


And even with that information there aren’t any easy answers regarding why a person that seems to have it together doesn’t. Half Nelson also briefly explores the main character’s personal and home life to give us a better picture of what the root of his problem might be. He’s what some may call a “high-functioning” addict, making Half Nelson one of the more complex films about self-destruction. However, what makes Half Nelson such a fascinating portrait of self-destruction is the fact that Gosling’s character isn’t necessarily a complete trainwreck of a person. This movie fits into the “addiction” sub-genre of self-destruction films. Half Nelson is a great character study about self-destruction: it’s about a teacher (played by Ryan Gosling) struggling with a drug problem. Here are 10 great films that depict self-destruction. These three concepts are not groundbreaking they share similarities, but the way a film portrays them can be wildly different.

The three main ways filmmakers explore self-destruction seem to be: mental health, suicide, and addiction. Self-destruction as a theme in film can be presented in different ways.
