PTSD movies, which have some form of PTSD or Child Abuse in it. Some of these movies might be triggering so be careful while watching them!
The Butterfly EffectThis movie about PTSD really twists the notion and perception of time. Ashton Kutcher plays the main character in this one. He finds a way to travel back along his own time line and change the past. Two other main characters, a brother and sister, are part of the overall story. Their recurring drama, in the movie’s storyline, is about sexual and domestic abuse and the far reaching consequences it has on their lives.
WarriorThis movie centers around two brothers competing in MMA. Even though it is about fighting it has a lot of heart in it. Starring Nick Nolte and Tom Hardy as two out of three of the main characters. The story brings to light the difficulties of growing up with an alcoholic, abusive and neglectful father and the choices each one of the brothers made in order to cope and survive.
SkyfallSkyfall is one of the few James Bond movies that highlights his disturbing PTSD past and attempts to put in perspective how it contributes to his being an agent/assassin. It is fascinating to see here how varied the reenactment of trauma can be. In James’s case it is the need for danger/adrenaline and attachment and loyalty to an external mother figure (the agency). Although romanticized for the movie’s sake it is interesting to see the underlying psychology and how this might apply to people working within the military and government organizations.
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SavagesTwo friends trying to make a quick buck. One peace-loving the other war-loving. What binds them is their common love for a girl and marijuana. The ‘war-loving’ character shows all the sign of PTSD and with it the need for reenactment through exposure to danger and conflict. Imagine, how many soldiers sign up for another tour of duty because of the high energy charge in their nervous system. They would feel totally out of place in normal society.
FearlessJeff Bridges plays a character surviving a plane crash and finds himself in an other state of mind afterward. The movie displays a form of dissociation where the perception of what is real changes and the emotions related to the incident become absent. It is a bit of an older movie about PTSD but worth a watch.
These are some of the movies I can think of from the top of my head.Share with me in the comments below which movies, that relate to PTSD, you would add to this list?