Brain on Fire

Play trailer

1:55

Brain on Fire

PG-13

2016

1h 35m

Biography

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

13%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Susannah Cahalan, an up-and-coming journalist at the New York Post becomes plagued by voices in her head and seizures. As weeks progress and Susannah quickly moves deeper into insanity, her behaviors shift from violence to catatonia. After a series of tantrums, misdiagnoses, and a lengthy hospital stay, a doctor's last-minute intervention enables him to give her a diagnosis and a chance to rebuild her life.

Watch on Netflix

Stream Now

David Rooney

The Hollywood Reporter

We watch Chloe Grace Moretz's epic meltdown from a bored distance, until the drama remembers its lost calling as a disease-of-the-week movie. At that point, we receive the abrupt news of a cure with an indifferent shrug.

Sep 19, 2016

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Screen International

Despite the fact that Susannah eventually manages to claw her way back from the brink of madness, this is a downbeat slog of a film which tells a not particularly involving story.

Sep 19, 2016

Full Review

Peter Debruge

Variety

It's the sort of role for which the Razzies were invented, and what little audience it finds will almost certainly be heckling as they watch Moretz implode.

Sep 18, 2016

Full Review

Alec Bojalad

Den of Geek

Brain on Fire is like a virus itself, trying to infect an otherwise interest story with its own mediocre movie clichés.

Rated: 2.5/5

Mar 1, 2019

Full Review

Renee Schonfeld

Common Sense Media

Brain condition ravages young reporter's life; swearing.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 27, 2018

Full Review

Kahron Spearman

The Daily Dot

Despite its best efforts... Brain on Fire is a 90-minute shrug.

Jun 27, 2018

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

I watched this as a result of a recommendation from a friend who knows someone who has personally experienced this condition. Very well done. Definitely worth watching. Impressive acting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

Full Review

Alice S

As someone who went through very similar medical issues, this movie did a great job showing what she went through. I felt like I was reliving the worst part of my life watching the movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/12/25

Full Review

Hailee B

This was a movie. I love Chloe Grace she just does so well at acting and her performance in hospital scenes is just so Legendary. Great movie great story telling i believe there was a book for this movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/12/24

Full Review

Vishnu M

OMG! the perfomance of Chloe was mind blowing, she is the real star of the movie, the story was awsome I really enjoyed. Bit slow in places but overall interesting and brings light to something important.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/10/24

Full Review

Hei D

I admit I had to press the forward button a few times during the various melt-downs. But it's a must-see both for the topic itself and great acting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/01/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Who are these “ critics “ , they should find other things to do because their comments are insanely wrong !!, this movie is based on real life and as far as I am concerned was very well acted , the movie I enjoyed , definitely a must watch movie and it has a feel good factor , especially when they diagnoses was found by the DR , Charlize Theron directed this movie and it has a great cast of actors too !

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Gerard Barrett

Director

Chloë Grace Moretz

Susannah Cahalan

Thomas Mann

Stephen

Jenny Slate

Angela

Richard Armitage

Tom Cahalan

Carrie-Anne Moss

Rhona Nack

Concussion

58%

74%

Concussion

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Concussion

I'm Not Ashamed

22%

82%

I'm Not Ashamed

Watchlist

TRAILER

for I'm Not Ashamed

Big Eyes

72%

68%

Big Eyes

Watchlist

Sully

85%

84%

Sully

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sully

The Glass Castle

53%

70%

The Glass Castle

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Glass Castle

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Brain on Fire: Trailer 1

1:55

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Susannah Cahalan, an up-and-coming journalist at the New York Post becomes plagued by voices in her head and seizures. As weeks progress and Susannah quickly moves deeper into insanity, her behaviors shift from violence to catatonia. After a series of tantrums, misdiagnoses, and a lengthy hospital stay, a doctor's last-minute intervention enables him to give her a diagnosis and a chance to rebuild her life.

Director: Gerard Barrett
Producer: Charlize Theron, Beth Kono, Lindsay MacAdam, Rob Merilees, A.J. Dix
Screenwriter: Gerard Barrett
Production Co: Foundation Features, Broad Green Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Partial Nudity|Brief Language)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 22, 2018
Runtime: 1h 35m

Most Popular at Home Now