The 7 Best Movies About Depression

Making a list of the best movies about depression is a complex and risky task; there are many open debates and the big screen does not evade them. In addition, individual differences play a very important role in depression and it has not always been specified in the films that any of the characters had depression or the symptomatic picture has been specified, either with behaviors or actions.

Thus, this lack of specificity makes the big screen sometimes tempting the idea of ​​softening the disorder. On the other hand, the best films about depression are characterized by showing us an unknown part of the affectation. Even a new way of looking at it, with inspiring ways of dealing with it.

The best movies about depression make us understand that this condition goes beyond sadness. That it is not a homogeneous picture of symptoms and that each person can experience it in different ways. Cinema can also help us understand this complexity.

The 7 Best Movies About Depression

Most of the movies that treat depression successfully teach us that anyone can fall into this state. They show that it is a complex psychological disorder; From the outside, it may appear to be a disease with a multitude of physical symptoms.

On the other hand, on other occasions, depression manifests itself as a dysfunctional pattern of behavior that prevents living the life one wants, perhaps preceded by a loss of effectiveness of the reinforcers that previously did work.

Let’s see some of the best and most original movies to understand depression.

Little My Sunhine (2006), one of the best movies about depression

Little Miss Sunshine is a dark comedy that shows how depression can be a family affair. With the exception of Olive, the main character, and the youngest daughter, all members of the Faris family fight mental ghosts that limit them. Their delicate mental health often causes them to attack each other, exacerbating their depression.

The only really “happy” people in the family are Edwin and Olive. Two people, at the beginning and at the end of life, who share a deep bond. Franks’s character introduces the terms “depression” and “suicide” into the vocabulary of young Olive, who begins to worry about problems such as depression.

Frank mainly talks to Dwayne, who is also depressed and can only communicate on paper. The pressure to win or lose divides the characters, who end up being all “losers” in one way or another, but decide to ultimately work together on their problems as a family.

Revolutionary Road (2008)

Next on our list of best movies about depression is Sam Mendes’ adaptation of the novel of the same name (1961). It stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film shows an analysis of the relationship between Frank Wheeler (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) from the moment they met until their tragic end.

Upon getting married, while still having hopes and aspirations, they choose safety (as most do) over far-fetched dreams and move to 115, Revolutionary Road in suburban Connecticut when April becomes pregnant.

The failure of the couple to achieve their goals turns into anger and hostility towards others. Tired of her repetitive, empty and desperate lives, April dreams of moving to Paris so she can start a new one. But as they begin to plan, circumstances change and they remain trapped in their unsatisfying and miserable lives.

The Hours (2002)

Stephen Daldry’s Academy Award-nominated adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name focuses on three depressed women from different eras for a single day.

In The Hours stories of writer Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) alternate in 1923, the housewife Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) in 1951 and the modern, independent New Yorker Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep). In 2001, the three protagonists are interconnected by Woolf’s novel “Mrs. Dollaway ”.

All three stories are incredibly balanced and highlight each protagonist’s depression clearly and discreetly. Every woman has her own struggle with depression. Each identifies with various elements of Woolf’s novel.

Melancholy (2011)

Lars von Trier’s art film takes place in a context of uncertainty, anxiety and destruction. A rogue planetary gas giant named Melancholia approaches Earth, threatening to impact it.

Divided into parts or chapters, the first half is dedicated to the depressed and unstable Justine (Kristen Dunst) on her wedding day. Meanwhile, the rest of the film is the perspective of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), about what happens to her sister Justine.

Melancholy is inspired by Kristen Dunst and Lars Von Trier’s own depression and their observation that depressed people are often listless and lethargic. The camera bears witness to his ability to remain calm even in disastrous situations, such as an apocalypse.

Dunst is distinguished by his bold disinhibition and catatonic behavior. Von Trier’s nihilistic version of a disaster movie advocates accepting that life has no meaning and that death is inevitable.

Three Colors: Blue (1993)

The first film of The Trilogy of the Three Colors by Krzysztof Kieślowski. Azul  is an intense character-centric piece, chronicling the themes of emotional freedom and subsequent isolation. Set in Paris, Julie (Juliette Binoche) must cope with the sudden death of her husband and son in an accident that she survived.

While recovering from the injuries he sustained, he attempts to commit suicide by overdosing. She separates from her friends and her past life and tries to live alone, away from reminders and memories. However, despite her efforts, she is still drawn to reality by the unfinished musical work of her husband and his apparent lover.

Sylvia (2003)

This biopic recounts the troubled relationship of poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes and the events that led to Plath’s infamous suicide in 1963. When Plath met Hughes in Cambridge in 1956, she was already experiencing extreme bouts of depression and had already tried to kill herself.

While in the movie Sylvia (Gwyneth Paltrow) confesses her past mental instability to Ted (Daniel Craig), in real life she hid her depression from him. There are multiple warning signs throughout the film that could be indicative of the outcome, such as Plath’s mother’s advice to Ted about her frailty. Her multiple love affairs, her legitimate feelings of betrayal and always feeling overshadowed by her husband culminate in hopelessness.

500 days of Summer (2015)

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a long-time romantic and greeting card writer, is completely devastated when his girlfriend, Summer (Zooey Deschanel), leaves him. He reflects on their 500 days together to try to find out where their love story broke down, and in doing so, Tom rediscovers his true passions in life.

In this review, Tom’s various depressive states are seen, which teaches us that these can also be cyclical and that sadness is very fragile when faced with behavioral activation. His combination of optimism and practicality is a refreshing change after being sunk for several months by heartbreak.