Culture
There are films that we enjoy because of the cinematography or great CGI and visual effects, and there are films that captivate us because they make us think and explore human nature, the mind and the psyche.
, study yourself and your actions.
In this list of films you will find the most interesting, in our opinion, films that will tell about human psychology, strong emotions and desires, and how all of the above affects the psyche.
These films will not scare you with scary monsters or dark basements, but rather with the nature of a person who has very strange things going on in his head, forcing him to do things that are difficult for an ordinary person to understand.
Perhaps, thanks to our selection, you will reveal the secrets of the human mind, and you will be able to better understand why people sometimes do strange things, and why they behave in unusual ways.
The Roads Not Taken (2020)
Molly takes a day off from work to see her dementia-suffering father, Leo, to the doctors. While she demands that doctors not speak in front of the patient as if he is not in the room, Leo does not respond to her concern. At this time, he wanders through the nooks and crannies of memory and imagination, living three lives in parallel, each of which could have become a reality if he had taken one path and not another at one time. The new movie of 2021 with a great cast is a complex psychological film that is watched in one go.
More new releases: 100 most popular films of 2020
Trailer
Original title : The Roads Not Taken Genre : Drama Actors : Javier Bardem, Elle Fanning, Branka Katic, Salma Hayek... Country : UK, Sweden, USA, Poland, Spain Rating : Kinopoisk – 5.5, IMDb – 5.1 Age restrictions : 18+
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Planet Ka-Pax (K-PAX)
- Country: Germany, USA
- Director: Iain Softley
- Starring: Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges
The film tells the story of a mysterious man who finds himself at a busy train station, looking completely unremarkable. What makes him stand out from the general mass of people is his sunglasses, which don’t look good on him, and his mysterious smile.
Once in a psychiatric clinic, he declares with all confidence that he arrived on Earth from a planet called Ka-Pax (K-PAX). As a psychiatrist played by Jeff Bridges tries to figure out how to help a patient, he gradually begins to notice that all the patient's stories about aliens are beginning to have a striking effect on the mental health of other patients at the clinic.
Ema: Dance of Passion (2019)
The successful creative and family tandem of dancer Ema and choreographer Gaston is overshadowed by the inability to have children. The adopted child was found to have serious mental disabilities and the new parents returned the boy to the orphanage. Blaming each other for failing to cope with parenthood, the spouses separate and find salvation in dance, only now each in his own way. However, Ema has not given up the hope of becoming a mother and uses very unusual methods to achieve her goal.
Selection on the topic: 26 new films about dancing
Trailer
Original title : Ema Genre : Drama, melodrama, music Actors : Mariana Di Girolamo, Gael Garcia Bernal, Santiago Cabrera... Country : Chile Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.2, IMDb – 6.8 Age restrictions : 18+
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Tsar
Genre: drama, history
Year: 2009
Director: Pavel Lungin
Actors: Pyotr Mamonov, Oleg Yankovsky
Still from the film "Tsar"
The reign of John IV. An old friend of the Tsar, abbot of the Solovetsky Monastery Philip, arrives in Moscow. A sovereign friend asks him to become a metropolitan, and he reluctantly agrees. And a little later he realizes that he is obliged to take this position: in his naivety, he is confident that he can keep Ivan the Terrible from bloodshed.
The film is not 100% historical. Historical events are just scenery: Lungin continues to explore the theme he raised in “The Island”. We are talking about freedom and unfreedom, and the power of repentance.
On the one hand, the meaning of the picture lies in the clash of two worldviews. The Tsar, a dark, bloodthirsty neurotic, is contrasted with the wise, kind Metropolitan Philip. On the other hand, it is about faith. Both heroes are presented as Orthodox Christians. But knowledge of the laws of the Orthodox faith does not prevent the tsar from mocking his own people... The Metropolitan is too weak to give the tyrant a worthy rebuff.
The people in the film are presented as a faceless gray mass. They are afraid of the formidable king, but at the same time he is a cult figure for them, because he is God’s anointed...
Pyotr Mamonov is very interesting here: his Ivan the Terrible seems to mirror the elder Anatoly, who symbolizes the depth of repentance and redemption in modern cinema. It’s not that Ivan is not going to repent, he just can’t do it. And this is his tragedy.
Oleg Yankovsky simply could not play badly. His Metropolitan Philip is played sparingly, dryly and powerfully, which strongly contrasts with the emotional (sometimes excessively) performance of Mamonov. Philip's tragedy is different - he was simply born at the wrong time.
And the tragedy of the film is hopelessness. There was no repentance, there was no forgiveness and no atonement. In the end, evil triumphs, darkness and hopelessness set in. That is why this picture was so coolly received by both critics and viewers. But still, this film gives you a lot to think about, and that's good.
Tully (2018)
A powerfully impressive psychological film about a meeting that changes life and worldview. Forty-year-old Marlo Moreau has two young children, one of whom is autistic, and she is expecting an unplanned third. She has a big house and a loving husband, plus chronic fatigue and depression. On the advice of her brother, the woman hires a night nanny so that she can at least get enough sleep. The appearance of the young and slender Tully at first irritates the overweight Marlo, but soon the energetic and positive girl becomes indispensable for the whole family.
Don't miss: Top films from 2021 to 2020
Trailer
Original title : Tully Genre : Drama, Comedy, Detective Actors : Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Ron Livingston... Country : USA, Canada Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.0, IMDb – 7.0 Age restrictions : 18+
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Out of My Mind (2018)
The cool thriller, which made it into the top psychological films, is notable for the fact that it was shot on an iPhone 7 Plus in ten days. Bank employee Sawyer Valentini is forced to move to another city because a stranger is following her everywhere. Moving doesn't help; the stalker continues to pester the girl. She decides to visit a psychotherapist, who convinces her to spend the night in a clinic under supervision. Against her will, Sawyer becomes a permanent patient, but the man from her nightmares appears here too, forcing the girl to wonder if she is not herself.
Psychological thrillers - 25 best films
Trailer
Original title : Unsane Genre : Thriller, detective Actors : Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharo... Country : USA Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.5, IMDb – 6.4 Age restrictions : 18+
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The Experiment
- Country: USA
- Director: Paul Scheuring
- Starring: Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Cam Gigandet
The inspiration for this thriller was a real experiment conducted at Stanford Prison. 26 men took part in a cruel psychological experiment. Scientists gave some the role of prisoners, and others - prison guards. It all takes place in an empty prison and starts out innocently enough, but pretty soon things start to get out of control.
Unemployed Travis, played by Adrien Brody (as well as other participants), is promised to be paid $1,000 a day for his role as guards and prisoners. They all thought it would be fun to play their roles, but behind bars, even the most innocent actions and words can make a person crazy. It doesn't take long before the first blood appears.
Excellent German version of the film
- Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
It is worth noting that there is an earlier but very good version of the film, filmed in Germany. It has the same name (German: Das Experiment), but there are fewer participants in the experiment - 12. They were also divided into prisoners, who are required to follow the rules, and guards, who must maintain order. Things start to spiral out of control when human nature comes to the fore. Scientists watch dispassionately as the “guards” use their power to humiliate the “prisoners.”
Three billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
An Oscar-nominated psychological drama with elements of comedy about a war declared by a simple resident of a provincial town against the local police. The young daughter of Mildred Hayes was brutally murdered on her way from home to nearby Ebbing, and for seven months the investigation has not budged. With the money raised from the sale of her ex-husband's car, Mildred rents three billboards, accusing the police of inaction on them. Neither Sheriff Willoughby nor his sadistic assistant Dixon can make the citizen calm down.
25 foreign films about the investigation of mysterious murders
Trailer
Original title : Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Genre : Drama, crime Actors : Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson... Country : UK, USA Rating : Kinopoisk – 8.2, IMDb – 8.2 Age restrictions : 18+
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Arrhythmia (2017)
Psychological dramas in cinema are not easy to watch, so many of the interesting films on the best list are at the intersection of genres, like this dramedy, which has earned excellent reviews from audiences. Oleg Mironov is an emergency doctor who saves patients day and night, forgetting about sleep and rest, and then relieving stress with alcohol. At home, the cool doctor turns into a drunken slob, which annoys his wife Katya and she files for divorce. The new station chief does not share Oleg’s views on their difficult work. Will Mironov be able to improve his life?
25 new Russian films worth watching
Trailer
Genre : Melodrama, drama Actors : Alexander Yatsenko, Irina Gorbacheva, Nikolai Schreiber... Country : Russia Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.7, IMDb – 7.4 Age restrictions : 18+
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Professor Marston and His Wonder Women (2017)
One of the best psychological films that every comic book fan should watch. Harvard psychology professor William Marston was an extraordinary person - he invented the lie detector and created the theory of feminism. He lived openly with his legal wife, fellow researcher Elizabeth, and his student Olive, despite the condemnation of the American Puritans of the 1940s. Marston immortalized the traits of his beloved women in the image of Wonder Woman, the Amazon Diana Prince in popular comics, which he considered an important element of psychoanalysis.
Trailer
Original title : Professor Marston and the Wonder Women Genre : Drama, biography Actors : Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote... Country : USA Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.1, IMDb – 7.1 Age restrictions : 18+
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Psychological films about amnesia and schizophrenia
These films examine retrograde amnesia, schizophrenia, delusional disorder and anxiety neurosis.
- The Snake Pit (1948).
- Mulholland Drive (2001).
- Number 23 (2007).
- Revolution 9 (2001).
- Angels of the Universe / Englar alheimsins; Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, 2000.
- The Madness of King George (1994).
- Benny and June (1993).
- In the Hands of God (2004).
- Donnie Darko (2001).
- Sucker Punch (2011).
- Igby Goes Down (2002).
- Hide and Seek; John Paulson, USA - Germany, 2004.
- Mind Games / A Beautiful Mind; Ron Howard, USA, 2001.
- The Ideal Host (2010).
- The Fisher King (1991).
- Who are you, Mr. Brooks? (2007).
- May (2002).
- Images (1972).
- Julien the Donkey (1999).
- Shutter Island (2010).
- Spider (2002).
- Spider Forest (2004).
- Planet Ka-Pax (2001).
- The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999).
- Through a Glass Darkly (1961).
- Soloist (2008).
- The sum of all my parts / Die Summe meiner einzelnen Teile; Hans Weingartner, Germany, 2011.
- Conspiracy Theory (1997).
- Black Swan / Black Swan; Darren Aronofsky, USA, 2010.
- Clean, shaved (1995).
- Babycall / Babycall; Paul Slayton, Norway, Germany, Sweden, 2011.
- Inside / Inside; Trevor Sands, USA, 2002.
- Hypnotist / Hypnotisören; Lasse Hallström, Sweden, 2012.
- The King of Comedy (1982).
- Lars and the Real Girl (2007).
- Obsession (2009).
- Disgust (1965).
- Rejection; dir. Vladimir Lert, Ukraine, 2009.
- Fatal Attraction (1987).
- Ordinary People (1980).
Perfect Strangers (2017)
A top-rated tragicomedy, based on the script of which 12 foreign versions of the film were shot. Seven old friends - three married couples and a single person - meet at a traditional friendly feast and someone suggests a new game. Participants place their smartphones face up on the table, put calls on speakerphone, and read messages out loud. Most of the company is not at all happy with this idea, but those who claimed that they had nothing to hide from their friends will play their role in one of the best psychological films of the last 10 years.
30 most interesting films with an exciting plot
Trailer
Original title : Perfectos desconocidos Genre : Drama, Comedy Actors : Belen Rueda, Eduard Fernandez, Ernesto Alterio... Country : Spain, Italy Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.3, IMDb – 6.9 Age restrictions : 16+
The Machinist
- Country: Spain, France, UK, USA
- Director: Brad Anderson
- Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Trevor Resnik works at the plant. He has been unable to sleep for about a year and has difficulty eating, looking like a skeleton. He begins to hallucinate, causing Trevor to blur the line between reality and fiction. Strange frightening visions turn him into paranoid. What happened to him, and why was his psyche so shaken? You will have to look for the answer in the picture, especially if you wait for an extremely unexpected ending.
Phantom Beauty (2016)
The charismatic head of an advertising agency, Howard Inlet, is going through a difficult period after the death of his daughter. Now his only plans for the evening are to write unrequited letters to Love, Death and Time. No words or consolations work, and the company may soon go down with him. Concerned colleagues come up with a plan - they hire little-known theater actors to portray the abstract recipients of Inlet's messages. Will meeting Love, Death and Time solve the hero's psychological problems?
Trailer
Original title : Collateral Beauty Genre : Drama, melodrama Actors : Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Michael Pena, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley... Country : USA Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.1, IMDb – 6.8 Age restrictions : 16+
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Maid (2016)
An excellent option for evening viewing is an erotic thriller about an orphan named Sook-hee, who enters the service of a wealthy lady Hideko. The girl’s task is to help the leader of a gang of swindlers, Count Fujiwara, seduce the mistress, marry her and steal the wealth. Suk-hee always unquestioningly obeyed the charismatic Count, so he had no doubt about the success of the enterprise. But suddenly it turned out that the young spy has her own feelings and desires, which provided the film with an unpredictable ending.
25 Korean films worth watching
Trailer
Original title : Agassi Genre : Melodrama, thriller Actors : Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo... Country : South Korea Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.5, IMDb – 8.1 Age restrictions : 18+
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The Inappropriate Man (Den brysomme mannen)
- Country: Norway, Iceland
- Director: Jens Lien
- Starring: Trond Fausa Aurvaag, Petronella Barker, Per Schaaning, Birgitte Larsen
One morning Andreas finds himself in a strange city, where real purity and idyll reign, but he has no idea how he got there. His boss gives him instructions regarding his job, about which he remembers absolutely nothing. He gets married and settles into a quiet routine without realizing it. Now he has a relaxed job, a good salary, a great home and a wife. But is this enough for happiness?
Gradually, Andreas begins to understand that he is in this idyll, although he can afford everything, but does not feel happy. All these calm, happy and contented city residents are a shell of something else. Everything around seems artificial, plastic.
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
The hero of this heavy psychological film with meaning is the unsociable plumber Lee Chandler, who hates, but is forced to communicate with people. Lee once shone with wit and charm, which were lost as a result of certain events. The viewer learns about them when the hero has to return to his native fishing town of Manchester-by-the-Sea to bury his brother and become the guardian of his 16-year-old nephew. Will these two get along in the midst of teenage and life crises?
Trailer
Original title : Manchester by the Sea Genre : Drama Actors : Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler... Country : USA Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.3, IMDb – 7.8 Age restrictions : 18+
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Series
Do you like psychological series? The list of the best includes completely unexpected films that you might not have guessed about. And yet, elements of psychology are there at every step.
Necessary Cruelty (2011)
Kinopoisk: 7.4 IMDb: 7.0 +16 At the center of the events is psychotherapist Dani Satino, who lives on Long Island. One day, her personal life collapses as it turns out that her husband has been lying all along. In order not to fall into depression, the girl immerses herself in work. Thanks to this, all celebrities go to see her. Each of her patients is a person known to everyone. Each of them sincerely believes that only Dani can cure them of their problems. Work greatly interferes with the family, since she is left alone with two teenage children.
Treatment (Patients) (2008)
Kinopoisk: 7.8 IMDb: 8.3 Paul Weston works as a therapist. He does a good job and his patients idolize him. In life, on the contrary, he is a bore with established rules. To improve his life, Paul is forced to become a patient himself. He has several patients with whom he talks and treats. But no one suspects that on Fridays he visits his own doctor, Gina.
Gravity (2010)
Kinopoisk: 6.6 IMDb: 6.7 There are several people at the center of events. One day, each of them decides to commit suicide, but for some reason they stop. Now they have been given a second chance to somehow improve the situation. They organize courses. At them, everyone speaks out about their problems and they all try to help solve them.
Web Therapy (2011)
Kinopoisk: 6.0 IMDb: 6.7 At the center of events is a psychotherapist. His job is to give instructions to patients, and his session lasts only three minutes. Meetings take place on Skype. He sincerely believes that it is better to listen to a person for three minutes, rather than sit for hours and sort out the situation. For communication, a smiling emoticon is attached to the face of the doctor and the patient.
Criminal Minds (2005)
Kinopoisk: 8.0 IMDb: 8.1 +16 At the center of events is an FBI department that carries out special assignments. Department Chief James Gideon, along with his people, regularly helps police officers solve complex cases. The employees’ task is to quickly study the details of the crime and find out who the criminal really is, as well as understand whether he will continue to commit crimes.
Tell Me You Love Me (2007)
Kinopoisk: 6.5 IMDb: 7.5 +18 At the center of the events are three pairs of people who are at different stages of their relationship. Quite often they have to face certain difficulties. Jamie and Hugo will soon get married, but their trusting relationship is faltering. Carolyn and Palek really want a baby. Katie and David can't even indulge in carnal pleasures because they simply don't have enough time. Now only May Foster can help the lovers, because it’s not in vain that they all turned to her for help.
Anger Management (2012)
Kinopoisk: 6.8 IMDb: 6.7 +18 Charlie previously dreamed of becoming a baseball player. At first he was in the minor league, but due to uncontrollable anger he lost the opportunity to get into the major league. He underwent a long course of treatment and was still able to fight his way to the top with his team. The happiness was short-lived as he suffered a serious injury and could no longer play. Now he is forced to work as a regular therapist.
Consciousness (2009)
Kinopoisk: 7.3 IMDb: 7.1 An unusual doctor practices extraordinary methods of treatment. He makes sure that the patient is in the conscious stage and is looking for opportunities for his speedy recovery. The doctor's colleagues are truly horrified by what he does to his patients. But they believe that it is his unusual method that can change a lot in medicine.
Awakening (2012)
Kinopoisk: 7.5 IMDb: 7.9 Michael Brittain works as a detective. One day he gets into a car accident and remains unconscious for a long time. When he comes to his senses, he is informed that his son survived, but unfortunately his wife could not be saved. The next day, Michael woke up and realized that he was now living in two different realities and he would have to change all the events so that ultimately both would remain alive in the same reality.
Perception (2012)
Kinopoisk: 7.5 IMDb: 7.5 +16 Daniel Pierce is a gifted neuroscientist. One day he is called to work for the FBI to help employees solve complex cases. Newcomer Kate Moretti, who recently graduated from university, is provided to help him. In addition, he has a right-hand man, Max Levisky, and his best friend, Natalie Vincent.
Lie Theory (Lie to Me) (2009)
Kinopoisk: 8.1 IMDb: 8.0 +16 Kel Lightman is an unusual person. It is impossible to deceive him and in three minutes he can very easily recognize whether a person is lying or telling the truth. He spent more than half his life studying the theory of lies. Currently, police and FBI officers regularly turn to him to help identify a criminal. But Kel does not like his gift at all, because he cannot tolerate lies and when his loved ones deceive him, he becomes angry.
The Mentalist (2008)
Kinopoisk: 8.0 IMDb: 8.1 +16 Patrick Jane works in the California CBD as an independent consultant. Over many years of work, he learned to cope with his responsibilities perfectly and even developed a certain scheme. Previously, he tried to become a medium and deceived people that he had paranormal powers. But despite this, Jane manages to solve even the most complex crimes.
Black Mirror (2011)
Kinopoisk: 8.4 IMDb: 8.9 Over the last ten years, many different technologies have been invented that have changed our lives. Now no one can live without the World Wide Web, smartphone, or computer. But is technology addiction a good thing? What if they reveal the creepiest aspects of our personality?
Dexter (2006)
Kinopoisk: 8.2 IMDb: 8.8 +18 Dexter works in law enforcement. Once upon a time, it was his father who placed him here because he saw bloody inclinations in his son. Now he is a criminologist and catches dangerous criminals. As it turns out, Dexter is actually a killer who derives the undeniable joy of killing. To avoid getting caught, he carefully follows the plan that his father developed when he was still at a young age.
Billions (2016)
Kinopoisk: 7.9 IMDb: 8.4 In the center of events is the big city of New York. This is where the biggest money is made. Every day, rich people enter into a fight to prove that he is the richest and deserves more than his rival. So the king of hedge funds, Bobby Axerold, begins to wage an unequal battle with prosecutor Chuck Rhodes. Which man will be able to emerge victorious from this difficult war?
These were the best psychological films. The TOP list of the best includes both real events, and with an unpredictable outcome, and with meaning. If you know other similar thrillers, heavy dramas, horror films or detective films that everyone should watch, be sure to write to us. Especially if these are TV series or new releases in 2017.
