Seven Of The Best Movies About Depression

Making a list of the best movies about depression is quite difficult. The film industry certainly does not deviate from any of the debates on this topic. When considering depression, individual differences play a very important role. But movies do not always specify that the characters actually have the disease. For example, the symptoms of depression can simply be portrayed through a certain behavior or certain actions.

Therefore, this lack of specific content can sometimes mean that the disorder becomes somewhat diluted. However, the best movies about depression tend to be the ones that show an unknown aspect of the disorder. Or maybe a new way of looking at it, with new ways of dealing with it. The best movies about depression make you realize that it is more than just sadness. In fact, it is not just a homogeneous group of symptoms, and each person may experience it differently. Thus, movies can help you understand this complexity.

Seven of the best movies about depression

The movies that treat depression correctly show you that anyone can fall victim to this disorder. In fact, they demonstrate that it is a complex mental illness that can seem like a physical illness with many external symptoms.

On the other hand, they sometimes show depression as a dysfunctional pattern of behavior that prevents you from living the life you want. Maybe because the positive reinforcements that may have worked for you in the past are no longer effective.

Here are seven of the best and most original movies to help you understand depression:

The Best Depression Movies: Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Little Miss Sunshine is a black comedy that shows that depression can be a family affair. With the exception of Olive, the main character and her youngest daughter, all the members of the Faris family suffer from various mental problems. The fragile mental health of the family means that they often attack each other, which makes the depression worse.

The only two characters in the family who are “happy” are Edwin and Olive. These two people, one at the beginning and one at the end of life, share a deep bond. The character Frank introduces the terms “depression” and “suicide” to the young Olive, who begins to worry about things like depression.

Frank mainly talks to Dwayne, who is also depressed and can only communicate on paper. The grades are split by the pressure to win or lose. Even if they all end up being “losers” in one way or another. However, they decide to work on their problems as a family.

Revolutionary Road (2008)

Next on the list of the best films about depression is Sam Mende’s interpretation of the novel of the same name (1961). Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio play the lead roles. The film analyzes the relationship between Frank Wheeler (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) from the moment they meet until their tragic end.

When they get married, they have hopes and ambitions, but choose security (as most do) instead of unlikely dreams, and move to 115 Revolutionary Road, Connecticut. April gets pregnant.

When the couple does not reach their goals, they become angry and hostile. Tired of their repetitive, empty and desperate lives, April dreams of moving to Paris to start a new life. But as they plan, circumstances change, and they remain trapped in their miserable and unsatisfying lives.

The Best Depression Movies: The Hours (2002)

Stephen Daldry’s Oscar-nominated interpretation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name focuses on three depressed women from different eras in a single day.

The Hours alternates between the stories of author Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) in 1923, a housewife Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) in 1951, and a modern and independent New Yorker named Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) in 2001. The three main characters are connected together by Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway .

The three stories are extremely balanced and highlight the depression of each character in a clear but tactful way. Every woman has her own battle with depression. In addition, each individual identifies with different elements in Woolf’s novel.

Melancholia (2011)

Lars von Trier’s art film takes place in a context of uncertainty, anxiety and destruction. A giant planet called Melancholia throws itself towards the earth and threatens to hit it.

The film is divided into sections or chapters. The first half is dedicated to the depressed and unstable Justine (Kirsten Dunst) on her wedding day. The rest of the film is about what happens to Justine, seen through the eyes of sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg).

Melancholia is inspired by the real depression that both Kirsten Dunst and Lars von Trier suffered from. They observed that depressed people are often lethargic and apathetic. In fact, the film demonstrates Justine’s ability to remain calm, even in a catastrophic situation such as an apocalypse.

Vapor is characterized by its unrestrained and catatonic behavior. Von Trier’s nihilistic version of a disaster film advocates accepting that life has no meaning and that death is inevitable.

The Three Color Trilogy: Blue  (1993)

The first film of the Three Colors trilogy by Krzysztof Kieślowski. Blue is an intensely character-centric piece, which depicts the themes of emotional freedom and subsequent isolation. Julie (Juliette Binoche), who is in Paris, has to deal with the sudden death of her husband and son in an accident that she survived.

While recovering from the injuries, she tries to commit suicide by overdosing. In addition, she shields herself from her friends and her past life, and tries to live alone away from memories and reminders. Despite her efforts, she is still drawn back to reality by her husband’s unfinished musical work and his supposed lover.

The Best Movies About Depression: Sylvia (2003)

This biography recounts the troubled relationship between poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes and the events that led to her infamous suicide in 1963. When Plath met Hughes in Cambridge in 1956, she was already experiencing extreme bouts of depression and had previously attempted suicide.

While Sylvia (Gwyneth Paltrow) confesses her former mental instability to Ted (Daniel Craig) in the film, she actually hides her depression. There are several warning signs throughout the film that may indicate the final result. For example, Plath’s mother and Ted’s advice about her fragility. Finally, Plath’s many love affairs, legitimate feelings of betrayal and always being overshadowed by her husband culminate.

(500) Days of Summer (2015)

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a greeting card writer and eternal romantic, is completely devastated when his girlfriend, Summer (Zooey Deschanel) leaves him. He reflects on their 500 days together to try and find out at what point their relationship broke down. As he does this, he rediscovers his true passions in life.

The way the film depicts Tom’s various depressive episodes shows that they can be cyclical. In addition, this sadness is quite weak in the face of behavioral activation. Tom’s combination of optimism and practicality is a refreshing change as he was previously immersed in depression.