Showing Articles for

Film & Media

Image of a microphone representing Minority Mental Health Awareness Month podcasts.

5 Top Podcast Recommendations for Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Krystal Kavita Jagoo · July 24, 2020

We recognize July as National Minority Mental Health Month and the importance of prioritizing mental well-being for communities of color. These five podcasts provide diverse perspectives on mental health, race, identity and more.

Health Features
Image of a spray bottle representing the documentary STINK on Netflix.

“STINK!” Exposes the Odious Chemical Practices of Corporations in America

James Parker · July 10, 2020

The documentary STINK! follows the personal story of how Jon J Whelan became involved in activism against toxic chemicals.

Health Features
A photo of a woman holding a rainbow flag representing a recent list of the best gay films to watch during pride 2020.

7 Films to Celebrate Pride 2020

MedTruth Editors · June 26, 2020

In the mood for a queer documentary, comedy or romance? Look no further. We've selected a handful of the best gay, lesbian and trans films to watch during Pride 2020 and all year long.

Health Features

Ava DuVernay’s '13th' Traces the Public Health Crisis of Mass Incarceration

Emily Rose Thorne · June 13, 2020

The Netflix documentary “13th,” directed by Ava DuVernay, traces the history of mass incarceration and explains how the remnants of American slavery intertwine with crime, punishment and Blackness.

Health Features
Still from Honey Boy, a film related to mental health.

5 Films to Watch During Mental Health Awareness Month

Lauren Styx · May 29, 2020

MedTruth shares our top five films that provide a window into the many different kinds of mental health journeys, in honor of May's Mental Health Awareness Month.

Health Features

'Brain on Fire' Brings Attention to Rare, Maddening Mystery Illness

Kimberly Nicoletti · May 22, 2020

A young journalist experiencing unusual symptoms is misdiagnosed with a mental illness in the film adaptation of a true story, which successfully drew attention to an unrecognized autoimmune disease known as anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

Health Features

‘Swallow’ Is a Haunting Cinematic Portrait on Body and Control

Ashley Lombardo · May 15, 2020

The film follows Hunter, a polished and newly pregnant housewife who craves inedible objects. Her experiences with an eating disorder known as pica explore themes of compulsion, control and the expectations of motherhood and domesticity.

Health Features
Dark Waters film banner

‘Dark Waters:’ A True Story of Toxic Drinking Water and DuPont's Deception

Tess Francke · May 8, 2020

The corrupt story of water pollution in America unfolds in the 2019 film 'Dark Waters' from the perspective of a Cincinnati attorney played by Mark Ruffalo, who comes to the gut-wrenching realization that mega-corporations dump hazardous waste into water sources.

Health Features
Poster for Netflix's documentary Pandemic.

Netflix's 'Pandemic' Eerily Predicted COVID-19

Kimberly Nicoletti · April 24, 2020

The Netflix docuseries "Pandemic," filmed prior to the coronavirus outbreak, follows doctors and researchers in their quests to prepare for a pandemic like the 1918 deadly influenza virus.

Health Features
Poster for the Amazon Prime original show Undone.

Amazon Prime Series 'Undone' Creatively Warps Space and Time

Annie Simon · April 10, 2020

Amazon Prime's original show 'Undone' is a visually stunning depiction of trauma and mental illness from the creators of Bojack Horseman.

Health Features
Screengrab from the movie Osmosis Jones.

What We Can Learn From 'Osmosis Jones' During a Global Pandemic

Tess Francke · March 27, 2020

'Osmosis Jones,' a 2001 movie, provides insight into how the human body fights pathogens, plus tips on how to stay healthy and other fundamental topics that can help us better navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

Health Features
Still from Dallas Buyers Club, part of 4 health films to watch during coronavirus crisis.

4 Entertaining Health Films to Watch During Coronavirus Crisis

MedTruth Editors · March 20, 2020

As COVID-19 progresses and states begin to shelter-in-place, people are searching for movies to watch. From 'Thank You For Smoking' to 'Five Feet Apart,' here are a few Hollywood films depicting interesting, relevant public health concepts to keep you thinking and entertained.

Health Features
Image art from Netflix's The Pharmacist.

Netflix’s Docuseries 'The Pharmacist' Depicts One Man’s Fight Against Opioid Corruption

Kimberly Nicoletti · March 13, 2020

'The Pharmacist' tells the story of Daniel Schneider’s heart-wrenching search for his son’s killer and ultimately shows the opioid crisis through his eyes — a Louisiana-based pharmacist.

Health Features
A photo of a woman holding generic drugs in her hands, scrutinizing the beige pills after hearing the Bottle of Lies podcast.

'Anamnesis' Podcast Delves Into Manufacturing Issues With Generic Drugs

Kimberly Nicoletti · February 28, 2020

In a recent episode of the “Anamnesis” podcast, investigative journalist Katherine Eban discusses the substandard conditions for manufacturing generic drugs.

Health Features
Netflix Broken mini-series logo showing recycling waste, Juul, makeup and dangerous furniture.

Friday Film: Netflix's 'Broken' Mini-Series Exposes Product Dangers and Deceit

S. Nicole Lane · February 21, 2020

The Netflix mini-docuseries “Broken” details the harmful and fraudulent ways in which manufacturers create cheap products at the public’s expense, including counterfeit makeup and low-quality furniture.

Health Features
Photo from chronic illness documentary Trust Me, I'm Sick showing Ezra Wheeler, an Ehlers-Danlos syndrome patient, reading a book in bed

'Trust Me, I'm Sick,' A Female-Led Documentary Series on Chronic Illness

Annie Simon · January 31, 2020

'Trust Me, I'm Sick,' a short documentary series following the everyday lives of five individuals, works to create an accurate portrayal of people living with chronic illness.

Health Features
Person reading a book about chronic illness.

6 Books and Films for Navigating Life with Chronic Illness 

Tess Francke · January 8, 2020

In addition to a network of support, books and films can help those suffering from a condition cope. These resources are tailored to chronic illness sufferers, as they all highlight particular chronic conditions.

Health Features
A screenshot of

Friday Film: “The Mind, Explained” Brings Clarity to the Brain’s Complexities

Emma Schkloven · November 15, 2019

Narrated by Emma Stone, the Netflix miniseries is a great introduction to the cerebral science of the human mind and all its complexities.

Health Features
Barn surrounded by crops depicted in Farmer's Footprint

Friday Film: 'Farmer's Footprint' Fights For Chemical-Free Agriculture

Emma Schkloven · October 25, 2019

Farmer’s Footprint, a docu-series following farmers in America, explores how different farming practices affect health and the environment. The series explains the regenerative agriculture movement, a practice opposed to the use of chemicals such as glyphosate.

Health Features
Person watching the Netflix docu-series Diagnosis on a laptop

Friday Film: 'Diagnosis' on Netflix Explores Medical Mysteries

Tess Francke · October 7, 2019

In Netflix's docu-series Diagnosis, New York Times columnist Dr. Lisa Sanders uses the power of writing and the internet to connect the dots for people with undiagnosed and mysterious medical conditions. Each episode tracks the story of a patient with a rare case who is seeking answers to what is causing their symptoms.

Health Features
Kelly Noonan Gores film Heal addresses the power of the mind with narration from Kelly

Friday Film: Heal, a Documentary on the Power of the Mind

Lauren Delisle · August 30, 2019

Combining her loves for filmmaking, yoga, meditation, and spiritualism, Kelly Noonan Gores set out to talk with some of the world's most renowned alternative medicine healers. Though "Heal" is a bit limiting in its condemnation of Western medicine, its message on the power of the mind is notable.

Health Features
A photo of friends gathering to watch the HBO film Breast Men, which chronicles the invention of breast implants.

Friday Film: Breast Men, the Fate of an Industry Foreshadowed

S. Nicole Lane · August 23, 2019

Some thirty years after the first breast implant procedures, HBO set out to produce the film, "Breast Men." Though the piece does reflect the legal conflicts and health battles that breast implants would go on to create, its crude telling of such a sensitive topic struggles to withstand the test of time.

Health Features
A photo of a couple watching Ann Curry's

Friday Film: Chasing the Cure, A Docu-Series About Medical Mysteries

Tess Francke · August 9, 2019

Produced by journalist and former "Today" anchor, Ann Curry, the docu-series "Chasing the Cure" follows unsolved medical mysteries in the hopes of getting diagnoses for those who live with them. Each episode invites viewers to provide insights, making for a show with a real capacity for impact.

Health Features
A photo of the town of Oceana affected by the opioid crisis in the Oxyana documentary.

'Oxyana,' A Portrait of Rural America's Opioid Crisis

Ashley Lombardo · August 2, 2019

Oxyana, an award-winning documentary film created by Sean Dunne, follows the small-town West Virginia residents of Oceana as they grapple with the impacts of the opioid crisis. Six years later, the harrowing documentary film Oxyana is still relevant.

Health Features
Bleeding Edge Group

4 Major Takeaways from Netflix's The Bleeding Edge

Ashley Lombardo · August 17, 2018

In the hard-hitting Netflix documentary The Bleeding Edge, investigators unpack the failures and subsequent dangers of the U.S. medical device system.

Health Features
Scene of patient doing physical therapy from Netflix Documentary Bleeding Edge Film

Netflix's The Bleeding Edge Exposes Essure, Mesh and Other Dangerous Devices

Ashley Lombardo · August 4, 2018

A new Netflix documentary, The Bleeding Edge, delves into the hidden dangers of the multi-billion dollar medical industry.

News