Mental Institution Movies

From Frank Darabont, starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Rated R

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Adapted from Stephen King's 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the film tells the story of Andy Dufresne, a banker who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Prison for the murder of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. During his time at the prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by his fellow inmates, especially an older inmate named Red, for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope. With the help of his friends, he is eventually able to achieve freedom. The film is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

From Milos Forman, starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman, Peter Brocco
Rated R

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Milos Forman, based on Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name. The film stars Jack Nicholson as Randle McMurphy, a recidivist criminal who is sent to a mental institution for evaluation. He cons his way into the institution to escape a prison sentence, but soon finds himself struggling against the oppressive Nurse Ratched and her totalitarian rule over the mental hospital ward. With the help of his rebellious new friends, McMurphy rallies the patients and leads them in a revolt against the oppressive Nurse Ratched. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Jack Nicholson, Best Actress for Louise Fletcher, Best Director for Milos Forman, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman.

From Jonathan Demme, starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney, Kasi Lemmons
Rated R

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 psychological thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme and based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. The film follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she attempts to uncover the identity of a serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill” who skins his female victims. In order to do so, she must enlist the help of the incarcerated Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. As Clarice attempts to extract information from Hannibal, she finds herself in a psychological battle with him as he tests her limits and reveals his own terrifying secrets. The film is a thrilling tale of suspense and horror, exploring the depths of evil and the human capacity for darkness.

From Frank Darabont, starring Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt
Rated R

The Green Mile is a 1999 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Stephen King. The film stars Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb and Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey, two guards in charge of Death Row inmates in a Louisiana prison in 1935. Edgecomb's life changes when he discovers that Coffey has a supernatural power to heal people. Despite the potential consequences, Edgecomb and his fellow guards help Coffey to show him mercy. The film's themes include faith, justice, redemption, and miracles. The Green Mile received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It remains one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

From Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Rated R

Shutter Island is a psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as US Marshal Teddy Daniels and Mark Ruffalo as his partner Chuck Aule who are sent to investigate a missing patient on Shutter Island, a remote island housing an asylum for the criminally insane. As the two investigate, they discover that the hospital's staff have been conducting experiments on the inmates. Teddy also discovers a possible connection to his past, which leads to a shocking conclusion. The film is an exploration of the human mind and the question of identity and reality.

From Terry Gilliam, starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Joseph Melito
Rated R

12 Monkeys is a 1995 science-fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which a dangerous virus has killed most of the world's population. A man named James Cole (Willis) is sent back in time to collect samples of the virus in order to find a cure. As he travels through time, he uncovers a mysterious conspiracy involving a powerful organization known as the Army of the 12 Monkeys. As Cole unravels the conspiracy, he discovers that the virus was released deliberately, and is part of a larger plan to save mankind from an even greater threat. Along the way, he finds himself falling in love with fellow time traveler, Dr. Kathryn Railly (Stowe). With the help of the enigmatic Jeffrey Goines (Pitt), Cole must race against time to save the future.

From Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Victor Jory, Don Gordon
Rated R

Papillon is a 1973 crime drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1969 memoirs of the same name by Henri Charrière. The film follows Henri "Papillon" Charrière (Steve McQueen), a French safecracker and convicted murderer, as he is wrongly convicted and sent to the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island. Papillon forms an unlikely friendship with a fellow inmate and fellow felon Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman) and together they devise a daring plan of escape and freedom. Through numerous dangers, they eventually make a successful escape and Papillon continues his journey to freedom, while Dega is recaptured. Papillon is ultimately triumphant, though not without cost, as he remains a hunted fugitive until the very end.

From Jacques Audiard, starring Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Reda Kateb
Rated R

A Prophet is a 2009 French drama film directed by Jacques Audiard and starring Tahar Rahim. It tells the story of nineteen-year-old Malik El Djebena, a young man of Algerian descent who is sent to prison for six years. While in prison, Malik is exposed to a life of criminal activities, and is gradually initiated into the world of organized crime. With the help of his mentor, the Corsican mafia figure César Luciani, Malik rises to the top of the prison hierarchy and becomes a powerful figure within the criminal underworld. Along the way, Malik must confront both his own personal demons and the corrupt prison system in order to survive and make it out alive.

From Oliver Hirschbiegel, starring Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Berkel, Oliver Stokowski, Wotan Wilke Möhring
Rated R

The Experiment is a 2001 German drama film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. The film follows a group of twenty-four male test subjects who are randomly selected to play a two-week-long experiment in which they are divided into two groups: the guards and the prisoners. The guards are instructed to maintain order, while the prisoners must follow the rules and regulations imposed by the guards. The experiment quickly spirals out of control as the guards become increasingly abusive and the prisoners resist. As tensions rise, the line between reality and the experiment is blurred as the participants struggle to maintain their sanity. In the end, the experiment leads to a dramatic conclusion as the participants learn the consequences of their actions.

From Steve McQueen, starring Stuart Graham, Laine Megaw, Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon
Rated Not Rated

Hunger (2008) is a British-Irish historical drama directed by Steve McQueen which tells the story of Bobby Sands, a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) who led a hunger strike in the Maze Prison in 1981. The film follows the events in the months leading up to the hunger strike, as Sands and his fellow inmates struggle to be treated as political prisoners, instead of criminals. The film chronicles the harsh and brutal conditions of the prison, and the prisoners' determination in the face of a hostile and unresponsive government. Through this journey, the film examines the themes of sacrifice, redemptive suffering, and the power of the human spirit in the face of immense oppression.

From Philip Kaufman, starring Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine
Rated R

From David Mackenzie, starring Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn, Rupert Friend, Sam Spruell
Rated Not Rated

From Angelina Jolie, starring Jack O'Connell, Miyavi, Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund
Rated PG-13

From Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden, Olivia Colman
Rated R

From S. Craig Zahler, starring Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Don Johnson, Udo Kier
Rated Not Rated

From Nicolas Winding Refn, starring Tom Hardy, Kelly Adams, Luing Andrews, Katy Barker
Rated R

From Rod Lurie, starring Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, Steve Burton
Rated R

From Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, starring Joe Cole, Cherry Miko, Vithaya Pansringarm, Panya Yimmumphai
Rated R

From Gore Verbinski, starring Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth, Ivo Nandi
Rated R

From Mathieu Kassovitz, starring Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr., Charles S. Dutton
Rated R