There are a lot of movies about mental illnesses when you start to think about them. Some movies have closer depictions than others but here are 15 that are the closest depictions. These movies deal with difficult but important topics that should be shown but watch them with caution because a lot of these movies have trigger warnings.

1. "A Beautiful Mind" (2001)

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A beautiful mind is inspired by John Forbes Nash Jr (played by Russell Crowe) who is a mathematical genius who suffers from schizophrenia. This movie does a good job at depicting schizophrenia and the treatments used around the 1940's.

2. "Black Swan" (2010)

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Black Swan is about a ballerina who is working to play Swan Lake but a newcomer becomes competition. Nina (Natalie Portman) shows symptoms of schizophrenia and becomes very obsessed with getting the part of Black Swan. The movie has a dark tone but shows the effects of schizophrenia very well.

3. "Donnie Darko" (2001)

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Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a teenager who sleepwalks out of his house and sees a creepy rabbit named Frank who is telling him the world is going to end. This movie gets confusing because you wonder if he is suffering from a mental illness or if the world coming to an end. Nonetheless, the movie shows the complications of the mind.

4. "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (1993)

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Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) is a young man who has a mother who is very overweight and can't leave the house. He also has a mentally impaired younger brother (Leonardo DiCaprio) who he takes care of. Leonardo does a good job at portraying his character.

5. "Girl, Interrupted" (1999)

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Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder) is in a mental institution for women and meets Lisa (Angelina Jolie) another patient whose illness is severe. The movie shows many different illnesses and how they were treated in the 60's.

6. "Perks of Being a Wallflower" (2012)

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Charlie (Logan Lerman) is a teenager who is awkward and suffers from depression. He meets some great friends Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller) who show him the joys of living. However, his struggle continues, as he fights with his depression. This movie shows what depression is like very well and is relatable to a lot of people.

7. "Proof" (2005)

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Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow) is grieving her father who was a genius and had a mental illness that slowly began to eat away at him. She meets a student (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is interested in the notes of Catherine's father. Throughout the movie Catherine struggles to keep her own sanity and the movie does a good job at showing the struggle.

8. "Benny and Joon" (1993)

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Benny (Aidan Quinn) takes care for his mentally ill sister, Joon (Mary Masterson) and looks over an eccentric man, Sam (Johnny Depp). Benny wants to be the one to take care of his sister always and realizes that she may need more support to be able to get on her feet and live on her own. This movie is a classic and sheds a little light on a big issue without ignoring the issue.

9. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975)

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Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) gets transferred from a prison to a mental institution. He thinks it's going to be easier but realizes the patients go through abuse and electroconvulsive therapy. McMurphy gains friends and butt heads with the head nurse. This movie is based off the classic book and does a great justice.

10. "Rain Man" (1988)

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Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) learns his father died and discovers he has an autistic older brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). He also learns that his father's fortune is being left to the mental institution and so he checks Raymond out of the facility. They have a road trip cross-country and become closer. This movie is heart touching and a good portrayal of autism.

11. "Fight Club" (1999)

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A man who suffers from insomnia (Edward Norton) meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and the two men form a club called "fight club". The movie has a twist at the end that explains the main character's insomnia causes him to have hallucinations. This movie is a classic and is gives an edgy perception of mental illnesses.

12. "Wristcutters: A Love Story" (2006)

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In this movie, it starts with the suicide of the main character, Zia (Patrick Fugit) and he wakes up in a purgatory full of people who have committed suicide. He meets Eugene (Shea Whigham) who died of an OD and they road trip and try to shed light on a very dull purgatory. This is a very different perspective on mental illness and is one of a kind.

13. "It's Kind of a Funny Story" (2010)

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Craig Gilner (Keir Gilchrist) checks himself into a mental-health facility and spends his 5 day stay with adults. Bobby (Zach Galifianakis) becomes his mentor and he befriends Noelle (Emma Roberts) another teen staying at the clinic. This movie is a lighter one that shows the connections in a clinic and how other people who go through mental illnesses can help each other.

14. "Secret Life of Bees" (2008)

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Lily Owens is haunted by memories of her mother and abused by her father. She runs away with her friend/caregiver Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson). Lily is lead to the Boatwright sisters ( Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo). They take her in and teach her about beekeeping. This movie deals with a lot of sad problems such as abuse and mental illnesses. It is a beautiful movie.

15. "Thirteen" (2003)

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Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood) befriends Evie (Nikki Reed) who is the popular girl in school. Evie talks Tracy into drugs, sex and pickpocketing but Tracy's mom notices the change in her daughter and tries to step in. Tracy also suffers from depression and self-harm. This movie shows how much pressure can come onto a teenaged girl and is heartbreaking.

All of these movies were amazingly made. The actors and actresses portray their characters very well. Some of the movies have a dark look and some shed light but they all have the same topic. The most important thing about them is that the mental illness isn't looked over and the movies remain having the same message. All of these movies show the struggles and misconceptions of mental illnesses. It shows the effects it has on the individual who has the illness and the others around them. These movies are beautifully made and are important movies to watch because they deal with real issues.