Movies have the power to shape how we perceive the world. Here are several films that treat mental illness respectfully and honestly, instead of contributing to stigma.
Hollywood holds a lot of influence when it comes to current cultural beliefs surrounding mental illness, which is why fighting stigma should be a central tenet for filmmakers who tackle psychology and mental health in their projects. Films like Split demonize mental illness by twisting real disorders into monstrous villains. The real horror of mental illness is the pain it inflicts on the person with the disorder. Mental illness can affect those closest to us, but not in the horrifying ways portrayed in Split. The movies in this list are all successful in accurately depicting one or more aspects of mental health conditions.
What films are we missing? Add your own recommendations in the comments.
Melancholia
Kirstin Dunst plays the leading role of Justine in Melancholia, a fantastical science-fiction film giving a terribly real reflection on depression. When I first saw this movie, I was in a severe depressive downswing. I was desperate to feel less alone in my isolation, and this movie helped. It was like a friend sitting down next to me and accepting me without me needing to explain myself.
The story circles around two sisters as Justine prepares to be married (clearly unhappily). There are many moments that capture the listlessness of depression, such as when Justine is served her favorite meal, but she can’t taste it. Other characters try to support Justine in completing basic tasks such as bathing and eating, things that can be excruciatingly difficult for someone with depression. It touches on the compulsive urges that drive self-destructive behavior and the dull ache of depression.
“It tastes like ashes.” – Justine
What Dreams May Come
Another fantastical meditation on the complexities of the human condition, What Dreams May Come stars Robin Williams as Chris Nielsen, a bereaved father who then dies himself, leaving his widow to her severe depression. We follow his journey through “heaven” and “hell” to save his wife who later dies by suicide. The colors in this film are out of this world, and the ideas it presents about severe depression and mental illness are beautifully depicted. There are some problematic ideas about a cure for depression, such as saving yourself to save someone else or that someone can save you from the pain of depression. But these potentially troubling aspects of the movie are overshadowed by poignant lines such as:
“Everyone's Hell is different. It's not all fire and pain. The real Hell is your life gone wrong.” – Albert
“What's true in our minds is true, whether some people know it or not.” – Chris
I had a hard time rewatching this movie after my own father passed away, because there is something about Robin William’s thin-lipped smile that was reminiscent of my dad’s closed mouth grin.
