Movies About Borderline Personality

From Michel Gondry, starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Gerry Robert Byrne
Rated R

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 science fiction romantic comedy drama film that follows the story of Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) and Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) and their tumultuous relationship. After a painful breakup, the two decide to undergo a procedure to erase all memories of each other. As the procedure begins, Joel starts to realize he may not want to forget the memories of Clementine and desperately attempts to keep them alive. As the pair's memories of one another are gradually erased, the two look back on their relationship and the events that have occurred. Meanwhile, the viewer is taken on a journey through Joel's memories, watching as pieces of their memories fade away. In the end, Joel and Clementine must decide whether to go through with the erasure, or to keep the memories of their relationship alive.

From Oliver Hirschbiegel, starring Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler
Rated R

Downfall is a 2004 German-language historical war drama directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and written by Joachim Fest. The film stars Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler, as well as Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler, and Heino Ferch. The film focuses on the final days of Adolf Hitler's rule of Nazi Germany in 1945, as the Third Reich crumbles in the face of the Soviet Red Army onslaught of Berlin. It follows the attempts of Hitler and his inner circle to maintain control amid growing chaos and despair, and the eventual decision to remain in the bunker and commit suicide. The film also features the last known footage of Hitler with Eva Braun. Downfall was a critical and commercial success, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was praised for its performances, direction, and screenplay, and is considered one of the greatest war films of all time.

From David Fincher, starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry
Rated R

Gone Girl is a psychological thriller directed by David Fincher and based on the novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn. The film follows Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck), who on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, discovers that his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. As the police investigate the disappearance, a media frenzy ensues that casts suspicion on Nick. As the case unfolds, secrets surface, and Nick finds himself in a desperate fight to save his marriage and his reputation.

From David Lynch, starring Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates
Rated R

Mulholland Drive is a surreal neo-noir mystery drama film written and directed by David Lynch. The film follows a dark-haired amnesiac woman who, after being involved in a car accident, wanders the streets of Los Angeles in search of her identity. Along the way, she meets several offbeat characters and becomes entangled in a complex web of plots and relationships. Meanwhile, a Hollywood director is faced with a dark and troubling dream that brings him to a mysterious night club. As the pieces of the puzzle start to come together, the characters’ lives begin to intertwine in unexpected ways, leading to a shocking conclusion.

From Rob Reiner, starring James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen
Rated R

Misery is a 1990 psychological thriller-horror film directed by Rob Reiner. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The film stars James Caan as Paul Sheldon, an author who is rescued from a car crash by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), his self-proclaimed "number one fan", who takes him to her remote home. As he recovers from his injuries, Annie begins to display increasingly erratic and violent behavior, ultimately holding him captive and forcing him to write a novel to her specifications. As his situation becomes increasingly dire, Paul must find a way to escape. The film received critical acclaim, with Bates’s performance being widely praised and earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

From Jaco Van Dormael, starring Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Linh-Dan Pham
Rated R

Mr. Nobody is a sci-fi drama from director Jaco Van Dormael. The film follows the life of an 118-year-old man, Nemo Nobody, who is the last mortal on Earth after the human race has achieved quasi-immortality. Throughout the film, Nemo reflects upon the choices he made throughout his life, and explores the concept of an infinite number of possible parallel lives he could have lived if he had made different decisions. As he embarks on a journey through his memories, the viewer is taken through a series of alternate lives, from an orphaned child in Belgium to a space traveler. In the end, Nemo learns to accept his fate and realizes all of his life choices have brought him to his present situation.

From David O. Russell, starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver
Rated R

Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by David O. Russell and starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro. The film follows Pat Solitano (Cooper), a former teacher who, after spending eight months in a mental health facility for bipolar disorder, moves back in with his parents who are trying to help him get back on his feet. Pat meets Tiffany (Lawrence), a mysterious girl with a past, who offers to help him reconnect with his wife. As they spend more time together, they form an unlikely bond that culminates in a competitive dance competition. The film explores the struggles of mental illness, family dynamics, and finding one's place in the world. It also looks at the power of friendship and how it can help people find hope in the darkest of times. Silver Linings Playbook was a critical and commercial success, receiving eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress (Lawrence) and Best Original Screenplay (Russell).

From Marc Webb, starring Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz
Rated PG-13

500 Days of Summer is a romantic comedy-drama film that follows the story of Tom Hansen, an aspiring architect, and his relationship with Summer, a free-spirited woman who does not believe in true love. At first, Tom is convinced that he has found his true love, but as the 500 days of their relationship progresses, he finds himself questioning his feelings for her and whether or not she truly cares for him. Along the way, he learns important lessons about love and relationships, gains a new appreciation for life and ultimately comes to terms with the reality of his situations. Ultimately, the film is a surprisingly realistic and heartfelt look at love, heartbreak, and the nuances of relationships.

From Joel Schumacher, starring Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin
Rated R

Falling Down is a 1993 American drama film directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Ebbe Roe Smith. The film stars Michael Douglas as a frustrated Vietnam War veteran who embarks on a journey across Los Angeles to get to his estranged daughter's birthday party. Along the way, his frustrations with his life are expressed through his interactions with various people and his own violent outbursts. He is eventually pursued by a police detective (Robert Duvall) who is determined to bring him in before he causes any more harm to anyone. The film explores issues of racism, homelessness, and the pressures of modern life that cause people to "snap" and turn to violence as a form of release.

From Stephen Frears, starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Swoosie Kurtz
Rated R

Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 period film directed by Stephen Frears, starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Uma Thurman. Adapted from the 18th century French novel of the same name, the film follows the Marquise de Merteuil (Close) and the Vicomte de Valmont (Malkovich) as they engage in a cruel game of seduction and manipulation. Merteuil and Valmont are two of the most powerful figures in the French court, and they take pleasure in the games of seduction and betrayal they play with each other’s lovers. Valmont’s task is to seduce the beautiful and virtuous Madame de Tourvel (Pfeiffer), while Merteuil’s challenge is to conquer the young, handsome Chevalier Danceny (Thurman). As the game progresses, Valmont and Merteuil begin to realize that the consequences of their games may be more serious than they thought.

From Gregg Araki, starring Brady Corbet, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elisabeth Shue, Chase Ellison
Rated Unrated

Mysterious Skin is a 2004 drama film written and directed by Gregg Araki, based on Scott Heim's 1995 novel of the same name. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brady Corbet, and Michelle Trachtenberg. The film follows two pre-adolescent boys who are sexually abused by their baseball coach, and features explicit scenes of child sexual abuse, as well as its psychological effects on the two boys into adulthood. The film is set in Hutchinson, Kansas, and follows two boys, Brian (Gordon-Levitt) and Neil (Corbet) who were both coached by a Little League baseball coach. While Brian represses the memory of the abuse, Neil is obsessed with it and goes on a quest to uncover the truth about what happened. Along the way, Brian discovers his sexuality and Neil learns to understand and accept his own. The film received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its sensitive handling of the subject matter and performances.

From Alan J. Pakula, starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Peter MacNicol, Rita Karin
Rated R

Sophie's Choice is a 1982 drama film directed by Alan J. Pakula, based on William Styron's novel of the same name. It stars Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol. The film tells the story of Sophie (Streep), a Polish immigrant who has survived the Holocaust and is living in Brooklyn in the 1950s. She is struggling to cope with the trauma of her past, while also trying to make a life for herself in her new home. When she meets Nathan (Kline), a charming but unstable Jewish man, they embark on a passionate but tumultuous relationship. Sophie's life becomes further complicated when she is asked to make an impossible decision: choosing between her two children. Sophie is forced to make an agonizing choice that will haunt her for the rest of her life. The film is both a powerful drama and a moving exploration of human resilience and the lingering effects of the Holocaust.

From Stephen Daldry, starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane
Rated PG-13

The Hours is a 2002 drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Julianne Moore. The film tells three stories that interweave: Virginia Woolf (Kidman) writing her 1925 novel Mrs. Dalloway in 1923 England; Laura Brown (Moore) reading it in Los Angeles in 1951; and Clarissa Vaughan (Streep) living her own version of it in 2001 New York City. Through these stories, The Hours explores themes of love, loss, and the power of choice. At the same time, the film is an ode to Woolf's life and her struggles with mental illness. In the end, each woman is able to come to terms with her past and present and finds peace in the knowledge that life is what we make of it.

From Michael Haneke, starring Isabelle Huppert, Annie Girardot, Benoît Magimel, Susanne Lothar
Rated R

The Piano Teacher is a 2001 psychological drama film directed by Michael Haneke and starring Isabelle Huppert. Set in Vienna, the story follows Erika Kohut, an emotionally repressed and severe piano teacher who is also a student at the prestigious music conservatory. When a handsome and talented young student, Walter Klemmer, begins taking lessons with her, Erika's long-repressed feelings of desire come to the surface. As the two form a relationship of passion and obsession, Erika must confront her own inner darkness in order to survive. The film was critically acclaimed and won numerous awards, including the Grand Prix at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.

From Richard Eyre, starring Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Andrew Simpson, Tom Georgeson
Rated R

From Jean-Jacques Beineix, starring Jean-Hugues Anglade, Béatrice Dalle, Gérard Darmon, Consuelo De Haviland
Rated Unrated

From James Mangold, starring Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Clea DuVall, Brittany Murphy
Rated R

From Patty Jenkins, starring Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Lee Tergesen
Rated R

From Terry Zwigoff, starring Steve Buscemi, Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Renfro
Rated R

From Steve McQueen, starring Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Lucy Walters
Rated NC-17

From Ryan Fleck, starring Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Shareeka Epps, Jeff Lima
Rated R

From Peter Kosminsky, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Renée Zellweger, Robin Wright, Alison Lohman
Rated PG-13

From Jon S. Baird, starring James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan, Imogen Poots
Rated R

From Paul Verhoeven, starring Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn
Rated R

From Adrian Lyne, starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer, Ellen Latzen
Rated R