a mental health facility and wants to make a change in his otherwise blatant life. Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) offers to help him in exchange for a ballroom dance partner and these two neurotic people become part of a beautiful and mutual relationship of understanding and giving.
Schizophrenia: A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is based on the true story of a mathematician and how his promising career and married life suffer a downfall as he struggles with his delusions and paranoia.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
A movie that backs away from human reality, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a non-conformist classic based on Ken Kesey’s novel. Jack Nicholson is what makes this movie a milestone.
Post-traumatic stress disorder: Ordinary People (1980)
PTSD is often associated with wars when it comes to cinema, but Ordinary People deal with its much more domestic form. A family drama, it’s about a brother living with the sense of survivor guilt after the death of his sibling and his mother, who fails to process these on-goings. It’s a true portrayal of a family in trauma.
General Mental Health: Inside Out (2015)
Joy, sadness, anger, fear, and disgust are the emotions that are personified in a young girl’s mind. This quirky animation movie put mental health in a whole new context where these emotions guide and help the young girl to cope with changed circumstances in her life.
One cannot escape the unabated impact of these movies. They not only provide access to a new window to a different world but are also cinematic masterpieces.