20 Netflix Movies With Storylines That Highlight Mental Health

Summary

• Mental health-themed movies on Netflix aim to address real-life struggles experienced by many, sparking important discussions.
• From documentaries to intense dramas, Netflix offers a diverse selection of films that tackle various mental health issues.
• While some movies may inaccurately portray mental illness, others provide eye-opening looks at important yet often overlooked topics.

Content Warning: This article discusses mental health issues and disorders that some readers may find triggering.

While it is often a difficult subject to address, mental health movies on Netflix attempt to look at the experiences countless people deal with on a daily basis. Mental health has been a growing concern, a topic that is more in the public eye as younger generations show a willingness to discuss it more openly. With Netflix’s collection of movies, there are a number of titles in its current library that tackle a variety of mental health issues.

The subject of mental health has been a notoriously difficult one to see accurately portrayed in movies. There are many movies that inaccurately portray mental illness and struggles in gimmicky and exploitative ways that are offensive. However, there are also films that give eye-opening looks at subjects not often dealt with in the mainstream, and even if they have their flaws, can raise awareness about things many people are still reluctant to discuss. From documentaries to intense dramas, the best mental health movies on Netflix are worth examining.

20 All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

A Young Soldier Loses His Humanity In WWI

The Oscar-winning war movie All Quiet on the Western Front is only partially based on a true story but does seek to give an authentic and brutal portrait of World War I. The movie follows a young soldier who joins the German army out of a sense of patriotism and is soon awakened to the horrors of the battlefield. The ways in which these younger soldiers were forced to give their lives for an unimportant cause while those ordering them into battle sat comfortably far back from the frontlines is brilliantly highlighted.

All Quite on the Western is also very effective at examining the mental health of the soldiers and the trauma they endure. Unlike many war movies that show the heroism of young soldiers, the film does not shy away from the fear these men felt and takes away the idea of the stoic soldier. The protagonist, Paul, turns from a bright young man to a shell of his former self, a heartbreaking look at what these soldiers had to sacrifice with their mental health.

19 Leo (2023)

A Talking Lizard Helps Kids With Anxiety

Adam Sandler’s Netflix movies have gradually grown from the typical juvenile comedies he was once known for to some of his most brilliant work. His impressive streak on the platform continued with the animated comedy Leo. Sandler provides the voice of the titular character, a lizard who is kept as a pet in a young elementary school classroom. Wanting to see the world, he reveals to the kids that he can talk so they will take him home.

The movie is funny and entertaining but it also has a lot of worthwhile messages for children and how to deal with anxieties that go along with growing up. Leo proves to be a great mentor to the kids, offering them advice on different aspects of their lives and their challenges. As a result, the movie teaches the young audience important messages about how to live with disappointment, that it is okay to be different, and that everyone has anxiety at times.

18 Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

A Traumatized Teen Is Hunted By Leatherface

Netflix delivered the latest of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies, bringing the franchise into a new era with mixed results. The movie goes for a more modern feel as it centers on a group of young online influencers attempting to start a new community in an isolated Texas town. However, they soon find themselves hunted by the brutal and vengeful Leatherface, who is on his own in this movie rather than being used as a tool by his more sadistic family members.

While the mental health components of Leatherface as a character have always been vague and not really worth diving into, this 2022 reboot/sequel does include a controversial storyline about post-traumatic stress with the character of Lila (Elsie Fisher). It is revealed that she is a survivor of a school shooting and left with a lot of trauma. While this is a sad reality many children face in the modern world, including the storyline in a movie in which Lila is further tormented by violence is questionable and proves mental health storylines in movies can sometimes be ill-advised.

17 The Killer (2023)

An Assassin’s OCD Leads Him On A Mission Of Revenge

David Fincher returned to Netflix with a new thriller that features a very unique deadly protagonist. Michael Fassbender stars in The Killer as an unnamed assassin who botches a job and becomes targeted by his employer. This sends the killer on a relentless mission to take out all of the people who are after him, setting things right after his mistake.

What is fascinating about the character is how his obvious obsessive-compulsive disorder dictates the plot. The opening sequence is an engrossing look at his strict and well-thought-out routine while on a mission, showing his regimented approach to life. When things go wrong, he uses the same approach in going on his revenge mission. Most vengeful assassin movies, like the John Wick movies, would deal with the emotional side of the revenge. However, Fassbender’s character takes the emotion out of it and does this as if it is a checklist he needs to go through before he can relax.

The Killer
is based on a French graphic novel of the same name.

16 Spaceman (2024)

An Astronaut Deals With Depression In The Cosmos

It wasn’t too long ago that the idea of two Adam Sandler movies providing thoughtful commentary on mental health would have seemed ridiculous. However, Spaceman marks the latest Netflix movie from Sandler and the actor’s most serious work on the platform. The sci-fi drama stars Sandler as astronaut Jakub on a solo mission in the cosmos when he encounters a terrifying-looking yet friendly alien creature who begins to help Jakub with his struggle with loneliness.

Spaceman is a quieter and more intimate sci-fi movie that deals with the mental health of many of its characters. Jakub’s struggles with depression and isolation on the mission are a big part of his story, as is his childhood trauma related to his father. Back on Earth, his wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), is dealing with her own depression and not having him around. Even the alien creature Hanuš (Paul Dano) expresses its own melancholic feelings. It is a reminder of how having someone to talk to about these feelings can help.

15 The Starling (2021)

A Grieving Mother Tries To Take Care Of Everyone But Herself

Though Melissa McCarthy has received plenty of praise for her comedic movies, she has also starred in a number of dramas, including The Starling. McCarthy has an excellent grasp of bringing comedic moments into drama and bringing pathos into comedy, so it’s no wonder that a drama like The Starling suits her so well.

This Netflix movie sees McCarthy as Lilly Maynard, a woman dealing with the loss of her infant daughter. The tragic loss has led to her husband seeking treatment at a psychiatric hospital while she attempts to maintain her life back home. While the movie didn’t receive strong reviews, it does address shared grief in an interesting way. While her husband’s grief has taken her priority as she attempts to get him healthy again,Lilly ignores her own grief, and it intensifies within her.

14 The Woman In The Window (2021)

A Reclusive Woman Witnesses A Crime

Based on the novel of the same name, 2021’s The Woman in the Window is a star-studded thriller starring Amy Adams as an agoraphobic woman who thinks she witnessed a murder in the apartment across the street. This particular plot device of someone confined to their home and witnessing a crime has been used before in thrillers like Disturbia, but those characters are usually confined because of circumstances, like house arrest. Here, it’s the phobia of setting her foot outside her door that has Adams’ character feeling stuck.

While the movie uses the mental health issue partially as a plot device to aid in the mystery, Adams’ committed performance grounds the character’s struggles. The meetings with her psychiatrist are also illuminating as they show the defensive and protective reactions some people have when being asked to address their own mental health.

13 Luckiest Girl Alive (2022)

A Successful Woman Confronts Past Trauma

Mila Kunis is best known for her comedy roles as a teen actor when That ’70s Show gave her her big break, but she has had some great dramatic parts as an adult, like those in Black Swan and Third Person. Kunis also received some of the best reviews of her career for the psychological thriller Luckiest Girl Alive.

Based on the book of the same name, Kunis stars as a successful magazine editor who is forced to deal with a dark secret when the story of her surviving a school shooting as a teenager is brought back up. Along with the heavy subject matter of gun violence, this Netflix movie addresses past abuse Kunis’ character has attempted to suppress. The movie deals with the trauma of such experiences and the healing that comes from finally acknowledging the painful truths.

12 Pieces Of A Woman (2020)

A Wife And Mother Copes With Loss

Recent Marvel Cinematic Universe addition Vanessa Kirby was nominated for an Oscar for her harrowing performance in Pieces of a Woman. She stars as a young woman who goes through a complicated pregnancy and loses her child in the process. The movie deals with the depression of Kirby’s character and her husband (Shia LaBeouf). Both characters take drastically different approaches to their loss, reflective of how grief can pull people apart just as much as it can bring them together.

While he self-medicates with cocaine, she deals with various people attempting to help her cope with the loss. However, the movie gives a powerful message of how such well-intentioned help can actually be harmful sometimes, as Kirby’s character needs time to process while acknowledging her trauma is something she will never fully get over.

11 Brain On Fire (2016)

A Woman’s Medical Situation Spirals

Many of Netflix’s movies that tell stories of mental health conflicts or treatments are inspired by novels or memoirs. Brain on Fire is no exception. Released in 2016, Brain on Fire is based on the memoir Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. The book tells the story of Cahalan, who experienced a mysterious illness while working for the New York Post, which was misdiagnosed by doctors.

This medical error saw her almost committed to a psychiatric facility, where she likely would have died. In the movie, Chloë Grace Moretz stars as Cahalan as she fights to find out the truth about her condition, which ends up being encephalitis. Once discovered, she received the treatment she needed and wrote her book to let others know that hope was possible. This particular movie is especially timely as social media abounds with similar stories of people knowing that something is wrong with their body, but being misdiagnosed by doctors, or not diagnosed at all.

10 Stutz (2022)

Intimate Mental Health Documentary Directed By Jonah Hill

Not only is it about Stutz and his work, but also about Jonah Hill’s own doubts and experiences surrounding his mental health

Jonah Hill is best known for his work as an actor, but he’s also a writer, producer, and director. While most of his directing work has been for music videos in the past, as well as his narrative movie Mid ’90s, he moves to non-fiction here. Hill directed the Netflix documentaryStutz, which chronicled the life and career of Dr. Phil Stutz, his own personal therapist.

Stutz takes the form of a series of conversations where they discuss their life stories and the topic of mental health. The therapist also delves into his mode of approaching therapy and his relationship with his patients. This Netflix documentary about mental health was a critical success, with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Not only is it about Stutz and his work, but also about Jonah Hill’s own doubts and experiences surrounding his mental health.

9 Malcolm & Marie (2021)

Old Wounds Open As A Couple Fights

Malcolm & Marie is a small and intimate movie starring John David Washington and Zendaya as the titular characters. Malcolm is an up-and-coming filmmaker who has returned from a screening of his latest movie, which received a warm critical reception. However, the celebration is halted by Marie, who takes issue with not receiving acknowledgment for a movie based on her struggles with addiction. The story isn’t about the need for attention and recognition despite the premise, but rather Marie’s difficult journey to sobrietyand the way such personal stories can be exploited for art.

It’s a particularly poignant conversation starter for an industry in which people in the spotlight don’t always get the privacy they want to deal with their own mental health. Often, performers find themselves forced to provide a narrative of their own life to an audience, whether they want to or not.

Zendaya and John David Washington are the only actors to appear on screen in the movie.

8 Take Your Pills: Xanax (2022)

A Documentary Looking At The Use Of Xanax For Mental Health

Most subscribers are aware that Netflix has a wealth of true crime documentaries, but the streamer also has plenty of documentaries that cover other serious subjects. Released in 2022, Take Your Pills: Xanax is a documentary that is directed by Blair Foster about the drug’s rise in use over the years. One of the newer mental health movies on Netflix, this is actually a continuation of a 2018 Netflix documentary called Take Your Pills, which looked at medication like Adderall and Ritalin.

The 2022 mental health documentary isn’t taking sides when it comes to the use of Xanax, as it looks at both pros and cons of the medication and its implications on mental health in America. The doc features interviews with medical experts and professionals, as well as academics and Xanax users, about the overall effects of the medication.

7 All The Bright Places (2020)

Two People Bond While Facing Their Emotional Scars

All the Bright Places is a book-to-movie adaptation released on Netflix in 2020, based on the 2015 young adult novel by Jennifer Niven. Justice Smith stars as Theodore Finch, a character living with an unnamed mental illness, though many of the symptoms are similar to those of someone living with bipolar disorder. Fanning’s character, Violet, also has symptoms of mental illness that sometimes correspond with a response to trauma.

Although the film doesn’t highlight mental illness specifically, it manages to do a wonderful job of showing how isolating and difficult it can be to live with any type of mental health issue.All the Bright Places explores the value of talking openly about mental illness, whether as a result of teenage adolescence, grief, or abuse as well as the value in having someone to be open with about these very personal struggles.

6 To The Bone (2017)

A Young Woman Addresses Her Eating Disorder

Eating disorders are not something commonly looked at in movies and those that do can make for very unsettling viewing experiences, as with this complex movie. To the Bone stars Lily Collins as a young woman with anorexia. The film’s eating disorder subject was controversial, but if nothing else, it illustrates how difficult it is for filmmakers to responsibly portray eating disorders on the big screen. The film offers an insightful look into the issues associated with a person living with anorexia and the healing process.

It makes an attempt not to glorify the disorder. However, it faced some backlash that would naturally come with showing such content, and many of the scenes were triggering to those in recovery from the same condition. LiIy Collins commented on the controversy around the movie, defending taking on the role (via Collider):

This was something that I needed to talk about and bring to the attention of more people and go through for myself. When I read it, it struck me as such an important subject matter to bring to the attention of people. It is still considered quite taboo to talk about, and yet it’s becoming more and more prevalent within today’s society, and not just with women. If not now, when?

5 Strange Voices (1987)

A Family Deals With A Daughter With Schizophrenia

The New York Times
called it ”
too much, too late
”

Strange Voices is a mental health movie on Netflix about a young woman with schizophrenia. Unlike so many of the Netflix originals that feature mental health as part of their stories, this movie was not made for the streamer. Instead, the film was one of the highest-rated TV movies in 1987, at a time when discussions about mental health were nowhere near as accepted in society as they are today.

The New York Times called it “too much, too late“, but the film touches on the difficulties many faced in the ’80s receiving health care for mental illness, and what happened when they didn’t get treatment. Strange Voices also depicts the learning process of the family of a person affected with schizophrenia. From denial to acceptance, viewers watch the young woman and her family navigate her mental illness.

4 The Fundamentals Of Caring (2016)

A Grieving Man Becomes Caregiver For A Cynical Teen

Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez star in this comedy-drama film about a recent divorcee suffering from depression, and his unlikely friendship with Trevor (Craig Roberts), a disabled teenager for whom he is the caregiver. Rudd plays the man who ends up taking the teenager on a road trip to talk to his estranged father. Gomez is a hitchhiking teenager they meet along the way who just wants the chance to start her life over.

Although The Fundamentals of Caring is primarily about this relationship and the things Trevor deals with as a man who uses a wheelchair, the movie does a wonderful job highlighting the mental health difficulties that each of the characters faces. Paul Rudd’s character deals with severe depression after the loss of his child and subsequent divorce, and Trevor battles anxiety associated with his disability.

3 Horse Girl (2020)

A Young Woman Struggles To Separate Dreams And Reality

Horse Girl is an independent movie following Sarah (Alison Brie) as she tries to find support for her mental health issues. The film takes a unique look at these topics and requires more than one viewing to fully understand everything happening as Sarah experiences lucid dreaming and has trouble distinguishing reality from dreams.

The storyline for the movie has biographical elements, as it reflects the real-life experience that actress Alison Briehas had with depression and schizophrenia in her own family. Sarah has difficulty understanding social cues and her real symptoms of mental illness are brushed off as quirkiness by those closest to her, not allowing others to realize that she needs help. This is a reality for many who live with mental illness while also showing a refreshing depiction of someone seeking help.

2 I’m Thinking Of Ending Things (2020)

A Surreal Exploration Of A Woman’s Troubled Mind

Charlie Kaufman uses abstract and metaphoric storytelling to dive into the mind of the mentally ill main character…

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an adaptation of the novel of the same name. The movie creates a jarring and psychologically difficult viewing experience for some. It takes a deeper look to fully understand the mental illnesses that the main character, Jake (Jesse Plemons), lives with throughout the timeline of the film. Plemons and Jessie Buckley were praised by critics for their leading performances, even if the story might have been hard for them to follow at times.

Writer and director Charlie Kaufman uses abstract and metaphoric storytelling to dive into the mind of the mentally ill main character. That storytelling comes in recurring moments from the musical Oklahoma! and references to other movies and poets. The film ends with a riddle, and viewers still question whether it is about childhood trauma, suicidal ideation, or schizophrenia.

Brie Larson was originally set to star in Jessie Buckley’s role.

1 Hillbilly Elegy (2020)

Multiple Generations Of A Family Struggle With Addiction

Based on the memoir by J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy received mixed reviews for its portrayal of mental health and a woman with addiction who is disconnected from her family. It isn’t clear what Bev’s (Amy Adams), undiagnosed mental illness is exactly, but the film highlights the issues a family faces when one of its members goes through this experience, especially when it manifests via addiction.

The characterization is a little over-the-top and because of this, and its condescending depiction of poverty, Hillbilly Elegy feels inauthentic, but at its basis, it highlights the ways untreated mental illness can create tumultuous relationships. Glenn Close earned a Critics Choice, Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globe, and Oscar nomination for her performance in the movie, so a prospective audience can certainly rest assured that Close is a grounding force in the movie.