Did you like the movie ‘Get Out‘ because of the hypnosis scenes? If yes, check out this list of some other hypnosis movies to watch. Hypnosis is a fascinating technique for exploring the subconscious mind. It can provide insight into human behavior and the organization of the brain. This technique has been used for a variety of purposes over the years. From an important clinical tool for helping patients learn from the past and heal, to entertainers who use it to make audiences laugh, hypnosis is hard to explain and yet is extremely effective in the hands of a master. This article takes a look at popular hypnosis movies. After all, such an interesting subject naturally lends itself to both comedy and drama. Keep reading to see if any of your favorite movies made the list.
1 Trance
This 2013 film directed by Danny Boyle is a British psychological thriller starring James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, and Vincent Cassel.The plot revolves around an art auctioneer named Simon (McAvoy) who becomes an accessory to a crime when someone steals Goya’s famous painting Witches in the Air from his gallery. Through a complicated series of events, a hypnotherapist helps Simon remember where he’s hidden the painting. The hypnotherapist is an American woman named Elizabeth Lamb (Dawson). She eventually uncovers the conspiracy to find the painting and demands to be a partner in the plan.Trance is pure Boyle, an A-list director known for such great films as Trainspotting, Steve Jobs, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Beach. The movie is stylish, full of intrigue and amazing performances, and has the kinds of twists and turns that audiences love. If you’re wanting to learn more about how hypnosis works, take a look at this article.
2 Dead Again
Dead Again is a minor classic directed by Kenneth Branagh from one the first scripts by Scott Frank. Released in 1991, the movie revolves around a private detective played by Branagh who’s investigating the identity of a woman with amnesia (Emma Thompson). The plot also involves a murder that took place in 1949. To recover details about that murder, Thompson’s character undergoes hypnosis.The first session is unsuccessful, and yet subsequent sessions that experiment with past life regressions help delve into the details of the murder from decades earlier. Dead Again was a minor box office success, one of Branagh’s first projects as a director, and evidence of great things ahead for the screenwriter. It’s loaded with intrigue, great dialogue, and several tremendous performances, including a memorable brief cameo by Robin Williams as a disgraced psychologist.
3 The Manchurian Candidate
This is a classic thriller from master director John Frankenheimer. Starring Frank Sinatra, The Manchurian Candidate revolves around a Korean War vet that’s hypnotized to become an unwitting assassin in an international conspiracy. When a former army hero (Sinatra) returns to New York from the Korean War, it’s discovered that he’s been psychologically programmed by the Communists to assassinate a nominee for president of the United States. He’s stopped from completing his mission when one of his army buddies becomes suspicious of his behavior. A masterpiece of suspense and paranoia, The Manchurian Candidate was ahead of its time. This is a perfect example of the use of hypnosis by an evil force to try to accomplish the unfathomable, and yet it’s likely much closer to reality than anyone would want to admit.
4 The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Written and directed by Woody Allen, this a caper comedy that’s a throwback to the kinds of movies that were popular in the early half of the twentieth century. The movie’s plot centers on an insurance investigator and an efficiency expert who are both hypnotized by a crooked hypnotist in a scheme to have them steal jewels. This film is classic Allen, full of over-the-top characters, witty dialogue, and hilarious banter, along with plenty of plot twists that keep the narrative rolling along. The story is set in the 1940s and does a superb job of showing how hypnotism can be used for evil purposes when utilized by the wrong type of individual.
5 Oldboy
Written and directed by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, Oldboy is a cult classic of suspense. It’s stylish, dark, and ominous. The plot and themes are disturbing, revolving around a man kidnapped and imprisoned inside a mysterious apartment for 15 years. After his years of captivity, he is suddenly hypnotized and released. Oldboy is a cult classic for a reason, though it can be difficult to watch due to its intense subject matter. This is Chan-wook’s masterpiece and will be studied and analyzed for its style and innovative filmmaking techniques for decades to come.
6 K-PAX
K-PAX is a humorous drama starring Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges from 2001. The plot revolves around a psychiatric patient (Spacey) who believes he is an alien from the planet K-PAX. Bridges plays the psychologist who works with Spacey and attempts to find the truth regarding his condition. Bridges uses hypnosis to take his patient through past-life regressions. These hypnosis sessions are successful and help lead to important clinical breakthroughs. The movie is moving, funny at times, and even heartbreaking. The film reminds viewers how fragile the human psyche is.
7 Stir of Echoes
Stir of Echoes was adapted and directed by famed screenwriter David Koepp. Kevin Bacon stars as a man who is extremely skeptical of the supernatural. Then at a dinner party, he’s hypnotized by his sister. Afterward, he finds himself experiencing things he can’t explain. Soon he finds himself hallucinating about a missing teenager. The effect is terrifying, making this a minor horror classic that’s reminiscent of better-known movies such as The Sixth Sense.
Movies are one of the most enjoyable ways to spend an evening with friends. If you love movies, there are plenty of hypnosis movies you won’t want to miss. The list of films contained in this article is a great place to start.
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