Side Effects Movie Psychology

Have you ever watched a movie and started to psychoanalysis the characters in the movie? In this movie we look specifically at Emily and Martin Taylor along with the complex relationships they are involved in. This obviously is a movie so some of it goes to far, but the conditions of the person can potentially be real symptoms. I was watching Side Effects, I began to understand the plot, symptoms, and reflection of the main characters. During the movie, it opens with a scene of bloody foot prints on the floor and a package in a chair. Then, it cuts back to three months prior. This is important to remember based on the change of time frame all the way through the plot. After 4 years of Emily’s husband being in prison he was released from his
sentence. Her husband, Martin, was in jail for insider trading. After Martin gets home, Emily gets in her car puts her seat belt on and drives into a brick wall. After the accident, she is taken to the hospital and she is assigned to Dr. Jonathan Banks.
Dr. Banks then makes a deal with Emily to make weekly visits, and to take the medications he prescribes to her. Then, Dr. Banks prescribes her with an SSRI, which essentially tells the Serotonin in her brain to stop making her fell depressed. During Emily’s weekly sessions, she begins to discuss how she met Martin, and mentions she used to see a therapist out of Greenwich, CT. He decided to collaborate with Dr. Victoria Siebert. Who suggested that he do more research on Ablixa, a new drug that she is secretly endorsing. Although the drug begins to help it seems to give her side effects of sleep walking, as a side effect. One night, Emily was sleep walking and cooking, then without the knowledge stabbed Martin to death. Then she proceeded to crawl back in bed. Jonathan, her psychiatrist, fights for Emily's acquittal in court. She pleads insanity and is declared not guilty on the condition that she stays in a psychiatric hospital until cleared by Jonathan. The publicity destroys Jonathan's reputation, and his colleagues assume negligence on his part he also looses his family based on this case. Jonathan discovers evidence that Emily is lying; she was not depressed and faked her suicide attempts. He interviews Emily after administering what
he claims is a truth serum that will make her drowsy. Though the serum is actually to see if she was lying, she fakes being sleepy. He then confronts Victoria with his findings, she mails photographs to his wife Deirdre implying he had an affair with Emily. Deirdre leaves him, taking her son with her. He threatens Emily with electric shock treatment and tells her Victoria is paying him to keep her incarcerated so she can keep a bigger cut. Emily then explains why she began seeing Victoria for counseling, and the two women became lovers. Jonathan accepts Emily's offer to give him a cut of her money if he releases her from the ward. Emily meets Victoria wearing a wire. After Victoria mentions details of the plot, she is arrested for conspiracy to commit murder and securities fraud. As retaliation for Emily's part in the plot, Jonathan, who still oversees her case, prescribes her more medicine and describes their unpleasant side effects. In conclusion, she was just sent back to the mental ward for refusing treatment, and Jonathan regains his family and reputation. I began to recognize the signs and symptoms of someone who is struggling and having potentially multiple disorders. In the beginning, we find out that she was diagnosed with depression but I personally thought that there was more to it than depression. When she was having an episode, I thought it was strange that you would put your seatbelt on to drive into a wall. That is typically not something that is done when attempting suicide. Then, afterwards at the hospital she plays with the fibers on the bed and avoids eye contact. She is insistent on returning to her normal routine. She complains of feeljng hopelessness, and according to Martin she has been putting on a brave face. Her friend then finds her crying at a social party, then suggests a different anti-depression. She begins to have another episode of as she has thoughts of walking off a subway platform. In the end I believe her symptoms are having more to do than just depression. In my opinion, I believe that Emily is struggling from depression and anxiety.
While the psychiatrist diagnosed her with just depression, she does shows signs of anxiety, as she avoids all eye contact. If we didn’t know the ending, we wouldn’t know that she was faking her symptoms. We could then assume she is having a bipolar disorder with manic tendencies, depression, and generalized anxiety disorders. In class, we discussed many disorders and defined them. Bipolar disorder with manic tendencies is refers to a period of hyper-elevated mood that is euphoric, giddy, easily irritated, hyperactive, impulsive, overly optimistic, and even grandiose. They begin to feel as if they are socially withdrawn, lack of pleasure felt, difficulty focusing, wanting to sleep and not being able too. We even discussed anxiety disorders, believing there is no attachment to any subjects. I think that Dr. Banks did the right thing by putting her under observation, based on the fact that she could harm herself or someone else. I would have even suggested, potentially adding a required therapy
sessions. In conclusion, side effects takes a deeper look into psychologic disorders within the characters. The signs and symptoms, plot, and reflection all point to the struggles of mental disorders. Will you be able to watch this movie the same way now?