5 Films That Turn Serious Personal Struggles Into Fun, Heartfelt Stories (Like Thunderbolts*)

Thunderbolts*, a film technically about a band of heroes with a mission to save NYC, deals with a lot of dark, depressing themes. As it delves deeper into the main characters’ pasts, we see signs of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. Instead of taking a dramatic and grim approach to it, the film turns mental health struggles into a metaphor. It allows the audience to relate and understand the characters’ struggles without taking away from the sheer entertainment value of witnessing OP characters clash onscreen. Other movies take a similar approach, delving into their characters’ struggles without becoming dark and gritty. Some movies, like Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out series, have made it their entire brand.

The five films listed below take such serious themes and turn them into fun, heartfelt stories, just like Marvel did with Thunderbolts New Avengers:

1) Evil Dead  (2013)

This film is often said to have one of the best onscreen depictions of addiction, and with good reason. In this 2013 remake of the cult classic, Director Fede Álvarez uses addiction as a plot device to propel the story forward, but he does so in a way that highlights the struggles of ones afflicted by it. The story begins when Mia (Jane Levy) requests her brother and friends to follow her to a dodgy cabin in the woods so she can deal with the effects of withdrawal and quit heroin once and for all. She gets possessed by a demon, but people think she is only showing signs of withdrawal. Álvarez expertly uses the metaphor of demonic possession to depict how addiction destroys the lives of the addict and those around them, and he does it in a gnarly way that keeps us on the very edge of our seats till the credits roll. 

2) Forrest Gump 

On the surface, Forrest Gump is a story of a man who longs to meet his first and only love. In reality, it is one of the first mainstream films that portrays the many nuances of neurodivergence. Gump, played by none other than Tom Hanks, has autism. It is not explicitly stated in the film, but instead skillfully portrayed onscreen. As such, director Robert Zemeckis could have easily turned this into a dramatic and dialogue-heavy story about a neurodivergent man who is a little sad, slightly pitiable, yet endlessly dauntless. Instead, Zemeckis made a simple story of Gump’s long search for love. The film portrays Gump as different, yes, but it doesn’t do it in a way that inspires pity. Instead, it informs. The audience learns about what it means to be different, but not broken. 

RELATED: New Evil Dead Spinoff Title Revealed (And We Have Questions)

3) Turning Red

This film had many parents turning red and clutching pearls; for others, it has been a conversation-starter. After all, it is a culturally loaded take on adolescent angst, awkwardness, and first encounters with one’s sexuality. Mei is a 13-year-old not unlike every other 13-year-old. She is clumsy, confused, and coming of age, and that comes with… certain implications. The film takes these heavy topics and turns them all into an enjoyable telling about the women in Mei’s family who turn into humongous red pandas every time they feel ‘powerful emotions.’ Unlike her mom, Mei doesn’t want to get rid of her panda, but learns to accept it. Instead of taking the “conceal, don’t feel” approach recommended by her elders, she accepts her panda, i.e., her feelings, sexuality, and femininity. The film explores the tension between Mei and her mom, a tension that every parent of a tween has felt at some point. It starts conversations and addresses the hush around the implications of puberty, especially in Asian households. 

4) The Incredibles

The Incredibles does many things incredibly well, and portraying identity and existential crises is just one of them. Released in 2004, the animated film is about the super lives of retired superheroes. In a world that refuses to accept those with superpowers, Mr. Incredible, aka Bob, has hung up his cape and opted to spend his days at a cubicle he barely fits in. He spends his days listlessly, constantly looking back to his glory days. It’s why he gets caught up in the trap that “Syndrome” sets for him.

Dissatisfied with his professional and family life, Bob decides to have an “affair” with superheroism, showing all the classic signs of a mid-life crisis turned affair. He is chirpier, investing in luxurious cars and gifts, and trying to get fitter. Meanwhile, Violet, his adolescent daughter, is dealing with her own issues. Her introversion and tendency to literally disappear to avoid her shifting surroundings are a metaphor for an adolescent’s struggle to come to terms with change. Dash longs to escape a closeted life of hiding who he is as a super-speedster… The Incredibles’ greatest heroic feat is fitting an entire mess of family life into a film that is still so much fun.

5) The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 

Directed by and starring Ben Stiller, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty transcends genres to share a story of loneliness, longing, and, ultimately, self-acceptance. And it does it all by sending Stiller’s character on a near-epic, definitely absurd, series of adventures. Walter Mitty is a guy so ordinary that he is relegated to the edges of society, becoming the butt of his colleague’s jokes and pranks. In his head, though, Mitty is an explorer, a dauntless adventurer, someone who climbs mountains, tackles sharks, and sweeps the woman he likes off her feet. The story truly begins when Mitty loses an important photograph and embarks on a journey that changes the course of his life. He actually climbs mountains, wrestles sharks, and even impresses his crush, all while being himself. The film is self-reflexive, reminding us of our own value, even and especially when we forget to see it. 

All of these films are available on streaming and digital.