upworthy
Health

A therapist and a filmmaker merge mental health with movie analysis in 'Cinema Therapy'

A therapist and a filmmaker merge mental health with movie analysis in 'Cinema Therapy'
Cinema Therapy/YouTube

Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright discuss psychology in movies.

"Have you ever heard of Cinema Therapy?" my college-aged daughter asked me one day. I had not. She proceeded to tell me all about this YouTube channel she's hooked on, in which a licensed therapist and a professional filmmaker—who also happen to be best friends—analyze movies together through each of their expert lenses. I was intrigued, so I checked it out.

Each Cinema Therapy video focuses on some psychological aspect of a film and runs approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Filmmaker Alan Seawright talks about the cinematics that lend themselves to emotional storytelling while licensed therapist Jonathan Decker talks about the mental health elements. With video titles like "MEGAMIND and Nice Guy Syndrome," "Ranking the Relationships in LOVE ACTUALLY" and "Psychology of a Hero: HULK and Anger Management," it's easy to see the appeal. Most people who love movies enjoy analyzing the heck out of the characters in them, and having people who actually know what they're talking about do so is too good to pass up.

Seawright and Decker met as roommates in college in 2005 and bonded over their love of cinema. More than a decade later, when Decker pitched the idea of creating Cinema Therapy (Decker describes that initial pitch as "a 'Siskel and Ebert' meets 'Mr. Rogers' kind of thing"), Seawright instantly envisioned what it would look like and why it would work. They were confident they would find an audience for it because of how seamlessly their two fields blend.

"Filmmaking is all about psychology," says Seawright. "Storytelling in general only connects with an audience when you’re able to help people feel something, and how and why people feel things is all about psychology."

Decker agrees. "There's a lot of psychology that goes into screenwriting, or good screenwriting at least," he says. "Creating worthwhile characters requires a knowledge of human thinking, feeling, and motivations."

Decker points out that people have always been drawn to stories, whether written or on stage or on screen, to learn lessons about their own lives. We live vicariously through characters, connecting with them emotionally and investing in their journeys.

"But since their stories are not our stories, we have enough distance for objective insight compared to when we're in the thick of our own problems," Decker says. "I see movies as a tremendous teaching tool for mental health, emotional wellness, and relationship skills."

Seawright and Decker have taken on toxic perfectionism in "Encanto," men's mental health and masculinity in "Fight Club," love versus obsession with Severus Snape's character in "Harry Potter" and more. In one of their more popular videos, they tackled the concept of gaslighting by showing examples of it in Disney's "Tangled."

Seawright and Decker analyze heroes and villains as well as romantic, platonic and familial relationships. And they frequently use characters to talk about mental illnesses and personality disorders, which is brilliant. By exploring real psychological and emotional realities through fictional characters, they can talk about individuals we're all familiar with without breaching anyone's privacy or personal boundaries. Judging by the thousands of comments their videos receive and the discussions that ensue, people love it.

That's not to say the channel hasn't received any hate. People can be fairly fanatical about films and characters they love, and people can also misunderstand or misinterpret things. Plus, let's face it, when you talk about certain emotional or psychological topics, some self-loathing fellow somewhere is going to react negatively.

Seawright gave their "ARAGORN vs. Toxic Masculinity" episode as an example of when some comments got ugly, but also brushed it off as an anomaly. "Unsurprising, but a pretty decent number of dudes calling us soy-boy cucks or some-such," he says. "Pretty funny, honestly."

Both Seawright and Decker say that their fan base overall is incredibly supportive.

"To put yourself out there on the internet is to be criticized and attacked, but it's a very small percentage," says Decker. "Most people are kind and appreciative, disagreeing respectfully when disagreements happen."

"I had no idea that our audience would be as supportive and wonderful as they are," says Seawright. "Not just to us, but to each other! Seriously, our comments section is one of the kindest places you can find on the internet. There are some trolls in there, but it's overwhelmingly loving."

"It’s weird," he jokes. We've all seen what a cesspool the comment section can be, so it's great to see a space where people are nice to one another.

Seawright and Decker have high hopes for what their viewers will take away from their Cinema Therapy experience.

"I want them to get tools to have healthy relationships, to healthily balance self-acceptance with self-improvement, and to know that getting help is a good thing," says Decker. "I also would love for them to gain a new appreciation for film, which is such a layered, stunning art form."

"I hope people will get hope out of it," says Seawright. "The film education I can provide is pretty meager, and isn’t going to be life-changing in any case. But feeling things with me, and learning about why/how you’re feeling things with Jono is a pretty lofty goal, and I think we’re doing an OK job with it."

After creating more than 100 episodes, the duo has no plans of stopping. They're having too much fun and people are enjoying their content. There's also no shortage of movies for them to talk about, and with mental health being such a hot topic, the therapeutic element of what they do adds value to people's lives.

"We exist to counter the negativity out there, to unify, uplift and entertain," says Decker. "We're sharing skills that change lives, and want people to have so much fun that it hardly feels like learning."

Check out one of their biggest hits—and most natural fits—as they examine the psychology, relationships, family dynamics and more in Disney's "Inside Out":

You can follow Cinema Therapy on YouTube and check out the website as well.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Modern Families

Husband who lost his job reluctantly moves family in with mother-in-law. Pure joy ensued.

Families moving in together isn't failure. Sometimes it's their greatest success.

Image via Canva

Katie Bunton shares her family's journey with multigenerational living.

Multigenerational living is not as common in our independent, self-sufficient American culture–but Instagrammer Katie Bunton (@ktbunton) is hoping her experience will open more people's minds to it. Bunton, her husband Harry and their twin boys recently moved in with their mother-in-law Louella Beale (@nana_lulu_love) after experiencing financial hardship, and opened up about the experience with her followers.

"We moved in with my MIL (mother-in-law) 2 months ago when my husband lost his job and I just keep thinking...it must have taken a lot of propaganda to make us believe this was failure," she writes in the video's caption.

In the inspiring video, Bunton showed her viewers some of the incredible benefits they've had with the extra support of Nana Lulu. From making and eating meals together to time spent in the garden and doing other menial daily tasks, she shows that life has truly improved–even though society may look at their living situation differently. "So you’re telling me, this isn’t how it was supposed to be all along ? #multigenerationalliving with @nana_lulu_love 🫶🏽," she captioned the video.

And viewers are showing their support. "I wholeheartedly believe that we’re supposed to be living with family❤️," one wrote. Another added, "It’s the best. My grandmother and mother live with us. I could never asked for a better support system. I would never ever live without multiple generations in the same house or compound." And another shared, "This has forever been my dream 😢 I’m with you, we’ve been lied to in the west. Intergenerational living is beautiful and to me the gold standard for living in harmony and raising children well ❤️."

And Nana Lulu herself commented, "🥹🥹😭😍😍 I’m such a lucky lucky so and so. 🙏🏽Thank you 🙏🏽 thank you 🙏🏽 thank you 🙏🏽 for the beautiful blessings of family love. 💛💛💛💛"

In another video, Bunton shared a vlog with her followers showing more about living with her MIL and the benefits of living multigenerationally. "You’re telling me we could have both parents present and hands on, all we have to do is just lower our cost of living? spend less money? And pool our resources with family? 🤯" she wrote.

In the video, she explains that her family moved in with Nana Lulu at the end of January 2025. "It's taken us quite a while to get into the swing of things. We moved into a new town as well," she adds.

Their routine has completely changed, but in a good way. And she has noticed positive changes in her relationship. "My husband has felt happier, lighter and more himself than I have ever seen him," she says.

The second video also got tons of positive comments from viewers who are loving their new living situation. "This is my definition of rich ❤️," one wrote. Another added, "As someone that doesn’t have a MIL to fall back on, I just want you to know that I’m so happy you have that. So happy you know the peace that extended family can bring and that you/your husband have the support you need to get to the next stage 🫶🏼💕." And another shared, "My husband and I live with my parents. They built us a basement apartment and I am forever grateful to them not only for that but for the bond it has allowed them to have with my kiddos ❤️ I definitely get caught up thinking we’ve done something wrong but we’ve just done what we can with the cards we are dealt. I am so grateful for my village."

From Your Site Articles
Health

People rally behind man who walked out on his first date after getting yelled at

"Just because you can handle something doesn't mean you have to."

Photo credit: Canva

A man and woman on a bad date.

When going out on a first date, we generally try to give people the benefit of the doubt. However, it can be pretty clear early on when someone just isn’t a right fit. At that point, do we continue on with said date, or do we let politeness be damned and move on with our lives then and there?

For an artist who goes by the name of Solo Dolo, the choice was a no-brainer.

Solo, who regularly posts content about relationships, recalled a recent brunch date he had been on, with a person who asked him to describe his "ideal partner.”

"In my experience, I think people try to fit the mold of what I'm looking for and make themselves seem ideal, and that has led to toxic relationships or just discomfort,” he said in the video. So his response to them was, “I'm looking for someone who is happy with who they are. If it works, it works. If not, that's okay."

@solodolobcyolo Like I’ll just go. Doesn’t matter who. Doesn’t matter when. If you’re doin this, I’m gunna let you do it by yourself lol
♬ original sound - SoloDoloBcYolo

That, apparently, was reason enough for his date to slam the table with their fist and exclaim “NOT EVERYONE IS MANIPULATIVE.”

Immediately, Solo knew this date (and the potential relationship) was “not gonna be effective,” because “if that’s the way you’re gonna express yourself as an adult, in public, nothing good is about to happen.” So once the “tantrum” was over, he politely told his date that he would be leaving. This was all before he was able to order a cup of coffee.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Solo shared that his video was not meant to be mean-spirited, but rather encourage others to act when they see red flags.

"I made the TikTok video not to judge that person but more so to say if you're ever in a situation that you're not comfortable in, just remember you don't have to be there. You just don't. Just because you can handle something doesn't mean you have to, like life is too short. You don't have to be there if you don't want to be," he said.

@solodolobcyolo I think im realizing that there are more people who are kinda disorganized and reactive than those who are organized and proactive (like me lol)
♬ original sound - SoloDoloBcYolo

Viewers unanimously agreed that Solo did in fact make the right decision, and were on board with his stance overall.

“Normalize leaving at the first sign of a red flag,” one person wrote.

Another said, “If they’re yelling at you in a restaurant on a first date, imagine what a nightmare they are in private after a few years when the real conflict arises."

There are plenty of scenarios in which a meh, or even bad date can turn into a worthy romance. But on the flipside, as in this case, when there is a clear, distinctive omen that something’s not right, people have every right to maintain their wellbeing…even if that means removing themselves from a situation entirely. Let’s not keep ourselves stuck in something that doesn’t serve us.

bad first dates, red flags, dating, bumble, hinge, tinder"Living a peaceful life, ironically, is really hard."Photo credit: Canva

As Solo told PEOPLE,, "My favorite thing to say right now is, 'Living a peaceful life, ironically, is really hard.'…It's so intentional. Every day, every moment you're challenged, you have to choose peace. It's really hard."

From Your Site Articles
relationships
Sex Ed

Gen Z manager shares the time-off requests she's rejected, and people are here for it

This is a refreshing approach to leadership.

@bunchesofbeggs/TikTok

This Manager think PTO is for vacation, not "life changing events."

What does it take to be a good boss? You can answer this a bajillion different ways—being a clear communicator, earning employee trust, providing constructive feedback, and fostering a positive and supportive work environment while also being open to feedback and recognizing your team's contributions—but really, it all seems to stem from respecting your employees as fellow human beings.

And part of that means acknowledging that these employees have lives that are, frankly, more important to them than the job, and not penalizing them for it. One manager, and Gen Zer no less, seems to fully understand this basic principle, and folks are applauding her for it.

Elizabeth Beggs, who manages a five-person team for a packaging distribution company in Virginia, recently made a TikTok sharing which time-off requests she “rejects.”You’ll see why “rejects” is in quotes shortly.

One example: when a female rep notified Beggs that she was likely having a miscarriage. After the team member asked how she can file for time off to see to the issue, Beggs immediately responded, “Girl, go to the doctor! We’re not submitting time off for that!”

In Beggs’ mind, PTO is for “vacation,” not medical emergencies. What a concept.

@bunchesofbeggs Edited to clarify- 1. My team is all salary. 2. These examples are not all recent or from my current position. 3. My team works hard and hits thier KPIs above and beyond. Time off is meant to recharge and be used how you need it, not to handle life changing events #mangers #corporate #genzmanagers #sales #vetstocorporate #veterans ♬ original sound - Elizabeth


Beggs went on to explain a couple more situations, like when a parent who was “up all night” with a sick kid. And her last one wasn’t even negative—she had an employee who wanted to work a half-day to do something nice for their anniversary.

“Seriously, if any of these triggered anyone, then you need to evaluate how you run your team as a manager,” she concluded.

By and large, the response to Beggs’ management style has been overwhelmingly positive, and people seem to find it completely refreshing.

“You are not a manager, you’re a LEADER,” one person wrote.

@bunchesofbeggs Everything you do should be to better your team, not to make your life easier #leadership #ownership #corporatelife #veteran #military ♬ original sound - Elizabeth

Another said,“The better you treat your employees, the more loyal they will be and the better work they will put out. Most people do not understand how management works.”

A few noted how this attitude seems to be more present among younger leaders.

One person commented, "millennial manager here. My team members are human first, employees second. Like just go do what you want but get the work done too.”

Another joked that “Boomer managers could NEVER.”

Beggs would later clarify this doesn’t mean she doesn't have clear productivity expectations for her team (who work on salary). Perhaps if she had a team member not making their KPIs (key performance indicator), there would be an additional conversation surrounding time off, but there is still an inherent respect as a fellow human being. Which, to her, means treating bona fide time- off as a way to “recharge and be used how you need it, not to handle life changing events.”

@bunchesofbeggs If you’re planning does not account for people being human- it’s bad planning #genzleaders #armyvet #militaryvet #genz #corporatelife #corporate #manager #timeoff ♬ original sound - Elizabeth

Younger generations might get labeled “lazy” or “entitled,” but they are also the ones fighting to change the status quo, so that we all may be treated less like cogs in the machine, and more like actual human beings. Its leaders like Beggs who show that operating in new ways doesn't compromise productivity, and in fact enhances it. We might not be able to change the global standard overnight, but we certainly aren’t going to get to a better place without leaders who choose to serve their community rather than a bottom line.

From Your Site Articles
gen z
Joy

Men who are 30 and over share the 15 life lessons younger guys must learn early

"Don't let people treat you poorly. Not your girlfriend, not your buddy, not your family."

via Canva/Photos

A man in his 50s with some good advice.

It’s impossible for anyone who has reached middle age to look back on their early 20s and not believe they squandered some of their precious resources, whether the vitality of their youth or the seemingly infinite time they thought they had on this earth. But you don’t learn to truly appreciate these things until one day, you want to go to bed at 9 pm, and time has sped up so rapidly that you’re having a hard time catching up.

Countless people have tried to tell younger people to appreciate the vitality of their youth, and by making good decisions at a young age, you’ll be much happier when you get older. However, that advice is usually ignored because most people don’t have the foresight to appreciate the wisdom we accumulate with age. It seems that, sadly, most of us have to learn our lessons the hard way.

For young people out there willing to entertain the idea that they don’t know everything, a group of men who are 30 and over on Reddit shared the lessons that “every guy” should learn early on. To sum it up, they believe that young people should understand that time flies fast and they should always have one eye on their future selves. They should also learn that being a good guy is better than being a hothead and that you are not invincible, no matter how powerful you feel. It’s also important to stand up for yourself and have integrity because your character will follow you wherever you go.

great advice, wisdom, helpful advice, gen x men, gen z men, positive masculinityA man in his 20s upset.via Canva/Photos

Here are 15 lessons men 30 and up think every guy should learn early.

1. Make sure people treat you right

"Don't let people treat you poorly. Not your girlfriend, not your buddy, not your family."

"Absolutely. It's a skill to carry yourself in a way where you are respected. People learn quick who they can talk down on and who not to mess with. If you speak up for yourself, people are more likely to keep their opinions to themselves."

2. You're not young forever (although you may think it)

"You are only young for a period of your life. You are actually 'older' for most of your life so make sure your decisions take that into consideration."

"I didn't feel like an adult until I was 26-28. That's when it really hit me. I feel 26 until I speak to an actual 26-year-old."

"You'll still feel 26 in your 40s and 50s until you try to do physical stuff like you did at that age."

3. Admit your mistakes

"Admit when you make a mistake and learn from it. And don’t try to hide them either. I’ve avoided so much conflict in my adult life by being able to go to someone and say, 'I need you to know I made a mistake, and I’m going to correct it,' or else, 'I messed up, and I need help.' Trying to blame someone else when it was genuinely your fault always causes more problems, and mistakes you try to hide almost always get found out eventually."

"Owning up to your mistakes and finding wisdom in your experiences is about as manly as it gets. Right on, brother."


4. You're not indestructible

"All the little injuries you pile up in your 20s and 30s will haunt you later."

"At 24, I jumped off a two-story house to entertain people at a party. At 40, I feel like someone has taken a sledgehammer to my back. I'm not a detective, but I think these two things are connected."

5. Don't waste your time

"By far, it has to be learning the value of TIME. So many people in this world don't grasp this until it's far too late in life. Don't waste your time doing things you hate, or being around bad people."

Pink Floyd said it best:

"'And then one day you find/ten years have got behind you/no one told you when to run/you missed the starting gun.'" I remember sitting in my car at 25 listening to that line and realizing I had first heard it 10 years earlier. It felt like a blink of an eye. Now I'm coming up on another 10 since that."


- YouTubewww.youtube.com

6. Value kindness

"Be kind, it's its own reward."

"It helps my mental health so much, just letting cars into your queue, saying please and thank you to people who don’t hear it often, talking to elderly people who rarely speak to others etc. Just trying to be a cheerful chill dude makes me very happy, happier than almost any possession I can think of buying."


7. Lift people up

"You’re not that funny when you put other people down. You are more of a man when you lift people up."

"This 100%. I teach middle school students, and I’m always trying to teach this. Also, how it shows way more strength to admit you’re wrong and apologize than lie and never own up to things."

8. Work out

"On a related note, it is a lot easier to not consume 300 calories than it is to burn 300 calories."

"This is the best blanket advice in here. I didn't start working out until I was 32. I was 50lbs overweight and felt like crap. Working out and making it a part of your daily routine has such a massive domino effect over your entire life, physically, mentally, routine, work ethic, literally everything. This should be mandatory for everyone to start at a young age and develop good habits. This coupled with proper eating/cooking habits are paramount."

9. Save for retirement

"Start saving for retirement. I know you've all heard it, but I can't stress how much more money you earn from your savings during your twenties. This is not a drill. Start saving money you don't touch until retirement."

"Compounding interest is very powerful, and it’s at its most powerful over a long period of time. So start young. The S&P 500 averages a 10% yearly return. At that rate, if you can invest $500 per month, then in 30 years, you’ll have over $1 million."


savings, retirement, couple doing bills, responsibility, wisdom, adviceA couple saving money.via Canva/Photos

10. Be a man of your word

"Your integrity is the only thing that can’t be taken from you."

"If you wouldn't want people knowing you said it/ did it don't say it/do it."

11. Don't wait

"The best way to improve your life is for you to improve your life. If you wait for someone or something to happen, it won't. Work today to improve your life in any way that you feel you need it."

"You're absolutely right and it deserves repeating, IT WILL NOT BE EASY, going to the gym sucks, going to school sucks, studying sucks the list is infinite but there's just no way around it. IT WILL NOT BE EASY, if it was, everyone would be doing it."

"No one is coming to save you. Do it yourself."

12. Plenty of fish in the sea

"There are literally millions of women. Why obsess over that ONE?"

"My advice is instead of worrying about women, work on yourself instead. Work on making yourself the happiest version of you, and then you will naturally find someone. Don't chase anyone or waste any time on anyone that's not interested."


breakup, love lost, heartbreak, the one, obsession, love advice, move on, A man and a woman have a fight.via Canva/Photos


13. Stretch

"Connective tissue health is underrated. Most common training injury."

"Flexibility naturally decreases as you age unless you take steps to maintain it. Improving it is hard. It's also crucial for progressing in many, many exercises."

14. Maintain friendships

"Don't burn bridges with people and try your best to maintain friendships."

"For one reason or another, the buddy list shrinks more and more as time goes on."

"I'm in my forties and have definitely had friends that have fallen off the list, but I continue to make friends along the way. I think it might be that I put serious effort into maintaining old relationships and trying to form new ones."

15. Make friends with women

"Make friends with women; And I don’t mean make friends with to have romantic relationships later… like just be platonic friends. Having someone that you can talk to with a different perspective can be so beneficial."

"Second this. Plus, if you're a good friend to a woman, she's likely to introduce you to her friends and vouch for you, which opens up more opportunities for romantic relationships. or more friends."

From Your Site Articles
advice
Pop Culture

Heath Ledger's father shares the late actor's diary used while playing the Joker

The diary is filled with notes, sketches, and references that helped Ledger develop his most iconic role.

Howie/Wikipedia, Wozard/Wikipedia

A photo of Heath Ledger (left) alongside the Joker (right)

We very rarely get to see into an artist’s process. It often feels like great works—be it in music, paintings, or performances—sort of appear out of nowhere. Perfect and fully formed. But in reality, these works are the result of a thousand small decisions, days of preparation, and more often than not, an abundance of failed experiments.

So when we do get to peel back the curtain to see what might have inspired these works that take on a life of their own, that in itself has profound power, since it reminds us that creating something is just as much about commitment as it is about talent.

That is partially why people continue to have such a visceral reaction to seeing excerpts from the late, great Heath Ledger’s diary while preparing for his iconic role of The Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight.

In the video, Ledger’s father, Kim Ledger explains how his son “locked himself in a hotel room for weeks,” preparing for filming. The pages of the journal reveals how the actor was inspired by old school Batman comic book clippings, images of jesters and clowns, and interestingly enough, the character Alex in A Clockwork Orange.

heath ledger, heath ledger diary, heath ledger joker, the joker, batman, the dark knightA page that beings with "It's simple. Kill the Batman." preview.redd.it

There’s even an image of a hyena, which seems like a clear reference for his Joker’s signature cackle.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

There is, of course, quite a bit of dark, disturbing things scribblings in there, like listing “blind babies” and “AIDS” under “things that make me laugh,” all of which leaves clue as to how Ledger was able to authentically drop into a chaotic and twisted mind.

A page from Heath Ledger's diary while in prep for The Dark Knightpreview.redd.it

The diary first appears in the 2012 documentary series Too Young to Die, which not only follows Ledger’s untimely death, along with other greats like Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Kurt Cobain. But clips of it have recently been resurfacing online, and with it a renewed appreciation for how devoted Ledger was to his craft.

“Remarkable lengths he went to to get his character performance just right and take it to the next level.

“His portrayal of the Joker was disturbing and brilliant. One of the best performances of all time. Truly legendary. The diary is unsettling, as is the role of the joker. The mind space he might have been in to play such a dark character is hard to think about. The award he received for his performance was well deserved. Such a talented actor, gone too soon.”

“He disappeared so well into the character. It’s a shame it took such a large toll on his mental health. Hope he knows he’s still loved and admired. RIP Heath.”

Ledger passed away on January 22, 2008, before The Dark Knight was released, due to an accidental overdose of prescription medications. It was a death that shocked fans (keep in mind he was practically the first Hollywood star to pass away publicly in the internet age) and there were many speculations that embodying Joker in such an intense way helped create his tragic ending. While that theory could seem possible, given some of the details in Ledger’s diary, his family has since rebuked any indications that his mental health was negatively impacted by it.

Plus, this kind of work is very normal for actors, especially when trying to find their way through some pretty dark psyches. For example, Rosamund Pike previously shared how she sliced open a pig at a butcher shop for her role in Gone Girl. If you’ve seen it, you know which scene we’re referring to.

One of the saddest things to come of Ledger’s passing is that he wouldn’t get to witness the incredible appreciation that would come for his hard work. Not only did it earn him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but it would become a role that people continue to be inspired by, even now. When an artist truly pours themselves into their art, as he clearly did, it changes the world.

From Your Site Articles
movies
Trending Stories