20 Movies That Depict Mental Illness

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the films in which depictions of mental health issues are key. Spoilers will be mentioned!

#20: “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” (1993)

It isn’t often that a picture so perfectly captures the long lasting effects of grief. While “What's Eating Gilbert Grape” primarily focuses on Gilbert’s struggle with his younger brother’s developmental disability, there were still signs of his – and others' -- emotional toll. His mother is the most blatant example, with her intense depression following her husband’s death keeping her from sleeping in her old bedroom and becoming reliant on her children. Gilbert, on the other hand, appears to shove his feelings down in favor of caring for his brother – until he burns out and finally snaps, causing him to violently lash out. Both are different yet realistic depictions of how not dealing with grief properly can lead to consequences further down the line.

#19: “Leaving Las Vegas” (1995)

What would you do if you lost everything at once? This movie goes into one man’s extreme response to his life crumbling. Ben has an alcohol use disorder and loses it all, resulting in him traveling to the titular city to drink himself to death. His impulsive actions showcase what a person can look and act like when they simply don’t care about themselves anymore. Even with his last connection in the world begging him to get help, he still refuses, showing how his despair has completely taken over his will to live. The film offers a glimpse into the mind of a man on the very brink, a devastating portrait that can affect even the stoniest viewers and earned Nicolas Cage an Oscar.

#18: “Aftersun” (2022)

One of the most gripping depictions of intergenerational trauma in film,“Aftersun” follows Sophie, a girl as she spends a holiday trip with her father. While she’s there, he openly struggles with his mental health, displaying various symptoms throughout the trip while hiding behind a put-on smile. Throughout it are shots of the adult Sophie trying to get closer to her father while he dances in a crowded club, serving as symbolism for his struggles creating a permanent divide between the two. It’s a brilliant depiction of how depression can permeate moments that are supposed to be happy – and how it can affect the loved ones of the afflicted just as much.

#17: “A Woman Under the Influence” (1974)

While some movies focus on the underlying reasons for a character’s emotional state, this highly acclaimed film went about it in a completely different way. “A Woman Under the Influence” displays a housewife’s descent into madness – for seemingly no reason at all. Her behavior escalates to the point that she is sent against her will to a mental health hospital. Things devolve even further when she returns in an even worse state, having undergone extreme treatments that did not help her. Despite not receiving the help she truly needs and still being self-destructive, she’s still forced to act as though everything is normal and play the role of the perfect wife and mother– creating both a bleak ending and commentary about women’s issues being erased.

#16: “Shutter Island” (2010)

While most films about mental health issues use the subject as a general plot point, this one uses it as a twist. On the surface, “Shutter Island” appears to be a classic mystery about a detective investigating a poorly run mental health hospital. His search becomes more complicated by the day, eventually leading to the ultimate reveal: that the man he was searching for was himself. Both he and the audience find out that he murdered his wife after she drowned their children, with his guilt manifesting as intense, daily delusions. The investigation was nothing more than a detailed roleplay in an attempt to help him. While not being the entire focal point, it still shows how one can be afflicted without even realizing it.

#15: “Lars and the Real Girl” (2007)

In this sweet indie dramedy, Ryan Gosling is cast against type as Lars, a loveable introvert with a deep desire to connect to people but with an even bigger fear of attempting to. So instead, he orders a sex doll, and gives it a name and a back-story. His concerned family takes him to a psychologist, who suggests they treat her as real - and the whole town soon follows suit. Along with his delusions, Lars has symptoms of schizoid personality disorder, which manifest in his solitary lifestyle and rich internal fantasy world. His new companion, Bianca, is ultimately a tool to help him overcome his emotional coldness and what happened to him in the past. Lars is one of Gosling’s best performances, and the movie itself earned an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay.

#14: “Benny and Joon” (1993)

If you’re a ‘90s kid, then chances are that every time you hear The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” you think of this movie. Benny, played by Aidan Quinn, is the older brother of Joon, who has mental health issues. He is also her caregiver following their parents’ accidental deaths. The siblings are soon introduced to Sam, a cinephile with an odd personality, who also happens to be illiterate. Despite Sam’s eccentricities and Joon’s outbursts, the two immediately connect. Essentially a romantic comedy about two social misfits, “Benny & Joon” was definitely one of the few in this genre for a long time. While Sam and Joon’s mental health issues may make them stand out from society at large, at least they’ve got each other.

#13: “Shine” (1996)

Our next entry is a biopic about famed pianist David Helfgott, played by the great Geoffrey Rush. A child prodigy, Helfgott grew up with a father who didn’t tolerate failure and who wanted his son to be as highly competitive as he was. At the age of 19, he was sent to the Royal College of Music where he started to exhibit manifestations of schizoaffective disorder. After winning the Concerto competition, things get worse, as Helfgott suffers a breakdown and subsequently spends years in and out of mental health hospitals. Although the film’s accuracy is disputed, the biographical drama was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival and won Rush a deserved Best Actor Oscar for his performance.

#12: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (2012)

High school is hard enough as it is, and it's made more difficult when struggling with personal issues. While the story is centered around Charlie, a freshman affected by extreme trauma, he’s far from the only one afflicted. He and his older friends attempt to evade their troubles through improper substance use, but eventually this affects their real lives. Their troubled childhoods lead them to look for love in all the wrong places, thinking it’s all they deserve. Charlie in particular is haunted by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from abuse, resulting in a haunting breakdown once his support system leaves. The gripping character study shows that people can – and will – suppress their trauma, but can’t stop it from rearing its ugly head later on in life.

#11: “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006)

Just because a film is comedic doesn’t mean it can’t also have serious elements as well. The award-winning “Little Miss Sunshine” appears to be a classic road-trip story, complete with a dysfunctional family. However, things are much darker than the title makes it seem. There’s a perfect blend between characters openly struggling and those trying to keep it together, showing the various ways that people attempt to handle their negative emotions during hard times. Between one candidly discussing his attempt at taking his own life and another having his dreams suddenly crushed, the family is constantly put through the wringer. Despite it all, they manage to come together, showing how vital a strong support system is in times of need.

#10: “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951)

Even when one is struggling, they can still attempt to keep up appearances. In “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Blanche, following her husband’s self-inflicted death and issues with her job, is forced to stay with her sister and her quick-to-anger husband. Her life slowly falls apart as she gets into constant confrontations with Stanley, leading to her steadily going mad. As she spirals, things are made even worse by him exposing her past, causing her to become delusional. An assault is the final nail in the coffin, causing a breakdown that results in her being committed to a mental health hospital. This distressing look at how one’s broken mental state can become even more fragmented following new trauma won four well-deserved Oscars.

#9: “Melancholia” (2011)

If you know Danish director Lars von Trier, then you know his films are not the easiest to digest, although this next entry is probably his most widely seen movie. Starring Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg, “Melancholia” revolves around two sisters named Justine and Claire and follows what happens during and after the former’s wedding. Although such a seemingly happy event is occurring in their family, there is also tragedy of epic proportions looming – and this tragedy comes in the form of a rogue planet that may or may not collide with Earth. The film is essentially a metaphor for depression, and was based on the director’s own experience with it, particularly through the character of Justine.

#8: “Girl, Interrupted” (1999)

The next movie on our list is about a female patient named Susanna Kaysen, played by Winona Ryder, and her year and a half stay at a mental health hospital. Based on Kaysen’s memoir, the drama also stars Angelina Jolie, Elisabeth Moss, Whoopi Goldberg and Brittany Murphy. Kaysen is hospitalized for attempting to kill herself, and is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. While at the mental health hospital, she becomes particularly infatuated with a manipulative sociopath - Jolie’s Lisa Rowe - who takes special pleasure in influencing the women around her. Although the film received mixed reviews, it is still remembered for Jolie’s performance, which earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

#7: “Black Swan” (2010)

Up next is a psychological thriller about a ballerina whose ambitions affect her mental health. “Black Swan” revolves around a modern production of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet “Swan Lake,” in which the director wants to have the same ballerina play both the white and the black swan. Natalie Portman is Nina, who is the favorite, but she doesn’t quite grasp the sensuality of the black swan, at least not the way newcomer Lily, played by Mila Kunis, does. This makes Nina paranoid that she’ll lose the part, and she soon begins to show signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder, delusions, and an array of eating disorders. The film became a surprise box office success and earned Portman the Best Actress Academy Award.

#6: “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012)

Our next entry was one of the most successful films of 2012, and showed audiences that Bradley Cooper could be a serious actor too. Directed by David O. Russell, the film was adapted from the novel by Matthew Quick and centers on the life of Pat Solitano Jr., a man who tries to piece his life back together after suffering a mental breakdown. Pat was also treated for bipolar disorder, and upon his release from the mental health hospital, he moves back in with his parents. He is later introduced to the recently widowed Tiffany, played by Jennifer Lawrence. The romantic comedy-drama was a success with critics and audiences alike. It was also one of the first movies since “Benny & Joon” to successfully mix romantic comedy with a serious topic like mental health issues.

#5: “Requiem for a Dream” (2000)

Substance use disorder is a powerful disease that can destroy anyone. No movie showcases this better than “Requiem for a Dream,” which follows the lives of four people struggling to live with their dependencies. It shows the mental and emotional degradation that comes with substance use disorder and how one can swing from euphoric highs to extreme lows. Each character continues to deteriorate in their own ways, from falling into a substance-induced psychosis to resorting to extreme tactics to make some extra cash. It all eventually reaches a boiling point, with everyone suffering the unfortunate consequences. The movie is perfect commentary on how substances can make a bad mental situation even worse – and how they can lead to fates almost worse than death.

#4: “The Deer Hunter” (1978)

Starring a plethora of great American actors like Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken, this post-Vietnam War drama revolves around three Russian American steelworkers and their memories of the war. It also explores the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on the soldiers and the people around them. We find them in ‘60s Pennsylvania as they try to lead normal lives, but they are unfortunately still plagued by what they lived through while serving their country. Thanks to its themes, emotional performances and original vision, “The Deer Hunter” won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, as well as Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Walken.

#3: “A Beautiful Mind” (2001)

This next movie is a biopic based on the life of mathematician John Nash, portrayed here by Russell Crowe. The film focuses mostly on his life after he is approached by the Pentagon to help them crack the Soviet telecommunication code. Eventually, Nash becomes obsessed with searching for hidden messages and begins to think he is being followed. In many ways, his paranoid schizophrenia was probably fuelled by his passion and mathematical genius, but the film was criticized for misrepresenting his life. However, it was adored by audiences and won four Academy Awards.

#2: “Fight Club” (1999)

“Fight Club” is a masterclass in handling mental health issues in a non-obvious way. Through the Narrator, we’re shown how chronic insomnia leads to him feeling dissatisfaction with his life. His friendship with soap salesman Tyler Durden causes even more stress, with the fight club becoming a way of the protagonist unhealthily processing his emotions. Durden’s behavior continues to escalate, with the club morphing into something even more insidious. Just as things reach a boiling point, it’s revealed that our antihero had been struggling with dissociative identity disorder – and that he and Tyler were one in the same. The film shows how societal expectations – and the inability to reach them – can lead to even seemingly normal men snapping under the pressure.

#1: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)

Our number one choice is based on the same-name novel by Ken Kesey and stars Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and Louise Fletcher. In this drama, Nicholson plays Randle McMurphy, a man accused of the sexual assault of a teenage girl who is sent to a mental health hospital in Oregon. While there, he notices that the doctors are focused more on sedating the patients than helping them become healthy members of society again. The film remains a timeless cinematic achievement in its telling of a story of human courage and determination not only in the face of mental health issues, but of dictatorship too. It won in all five major categories at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Nicholson’s performance.

Which movie do you think has the most emotionally impactful depiction of mental health issues? Let us know in the comments below.