14 Best Movies About Depression On Netflix Update 05/2024

Movies About Depression On Netflix

The blues seem to settle in every now and then. Depression affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year. It can show up in a variety of ways for different people, and it has an impact on both our private and professional lives. The saddest part is that depression drains our lives of joy. Movies, like many other forms of entertainment, can provide solace by elucidating a difficult circumstance. When we watch movies on depression, we may see how the protagonists handle comparable issues and situations onscreen. More films about depression are needed since they help us better understand and deal with the condition. Furthermore, through seeing films on depression, we can learn to empathize with those who are depressed themselves. Netflix has a large library of films about depression. So, without further ado, here is Netflix’s current selection of the best depressive movies.

14. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

The ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ by David O. Russell reminds us that we can always bounce back from terrible conditions such as depression. The journey is more essential than the end result. After a few months in prison, Pat Solatano, played by Bradley Cooper, returns to find that everything has changed. His home, his job, and his wife were all owned by his mother and father, played by Jacki Weaver and Robert DeNiro, respectively. There was nothing else he owned.

Pat, on the other hand, is hopeful that he and his ex-wife can reconcile since he believes in second chances. His life takes on a new meaning when he meets Jennifer Lawrence’s character, Tiffany. Tiffany agrees to help Pat reunite with his ex-wife in exchange for Pat’s support in solving Tifanny’s troubles. Soon after they begin their voyage, the two develop feelings for one another. Hope is offered by the movie “Silver Linings Playbook.” People find love in places and people they never imagined. The film’s director, David O. Russell, emphasizes the significance of looking for the silver lining.

13. Good Will Hunting (1997)

“Good Will Hunting” tells the story of Will Hunting, one of the most brilliant minds in America. He gets a job as a janitor at MIT because of a fluke. He amazes Professor Gerald Lambeau by solving a challenging graduate-level math problem while mopping the floors. The professor decides to help Will since he believes in Will’s extraordinary abilities and high IQ. But Will’s numerous run-ins with the law have made his job more challenging. It was the professor’s last chance to give him leniency after a long negotiation. When Will enters treatment, he learns how to overcome his painful history, which is making his current situation unbearable. Recovering after an injury is no longer an option for him. As a reminder, “Good Will Hunting” encourages people to hold on to the positive aspects of their character, even in the midst of adversity.

12. Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

A spirited Hawaiian girl named Lilo and a troubled extraterrestrial named Stitch are the focus of the animated feature film ‘Lilo & Stitch.’ A automobile accident killed Lilo’s parents when she was just a few months old. Nani, her older sister, has reared her. Her entire life, Lilo has been plagued by anxiety and a sense of helplessness. She’s aware that her misery has something to do with her parents’ untimely deaths. When genetic experiment Stitch, a rebel, decides to take refuge on Earth, he causes mayhem on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Because of their shared experience of loss and pain, Stitch ends up becoming an important part of Lilo’s life. Lilo and Stitch paint a magnificent depiction of the healing power of genuine companionship.

11. God Knows Where I Am (2016)

God knows where I’m at is a terrifying and moving documentary about Linda Bishop, a patient of the state’s mental health system. When Linda Bishop was found in an abandoned farmhouse in New Hampshire she was a well-educated woman and mother to her children. She was starving and freezing to death. The documentary paints a disturbing picture of the system’s failure via the narratives of several individuals with varying points of view. When Linda is released from the hospital early, her ordeal begins. For over four months, she proceeds on a suicidal path of malnutrition and irrational thinking in the midst of her loneliness. With the help of apples and rainfall, she made it through one of the harshest winters ever. God knows where I am is a wonderful story about those who are struggling with mental illness and the systemic failure and indifference that they face.

10. Paddleton (2019)

Paddleton (2019)

Paddleton, a Netflix original film, is a heartfelt tale of friendship and optimism. Mark Duplass and Ray Romano play neighbors Michael and Andy, respectively, in the film. Despite the fact that society views them as outcasts, they find a true companion in one another. However, when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer, their bond is put to the test. The two men’s lives are turned upside down when they make the find. In the face of despair, hopelessness, and the impending end, ‘Paddleton’ captures the delicate beauty of friendship.

9. The White Helmets (2016)

When three first responders risk everything to rescue the lives of innocent people, it’s called “The White Helmets,” and it takes place in Aleppo, Syria and Turkey in 2016. In the midst of rescuing civilian lives, the volunteers are plagued by anxieties about the safety of those they left behind. Orlando von Einsiedel is up for Best Director for his work on the Oscar-nominated film “The White Helmets,” which depicts both the horrors of human misery and the triumphant human spirit.

8. Mustang (2015)

‘Mustang’ depicts the lives of five orphaned sisters in a secluded region in Northern Turkey. An acquaintance sees the five free-spirited adolescents having fun on the beach with their male buddies and immediately accuses them of indiscreet activities. The father of the traditional family removes all of their freedom and confiscates their mobile phones and computers because they are the instruments of moral degradation.. On top of that, the older women in the home are put through their paces with wedding-related domestic job classes.

When it comes to conformity and family suffocation, the girls, like their older sisters, undergo mental indoctrination. The younger sisters, on the other hand, band together to protest the discrimination they perceive to be perpetrated on the basis of gender. During their planned marriage preparations, members of the family set out to pursue their ideal existence in which they can make all of their own decisions. Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s directorial debut, ‘Mustang,’ is a magnificent and engaging depiction of women’s rights.

7. Blue Valentine (2010)

Blue Valentine (2010)

The film “Blue Valentine” chronicles the ups and downs of the romance between David and Cindy. Intercutting between two timeframes, the film tells the story of their voyage. Initially, they were inseparable as a young couple, but after a few years of being together, they have grown dissatisfied and bored. The film depicts several stages of disenchantment in the lives of the protagonists after they have exhausted all of their resources.

Even while Cindy has matured into an accomplished lady who pursues her aspirations, David remains unchanged. Cindy sees David as lacking in ambition, whereas David sees Cindy as engrossed in her goals. When it comes to love and family, “Blue Valentine” is an acerbic critique of contemporary American culture and its influence on our mental health.

6. Roma (2018)

Cleo, a domestic worker from Mexico City’s Roma area, suffers physically and emotionally in Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece in black and white, “Roma.” In a heartfelt tone, the film depicts the terrible societal realities and their impact on people’s psyches. Using his own childhood memories and experiences, Cuaron depicts women who sacrifice their aspirations and interests in order to raise a generation. To those women who battled melancholy and pessimism as a result of poverty and patriarchal ideals in Mexican urban culture during the ’70s, ‘Roma’ is an emotional tribute.

5. The Pianist (2012)

Film based on Wladyslaw Szpilman’s autobiography ‘The Pianist’. The film is a harrowing depiction of the horrors of World War II through the eyes of a survivor. Before the Nazis occupied Poland, Szpilman held the terrible recognition of being the last pianist and composer to perform live on Polish radio. He narrowly escaped Nazi occupation and a raid that resulted in his family’s imprisonment in a concentration camp in the film. Szpilman hides in the rubble of war-torn Warsaw like a rodent in order to survive. The awful existence with its depression and death wish and all its scavenging for food and shelter hasn’t defeated him. Final scene shows him restoring his position as a renowned European composer in the post-war era with dignity and stature.

4. Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Matthew McConaughey’s performance as Texas junkie cowboy Ron Woodroof in “Dallas Buyers Club” is regarded as a career high point for the actor. Ron has a sloppy lifestyle that includes a lot of drugs, booze, and extramarital affairs. Ron’s life is turned upside down when he is diagnosed with HIV and given 30 days to live. While the rest of the country was divided over how to combat the HIV pandemic, Ron embarks on a groundbreaking mission in the history of public healthcare in the United States. Ron is shunned by his social circles due to the pervasive stigma associated with the HIV virus.

Ron takes matters into his own hands because the government’s approved HIV medications only account for a small percentage of the demand. Through both legal and illicit means, he obtains drugs and therapies from around the world for his patients. Ron is at the center of a volunteer army of outcasts that has developed. Buyers Club eventually becomes a highly profitable enterprise. Before he dies, Ron sets up the club and demonstrates the human spirit’s ability to withstand depression and despair.

3. Carol (2015)

‘Carol’ is an adaption of Patricia Highsmith’s novel, ‘The Price of Salt,’ set in 1950s New York City. During the course of the film, Therese, a lonely and desperate department store employee in Manhattan, and Carol, a miserable but attractive older woman, form an unexpected friendship. With her marriage in shambles, Carol is struggling to make ends meet with her hapless spouse.

Her courage to obtain a divorce from her spouse is bolstered by the support she receives from Therese. In spite of this, the man has no intention of abandoning his wife’s friendships with Therese and Abby, played by Sarah Paulson, as he understands that they are more complex than first appears. The Todd Haynes-directed film is a heartfelt and evocative depiction of the plight of lonely humans.

2. Extremis (2016)

Short documentary “Extremis” on end-of-life care is shown on Netflix. The film, which was shot in an intensive care unit at Highland Hospital in Oakland, California, follows doctors, relatives, and patients as they struggle to make end-of-life decisions for those they care about. “Extremis,” a documentary by Dan Krauss, is one of the few films to examine the problem of desperate human existence. When faced with the agonizing dilemma of whether or not to allow their loved one to die, the 24-minute-long documentary drama is loaded with heartbreaking situations. Questions like: can someone with terminal illness make decisions about their own life? Dan Krauss discusses these and other issues in his book. Their loved ones are also important.

1. Room (2015)

Room (2015)

We are taken on a roller coaster trip with a single mother and her son in the dramatic drama ‘Room.’ Seeing the outside world for the first time as a 5-year-old boy who had spent his entire existence in a small room with his mother, Jack is in awe at what he sees. His old idea that the only things that exist are those in his ‘chamber’ is shattered by everything he encounters. With Brie Larson’s Ma and Jacob Tremblay’s Jack, the story of their journey to freedom is a roller coaster of excitement, fear, and ecstasy. With a little aid from the outside world, the mother and son are able to overcome their deep sadness. “Room” also symbolizes the importance of maintaining a special relationship with your most significant other when you’re alone.