10 Gripping Films About Mental Illness

7. Girl, Interrupted (1999)

angelina-jolie-girl-interrupted Based on the book by Susannah Kaysen, Girl Interrupted features the psychological journey of Susannah who is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder after she took an overdose of aspirin, And showed signs of reckless promiscuity and self harm. I have a problem with the hospital - it seems more like a girl's summer camp. Maybe this is because it is a private hospital, but in any case, I severely doubt that any hospital, private or not would let these girls get up to the shenanigans they do at night time. There would have to be psychiatric nurses around in case an emergency occurred. It's not a 9-5 job. Winona is boring in the lead role. Okay she is competent, but she is acted off the screen by Angelina Jolie as the charismatic sociopath Lisa and Brittany Murphy as poor sexually abused, OCD, bulimic, self mutilating Daisy Randone. These two characters are far more interesting in their psychopathology than Susannah who just acts like a silly little whiny bitch for the most part of the film. In fact it is the strong supporting cast and the women around Susannah who make the film what it is. We are led to believe that saintly nurse Whoopi Goldberg tolerates a barrage of nasty racist abuse by Susannah. That would never happen in real life. The nurse would get you transferred to PICU (Psychiatric Intensive Care) which I am reliably informed, by people who have been in both, is worse than being in jail.
 
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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!