Psychological movies and shows, they’re mind-bending, dramatic and they put the viewer in ultimate mysteries that make us question society.
Let’s dive deeper into five (out of many) psychological movies that made me stop and think afterward. No spoilers, of course!
1. Squid Game
Summary: Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes. A survival game that has a whopping 40-million-dollar prize at stake.
My experience: I could not predict a single thing in this show, every twist and turn left me saying, WHAT? The tension among the characters is prominent and it is hard to trust anybody. These people are willing to do whatever it takes to dig their way out of a financial hole, and the overseers are more than happy to give the contestants a way out all to the amusement of the wealthy in this series. Overall, this show is emotional in the way that it plays with your emotions. Good luck if you get attached to characters as I do.
2. The Hunt
Summary: Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don’t know where they are, or how they got there. In the shadow of a conspiracy theory, ruthless elitists gather at a remote location to hunt humans for sport.
My experience: This movie cracked me up because the plot is so wild. It shines a light on people who claim that they are “woke” or conscientious of societal issues and that they are good people. Yet, they are hunting other people who, in their eyes, are horrible human beings. Let me include that the hunters are rich, and the hunted are middle- and low-class people. I will explore this movie again after reading George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, for there were several references in The Hunt from that book.
3. Parasite
Summary: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim family. The Kims – mother and father Chung-sook and Ki-taek, and their young adult son and daughter, Ki-woo and Ki-jung – are a poor family living in a shabby and cramped half-basement apartment in a busy lower working-class commercial district of Seoul. With a tip from Ki-woo’s friend, the Sims con their way into the Kim family’s home as employees. When the owners leave the house on vacation, they move in & undergo a bizarre encounter that changes the lives of everyone.
My experience: This dynamic film kept me on the edge of my seat as I watched two families on opposite ends of the economic spectrum orbit and collide with one another. As the story boiled, I couldn’t help but sympathize with the Kims, for they were desperate to live a decent life just once.
4. Antebellum
Summary: Successful author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it’s too late.
My experience: This mind-bending thriller upon the first watch reminded me entirely of the book “Kindred” by Octavia Butler; the parallel between past and present survival. However, this movie isn’t quite so literal in that aspect. Antebellum, like Squid Game, is a great example of objectification and desperation. I was angry at some of the characters for how they acted in their situation, especially once the twist was revealed. Then it hit me, from a third-person perspective I have the advantage of knowing what will happen. But even though the characters kind of did too, you still wouldn’t expect history to repeat itself again and for people to get away with it.
5. Unhinged
Summary: Russell Crowe stars in Unhinged, a psychological thriller that takes road rage to an unpredictable and terrifying conclusion.
My experience: Crowe became an entirely different person in this movie as Tom Cooper. I am scared of his character in Unhinged. When someone reaches their breaking point, that is when they become dangerous. Tom simply did not care anymore; he lost all humanity and was just waiting for someone to light the bomb. This movie showed the power of stress on society and how chaotic the world could be with the right mixture of turmoil.
These five movies share the common themes of desperation, reaching the breaking point, classism, and human objectification. Humanity is a fragile system and a singular disaster can bring about its destruction. By these films’ standards, self-destruction will result in society’s downfall. The lesson I have learned from watching psychological shows and movies is that we must understand that everyone is equal and deserving of respect because no one could know by looking, what the next person is going through and their mental health status.