Movies about Rape - Collection of Mental Health Movies
Our lives are so much more nuanced and emotive than any legal definition, or symptom checklist could ever portray.
While movies are not always accurate, they often present subtleties and explore complexities in enriching and thought-provoking ways.
This article series invites you to use film to explore mental-health-related themes, raise awareness, open dialogue and normalise experiences.
If we missed an essential film about sexual assault or rape, please let us know. We would love to include it.
Click to see the Ultimate List of Mental Health Movies index
What is Sexual Assualt?
Sexual assaults are serious and life-altering, violations of a person’s dignity. They include all unwanted sexual contact, be it physical, psychological, or emotional. The term points to a range of sexually related crimes including rape, child sexual abuse, groping, sexually tinged bullying or intimidation, and sexual torture.
“Rape” refers to sexual assaults that include unwanted penetration of the body. Depending on your geographical region, legal definitions may stipulate that the penetration need not be of the genitals (e.g. mouth) or by someone’s genitals (e.g. finger or bottle).
All forms of sexual assault, including those reluctantly endured, produce psychological harm.
Consensual sex involves an explicit YES, not the absence of a NO.
Consent may be revoked at any moment and is only possible between adults (not children) of sound mind (not incapacitated) and without intimidation.
The emotional, family and social effects of sexual assault are often devastating, enduring, and may even be lifelong.
The list of psychological symptoms experienced is long. Anger, anxiety, attention difficulties, denial, depression, fear, flashbacks, guilt, inability to trust, intimacy difficulties, learned helplessness, loneliness, mood swings, nightmares/terrors, numbness, promiscuity, rationalisation, self-blame, sexual difficulties, shame, and social anxiety are common responses.
Social effects and social factors such as gender dynamics play an enormous role in the prevalence of sexual assault.
Movies about Sexual Assault, Abuse, and Rape
Note: Movies may trigger painful memories and emotions. Please use your judgement and ensure support is available if need be.
Movie Title: Bombshell - Watch now on Prime
Release: 2019
Rated: 6.8
Cast: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie
Storyline: A group of women at Fox News came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Roger Ailes.
Movie Title: Moxie
Release: 2021
Rated: 6.7
Cast: Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Alycia Pascual-Pena
Storyline: A teenager named Vivian sparks a feminist revolution in her high school, inspired by her mother's rebellious past, to combat the prevalent culture of sexual harassment and assault.
Movie Title: I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu - Watch now on Prime
Release: 2019
Rated: 2.4
Cast: Camille Keaton, Jamie Bernadette, Maria Olsen
Storyline: Jennifer Hills seeks revenge against her assailants as she confronts the haunting memories of sexual harassment and rape from her past. Please note that the movie contains explicit and disturbing content.
Movie Title: Girl in the Basement - Watch now on Prime
Release: 2021
Rated: 6.3
Cast: Judd Nelson, Stefanie Scott, Joely Fisher
Storyline: A young woman endures years of sexual harassment and rape at the hands of her own father, as she fights for survival and struggles to escape the confines of the basement where she's imprisoned.
Movie Title: Women
Release: 2021
Rated: 4.3
Cast: Anna Marie Dobbins, Tara Warren, Anna Maiche
Storyline: A small town detective investigates into a Sociology professor when a mutilated body is found and women have gone missing from his class.
Movie Title: Lost Girls
Release: 2020
Rated: 6.1
Cast: Amy Ryan, Thomasin McKenzie, Gabriel Byrne
Storyline: A mother's relentless pursuit for justice leads her down a dark path of uncovering a series of unsolved murders, revealing the shocking truth behind a web of sexual harassment and rape.
Movie Title: Silenced - Watch now on Prime
Release: 2011
Rated: 8.1
Cast: Yoo Gong, Yu-mi Jung, Hyeon-soo Kim
Storyline: The film is a true-to-life story of a school where young deaf students were sexually assaulted and raped by faculty members. A teacher seeks justice for his abused and raped students.
Movie Title: Irreversible - Watch now on Prime
Release: 2002
Rated: 7.4
Cast: Monica Belluci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel
Storyline: A controversial film where two men seek to avenge a raped girlfriend. The film forces viewers to think seriously about the sexual violence involved.
Movie Title: 22 Female Kottayam - Watch now on Prime
Release: 2012
Rated: 7.4
Cast: Vijay Babu, Rima Kallingal, Fahadh Faasil
Storyline: Set and filmed in Bangalore, the story is about a 22-year-old nurse who was raped. Her traumatic experience leads her to be scarred physically and mentally for life. She decides to take revenge on her tormentors.
Movie Title: Ms. 45 - Watch now on Prime
Release: 1981
Rated: 6.8
Cast: Zoë Lund, Bogey, Albert Sinkys
Storyline: A revenge story of a seamstress who lost her sanity after she was raped. Sexual assault and rape cause the victim to become a violent woman.
Movie Title: I Spit on Your Grave - Watch now on Prime
Release: 2010
Rated: 6.3
Cast: Sarah Butler, Jeff Branson, Andrew Howard
Storyline: In an isolated cabin, a writer was raped and tortured by a gang of thugs. She seeks revenge on her attackers.
Additional Resources
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Rape Survivors
- Responding to Children and Adolescents Who Have Been Sexually Abused: WHO Clinical Guidelines
- Wikipedia Page about Rape
- World Report on Violence and Health
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
Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash
Important:
TherapyRoute does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes and cannot replace consulting a healthcare professional. If you face an emergency, please contact a local emergency service. For immediate emotional support, consider contacting a local helpline.
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