Portrayal of psychopathy in the movies

Abstract

According to diagnostic criteria, psychopathy describes chronic immoral and anti-social behaviour, a lack of consciousness and an ability to lie and deceive without feeling guilt or discomfort. It is one of the most studied conditions and its relationship with criminal behaviour is well known. Using psychopathy as a model, the narrative of the human monster fits well in the context of watching films. The most common portrayal of a psychopath in films is that of a callous, calculating and aggressive individual, but such a character tends to only scratch the surface of the problems associated with psychopathy. Using illustrations both old and new, this paper focuses on interpersonal relationships and placing films in the context of further discussion.