Untreated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Takashi Miike’s Audition (1999)
I know that by now I have written a lot on PTSD and its portrayal in film. In Gerald’s Game (2017) and Strange Circus (2005), I explored the themes that resonated with me on...
The Self-Blame of Stalking in Unsane (2018)
Unhealthy relationships are not a matter to be taken lightly. Surely enough, everyone has had that one bad breakup or that one ex that they cannot be in the same room with, but what...
The Effects Childhood Sexual Abuse in Strange Circus
I am going to preface this article with a warning, as I have in the past. The film I am about to discuss is an incredibly accurate portrayal of the long term effects of...
The Misuse of Dissociative Identify Disorder & Demonization of Homosexuality in High Tension (2003)
So far in The Haunted and the Sick, I have praised multiple films on their ability to portray various illnesses properly and mentioned how they could do better. However, writers can learn by example,...
Gerald’s Game and the Representation of PTSD
With PTSD, the patient lives a lot in their head. After a traumatic event, this illness has over two times the chance of lasting for a lifetime. As a survivor of child abuse myself,...
Narcissistic Personality Disorder in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Ever wonder what happens to those spoiled child stars when they age into adulthood? Surely no one can live off of their fortune earned as a child forever, but what happens when children don’t...
Psychopathy and Sociopathy in Zero Day (2003)
Let me preface this piece with a warning - the topic and film discussed here are very sensitive and disturbing. These issues have grown exponentially over the last 20 years, and to bring awareness...
Session 9 (2001) and Dissociative Identity Disorder
Mental health and horror films go hand in hand. As a screenwriter in horror, reaching for a motive for a perfectly crafted character can run into a basic cop-out—“He/She/They had a mental health issue....