Great Movies About Mental Illness

Matchstick Men, combining a plot about con-artists with a character drama about one of them who has OCD.

 

I'll allow it.

 

I don't know if this qualifies, but Lost Weekend, with Ray Milland playing a desperate alcoholic was a damn good movie.

 

One of my all-time favorite books where the movie version is as good: It's Kind Of A Funny Story

 

I was going to post Betty Blue, but Mothmanica beat me to it, so I'll put up this one:

Reign Over Me

 

Sling Blade

 

This one -- "Affliction" -- was really incredible. I just happened to catch it on one of the cable channels many years ago, and I was so drawn in:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt011856...imdb.com/title/tt0118564/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_54

 

I was going to mention this one. This won for best picture

 

'Repulsion'

Excellent film. One of my favourites.
The book is even better with a bitter and downbeat ending which is the opposite of the movie's.

 

I had no idea it was a book as well. I hafta check it out...

 

Saint Maud
Black Swan
Bunny Lake is Missing
Falling Down
Fight Club
Housekeeping
Joker
The Machinist
Legend of the Holy Drinker
Melancholia
One Hour Photo
Triangle
You Were Never Really Here

 

Blue Jasmine {2013}

A superbly crafted film, penetrative and affecting. Marvelous performances throughout.

 

Both Vertigo and Psycho might be classified as indirectly pertaining to mental illness.

 

Ordinary People
Adaptation
The King's Speech
Amelie

 

Crazy People (1990)

 

Was that the one where Moore was an advertising executive, and, on the poster for a horror movie, he places the slogan, "This film will F$%k you up!"

 

Oh, that’s such a good film.

 

‘The Babadook’ - effectively a film about misdirected grief.

And ‘Birdman’. A faded actor slowly cracks up.

 

A great movie, a great performance!

I think it qualifies. Many people use substances to self-medicate problems they already have, but it only adds an entirely new problem without resolving the initial feeling of fear in his situation. And he's an educated guy, and probably knew of the troubles ahead, but people are just trying to make it today.

 

Matchstick Men is a great movie, I recently revisited it

 

great movie. I could watch it countless times and enjoy. Richard Dreyfus and Bill Murray are great in their roles

 

First one I thought of. Robin Williams was never better IMO. DeNiro is...DeNiro

 

1957's Fear Strikes Out starring Anthony Perkins (pre Psycho) and Karl Malden.

 

Single White Female (1992) dir. Barbet Schroeder, with Bridget Fonda and the always interesting Jennifer Jason Leigh, was a good one.

 

Damian Lewis puts in top drawer performance in this film.
Definitely one to watch if you’ve not seen it .