Movies About Psych Wards

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

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is an Academy Award-winning 1975 American drama film directed by Milos Forman, based on the 1962 novel by Ken Kesey. The film stars Jack Nicholson as Randle McMurphy, a criminal who feigns insanity to serve a short sentence in a mental institution rather than a prison. With the help of his fellow inmates, McMurphy and the other patients struggle against the rigid rules of the oppressive Nurse Ratched. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Nicholson), Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director.

From James Cameron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
Rated R

Terminator 2: Judgement Day is an action-packed science fiction film directed by James Cameron and the sequel to 1984's The Terminator. In the film, a cyborg assassin, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), is sent back in time to kill John Connor (Edward Furlong), the future leader of the human resistance against the machines. To protect him, the future John Connor (Linda Hamilton) sends back a reprogrammed T-800 Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger). The two Terminators battle each other across a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, while the Connors must evade the T-1000 and figure out a way to stop the impending Judgement Day, when the military computer system Skynet takes control of the world's nuclear weapons and launches a nuclear holocaust.

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

The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological thriller and horror film directed by Jonathan Demme and released in 1991. The movie follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she attempts to track down a serial killer and cannibal known as "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine). Clarice seeks the help of the imprisoned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), who assists her in exchange for his freedom. As the two work together, Clarice must confront her own troubling past and face her inner demons in order to catch the killer. The Silence of the Lambs went on to win five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins.

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

Shutter Island is a psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo. The film is set in 1954 and follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and his partner Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) as they investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane located on Shutter Island. As the investigation progresses, Teddy finds himself becoming increasingly confused and uncertain of his own identity and reality, when he begins to uncover the dark secrets hidden within the isolated island and its mysterious inhabitants. Teddy is forced to confront his own inner demons in order to uncover the truth and escape the island alive.

From Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson
Rated PG-13

Batman Begins follows billionaire Bruce Wayne as he travels the world to find the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. After his training is complete, Bruce returns to his home in Gotham City and dons the mantle of the protector, the Batman. With the help of his butler Alfred, police commissioner Jim Gordon, and Lucius Fox, Bruce confronts the corrupt forces that have overrun his city and ultimately faces off against the madman known as The Scarecrow. Along the way, he discovers the truth about his parents’ deaths and uncovers the plan of the mysterious League of Shadows and its leader, Ra's Al Ghul. The film ultimately explores the origins of Batman and his transformation from a mere man into a symbol of justice and hope for Gotham City.

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

12 Monkeys is a 1995 sci-fi thriller directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt. The film is set in a dystopian future where a mysterious virus has wiped out most of humanity, and the remnants of civilization are living in underground bunkers while the surface is contaminated. In an attempt to find a cure to the virus, a group of scientists sends a man (Willis) back in time to collect virus samples. While he is in the past, he meets a mental patient (Pitt) with knowledge of the virus. Together, they embark on a journey that will reveal the truth about the virus and the fate of the human race. Along the way, they encounter a number of strange and unexpected characters, and must confront their own mortality.

From Penny Marshall, starring Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner, Ruth Nelson
Rated PG-13

Awakenings is a 1990 drama directed by Penny Marshall, starring Robert De Niro and Robin Williams. The film is based on the true story of a group of patients with catatonic encephalitis, a rare neurological disorder, who are in a coma-like state and unable to move or speak. Dr. Malcolm Sayer (De Niro) works in a psychiatric hospital and discovers a miracle drug, L-Dopa, which miraculously wakes up the patients. But the effects of the drug only last a few months, and, as hope dips, the patients are left in a worse state than before. Dr. Sayer is determined to find a way to make the miracle last, and with the help of the newly awakened patients and their families, he works to keep the hope alive. The film shows the struggles of the patients and their families, as well as their journey of self-discovery. It is ultimately a story of perseverance and hope, and the power of the human spirit.

From Alfred Hitchcock, starring Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov, Leo G. Carroll
Rated Approved

Spellbound is a 1945 psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. It tells the story of psychiatrist Dr. Constance Petersen (Bergman), who works at an asylum and becomes involved in the case of amnesiac patient John Ballantyne (Peck) who may be a murderer. Despite her attempts to help him recover his memory, John becomes a suspect in a murder case and Constance races to uncover the truth of his innocence before he is arrested. Along the way, the two fall in love, which leads to a dramatic climax.

From Francis Ford Coppola, starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves
Rated R

From Iain Softley, starring Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Mary McCormack, Alfre Woodard
Rated PG-13

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

From Graeme Clifford, starring Jessica Lange, Jonathan Banks, Bonnie Bartlett, James Brodhead
Rated R

From Directors: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, starring Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, Dana DeVestern
Rated PG-13

From John Carpenter, starring Sam Neill, Jürgen Prochnow, Julie Carmen, David Warner
Rated R

From Arthur Hiller, starring George C. Scott, Diana Rigg, Barnard Hughes, Richard Dysart
Rated PG-13

From Brad Anderson, starring Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson
Rated PG-13

From Chuck Russell, starring Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Craig Wasson, Patricia Arquette
Rated R

From Mel Brooks, starring Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman
Rated PG

From Joby Harold, starring Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin
Rated R

From Michael Apted, starring Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman, Sarah Jessica Parker, David Morse
Rated R

From Zack Snyder, starring Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone
Rated PG-13

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

From John Carpenter, starring Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Laura-Leigh
Rated R

From Keith Gordon, starring Robert Downey Jr., Robin Wright, Mel Gibson, Jeremy Northam
Rated R

From Ivan Reitman, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Emma Thompson, Frank Langella
Rated PG-13