Movies, shows & your emotions

When a character goes through something you know, like a breakup, a move or a hard family, it can feel like someone finally understands. That feeling of being seen is powerful.

Films and shows can take you into other cultures, times and struggles. Many people say a story helped them understand someone they never would have met.

A story lets you feel strong emotions while knowing you are safe on your couch. Researchers who study scary films think fiction may let people practise feelings and coping in a safe space.

Researchers think this delay may explain why people say a good cry helps, even though lab tests right after crying show lower mood. Relief seems to come later.

A research review found people were more likely to feel better after crying when they got comfort, especially from one close person. Crying in front of a group was less likely to help.

Many people feel better after crying, but researchers say the evidence that crying itself heals is mixed. What helps may be the comfort, the time and the meaning, not just the tears.

Not crying at sad films doesn’t mean you don’t feel. People show emotion in different ways. If you notice you feel numb about almost everything for weeks, though, it may be worth talking to someone.

When real life feels uncertain, a story where you already know everything turns out okay can be a relief. You can relax instead of bracing for what comes next.

In a set of studies, people felt less lonely while thinking about or watching a favourite show. Thinking about a favourite show also helped protect mood after thinking about a conflict with someone close.

• Pick a comfort show for sick days, rough days and sleepless nights
• Pair an episode with a text to a friend
• Notice if you only rewatch and never reach out

The researchers suggest frightening stories may work like a simulation, letting people practise coping with fear in a safe space. This idea still needs more testing.

It may be best to skip scary films if…

• You’re going through something frightening in real life
• Scary images stay with you and keep you up at night
• A story is close to something traumatic you’ve lived through

If you notice a thriller keeps your mind racing, try watching earlier in the evening and ending with something lighter.

Saying goodbye to a long series can feel like losing a group of friends. Talking with other fans, rewatching a favourite episode or starting something new can ease the gap.

Learning that an actor or creator behaved badly can bring up sadness, anger or confusion. It’s okay to take a break from their work while you sort out how you feel.

In research, favourite shows helped people feel less lonely in the moment. But characters can’t check on you, hug you or show up when you need them. Use the comfort as a bridge back to real people.

The link with lower depression held even after the researchers allowed for how much contact people had with friends and family. It shows a link, not proof that cinema trips prevent depression.

Low-cost ideas

• Bargain or matinee screenings
• Free outdoor movie nights in parks
• Library and community centre film nights
• Sensory-friendly or relaxed screenings, with lights up and sound down

Many streaming services and video-call apps let you watch at the same time and chat. Pressing play together can help long-distance friends, couples and families feel close.

• Take turns choosing
• Pause to guess what happens next
• Talk about one moment that surprised you afterward

A 2023 review of 12 studies found content warnings did not reduce how upset people felt after seeing difficult material. They did make people more anxious while waiting to see it.

Warnings can still help you decide whether to watch at all, or when and with whom. Reading a plot summary first is another option.

An NIMH-funded study found suicide rates among U.S. youth aged 10–17 rose 28.9% in the month after the release of a series that showed a teen’s suicide. The study could not prove the show caused the rise, but it highlights the need for care.

• Pause and take a few slow breaths
• Skip ahead, or read what happens instead of watching it
• Watch with someone you trust
• Stop for good. You don’t have to finish anything.

1. Turn the lights up and look around the room.
2. Name five things you can see.
3. Do something gentle: a walk, a warm drink, a funny clip.
4. Talk about it with someone if it keeps coming back.

• Which character did you relate to most?
• What would you have done in that moment?
• Did anything in the story feel familiar?
• What did the characters do that helped them cope?

Shows sometimes get mental health wrong, using it for shock or making people seem dangerous. Others show recovery, therapy and support in real ways. Noticing the difference is a skill.

A film can help you name a feeling to bring into therapy. Watching movies is not a treatment on its own, but it can be a helpful starting point. See “Finding your people: music, movies & sports” for more on “cinema therapy”.

• Watch new or intense shows with them, or at least the first episode
• Pause to ask what they think is happening
• Check ratings and reviews from parents before starting

• Listen and don’t laugh off the fear
• Explain how films are made: actors, make-up, special effects
• Finish the day with something calm and familiar
• Keep the next few movies gentle

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a free Family Media Plan tool to help families set screen habits that fit their values.

If your teen watches a show about suicide, self-harm or abuse, ask what they think of it. Let them know they can come to you if anything in it feels close to home.

Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, any time. You can reach out for yourself or for someone you’re worried about.

A free, 24/7 text line with trained crisis counselors.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) is a free directory of helplines in more than 175 countries, by phone, text or chat.