Movies About Mental Health Coming To Netflix In February

Four movies that are centered around mental health and mental wellness are hitting Netflix this month. So, grab the popcorn and start streaming.

This post contains spoilers, so if you have not seen these movies yet, beware!

Eat Pray Love (2010) Available Feb. 1

Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) thought she had everything she wanted in life: a home, a husband, and a successful career. Now newly divorced and facing a turning point, she finds that she is confused about what is important to her. Daring to step out of her comfort zone, Liz embarks on a quest of self-discovery that takes her to Italy, India, and Bali.

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

“Finding yourself is a difficult process, but it is well worth it if you seek to improve your life and your relationship with yourself,” writes Dylan Buckley. “The point here is that you absolutely have to try new things to continue learning about yourself. Otherwise, you are going to get too comfortable and fall into the same habit of losing yourself time and time again.”

Shutter Island (2010) Available Feb. 1

The implausible escape of a brilliant murderess brings U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner (Mark Ruffalo) to Ashecliffe Hospital, a fortress-like insane asylum located on a remote, windswept island.

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

"Shutter Island" is one of those films that rips the rug out from under you with the frequency and intensity of a magician. Initially, we think we are watching a well-intentioned U.S. Marshall named Teddy enter an insane asylum, hoping to uncover the whereabouts of a recently disappeared patient. Later, our strangeness barometer begins to beep, and we recalibrate our assumptions. Now we think we are witnessing a brave and bereaved soul searching for damning evidence that will expose Shutter Island as an expensive, cutting-edge torture chamber. Only during the final act (unless you've connected the foreshadowing dots), when our barometer falls off the charts, do we realize that the narrative is really about tragic psychosis and elaborate role-play—a plot by Jeremy Clyman Psy.D.

Inception Available Feb. 1

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. His skill has made him a hot commodity in the world of corporate espionage but has also cost him everything he loves.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

The projection of trauma in Inception: The word trauma comes from the Greek word τραύμα, and means wound. That’s why we talk about traumas as emotional wounds that have left a mark on someone. These traumas would have some symbolic representation in our dreams. In Cobb’s case, his deceased wife constantly appears in his dreams and sabotages his plans. This projection isn’t just his image of his wife. It’s also a reflection of himself. Cobb has conflicting feelings about her death. He feels guilty, sad, frustrated. He may be able to hide that in real life, but not in his unconscious. So, it’s no surprise that his wife appears even in these pre-made dreams.

 Strip Down, Rise Up Available Feb. 5

Academy Award Nominated director Michèle Ohayon's Verite film follows women of all ages and ethnic backgrounds who heal trauma and body image shame through sensual dance and daring pole dance artistry. Shot by an all-female crew, trip Down, Rise Up also features several pole dancing instructors who encourage their students to pursue the artistry of pole dancing.

Courtesy of Kavana Entertainment & Netflix

"I wanted to show through my lens that sensual dance is for everybody type, shape, and ethnic background," says Ohayon. "My film gives a voice to a diverse group of women, their power, their pain, their reclamation, their raw beauty, and offers a much-needed positive message of women stripping down shame and taking ownership of their sensual, feminine being to rise. I truly hope it will inspire others to move into movement."