Reel Therapy

Unraveling the mind through film

by Jeremy Clyman, M.A.

A Place Beyond the Pines: Resolving Guilt

Some films are entertaining. Other films are entertaining AND have something valuable to say about important psychological processes. "A Place Beyond the Pines" is the rare sort of film to fall in the latter category.... Read More

Cinematherapy: A Useful Tool in Group Therapy

If you've heard of the term, cinematherapy, but want to actually know what it looks and feels like in action and how it can be beneficial....then you've come to the right blog post. Read More

Django Unchained: A Cathartic Experience

Tarantino's new film not only entertains, as evidenced by all the golden globe nominations, but it also reflects the therapy process in action as it summons up and addresses a range of hidden, negative emotions Read More

The Psychological Challenges of 'The Challenge'

We all know how the reality-television celebrities of 'The Challenge' performed physically...but how about psychologically? How did the handle the adversity, and work as a team, and overcome the dips in mood, etc. etc.....read on to find out! Read More

The Challenge: Someone's In Need of Therapy

A recent blow-up on MTV's hottest reality television show depicts the downfall of a single cast member due to a distinctly maladaptive pattern of handling emotions and relationships. Read More

Lincoln: A History Lesson in Healthy Goals

What this recently released film tells us about how the 16th president achieved the abolition of slavery, and why he embodied the kind of effective, healthy behavior that clinicians teach their clients. Read More

Flight: Why Heros are Drug Addicts Too

Flight is a superior film, with a once-in-a-decade performance from movie star Denzel Washington. It sparks an important dialogue about drug addiction, including the ways in which amazingly brave heroes can suffer devastating drug addictions. Read More

End of Watch: This Movie Is Better Than Braveheart

Read on to learn why End of Watch is a great movie...greater even than Braveheart! Read More

Lawless: A Truly Villainous Villain, Part II

In Part II of my critique of "Lawless" continue to read about the newest, most deliciously villainous villain to join the ranks of cinematic history... Read More

Lawless: A Truly Villainous Villain, Part I

"Lawless" is a brutally violent film that contains one of the most disturbing villains in recent memory - an FBI agent named Drakes. Read More

The Newsroom: Portrait of a Psychiatrist

"The Newsroom" features a positive and accurate portrayal of a psychiatrist. Meet Dr. Jack... Read More

The Newsroom: Can a Good Show Become Great?

What makes for great television. What does Aaron Sorkin's newest television venture need to do to become great? Read More

The Bourne Legacy: Psychological Sophistication, Thriller Style

To understand how the filmmaker of "The Bourne Legacy" employs a surprisingly sophisticated psychological decision-making process simply read further. Read More

Breaking Bad: The Darkness is Coming

Read to learn more about the moral and psychological process of television's most compelling character. Read More

Real World St. Thomas: The Many Forms of Stupidity

This blog details the subtle, situational forces that exist in reality-television environments. Read more to uncover the forces the make reality television stars stupider than they really are. Read More

Magic Mike: Understanding Channing Tatum's Magic

Read here to learn about my hypothesis for why Channing Tatum's star has risen in Hollywood, and why his performance in the recently-released "Magic Mike" is so good. Read More

Sherlock: A Modern Experience

You should watch “Sherlock.” It only took two episodes for me to think that it’s one of the best shows on television. Read on for why... Read More

"Awake" as a Positive Psychology Experience

In a follow-up to my earlier blog post, read about the show's shocking finale and the ways in which resilience, character strengths and other phenomena of the positive psychology movement embody the show's plot and central character. Read More

Diagnosing "Awake"

There is a new hit-show on NBC called "Awake." The protagonist is afflicted with an exceedingly strange and disturbing set of psychological circumstances. He lives in two alternating, parallel realities...read more on this premise and what 'real-world' disorders might explain this. Read More

Friends With Kids: Laughing at Parenting With Parents

Many parents experience distress throughout the process of parenting, and for good reason. To learn more about a fun comedy that may also help to alleviate parent-related distress, read further... Read More

Mad Men: The New Don Draper, Explained

With good reason, "Mad Men" is one of the most popular shows on television. Entering into its fifth season Don Draper has changes in ways that television protagonists rarely do. To understand why, and what it means for the future of the show please read further... Read More

A Babysitter's Worst Nightmare

"The Sitter" uses a familiar plot line—the goofy babysitter who gets overwhelmed by the kids from hell—to achieve fresh comedic commentary and even provide a few lessons in family therapy. Read More

Young Adult: The New Borderline Personality Disorder in Cinema

"Fatal Attraction" was cinema's initiation into the discourse on Borderline Personality Disorder, one of the most challenging and complex personality disorders on record. Read for more on why the recently released "Young Adult" updates and improves the discussion... Read More

Battle of the Exes: Clinical Couples and Conflict Galore

One of MTV's hottest reality shows, Battle of the Exes, showcases clinical couples—partners who fight and are likely to break-up. To understand why this is and what can be done about it please read on... Read More

Wanderlust: Laughter With a Dash of Light Intellectualism

Movies have many different functions. Read on for an examination of newer, more precise 'genres' and movie categories, and to learn where the newly released "Wanderlust" fits in.... Read More

The Psychological Skillset of George Clooney - Part II

Want to know why George Clooney is as successful as he is? Want to learn the lessons that his life story has to teach us? Please read on for the answers... Read More

The Psychological Skillset of George Clooney

Want to know why George Clooney is as successful as he is? Want to learn the lessons that his life story has to teach us? Please read on for the answers... Read More

The Grey: A Metaphor for Pathology

"The Grey" is a new survival-adventure film that offers a look not just into the world of our ancestors, but the world to which a severely anxious and depressed mind can be transported. For more on how this film offers insight into the mechanisms of such mental illness and effective ways of 'surviving' please proceed... Read More

On the Couch: MTV's Battle of the Exes

"Battle of the Exes," a reality television series of competitions and prizes, pairs ex-couples together. Sorting out which couples have a chance to succeed and why is the short-term mission of this blog. Read More

The Seismic Shift on the Jersey Shore

What is happening at the Jersey Shore? Distress is spreading through the reality television cast like the plague. Well, that's a little melodramatic, but something is definitely up! Read More