Movies About Dissociative Amnesia - Mental Health Related Films

Human lives and behaviour are far more nuanced and emotive than any psychiatric diagnostic system or symptom checklist can ever portray.

Most people recognise aspects of themselves in at least a few psychiatric diagnostic categories. The difference between normal and disorder is not straightforward and often has more to do with degree rather than kind, i.e. does it cause big problems?

While movies are not perfect depictions of reality, they often present themes in relatable, enriching, usefully challenging, and thought-provoking ways.

We invite you to explore mental health through movies that raise awareness, open dialogue, present complexity, entertain, and/or normalise experiences.

Click to see the Ultimate List of Mental Health Movies index

What is Dissociative Amnesia?

Most of us recognise the tendency to avoid painful memories, this is normal. dissociative amnesia may be an extreme form of this process, characterised by an apparent inability to recall important information about a significant event (usually traumatic or stressful nature) the person has had.

In psychiatry, disorders are diagnosed using a book called the DSM-V (or the ICD-10). This system classifies issues into categories based on observable behaviours. The criteria for dissociative amnesia are included below for interest sake. Notice that the system is descriptive, it does not explain what causes the condition.

Dissociative Amnesia 300.12 (F44.0)

A. An inability to recall important autobiographical information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, that is inconsistent with ordinary forgetting.

Note: Dissociative amnesia most often consists of localised or selective amnesia for a specific event or events; or generalised amnesia for identity and life history.

B. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

C. The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., alcohol or other drug of abuse, a medication) or a neurological or other medical condition (e.g., partial complex seizures, transient global amnesia, sequelae of a closed head injury/traumatic brain injury, other neurological condition).

D. The disturbance is not better explained by dissociative identity disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, somatic symptom disorder, or major or mild neurocognitive disorder.

Specify if:

300.13 (F44.1) With dissociative fugue: Apparently purposeful travel or bewildered wandering that is associated with amnesia for identity or for other important autobiographical information.

Movies about Dissociative amnesia

If we missed an essential film about dissociative amnesia, please let us know. We would love to include it.

Note: Movies may trigger painful memories and emotions. Please use your judgement and ensure support is available if need be.

Movie Title: Secret Obsession

Release: 2019

Rated: 4.5

Cast: Brenda Song, Mike Vogel, Dennis Haysbert

Storyline: A woman wakes up in the hospital with amnesia after being injured by an unknown pursuer, unable to recall the incident or her past, and as she tries to piece together her memory, she discovers dark secrets that make her question everyone around her.

Movie Title: Radius - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2017

Rated: 6.2

Cast: Diego Klattenhoff, Charlotte Sullivan, Brett Donahue

Storyline: A man survives a car accident discovers that he has the ability to kill any living creature within a 50-foot radius, but he also suffers from amnesia, and with the help of a woman, they unravel the mysteries behind his condition and find a way to control his deadly power.

Movie Title: I Know Who You Are - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2017

Rated: 7.5

Cast: Francesc Garrido, Blanca Portillo, Aida Folch

Storyline: A person suffering from amnesia becomes the prime suspect in a crime, and as the story unfolds, the truth about their identity and the events leading to their amnesia are revealed.

Movie Title: ID:A

Release: 2011

Rated: 6.0

Cast: Tuva Novotny, Flemming Enevold, Carsten Bjørnlund

Storyline: A woman wakes up in a river. Wounded and without memory, then races to elude mysterious followers and recover from amnesia.

Movie Title: Lapse

Release: 2010

Rated: 6.3

Cast: Karolina Dryzner, Sirry Jons, Keith Roenke

Storyline: A woman wakes up one morning alone in the desert with amnesia and blood on her hands. Reality and memory collide as she struggles to make sense of events.

Movie Title: Wrecked - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2010

Rated: 5.3

Cast: Adrien Brody, Caroline Dhavernas, Ryan Robbins

Storyline: A man wakes up in a wrecked car at the bottom of a steep ravine, suffering from amnesia and with his leg trapped, as he struggles to survive and escape while grappling with his lost memories.

Movie Title: Memento - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2000

Rated: 8.5

Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Ann Moss, Joe Pantoliano

Storyline: A man is tracking down the murderer of his wife. It becomes difficult for him to catch the killer as he suffers from amnesia.

Movie Title: Dark City - Watch now on Prime

Release: 1998

Rated: 7.7

Cast: Rufus Sewell, Keifer Sutherland Jennifer Connelly & William Hurt

Storyline: A man is wanted for a series of murders but he suffers from amnesia. He can't remember whether he committed the crime or not. While seeking answers, he discovers a group who are controlling the city.

Movie Title: The Long Kiss Goodnight - Watch now on Prime

Release: 1996

Rated: 6.7

Cast: Samuel L. Jackson & Geena Davis

Storyline: A government assassin suffers from amnesia and begins to have strange memories of violence. She wants to discover her true identity.

Movie Title: 50 First Dates - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2004

Rated: 6.8

Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore

Storyline: A vet proves his love for a woman who suffers from amnesia. She can't remember anything that happened the day before so the vet woos her each day.

Movie Title: Hancock - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2008

Rated: 6.4

Cast: Will Smith, Charlize Theron

Storyline: A superhero named Hancock is immortal but suffers from amnesia. The wife of his friend reveals a shocking truth about him.

Movie Title: Amnesiac - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2014

Rated: 4.3

Cast: Kate Bosworth, Wes Bentley

Storyline: A man wakes up suffering from amnesia and begins to suspect that his wife may not be his real wife.

Movie Title: Before I Go To Sleep - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2014

Rated: 6.3

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin firth

Storyline: A woman has suffered from amnesia. By keeping a video diary, she starts to uncover truths about her past life.

Movie Title: The Butterfly Effect - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2004

Rated: 7.7

Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Melora Walters

Storyline: A boy experiences blackouts and amnesia. His friend named Tommy suffers from an antisocial personality disorder . Later, in his 20's, he finds he can travel back in time and attempts to change the past.

Movie Title: The I Inside - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2004

Rated: 6.1

Cast: Ryan Phillips, Sarah Polley, Piper Perabo

Storyline: A man suffers from amnesia and is unable to recall the last two years of his life. He starts o investigate what has happened to him.

Movie Title: Regarding Henry - Watch now on Prime

Release: 1991

Rated: 6.7

Cast: Harrison Ford, Annette Bening

Storyline: A rude corporate lawyer is shot in the head and suffers from amnesia. As he recovers, he reveals a much kinder personality that surprises his family and friends.

Movie Title: While You Were Sleeping - Watch now on Prime

Release: 1995

Rated: 6.6

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman

Storyline: A woman saved a transit worker from an oncoming train. Suffering from amnesia, he cannot remember anything about her but his family thought she is his fiance. The woman falls in love with his brother while he is asleep.

Movie Title: Unknown - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2011

Rated: 6.8

Cast: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum

Storyline: A biochemist suffers from amnesia after a serious car accident. His identity has been stolen.

Movie Title: The Vow - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2012

Rated: 6.8

Cast: Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum

Storyline: A newly married couple's love is tested when the wife suffers from amnesia. Her husband is determined to rebuild their marriage again.

Movie Title: The Bourne Identity - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2002

Rated: 7.9

Cast: Franka Potente, Matt Damon

Storyline: A man suffers from total amnesia after being salvaged. He tries to discover his true identity.

Movie Title: The Bourne Supremacy - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2004

Rated: 7.8

Cast: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Joan Allen

Storyline: A former CIA assassin suffering from amnesia attempts to learn more about his past and vows to revenge on the person who killed her girlfriend.

Movie Title: The Bourne Ultimatum - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2007

Rated: 8.1

Cast: Matt Damon, Edgar Ramírez, Joan Allen

Storyline: A former CIA assassin who suffers from amnesia continues his journey to fill in memory gaps. He sets out to track down a CIA official whilst.

Movie Title: Forgotten

Release: 2017

Rated: 7.4

Cast: Ha-Neul Kang, Mu-Yeol Kim, Na-ra Lee

Storyline: A man suffering from amnesia, chases after the truth behind his brother's kidnapping.

Movie Title: The Number 23 - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2007

Rated: 6.4

Cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen

Storyline: A man survived his suicide attempt but left him with amnesia. He becomes obsessed with the number 23 after reading about it on a strange book that seemingly mirrors his own life.

Movie Title: Open Grave - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2013

Rated: 6.3

Cast: Sharlto Copley, Thomas Kretschmann

Storyline: A man wakes up with dead bodies around him but he has no idea how he got there. Suffering from amnesia, he tries to figure out who are the killers or he is really the killer.

Movie Title: The Majestic - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2001

Rated: 6.9

Cast: Jim Carrey, Martin Landau

Storyline: A Hollywood screenwriter wakes with amnesia. He is in a strange place. The residents mistake him for another guy who is declared missing in action during World War II. As time passes by, questions arise about his true identity.

Movie Title: Mulholland Drive - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2001

Rated: 8

Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux

Storyline: Set in Los Angeles, a woman suffers from amnesia after she survived a car accident. She meets another woman who will help her to know her true identity.

Movie Title: The Music Never Stopped - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2011

Rated: 7.6

Cast: J.K. Simmons, Lou Taylor Pucci, Julia Ormond

Storyline: With the help of music, a father tries to reconnect with his son who suffers from amnesia.

Movie Title: Remember Sunday - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2013

Rated: 7

Cast: Alexis Bledel, Zachary Levi

Storyline: Every day becomes a new adventure for the couple as the guy suffers from amnesia.

Movie Title: The Lookout - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2007

Rated: 7.1

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Isla Fisher

Storyline: A young man who suffers from amnesia takes a job in a bank. Things get worse as he realises he is being framed for a bank robbery.

Movie Title: Shutter Island - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2010

Rated: 8.1

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo

Storyline: Two US marshals are sent to an asylum on an island to investigate the disappearance of a patient. One of them is suffering from PSTD and amnesia.

Movie Title: Ghajini (Hindi) - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2008

Rated: 7.3

Cast: Aamir Khan

Storyline: A business tycoon suffers from amnesia after being hit by an iron rod. He sets out on a quest to find the people who were responsible for his lover's murder.

Movie Title: Mumbai Police (Hindi)

Release: 2013

Rated: 7.9

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jayasurya, Aparna Nair

Storyline: A policeman tracks down his friend's killer but a car accident happened that causes him to suffer from amnesia. He reinvestigates the murder and tries to recall memories.

Movie Title: Spellbound - Watch now on Prime

Release: 1945

Rated: 7.6

Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov

Storyline: A psychiatrist attempts to recover the memory of an amnesia patient accused of killing a male psychiatrist.

Movie Title: Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2012

Rated: 8.2

Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Gayathrie, Bagavathi Perumal

Storyline: Two days before his wedding, a man encounters an accident that causes him to suffer from amnesia. His friends help him to get married despite his condition.

Movie Title: Medulla Oblongata - Watch now on Prime

Release: 2014

Rated: 7.7

Cast: Aavaana, Arun Benny, Jamon Joshy

Storyline: A man gets hit on the head where the medulla oblongata is located. He suffers from amnesia but his friends decide not to disclose the truth to his relatives.

References and Links

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

WHat is dissociative amnesia?: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dissociative-amnesia#1

More on dissociative amnesia: https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-dissociative-amnesia-definition-and-symptoms.html

Dissociative amnesia without Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogenic_amnesia

Acknowledgements

The above article was written under my close direction and supervision. However, much credit goes to Charlene Poliquit (my right-hand man) and Andri Eigenberger (my beloved aunt) for their huge efforts in bringing this task to life.

Vincenzo Sinisi