best case study movies

Best character study films

1. Taxi Driver

2. Bad Lieutenant

3. There Will Be Blood

4. Raging Bull

6. The Wrestler

8. Le Samouraï

9. Citizen Kane

10. American Psycho

11. The Great Beauty

12. A Single Man

13. A Clockwork Orange

14. The Conversation

15. Affliction

17. The Man Who Wasn't There

18. Scarface

19. Carlito's Way

20. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

21. Crazy Heart

24. The Pledge

25. Tyrannosaur

More to explore, recently viewed.

The 10 Best Character Studies in 21st Century Movies

What would cinema look like without its characters? Well, aside from some standalone examples, there wouldn’t be a cinematic landscape at all. At its core, cinema is about characters and their actions. When basing on a well-researched script, the movie could be understand as a study of the protagonist’s psyche and his doings.

Together with sound design, cinematography and the use of music, a movie could paint a very precise and concrete picture of a character. There’s no doubt the 20th century offered hundreds of first class examples of these, but likewise, the 21st century has some excellent examples to offer. The following list will present 10 of them.

10. Monster (Patty Jenkins)

Just like the movies protagonist, this film is an outsider, separated from the other entries on this list. Instead of following a fictional character, “Monster” tells the real life story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who eventually killed seven men between December 1989 and November 1990. After being arrested, she spent 12 years on death row, followed by her death through lethal injection.

The movie though focuses on the time of her committed murders and her lesbian relationship to the immature Selby. Working as a prostitute since the age of 13, Wuornos sees herself as a victim of society and the rough environment she is constantly confronted with.

After being brutally raped by one of her customers, she kills her tormentor and turns herself from being in the victim’s role into a woman full of power. Infected by this feeling, she starts a down-and-dirty campaign of vengeance against men, who think they could buy a woman’s body and maltreat them as they please.

The movie draws a well-constructed picture of Wuornos’ polarized psyche and the Ouroboros-like circle of victimization in which she is living. Being the loving protector of her young girl while killing several men – even innocent ones.

The Oscar-winning performance by Charlize Theron is just stellar and will echo in the annals of cinema history forever. The only element one can blame the movie for are the volitional attempts to justify Wuornos’ actions. Nonetheless, the movie gives interesting insight into the mind of a pop-culture-turned serial killer of modern days.

9. The Childhood of a Leader (Brady Corbet)

After watching “The Childhood of a Leader,” there is no doubt the directorial debut of American director-turned actor Brady Corbet was highly influenced by the filmmaking style of Austrian director Michael Haneke.

With a look in the debutant’s vita there is actually one collaboration between these two – the American remake of Haneke’s shocking masterpiece “Funny Games,” directed by Haneke himself. It seems as though Corbet copied a lot from the controversial filmmaker (this isn’t meant in a bad way at all). Without knowing, one would never perceive the movie as a debut. The mature and precise film could match with movies by much older and experienced directors.

While Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” illustrates the development phase of impressibility for fascistic ideas on a collective basis, “The Childhood of a Leader” works as the counterpart on a personal basis.

The movie chronicles the childhood of an upcoming totalitarian leader in the post-World War I era. Set in 1919, an American boy lives with his prosperous parents in France and has to face a stone cold home with constant emotional distance from his parents.

The movie illustrates the development of his dysfunctional ego up to his rise to being one of the big fascist leaders of the 1930s. Apart from the beautiful camera work by Lol Crawley and the Bernard Herrmann-inspired score of Scott Walker, the brilliantly reduced illustration of the protagonist’s wealthy but lonesome and heartless childhood is the movie’s standout feature.

Where are the roots of evil? What gives space to the ideas of fascism? “The Childhood of a Leader” gives an interesting insight into these kinds of questions without being overly didactic or striking.

8. Shame (Steve McQueen)

What makes Steve McQueen’s “Shame” such a strong character-driven drama is the way the acclaimed director presents the protagonist and his journey. Without trying to force the viewer into a distinct point of view, he simply shows us the actions of the character. The final opinion has to be made by the viewer.

“Shame“ tells the story of sex addict Brandon, whose life suddenly changes when his unstable sister Sissy enters his intimacy-free existence. For the audience, the movie offers a window to the character’s soul without any restrictions. His vulnerability, desires and abnormal will of self-destructiveness paint a picture of a man who is deeply troubled and has to face a wheel of emotional pain that circles deeper and deeper into suffering.

Aside from being a brilliant study of addiction and its destructive nature, the movie is a prime example of the depiction of loneliness. “Shame” knows how to present the fine difference between being lonely and being alone.

Brandon has sexual contact with prostitutes and several women, but nonetheless he suffers from constant loneliness at his core. He has huge difficulties accepting intimacy. His relationship with his sister suffers from that, as well as the contact with potential partners. The narrative doesn’t hide any of these aspects from the viewer, making “Shame” such an honest and true character study of a man in pure emotional pain.

7. Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman)

Charlie Kaufman made himself a name as a screenwriter with some of the most original stories of the late 1990s and early 2000s – “Being John Malkovich,” “Adaptation” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” His narratives live in the special and organic characters he creates. His directorial debut “Synecdoche, New York” is no exception.

The movie’s main character, playwright Caden Cotard, has to face a more than difficult turning point in his life. His marriage is a disastrous mess, as well as most of his interpersonal relationships. The work on his new play isn’t working the way it should and his thoughts increasingly circle around the presence of death.

Kaufman knows how to present his characters through action instead of through boring exposition talks. The narrative evolves organically, and part by part reveals Cotards personality. The viewer gets to understand his actions as well as his worldview and the way his perception starts to change, while influencing his play.

An analysis of the movie and its protagonist could fill hundreds of pages, but what matters most is the film’s quality as a character’s journey through life. Subtly the movie asks questions about the sense of life with death being present in all layers. And at the movie’s end, there might be knowledge for the viewer as well as for Caden Cotard.

6. Boyhood (Richard Linklater)

“Boyhood” is quite like no other movie on this list. To be exact, “Boyhood” is like no other movie at all. The film gives a completely different meaning to the term “character study.” With the premise of following a boy over the course of 12 years, the filmmakers did a cinematic experiment that had never been done before. The acting ensemble ages quite like the characters, giving the film a huge amount of originality and plausibility.

Touching on themes like parenthood and the interpersonal relationship between children and parents, the movie is an impressive illustration of a boy growing up. From the age of six, the audience follows the protagonist into the shoes of an adult. In the countless lines of dialogue we get a glimpse of the psychological state of the film’s protagonist and his changing relationships to his environment.

The movie doesn’t rely on the typical beats of a coming-of-age drama, but works as a constant flow of change, just the way growing up is for us. The movie manages to picture the vibrant transience of youth in three hours, just like one would look back at their own childhood and ask how it’s gone by so fast.

4 Replies to “The 10 Best Character Studies in 21st Century Movies”

‘The Childhood of a Leader’ is a good pick.

I’d replace ‘Boyhood’ with ‘The Master’. To be a good character study, it’s necessary for main characters to have any “character” – something which Mason from ‘Boyhood’ obviously lacks. He is basically a boring, walking cliché of every coming of age drama done before.

The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Social Network and Steve Jobs

Shame is popping up on a lot of lists (and had done so a couple years ago), and I have to say that the more I rewatch and contemplate that film the more brilliant I think it is.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

10 Best Character Studies in Movies

Does life imitate art or does art imitate life? Oscar Wilde was more inclined towards the former; in his famous 1889 essay The Decay of Lying , he opined that life imitates art far more than art imitates life. I, on the other hand, think it’s a little bit of both, especially with regards to cinema. Of course, cinema is a reflection of the times we live in, but isn’t it also true that we too are a reflection of the movies we see. Which other art form affects our likes, dislikes and our idea of happiness the way movies do? Without even knowing it, our lives are constantly being molded by the films we watch. In fact, I tend to believe that the movies we watch are a reflection of our reflection! It is getting whirlwind, isn’t it!

And nothing else personifies this complicated relationship more than the characterizations we see in cinema. Great characters always have real life inspirations, and they become an inseparable part of our existence. Great characterizations increase the emotional heft and thematic texture of a movie, and they connect with you in ways unimaginable. In essence, great characterizations would always be universal in their rendering of humanity and the infinite mysteries of the human mind. I am someone who has always preferred character-driven movies over plot-driven ones, more so because of the depth that powerful characters lend to a movie, and since every viewing inevitably becomes more satisfying than the previous one. While complex plots unravel themselves after a single watch, strong characterizations will move and affect your conscience for eternity and they would help you in unraveling the mysteries of your own lives.

And so, we at The Cinemaholic , have decided to list our favorite character studies of the 21 st century. Do note that this is neither a list of the greatest performances nor is it a ranking of the quality of these movies. What we have attempted to do is unlock the complexities of the characters in these films and help understand them better. As always, dissent and constructive criticism is always welcome and we look forward to your thoughts in the comments. So, without further ado, let us dig in. You can watch several of these character study movies on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.

10. Patrick Bateman – American Psycho

Mary Harron’s cult horror classic is not just a thrilling piece of cinema, it is also a thematically rich character study of a man trapped within his own obsessions and paranoia. Patrick Bateman is a rich, young and suave Wall Street executive, a man who has a perfect life so to speak, but he is neither happy nor content. Bateman has constructed the perfect façade that he drapes his life with, but beneath the surface, we see an egotistical, obsessive-compulsive, mentally disturbed maniac with homicidal tendencies. And slowly over the course of the movie, we see him unraveling as the façade is peeled off revealing an unstable, uncontrollable man consumed by his rage and delirium.

Adapted from a novel of the same name, there are obvious characteristic inspirations from the classics like ‘Taxi Driver’ and ‘Psycho’, both featuring men whose mental instability and paranoia drives them to ambiguous extremes. And while ‘American Psycho’ never attains those levels, it still remains a very compelling portrait of loneliness and ennui in a fiercely competitive world, and a career defining performance by the young Christian Bale raises the bar several notches higher with his cleverly detached yet emotionally vulnerable performance.

Read More:  Best Gambling Movies of All Time

9. Nina Sayers – Black Swan

Natalie Portman was just a ‘damsel in distress’ from the Star Wars flicks before she and Darren Aronofsky came together to deliver one of the darkest and most complex characterizations of the century. Another psychological drama from the man who gave us ‘Pi’ and ‘The Fountain’, ‘Black Swan’ is a tale of an artist slowly intertwining herself into her art, as she loses herself in search for the ultimate prize – perfection.

Nina is a talented yet timid young ballerina who is selected to play the dual role of the ethereal White Swan and the dark, sensual Black Swan in the production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Though she plays the White Swan with finesse, Nina is unable to imbue the dark seductiveness of the Black Swan , and in her pursuit of ultimate perfection, she loses her conscious self and her identity. There is a sense of sad, melancholic beauty in Nina’s disintegration as a human being as her art reaches its crescendo, and Aronofsky brilliantly juxtaposes these contradictions both within Nina and the movie itself and lends them both a rare yet incredibly relatable humanity. And Natalie Portman plays the part to absolute perfection, as her sad eyes and porcelain face betrays the pain, confusion and paranoia that has laid siege on her life.

Read More:  Best Workout Movies of All Time

8. Theodore Twombly – Her

There is something so inexplicably romantic yet inevitably tragic about a man falling in love with an AI system. Theodore Twombly is a sad, depressed soul who has not been able to get over his previous relationship; the memories of his past continue to hold him hostage as he is unable to move on or find love. That is, until he buys a personalized artificial intelligence software named Samantha and forms a rare personal connection with her. He feels a great sense of freedom and openness in this weird relationship, one without the artifice of modern romance while being incredibly liberating. And as he slowly falls for this faceless AI, our inhibitions are also lifted as we cheer for the couple and their uncertain future.

Writer-director Spike Jonze paints a very mature portrait of the state of modern relationships while forcing us to reassess our preconceived notions of love, romance and emotional connection. But what ultimately makes Theodore so compelling is that he could very well have been any of us; a lonely man falling for someone who is understands him, accepting and loving him for who he was. And Joaquin Phoenix relentlessly inhabits every frame of the movie, brilliantly encapsulating the vulnerability and inimitable humanity and love that Theodore personifies.

Read More:  Best Movies About Nihilism Ever

7. Michele Le Blanc – Elle

One of the most controversial movies released last year, ‘Elle’ is a movie that blew me away with its disturbing humor and esoteric social commentary. Following the life of a rich, successful businesswoman who is raped in her home by an unknown assailant, ‘Elle’ is post-feminist masterpiece with an unapologetic woman in the lead, who doesn’t conform to normalities and doesn’t explain her actions. A fascinating woman, there is a strange soap-opera-esque quality to Michele’s life; everything is happening at once. And it could all have easily gone south, but for the sheer brilliance of Isabelle Huppert who gives one of the greatest performances of the century.

Huppert brings a certain emotional undercurrent which complements her smart, fearless exterior and as Michele, she doesn’t let her rape take control of her life; she continues to be sexually active, and remains as emotionally distant as she has always been. She is not a victim; no, director Paul Verhoeven drives home the point that she is very much a part and parcel of a society that fetishes rape-culture and sexual objectification; she is as guilty as her assailant. ‘Elle’ sure is a movie that can disturb you to the core, but it isn’t a “rape comedy” as many believe it to be; in fact, it is a movie about a woman whose rape frees her; it liberates her from the shackles that bound her existence and empowers her to be the woman she wants to be.

Read More:  Best Movie Franchises of All Time

6. Freddie Quell and Lancaster Dodd – The Master

Paul Thomas Anderson is unarguably one of the greatest American auteurs working today. A master of rich characterizations, the thematic ambiguities in Anderson’s cinema are what makes him a genius. But with ‘The Master’, Anderson doesn’t just present us with a character study, he assiduously subverts all compulsions of a plot or narrative cognizance, and rather puts two complex men together as we watch their relationship unfold on screen. While Freddie is a man lost within his own consciousness, desperately searching for freedom from his post-war ennui, Dodd is a charismatic spiritual guru who is fascinated by Freddie’s wanton abandon. As these two men square off, sizing each other up in the hopes of one-upping the other, the true nature of human behavior is laid bare – our need for companionship, our thirst for faith, our quest for acceptance and above all, our obsession with ourselves.

‘The Master’ is a decidedly obscure piece of cinema; it isn’t easy to like, but claws its way into your psyche and refuses to let go. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix bring in a weird emotional intensity and vulnerability to their performances that is at once both eerily magnetic and strangely repulsive. Anderson uses the inexplicable attraction that drives these two men towards each other to make a very subtle examination of the human condition and what makes us tick.

Read More:  Best British Movies of All Time

5. Caden Cotard – Synecdoche New York

The directorial debut of the legendary screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, ‘Synecdoche, New York’ is one of those movies that comes only once in a lifetime. The story of Caden Cotard, a paranoid, insufferable theater director struggling to come to terms with his own mortality; it is one of the saddest and most depressing films ever made and also the most poignant. A play on the idea of time and perceptive reality, the movie elegantly shifts from gritty realism to dreamlike surrealism as Caden struggles with his loneliness and neediness. While, the movie is perfect in its screenplay and other technicalities, it could have all gone in vain had it not been for Phillip Seymour Hoffman .

In portraying the life of a middle-aged idiosyncratic man all the way to his death, Hoffman turns in a performance that one can only call “miraculous”. He brings all of Kaufman’s complex metaphysical and philosophical ideas to life, while playing a character that could well be any of us. Caden is paranoid about his death, he is lonely and he misses his family, and he loathes his existence. Hoffman manages to bring out all the emotional turmoil and horrors of his character with such sensitivity, it will blow you away. His sad eyes and melancholic face beautifully conveys not only the pain and fears deep within Caden, it is also opens a door into our own fears and insecurities as individuals, and in turn question our existence. ‘Synecdoche, New York’ is undoubtedly one of the finest cinematic experiences of the century and Hoffman’s performance is one of the ages; something which probably would never be reprised again.

Read More: Best Black Romantic Movies of All Time

4. Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn – Mulholland Drive

Our inclusion of anything related to ‘Mulholland Drive’ has become a running gag amongst our readers; I, however am not willing to let that stop me from acknowledging the brilliance of Betty/Diane in the David Lynch masterpiece. ‘Mulholland Drive’ is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen, a movie that changed my perception towards life and cinema. A neo-noir mystery drama set in the city of dreams , the movie follows an aspiring young actress as she helps a strange amnesic woman find her true identity. However, as they embark on this journey, identities overlap and realities coalesce as we are treated with seemingly unrelated vignettes and events leading up to a climax that may shock you to the core. Lynch’s writing doesn’t give much depth to any of the characters, at least not explicitly, as he channels the aura of the classic Hollywood gems and sets a campy, almost parodic tone, as we buy into the artifice he constructs. But, when he finally pulls the rug off from under our feet, our perception of reality comes crashing down as we experience the fear and humiliation of loneliness.

Unlike what it presents itself to be, ‘Mulholland Drive’ is not another surreal dreamscape from Lynch; rather, it is a heart-breaking tale of love, hope and dreams, and how our minds wrap itself around our fantasies and our realities. And Betty/Diane is the oxygen that drives the movie; Naomi Watts, in one of greatest acting performances of all time, gives her heart and soul into playing these two women; these women, who Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, personify the complexities of the human consciousness and the nature our existence. Never since Ingmar Bergamn’s ‘Persona’ have we seen two women been portrayed with the eerie magnetism and raw energy that Lynch displays in ‘Mulholland Drive’, and that is an achievement in itself.

Read More: Best 9/11 Movies of All Time

3. Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman – Adaptation

Charlie Kaufman is, in my opinion, the greatest screenwriter in the history of cinema, a man whose screenplays have a piercing intensity and humanity that is inherently unmistakable. And with ‘Adaptation’, he created the greatest screenplay I have ever read, charting a new direction in screenwriting, going beyond all the conventional tropes that existed. And how did he do that? Well, he committed the cardinal sin – he wrote himself in the screenplay. ‘Adaptation’ was supposed to be the screen adaptation of the acclaimed Susan Orlean book The Orchid Thief , about the life of John Laroche; however, Kaufman’s writer’s block forced him to change directions as he incorporated himself into his screenplay, and wrote about his own creative struggles in adapting the book. Kaufman mixes heavy doses of fiction within a non-fictitious premise as he and director Spike Jonze conceived one of the most exhilarating cinematic experiences of the century – a movie at once unbelievably hilarious and unbearably tragic. And Charlie Kaufman, the character, is at the crux of this meta-film; a repulsive, unconfident screenwriter wallowing in his misery and loneliness, who feels like a complete loser.

In an attempt to portray his own fragmented persona, Kaufman creates a fake sibling, a gregarious aspiring filmmaker Donald, whose unoriginal ideas and stories annoy Charlie. Representing two schools of thought in artistic expression, both Donald and Charlie go about their ways and we the audience, earnestly watch their progression until the tables are turned on us at the end and the movie devolves into a parody of cinema itself. ‘Adaptation’ is one of the most original movies I’ve ever seen, and Charlie Kaufman and actor Nicholas Cage crafts arguably the most compelling portrait of a self-deprecating genius who constantly doubts his place in the world.

Read More: Best Toddler Movies of All Time

2. Daniel Plainview – There Will Be Blood

Of course, there can never be a list of great characterizations without a movie starring the great Daniel Day-Lewis , arguably the greatest actor working today. In fact, I was very close to having this at the top, and a lot of it had to do with Day-Lewis’ brutally honest performance as Daniel Plainview. But, having decided that a great characterization is a combination of great writing, great direction and great acting, I decided that there is one movie that could top this one. However, that shouldn’t take anything away from this P T Anderson masterpiece, where he conceives a terrifying man whose sheer presence lingers within your psyche long after you make his acquaintance. Anderson as usual lets his characters drive the narrative forward in ‘There will be Blood’, an epic historical drama chronicling the rise and fall of the ruthless, sociopathic oilman Daniel Plainview in the early 20th century.

In portraying a man who will stop at nothing in his quest for wealth, Anderson gives us one of the finest deconstructions of the idea of the American Dream , where capitalism both creates and destroys the future. And above all, Anderson’s greatest achievement here is Plainview, a character so unpredictable and scary, his very presence becomes unnerving. Blinded by his obsession with wealth and money, Plainview is a man with no rules, no boundaries; he even uses an unsuspecting little orphan to play his son so as to come across as a compassionate family man. And Anderson crafts the movie around him, giving a compelling portrayal of American societal conventions of family, faith and religion. No film since Orson Welles’ tragic masterpiece ‘Citizen Kane’ has managed to give us an American as compelling and complex as Plainview in ‘There will be Blood’; and that is no mean feat.

Read More: Best Romantic Movies of the 2000s

1. Erika Kohut – The Piano Teacher

And there it is….. a controversial choice, yes, but a truly deserving one too. Michael Haneke’s gem is easily one of the most disturbing films of the century, and not because of any blood, gore or physical violence, but because Haneke has the audacity to take something as exciting and invigorating as sex and turns into a disquieting exploration of the dark voyeur that lurks within all of us. I had, in a recent piece , argued how Haneke’s cinema is a protracted exploration of violence that we have poisoned ourselves with, and how it affects all our choices and decisions.

In ‘The Piano Teacher’, Erika is a respected and widely admired piano teacher whose intellectual existence is more of a façade that masks the disequilibrium of her sexual life and her emotionally abusive relationship with her mother. She is a strong woman, however she is impossible to like or relate to because of the inhumanity of her actions, but as the movie progresses, we realize that Erika is not meant to be a real person; rather, she the alter ego of our worst selves – our worst desires, our worst actions and our worst side as a human being. She is also unbearable lonely and sad, and there are times where a tinge of sympathy creeps in, but Haneke doesn’t let it linger, because he doesn’t want us to like Erika. He wants us to abhor her, not because of her sexual proclivities or her controlling nature, but because he wants to shows us the mirror to what we have all really become.

A love story at its crux, with the ‘The Piano Teacher’, Haneke gives us a woman who doesn’t care about her actions, who just wants to exist. Very rarely do we cinema portray a woman with the depth and complexity that Erika displays, and it has lot to do with the French goddess Isabelle Huppert who puts in the performance of a lifetime. Few auteurs and actors have the gall to break off the chains and go all the way; Haneke and Huppert did, and in doing so, they gifted with one of the greatest character studies cinema has ever seen.

Read More: Best Civil War Movies of All Time

SPONSORED LINKS

• Movie Explainers
• TV Explainers

• Setups & Tech
• iOS & Mac

27 Study Motivation Movies for Students (K-Dramas, Hollywood & More)

Watching movies and TV while studying might not be the most effective method, but it sure makes it more enjoyable! Plus, films and shows can be a great reward after studying, keeping you motivated while in deep work. Learning techniques like Animedoro help many students stay on track with a unique reward system.

Searching for some new background chatter to enjoy while you’re working? Scroll down for 27 of the best motivational movies and TV shows for students!

Looking for more student productivity tips? Subscribe to The Flow — our free quick, snappy, value-packed focus and recharge newsletter:

• First Name First

Table of Contents

Best Movies to Watch While Studying

Best anime to watch while studying, best tv shows to watch while studying, best k-dramas to watch while studying.

We’ve cherry-picked 14 of the best motivational movies for studying, from stories of overcoming adversity, to fun flicks about achieving career success. Check out these top movies to watch while studying!

Legally Blonde

Iconic rom-com Legally Blonde is super inspirational, even if it might not seem so on the surface.

Based on novelist Amanda Brown’s real-life experiences at Stanford, Legally Blonde follows fashion student and SoCal sorority girl Elle Woods as she attends Havard Law. It’ll have you tickled pink while teaching you to feel comfortable in yourself and not judge others by their appearance.

Watch the Trailer

The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness shows that when the going gets tough, you keep going. This tear-jerking biography tracks the life story of Chris Gardner as he deals with poverty, caring for his five-year-old son, and achieving his dreams of being a stockbroker. Despite multiple setbacks, Chris never stops pursuing his dreams. It’s moving, heartwarming, and certain to keep you motivated.

Good Will Hunting

Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting is among the best motivational study movies of all time. It follows the story of Will Hunting, a self-taught yet troubled genius, as he navigates legal troubles, mental health, love, and unmet potential. Good Will Hunting is an intriguing and life-affirming film that’ll inspire you to rise to the top of your class.

Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society is about a renegade English teacher, John Keating, as he inspires students at a stuffy all-male boarding school. Another motivational study movie starring the late, great Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society, teaches students to follow their passions, discover their true selves, and “seize the day.”

Bonus: Flocus — Aesthetic Study Website

Complete with anime-inspired visuals and relaxing playlists, Flocus is the perfect study companion — a free browser-based dashboard for focus and ambience. Get motivated with dynamic greetings and inspiring quotes on the Home dashboard, and keep tabs on the time with the customizable clock.

When you’re ready to get down to some deep work, switch to Focus Mode to set your focus intentions and start your custom Pomodoro timer!

Open Flocus in Browser

Hidden Figures

Loosely based on the nonfiction novel by Margot Lee Shetterly, Hidden Figures is about three Black women working as mathematicians for NASA on the first American orbital spaceflight.

Having to overcome sexism and racism in 1961 America, Hidden Figures is a lesson in overcoming adversity and achieving greatness.

A Beautiful Mind

You’ll love A Beautiful Mind if you’re dealing with mental health issues while trying to make it through a tough semester. This is the Oscar-winning true story of John Nash, a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician diagnosed with schizophrenia around the age of 30.

A Beautiful Mind features twists, turns, and heartbreaking scenes that’ll inspire you to persevere despite your personal struggles.

Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots is ideal if you’re searching for something a bit different for your next study session. This lighthearted film follows three college students’ experiences at an Indian engineering college. It deals with themes like love, overachieving, and troublesome teachers, with plenty of musical numbers along the way. With a message achieving personal excellence rather than chasing success, 3 Idiots is a film we can all get behind!

Our Little Sister

Heartwarming and with beautiful cinematography, Our Little Sister teaches the importance of acceptance and family. Three sisters meet their estranged half-sister at their father’s funeral and begin to build loving relationships out of their complicated family dynamic. Our Little Sister will leave you feeling all fuzzy inside and is the perfect comforting film for a laidback study session.

The Great Debaters

The Great Debaters is the true story of debate coach Melvin B. Tolson leading a Black debate team to the US’ first interracial collegiate debate at the height of Jim Crow laws in the 1930s.

Dealing with themes including widespread racial discrimination, lynchings, and the Great Depression, The Great Debaters teaches us that knowledge can overcome the greatest injustices.

The Princess and the Frog

Modern Disney classics are great accompaniments to studying, and The Princess and the Frog is among the best. It’s a twist on the classic tale of a princess turning a frog into a prince with a kiss. With themes such as internal beauty and achieving your goals through hard work, The Princess and the Frog superbly compliments studying.

Homeless to Harvard

Homeless to Harvard documents the life of Liz Murray, who rose out of a troubled household in the Bronx to earn a scholarship with the New York Times and be accepted into Harvard. Based on a true story, Homeless to Havard is the perfect uplifting movie to watch when you feel under pressure studying.

Super 30 is a biographical account of mathematics teacher Anand Kumar, who coached underprivileged kids for entrance exams into India’s top technological institutes. The most powerful message of this hit Hindi flick? Strive for success, and you can accomplish anything, regardless of poverty or social standing.

The Theory of Everything

Stephen Hawking is one of the most inspirational figures and brightest minds of the last decade. The Theory of Everything follows Hawking’s early years at Cambridge as an astrophysics student and his slow deterioration due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The quote, “While there’s life, there is hope,” is a profound sentiment anyone can relate to.

Highly driven music students will find Whiplash a profound, if disturbing, watch. Andrew, a jazz drummer, attends an esteemed music school, where he signs a studio band. After joining, the band’s conductor, Fletcher, manipulates and abuses him.

Andrew’s single-mindedness about attaining greatness alienates his family and friends, even if he manages to overachieve and reach his goal. Whiplash is a sobering, inspiring story with an awesome soundtrack of classic jazz.

Anime movies can provide a pop of color and match your aesthetic while studying. Studio Ghibli films are among the best to watch, with their chilled-out stories and powerful messages. Here are a couple of the best anime to watch while studying!

From Up on Poppy Hill

Beautifully crafted anime is always great to watch in the background while studying, and From Up on Poppy Hill is among the best. In this anime masterpiece, high school student Umi bands together with her schoolmates to save her school’s historic clubhouse from demolition. The overarching theme of making way for the future by not dwelling on the past is relatable to many students.

Whisper of the Heart

Following the relationship between aspiring writer Shizuku and apprentice violin-maker Seiji, Whisper of the Heart is a story about young love as inspiration to find passion and creativity.

Fun fact: YouTube’s Lofi Girl is based on a studying scene from this Studio Ghibli classic!

If you’re looking for shorter stints, binge your favorite TV show while you work! Popular TV shows are excellent for studying — there are endless episodes and you don’t need to give them your undivided attention. Here are a few of our favorite TV shows to watch while studying!

Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls is perfect if you’re looking for a laid-back, cozy TV show you can tune in and out of while studying. The show revolves around Lorelai and her teen daughter, Rory, as they tackle relationships, business management, and attending college. With seven seasons and over 150 episodes, there’s no shortage of Gilmore Girls to keep you company while studying.

The Office offers laughs and heartwarming moments aplenty. Step into the office of Dunder Mifflin for the escapades of hapless manager Micheal Scott and his employees. Chances are you’ve watched The Office before, making it perfect background chatter for your study sessions.

Is there a more comforting sitcom than Friends? This classic show about six friends in NYC as they navigate their day-to-day lives is part of TV royalty. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen at least an episode of Friends, so it likely won’t steal your attention while cramming for finals.

Who’s that girl? New Girl revolves around Jess as she moves in with three male roommates, dealing with themes like careers, relationships, friendships, and more. Offbeat and witty, New Girl will have you giggling while studying.

With their gripping storylines and distinctive cultural situations, K-dramas are great to watch while studying. Plus, watching shows in a foreign language is less distracting and can even help you learn a few new Korean phrases!

The Queenmaker

Tense political drama The Queenmaker focuses on human rights lawyer Oh Kyung-sook’s battle to be elected as the mayor of Seoul. With the help of an influential fixer, she aims to take down her former boss. Themes of morality and corporate greed make this a hard-hitting show for any political major.

Set in a fictional Korean version of Silicon Valley, Start-Up follows a group of young go-getters setting up their own companies. Love triangles, business management, and societal expectations make this an interesting watch for any budding entrepreneur.

Itaewon Class

Itaewon Class sees main character Park Sae-ro-yi — with the help of genius Jo Yi-seo — take over a local restaurant and seek revenge against a corporation for his father’s death. Smartly written and inspirational for young entrepreneurs, Itaewon School will teach you plenty about the business world.

Students find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery in this unique K-drama. When an adjunct professor is found dead during a mock trial class, students at Hankuk University Law School must work together to solve the case. Studying law? Don’t miss this gripping K-drama.

Chilling K-drama The Glory is the story of a former victim of abuse getting revenge on her school bullies by becoming a teacher at the school their children attend. Some scenes are based on the actual events of a group of South Korean middle schoolers who extorted and abused a classmate for several weeks.

This dark comedy K-drama is about a group of upper-class parents living in a lavish neighborhood whose greatest aim is to get their children into top colleges at whatever cost. You’ll love this K-drama if you’ve ever felt the pressures of an uber competitive education system.

A-Teen follows the classic teen drama formula of six students dealing with romantic relationships and social situations. Check out A-Teen if you’re searching for a straightforward high school K-drama for studying!

What’s your go-to movie for study motivation? Let us know in the comments!

Gridfiti is supported by its audience – when you buy something using the retail links in our posts, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read more about our affiliate disclaimer.

Privacy Preference Center

Privacy preferences.

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies
• 3rd Party Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

This website uses Google Analytics and BuySellAds to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

102 Psychology Films You Must See

Here’s a list of psychological films that incorporate psychological concepts.

If you’re looking for psychological films on Netflix, click here . 

• A Beautiful Mind (2001) 
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
• A Monster Calls (2016)  – Film review by Dr Berney Wilkinson and Dr Richard Marshall
• A Serbian Film (2010)
• About Time (2013) – Film review by Isabel William
• Adaptation (2002)
• American Psycho (2000)
• As Good As It Gets (1997)
• Awakenings (1991)
• Berlin Syndrome (2017)
• Black Swan (2011)
• Bridget Jones (2001) – Film review by Isabel William
• Cape Fear (1991)
• Cocoon (1985) – Film review by Jan Cutt
• Colors of Night (1994)
• Crash (2004)
• Dirty Filthy Love (2004) 
• Donnie Darko (2001)
• Dr Strange (2016) – Film review by Adam Knowles
• Duel (1971)
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
• Experimenter (2015) – Film review by Dr Berney Wilkinson and Dr Richard Marshall 
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
• Faces in the Crowd (2011)
• Fatal Attraction (1987)
• Fight Club (1999)
• First Love (2019)
• Get Out (2017)
• Girl, Interrupted (1999)
• Gone Girl (2014)
• Good Will Hunting (1997)
• Hannibal Rising (2007)
• Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
• Identity (2003) 
• I am Sam (2001) 
• Inception (2010)
• Inside Out (2015) – Film review by Dr Berney Wilkinson and Dr Richard Marshall 
• Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
• Joker (2019)
• Journey’s End (2017) – Film review by Dr Stella Compton-Dickinson 
• Killing Me Softly (2002)
• Limitless (2011)
• Memento (2000)
• Me, Myself & Irene (2000) – Film review by Scott Trettenero
• Missery (1990)
• My Life (1993) 
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) – Film review by Maxwell Guttman, LCSW
• Paprika (2006)
• Porky’s (1981) – Film review by Miles Ashford, PhD
• Pretty Woman (1990)
• Psychology of Secrets (2013)
• Rain Man (1988)
• Raising Cain (1992)
• Red Dragon (2002)
• Requiem for a Dream (2000)
• Robocop 2 (1990) – Film review by Maxwell Guttman, LCSW
• Room (2015)
• Sex and the City (2008) – Film review by Isabel William
• Shutter Island (2010)
• Side Effects (2013)
• Spider (2002)
• Split (2016)
• Sybil (1976)
• Taxi Driver (1976)
• The 9th Life of Louis Drax (2016)
• The Aviator (2004)
• The Blind Side (2009)
• The Breakfast Club (1985)
• The Cable Guy (1996)
• The Deer Hunter (1978)
• The Experimenter (2015)
• The Game (1997)
• The Girl on the Train (2016)
• The Jungle Book (2016) – Film review by Jean-Luc Vannier
• The Machinist (2005)
• The Madness of King George (1994) –  Film review by Maxwell Guttman, LCSW
• The Number 23 (2007)
• The Naked Face (1984)
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) – Film review by Berney Wilkinson, PhD and Richard Marshall, PhD
• The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
• The Shining (1980)
• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• The Soul Keeper (2002)
• The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015) 
• The Stepfather (2009)
• They (2002)
• Three Faces of Eve (1957) 
• Titanic (1997) – Film review by Dale Burden
• Trading Places (1983) – Film review by Dale Burden
• Vanilla Sky (2001)
• Veronika Decides to Die (2009)
• Vertigo (1958)
• What About Bob (1991)
• What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1994)
• When a Stranger Calls (2006)
• 12 Angry Men (1957)
• 28 Days (2000)

The psychology of film is a subfield of the psychology of art that studies the characteristics of film and its production in relation to perception, cognition, narrative understanding, and emotion .

Related Articles

Dr nigel maclennan wins appeal against british psychological society in whistleblowing case, psychreg wins “vlogger of the year” at mental health blog awards 2024, icpce 2024 gathers global voices to discuss mental health and education in ho chi minh city, vietnam, intensive care doctor’s new book sheds light on life and death in the icu, institute of psychosexual medicine celebrates its golden anniversary, willbe brings groundbreaking approach to perimenopause and longevity to the pause live event, community care provider announced as finalist in 2 prestigious 2024 laing buisson awards, new books enrich palgrave macmillan’s animal ethics series, reflecting growing interest in the field, oxford summer school to celebrate the pioneers of animal protection, psychreg shortlisted for blogger and vlogger of the year at mhba 2023, psychreg announces best abstract awards winners at icpce 2023, freelance editor wanted: join the psychreg team, boost your knowledge and skills to help patients with eating disorders in your day-to-day clinical work, gambling industry levy welcomed by think-tank that first proposed the policy, mind matters reminds veterinary mental health researchers of upcoming funding and knowledge exchange opportunities, new book ‘the building blocks of life’ criticises uk nutrition policy and highlights micronutrient shortfalls in population, a comprehensive guide to spss in psychology: mastering the basics, the top 10 must-watch psychological thriller films, ‘coaching wisdom: voices of the gay coaches alliance’ – book review, call for abstracts: icpce 2023, ground-breaking new book explores ethics and law in relation to animals, mmi to run neurodiversity stream at bsava congress, new book ‘freaky thinking’ aims to challenge readers change the way they think, enhancing mental health care: incorporating neuropsychology principles into multidisciplinary teams.

Psychreg is a digital media company and not a clinical company. Our content does not constitute a medical or psychological consultation. See a certified medical or mental health professional for diagnosis.

• Privacy Policy

© Copyright 2014–2034 Psychreg Ltd

• PSYCHREG JOURNAL
• MEET OUR WRITERS
• MEET THE TEAM

18 Must-See Films For Psychology Students

Whether you're considering or enrolled in an on-campus or online psychology program, check out this list of must-see movies for all psychology students.

• News and Events

Tags in Article

A pioneer of French cinema, filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard said, "Art attracts us only by what it reveals of our most secret self."

Film as art is certainly no exception when it comes to capturing our minds and imaginations. Film provides a powerful medium for exploring what it means to be human, offering us a glimpse into human nature at its best, its worst and everywhere in between.

Perhaps that's why there is no shortage of films that explore the gamut of psychological topics – making film a popular tool for teaching psychology.

• The paranoia exhibited by Humphrey Bogart's Captain Queeg who unravels under stress in "The Caine Mutiny."
• The chilling descent into madness displayed by Jack Nicholson in "The Shining."
• The effect of one woman's obsession on a man and his family in "Fatal Attraction."
• The moral dilemmas faced by the survivors of a torpedoed ship drifting at sea in Alfred Hitchcock's "Lifeboat."

While there are hundreds of films that could be included on a list of movies that deal with psychology, here are a handful recommended by Saint Leo psychology faculty – all 'must sees' for students in online psychology degree programs .

1. "12 Angry Men"

Drama (1957) Topics: Social, moral development Actors: Henry Fonda, John Fiedler Plot: A diverse group of 12 jurors deliberates the fate of an 18-year-old Latino accused of murdering his father. As a lone dissenting juror tries to convince the others that the case is not as open-and-shut as it appears, individual prejudices and preconceptions about the trial emerge. Recommended by: Dr. Lara Ault Why recommended: The movie has tremendous lessons and value in social psychology. It addresses prejudice, conformity, aggression, group interaction, leadership, persuasion, and other basic areas of social psychology and the study of normal human behavior.

2. "28 Days"

Drama/romance (2000) Topics: Substance abuse disorders/alcoholism Actors: Sandra Bullock, Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West Plot: Sandra Bullock plays a newspaper columnist who chooses to enter a rehabilitation center for alcoholism in lieu of jail time for stealing a limousine at her sister's wedding and crashing it. Initially in denial that she is an alcoholic and resistant to treatment, with the help of fellow patients, she eventually begins to re-examine her life and comes to terms with her alcoholism and addiction to prescription medications. Recommended by: Dr. Glenn Lowery Why recommended: This movie models good counseling skills and promotes optimism, while dealing with serious substance abuse issues.

3. "A Beautiful Mind"

Drama (2001) Topics: Abnormal psychology, psychotic disorders/schizophrenia Actors: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly Plot: Based on the life of mathematical genius and Nobel Laureate John Forbes Nash, who suffers from severe mental illness, this film won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. Recommended by: Dr. Antonio Laverghetta Why recommended: The film sheds light on the life and suffering of a person living with schizophrenia. Psychology students will notice that Nash exhibits many of the symptoms used to diagnose schizophrenia and can follow the increasing intensity of these symptoms and the effect on him and those around him. The film also shows the difficult task of managing the disorder and the importance of social support.

4. "The Blind Side"

Biographical/sport (2009) Topics: Social psychology, including social influence, family relations Actors: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates Plot: "The Blind Side" is the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American boy who is adopted by a wealthy white family, the Tuohys. Michael realizes his full potential, succeeding in school and becoming a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Recommended by: Dr. Helen Oderinde Why recommended: This film does a good job of highlighting some of the difficulties and misunderstandings that take place when people of different cultures attempt to bridge cultural and racial differences and connect on an intimate level. The film also shows how mutually beneficial this engagement can be: the Tuohys open the door to educational and financial opportunity for Michael and he, in turn, opens their minds.

5. "Driving Miss Daisy"

Comedy/drama (1989) Topics: Social psychology, developmental psychology/aging, Alzheimer's disease Actors: Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Dan Akroyd Plot: The movie begins in 1948 when, at the insistence of her son who decides his mother must stop driving, Miss Daisy Werthan, a wealthy Jewish Southern woman, hires an African-American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn. The story of their friendship unfolds over the following 25 years as they overcome their differences and discomforts and develop a loving friendship. Recommended by: Dr. Antonio Laverghetta Why recommended: In addition to addressing the degenerative nature of Alzheimer's disease, this film explores some of the big questions of interest in the field of social psychology: how prejudice develops and how it can be overcome.

6. "Enough"

Drama/thriller (2002) Topics: Social psychology, domestic violence Actors: Jessica Jennifer Lopez, Billy Campbell, Tessa Allen Plot: Based on the Anna Quindlen novel, "Black and Blue," the film is about a working-class waitress named Slim who thinks she has married the man of her dreams. After the birth of their first child, he becomes controlling and abusive. Slim escapes from him several times, moving to different parts of the country with her daughter, but her husband tracks her down. She decides to prepare herself to fight back by learning Krav Maga self-defense techniques. Recommended by: Dr. Tammy Zacchilli Why recommended: Portraying a physical and psychological battle between the two main characters, this movie addresses the challenges of dealing with and escaping from an abusive relationship.

7. "Good Will Hunting"

Drama (1997) Topics: Social and developmental psychology, treatment, giftedness Actors: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Minnie Driver Plot: Will Hunting is a young, headstrong janitor at MIT with exceptional mathematical abilities. Abused as a child, he has numerous run-ins with the law and does not realize his full potential. With the help of a psychology professor, he finally receives the counseling he needs that will enable him to find his identity and change his life. Recommended by: Dr. Glenn Lowery Why recommended: "Good Will Hunting." serves as a good teachable opportunity. This movie depicts a difficult therapeutic relationship between an ambivalent client and a somewhat unorthodox counselor.

8. "The Hurricane"

Biographical/sport (1991) Topics: Social psychology including prejudice, discrimination, violence, civil rights Actors: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Reon Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger Plot: This film is based on the life of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a top-ranked, African-American boxer who, in 1966, is expected to become a world champion when he is wrongly imprisoned for a triple murder. His appeals are rejected and his case seems hopeless until a teenage boy and his foster family find new evidence that eventually leads to his release two decades later. Recommended by: Dr. Bob Jacobs Why recommended: "The Hurricane" highlights our ability to transcend our circumstances through internal change.

9. "Identity"

Thriller/mystery (2003) Topics: Psychotic disorders, forensic psychology Actors: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet Plot: A group of strangers from different walks of life are forced to find shelter during a torrential rainstorm at an out-of-the-way Nevada desert motel. One-by-one, they are killed off. Meanwhile, in a related storyline, a psychiatrist tries to prove the innocence of a man accused of murder. Recommended by: Dr. Lara Ault Why recommended: "Identity" deals with a unique and controversial disorder (it's a spoiler if I name it). It plays on some misconceptions about the disorder, but has a radical therapy suggestion that is intriguing. It is also an exciting murder mystery.

10. "Memento"

Crime thriller (2000) Topics: Neuropsychology, memory loss/amnesia Actors: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano Plot: Leonard Shelby is an ex-insurance investigator who sustains a head injury when trying to prevent his wife's murder and now suffers from amnesia. He learns how to cope with his condition using notes and tattoos as he tries to find the murderer and avenge her death. Recommended by: Dr. Lara Ault Why recommended: "Memento" deals with a person with short-term memory loss trying to solve a mystery. It is accurate, in many ways, regarding what life might be like for someone who cannot remember for more than a few minutes or seconds at a time. It is fascinating in a cognitive sense, as well as moving and emotionally engaging (and exciting).

11. "The Notebook"

Romance (2004) Topics: Clinical and social psychology, cultural differences, Alzheimer's disease Actors: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Gena Rowlands, James Garner Plot: A poor young man, Noah Calhoun, falls in love with a young heiress, Allie Hamilton, during the summer of 1940. When Allie's mother finds out, she bans her from seeing Noah and the family leaves their summer home on Seabrook Island and returns to Charleston. World War II intervenes and Allie and Noah go on with their lives but are reunited years later. Recommended by: Dr. Tammy Zacchilli Why recommended: I show clips of this movie in my close relationships class because you can examine how love and relationships change over time. It is also relevant to developmental psychology because one of the characters has Alzheimer's disease.

12. "On Golden Pond"

Drama/comedy (1981) Topics: Neuropsychology/dementia, marital/family dynamics Actors: Katherine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda Plot: This Academy Award winner for Best Actor and Best Actress tells the story of elderly couple, Norman and Ethel Thayer, who return to their summer cottage while dealing with Norman's failing memory, onset of senility and strained relationship with his daughter. Recommended by: Dr. Mark Benander Why recommended: This movie is full of great explorations of so many fundamental aspects of human nature, including family relationships, aging, death and dying, personal growth, and forgiveness. We are also treated to ways in which elements of nature such as a beautiful woodland lake, a treacherous cove, a dive into crisp clear water, and a family of loons can illuminate the powerful psychological dynamics of being human.

13. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Drama (1975) Topics: Personality/mood disorders, forensic psychology, treatment Actors: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, William Redfield Plot: Randle McMurphy has a criminal past. To escape his most current prison sentence, he pleads insanity so that he can be sent to a mental institution where he thinks he can serve his sentence more comfortably than in jail. Upon admittance, he rallies the other patients into rebellion against the oppressive Nurse Ratched. Recommended by : Dr. Kevin Kieffer Why recommended: This Academy Award-winning classic is a must-see film for psychology students. It provides a disturbing look into mental hospitals in the 1960s, including electroshock therapy as a form of treatment and a dysfunctional form of group psychotherapy.

14. "Ordinary People"

Drama (1980) Topics: Family dynamics, stress and coping, mood disorders, therapy Actors: Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, Judd Hirsch Plot: When his older brother dies unexpectedly, guilt and grief push Conrad Jarrett to attempt suicide. After spending six months in a mental hospital, he returns home, sees a psychiatrist, and tries to return to normal. His parents each react differently to the trauma; his father attempts to deal with his grief, while his mother remains in denial, angry and depressed. Recommended by: Dr. Kevin Kieffer Why recommended: This film sheds realistic light on how one family deals with trauma and the resulting breakdown of the family unit. It offers a positive, affirming portrayal of a therapist and the value of therapy in helping Conrad and his father heal.

15. "Rain Man"

Comedy/drama (1988) Topics: Neuropsychology/autism, marital/family dynamics Actors: Dustin Hoffmann, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino Plot: "Rain Man" is the story of a hustler, Charlie Babbit, and his brother, Raymond, an autistic savant unknown to Charlie who is living in an institution. When the brothers' father dies and leaves his fortune in trust to Raymond, Charlie sets out on a scheme to gain custody of Raymond and control of the money during a classic cross-country road trip. Recommended by: Dr. Antonio Laverghetta Why recommended: This film shed light on autism at time when there was little public awareness of the syndrome. Raymond exhibits many of the classic behaviors of a high-functioning autistic. As Charlie begins to understand Raymond more, he learns how to manage the stress associated with being his caregiver and becomes a better person.

16. "Regarding Henry"

Drama (1991) Topics: Neuropsychology, retrograde amnesia, marital/family dynamics Actors: Harrison Ford, Annette Benning, Michael Haley Plot: Henry is a hard-driven lawyer who is shot in the head during a robbery and suffers brain damage. He emerges from a coma with retrograde amnesia. As he struggles to recover his speech and mobility and regain his memory, he experiences a shift in values and builds a new life for his family and himself. Recommended by: Dr. Antonio Laverghetta Why recommended: While real-life cases of retrograde amnesia are actually quite rare, films tend to depict it as fairly common occurrence and, therefore, often promote inaccuracies. Despite that fact, this movie does a good job showing how retrograde amnesia can have a significant impact on individuals and their families – sometimes for good or ill.

17. "Reign Over Me"

Family drama (2007) Topics: Post-traumatic stress disorder Actors: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith Plot: The grief that Charlie Fineman experiences after losing his family in the September 11 attack on New York City causes him to quit his job and isolate himself. After a chance encounter, he rekindles his friendship with his old college roommate, Alan Johnson, who helps him to face his past and rebuild his life. Recommended by: Dr. Mark Benander Why recommended: "Rein Over Me" is an entertaining movie, replete with laughs and more sober, thought-provoking scenes, but it also demonstrates some of the ways in which PTSD can impact the life of the affected individual as well as everyone in his or her life.

18. "Save The Last Dance"

Musical romance (2001) Topics: Social psychology, interracial relationships, peer pressure, violence Actors: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Kerry Washington Plot: Sara, a white girl who has lived in the suburbs, is forced to relocate to Chicago's inner city. With the move comes a new school with a predominately African-American student body, and Sara's new boyfriend is a black teen, Derek, with whom she shares a love for dance. Recommended by: Dr. Helen Oderinde Why recommended: "Save the Last Dance is centered on a teenage, interracial romance and the couple's relationship with others. They continually meet with social and cultural conflict over their relationship and have to work hard to overcome prejudice and rise above cultural and social pressures.

What other films would you add to this list?

Other posts you may be interested in reading:

14 Blogs For Students In Online Psychology Degree Programs

8 Tips On How To Be A Successful Psychology Student

Is An Online Psychology Degree For You?

Image Credit: Razoom Game on Shutterstock.com

Mary Beth Erskine See more from this author

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Your Honour, I Move to Recognise the Best Courtroom Dramas Ever Made

Order, order! I will have order in this cinematic best-of list, so help me God

All rise: this cultural round-up is now in session.

Perhaps one of the reasons courtroom dramas are so reliable is that, much like a court case, these films follow a time-honoured protocol. Whether they’re plaintiffs or defendants, we’re on the side of a plucky upstart protagonist who needs the help of studied legal hand to fight an injustice.

When we get into the courtroom, we see all the establishment machinery that we’re going to have to fight: bastard judge, bastard main prosecutor in a very fancy suit, arcane procedure and, most importantly, the assumptions of the jury – and, the implication runs, you too.

You know how it tends to go. After much shouting, surprise witnesses and unexpected revelations on the stand, the bastard judge and the bastard main prosecutor grudgingly come to accept that, whatever the law says, the Plucky Protagonist was in the right all along.

It says something that if you watch a representation of a British trial then you feel short-changed if nobody bangs a gavel (purely an American thing), calls the judge “your honour” (in nearly every instance it’s ‘sir’, ‘madam’, ‘my lord’, or ‘my lady’) or starts screaming about objections in the middle of the other side’s case (just doesn’t happen).

It’s not just the characters being put on trial either. It’s the establishment, the system, a whole country, and me and you watching on.

Anyway, here we go: I swear by Sidney Lumet that I will faithfully try these films and give a true verdict according to the evidence.

Falsely Accused! (1908)

This is one of the earliest surviving courtroom dramas, and intriguingly it shows that cinema as a technology has been tied up with ideas of truth and reality since its very earliest days. A scientist is showing off his cinema camera in his lab to some friends. They go to leave, but when one walks back into the room, the scientist is dead. The woman who found him is hauled in by the police, but she protests that she's innocent. So who killed him? The answer lies in the camera, which has its starring moment in the climactic courtroom scene as we watch the assembled masses watch the evidence. It's only three minutes long and while it's not on any of the streamers, you can dig it up if you do some nosing around yourself. There's also a cameo from early directing pioneer DW Griffith (pictured in the hat, with Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks after founding United Artists), who did the extremely yikes-y Birth of a Nation .

Mangrove (2020)

The first of Steve McQueen's Small Axe anthology films for the BBC tells the story of the Mangrove Nine, a group of protestors who in 1970 rallied to the aid of a Notting Hill restaurant which was repeatedly raided by police in a concerted effort to intimidate and degrade the Caribbean community in the area. The police didn't appreciate their protests, and prosecuted nine people on charges of riot and affray. The case is flimsy, and the courts stacked against the nine Black defendants, but they take on the system. The cast is led by Black Panther 's Letitia Wright as British Black Panthers leader Altheia Jones-LeCointe, and McQueen's direction is as sure-footed and beautiful as you'd expect.

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Along with 12 Angry Men this is probably the foundation stone of the classical courtroom drama. A folksy, charming lawyer takes on a near-impossible case which strikes at the very heart of our notions of morality, and in the process of defending the little man points to how brutal the big man – usually the state – can be. This folksy, charming lawyer is the impossibly folksy and charming Jimmy Stewart, and his little man is Lieutenant 'Manny' Manion, who's accused of murdering innkeeper Barney Quill. Without wanting to give anything away, the truth is anything but folksy and charming; it's a bleak, harrowing apex which is a reminder of the fallibility of everyone involved in the search for the truth.

The Devil’s Advocate (1997)

Keanu Reeves is in his cocky-and-confused pomp as a hotshot and morally ambiguous lawyer presented with the career opportunity of a lifetime by a charismatic, enigmatic and possibly demonic New York CEO, played by Al Pacino. It’s flashy, kitschy and hammy in the best possible ways, as Pacino alternates shouting and mumbling in an attempt to seduce Keanu into his coven. As a supernatural horror it has its moments too, particularly in a disturbing sequence involving Reeves’ wife played by Charlize Theron. It’s long and laid on thick, but if you overlook its flaws and surrender to it, this is Hollywood filmmaking of the most entertaining order.

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

From the lesser-known courtroom-comedy-drama stable (of which we can’t think of many more entrants), this hugely likeable and often very funny film has a plot straight out of a brainstorm meeting; what if two New York college students driving through rural Alabama were accused of a murder they didn’t commit, but could only afford to hire their unconventional cousin to defend them, who had only just passed his bar exam? It might just have easily been screwed up and thrown in the bin, but we should be grateful it came to pass. Joe Pesci is excellent as the Vinny of the title as hilarity ensues, with special props to Marisa Tomei in an Oscar-winning supporting role as his girlfriend and confidante.

Jagged Edge (1985)

This seemingly forgotten Eighties courtroom thriller is a classic of its type; scripted by Joe Eszterhas ( Basic Instinct ) as a modern take on Anatomy of a Murder , it stars Glenn Close as a trial lawyer reluctant to take on the case of a man (a young and inscrutable Jeff Bridges) accused of brutally murdering his wife. The reason she’s uncertain because she can’t decide if he did it or not, which provides much of the escalating tension – sexual as well as legal – as the plot-points come thick and fast to keep you guessing until a very satisfying twist.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Aaron Sorkin knows his way around a rat-a-tat walk-and-talk drama, and his new one for Netflix opens with perhaps the most rat-a-tat walk-and-talk sequence he’s yet attempted. This is the story of how seven anti-Vietnam protestors (plus Black Panthers founder Bobby Seale, who was cut out part-way through the trial) were tried for conspiracy and inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. In Sorkin’s hands, the trial becomes a locus of arguments about the very fundamentals of America. Who gets to protest, and how? Can you reform broken systems? And should you compromise your principles with pragmatism?

Just Mercy (2019)

Michael B Jordan is young Harvard grad Bryan Stevenson, who heads to Alabama to give ordinary people a chance to represent themselves properly in court. The case of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx) soon gives him exactly the cause he was looking for: McMillian is on Death Row based on the shakiest of evidence. On taking up the cast, though, Stevenson finds himself subjected to all of the white establishment’s darkest arts of dissuasion. Based on a true story, this is urgent stuff.

Belle (2013)

Amma Asante’s mid-Georgian period piece is a fictionalised slice of the life of Dido Lindsay (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), daughter of an enslaved African woman in the West Indies and a white Royal Navy officer. As she grows up she becomes an heiress and slightly uneasy society staple. She learns about an atrocity at sea in which enslaved people were thrown from a ship and left to drown in the Atlantic, and sets about making sure some measure of justice comes to the men responsible.

Bridge of Spies (2015)

In his late period, Steven Spielberg’s pretty conclusively shifted gears into assured and quietly impressive political dramas. Between Lincoln and The Post came Bridge of Spies , about the 1957 trial of alleged Russian spy Rudolf Abel. Tom Hanks does his Tom Hanks thing as the folksy small-time insurance lawyer trying to stoutly defend a man most in America thought utterly indefensible, but really this was all about Mark Rylance’s Hollywood coming out party as Abel. On top of the skilfully evoked Cold War paranoia, it’s got the style and panache of Catch Me if You Can, plus – with Ethan and Joel Cohen contributing to the script – wit to spare.

Denial (2016)

An under-seen gem. When noted Holocaust denier David Irving was called a Holocaust denier by historian Deborah Lipstadt, Irving retaliated by suing her for libel. Libel laws being what they are in the UK, the only way Lipstadt and her team could win was to prove that not only are Irving’s claims false, but that he’s maliciously manipulated evidence to speak how he wants it to. With the distressing rise news that two thirds of young adult Americans don’t know six million Jewish people died in the Holocaust , Denial is perhaps even more pertinent now than it was four years ago.

Marshall (2017)

Another frustratingly under-appreciated film, this time following a case in the early career of the later Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, here played by a magisterial Chadwick Boseman . In 1940, Marshall was an NAACP lawyer helping Black defendants wrongly accused of crimes by an institutionally racist police and justice system. Joseph Spell, a chauffeur accused of rape by his white employer, is his next case, and the one has electrified the press and public.

A Few Good Men (1993)

Sorkin’s first bravura legal drama is about abuse and secrecy at Guantanamo Bay leading to a young soldier’s unlawful death, but, really, it’s almost completely about Jack Nicholson ’s turn as Screamin’ Colonel Jessup, so here’s an anecdote.

While warming up to film that endlessly parodied “You can’t handle the truth!” moment, director Rob Reiner was getting some single shots of Tom Cruise doing his side of the argument. Take after take, Nicholson kept launching himself into a full-blooded rendition of his big rant, despite not actually being on camera. Reiner suggested he chill out and save it for the real take.

“Rob, you don’t understand,” Nicholson told Reiner. “I love to act .”

12 Angry Men (1957)

Still as endlessly rewatchable and relevant as it ever was, Sidney Lumet’s dissection of how the flaws, biases and uncertainty inherent in a trial by jury are both its weakness and its strength is an essential part of the 20 th century canon. Lumet’s direction is at once exacting and almost imperceptibly light-fingered, allowing each of the dozen clashing personality and perspectives to stand apart before coalescing into a microcosm of postwar America.

The dozy dozen of the title are all sure that a young man has killed his father and are ready to send him to the electric chair – well, nearly all of them. Henry Fonda leverages all of his good guy aura (check the all-white suit) to show that doubt isn’t necessarily an admission of weakness.

Liar Liar (1997)

No, look, honestly. I'm not saying this is a great film. If you like Jim Carrey, it's probably in or around your top five Jim Carrey films. No, what I'm saying – if you'd just listen – is that the glossiest of Carrey's films from his stupid-tit-about era climaxes in a genuinely very, very well put-together bit of legal showmanship. He’s not going to Atticus Finch you out of any era-defining civil rights cases, true, but the man knows his way around the technicalities of divorce law. His kid’s made a birthday wish that stops him lying, you see, which means he’s a bit hamstrung as a lawyer and as a general gadabout. Doesn’t explain all the screaming and gurning though. Maybe the kid got another wish.

Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more delivered straight to your inbox

Need some positivity right now? Subscribe to Esquire now for a hit of style, fitness, culture and advice from the experts

The 49 Best Movies on Amazon Prime UK

The 63 Best Thrillers Ever Made

The Best Men's Face Wash For Every Skin Type

The 38 Best BBC Podcasts To Listen To Right Now

The 35 Best Sports Books Ever Written

The Best Action Movies That Go Bang

The 44 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time

The Best Movie Streaming Sites

27 Of The Best Indie Movies Of All Time

The Best 'Joe Rogan Experience' Episodes

16 Of The Best Sub-90 Minute Films On Netflix

17 Gritty, Stressful Thrillers To Watch On Netflix