10 Gripping Films About Mental Illness

9. Betty Blue (1986)

betty blue Betty has problems. Donning my psychiatrist's hat, I would deem her as having Borderline Personality Disorder. This can be seen in her outbursts of extreme rage - stabbing a restaurant patron in the hand when they complain about the food and smashing her hand through a glass window because she is annoyed at Zorg. She displays self-destructive behaviour - hacking off all of her hair and running away with a little boy which she knows will get her into trouble. Betty also indulges in suicidal/parasuicidal behaviour by gouging out her own eye. She experiences psychosis (voices in her head) which is usually transient in Borderline Personality Disorder sufferers but leads to Betty being in an irreversible state of catatonia, which is more of a plot device than something that would happen in real life. Altogether, Beatrice Dalle's turn as Betty is a compelling and believable descent into madness. Unbelievably sexy, wild and uninhibited at first, she quickly descends into a mercurial, messed up, tormented wreck of a woman. Should have kept on that medication Betty.
 
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Contributor

My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!