The following article contains discussions of mental health conditions, violence, and suicide.

While the entertainment industry is notorious for misrepresenting many illnesses, conditions, and disorders, there are many movie characters who accurately portray mental health. Cinema has had a dubious history of portraying mental health in an authentic or even sensitive light. The perceived dramatic nature of a mental illness has notoriously meant it's too often conveyed as a means to broadcast sentimentality or sensationalism. Additionally, "madness" has been used by horror films as a justification for all kinds of unspeakable acts. However, Hollywood also occasionally gets it right, and there are plenty of movie characters with mental disorders that aren't portrayed problematically.

The exploration of mental illness and mental health disorders in movies has improved dramatically over the last few decades, with an emphasis on authenticity and care towards humanization. Depictions that are seen as genuine across myriad genres, from drama to comedy, allow viewers to learn about mental illness through accurate portrayals — perhaps even further cementing the need for understanding in the face of stigmatized thinking and improved mental health programs. These movie characters are shown through their struggles with mental health as well as how they deal with it on a day-to-day basis which could reflect a relatable depiction for many viewers.

Justine - Melancholia (2011)

Played By Kirsten Dunst

Writer and director Lars von Trier created what has been referred to as his “Depression Trilogy” since all three of the movies explore different facets of depression. The second entry in that trilogy is Melancholia. The psychological drama features a planet on a collision course toward Earth, but it is less about the actual impending doom and more about an internal sense of doom that Kirsten Dunst’s Justine already has.

Justine has already been suffering under the weight of Major Depressive Disorder. Her own struggles are compounded by a strained relationship with her sister. While those around her are terrified of the potential ending of the world as they know it, Justine welcomes it, even wallows in it. The film as a whole presents the declining mental stability of Justine, her sister, and those around them, making for a beautifully shot examination of mental health.

Kirsten Dunst won Best Actress at Cannes for the role.

Viva - Trolls Band Together (2023)

Voiced By Camila Cabello

Unlike many of the other movies that explore mental health, Trolls Band Together does not feature any specific diagnosis for Viva, the long-lost sister of main character Poppy. It is, however, clear for the audience that Viva is suffering from the trauma of her past experiences with the Bergens.

The Bergens are a race that once invaded Troll settlements and ate Trolls. Viva and Poppy have been separated most of their lives because of a Bergen attack. While Poppy grew up as the princess of a kingdom with their father, Viva grew to become a strict leader of the Trolls in a putt-putt gold settlement.

She has enforced a strict set of rules for her people (and visitors) that are driven by her deep-seated need for control. She also suffers from panic attacks when she attempts to leave her long-time home, isolates her people from the rest of the trolls, and avoids anything and everything that might trigger her to react negatively. In short, Viva has all the hallmarks of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder without the movie ever putting a name to it.

Bella - Twilight: New Moon

Played By Kristen Stewart

The Twilight Saga might get picked apart for its love triangle, questionable werewolf lore choices, and sparkling vampires, but one thing the movie franchise does extremely well is showcase depression. Kristen Stewart's Bella experiences depression when Edward breaks up with her and quite literally leaves the country in order to avoid being around her. He tries to keep her safe, but she is miserable.

During the bulk of the film when Bella is without him, she eats little, holes up in her room, lashes out in an anger she cannot control, and has little time for the friends she has made. She even tries to force herself to be happy, spending more time with Jacob, but that does not work. The scene that really brings her depression home for viewers, however, is when months by, shown through changing lighting and weather, while Bella remains.

The depression is a big part of the novel, and many young adult literature fans credit New Moon with paving the way for more frank discussions of mental health in YA books and movies.

Bob - What About Bob? (1991)

Played By Bill Murray

It’s rare for comedic takes on mental illness to get mental health portrayals right. That’s often because stereotypes about mental health are played for laughs or exaggerated for the audience. While What About Bob? does feature some of that, it also offers an incredibly accurate representation of mental health for a specific set of people.

Bill Murray’s Bob has a litany of phobias which are all officially recognized mental health disorders. He also has an anxiety disorder. The movie makes it clear that his anxiety is so heavy that it impacts aspects of his daily life, making it difficult for him to function at all without the assistance of his therapist, here portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss. Bob even decides to follow along with his therapist on a family vacation, which is where much of the movie’s humor comes in.

Anthony - The Father (2020)

Played By Anthony Hopkins

Dementia is often viewed as a physical ailment rather than a condition associated with mental health. That is because dementia affects the brain, typically in the elderly, targeting memory and cognition. Dementia, however, should be approached as a mental health issue because of the way that cognitive decline can affect a person, and The Father provides an excellent window into just that.

Sir Anthony Hopkins stars as a man who has been supervised by a caregiver while afflicted with dementia. When he scares off his most recent caregiver, however, he refuses help from those around him. When he finds out his daughter is moving to Paris, his declining cognition, lapses in memory, and his new circumstances all combine to create confusion and mood swings. Much of the movie is from his point of view, showing the audience how disorienting his condition can be.

Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for The Father.

Tony Stark - Iron Man 3 (2013)

Played By Robert Downey Jr.

A superhero movie would not generally be looked at for being an accurate look at mental illness, but just because the circumstances of the world are implausible doesn't mean that these depictions cannot be grounded in the real world. Iron Man 3 was the first MCU movie after The Avengers and it focuses on Tony Stark dealing with the aftermath of an alien attack on New York City which saw him nearly die in outer space.

He is also the most human of the Avengers, so it makes for an interesting exploration of him spiraling in his daily life.

While the movie focuses on Tony battling new enemies, he also has to deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the previous movie. Tony is a very confident and self-assured character, but he is also the most human of the Avengers, so it makes for an interesting exploration of him spiraling in his daily life. He seeks comfort in the protection his suits provide but he experiences panic attacks when reminded of the events in New York which are shown in a real and powerful way.

Dani - Midsommar (2019)

Played By Florence Pugh

The so-called elevated horror movie genre has allowed for scary movies to tackle heavier subject matters. In some cases, these horror movies provide an allegory to real experiences, such as The Babadook being an exploration of depression through a monster story. However, Midsommar's Dani (Florence Pugh) is shown to be struggling with a very real panic disorder before the main horror really begins.

The movie finds Dani accompanying her boyfriend and his friends to a Swedish midsummer festival which turns into a far deadlier cult ceremony. However, Dani's entire journey is an attempt to escape the grief she feels over the recent death of her sister and parents. The scenes of Dani literally running from these feelings while losing control of her breathing reflect the real feelings people with panic disorders feel when they have an attack.

Barry Egan - Punch Drunk Love (2002)

Played By Adam Sandler

Given Adam Sandler movies that came before Punch Drunk Love, it would have seemed unlikely he would deliver an accurate portrayal of a character with mental illness. However, in his collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson, Sandler proved a lot of critics wrong with a powerful and effective performance as Barry Egan, a shy, frustrated, and lonely man who strikes up an unlikely romance with his sister's friend.

In many ways, Barry is a serious and grounded version of Sandler's more comedic and child-like roles. Barry has a form of social anxiety disorder, making it hard for him to interact with people and causing him to literally retreat from such situations. Barry's anxieties sometimes result in fits of anger and there are some hints that his upbringing in a household of several domineering sisters may have contributed to his anxiety.

Brandon - Shame (2011)

Played By Michael Fassbender

In Shame, Michael Fassbender plays Brandon, an attractive and successful executive whose life is consumed by his sex addiction. It has him constantly going out in the hopes of meeting a stranger for sex, hiring prostitutes, looking at pornography, or going to underground sex clubs. This lifestyle is complicated by the arrival of his troubled sister (Carey Mulligan) who comes to stay with him.

While the movie never directly states it, both Brandon and his sister are hinted to be the victims of intense trauma in their youth, possibly the result of an abusive relationship. This is suggested to be the root cause of Brandon's addiction as it seems controlled by a mental illness as it can be a compulsive and destructive aspect of his life he cannot quit. This is reflected further in his sister who is prone to self-harm and reverts back to childhood at times.

Lee Chandler - Manchester By The Sea (2016)

Played By Casey Affleck

Manchester by the Sea stars Casey Affleck in his Oscar-winning role as Lee Chandler. Lee lives a reclusive life in Massachusetts when he is called back to his old hometown when his brother dies in order to be the guardian of his teenage nephew. While back home, he is forced to confront the tragic incident of his past that led to the death of his three children.

Even before returning home, Lee's life is consumed by his deep depression as a result of his accident years earlier. He is withdrawn and antisocial, almost seeming pained by having to interact with people. He also has destructive tendencies, picking random fights when the depression becomes too much to bear. One of the most realistic aspects of the movie is that there is no miracle cure for him as Lee heartbreakingly its to his nephew "I can't beat it" and accepts that he has to live with it.