Mental health is still considered a taboo subject. This is not surprising, since people are used to being afraid of what they don’t understand. Today we will lift the veil of mystery – our selection includes the best movies about split personality and rare mental disorders. They will amaze you to the core and take you one step closer to understanding the secret corners of consciousness.
Joker
- Rating IMDB – 8.4
- Genre: Drama, crime, thriller
- Production USA, Canada / 2019
- Budget: $55,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $1,074,251,311
- Director by Todd Phillips
- Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham, Bill Camp, Glenn Fleshler, Lee Gill, Josh Paice
Gotham City 1981. In a city steeped in crime and vice, gangs of looters and hoodlums are rampaging. One of these is confronted by Arthur Fleck, a hapless comic who lives with his ailing mother in a modest apartment.
The man suffers from a rare neurological disorder that manifests itself in uncontrollable laughter in ordinary situations. It is because of laughter that a group of thugs attack Arthur in a subway car. He kills his attackers, after which a new personality and the menace of Gotham, the Joker, is born.
This is the only movie about the story of Batman and the anti-hero that is rated R because of the violent scenes.
Shutter Island
- Rating IMDB – 8.2
- Genre: Thriller, detective, drama
- US production / 2009
- Budget: $80,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $294,804,195
- Director Martin Scorsese
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley, Ted Levine, John Carroll Lynch
In the fall of 1954, Marshals Teddy and Chuck travel to Shutter Island, near Boston, to investigate the disappearance of Rachel, a child molester serving time in an asylum for the criminally insane.
During the course of the investigation, Teddy is plagued by severe headaches and visions of the past. Unpleasant memories are exacerbated when he meets Dr. Nering. After that, the hero interviews the patients and one of them sneaks a message into Teddy’s notebook – Run.
In the film, the main character uses a Parker Jotter ballpoint pen. This pen went on sale in 1954 and was enormously popular in America, gradually replacing the sale of ink.
A Beautiful Mind
- Rating IMDB – 8.2
- Genre: Drama, biography, melodrama
- US production / 2001
- Budget: $58,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $313,542,341
- Director Ron Howard
- Cast: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, Jason Gray-Stanford, Judd Hirsh
This biographical drama tells the story of John Nash, from college entrance to old age. It begins when a promising mathematician arrives at Princeton, where he has little contact with anyone and no classes, devoting all his free time to scientific research.
Next Nash continues his career as a teacher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he meets his future wife Alicia. At this time, the hero is approached by a CIA employee who asks the scientist to help the government decipher a secret code. This meeting will change the life of Nash and the entire scientific community forever.
The film about a genius with a mental disorder is based on real events. However, the film was criticized because of the distortion of some biographical facts. For example, the movie presented Nash’s hallucinations as auditory and visual, although in life he suffered only from voices in his head.
Secret Window
- Rating IMDB – 6.5
- Genre: Thriller, detective
- US production / 2004
- Budget: $40,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $92,913,171
- Directed by David Koepp
- Cast: Johnny Depp, John Turturro, Maria Bello, Timothy Hutton, Charles S. Dutton, Len Cariou, Joan Heaney, John Dunn-Hill, Vlasta Vrana, Matt Holland
The popular writer Mort Rainey is experiencing a creative crisis. After his wife’s adultery, he retreats to a house by the sea, where he lives with his old dog, and drinks alcohol to soothe his grief. This continues until a mysterious man in a black hat appears in Rainey’s life.
Calling himself Cockney Shooter, he accuses the hero of stealing his story and appropriating all the glory for himself. In addition, the mysterious gentleman is unhappy that Rainey has changed the ending of his masterpiece, because in the original, the hero’s wife dies. Mort arranges a meeting with the stranger in a few days, when he will find the right magazine with his authorship as proof of honesty, but this issue has long been out of stock, and a copy will have to wait a very long time.
The film is an adaptation of Stephen King’s story Secret Window, Secret Garden.
The name of the main character Mort translates from Latin as death.
Donnie Darko
- Rating IMDB – 8.0
- Genre: Fantasy, thriller, drama, detective
- US production / 2001
- Budget: $6,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $2,962,988
- Director Richard Kelly
- Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osbourne, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, Drew Barrymore, James Duvall, Kathryn Ross
A withdrawn high school student, Donnie lives with his parents and sisters in a small town in Virginia. One night he wakes up and meets a man dressed as a white rabbit, who tells him that the world is going to end in less than a month. Donnie then wakes up on the golf course and walks back home.
There he discovers that a huge airplane engine has fallen on his room, but he miraculously survives. After that, Donnie tries to make sense of what is happening. In order to do that, he has to meet an old lady, Roberta Sparrow, who has once written a book about time travel.
The film was filmed in 28 days. The events in the film are also developed within 28 days.
Memento
- Rating IMDB – 8.4
- Genre: Thriller, detective, drama, crime
- US production / 2000
- Budget: $9,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $39,723,096
- Director Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior, Russ Fega, Jorja Fox, Stephen Tobolowsky, Harriet Sansom Harris, Thomas Lennon, Callum Keith Rennie
Leonard Shelby is an insurance agent with a rare form of amnesia in which the man forgets the events of the previous day upon awakening. He dresses well and drives an expensive car, but always stays in cheap roadside motels so as not to draw attention to himself.
The hero remembers that his goal is to find his wife’s killer, who fled the scene of the crime many years ago. The man meticulously puts together every memory, clue, and found thread of the case into a picture of events. He leaves himself messages every night for the next day, so as not to miss or forget anything, for there is not much left before he meets the killer.
Since 2001, the picture has been listed annually as one of the Top 250 films in history by the Internet Movie Database, and in 2017 it was listed on the National Film Registry.
American Psycho
- Rating IMDB – 7.6
- Genre: Drama, сrime, thriller
- Production USA, Canada / 2000
- Budget: $7,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $34,266,564
- Directed by Mary Harron
- Cast: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Josh Lucas, Reese Witherspoon, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, Jared Leto, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross
The life of young investor Patrick Bateman revolves around social gatherings, expensive restaurants and business meetings. But the need to maintain a flawless appearance constantly burdens the hero, so he takes out his rage on those around him by means of elaborate murders.
First, Bateman preys on homeless people and prostitutes, and then he gets his colleague Paul Allen out of the way, removing all suspicion from himself. At some point, the monster living inside the prim banker bursts out, and he begins to kill anyone who stands in his way or asks uncomfortable questions.
Christian Bale had been preparing for his role for about a year and a half. To get an athletic body, the actor trained every day for several hours during the year. It took him about four more months to visit dentists and cosmetologists.
Filth
- Rating IMDB – 7.0
- Genre: Crime, comedy, drama
- Production UK, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, USA / 2013
- Worldwide gross: $8,377,987
- Directed by John S. Baird
- Cast: James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan, Jim Broadbent, Imogen Poots, Shauna MacDonald, Shirley Henderson, John Sessions, Gary Lewis, Iman Elliott
Bruce Robertson is an Edinburgh police detective who is eager to get a promotion. To do this, he needs to solve the case of the murder of a student in an underpass and outdo the rest of his colleagues in the profession.
From the outside it seems as if he knows who the killer is, but hides it in every way. After his wife left him, Bruce stopped seeing the beauty of the world. Now there is only filth in his eyes, and he willingly shares his vilest desires and predilections with those around him.
At first, the director did not see James McAvoy as the main character – he was too handsome and young. But at the audition, the actor managed to surprise with his dark side.
Split
- Rating IMDB – 7.3
- Genre: Thriller, horror
- Production USA, Japan / 2017
- Budget: $9,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $278,454,358
- Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
- Cast: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Izzy Coffey, Brad William Henke, Sebastian Arcelus, Neil Huff, Uki Washington
Kevin is a tormented guy with multiple personalities living in his body. They force him to kidnap three teenage girls to perform a ritual of sacrifice. While the girls are imprisoned and waiting for their hour of death, the most terrifying personality – the Beast – materializes in the boy’s mind, soon to break free and wipe out all the impure.
This is Shyamalan’s second work, set in a fictional universe (the first film was Unbreakable). The third cohesive part of Glass premieres in 2019.
All 23 of Kevin’s identities are listed in the credits.
10 Cloverfield Lane
- Rating IMDB – 7.2
- Genre: Thriller, drama, fantasy
- US production / 2016
- Budget: $15,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $110,216,998
- Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
- Cast: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr., Douglas M. Griffin, Suzanne Cryer, Bradley Cooper, Sumalee Montano, Frank Mottek
Waking up after an accident in the basement, a young girl sees a man who claims to have saved her life. He assures her that they are in a bunker deep underground, while outside the window there is chaos and apocalypse due to unknown creatures from outer space. At first Michelle tries to get out of the maniac’s lair, but then accepts her fate after receiving evidence of other people being infected. But one day, she meets a surviving boyfriend, with whom she decides to escape.
The film was shot under conditions of utmost secrecy. Even the performers of the main roles did not know the name of the project.
Antichrist
- Rating IMDB – 6.5
- Genre: Horror, thriller, drama
- Production Denmark, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Poland / 2009
- Budget: $11,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $6,983,220
- Directed by Lars von Trier
- Cast: Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Storm Akeke Sahlström
A middle-aged couple loses their only son–the little boy accidentally falls out the window. The child’s mother suffers from guilt and cannot forgive herself for this terrible tragedy. While the father of the child, a psychotherapist, is trying to help his wife through the grief. In order to do so, he takes her to an old cabin by the woods, where the couple are immersed in a strange world of symbolism and madness.
In the erotic scenes, the main actors were replaced by members of the porn industry.
Identity
- Rating IMDB – 7.3
- Genre: Thriller, detective
- US production / 2003
- Budget: $28,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $90,259,536
- Director James Mangold
- Cast: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, John C. McGinley, William Lee Scott, Jake Busey, Pruitt Taylor Vince
During a terrible downpour, ten strangers stop at a roadside motel, seeking shelter to wait out the weather. However, they soon realize that their safe haven has turned into a death trap for them: one of the visitors disappears, then they find the lifeless body of another guest. It becomes clear that a serial killer is operating here. He must be exposed and stopped before he takes the lives of others.
According to the creators, the script was based on Agatha Christie’s book 10 Negro Kids.
The rain on the set was created artificially, but the actors were getting really wet and cold. They had to work 10-12 hours a day in wet clothes, under cold water jets blown by fans.
Stay
- Rating IMDB – 6.7
- Genre: Thriller, drama, detective
- US production / 2005
- Budget: $50,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $8,342,132
- Director Mark Forster
- Cast: Ewan McGregor, Ryan Gosling, Naomi Watts, Kate Burton, Elizabeth Reaser, Bob Hoskins, Janine Garofalo, B.D. Wong, John Tormi, Jose Ramon Rosario
Young student Henry Letham is on the verge of insanity. At one of his meetings, he tells his therapist, Sam Foster, that he will kill himself that Saturday night. To rid the boy of his obsessive thoughts, the therapist sets out with his patient on a walk through New York City at night. During the journey, Sam begins to gradually sink into Henry’s thoughts, losing touch with reality.
A popular artist named Tristan, who is repeatedly mentioned in the film, is actually a fictional character.
The Jacket
- Rating IMDB – 7.1
- Genre: Thriller, fantasy, detective, drama
- Production USA, Germany / 2004
- Budget: $29,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $21,126,225
- Directed by John Maybury
- Cast: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kelly Lynch, Brad Renfro, Daniel Craig, Stephen Mackintosh, Brendan Coyle, Mackenzie Phillips
War veteran Jack Starks recovers from his wounds and returns to his hometown. However, the injury does not let him forget. The man suffers from terrible headaches and bouts of amnesia.
When he is accused of killing a police officer, the officers send the man to a psychiatric hospital. There, the doctors decide to use their own approaches to awaken memories. They put a straitjacket on Jack and place him in a morgue chamber. While under the influence of the drugs, the man is transported to the future, where he meets Jackie. Together with the girl, he tries to escape his fate, to save himself and her from imminent death.
Adrien Brody took a responsible approach to preparing for the role. He worked out hard and followed a protein diet to look more muscular. And before filming the scenes in the box, the actor spent several hours in a locked room.
The Machinist
- Rating IMDB – 7.7
- Genre: Thriller, drama
- Production Spain, France, UK, USA / 2003
- Budget: $5,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $8,203,235
- Director Brad Anderson
- Cast: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, John Sharian, Michael Ironside, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Reg Y. Cathy, Anna Massey, Matthew Romero Moore, Robert Long
Another unusual film about a hero with a mental disorder tells the story of machine operator Trevor Resnick. Because of his mental torment, the man is plagued by monstrous insomnia, which has turned the sturdy man into a living skeleton.
Balancing on the edge of sleep and reality, he ceases to distinguish between frightening visions, flashes from the past, and the daily grind. He has no friends, and the only people he interacts with are Stevie, a prostitute, and Marie, a waitress at the cafe. Resnick knows that the clue to his condition lies in his past. To find answers, he plays a dangerous game with his subconscious.
For the role of Reznik, Christian Bale lost 30 kg, which is a record for actors. During the filming his weight did not exceed 50 kg, and his food intake for the day was limited to a can of tuna fish and an apple.
The shoot took place in the Spanish capital, Barcelona. To recreate the image of Los Angeles, the designers had to work hard, adding many American objects like cigarettes, store signs, traffic lights, license plates, street signs, etc. to the shots.
Mulholland Dr.
- Rating IMDB – 7.9
- Genre: Thriller, drama, detective
- Production USA, France / 2001
- Budget: $15,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $20,117,339
- Director David Lynch
- Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Mark Pellegrino, Angelo Badalamenti, Dan Hedaya, Robert Forster, Brent Briscoe, Patrick Fischler
After the accident, the mysterious girl chooses a new name, Rita, and goes to Hollywood, wanting to start her life with a clean slate. But the shadows of the past do not hurry to let the young beauty go. She is tormented by memories and unanswered questions. Who were the two men who died in the car? And why do the police claim she was kidnapped?
The film is dedicated to actress Jennifer Syme, whose life path was cut short too soon…
La Pianiste
- Rating IMDB – 7.5
- Genre: Drama, music
- Production France, Austria, Germany / 2001
- Budget: ATS 70 000 000
- Worldwide gross: $6,749,315
- Directed by Michael Haneke
- Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot, Benoît Magimel, Suzanne Lothar, Udo Zamel, Anna Sigalevich, Cornelia Kongden, Thomas Weinhappel, Georg Friedrich, Philippe Heiss
Erika is an attractive, but not old, professor at the Vienna Conservatory. She loves Schubert and Schumann compositions most of all, but she herself is far from in harmony with the world. The woman still sleeps in the same bed with her mother, shuns those around her, and lives with thoughts of her perverted fantasies. When a talented student, Walter, falls in love with her, she shocks him with her behavior and her list of intimate demands.
The performer of the main role, Isabelle Huppert, really plays the piano. She has studied music for more than ten years in the past.
Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (dilogy)
- Rating IMDB – 6.9
- Genre: Drama
- Production Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium / 2013
- Worldwide gross: $13,545,832
- Directed by Lars von Trier
- Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stacey Martin, Stellan Skarsgard, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, Uma Thurman, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Jens Albinus, Nicholas Bro, Felicity Gilbert
An elderly bachelor finds a battered woman in an alley. He takes her to his home, gives her medical attention, and asks her about what happened. The woman tells the stranger her life story, filled with lust, sensual pleasures, and intimate details.
Lars von Trier’s erotic drama completes his Depression Trilogy, which includes Melancholia and Antichrist.
During the filming all the participants in the process were occupied only with their work. They were forbidden to have contact with the outside world, for example, to surf social networks or read the news.
Black Swan
- Rating IMDB – 8.0
- Genre: Drama, thriller
- US production / 2010
- Budget: $13,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $329,398,046
- Director Darren Aronofsky
- Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder, Sebastian Stan, Toby Hemingway, Benjamin Millepied, Xenia Solo, Christina Anapau
Diligent ballerina Nina from childhood dreamed of conquering the big stage. When she gets the coveted role of prima ballerina, the girl gets a young and talented rival, Lily, who threatens to take away all the important roles. The rivalry between the dancers gradually intensifies as the premiere of the ballet approaches, and meanwhile Nina reveals her unusual side.
Director Darren Aronofsky tried to keep a competitive spirit between the actresses. He sent them frightening messages about each other’s performances. However, in life it had the opposite effect – Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis became friends.
Gone Girl
- Rating IMDB – 8.1
- Genre: Thriller, drama, detective
- US production / 2014
- Budget: $61,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $369,330,363
- Directed by David Fincher
- Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Patrick Fugit, David Clennon, Lisa Baines, Missi Pyle
Before the anniversary celebration, Nick’s wife disappears without a trace. The house shows signs of a struggle, which someone ineptly tried to disguise, and clues to the treasure hunt game are left behind. Amy arranged this game every year for her husband as a gift. It seems that this puzzle is where the mystery of the woman’s disappearance lies.
Ben Affleck’s birthday coincides with the birthday of his character Nick Dana – August 15.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Rating IMDB – 7.7
- Genre: Drama, comedy
- US production / 2014
- Budget: $18,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $103,215,094
- Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Cast: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Lindsey Duncan, Damian Young, Jeremy Shamos
Regan Thompson is a forgotten American actor who rose to fame by playing a superhero. He decides to regain his former glory by taking part in the production of a Broadway musical. Trying to do everything perfectly, leads the hero to despair.
Since the film’s meager budget did not allow the creators to build New York City sets, on location filming took place in the streets of the city.
Some scenes, such as the hero’s walk through Times Square without outerwear, were filmed in one take.
I Am Sam
- Rating IMDB – 7.6
- Genre: Drama
- US production / 2001
- Budget: $22,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $97,818,139
- Director Jesse Nelson
- Cast: Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning, Dianne Wiest, Loretta Devine, Richard Schiff, Laura Dern, Brad Silverman, Joseph Rosenberg, Stanley DeSantis
The protagonist, Sam Dawson, is a 40-year-old man with the intelligence of a little boy. He works as a waiter in a cafe and survives only because of his daughter Lucy. The girl grew up to be a full-fledged human being and could have continued to take care of her father, but social services removed the child from the family. Sam then hires a lawyer, Rita, to regain the right to raise Lucy. As she works on the case, Rita herself receives some important advice on how to be a parent.
Three men with disabilities (mental retardation) played essentially themselves. The men are members of an organization that helps people with developmental delays adapt in society.
Little Miss Sunshine
- Rating IMDB – 7.8
- Genre: Drama, comedy
- US production / 2006
- Budget: $8,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $100,523,181
- Directed by Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
- Cast: Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Dean Norris, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Mark Turtletaub
Olive is a young family favorite. Her dream is to win a children’s beauty contest. But her parents and other relatives are too preoccupied with their own problems and neuroses to pay attention to the child. The only one who helps Olive prepare for the pageant is her junkie grandfather. In the end, he is the one who insists that their whole crazy family get together and travel to California to help Olive win the beauty crown.
In the scenes of the contest, all the young contestants and their parents are the real contenders of the children’s beauty contest.
Five yellow vans were used during the filming.
Silver Linings Playbook
- Rating IMDB – 7.7
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, comedy
- US production / 2012
- Budget: $21,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $236,412,453
- Directed by David O. Russell
- Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher, John Ortiz, Shay Whigham, Julia Stiles, Paul Herman
A former schoolteacher named Pat, after spending more than six months in a mental institution, returns to his parents’ home. He is obsessed with the idea of reuniting with his ex-wife, whom he has no right to approach by court order.
However, meeting the oddball neighbor Tiffany changes the man’s plans and ignites in him a love for life. Together they start dancing at an amateur studio and even plan to take part in an annual tournament.
The film is based on the novel by Matthew Quick A Silver Ray of Hope. In the American version, the picture has the same title as the book, but in the Russian dubbing they changed the title.
Seven Psychopaths
- Rating IMDB – 7.1
- Genre: Comedy, crime
- Production UK, USA / 2012
- Budget: $15,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $32,226,382
- Directed by Martin McDonagh
- Cast: Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Tom Waits, Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko, Zeljko Ivanek, Michael Pitt, Michael Stuhlbarg
A hapless writer has lost his inspiration and cannot finish the manuscript of his new book. By chance, he is dragged into the kidnapping of a dog, planned by two baloney friends. A little later it turns out that the stolen dog is the only beloved creature of the local gangster, who needs nothing, to find and punish the kidnappers.
Tom Waits, learning that he would have to star with rabbits, agreed to participate in the project, not even reading the script.
The Wackness
- Rating IMDB – 6.9
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, comedy
- Production UK, USA / 2008
- Budget: $6,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $3,175,469
- Directed by Jonathan Levin
- Cast: Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby, Mary-Kate Olsen, Jane Adams, Method Man, Aaron Yu, Talia Balsam, David Wahl
Summer of 1994. The streets of New York City are filled with hip-hop music and cigarette smoke. The city’s new mayor, Rudolph Guliani, takes office and begins to fight crime, drunkenness, graffiti on walls and drug couriers.
Meanwhile, young dealer Luke finds a kindred spirit in his psychiatrist, Dr. Squiris. They decide to use illegal substances in their sessions, while immersing themselves in the madness of the metropolis.
The film is set in 1994, although in some scenes you can see BMW 7 Series cars that were produced in 2002-2008.
We Need to Talk About Kevin
- Rating IMDB – 7.5
- Genre: Thriller, drama, detective
- Production UK, USA / 2010
- Budget: $7,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $9,232,318
- Directed by Lynn Ramsey
- Cast: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell, Rock Der, Ashley Gerasimovich, Siobhan Fallon, Alex Manette, Kenneth Franklin, Leslie Lyles
Most films about people with mental disorders do not answer the question – why did they become like that? But in the adaptation of the novel by Lionel Shriver, the creators try to lift the veil of mystery.
The main character is a former writer Eve, who gave up her career and professional ambitions to concentrate on raising her son. From birth the boy was a problem – he constantly cried, and at age 3 he didn’t even know how to talk. At fifteen, Kevin did something irreparable, so Eva tries to remember through flashbacks what she did wrong. Did she love her son enough and what was her fault for what happened?
The lead actress Tilda Swinton became a producer of the film even before she decided to play it.
The film won many awards, and after its screening at the Cannes Film Festival, it received a 10-minute ovation.
Fight Club
- Rating IMDB – 8.8
- Genre: Thriller, drama, crime
- Production USA, Germany / 1999
- Budget: $63,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $100 853 753
- Directed by David Fincher
- Cast: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier, Holt McCallany, Jared Leto, Eion Bailey, Richmond Arquette, David Andrews
An insurance agent suffers from chronic insomnia and an inability to escape his boring life. One day on a business trip he meets a certain Tyler Durden, a soap salesman and rebel with an unusual philosophy of life. Tyler is convinced that self-improvement and the pursuit of hoarding are entertainment for wimps. The only thing worth fighting for is freedom and the destruction of the current world order.
The film is based on the book of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The idea for the novel came to the author after a fight with his neighbors.
Forrest Gump
- Rating IMDB – 8.8
- Genre: Drama, comedy, melodrama, history, military
- US production / 1994
- Budget: $55,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $677,387,716
- Directed by Robert Zemeckis
- Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Sally Field, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Michael Conner Humphrey, Hannah R. Hall, Sam Anderson, Siobhan Fallon, Rebecca Williams
Sitting at the bus stop, an oddball but kind and helpful guy named Forrest Gump tells the story of his amazing life to random passersby. From an early age he suffered from a disease that prevented him from walking. For this, the local boys teased him until one day Forrest discovered his unique talent for running. After that, he accomplished a military feat, achieved the American dream, and met the love of his life again – his childhood friend Jenny.
During the filming of soccer scenes, the actor caught a bad cold, but despite his weakness, he persevered through all the working shifts.
Rain Man
- Rating IMDB – 8.0
- Genre: Drama
- US production / 1988
- Budget: $25,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $354 825 435
- Director Barry Levinson
- Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen, Jack Murdoch, Michael D. Roberts, Ralph Seymour, Lucinda Janney, Bonnie Hunt, Kim Robillard
A young businessman, Charlie Babbitt, discovers that his millionaire father left his entire fortune not to him, but to his older brother Raymond, of whom the boy had no idea. Raymond is autistic and has been living in an asylum since childhood.
Determined to get justice, Charlie kidnaps his brother to get half of his inheritance. But when it turns out that Raymond has a phenomenal memory and outstanding mathematical abilities, the hero decides to use this for his own ends.
Dustin Hoffman was originally supposed to play Charlie, but when the actor saw the autistic genius Leslie Lemke, he admired him so much that he decided to play the role of Raymond.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
- Rating IMDB – 7.7
- Genre: Drama
- US production / 1993
- Budget: $11,000,000
- US fees: $10,032,765
- Directed by Lasse Hallström
- Cast: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenbergen, Darlene Cates, Laura Harrington, Mary Kate Shellhardt, Kevin Tai, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover
A boy named Gilbert lives in a tiny town in Iowa. He has two sisters, an imbecile brother, and an obese mother. Gilbert works at the local convenience store to support his family and has an affair with a married woman. But his life changes dramatically when mysterious beauty Becky comes to town.
The photo of young Mrs. Grape is a real photo of actress Darlene Cates in her youth.
The Virgin Suicides
- Rating IMDB – 7.2
- Genre: Drama, melodrama
- Production USA, Canada / 1999
- Budget: $9,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $10,409,377
- Director Sofia Coppola
- Cast: James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, Michael Pare, Scott Glenn, Danny DeVito, A.J. Cook, Hannah R. Hall, Leslie Hayman
The Lisbon family has five teenage sisters growing up. When one of the girls commits suicide, the remaining sisters become the object of close attention from the residents of the small town, and especially from the boys. Wishing to shield their daughters from the outside world, the parents stop all interaction with the outside world, and then forbid the girls to leave the house at all.
The film is a film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Jeffrey Eugenides and the directorial debut of Sofia Coppola.
Girl, Interrupted
- Rating IMDB – 7.3
- Genre: Drama, biography
- Production Germany, USA / 1999
- Budget: $40,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $48,350,205
- Director James Mangold
- Cast: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall, Brittany Murphy, Elisabeth Moss, Jared Leto, Jeffrey Tambor, Vanessa Redgrave, Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Bettis
Susanna is only 18 years old, but she no longer sees any meaning in life. After being diagnosed, she is rehabilitated in a closed psychiatric institution. There she meets a neighbor, Lisi, who helps her rise from the bottom.
The film is based on the autobiographical novel by Susannah Kaysen, who was treated at a clinic in 1967.
Most of the scenes were filmed in a real psychiatric hospital in Pennsylvania.
As Good as It Gets
- Rating IMDB – 7.7
- Genre: Drama, melodrama, comedy
- US production / 1997
- Budget: $50,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $314,178,011
- Directed by James L. Brooks
- Cast: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr., Skeet Ulrich, Shirley Knight, Yeardley Smith, Lupe Ontiveros, Randall Batinkoff, Jesse James
Melvin is an unstable writer who shuns people and any expression of feelings. Because of his eccentric behavior, he has no friends and people around him try to avoid him. But everything changes after Melvin has to take care of the neighbor’s dog, which gradually reveals loyalty, mercy and kindness in the hero.
A dog named Verdell was played by six Brussels Griffon dogs.
The Fisher King
- Rating IMDB – 7.5
- Genre: Fantasy, drama, comedy
- US production / 1991
- Budget: $24,000,000
- US fees: $41,895,491
- Director Terry Gilliam
- Cast: Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Amanda Plummer, Mercedes Ruehl, Michael Jeter, David Hyde Pierce, Adam Bryant, Paul Lombardi, Ted Ross, Lara Harris
Jack is a former popular radio host and now an alcoholic drifter. His career ended after a listener took joking advice on the radio and committed an irreparable act. After that, the guy hit rock bottom, where he met a homeless history professor named Parry. Together they immersed themselves in a fantasy world where knights parade through the streets of New York City.
The dancing scene at Central Station featured professional dancers and passengers recently disembarked from the trains.
Awakenings
- Rating IMDB – 7.8
- Genre: Drama, biography
- US production / 1990
- US fees: $52,096,475
- Directed by Penny Marshall
- Cast: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, John Heard, Julie Kavner, Penelope Ann Miller, Max von Sydow, Bradley Whitford, Peter Stormare, Ruth Nelson, Alice Drummond
A modest and shy research doctor, Dr. Sayer joins an ordinary hospital. He is entrusted with the observation of patients who have contracted a rare disease, after which many of them have lost the ability to move and speak. The inquisitive doctor invents a cure that brings the patients out of their stupor and awakens life in them again. His experiment is hopeful, though risky.
The film is based on real events about the activities of Dr. Oliver Sacks, who acted as a consultant for the project.
Twelve Monkeys
- Rating IMDB – 8.0
- Genre: Fantasy, thriller, detective
- US production / 1995
- Budget: $29,000,001
- Worldwide gross: $168,839,459
- Director Terry Gilliam
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, David Morse, Joseph Melito, Jon Seda, Michael Chance, Vernon Campbell, H. Michael Walls
It’s the year 2035. An unknown virus has killed 99% of the world’s population. The survivors are forced to hide in bunkers and come to the surface in protective suits. Criminal James Cole volunteers to go back in time on a dangerous mission. He must find the source of the virus and prevent the mass infection of people.
The psychiatric hospital scenes were filmed in a closed prison in Pennsylvania.
Primal Fear
- Rating IMDB – 7.7
- Genre: Thriller, drama, crime, detective
- US production / 1996
- Budget: $30,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $102,616,183
- Directed by Gregory Hoblit
- Cast: Richard Gere, Edward Norton, Laura Linney, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, Frances McDormand, Terry O’Quinn, Andre Brouwer, Steven Bauer, Joe Spano
A brilliant lawyer takes on a hopeless case. His ward is accused of the brutal murder of a Chicago archbishop. All the evidence points to the fact that it was the young boy Aaron who did it. Only the boy remembers nothing of that ill-fated day and convinces the lawyer of his innocence. During the investigation, unpleasant details of the archbishop’s life come to light, which may prove Aaron’s innocence in the murder.
Several thousand aspiring actors tried out for the role of Aaron. In the end it went to Edward Norton, who offered several improvisations that went into the picture.
The Silence of the Lambs
- Rating IMDB – 8.6
- Genre: Thriller, detective, crime, drama, horror
- US production / 1990
- Budget: $19,000,000
- Worldwide gross: $272,742,922
- Directed by Jonathan Demme
- Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Brooke Smith, Scott Glenn, Ted Levin, Anthony Heald, Casey Lemmons, Diane Baker, Charles Napier, Roger Corman
An unknown psychopath kidnaps girls all over the Midwest. The case is assigned to FBI agent Clarissa Starling. The woman intends to find the killer with the help of Hannibal Lecter, a maniacal inmate convicted of cannibalism. Lecter was once a prominent psychiatrist, so he agrees to draw a psychological portrait of the alleged murderer in exchange for details of Clarissa’s personal life.
The film has been repeatedly recognized as one of the best thrillers in the history of cinema. It won five Academy Awards in prestigious categories, and in 2011 it was included in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
The fictional maniac Buffalo Bill was based on three real-life serial killers, Ed Geen, Ted Bundy and Gary M. Haydnick.
Misery
- Rating IMDB – 7.8
- Genre: Horror, thriller, drama
- US production / 1990
- Budget: $20,000,000
- US fees: $61,276,872
- Director Rob Reiner
- Cast: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen, Lauren Bacall, Graham Jarvis, Jerry Potter, Thomas Brunelle, June Christopher, Julie Payne
Writer Paul Sheldon returns to Los Angeles in the middle of a heavy snowstorm. On the way he has a terrible accident and miraculously survives. He is pulled out of the car by Annie Wilkes. The woman turns out to be a fan of the writer, so she brings him into her home and begins to care for the sick man.
When she learns that her favorite author has finished a new novel, she eagerly reads it, but remains dissatisfied with the ending. Annie then locks the room and forces Sheldon to rewrite the story. The man realizes that the groupie won’t leave him alone, because groupie love often turns to madness.
Paul Sheldon’s books are published by Viking. This is the real publishing house that printed Stephen King’s novels.