Movies that underline the complexities of mental health you must watch

There’s no shortage of movies to pick from that talk about topics concerning mental health. While the concept of movies underlining mental health is not new, the range of topics being covered across all genres is a refreshing change. Today, we look at some of the best movies out there that deal with mental health issues in the most realistic way.

Dear Zindagi
A list of mental health movies is incomplete if we don’t mention this understated gem of Bollywood. Anxiety, insomnia, unresolved issues with family, normalising taking therapy, this movie deals with a lot of sensitive issues. Handled delicately with a lot of sophistication, at no point does this film feel forced or out of place. Alia Bhatt plays Kiara, a young girl who isn’t aware of her own sets of issues unless she accidentally meets a therapist and starts seeking therapy. The film brilliantly portrays how that changes her entire perspective on life.

Karthik Calling Karthik
Dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia aren’t topics that are covered very often in Bollywood, but when they are, we get masterpieces like this movie. Farhan Akhtar’s character Karthik is an introverted, underconfident corporate guy unaware of his mental health issues. Having blamed himself for his brother’s death for years, he lives off the grid until he receives a mysterious phone call one day, which changes his life. This mental health movie will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Melancholia
Melancholia is a 2011 apocalyptic drama art film written and directed by Lars von Trier. The film's story revolves around two sisters, one of whom marries just before a rogue planet is about to collide with Earth. If you have watched the movie, you know what power the final shot holds; it’s gorgeous, stunning and frightening. If you haven’t, add it to your watchlist for the weekend.

A Beautiful Mind
The film "A Beautiful Mind" based on the true story of John Forbes Nash Jr., a world-changing mathematician who won a Nobel in Economics. Nash received his Ph. D. from Princeton in 1950 and spent much of his career there and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Movie was loosely based on his battle with schizophrenia. 

Joker
The infamous DC supervillain The Joker is brought to life by Joaquin Phoenix in this standalone movie, dissociated from its franchise. A gritty urban tale of neglected mental illness, this movie follows the life of Arthur Fleck, a middle-aged man still living with his demanding mother and earning peanuts as a party clown. While the whole world laughs at him and ignores him, his depression grows into something dark and morbid, leading to cause riots in the streets. “The worst part of having a mental illness is people expect you to behave as if you don’t” is a line from the movie that perfectly sums up the mood and tone of what’s coming ahead.

Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a 2012 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, based on his own 1999 novel of the same name. The Perks of Being a Wallflower champions and celebrates inclusivity and tolerance by showing both how people can blossom when they are accepted for who they are and how painful life can be for people who are ignored or mistreated.

The Breakfast Club
A timeless classic, this mental health movie is a no-filter representation of an average teenager’s life, this movie focuses on the fact that they have intense feelings and emotions too, which lead them to behave a certain way. The movie centers on five teenagers who must spend a Saturday in detention for some past violations, each belonging to a different walk of life- a popular girl, nerd, jock, outcast, and a freak, all of whom have something in common. Funny yet intense, these teenagers have conversations about how abusive their lives at home are. The movie focuses on how everyone, regardless of their age, must seek therapy when needed.