There is a somewhat blurred line between the psychological thriller and the psychological drama. Thinking ofthe best psychological thrillers of all time, one can say the thriller generally makes the viewer feel a sense of danger and foreboding throughout the course of the film (Uncut Gems,Black Swan,The Silence of the Lambs, etc.). In contrast, the psychological drama employs a more unconventional style that can come across as strange, a bit slower in pace, and even ethereal— drawing tension largely from a sense of the protagonist’s headspace. They are largely more atmospheric than anything else, almost making the everyday world seem as unfamiliar as a (good) science fiction film might. They can still be suspenseful, to be sure, but the stakes come across…differently.
This makes the acting more essential than ever, as genre tropes don’t come into play as much as in other movies. More often than not, these works don’t feel like typical blockbusters (though that doesn’t mean they are usually financial disappointments); and the really good ones definitely don’t feel like the actors took them on just for the money. They genuinely and ambitiously try to immerse the viewer into the character’s psyche, inviting nuance and some of the greatest performances of the actors' careers. Anyone who wants to delve deep into a character’s life will appreciate the subjective point of views on display. For instance,Ken Kesey’s first person-narrated and heavily psychedelic novelOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestfeels much more like a psychological drama thanMilos Forman’s realism-focused and equally praised film adaptation. With that in mind,the best psychological dramas with great acting use both mood and performance to truly bring their characters' worlds to life in ways that put the audience on edge and challenge us to read between the lines.
10’The Lost Daughter' (2021)
Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal
Based on the novel of the same name,The Lost Daughteris a movie in which little happens in the present action. People are vacationing on a Greek island, including a big obnoxious family from Queens and a professor named Leda (Olivia Colman) who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When a young daughter from the Queens family goes missing, Leda quickly finds her and returns her, befriending the little girl’s mother (Dakota Johnson) in the process.
But she also steals the girl’s doll, which leads to a very stressful vacation for the mother. Leda sees herself in this young woman, leading to flashbacks of when she had two young girls to care for. As we find out and as Leda admits, she is an “unnatural mother.” Written and directed byMaggie Gyllenhaalin her directorial debut, this is a thoughtful character study about guilt, self-autonomy, loneliness, and class.
The Lost Daughter
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9’Krisha' (2015)
Directed by Trey Edward Shults
Krisha’s opening closeup of a woman (Krisha Fairchild) staring ahead at the camera is purposely off-putting, especially with that black background behind her. We understand that this woman is not going to be the “hero” of this story, yet the camera will follow her around to show us everything from her perspective. Thus, the viewer feels just as unfamiliar with the surroundings as Krisha does. She abandoned her son years ago, and has been reluctantly allowed to join the family for Thanksgiving.
This movie takes its time, showing relatives talking to each other and doing various holiday activities. The camera fixates on young men wrestling, arm wrestling, and engaging in other physical contests that mirror the high level of emotional tension that Krisha brings from her presence alone. By making the viewer feel uncomfortable for a sustained period of time and showing how destructive alcoholism can be, this movie proves a forceful character study.
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8’Aftersun' (2022)
Directed by Charlotte Wells
One ofthe best movies of 2022,Aftersunis about a woman thinking back on a Turkish vacation she took as a girl (Frankie Corio) with her father (Paul Mescal) after her parents' divorce. The primary action takes place in the past while we occasionally catch a glimpse of her present self trying to make sense of her past. Written and directed byCharlotte Wells, the movie magically conveys what it’s like to remember something as an adult and how years of experience color how you understand events from youth.
Depression, love, memory, and trying to have fun in a foreign land all come together in a fascinating film that holds a mighty 95 on Metacritic and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. One of the saddest moments involves a girl competing in a karaoke contest without her father. AsA.O. ScottofThe New York Times writes, “It’s hard to find a critical language to account for the delicacy and intimacy of this movie. This is partly because Wells, with the unaffected precision of a lyric poet, is very nearly reinventing the language of film.”
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t…
7’First Reformed' (2017)
Directed by Paul Schrader
Ethan Hawkebrings his A-game toFirst Reformed, in which he plays a pastor named Revered Toller who has a meagerly attended church in upstate New York. Time spent with a couple invested in climate activism shakes his faith and leads to a downward spiral. The conversation the reverend has with a man (Philip Ettinger) struggling with the idea that his wife (Amanda Seyfried) is pregnant feels perfectly and painstakingly realized, thanks to the actors and brilliant writing.
Given this is an individual’s inner crisis in the face of what we are presented as a horrifying world, it’s not shocking to know thatTaxi Driver’s screenwriterPaul Schraderwrote and directed this piece.The Atlantic’s David Sims wrotethatFirst Reformedis “an embittered look at our world through the eyes of someone who’s increasingly horrified to be a part of it, and a film that’s one of the most searing cinema experiences of the year.”
First Reformed
In a narrative that combines spirituality with environmental and personal crises, a pastor faces a profound moral and existential dilemma after meeting an eco-activist couple. As he delves deeper into the environmental cause, his growing radicalization confronts him with troubling questions about his capacity for violence and his commitment to his faith.
6’Requiem for a Dream' (2000)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky’s career took off withRequiem for a Dream, an unflinching look at addiction in several of its forms and the depravity that results from it.Jared Letowas widely praised for his performance, as wereMarlon Wayans,Jennifer Connelly, andEllen Burstyn—who received an Oscar nomination for her role as an aging woman addicted to television. Heroine, cocaine, and amphetamines are the other drugs that result in disaster for the characters involved.
Requiem for a Dreamis not for the squeamish, as it results in some truly gruesome sights that demonstrate just how quickly and effectively addiction can tank someone’s psychological and physical health. What was initially a box office disappointment is considered a cult classic now, and critics find its ambitious style and relentless narrative do not pull any punches. This psychological drama is one ofthe most compelling movies about addiction.
Requiem for a Dream
Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream follows the lives of four drug addicts as they fall deeper into their addiction and pull their loved ones on a downward spiral along with themselves. The 2000 psychological drama is an adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.’s eponymous novel and counts with a star-studded cast that includes the likes of Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans, Christopher McDonald, and Mark Margolis.
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5’May December' (2023)
Directed by Todd Haynes
Natalie Portmanshines as a famous actress who is shadowing a woman (Julianne Moorein an equally mesmerizing performance) she is set to play in a feature film. The sensitive and controversial subject matter of the story imbue this movie with a constant state of tension, as this actress will play someone in her mid-30s who has an affair with a 13-year-old boy. Even more uncomfortable: the boy and the woman got married and had children after she served prison time for statutory rape.
The space where grooming ends and love begins is blurry here, asking the viewer to consider what exactly could have and should have been done about this ongoing and apparently happy romance. The film works like a mystery that can’t be solved, as the actress interviews people who were around when the infamous relationship began and those who were born into this inherently troubling family structure. The pervasive uneasiness led this movie to a well-deserved2024 Best Screenplay Oscar nomination.
May December
Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.
4’Whiplash' (2014)
Directed by Damien Chazelle
Fiercely directed byDamien Chazelle,Whiplashis about a music school student called Andrew Nieman (Miles Teller) who aspires to be the next Buddy Rich. The smack, beat, and crash of the drum-kit proves integral to the movie’s focus on Nieman’s single-minded goal of being the best of the best. This can’t happen without blood, sweat, and tears—asJ.K. Simmons(who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the role) masterfully plays a renowned band leader who uses verbal abuse to get his students in line. This is one ofthe best movies about perfection.
The intensity of the practice sessions makes this a borderline psychological thriller. Nieman essentially seems to be sacrificing his soul for his passion for percussion and the desire to reach the heights of greatness.Whiplash’s power is as strong as it was ten years ago, which has as much to do with the acting as it does with the directing. As uncomfortable as it is to be in Nieman’s shoes, the intensity of the conflict makes this drama very rewatchable.
In Whiplash, a talented young drummer is pushed to his limits by a demanding instructor as he strives for musical perfection. This intense pursuit challenges his dedication and mental fortitude, forcing him to confront personal ambitions and the sacrifices required to achieve greatness in the world of music.
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3’Eyes Wide Shut' (1999)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick’s swan song is most famous for its portrayal of a secret sex cult andthe varied iconic masks they wear, but that only takes up a small portion of the film. Kubrick was always a director who cared a lot about mood, andEyes Wide Shutlargely relies on the subtle discomfort that a wealthy husband (Tom Cruise) feels as he is confronted with the urge to cheat on his wife (Nicole Kidman, who was Cruise’s actual wife at the time) over the course of a bizarre New York City evening.
Eyes Wide Shutis a thoroughly absorbing piece about fidelity, marriage, power, and sex. Based loosely on the 1926 novellaDream Story, this film takes on an eerie persona to give viewers a creeping sense of danger that can come from anywhere. When Cruise’s character is unmasked at the infamous party, it is terrifying to watch all of these other masked, anonymous people see who he is.This psychological drama shows how violence isn’t necessary to deeply unsettle the viewer.
Eyes Wide Shut
A Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife’s admission of unfulfilled longing.
Rent on Apple TV
2’Taxi Driver' (1976)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
One ofMartin Scoresese’s greatest works,Taxi Driveris about a troubled Vietnam veteran (Robert De Niro) who drives taxis in New York City and becomes less and less mentally unstable. Rarely is a man’s isolation more effectively captured than in this mid-70s Palme d’Or winner. Much of that has to do with Scorsese’s direction, as well as Paul Schrader’s exceptional screenplay. Together, they immerse the viewer into Travis Bickle’s mind so well that it’s both painful and utterly captivating.
This is easily one ofRobert De Niro’s best (not to mention most unique) performances. People used to seeing him as a mobster will findTaxi Driveran excellent example of his range. Other great actors include a very youngJodie FosterandCybill Shepherd, who both add to the film’s complexity. Political violence is a theme as important as ever nowadays, which is one of many reasons whyTaxi Driveris more than worth the watch nearly fifty years after its release.
Taxi Driver
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
1’The Master' (2012)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Andersonhas directed some of the most fascinating movies of the last thirty years, and 2012’sThe Masteris arguably the most complex.Joaquin PhoenixandPhilip Seymour Hoffmanput in totally spellbinding, career-best turns that reveal layer after layer of psychological depth after every viewing. Phoenix plays Freddie Quell, an alcoholic loner and World War II veteran who falls under the influence of cult-leader on the rise, Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman).
The Masteris superb at showing how someone vulnerable and with no direction in life can wind up in a group that takes advantage of their insecurities. The sequence in which Dodd interviews Quell for an initiation of sorts is one of the most intense conversations in the history of cinema. PTA’s camera work and score offer both unconventional, borderline-Kubrickean angles that show how someone else’s life can, indeed, feel like a totally different world. Along with other fantastic performances fromAmy Adams,Rami Malek, andJesse Plemons, this is the ultimate psychological drama with top-tier acting.
The Master
A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.
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