MOVIES ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS
The movies presented on the list show mostly accurate depictions of mental illness!
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2012)
Bradley Cooper plays a man with bipolar disorder who is being released from a psychiatric hospital. He soon connects emotionally with a young woman, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who has struggled with her own mental health issues, largely brought on by her husband's death.
​
Mental illness depicted: bipolar disorder, depression
THE ROAD WITHIN (2014)
Three teenagers, Vincent, Alex, and Marie, escape from a clinic for special children. They then venture into a life-changing journey and head towards the ocean.
Mental Illnesses depicted: Anorexia, OCD, and Tourettes
THE SKELETON TWINS (2014)
When Maggie visits her brother Milo, who has attempted to commit suicide, she asks him to come live at her home for a while. Soon, their broken relationship starts to become stronger.
​
Mental illness depicted: Depression
TO THE BONE (2017)
Ellen is an unruly 20-year-old anorexic girl who spent the better part of her teenage years being shepherded through various recovery programs, only to find herself several pounds lighter every time. Determined to find a solution, her dysfunctional family agrees to send her to a group home for youths, which is led by a non-traditional doctor. Surprised by the unusual rules, Ellen must discover for herself how to confront her addiction and attempt self-acceptance.
​
Mental Illness depicted: Eating disorders
​
IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY (2010)
Craig checks into a psychiatric ward when he realizes that he is suicidal. He undergoes a transformation as he comes across people less fortunate than him.
​
Mental illness depicted: depression, self harm
PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (2012)
Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
​
Mental illness depicted: depression, anxiety, suicide, sexual abuse
MARY AND MAX (2009)
A long-distance friendship blossoms between two unlikely people, an eight-year-old lonely girl and a forty-four-year-old morbidly obese man, through letters.
​
Depicts: Autism Spectrum Disorder
SWALLOW (2019)
A young housewife in a seemingly perfect marriage develops pica, the irresistible urge to ingest inedible objects and material.
​
Mental Illness depicted: Pica
THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)
After staging his own suicide, a crazed scientist uses his power to become invisible to stalk and terrorize his ex-girlfriend. When the police refuse to believe her story, she decides to take matters into her own hands and fight back.
​
Mental Illness depicted: Ptsd, Domestic abuse