Movies and TV shows are ways to escape the real world and enter fantasy worlds. They can also help you see your emotions in other characters and relate to the show itself. Since it is Mental Health Awareness Month, here are some movies and TV shows that, in my eyes, accurately portray mental health.
- Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller
Rating: 4.6/5
This movie follows the life of Charlie, a very socially awkward teen struggling to make friends in high school. He meets two upperclassmen, Sam and Patrick, and the three become friends. Charlie joins the two and experiences the rest of their high school career with them. Charlie struggles to live a happy life while not understanding the suicide of his best friend, Michael and still trying to comprehend the fact that his aunt sexually abused him. The movie highlights Charlie’s struggle with depression, PTSD, and social anxiety. I loved the plot and fell in love with the characters instantly. It was an incredible movie.
- Sala Samobójców (Suicide Room) (2011)
Starring: Jakub Gierszal, Roma Gasiorowska, Agata Kulesza
Rating: 4.9/5
This movie tells the story of Dominik, a teenager about to graduate high school. After a video of him and his best friend Alex kissing each other after a dare travels around the school, Dominik starts to have feelings for Alex. After an embarrassing incident at a sports practice, Dominik refuses to leave his room. He goes onto social media and makes friends with Sylwia, a teenager who experiences suicidal tendencies and is addicted to self-harm. From there, he joins Sylwia’s online friend group called the Suicide Room. The movie highlights Dominik’s battle with depression and suicide. The movie felt real, and I ended up feeling attached to every character within the film. I would consider this Polish movie a must-watch.
- Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets (2021)
Starring: Lucas Jade Zumann, Michael H. Cole, Taylor Russel, Tom Wilkson
Rating: 2.7/5
This movie follows James Whitman as he tries to pursue his love interests while dealing with the disappearance of his sister and a dysfunctional family that includes a father who struggles with PTSD and a mother who struggles with depression. James Whitman tries to follow the advice he gathered from Walt Whitman’s poems. He ends up dating the person he loves and goes on an adventure with her to find his lost sister. While he is doing this, he still talks with an imaginary pigeon who acts as his therapist, helping James manage his panic attacks and extreme social anxiety. The movie was a bit dragged on and boring during the first half but was slightly better towards the end. However, I believe it accurately represents social anxiety.
- The Basketball Diaries (1995)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, Jim Carrol, Mark Wahlberg
Rating: 3.1/5
Jim (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is a high school basketball player who has a bright future. After the death of his best friend due to cancer, Jim and his friends take to heroin to relieve the pain. They develop an addiction, drop out of basketball and school, and move to the streets. The movie follows the life of these high schoolers after they drop out, dealing with their addiction to heroin and the consequences. This movie was interesting and had me questioning many things. The film brings awareness to the fact that addiction is a mental disease.
- 13 Reasons Why (2017-2020)
Starring: Dylan Minnette, Katherine Langford, Alisha Boe, Christian Navarro, Brandon Flynn
Rating: 4.7/5
Clay Jensen is an average teenager until his life turns upside down when his close friend and love interest, Hannah Baker, commits suicide. Hannah sends 13 cassette tapes to the people that she says led her to commit suicide. The show follows the life of Clay Jensen, who wants to figure out why Hannah committed but is too afraid to listen to all the tapes. It also follows the lives of the other people on the tapes, how they deal with them, and how they try to keep them from being leaked. Clay develops depression and schizophrenia, seeing and hearing Hannah Baker talk to him. All four seasons are absolutely incredible, and the writers, producers, and directors created an amazing show. While I do not know if it portrayed schizophrenia correctly, I do believe it portrayed other aspects of the show, such as depression and the stages of grief, correctly.
This month is a time to bring awareness to how mental health affects everyone. It is important to bring awareness to mental health and ways to help others. To learn more about mental health awareness, you can visit:
https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/mental-health-awareness-month/
