I remember when I started learning about narcissism how it was easy to conceptualize my experience based on the behaviors of my ex.

But when I wanted to broaden my understanding, it was hard to imagine what other aspects of narcissism looked like.

I’m a huge movie buff, so I of course, turned to movies!

Seeing narcissism in movies is a great way to get a deeper sense of red flags and manipulative behavior.

It can also help you better understand what you are going through.

So, here are six movies that portray narcissistic characters and get it right:

Tangled

If you have kids, then you have probably seen Disney’s Tangled, their version of Rapunzel.

The character Mother Gothel, who steals Rapunzel away as a baby to take advantage of her magical hair, is a pure representation of narcissism.

She is abusive and gaslights Rapunzel into feeling guilty over wanting to leave the tower and directs her affection toward Rapunzel’s hair and not Rapunzel herself.

These are just a couple of ways that Mother Gothel is a narcissistic character in this movie.

If you want to watch an amazing breakdown of this character and gaslighting, check out this video:

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada is a movie about a young woman who gets a job as an assistant to a powerful magazine editor, Anna Wintour.

The movie shows how the editor expects her assistant to be available at all times and isn’t interested in anything but herself.

She’s also pretty selfish and self-centered, so it makes sense that she’d be a narcissist!

The Devil Wears Prada is funny and entertaining–and it does such an excellent job of showing what narcissism looks like in action that I really recommend you watch this one if you want to learn more about the topic.

Breakfast At Tiffany’s

The main character, Holly Golightly, is a narcissist. She’s self-centered and obsessed with herself, and she isn’t a good person at all.

She’s manipulative, selfish, and vain.

In one scene in particular (when she tries to get into New York society), she makes fun of the other characters for their small talk about “How was your summer?” or “What are you going to do this weekend?”

These questions aren’t important enough for her to care about. What matters is what will benefit her most: getting invited to fancy parties where she can meet rich men who will take her out on expensive dates.

This behavior would be considered rude by most people but not by Holly because it doesn’t affect anyone else besides herself (and possibly her friends).

What About Bob?

Bill Murray stars in What About Bob? a movie about a man who is obsessed with his therapist.

He follows him to his vacation home, pretends to be him, and breaks into the therapist’s house.

The fact that this movie is so funny and entertaining makes it even more chilling when you realize how closely it hits home for narcissists.

When we think of narcissism as an affliction that affects only those who are self-obsessed or egotistical (and thus unlikable), we miss the fact that many narcissists actually aren’t likable at all, and they know it!

For example:

• Narcissists often feel inferior or inadequate compared to other people; they believe themselves inferior because others appear superior by comparison.
• They may feel jealous when someone else seems more successful than they are; this jealousy often manifests itself as envy toward anyone who has achieved something outstandingly impressive in their field (e.g., an award winner).

Birdman

The protagonist in Birdman is an actor who has been famous for decades. He played a superhero, but now he’s feeling the effects of his ego.

His ego is represented by a bird that harasses him constantly throughout the movie–the bird is literally his own self-importance manifesting itself as an animal who can’t help but be around him at all times.

The film centers on this struggle with egotism and narcissism, but it also makes fun of how we treat celebrities in our society: they exist as characters in our minds more than actual people with feelings and needs (and often those characters aren’t flattering).

This idea comes out especially strongly when we see how other characters interact with Riggan Thomson/Birdman.

They’re often hostile or dismissive towards him because he represents something larger than himself – his success as an entertainer, his fame from years past – and therefore has become something less than human to them.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

This movie was adapted from a novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith.

It follows Tom Ripley, who is trying to find himself and his place in the world after being born into wealth and privilege but being rejected by his family for being different than how they wanted him to be.

He becomes obsessed with another man’s life because he envies it so much, so he decides to steal it for himself by killing him and assuming his identity as “Dickie Greenleaf.”

When Dickie’s friends discover what happened, Tom must face up against them or risk losing everything he worked so hard for.

But Wait, There’s More!

As I find them, I’ll keep adding movies to this list!

Renfield

This 2023 film reimagines the classic story of Dracula but through the lens of narcissistic abuse.

Renfield is a codependent familiar that is trying to break free from his toxic master.

Nicholas Cage’s Dracula is portrayed as a textbook narcissist: charming, manipulative, and emotionally controlling.

Renfield’s journey mirrors that of many abuse survivors. He attends support groups, grapples with guilt, and struggles to reclaim his autonomy.

For another amazing breakdown from the Cinema Therapy guys, check this out:

These Movies Will Get You Thinking About Narcissists

I hope I’ve inspired you to watch some of the movies I mentioned and maybe even discover some new ones!

Remember that narcissists are everywhere, and they can be tough to spot sometimes.

But by learning more about them and seeing how others have dealt with their own narcissist problems (like these movie characters did), it can make all the difference when it comes time for us all to face our own battles against these personalities!