Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet. However, this well-crafted film tells the story of 16-year-old Craig (Keir Gilchrist) who checks himself into a psychiatric ward because of his depression and suicidal ideation. The tangle of madness and lies encountered by Ichiro could also be viewed as a metaphor for the emotionally afflicted Japanese youth. The internal turbulence & frustration of the characters are portrayed with rare attention to detail; not characterized by ridiculous outbursts. The story is pretty basic and it’s definitely not a fair critique of the institution’s treatment methods, but Forman’s symbolism combined with Hasker Wexell’s fabulous cinematography gives us a phenomenal dramatic agitation. Like the young protagonist who had killed his fiance on the day of marriage, we are also haunted by many unanswered questions. Available on Hulu. var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; Stigmatised, complex, and often misunderstood, it can be off … “Silver Linings Playbook” follows Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), a man with bipolar disorder who was recently hospitalized and Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence), a woman who has mental health struggles of her own — though she is not given a specific diagnosis in the movie. The two characters differ wildly. The film’s title refers to the indifferent, inhumane treatment prevalent in the run-down state psychiatric facilities. Matsumoto, the legendary underground film-maker of Japan, has designed this film to be a surrealist mind f**k, where we need to pay closer attention like a sane individual. Jack Nicholson’s live-wire performance as Patrick McMurphy and Louise Fletcher’s anger inciting Nurse Ratched have been registered as two of the best performances in the history of cinema. The works of Czech surrealist filmmaker Jan Svakmajer (“Alice”, “Faust”, “Little Otik”, etc) are highly divisive. World Mental Health Day is being spotlighted by two public service initiatives by HBO and Comedy Central, both designed to bring awareness to the health … They also contain the diagnosis, whether obvious or subtle, of the characters involved. However, the side effects induce comas and glitch the brain to repeat that one happy moment. After a good session with an egocentric psychiatrist, Leo (Richard Dreyfuss), he is left to his own devices when the doctor goes out of town with his family. znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr); However, problems arise when he mentions being in love with his sister. “Snake Pit’s” brilliance is justified in the heartrending performance of Olivia de Havilland, who deeply exhibits inner thoughts of an institutionalized schizophrenic. They are thrown in together at a private psychiatric hospital. Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, “Benny and Joon” became a sleeper hit and one of the quintessential “date movies” of the 90s. Paul’s descent into madness starts when he is rejected by the girl he loves. Upon investigating the murder, the police come across the videotape that links her to the crime. Those who have read the memoir might feel the absence of Susanna’s unique voice and dark humor in the visuals, although the ensemble (including Whoopi Goldberg, Jeffrey Tambor & Vanessa Redgrave) delivers a fine-tuned performance. Brainstorm (2000 film) Breaking Dawn (2004 film) Buddha's Little Finger (film) By Reason of Insanity. The film is a light-hearted portrayal of a state asylum and the film’s direction or pacing has nothing much to offer. Colonel Vincent Kane (Stacy Keach in his best role) is appointed as a head psychiatrist to use unusual methods to cure the assortment of weird inmates. Mark Robson’s horror thriller tracks the experiences of a spirited, young girl Nell’s (Anna Lee) efforts to expose the cruelty & reform ‘bedlam’. Although the film’s much-talked-about asylum makes an appearance only after an hour, it doesn’t matter whether the narrative moves within the walls of the mental institution. Hollywood has dramatized mental institutions and the patients within to perfection. Sorry to Bother You (2018) Comedy, fantasy. Session 9 (2001) | Dir. His magnetic eyes and steamy words make some women believe that, including the nurses at the psychiatric institution he has been committed to (“Have you ever loved a woman until milk leaked from her” asks Don). Matsumoto, the legendary underground film-maker of Japan, has designed this film to be a surrealist mind f**k, where we need to pay closer attention like a sane individual. To question the inmates, who had witnessed the killing, Barrett risks his sanity and by trumped-up complaint gets into the mental institution. American author Susanna Kaysen’s memoir relates her brief stay (during the 1960s) in a psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder. One member of the crew plays the tape of a former, dangerous patient with multiple personalities, and Gordon (Peter Mullan), the crew leader, starts to behave mysteriously. 8. The young man’s ‘erotomania’ is assigned to be treated by distinguished psychiatrist Jack Mickler (Brando), who is in the process of reviving his own dispirited marriage. Although the film’s much-talked-about asylum makes an appearance only after an hour, it doesn’t matter whether the narrative moves within the walls of the mental institution. “Ladies and Gentlemen, what you are about to see is a horror film, with all the degeneracy peculiar to that genre. Movies can also be a hit-the-nail-on-the-head portrayal of life, including mental health struggles and relationship problems that counselors hear about on a daily basis. What separates this work from usual melodramatic mental asylum films is that it approaches its characters and their surroundings with sensitivity and understanding. The films stars Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie as two young women who have been admitted to a mental hospital in the late sixties. In the mental hospital, she stubbornly refuses food in favor of battery charge. Sure, there are a lot of bad or inaccurate movies about mental health, but there are also some quality films that tackle issues ranging from dementia to paranoid schizophrenia to anxiety, gaslighting, autism, OCD, depression and others. The eerie, labyrinthine, alienating rooms of the institution pervades like a deadly virus in the mind of Gordon. All Images Property of their Respective Owners. Privacy Policy (http://www.tasteofcinema.com/privacy-notice-and-cookies/) Theme by, Taste of Cinema - Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists, 20 Great Comedies About Mental Illness You Shouldn’t Miss, Taste of Cinema – Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists, The 8 Greatest Comeback Performances in Quentin Tarantino Movies. The film is a light-hearted portrayal of a state asylum and the film’s direction or pacing has nothing much to offer. Films are also guilty of reducing mentally afflicted individuals, placed in the institutions as ‘comical caricatures’. The film’s most unforgettable, the tender scene happens when Lisa goes to an art museum for a field trip. Director: David O. Russell | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver })(); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright; High on Films. It is not a work of art. Media that romanticizes or features graphic acts of violence, especially self-harm and … But, the film does brood over the topics of, 13. He is able to cram in political ideas and social observation through the emotional suffering of the inmates. But, then I have been slightly afflicted since making a movie list is itself a minor act of insanity. Samuel Fuller’s pulp classic takes place inside confined spaces (there is some exotic footage of locations in Japan). Although still mischievous, he agrees to help her with her problems. Middle-class teenager Neto (Rodrigo Santaro—played as Xerxes in “300”) is a normal boy, but feels alienated from his family and hangs out with friends for music & drugs. Even though the film was a financial bomb and received negative reviews, a cult following was established by those who related to … As in these types of films, one tough nut patient named Captain Billy Cutshaw (Scott Wilson) doesn’t buy Kane’s words and argues with him on everything from God to politics. One of 18th century England’s greatest shame was the insane asylum, commonly referred to by Londoners as ‘Bedlam’. But, the film scores full marks in creating a dense, atmospheric visual signature and in the performances by the brilliant ensemble. While the film like many asylum-based works tries to blur or comment on the line between sane & insane in society, it also serves as a vital piece to showcase the alienated life in Scandinavian lands. To question the inmates, who had witnessed the killing, Barrett risks his sanity and by trumped-up complaint gets into the mental institution. As in life, there are many moments here left for us to contemplate on what is concrete and what a hollow delusion is. The story is pretty basic and it’s definitely not a fair critique of the institution’s treatment methods, but Forman’s symbolism combined with Hasker Wexell’s fabulous cinematography gives us a phenomenal dramatic agitation. In New York, Jack (Jeff Bridges) is a self-absorbed radio personality who prompts a deranged caller to commit a mass murder-suicide at a trendy restaurant. One night before attempting suicide, two thugs attack him, but he is rescued by Parry (Robin Williams), a homeless man who is on a mission to find the Holy Grail. Brad Anderson. Directed by Ate de Jong from a story by Elizabeth Livingston, “Drop Dead Fred” is a black comedy that deals with emotional abuse and mental illness. This eulogy for man’s lost humanity will haunt the darkest corridors of our minds. Based on Yumeno Kyusaku’s famous novel, the movie version directed by Toshio Matsumoto deals with the experiences of a young insane man, Kure Ichiro, confined to an Eastern philosophy talking psychiatric doctors of a mental asylum. Based on Mary Jane Ward’s fictionalized memoirs, the film marvelously visualizes (it was the era of Hays Code) the nervous breakdown of a young woman named Virginia, afflicted by repressed childhood trauma. He ends up staying in the adult unit because the youth wing is under renovation. And, finally, I think it is insane of me to mention the words ‘best’ and ‘mental asylum’ in a sentence or statement. And, despite the cutting-edge treatment for mental illness, the word mental asylum (or mental institution or psychiatric hospitals) is another morally grey area. Laís Bodanzky, 10. Frank Perry’s minor art-house film (adapted from a novel by Theodore Rubin) has the premise of a boy-meets-a-girl story. The plot centers on an asbestos abatement crew, winning a bid to do a job in an abandoned insane asylum. We need movies about depression — among other works of art — to help us understand, humanize and sympathize with the many ways people experience depression. Shutter Island (2010) | Martin Scorsese. But, the dynamics between these two central characters never devolves into a stereotype and remain partly humorous & profound until the end. I’m a Cyborg, but that’s OK (2006) | Dir. Rodrigo Santaro stars as a boy whose father catches him smoking weed and sends him to a mental hospital to detox. Suzanne (Nicole Kidman) aspires to be a world-renowned television journalist, and marries the wealthy Larry (Matt Dillon) in order stay financially comfortable as she climbs the corporate news ladder. A team of scientists have developed a new drug that treats extreme cases of depression. Other Similar Lists You Should Check Out: A Complete List of Films Set in A Psychiatric Facility on, psychiatric hospital dance party sequence in Refn’s, fantasy, imagination, and the boredom of harsh reality, Changeling [2008]: Conventional but Captivating, The Handmaiden [2016]: A Perverted Tale of Love & Deceit, 10 Best Movies on Crisis Ridden Facial Surgery, 10 Films About The Aftermaths of Nuclear Holocaust, 3 Films That Accurately Portrayed Drug Addiction, The Shining [1980]: Claustrophobia And Insanity, Minari [2021] Review – A breathtaking effort on family and resilience, In the Earth [2021] Review – Ben Wheatley returns to genre-filmmaking with uneven results. Novelist William Peter Blatty’s (“Exorcist”) directorial debut has attained cult classic status, in the years preceding its lukewarm commercial response. It very much moves like a jigsaw puzzle, where the mystery contracts and expands at different points of the narrative. Even when its reporter protagonist is shown outside the mental institution he is bounded to four walls, obsessed by the risks he wanted to take for attaining the Pulitzer Prize. Those who have read the memoir might feel the absence of Susanna’s unique voice and dark humor in the visuals, although the ensemble (including Whoopi Goldberg, Jeffrey Tambor & Vanessa Redgrave) delivers a fine-tuned performance. Watch out for the painful action when Lisa sees the statue of a mother embracing her infant. Read on. Depression is more than just feeling sad, it’s a severe mental health condition and a mood disorder. The film’s title refers to the indifferent, inhumane treatment prevalent in the run-down state psychiatric facilities. If I am searching for a fundamental or spiritual truth that my society isn’t aware of, am I an insane person? However, her mother is concerned about Elizabeth’s strange behavior and takes her to a child psychologist who prescribes medication that will eradicate her hallucinations. An empathetic doctor Kirk (Leo Glenn) treats her to the era’s new psychotherapy for apprehending the painful memory of Virginia. In both comedy and horror, the best films remind audiences that when our backs are against the wall and we have something to prove, we can seem just as crazy as those in the sanitarium. What is the real meaning of depression? Park Chan-wook. It features memorable performances by Bridges and Williams, along with Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, Michael Jeter, and an uncredited cameo by Tom Waits. Three years later, Jack’s career is over and he lives with his girlfriend, while spending most of his waking moments in a depressive, drunken haze. Brazilian film-maker Lais Bodanzky’s painful docu-drama, similar to “Girl, Interrupted”, chronicles author Mr. Carrano’s stay in a hellish mental asylum for a detox program. So, despite the definitive-sounding title, I might have forgotten to add or discover profound movies related to the topic. You wouldn’t think a movie set in a mental health hospital could be a comedy. In James Mangold’s movie adaptation, Winona Ryder gives the powerful angst-ridden portrayal of Susanna, while Angelina Jolie plays the charming sociopath Lisa. The film also showcases an idealized atmosphere for the mental institution and depicts how certain kinds of mental illnesses could be cured by better communication. Even though the film was a financial bomb and received negative reviews, a cult following was established by those who related to the subject matter. There are usual cliched dialogues & scenarios, but the raw performance of Santaro plus the decadent atmosphere is hard to shake off from our minds. Teddy is there to investigate a disappearance and gradually learns that the missing element is far more elusive than he thought it to be. If I am searching for a fundamental or spiritual truth that my society isn’t aware of, am I an insane person? 12. After a frantic suicide attempt, Veronika awakens inside a mysterious mental asylum. [Disclaimer: This video clip is posted for viewing pleasure and as an archive for good old Tamil songs. Brad Anderson’s horror/mystery is like his future work “The Machinist” is a peek into the dark side of human psychology. In the last 50 or 60 years, mental health awareness has been featured widely in cinema, and the movies included here were released between 1991 through 2014. Henry) lost his wife due to the incident that he provoked, and hopes to redeem himself by helping him find love. Peter Blatty marvelously builds & breaks down the lines that divide rationality and insanity. Directed by Kelly Makin, it stars the Canadian comedy troupe Kids in The Hall, which includes Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson performing as multiple characters. Although it is no laughing matter, many great comedy films have been released about the subject matter. Milos Forman’s stirring classic isn’t just a work that claims for free-spirit in a tyrannical mental facility; it is a powerful anti-establishment drama, reflecting on the mentalities of oppressors and the rare rebellious thinkers, striving to break that humongous wall of sociopolitical limitations. McMurphy’s crusade for liberation or battle of wills provides abundant life lessons and the film’s final image of freedom is rich and impactful in its imagery that it still stays fresh in my mind. var zergnet = document.createElement('script'); The father, when he sees his son smoking joints takes a drastic step by tricking him to confine at a corrupt, mistreating mental asylum. It is almost inconceivable to think of the film’s effectiveness without the terrifying atmosphere of the asylum. Bob suggests that he and Leo become friends, but the doctor feels differently and tries to avoid him at all costs. The unattractive palette of colors makes us comfortable, infusing a certain level of dizziness. The Ninth Configuration (1980) | Dir. 2021 High On Films Annual Awards (HOFAA) Winners, Here’s why Michaela Coel’s ‘I May Destroy You’ blows ‘Fleabag’ out of the water, Oscars 2021: The Best Picture Nominees, Ranked, 10 Essential Award Winning Assamese Movies Of The Decade (2010s). Only here, the boy David (Keir Dullea) plays an extremely intelligent boy, who turns aggressive when touched. After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. As one definition goes, being insane means that we are in a state of mind which prevents normal perception or social behavior. 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