Is reality unstable or unhinged?
Browse movies, tv shows, books and more where reality is unstable or unhinged.
Media that blurs the distinction between reality and dream or altered states is incredibly triggering for those of us with dissociative disorders. If we as the viewer do not know when we are seeing a dream state, psychotic state, altered state, or stable reality, it can trigger our own dissociative states (which we will likely not recover from after the film / show is over).
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Movie • 2023 Report
Yes
208
No
6
16
Capybara_Love
There is sort of two different realitys
Movie • 2023 Report
Yes
108
No
3
18
Mkosmorama
A character has recurring dreams about a traumatic event, which are influenced by the missing children's spirits later in the film
Movie • 2022 Report
Yes
81
No
0
6
spacemancharisma
the movie as a whole can be perceived as an extended metaphor for drug-induced psychosis
Movie • 2023 Report
Yes
64
No
5
11
kawara
A character has frequent bouts of auditory and visual hallucinations and the timeline of the film jumps around. It is difficult to watch at times.
Movie • 2019 Report
Yes
55
No
1
6
KamiSteele
Drug use, with varying levels of consent, happens throughout. The screen mildly distorts and sways while the characters are under the influence of drugs. There are also various hallucinations, such as Dani seeing grass grow out of her body, a bad trip where she hears a group laughing at her upon which she enters an outhouse only to see her sister in the mirror, Dani spotting her deceased parents in a crowd, her sister's corpse appearing in the trees in the background, plants moving and 'breathing', and Dani having a 'conversation' in Swedish despite not being fluent (it's actually gibberish). Additionally, Dani appears to dissociate in some scenes which is implied through the editing. The infamous Attestupa scene has muffled audio and slowed visuals, and an early scene depicts a time skip through Dani walking out of the room of her apartment and into the plane's bathroom. It's confirmed by the director that Dani tends to dissociate. Dani also has a nightmare sequence where she sees the others driving away without her, and when she opens her mouth to scream smoke comes out. This is followed by shots of the Attestupa, as well as her family's corpses at the cliffs where it took place. In short, this movie may be a trigger if you have a history of traumatic drug experiences and/or depersonalization/derealization.
Movie • 2024 Report
Yes
52
No
1
10
hjchjchjc
Essentially the entire plot of the movie.
TV Show • 2023 Report
Yes
51
No
3
3
bonkersbinch
Hallucinations are a very big theme in this show, if you struggle with distinguishing reality vs unreality, this could be a difficult show to watch
Movie • 2024 Report
Yes
50
No
2
11
Smiliey
they jump from one world to another. and back in time aswell. its the multiverse saga, where there are countless realities and worlds.
Movie • 2024 Report
Yes
42
No
2
4
HowdyEllie
A little bit. The movie is supernatural to a degree
Video Game • 2017 Report
Yes
36
No
0
3
While the game starts off fairly normal, (SPOILERS) once you reach sayori's suicide the game starts (intentionally) glitching out, which is carried over into Acts 2 and 3. Monika mentioned in those acts that the game’s code is broken, so it could be seen as the girls’ reality becoming unstable.
TV Show • 2021 Report
Yes
35
No
0
1
verilymissvx
One of main characters is unaware of their actions that occur when they sleepwalk and the audience is not clued in until the course of several episodes
Movie • 2023 Report
Yes
35
No
7
6
The whole film is honestly just unhinged. The film's universe is different to our own and the severity of this changes throughout but there is a constant "unhinged"/"weird' feeling to the film
Movie • 2024 Report
Yes
35
No
0
2
At one point, of the main characters is hallucinating. The visuals on screen make it very clear when she is and isn’t hallucinating.
TV Show • 2020 Report
Yes
33
No
3
1
pastamasta
The superheroes aren't heroes, they are just corporate products by a conglomerate who controlled in every aspect of the world ala Black Mirror.
Every supe is ruthless, violent, rephensible behind their public personality.
People can die easily and their death can be extremely graphic.
The public is easily influenced and controlled by Vought's brand. Even the politics gets influenced.
Every supe is ruthless, violent, rephensible behind their public personality.
People can die easily and their death can be extremely graphic.
The public is easily influenced and controlled by Vought's brand. Even the politics gets influenced.
Movie • 2024 Report
Yes
31
No
0
3
BDavy
Particularly in the last third of the film.
Movie • 2022 Report
Yes
30
No
0
6
TheCassandraComplex
Kinda? The main character perceives things no one else can perceive.
TV Show • 2016 Report
Yes
30
No
0
1
RisingMoon
S3
E3
major plot in the entire series, any charecters travel too and from the upside down
TV Show • 2004 Report
Yes
29
No
6
1
shamwowxl
S2
E2
hallucinations of real-seeming scenes is a recurring theme
Movie • 2023 Report
Yes
29
No
0
4
goblinbrodie
Lots of instability after they enter the other world.
YouTube • 2023 Report
Yes
28
No
0
6
cha0ticneutralsystem
They are in a sort of limbo where Pomni feels like something is off and reality starts breaking and things clip into other objects and glitch, Jax also mentions Cane makes NPCs for the others to play with regularly. Pomni mentions she put on a headset and was teleported to limbo. Everything is presented and mentioned that they are living inside a computer game or simulation of some sort, in a “digital plane” cane also tells pomni she is having “digital hallucinations” but he seems to be lying. There is also cartoon logic (hammer space) and a weird infinitely respecting reality where pomni reenters the same room repeatedly. Pomni gets thrown into the void and seemingly has an existential crisis. They mention that food has no affect on them and they don’t need to eat, it just replicates the sensation of food
Movie • 2024 Report
Yes
28
No
0
3
Cferal
Huuuuge part of the movie
Video Game • 2020 Report
Yes
28
No
1
4
JayR
The game is partially set in the "dream world", a place that follows dream logic such as talking animals, breathing in space and under water, and other dream-like storytelling. The "real world" includes hallucinations from Sunny's point of view, such as characters from the dream world that disappear when interacted with, or hallucinations tied to past trauma. It is often hard to tell what is real and what is fake.
Movie • 2022 Report
Yes
27
No
1
5
pedanther
In addition to the points already noted, at one point the movie creates a deliberate confusion about which events are 'actually' happening and which are fictional within the story (part of a movie some of the characters are watching).
Movie • 1998 Report
Yes
27
No
0
4
Very much so
Movie • 2000 Report
Yes
26
No
0
3
AvalonPlemel
A major theme later on is the main character questioning who he is and if events he remembers taking place are even real
TV Show • 2005 Report
Yes
26
No
8
3
andyping24
S2
E2
The protagonist wakes up in an alternate reality and can't decide if it's real. Sensations from reality like dead bodies randomly appear and cause jumpscares. The characters in the other reality admit they aren't real. The protagonist kills himself hoping his death won't be real and it will bring him back to reality. The audience doesn't know which is reality during the episode or whether suicide will just kill the protagonist.
Movie • 2023 Report
Yes
26
No
3
0
It was creepy in a good way. When it was over I had to do a reality check. Food for thought. It could happen.
TV Show • 2013 Report
Yes
26
No
1
2
Pantalones
There are multiple times where it is unclear if Will is having hallucinations, events are actually happening, or a combination of the two occurs. Will, as well as other characters, doubts his sanity throughout the show.
Movie • 2018 Report
Yes
25
No
1
TV Show • 2024 Report
Yes
25
No
3