I'm looking for a movie about a character who suffers from reoccurring thoughts and worries about themselves of what they might become and how they try to navigate their thoughts and feelings throughout the film
I prefer not to have the movie over-the-top or exaggerated, but a more realistic (or as realistic as movies possibly can depict) analysis on how intrusive thoughts affect a person's livelihood and well-being in their daily lives
That movie has to do with intrusive thoughts?
Well yeah, it's all about intrusive thoughts as he has amnesia and thoughts and images come back and he forgets them again and he has all these tattoos that must be giving himself intrusive thoughts plus you know he keeps remembering his wife being dead
Memento is one of my favorite movies of all time, top 3 probably. And i still downvoted because thats not what intrusive thoughts means. He's having intrusive flashbacks and memory problems but he is in full control of his thoughts which is basically the premise of the movie. Good movie but far from what OP asked for
Intrusive thoughts are thoughts that can pop into our heads without warning, so that's not what flashbacks are? You said it yourself intrusive flashbacks, so he's not having intrusive thoughts when he's having intrusive flashbacks, no?
Okay then, you're right
Voices. Edit- The voices. My bad
The one with Ryan Reynolds, right?
Yes, came to say this.
Ditto!
Voices
This movie was good. Very underrated
I believe you mean The Voices (2014) with Ryan Reynolds. There are multiple movies called 'Voices" as well, please be sure to specify when suggesting in this sub.
No. I dont think I will.
Love this movie!
A beautiful mind
Came here to say this ^
Liar Liar
Came here to say this.
Such a great comedy
Thats the 1
“This pen is REEEEEEEEEE- OYAL BLUE!”
Drop dead fred
Fight Club
Shhh.....
Don Jon
Pi
And for that matter, life of pi. Not necessarily fighting mental illness, but coping with the horrors of the world using rose colored glasses and a distortion of reality.
Shame. Warning this film is about sex addiction.
You don’t need to warn people about the existence of sex. People offended by sex need to separate themselves from adults; you have no responsibility to cater to their failure to develop emotionally or artistically.
I didn’t say sex itself I said sex addiction.
Don't equivocate. Don't lie. Have intellectual integrity.
I know what you said. And here's what I said: You don't need to warn people about sex. So don't. Be an adult.
Calm down...the original comment said sex addiction.
Don't lie. Don't equivocate. Have intellectual integrity. The warning wasn't about addiction, it was about sex. You wouldn't have warned people about cookie addiction or I assume even alcoholism or a gambling addiction. The thing you were warning them about was too much sex. There's no reason to be lying to me here about what you meant. I'm not criticizing you for anything (except now for your bizarre dishonest defensiveness). I'm saying something entirely different, which is we can be adults: we don't need to cater to the children in the room.
Shame is a very disturbing movie, so I am fine with a warning about sex addiction. I would warn someone about Requiem for a Dream, but not Walk the Line because it's more intense.
Not lying, you can literally go look at the original comment lol
You are such a liar. Okay bye.
Donnie Darko
Images.
Clean, shaven.
The Fisher King.
Spider.
The Fisher King is so god damn good
Stranger than Fiction
Not a movie but the series Dexter.
Yes! There's a bunch of cut-scenes of him having violent fantasies of killing someone mid-conversation, etc.
American Psycho
First one that came to mind
True
I wouldn’t say he was trying not to act on them. He definitely gave into them.
Yeah, it's painful if you think about it
Well that’s the beauty of that film, did he act or did he think he act?
Ah dammit there is one movie but I can't remember the name of it, and the only scene I can remember is a guy going into a cafe in America - one of those roadside ones. He doesn't like one of the customers, and before you know it there's a fight, and the MC is dragging him over the counter and kicking the shit out of him. Then the camera snaps back to MCs face and the fight never happened. I dont think it was a well known movie with big names.
Someone else here might know it though.
Following this comment because I had this exact same thought but also can't remember the name of it or the faces of any actors concerned. Please somebody put me out of my misery!
I replied to the commenter- think it might be "Falling Down" with Michael Douglas. And he looks pretty different, a lot older, they had dyed his hair and he's wearing those old fashioned black framed glasses out of the 60s, Buddy Holly style.
I too am pretty sure I’ve seen this and am now curious what it is. :-/
Think it might be the movie Falling Down with Michael Douglas? Although now that I think about it some more, he was specifically mad that they had just stopped serving breakfast, something like that.
There’s a scene in the first episode of “The Boys” like that.
Sounds like the movie "Falling Down" (think that's the name) with Michael Douglas. And unfortunately I seem to recall he does actually end up snapping later, goes "postal" at his workplace or somewhere. But I could be completely wrong about all of this, and now I'm wondering if I should even post this, lol. Well, I've come this far, ha ha:)
Nah its not falling down. It's a classic movie though.
OK. Whatever it ends up being, sounds like a good suggestion!
OK. Whatever it ends up being, sounds like a good suggestion!
That immediately made me think of that Nicholas Cage movie where he's a clairvoyant or something?
It's called Next and had a cafe scene like that.
The movie I'm thinking of didn't have any big name stars I could remember and was back in the mid-late 90s
Is it house of a 1000 corpses when they’re at the gas station/ side show on the side of the road?
Turtles All The Way Down!
Man, I expected to come in here to 66 copies of Turtles All The Way Down, as it just aired on Max this month. A beautifully told, lovely-in-its-realism story of what intrusive thoughts look like to someone who has suffered a trauma and lives with it. The experience felt very true to life, the characters warm, with depth, even when part of that life can be very self-centric. I didn't realize how many of them there were until I came in here, but of all those listed, I feel like this was one of the best!
I did too! I was surprised no one said it!
The Machinist
I haven't seen this The Machinist movie but I've been told how good of a movie it is. I'm going try and create time to watch it.
I hope you do and agree — tho if you’re averse to something atypical, & dark (literally and figuratively) , it may not be for you . Nevertheless i guess I’m not the only one who finds it so well-done and as you may have heard , master method acted by Christian Bale , its on my own ‘must see’ movie list . I’m drawn to this kind of offbeat fare, especially the whole psychological & somewhat mysterious undercurrent , plus, hopefully without spoiling , a great twist.
Thanks mate for the insight. I'm a lover of dark horror movies too. I'm surely going to make out time and see it.
Enjoy (I keep a list of mh favorite movies and many of them are weird or unsettling - I also recently heard of r/disturbingmovies : they run the gamut from unsettling to almost too disturbing )
Thanks mate. I'm going to check out the sub and see what new I can be able to find for myself.
Cool - LMK if you want to see my list . Some of them are on it — well not all horror but some offbeat or unsettling if not disturbing to some .
Also that sub has a pinned post - a Google doc with tons of movies tho it’s missing a few I think
Alright mate. I've visited the sub and it's looking good already. You're right about the Google Doc. I'll go through it tonight and see the one's I'm going to pick out.
Cool…. Tip ;) I saved the G Doc so I can refer back to it . Also I messaged the mod with some I thought might not be on it and would be a good fit - but I don’t know if she followed thru .
Fight Club.
here just to save the post
Matchstick Men (2003)
Twilight…wait no
I stand alone
Just springing Gaspar Noe sans context on unsuspecting redditors hey. You monster.
Maniac (Netflix series)
Matchstick Men. One if my favorite Nick Cage movies.
Vampire’s kiss.. an old film with Nicholas cage. It s very good representation of how obsession and intrusive thoughts can ruin one’s life
I thought that movie was about going nuts after contracting rabies.
The Woodsman 2004 with Kevin Bacon as a convicted pedophile
Lolita
I mean... yeah. It's basically the central theme of the entire movie. I thought it would be the top answer. So crushingly awkward to watch. Incredible performances from the entire cast.
The Voices
Horse Girl, Donnie Darko
Split
Idle Hands
Mr Brooks
Also came to suggest. When this movie came out there were rumors of a trilogy. But I heard it got canned. William Hurt also died a few years back and it would be odd without him.
Shame, it could have been a great trilogy with how Mr. Brooks ended. Dane Cook was also weirdly good on this.
Came here to suggest this.
Joker (2019)
Dammit beat me to it. But yes excellent movie. Off Canon batman is not exactly easy to pull off too
This one too is a very good recommendation. I loved the movie so much.
clean, shaven
Permanent Midnight
Shame (2011)
Shame
Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind
As Good as It Gets is a classic, it won some Oscars. It's a rom-com where Jack Nicholson plays a man with OCD and anger issues. Admittedly, his symptoms were pretty cliche (checking locks, new bar of soap for every wash, etc), but I've always felt like it did a good job in showing how insidious and pervasive it's effects can be, and the kind of dysfunction it causes.
He starts of a grouch, apathetic to his problems, meets a girl (Helen Hunt), realizes there are reasons to get over his stuff, and tries to get better. It was written to a broader audience, but as someone with OCD, his relationship to his OCD felt super realistic. The apathy butting heads and turning into frustration with the growing desire to get over it and live a better life was something I could really relate to.
Bug
Number 23
I really liked this movie!! Jim Carrey is so good in it!!! And it is not a comedic role, think of the Jim Carrey from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, or The Truman Show.
It's been awhile since I've seen it. I haven't seen Eternal sunshine, but look forward to seeing Kate Winslet act with Jim as a couple. Have you seen "Dark Crimes"?
I have not, but now I'm going to check it out! Kate is awesome as always, and his acting holds up very well with hers. He's so....sincere. So believable and real, he makes you really feel for his character, and care about him. His pain is your pain. Your heart will absolutely break right along with his, and if you do not end up with tears streaming down your face at some point- then you are a sociopathic monster. Don't worry, I seem to remember something good at the end, some bit of hope. It is a beautifully haunting movie.
I haven't seen it as well. Just give away the whole movie already! 😆😉
Not a movie, but Fleabag
One called I Am Not a Serial Killer
Shame with Michael Fassbender
Spider-Man, Osborn tries to kerp the green goblin thoughts out of his head.
From dusk till dawn, the show goes more into that from what I remember
Put in your bit……
Seth will you eat…
Summer of Sam maybe
I just watched that Turtles all the Way Down on HBO. About a girl with ocd, it was interesting. Turns into generic coming of age but it was something like I hadn't seen before
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Twilight
The vampire movie or is there another Twilight movie?
Lol ya the vampire one.
Aaah, that's a great movie. I really enjoyed it.
Side tangent- it can be tough with media like this for me because it often casts intrusive thoughts as being the true, most right thing to do. It’s following your passion, what you knew all along. It can be challenging to hear as someone recovering from intrusive thoughts, especially since they can feel like the ‘right thing to do.’
Yo. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Also parasite.
Technically also event horizon, but he doesnt try very hard.
Uhhh
Speed
This one is not a movie but a TV show I'm going to recommend. It's Black Sails. Flint was in constant thought like that.
I highly recommend a Gaspar Noé movie:
I Stand Alone (1998)
Baldurs Gate 3, Dark Urge.
I took some creative freedoms with the definition of movie.
True romance kind offff
Excision
Pi
Rent-A-Pal
Swallow And I think Nightmare on elm Street 2
If you’re a horror person, Prevenge is an interesting example of this.
Violet: streaming on Prime. Perfect example of complex trauma as well.
I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016)
Black Snake Moan (2006)
Shame.
Daniel Isn't Real has some over the top scenes I guess but is pretty good
Idle hands
M
German film from 1932. Amazing movie about compulsion, but he does not succeed in fighting it
Under the Silver Lake
Young Adult w Charlize Theron
Are you okay?
falling down
Secret Window
Sixth Sense
Abres los ojos / Vanilla Sky
Vertigo
Fight Club (?)
I know this is Movie Suggestions, and you asked for a movie, but there was a tv show called Perception with Eric McCormack (Will from Will and Grace show) that would fit this so well!! He has schizophrenia, and is always dealing with that and just trying to live a balanced life. While being an advisor to the FBI. Sounds cliche, maybe, but I thought it was a really good show, got 2 or 3 seasons on TNT.
Swallow
Not sure if it exactly fits what you are asking for to a T, but "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" film adaptation. The main character supresses past trauma and uses writing as a way to keep the darkness out. Not just from the past, but urges and thoughts he also equally has to deal with supressing in his day to day life.
I second this recommendation but, u/Equivelant_Ad_9066 , if you are able, I would recommend reading the book first.
It is a quick read, but it is absolutely lifechanging, even when re-reading it.
Easily in my Top 5 favourite books of all time (coming from a voracious reader).
In my opinion, it is what Catcher in the Rye wishes it could be. ( I know, I know... )
I will double down and say to absolutely take this advice, and read the book. It hits heavy. It is my favorite book/movie of all time. One of which I will reread/rewatch and never be unmoved by.
By the way: @charlieinfinite I love the name. 🖤 "You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand."
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
Bruiser (2000) by George Romero
He Was a Quiet Man
I just finished Videodrome. It was my second watch. Very poignant.
the Machinist
Serial Mom
kinda but jacobs ladder
Sphere. How has this not been mentioned yet?
Clifford with Martin Short & Charles Grodin, if you'll accept his best was nowhere near close
Army of one
The mask lol
The son with Hugh Jackman
The Babadook
Can’t recall the name, but it’s a Robin Williams movie where he keeps asking his passenger and keeps getting out of his car to see if he’s hit a pedestrian.
Not the most realistic…but Black Swan is the most intrusive thoughts. I hated it because I don’t enjoy being scared, but it’s very well done.
They Live is like the opposite
From Dusk Til Dawn. Richey has this problem. Although maybe he's not trying to not act on them.
Let's Scare Jessica To Death
Targets
Turtles All The Way Down deals with OCD very accurately.
Split
American Psycho has a lot of intrusive thoughts but he acts on pretty much all of them.
Daniel isn't Real
Turtles All The Way Down. HBO. 👍🏽👍🏽
Wicked little letters
Fight Club.
Not a movie. But “Bates Motel” on Netflix. Very good show.
Swallow
Adaptation
Vertigo (1958)
He Was a Quiet Man with Christian Slater.
Election
Clockwork Orange
A Beautiful Mind
Punch Drunk Love
Let’s Scare Jessica to Death.
Six Feet Under
Sorry that’s a show but so fucking good!
Stranger than Fiction
Voices with Ryan Reynolds
Yellowbrick Road
Smile
Joker. Pretty much sums up a severely mentally ill person fighting against that illness...till they crack
It looks like you need a movie where post-accident Gary Busey plays himself
Memento