On psychiatry in cinema

Abstract

Hannibal Lecter, Malcolm Crowe, and Arthur Fleck are three cinematic characters that relentlessly pull the viewer in for different but powerful reasons. A common thread between these characters is their explicit connection to psychiatric illness or its treatment. The author explains how these characters obtain the attention of the audience through the lens of mental illness and how the viewer’s reservoir for compassion stands to deepen during this process. The author concludes with a social commentary on Todd Phillips’ Joker (2019) and the controversy surrounding its depiction of mental illness on the silver screen.