Movies About Paranoia

Updated May 1, 2024

Have you heard all of these Movies About Paranoia? We bet you'll find some new picks. We gathered 16 of our favorites.

Network (1976)

★★★★

3.2 out of 4 stars

From Sidney Lumet, starring Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall
Rated R

Network is a 1976 American satirical drama film written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, and Robert Duvall and tells the story of a fictional television network, UBS, and its struggle with poor ratings. The film follows the network's news anchor, Howard Beale (Finch), who, after being told he is to be fired, goes on air and announces he will commit suicide the following week. His on-air rantings and the subsequent media frenzy attract a huge audience, turning Beale into a media sensation. As the film progresses, Beale's life starts to take a turn for the worse, leading to further desolation and despair. The film also examines the effects of media saturation and the commercialization of news and its role in society, as well as the mental health of television personalities. Network won four Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Finch), Best Actress (Dunaway), Best Supporting Actress (Beatrice Straight), and Best Original Screenplay (Chayefsky).

All the President's Men (1976)

★★★★

3.2 out of 4 stars

From Alan J. Pakula, starring Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam
Rated PG

All the President's Men is a 1976 American political thriller directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, respectively. The film is based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Woodward and Bernstein, which chronicles the Watergate scandal. After a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington D.C., Woodward and Bernstein investigate the connections between the burglary and the White House. As they uncover evidence of a cover-up at the highest level of government, Woodward and Bernstein must protect their sources while pursuing the truth. The film culminates with President Nixon's resignation in August of 1974. All the President's Men is a gripping and timely examination of investigative journalism and the power of the press.

The Conversation (1974)

★★★★

3.1 out of 4 stars

From Francis Ford Coppola, starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Frederic Forrest
Rated PG

The Conversation is a 1974 American psychological thriller written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film follows a professional surveillance expert who, while taping a couple's conversation, begins to suspect that he is being manipulated into a larger plot that he cannot control. His paranoia and obsession with the mission lead him to try and uncover the truth behind the conversation and its implications. The film is noted for its technical mastery and exploration of modern morality, privacy, surveillance, and paranoia in the rapidly changing social climate of the 1970s. The Conversation was nominated for three Academy Awards and won the Palme d'Or at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival.