Films Illustrating Psychopathology Danny Wedding Mary Ann Boyd ...

250 Movies and Mental Illness
Personal Velocity (2002) Drama ΨΨΨ
Independent film about three strong women divided
into three segments. One segment addresses
issues of domestic violence.
“She imagined going back to him
like she had done so many times
before but this time her body
wouldn’t follow.”
Narration on the escape
from an abusive husband
in Personal Velocity
Play Misty for Me (1971) Thriller ΨΨΨ
The first film directed by Clint Eastwood. A
California disc jockey becomes involved with
a listener who is clinging, dependent, fanatical,
and ultimately homicidal. Interesting portrayal of
sexual obsession.
Prick Up Your Ears (1987) Biography ΨΨΨΨ
A film showing the homosexual relationship and
eventual murder/suicide of playwright Joe Orton
and his lover.
Rampage (1992) Thriller ΨΨΨ
This movie, directed by William Friedkin, challenges
many of the assumptions educated people
are likely to hold about the insanity defense.
Rashomon (1950) Drama ΨΨΨΨΨ
Classic Akira Kurosawa film in which a rape-murder
is described from four different perspectives by
the four people involved. The film makes the point
that reality is subjective and that truth, like beauty,
is truly in the eye of the beholder.
Reservoir Dogs (1992) Drama ΨΨΨ
Extremely violent but powerful Tarantino film
with a graphic and realistic torture scene in which
a sociopathic sadist derives great pleasure from
using a razor to slowly torment a bound and
gagged undercover police officer.
River’s Edge (1986) Drama ΨΨΨΨ
A riveting film based on a true-life incident in
which a young man kills his girlfriend and then
shows the decomposing body to a series of friends.
It takes days before one of his friends finally notifies
authorities about the murder.
Rope (1948) ΨΨ
Experimental Hitchcock film about two young
homosexual men who kill a friend for sport and
then hide the body in a room in which they are
hosting a cocktail party. Based on the Leopold-
Loeb case.
Santa Sangre (1989) Horror ΨΨΨΨ
A controversial but unquestionably powerful
Jodorowsky film about a boy growing up in bizarre
circumstances. There are strong themes of violence
and incest. Roger Ebert called this film “a collision
between Freud and Fellini.”
Saving Private Ryan (1998) War/Action ΨΨΨ
Steven Spielberg World War II film regarded by
some as the most realistic and powerful war film
ever made.
Series 7: The Contenders (2001) Suspense/
Comedy ΨΨΨ
Highly violent, tongue-in-cheek film about a reality
television show where the contestants must seek
out and kill one another.
“Now I’m not gonna bullshit you.
I don’t really care about what you
know or don’t know. I’m gonna
torture you for a while regardless.
Not to get information, but
because torturing a cop amuses
me. There’s nothing you can say,
there’s nothing you can do.
Except pray for death.”
The sadistic Mr. Blonde
in Reservoir Dogs
Seven (1995) Drama ΨΨΨ
Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt star in this engrossing
film about a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) who is
obsessed with the seven deadly sins (pride, envy,
gluttony, lust, anger, covetousness, and sloth) and
who kills his victims accordingly (e.g., a man who
is gluttonous is forced to eat until he dies from
overeating).
Seven Beauties (1976) Comedy/Drama ΨΨΨ
Lina Wertmuller film in which the protagonist (the
brother of the seven sisters alluded to in the title)
must perform degrading sexual acts for the female
From: Wedding, D., Boyd, M.A., & Niemiec, R.M. Movies and Mental Illness: Using Films to Understand Psychopathology
© 2005 Hogrefe & Huber Publishers (www.hogrefe.com)