14 Movies Like Girl, Interrupted That Are Worth Watching
1999 is often considered one of the greatest years in Hollywood history. From "The Matrix" to "Fight Club," many films released that year remain important cultural touchstones. The 1990s was also one of the most prolific eras for independent filmmaking; the classics from this decade run the gamut from funny, to tragic, to downright strange. Those three words provide a succinct description of the 1999 classic "Girl, Interrupted," a film that still resonates today, especially with the younger generations of young women.
"Girl, Interrupted" is based on Susanna Kaysen's memoir of the same name, and follows an 18-year-old girl who checks herself into a psychiatric hospital in 1967. While there, Susanna (Winona Ryder) meets a group of eclectic women who make her question where insanity truly lies: inside the mental institution, or outside of its walls? Some of the brightest stars of the late '90s play Susanna's fellow residents, including Angelina Jolie (who rightly won an Oscar for her performance), Brittany Murphy, Clea DuVall, and Elisabeth Moss, while veteran actors like Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Redgrave also make appearances. Much of the film's power lies in these searing performances, particularly those from Jolie and Murphy, who turn in some of their finest work.
If you're a fan of "Girl, Interrupted" and can't get these riveting women out of your head, you're in luck. We've collected a group of films that delve into similar themes, including mental illness, coming of age in an inhospitable world, and the allure of dangerous figures like Jolie's Lisa.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
"Girl, Interrupted" takes place in a bleak environment, yet moments of joy are still possible in that world. Think, for example, of when the women go get ice cream, or when Susanna and Lisa sing "Downtown" to a distraught Polly (Elisabeth Moss). On the flip side, "Picnic at Hanging Rock" is a film set in an ostensibly idyllic environment nonetheless permeated by a sense of darkness.
Peter Weir's 1975 film, which is one of his best, takes place at an Australian boarding school in 1900. As in "Girl, Interrupted," the students are cut off from the outside world, and can only take field trips on special occasions. This includes Valentine's Day, when the school's strict headmistresses send the girls on a picnic to a place called Hanging Rock. What begins with excitement ends with devastation, as three of the girls and one of their teachers disappear without a trace. In the following days, confusion and suspicion permeate the college and a sort of collective madness sets in.
The impressionistic style of "Picnic at Hanging Rock" recalls the work of both David Lynch and Sofia Coppola, and its influence is clear in films like "The Virgin Suicides." Much more languid and surreal than any of the other films on this list, "Picnic at Hanging Rock" proposes more questions than it answers, leaving viewers unsettled by its open-ended plot but mollified by its visual beauty.
Heathers
Winona Ryder has an almost peerless knack for playing sarcastic, brooding outsiders, and nowhere can you see that better than in the 1989 classic "Heathers." Similar to how "Mean Girls" may be the most quotable movie of the 2000s, "Heathers" is without a doubt the most quotable movie of the 1980s. Moreover, the former probably wouldn't exist without the latter, a connection made even more obvious when you realize that "Heathers" screenwriter Daniel Waters is the older brother of "Mean Girls" director Mark Waters.
Ryder — who was just 15 at the time of filming — plays Veronica, a teenager who is part of the "Heathers," the most popular clique at her school, though she doesn't like the other members very much. After Veronica meets bad boy J.D. (Christian Slater), they accidentally poison the clique's leader, Heather Chandler (Kim Walker). But Veronica soon realizes that J.D. is on a murderous rampage, taking out all the students he doesn't like. While butting heads with the new Heather-in-charge, Heather Duke (Shannon Doherty), Veronica tries to stop J.D. before it's too late.
Like "Mean Girls," the "Heathers" version of high school is a violent, ritualistic institution where death or permanent injury is a very real possibility; like Susanna in "Girl, Interrupted," Veronica's high and mighty attitude is challenged by the reality that there's more to life than one's personal grievances. What is your damage?
Heavenly Creatures
1994's "Heavenly Creatures" was the first film for both Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey, the latter of whom is back on our radars thanks to her incredible turn in "Yellowjackets." Before he became known as the director of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, New Zealand director Peter Jackson tackled the harrowing story of a pair of murderous teenage girls in the 1950s. Set in 1952 Christchurch, the film follows Juliet, (Winslet) a wealthy English girl who befriends her working-class schoolmate, Pauline (Lynskey). The two grow extremely close, dreaming up a fantasy world and writing fanciful stories that they hope will one day be made into films.
When their families begin to question the nature of their relationship, the girls come up with a plan to escape to America. Juliet and Pauline see anyone who intends to impede their plan as a threat, leading to a murder that shocks the community.
"Heavenly Creatures" doesn't try to explain the killing's psychological underpinnings, instead focusing on the intensity of Juliet and Pauline's connection. The two teens were clearly in love in a crazed, adolescent sort of way, and Jackson leaves what to blame for their actions — their affection for one another, some form of mental illness, societal constraints, or something else — up to the viewer to decide. However you interpret it, "Heavenly Creatures" is an enthralling look at the dark side of youthful aspirations.
Foxfire
There's no one in Hollywood who can play dangerous, alluring disruptors better than Angelina Jolie. Not only did she prove that in "Girl, Interrupted" with her blistering performance as Lisa, but she also did so in a lesser-known movie that deserves just as much recognition. The 1996 film "Foxfire" is based on the Joyce Carol Oates novel of the same name and marks the feature film debut of director Annette Haywood-Carter. The movie centers on Maddie (Heddy Buress), an artistically-minded high school student who lives in Portland, Oregon. Maddie's peaceful existence is unsettled by the arrival of newcomer Legs (Jolie), a mysterious drifter who convinces Maddie and three of her classmates to get back at a teacher who has been sexually harassing them.
The five girls take revenge on the lecherous teacher, getting suspended but becoming school legends in the process. The new gang decide to spend the week holed up in an abandoned house, growing closer while engaging in small acts of rebellion. But things escalate as some of the girls spin out of control, and the group must ultimately decide the shape of their futures.
The high point of "Foxfire" is Jolie's incredible performance. Maddie and Legs' largely unspoken love story is the heart of the film, and Jolie finds the perfect level for her wild energy. Though Legs clearly banks on the fact that she looks menacing, Jolie imbues her with a childlike vulnerability that just about breaks your heart.
Gia
If Winona Ryder is the queen of playing sardonic weirdos who think they're better than everyone else, then Angelina Jolie is the queen of playing seductive iconoclasts who want more out of life than they can get. Jolie showed her brilliance at these kinds of roles in "Girl, Interrupted" and "Foxfire," but 1998's "Gia" is her pièce de résistance. Based on the life of Gia Carangi, often considered the world's first supermodel, the film follows Gia's journey to stardom, her struggles with drug addiction, and her eventual death from AIDS.
Jolie is nothing short of transcendent as the title character. You can feel Gia's wild passion and desire for a fulfilling life in every frame, which makes her inevitable demise even more tragic. It's so clear that all Gia wants is to be loved and understood, as evidenced by her relationships with the women in her life. There's her own mom (Mercedes Ruehl), with whom things are complicated, and then there's Wilhelmina Cooper (Faye Dunaway), her mentor and surrogate mother. But the most important woman in Gia's life is her great love, Linda (a magnificent Elizabeth Mitchell), who Gia nonetheless struggles to be present with.
Though "Gia" has some of the trappings of a TV movie from the '90s — it initially aired on HBO — Jolie's sublime performance makes up for any stylistic faults. If you can handle a montage of queer tragedy, "Girl, Interrupted," "Foxfire," and "Gia" would make an excellent three-part series.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
The Virgin Suicides
"The Virgin Suicides" came out the same year as "Girl, Interrupted," and the two films share a sort of tender yet sinister spirit. Sofia Coppola's stunning debut follows the Lisbon sisters, Lux (Kristen Dunst), Mary (A.J. Cook), Cecilia (Hanna R. Hall), Therese (Leslie Hayman), and Bonnie (Chelse Swain), who live in an American suburb in the 1970s. The neighborhood boys obsess over sisters but are never able to penetrate their mesmerizing, insular world.
As the title suggests, suicide is one of the story's central themes, and the Lisbon family is never the same after they lose one of their own. Though the film implies that female adolescence is a fundamentally unknowable, indescribable ordeal, Coppola steeps the picture in a distinctly feminine aura, which means that even if you don't completely understand what the Lisbon sisters are going through, you still feel it. One of the all-time greatest movies about girlhood, "The Virgin Suicides" is a must-see for anyone who wants to experience — or revisit — the dark mysteries of female adolescence for themselves.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The Dreamers
Like "Girl, Interrupted," "The Dreamers" follows a group of young people in the late 1960s. In this case, however, the young people in question entirely lack adult supervision, giving them unprecedented freedom to give into their desires. In both films, there's a sense that these characters are totally separate from the outside world, though the circumstances leading to their detachment prove quite different.
Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Dreamers" is set amidst the student riots in 1968 Paris. Matthew (Michael Pitt), an American exchange student, meets twins Théo (Louis Garrel) and Isabelle (Eva Green), who share his love of cinema. The twins' relationship fascinates Michael, as it's deeply intimate and perhaps slightly perverse. When Théo and Isabelle's parents go away for a month and ask the kids to look after the house, the trio lose themselves in a hedonistic dreamscape.
While the riots rage on just below their window, Matthew, Théo, and Isabelle engage in carnal pleasures; Matthew and Isabelle grow especially close. In one of the great cinematic depictions of youthful abandon — and the film's most famous sequence — the trio gleefully race through the Louvre, an homage to a scene in Godard's "Band of Outsiders." Though the outside world eventually crashes down on them, their escapades provide a delightful reverie while they last.
Thirteen
The 2003 movie "Thirteen" is another cautionary tale about adolescent experimentation, and director Catherine Hardwicke pulls no punches. Hardwicke wrote the screenplay in just six days with the film's star, future "Twilight" actor Nikki Reed, who was 13 at the time. Evan Rachel Wood plays Tracy, a 13-year-old attending school in Los Angeles. A star pupil, Tracy feels neglected by her mother, Melanie (Holly Hunter), a recovering alcoholic who struggles to make ends meet and ignores her daughter's difficulties, which include body image troubles and self-harm.
Tracy befriends Evie (Reed), the most popular girl at her school, and quickly becomes enthralled with Evie's exciting lifestyle. Evie convinces Tracy to experiment with drugs, sex, body modification, and petty theft. Extreme changes in Tracy's behavior finally cause Melanie to take notice, and she tries to stop her daughter from continuing down a destructive path.
Though the film sometimes feels like an afterschool special, the two young leads give incredible performances that make it impossible to look away. "Girl, Interrupted" fans might recognize Tracy and Evie's dynamic, which resembles the thorny relationship between Susanna and Lisa. There's nothing more dangerous than a manipulative teenage girl with no fear, which "Thirteen" illustrates with alarming clarity.
I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK
Korean director Park Chan-Wook is probably best known for his violent, bloody "Vengeance Trilogy," so "I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK" marks a major tonal shift for the filmmaker. Young-goon (Im Soo-jung) is a delusional woman who believes she's a cyborg, and who is sent to a mental institution after attempting to recharge herself with a power cord. There, she meets Il-soon (K-pop star Rain), a patient undergoing treatment for schizophrenia and antisocial behavior. Young-goon and Il-soon fall in love, resulting in the quirkiest, most unique romantic comedy you've ever seen.
Fans of Park's other films might find this stylistic detour jarring — critic Tarun Shanker called it "part 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' part 'Amelie'" — but it's a welcome deviation from the archetypical mental hospital drama. Not only does it take the patients and their delusions seriously, but it also treats the characters with compassion and doesn't villainize them. Young-goon and Il-soon may see the world differently than those of us watching, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve a sweeping love story fit for the big screen. Park gives them just that, with a delightfully absurdist twist.
It's Kind of a Funny Story
Like "Girl, Interrupted," "It's Kind of a Funny Story" takes place in a psychiatric hospital and is based on a book (in this case, Ned Vizzini's vaguely autobiographical YA novel). The film follows Craig (Keir Gilchrist), a depressed 16-year-old contemplating suicide. He checks himself into a psychiatric ward and, over the course of his five-day stay, meets a new group of people who change his outlook on life. This includes Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), a father who also struggles with suicidal ideation, and Noelle (Emma Roberts), a fellow teen with a history of self-harm.
Though Craig has an unrequited crush on his best friend's girlfriend back home, he and Noelle grow close, and the possibility of new love emerges. Meanwhile, Bobby and Craig teach each other a little something about how to move forward.
"It's Kind of a Funny Story" is a very straightforward, earnest film, and for that reason it probably won't work for everyone. It doesn't offer up any new revelations about the state of mental health care in the United States, nor does it interrogate society's deep-rooted stigma around mental illness. Instead, it's a heartwarming coming-of-age tale with a decidedly optimistic outlook.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Short Term 12
Unlike "Girl, Interrupted," 2013 film "Short Term 12" doesn't take place at a mental institution, but it does follow a group of teens in various states of distress. Brie Larson plays Grace, a young woman who works at a short-term shelter for troubled youth. Grace had a difficult adolescence herself, and uses her experiences to bond with the group home's young residents. But Grace's calm demeanor starts to crumble with the arrival of Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever), a new lodger who reminds Grace of a past she'd rather forget.
"Short 12 Term" features an incredible cast of then-up-and-coming actors. Larson and Dever brilliantly lead the film, while LaKeith Stanfield, Rami Malek, John Gallagher Jr., and Stephanie Beatriz all turn in wonderful performances. They're bolstered by empathetic, nuanced writing and a tender underlying construction. Like "Girl, Interrupted," "Short Term 12" questions the need to separate people into clinical categories, arguing that not only does everyone deserve support and care, but also that every one of us needs it.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
In "The Diary of a Teenage Girl," Bel Powley plays Minnie, a 15-year-old girl living in San Francisco in the 1970s. Minnie is an aspiring comic book artist, and her whimsical drawings often come to life in animated form on screen. Minnie dreams about losing her virginity, but fears no one will want to be with her. So, she turns to the most logical partner she can find: her mother's boyfriend, Monroe (Alexander Skarsgård). Minnie and Monroe begin having sex behind her mother's back, which leads to a host of new experiences for Minnie but a rather complicated situation at home.
Bel Powley's star-making turn as Minnie is wonderful, while Kristen Wiig turns in one of her best performances as Minnie's alluring but aloof mother. Though the film tackles subject matter that might seem salacious, our look into Minnie's world never feels exploitative or voyeuristic. Her eccentric voice is so precisely drawn that it's a treat to see things from her offbeat perspective. Marielle Heller's film succeeds because it tells the story through Minnie's eyes without condemning her — or anyone, really — for her actions. The film allows Minnie to have new, sexual, adult experiences without disaster striking as a result. "The Diary of a Teenage Girl" bucks expectations at every turn, resulting in a film that is more radical than you'd expect.
Thelma
Joachim Trier's "Thelma" is not a movie about mental illness. In fact, it's about superpowers, but the film suggests that those extraordinary abilities would be treated much like mental disorders if they actually existed. Thelma (Eili Harboe) is a sheltered young woman who moves to Oslo for university, where she begins having epileptic seizures with no clear origin. When Thelma meets a fellow student, Anja (Kaya Wilkins), and develops feelings for her, she discovers that Anja triggers her telekinetic powers. She also learns that her powers can be dangerous, and that she has the ability to wipe people from existence.
In order to control her abilities, Thelma must look into her childhood and family history, where she finds a series of unsettling truths. Thelma must decide if she will let the people around her restrain her, or if she can map out her own destiny.
"Thelma" is a startling film and a unique take on a familiar subject. Norway's chilly, bleak landscape serves as an apt metaphor for Thelma's family's dark history, but contrasts with the warm feelings Thelma has for Anja. As Thelma fights to maintain her autonomy, viewers are taken on a sumptuous journey of empowerment, acceptance, and, most of all, love.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
A period piece set in the often-idealized 1990s, "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" looks at the darker side of the grunge era. Based on Emily M. Danforth's book of the same name, the film follows the title character (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenage girl forced into conversion therapy after her family discovers she's gay. Throughout the 20th century, conversation therapy facilities used harmful psychiatric practices like the ones depicted in "Girl, Interrupted" to "cure" homosexuality. Thankfully, Cameron isn't subjected to any shock therapy — it's not that kind of movie — but the counselors at the camp try their very hardest to shame her into renouncing her gayness.
Though it's far less chipper than the most famous movie about conversion therapy, "But I'm a Cheerleader" — another 1999 classic starring Clea DuVall — "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" isn't as dour as you might expect. Despite the adults telling her that what she feels is wrong, Cameron never abandons her fighting spirit. She survives the experience with the help of a few new friends, Adam (Forrest Goodluck) and Jane (Sasha Lane), who are just as frustrated with their circumstances as she is. "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" is a beautiful coming-of-age tale set in a regressive environment, which makes the story feel even more urgent and brave.