Films about mental disorders dare to choose to watch, not every viewer, however, well-known directors have been exploiting this gloomy topic for decades. Crazy people year after year become the heroes of dramas, thrillers, fantasy films and even comedies. The action can take place both in a mental hospital, and beyond. So, what “crazy” and at the same time fascinating pictures will help brighten up the evening?
Mental Disorders Films: Classic
Stories about crazy people interested directors almost a century ago. Not surprisingly, such an old film project as “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, which was released back in 1931, remains relevant. Calling the most fascinating films about mental disorders, one can not help but mention this story, the main character of which was the inhabitant of Victorian London. Professor Henry Jekyll gives the impression of a respectable citizen. However, another person lives in him, with whom it is better not to meet others. By the way, the game of Frederick March, who embodied the image of Jekyll, was awarded the Oscar.
Films about mental disorders in their current form would not have existed without such a picture as Psycho, which was presented to the audience in 1960. The young thief Marion is trying to hide in a small town, she keeps a large amount of money, "borrowed" from other people. The trip is tiring, the heroine decides to spend the night in a motel. Owner Norman Bates seems like a nice guy to her, but the first impression, as often happens, turns out to be misleading.
Island of the Damned (2009)
The sensational film project, star of which was actor Leonardo di Caprio, is also impossible to overlook, listing action films about mental disorders. The central characters of the story are federal marshals, who, on duty, find themselves on the territory of a psychiatric hospital built on a rocky island. The task facing them is the search for the missing patient.
When conducting an investigation, the heroes face various obstacles, the main of which is a hurricane. Weather troubles almost cut them off from the outside world, it is impossible to leave the island. The secrets that the character of DiCaprio learns during the operation scare all the more. The denouement of history can impress impressionable audiences to the core.
Film projects of the 70-90s
Viewers who like to watch pictures taken in the last century can pay attention to relatively old films about mental hospitals. You can start with the fascinating thriller "Flying Over the Cuckoo's Nest", released in 1975. The main role in this tape went to the unrivaled Jack Nicholson. The director invites viewers to plunge into the world of a mental hospital, the inhabitant of which is a central character. The hero is not at all crazy, he just wants to get rid of the threatening term for robbery. The first days of his stay in the hospital are fun, becoming an informal leader of the insane, he ignores the orders of the staff. However, the reckoning will not take long.
Going through successful films about mental hospitals, one cannot fail to mention the film “The Resurrection of Cain”, which was released in 1992. The psychiatrist conducts illegal research, and kidnapped children become experimental rabbits for him. Professor Cain’s own son didn’t escape this fate, whose experiments brought to a split personality. The young man easily takes the form of other people, forcing others to believe him.
The Dark Stream (2012)
People who want to be scared properly should opt for high-quality horror movies. Perfectly fits the tape "Dark Stream", which saw the light in 2012. The plot at first glance may seem trite, but the audience is waiting for unexpected turns of events.
The action takes place in an abandoned mental hospital, which for many years has not been used for its intended purpose. A terrible story is associated with this place, but this does not stop the members of the crew. The clinic seems to them a great place to remove the chilling horror film without unnecessary expenses. How will the risky event end? This is known only to those who watch the Dark Stream to the end. The film project is attractive enough unpredictable ending.
The scariest stories
The horror about the mental hospital will appeal to the most fearless spectators. "Chamber" - a movie that saw the light in 2010. The main character is a seemingly ordinary girl Kristen, who, by the will of fate, was locked up in a psychiatric hospital. Terrible things happen in the clinic, frightening sounds prevent its inhabitants from resting at night. In addition, patients disappear one after another. The ending of this story makes a strong impression.
In such a category as qualitative horrors about a mental hospital, it is worth adding the film project "Gothic", presented to the audience in 2003. The main character is played by the wonderful actress Holly Berry. Her character is a female psychiatrist, who turns an inexplicable incident into a patient in her native hospital. The reason is the suspicion of brutal murder. The situation is complicated by the fact that the heroine is not able to remember anything about this matter.
The plot is taken from life
Many schizophrenic films are based on real events. Among these tapes is also Sibylla. The story begins with the fact that the main character comes for examination to a psychiatrist. During the conversation, the specialist learns that the girl suffers from memory lapses. As a result, it turns out that 16 personalities coexist in it. Each of them has its own nationality and age, has a special character. Shirley Mason became the prototype of Sibyl, who became a victim of abuse by her mother.
“Mind Games” is a story whose main character becomes the brilliant mathematician Nash. John lives only by science, at an early age he achieves significant success. His life changes when he is found by a representative of the CIA and invites him to become a secret employee of this organization. The prototype of the protagonist was the Nobel laureate Nash, who really suffered from schizophrenia.
“Veronica decides to die” (2009)
A girl who is only 30 years old suddenly discovers that her life is empty and boring. The work is tired, I did not succeed in creating a family, there are no goals and only old age is ahead. After thinking about all this, Veronica makes a radical decision - to commit suicide. She carries out her plan, attempting poisoning.
The girl is saved, but she is forced to become a patient in a psychiatric hospital. In addition, the main character finds out that she has only a few days left to live, since the drug taken in large quantities negatively affected the work of the heart. Suddenly, Veronica realizes that she does not want to die at all. Other residents of the psychiatric hospital help her realize this.
What else to see
Good split personality films can keep the audience on alert for the rest of the viewing. For example, you can see the picture "Identification", the central character of which is accused of several crimes. The main difficulty is that the hero suffers from a split personality. It coexists at once several different from each other people who alternately gain the upper hand.
Remembering the films about the split personality, it is impossible to lose sight of the Fight Club, one of the main roles in which Brad Pitt played. The central character is a shy person working in a car company. The hero is tormented by insomnia, a sense of anxiety does not leave him during the day. Suddenly a friend appears in his life, seeming to be his exact opposite.
Another fascinating thriller on this subject is The Secret Window, in which Johnny Depp starred. The character of the actor is a famous writer who is gradually losing his mind.
Cognitive projects
Documentary films about mental disorders are shown to the most curious viewers who want to know what secrets actually hide clinics for the mentally ill. An example of such a picture is “On the Other Side of the Soul”. The audience of the film learns all about schizophrenia, down to the history of the origin of the term. Viewers will get acquainted with the causes of the disease, learn the mechanisms of its development. Information is presented in a simple form, the creators of the picture are not keen on complex terms.
“Psychiatric hospital. Days and Nights ”is a documentary project for those who are interested in how the life of patients in a closed clinic proceeds. Filming is being conducted in a hospital, the inhabitants of which are dangerous criminals convicted of serious crimes.
This is how the most fascinating films about mental disorders look like.