Madness at the Movies

I love James Charney's new book. Since my own clinical depression diagnosis, I've been fascinated by how we humans fear any form of mental 'dis-ease.' Movies often lean into demonizing mental disease for dramatic effect. Dr. Charney's new book unravels the stories' false narratives with a balanced discussion on how these films work and with explanations for the illnesses portrayed. Madness at the Movies offers encouragement to learn, enjoy, swallow your fears, and, if you need it, to ask for help. I highly recommend this book to the curious or unsettled mind.

Madness at the Movies is a remarkable book for the student of film or psychology or for anyone who loves movies and would appreciate a fascinating read. The original and scientifically precise observations here about what makes us human—using cinema and psychopathology as a pair of parallel lenses—explicate our neurological and characterological strengths and frailties. Although Dr. Charney is rigorous in applying his clinical knowledge, he writes in an informal style that is easily accessible. Madness at the Movies is a one-of-a-kind, interdisciplinary volume that will have enormous impact.

As its title suggests, Madness at the Movies offers a 'double take' on its subject matter, thanks to the psychotherapeutic and film critical expertise of its author. Dr. James Charney, a practicing psychiatrist and life-long cinephile, brings his two-fold perspective to bear on a broad sampling of movies, ranging from Hollywood classics to auteurist works, from romcoms, thrillers, foreign art films, edgy independent productions, family dramas, and of course, horror. Written in a lively, conversational style, Dr. Charney conveys with clarity and passion the way in which the powers of cinematic expressivity can shed light on the dark recesses of psychopathology.