Crazy Dramas

The idea of insanity is often discussed in a number of crazy drama movies. These movies take the ideas of the mentally unstable and place them in situations where they must face their neurosis in both positive and negative manners. The individuals in these movies are both normal people driven to the brink and people born into the world already inflicted.

“Benny & Joon”

Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson star in this crazy drama about a schizophrenic woman who falls in love with a film lover who patterns his life after Buster Keaton. The movie shows the effects of schizophrenia and the difficulty in dealing with someone afflicted with it.

“Girl, Interrupted”

Angelina Jolie became a star thanks to this Winona Ryder starring crazy drama movie. Rider stars as a girl who overdoses on aspirin and then checks herself into a mental hospital. The movie follows her year in the institution and the various people she meets there.

“Shutter Island”

Jack Nicholson stars in one of the greatest crazy dramas of all time as a petty criminal who agrees to enter a mental asylum instead of doing jail time. While in the institution, he witnesses the cruel treatment of patients and sets out to help them at the risk of his own life.

“Requiem for a Dream”

This Ron Howard movie is a biopic of John Nash, a brilliant schizophrenic mathematician who suffers from delusional episodes. The movie presents his delusions as he believes he has been recruited for a secret government program to help stop a Communist attack on America.

“Lost Highway”

David Lynch directs this crazy drama about a man who kills his unfaithful life but, while in prison awaiting his execution, he wakes up one day in a different life. Like most of Lynch’s movies, it is never clear what is real and what is not and the entire movie can be a twisted experience.

“Falling Down”

Michael Douglas stars in this crazy drama about a man who loses his temper one day when things continue to go wrong in his life. He finally ends up having a nervous breakdown and becomes the focus of a manhunt as he begins a violent deconstruction, attempting to reach his daughter’s birthday party.