By 
Anxiety is one of the most universal emotions anyone can experience. Sometimes, our anxiety can get so intense, it brings about a panic attack. In more recent years, movies and television shows have started to showcase this more difficult side of dealing with anxiety in spectacular fashion. We’re going to take a look at the current best examples of how TV and film have depicted panic attacks, as well as why this all matters so much.
5. Eighth Grade (2018)
I don’t think there’s a film that captures what it’s like to be an awkward, shy, depressed teen quite like Eighth Grade. In an early scene, Kayla (Elsie Fisher) arrives at a birthday pool party for her classmate, Kennedy (Catherine Oliviere). Before going to mingle with the other kids, Kayla stops in the bathroom and starts what she (probably) can’t articulate is a panic attack. She has shortness of breath, some blurred vision (the camera’s focus cleverly goes in and out a little), a quickened pulse. It’s a truly scary moment for her.
source: A24
This scene falls to the number five spot because, unfortunately, it is cut short. However, through Elsie Fisher’s performance, the cinematography by Andrew Wehde, as well as the sound design, that rapidly rising fear shines through well enough.
4. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
We all know the legend of Puss in Boots. He’s the macho gato, a fearless hero… except what if he wasn’t? One of the biggest triumphs of the follow-up to 2011’s Puss in Boots, was how well it plumbed the soul of our favorite feline. Through facing his mortality- both figuratively and literally, through being pursued by Death (Wagner Moura)- Puss is compelled to change his lone-wolf ways, if he wants to feel content with himself once he loses his last life.
source: Universal Pictures
Later, when Death himself shows up during a face-off against the Baker’s Dozen, it sends Puss into pure fight-or-flight-mode. Not only does this scene check off all the boxes in terms of the symptoms of a panic attack, but the filmmaking emphasizes Puss’ mental state perfectly. The blurry edges of the frame, his heart going a mile-a-minute, him clutching his chest in pain. Even in such an over-the-top fantasy world, it all keeps you firmly grounded in what Puss is going through.
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
As far as high school movies go, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) soars right to the top for its blend of down-to-earth warmth and harsh reality. In arguably its most raw scene, Charlie (Logan Lerman) experiences a mental breakdown, following the painful, reawakened memory of being abused by his aunt.
source: Summit Entertainment
After repeatedly hitting his head and blaming himself for his aunt’s death, Charlie struggles to suppress other previously suppressed memories. Through multiplying Lerman within the frame, split-second flashbacks, crying and blurry eyesight, to his racing heart, everything about the scene immerses you in Charlie’s distressed state.
2. Ted Lasso (2020-)
Not a lot of TV characters are as memorably charming and optimistic as Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), the football coach from Kansas who emigrates all the way to London to coach soccer at AFC Richmond. Along the way, he makes equally unforgettable friends and allies in his new coworkers, bumbles his way to reshaping the team for the better, and even learns a thing or two about himself.
source: Apple TV
One of those things is how to manage his anxiety, which emerges full force in season 1, episode 7, after he is sent divorce papers by his soon-to-be-ex-wife. When Richmond decides to celebrate a victory at a karaoke club, Ted’s boss Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) sings “Let It Go,” which dredges up his stress over the whole ordeal, and leads him to have a panic attack.
Through its brilliant use of jump cuts, rack-focus camerawork, emphasizing the sound of Ted’s ears ringing, and Jason Sudeikis’ almost combustible performance, it’s a masterful marriage of acting and filmmaking that forms the most realistic live-action depiction of a panic attack.
1. Inside Out 2 (2024)
Inside Out (2015) was a hard act to follow up, and while this billion-dollar hit sequel doesn’t surpass its predecessor, it deserved all the praise it received for its depiction of Anxiety (voiced hilariously by Maya Hawke). The story picks up two years after the original, and follows thirteen-year-old Riley (Kensington Tallman) as she attends hockey camp in the summer before starting high school. Riley’s also experiencing the onset of puberty, which brings the arrival of Anxiety, Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adele Exarchopolous). Later, consumed by fear of the unknown, Anxiety takes total control of Riley’s mind, while Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Disgust (Liza Lapira), Anger (Lewis Black), and Fear (Tony Hale) strive to save Riley from herself.
source: Walt Disney Pictures
In the movie’s now-famous climax, Riley is put in the penalty box for an incident that hurt her friend Grace (Grace Lu). Adding to her uncertainty over whether she’ll make the team, this sends both Anxiety and Riley into a trembling terror. The attention to detail in this scene is simultaneously painfully realistic, and heightens the situation in the best way possible. The quickening heartbeat, Riley breaking out in a sweat, clutching her heart in pain, uncontrollable shaking. Meanwhile, inside her brain, Anxiety races across the control panel so frantically she literally creates a fear-stricken maelstrom. The key ingredient that helps all of this gel together is the writing. Anxiety isn’t positioned as the villain, merely a misguided antagonist. Once Joy and the others make it back to headquarters, and Joy is able to convince Anxiety to let go of the control panel, the latter expresses genuine remorse, claiming to only want the best for Riley. It’s a fantastical-yet-real portrayal of how a panic attack feels both inside and out.
Conclusion
Why are scenes like this cropping up more and more nowadays, and why are they so important? I think it’s because as it becomes more socially acceptable to have discussions about this sort of thing, audiences find it equally validating to see that reflected back to them in such creative and authentic ways. These kinds of scenes really are the purest embodiment of Roger Ebert’s belief that “The movies are a machine that generates empathy.” Even if you’ve never experienced a panic attack yourself (though I have), moments like the ones discussed above give a powerful insight into such a state of mind. I hope this leaves you with much food for thought.
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema – get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.
