Sometimes, it’s easier for us to make mental connections regarding our experiences if we can be an observer. Many of us try to do this by comparing ourselves to people in our lives. In Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart, she says “more often than not, social comparison falls outside of our awareness.” This means, despite engaging in it often we don’t necessarily recognize that it’s helping.
Lucky for all of us, the research shows that comparison is simply a part of the human condition. It’s how we relate to it that counts. Comparison can motivate us toward admiration, reverence, and Freudenfreude. It can also drive big feelings like envy, jealousy, and Schadenfreude.
This is not a post about comparison…
I only draw on this brief discussion of comparison because I think film and media gives us safe distance to compare our lives to art instead of to the other physical human beings in our lives. When we compare, we make something or someone into an object that is static and without complexity. This makes social comparison to people and their lives a tricky phenomenon.
Perhaps, with greater social distance and more permission to objectify what is already an object - media - we get to engage in this incredibly complex human behavior of comparing in a gentler and more productive way - harm reduction, if you will.
There are 5 films in the past several months that I have recommended clients watch in their own time. I invite you, too, as well. They are:
Inside Out 2 - Dr. Jamie Marich wrote a great article last year from a Dissociative Identity Disorder system’s perspective that I highly recommend here.
American Fiction
Masquerade
Exhibiting Forgiveness
Min Pappa Marianne
Why do therapists recommend movies?
Movies let you witness someone else's story from a safe distance. Watching a character struggle with anxiety, grief, or family conflict can help you name feelings in yourself that are hard to put into words. Some therapists call this cinema therapy: using film as a starting point for reflection between sessions.
A film doesn't replace therapy. But it can open a door, give you language for what you're carrying, and give us something to explore together in session.
What each film can open up
Here's a little more about each film and the themes it can help you reflect on. No spoilers.
Inside Out 2 (2024)
Pixar's sequel follows Riley as she turns 13 and a new set of emotions moves in, led by Anxiety. It's a gentle, often funny look at how anxiety tries to protect us, how it can take over, and how our sense of self forms. It's a good pick for anyone who knows the feeling of an inner voice that won't stop planning for the worst. Fittingly, Envy is one of the new emotions, which ties right back to comparison.
American Fiction (2023)
Jeffrey Wright plays a frustrated novelist who, fed up with a publishing industry that only rewards stereotyped stories about Black life, writes one under a pen name, and it becomes a hit. Beneath the satire is a moving family story about grief, aging parents, and siblings relearning each other. It speaks to code-switching, being boxed in by other people's expectations, and the toll of performing a version of yourself.
Exhibiting Forgiveness (2024)
In artist Titus Kaphar's debut film, André Holland plays a Black painter whose estranged father, in recovery from addiction, comes back into his life. It's a tender, honest look at intergenerational trauma, the complicated nature of forgiveness, and whether healing requires reconciliation. It pairs well with the work many adult children of addiction do in therapy.
Min Pappa Marianne (My Father Marianne)
This Swedish film follows a daughter whose father comes out as a trans woman, Marianne. It explores family identity, change, and how love stretches to make room for who someone truly is. It's a thoughtful pick for anyone navigating a loved one's transition or a big shift in family roles.
How to watch a movie with intention
You don't need to analyze every scene. Just watch, then notice. A few questions you can sit with afterward, or journal about:
Which character did I relate to most, and why?
Where in my body did I feel something during the film?
Was there a moment I wanted to look away? What was happening then?
What did a character need that they weren't getting? Do I need that too?
Did I compare myself to anyone on screen? Did it feel like admiration or envy?
What would I want to bring up in therapy after watching this?
If you're in therapy, consider bringing your reflections to your next session. A scene that stirred something can be a meaningful place to start.
When a movie brings up big feelings
Sometimes a film touches something tender, like an old memory, grief, or a relationship you're still sorting out. That's okay. It can be a sign that something is asking for care.
If a movie brings up more than you expected:
Pause it. You can always finish later, or not at all.
Ground yourself: notice your feet on the floor, take slow breaths, or step outside.
Reach out to someone you trust, or note what came up so you can explore it in therapy.
When the same feelings keep coming up, film or no film, that's often a sign of a memory that hasn't been fully processed. That's where EMDR can help. How EMDR Therapy Works on Your Brain
Frequently asked questions
What are good movies about mental health?
Good movies about mental health show emotional struggles with honesty and care, without turning them into a spectacle. A few I recommend to clients are Inside Out 2, American Fiction, Exhibiting Forgiveness, and Min Pappa Marianne. Each one opens up different themes, from anxiety to grief to family healing.
Can watching movies help with anxiety?
Movies can help you understand anxiety and feel less alone with it. Inside Out 2, for example, shows how anxiety tries to protect us. A film isn't a treatment for anxiety, but it can be a helpful starting point for reflection and conversation in therapy.
What is cinema therapy?
Cinema therapy is the practice of using films to support reflection and emotional insight, often between therapy sessions. A therapist might suggest a film that mirrors something a client is working through, then explore their reactions together.
Should I watch these movies with my therapist?
Usually you'd watch on your own time and bring your reflections to a session. Let your therapist know if a film stirred up something important.
Related reading
Want to talk about what came up?
If a film stirred something in you and you're in Michigan, I'd be glad to help you explore it. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation, and we'll talk about what you're carrying and whether working together feels right.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
This post is for educational purposes and isn't a substitute for therapy or medical care. If you're in crisis, call or text 988, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room.
