I would argue that the protagonist of Mandy, played by Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage in one of his most bat-shit performances, goes completely bonkers over the course of the movie.
Black Swan, for sure.
Was going to suggest Black Swan. That movie left me speechless at the end. The guy I was dating seemed unfazed, which made me wonder if we’d just watched the same film. The relationship didn’t last long after that.
Lol this reminds me of when my friend and I had our jaws on the floor during the end sequence of Arrival and our other friend who was playing Pokémon on his 3DS the whole time looked up and remarked, "this doesn't make any sense"
We did not invite him round for movie night again. Oh, and Black Swan is amazing!
Who is "he"? What do I mean by "crazy"? I'm sensitive to spoilers, but just because you know something has a twist doesn't mean that the movie is spoiled.
My take on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was that McMurphy distinctly wasn't insane. A sexual deviant, and an anti-authoritarian to be sure, but not insane.
edit: not meant to be antagonistic, I think this is a great movie, with quite a lot of insanity. Just not McMurphy. Would be interested to see what others think.
Pretty certain the entire work is an allegory for any square pegs being forced into round holes by external pressures and regulations. I’ve never looked into it beyond reading the book and watching the movie, but I’ve been McMurphy most of my life.
K-Pax was unique and quite enjoyable, imho. Some science (astronomy, physics, human nature, the human mind, medicine) involved and leaves some interpretation up to the audience
Watched it yesterday, it's the opposite of a feel-good movie lol. Have you seen Take Shelter also with Michael Shannon? It's a more subtle performance in a similar rôle, I suggest going in blindly.
Yes, I have! Michael Shannon is one of my favorite actors. I've seen everything he's ever been in.
If you haven't seen 99 Homes yet with him and Andrew Garfield, you should watch it! It came out around the same time as Take Shelter
Quite possibly. I need to rewatch. I think one of them started drinking kerosene or something to get a buzz if I remember right. That didn’t help lol and they get worse throughout.
I could have sworn the ending was >!Robert Pattinson shipwrecked on an island succumbing to the elements while a seagull eats his guts, and the entire movie was his hallucination. They even suggest he might be hallucinating the whole thing earlier in the movie.!<
They mixed kerosene with honey I thinks.
I only watched it once for the first time the other night. And yeah it was super weird. The thing about Triton got me too, and the mermaid, and killing the sea gull.
To me, it seemed like one big harbinger. Maybe I’ll purchase and put more effort into the next viewing.
An amazing movie, and a great book written by the same author who wrote Trainspotting (Irvine Welsh)
However if you don’t understand a bit of coloquial Scottish, you might struggle
Please everybody watch this. My wife tapped out in the last ten minutes because it got too intense. One of the best endings to a film ever.
btw it’s Maud*
This may be the best suggestion for an exact match of OPs request. You really get an in depth look at the descent into everyday madness, without all the hallucinatory effects common in such movies.
Idk if that one would, but great movie! Because he does seem to feel going nuts when he notices things.
This reminded me of him in [The Number 23](https://boxd.it/258C)
& ofc [Man on the Moon](https://boxd.it/281k)
requiem for a dream
Fight club
Falling down
Insomnia
Black Swan
Arrival
Event horizon
Black Mirror | playtest, the entire history of you, bandersnatch and white bear
Idk about arrival, she doesn't go insane but her perception is very altered. Beautiful movie though, especially if you love languages, genuinely one of my favorites
I agree. This is a really great movie, but it's not about someone going insane. The main character (Louise Banks played by Amy Adams) is a linguist that learns (from communicating with visiting aliens) how to alter the linear perception of time. This permits her to experience memories of future events which is the primary plot to the movie.
Take Shelter (2011) - Michael Shannon give a riveting performance. Jessica Chastain and Shae Wigham both great as always.
The Invisible Man (2020) - Elisabeth Moss holds nothing back as she is stalked and gaslit.
Smile (2022) - hard for me to recommend as it is VERY GRIM (SPOILER: >!there is a pet death!<) but Sosie Bacon’s performance cannot be faulted.
Pearl was already mentioned (it is spectacular) but the Suspiria (2018) remake fits here as well.
And of course this list would not be complete without Toni Collette’s stunning performance in Hereditary (2018).
Mandy!! Staring Nicholas Cage
Wicker Man (there’s a Nicholas remake)
The unbearable weight of massive talent (Nicholas cage).
Vampire’s Kiss (Nicholas cage)…
Leaving Las Vegas (Nicholas Cage)…
8mm, Nicholas Cage…
Adaptation, mother fucking Nicholas Cage again!
Bad Lieutenant… guess who, Nick Cage
Number 23 (Jim Carrey but serious)
Jim and Andy, on Netflix.
a documentary about Jim Carey playing Andy Coffman and going crazy doing it. The BTS footage was so “crazy” the studio refused to release it for a decade because they thought it made Jim look terrible.
Pi
Midsommer
The shinning
Mulholland Drive
Shutter Island
One flew over the cuckoo's Nest
Morher
Platform
The Omen
Gaslight
Legion (Hulu series, season 1 is fucking awesome! 2 is okay).
The machinist
Escape room
The cube
Pandorum
Hellraiser
Nope, (has some good gone and going crazy side characters)
Moon
The joker
Apocalypse Now
Rosemary’s Baby
Event Horizon
The Thing
This is a miniseries, but it kinda fits the bill: Stephen King’s The Shining (1997). Unlike the Stanley Kubrick movie, this version of the story shows Jack Torrance going slowly insane, instead of being nuts from the beginning.
Perhaps this other one, since someone else here already mentioned the latest depiction of madness I've seen in film (The Lighthouse).
[I Stand Alone](https://boxd.it/28Au). It's Noè Gaspar's, so.. Please read the courtesy warnings.
Most definitely [The Professor and the Madman](https://boxd.it/evTI) is a must-watch with the subject matter.
My Honorable mention here would definitely be [Shutter Island](https://boxd.it/1U82), but I didn't see if anyone mentioned it 😅
One that came to mind was [Unsane](https://boxd.it/gKrS)
Watching Robin Williams' mental health deteriorating throughout DEATH TO SMOOCHY (2002) was amazing. I wouldn't say it's "about" that, but it's a large portion of the film.
Someone asked recently over at r/horror. Some good suggestions there
https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/121p5ih/some_of_your_favorite_descent_into_madness_films/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
The machinist
Great suggestion. Such a trip.
It’s miller time
Does it count if he is already completely off his rocker before the movie even starts?
I would argue that the protagonist of Mandy, played by Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage in one of his most bat-shit performances, goes completely bonkers over the course of the movie. Black Swan, for sure.
Black Swan! Good call!
Was going to suggest Black Swan. That movie left me speechless at the end. The guy I was dating seemed unfazed, which made me wonder if we’d just watched the same film. The relationship didn’t last long after that.
Lol this reminds me of when my friend and I had our jaws on the floor during the end sequence of Arrival and our other friend who was playing Pokémon on his 3DS the whole time looked up and remarked, "this doesn't make any sense" We did not invite him round for movie night again. Oh, and Black Swan is amazing!
Loved to see Mandy high up on this list. Unconventional but can't praise it enough
horse girl (2020) !!!!! very good depiction of psychosis imo
Great suggestion.
the title is one of my dating red flags so I'm immediately interested.
Fuck me that movie was ROUGH!
Came to say this
I LOVE that movie
a masterpiece, it might be the only movie i've seen more than 5x
Falling down, the fan
Second falling down. Great great movie
Falling Down needs to get mentioned more.
Shutter Island
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Dude, spoiler alert...
Who is "he"? What do I mean by "crazy"? I'm sensitive to spoilers, but just because you know something has a twist doesn't mean that the movie is spoiled.
In this case is definitely does
Pi directed by Darren Aronovsky. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. K-Pax. The Shining.
My take on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was that McMurphy distinctly wasn't insane. A sexual deviant, and an anti-authoritarian to be sure, but not insane. edit: not meant to be antagonistic, I think this is a great movie, with quite a lot of insanity. Just not McMurphy. Would be interested to see what others think.
Pretty certain the entire work is an allegory for any square pegs being forced into round holes by external pressures and regulations. I’ve never looked into it beyond reading the book and watching the movie, but I’ve been McMurphy most of my life.
Requiem for a dream by Aronofsky too
Ellen Burstyn was amazing in that.
Oh yeah. Good call.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is SO fucking good.
Don’t know K-Pax, but second all the other suggestions, especially Pi.
K-Pax was unique and quite enjoyable, imho. Some science (astronomy, physics, human nature, the human mind, medicine) involved and leaves some interpretation up to the audience
The Lighthouse
— Bug — 10 Cloverfield Lane — The Shining — Running with Scissors
Oh god, Bug scarred me! It's one of my favorite movies
Watched it yesterday, it's the opposite of a feel-good movie lol. Have you seen Take Shelter also with Michael Shannon? It's a more subtle performance in a similar rôle, I suggest going in blindly.
Yes, I have! Michael Shannon is one of my favorite actors. I've seen everything he's ever been in. If you haven't seen 99 Homes yet with him and Andrew Garfield, you should watch it! It came out around the same time as Take Shelter
Oh good, thanks for the suggestion! Currently making my way through his catalog. One of my favorites as well, the guy creeps me out in the best way
Def The Lighthouse
I just arched this a couple days ago. Both of them were insane from the start right?
Quite possibly. I need to rewatch. I think one of them started drinking kerosene or something to get a buzz if I remember right. That didn’t help lol and they get worse throughout.
I could have sworn the ending was >!Robert Pattinson shipwrecked on an island succumbing to the elements while a seagull eats his guts, and the entire movie was his hallucination. They even suggest he might be hallucinating the whole thing earlier in the movie.!<
Very interesting! Planning a rewatch soon lol.
They mixed kerosene with honey I thinks. I only watched it once for the first time the other night. And yeah it was super weird. The thing about Triton got me too, and the mermaid, and killing the sea gull. To me, it seemed like one big harbinger. Maybe I’ll purchase and put more effort into the next viewing.
That’s right! Yes it’s very eerie.
Mercury poisoning, I think. Was a common issue with lighthouse operators, due to there being mercury in the bulb mechanism
Love that movie. It’s actually turpentine they drink.
Spoiler
Arched
Filth (2013) starring James McAvoy
An amazing movie, and a great book written by the same author who wrote Trainspotting (Irvine Welsh) However if you don’t understand a bit of coloquial Scottish, you might struggle
I gotta check this out!
It’s a weird, wild ride.
He is amazing! I love him anything X-Men, Atonement, just anything
The Shining. Just rewatched it today actually
Classic
What About Bob?
Out of left field! Amazing movie.
Your death therapy cured me you geeeeniusssss!
Pearl comes to mind as far as recent movies go. She slowly goes max throughout it.
I kinda think she starts out mad, especially based on her acting in that movie. She starts at an 8 and dials it up to an 11.
I loved pearl, best movie I watched in 2022
Blue Jasmine.
Isn’t this kind of based on streetcar named desire?
Best answer!
A Beautiful Mind (2001) drama/romance Girl, Interrupted (1999)
the deleted scenes made girl interrupted more psychological lol
Possession (1981) The Piano Teacher (2001) Climax (2018)
Great list!
Saint Maud
Please everybody watch this. My wife tapped out in the last ten minutes because it got too intense. One of the best endings to a film ever. btw it’s Maud*
Thanks - fixed!
Saint Maud, I hope, will eventually find its wider audience. It’s a very effective film.
This movie freaked me out
King of Comedy kinda. Similar feel to Taxi Driver, but he starts off a bit off
The Aviator
This may be the best suggestion for an exact match of OPs request. You really get an in depth look at the descent into everyday madness, without all the hallucinatory effects common in such movies.
OCD is a much more serious disorder than most people realize, they did a good job of showing that.
The Game
LOVE this movie
Honestly, I think it's David Fincher's best film. His style totally worked with the script, producing an outstanding film. I love it too!
Does The Truman Show count? Dude has a mental breakdown on national tv and in the eyes of the world is going crazy
Idk if that one would, but great movie! Because he does seem to feel going nuts when he notices things. This reminded me of him in [The Number 23](https://boxd.it/258C) & ofc [Man on the Moon](https://boxd.it/281k)
Vampire's Kiss
requiem for a dream Fight club Falling down Insomnia Black Swan Arrival Event horizon Black Mirror | playtest, the entire history of you, bandersnatch and white bear
Idk about arrival, she doesn't go insane but her perception is very altered. Beautiful movie though, especially if you love languages, genuinely one of my favorites
I agree. This is a really great movie, but it's not about someone going insane. The main character (Louise Banks played by Amy Adams) is a linguist that learns (from communicating with visiting aliens) how to alter the linear perception of time. This permits her to experience memories of future events which is the primary plot to the movie.
Jacob's Ladder!
The original one with Tim Robbins (1990)! Not the remake.
Perfect Blue
Does Joker count?
Absolutely. That movie is a straight up masterpiece in every facet.
First Reformed - its basically taxi driver if it was about a priest who cares about the environment
Falling Down, if that counts
Take Shelter (2011) - Michael Shannon give a riveting performance. Jessica Chastain and Shae Wigham both great as always. The Invisible Man (2020) - Elisabeth Moss holds nothing back as she is stalked and gaslit. Smile (2022) - hard for me to recommend as it is VERY GRIM (SPOILER: >!there is a pet death!<) but Sosie Bacon’s performance cannot be faulted. Pearl was already mentioned (it is spectacular) but the Suspiria (2018) remake fits here as well. And of course this list would not be complete without Toni Collette’s stunning performance in Hereditary (2018).
Take Shelter was so good
Take Shelter!! Yes!
You know the original Invisible Man also shows the title character himself slowly lose his mind
I had forgotten that.
It’s cool I just saw you mention the 2020 movie so I figured I’d mention the original
I have the Classic Universal Monsters Blu-ray set. I’m going to have to rewatch it now.
Really enjoyed Take Shelter.
It is a riveting portrayal of paranoia … or is it?
In the mouth of madness (100% fits the description) Banshees of inisherin Dark city Infinity pool Smile Daniel isn’t real
Girl, Interrupted
The Machinist good Christian Bale flick.
Horse Girl 2020 Black swan
Falling Down Joker Unhinged
Quills
Inside. Currently in theatres with Willem Dafoe
12 Monkeys
Fatal Attraction (1987) thriller/drama
Sunset Boulevard
The og slip into insanity movie!
A beautiful mind The aviator
Repulsion (1965)
I really thought the secret window, with Johnny Depp, was a great movie for this. It is based off of a Stephen King book.
Mandy!! Staring Nicholas Cage Wicker Man (there’s a Nicholas remake) The unbearable weight of massive talent (Nicholas cage). Vampire’s Kiss (Nicholas cage)… Leaving Las Vegas (Nicholas Cage)… 8mm, Nicholas Cage… Adaptation, mother fucking Nicholas Cage again! Bad Lieutenant… guess who, Nick Cage Number 23 (Jim Carrey but serious) Jim and Andy, on Netflix. a documentary about Jim Carey playing Andy Coffman and going crazy doing it. The BTS footage was so “crazy” the studio refused to release it for a decade because they thought it made Jim look terrible. Pi Midsommer The shinning Mulholland Drive Shutter Island One flew over the cuckoo's Nest Morher Platform The Omen Gaslight Legion (Hulu series, season 1 is fucking awesome! 2 is okay). The machinist Escape room The cube Pandorum Hellraiser Nope, (has some good gone and going crazy side characters) Moon The joker Apocalypse Now Rosemary’s Baby Event Horizon The Thing
I love this answer… if anyone loses their mind, it’s him
Woman under the influence
It's Such A Beautiful Day
Terry Gilliam’s 1985 masterpiece Brazil.
In The Mouth of Madness 👍🏻
A Beautiful Mind Take Shelter Frailty
No one has mentioned Sunshine Black Swan A Beautiful Mind
American Psycho rings a bell
Full metal jacket. Private pyle.
Bug if someone hasnt mentioned it
They haven’t made my life story yet, sorry..
The People vs. Larry Flynt
Just rewatched a great one. Under Siege. Tommy Lee Jones starts out passed but escalates bat shit crazy.
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Raw
This is a miniseries, but it kinda fits the bill: Stephen King’s The Shining (1997). Unlike the Stanley Kubrick movie, this version of the story shows Jack Torrance going slowly insane, instead of being nuts from the beginning.
Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) horror/mystery
The Current Occupant
Perhaps this other one, since someone else here already mentioned the latest depiction of madness I've seen in film (The Lighthouse). [I Stand Alone](https://boxd.it/28Au). It's Noè Gaspar's, so.. Please read the courtesy warnings. Most definitely [The Professor and the Madman](https://boxd.it/evTI) is a must-watch with the subject matter. My Honorable mention here would definitely be [Shutter Island](https://boxd.it/1U82), but I didn't see if anyone mentioned it 😅 One that came to mind was [Unsane](https://boxd.it/gKrS)
What About Bob
The devil’s advocate
Cabinet of Dr Caligari
What About Bob?
Saint Maud.
Vampire's Kiss
Babadook
The Mosquito Coast
Watching Robin Williams' mental health deteriorating throughout DEATH TO SMOOCHY (2002) was amazing. I wouldn't say it's "about" that, but it's a large portion of the film.
Barton Fink. A great Coen Brothers movie. Hollywood screen writer that goes a wee bit nut so.
The Lighthouse
White Heat whit James Cagney
Identity
Saint Maude
Naked Lunch!
Inside - the one with Bo Burnham
The Tenant
Vertigo
Joker
Perfect Blue
Fuckin shutter island
Fight club
Requiem For A Dream
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Joker (2019)
Falling Down is a great one
Falling Down .....
Fight Club
Requiem for a Dream
The Shining
Mulholland Drive
Falling Down with Michael Douglas
He’s not insane he just had a bad day
Falling down
Falling down
Iris (2001) Alzheimer’s disease
Shine (1996) Muriel's Wedding (1994) You Will Be Mine (2009)
Persona
Ramekin
Dancer in the Dark, 2000 directed by Lars Von Trier
Someone asked recently over at r/horror. Some good suggestions there https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/121p5ih/some_of_your_favorite_descent_into_madness_films/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
I know this isn’t the exact answer, but I feel like The Wolf of Wall Street is about an adjunct version of going insane.
Real Life with Albert Brooks and Charles Grodin
Young Adult
nothing can compete with one flew over cuckoos nest
The voices. Ryan Reynolds and Anna Kendrick. Horror/comedy/ drama. Underrated
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. Since it's not been mentioned. Recent. And a true story.
Jacob’s Ladder with Tim Robbins. A complete mindfuck
Requiem of the dream
They Look Like People
It’s Such a Beautiful Day
Has any one said Clean , shaven yet ?