Psychologists explain stories
Expert psychological analysis of films, books, series, characters and the emotional conflicts behind memorable stories.
These are not simple recommendations. Psychologists look at trauma, attachment, family dynamics, motivation, manipulation, grief, identity and other psychological themes reflected in art. Spoilers are possible.
Ella Omelchenko
I watched the Russian film "Patients." Honestly, I wanted to turn it off and not finish watching it, but purely out of professional curiosity, I watch…
Rob Reiner
The film's plot follows the story of two elderly men, entirely different in skin color, temperament, views on life, financial status, and social stand…
Elizabeth Strout
Elizabeth Strout. A woman with a law degree and a writer’s talent, which, fortunately, was not stifled by the legal profession. A Pulitzer Prize winne…
Joan Chen
I watched this beautiful film with Richard Gere (Will Keen) and Winona Ryder (Charlotte Fielding) once again. Whether it was the autumn that influence…
Sam Taylor-Wood (director), E.L. James (writer)
Fifty Shades of Grey. ReviewSuccumbing to the global Valentine’s Day hysteria, I spent the holiday in the cinema watching the much-talked-about adapta…
Peyton Reed
Psychological Review of the Film "Always Say Yes!" (Based on the Novel by Danny Wallace, Directed by Peyton Reed) "One word can change your life" —…
Kirill Serebrennikov
"So much for your Yuriev Day!" is what people say when unexpected events shatter their hopes for a happy outcome. This well-known folk saying, dating…
V.C. Andrews
«Flowers in the Attic» by V.C. Andrews and Maternal Narcissism. When you start reading this book, you immediately immerse yourself in the warm comfor…
Jens Lien
Imagine you're eating your favorite dish, but it doesn’t taste like anything. You feel absolutely nothing. You don’t smell it, don’t sense its tempera…
Sam Mendes
This brilliant and complex drama is a must-watch for anyone feeling bored, lost, or disconnected from their dreams within a relationship. Sooner or la…
John Wells
I must warn you right away that this film is not cheerful—it’s quite dark, though more realistic than anything else. There’s nothing fantastical, noth…
Jordan Scott
The film Cracks (English: Cracks, 2009, directed by Jordan Scott, based on Sheila Kohler's novel of the same name) offers us an excellent and concise…
Danny Boyle (director), Ridley Scott (screenwriter)
Most decent works of art are, after all, expressions of individual or collective thought. Creativity sublimates emotional and psychological content. Y…
Erik Poppe
I would like to start with the title of the film. In the original, the film is called Nevidymy (Invisible), which is very different from the Russian a…
Maigul Axelsson
Until recently, Scandinavian literature—and cinema—were Terra incognita for me. I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps post-Soviet markets didn’t actively…
Pavel Sanaev (novella), Sergei Snezhkin (director)
Opening my eyes, I was horrified by my awakening and did everything in my power to fall back asleep, to prolong this day as much as possible, knowing…
Chuck Palahniuk; Darren Aronofsky
I recently rewatched two old films—Black Swan and Fight Club. I won’t retell their plots—there are plenty of reviews out there already. Instead, I’ll…
Jaco Van Dormael
(I went to see my favorite vocalist, who is also a good actor, Jared Leto.) The film doesn’t just touch on the theme of choice—it’s woven into the ver…
Steve McQueen
A brilliant illustration of the theory of emotional deafness, blindness, and "muteness."The essence of the theory is roughly as follows. Environmental…
Bruce Joel Rubin
What do dying people teach us?They teach us how to live. Death is the key to lifeElisabeth Kübler-Ross «My Life» (Eng. My Life) — drama by…
Doug Liman
On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Allied forces' landing in Normandy, Americans have created yet another excellent sci-fi action film with Tom…
Lars von Trier
I approached Lars von Trier’s film Nymphomaniac with caution. First, the director has a reputation for being difficult. His films aren’t something you…
Discussion
This section presents a list of psychological films, offering everyone who loves cinema and is interested in psychology the opportunity to join discussions about them in the comments. Unlike the reviews available on movie portals—which aim to provide a brief, spoiler-free description and pique interest in watching—the purpose of our overviews is different.
We recommend reading them after watching the films to help you understand the characters’ behavioral motives more deeply. This way, you might discover new facets of the work that are noticeable to professional psychologists.
