Psychological drama films are generally rooted in traditional drama of the early 20th century such as The Whispering Chorus (1918) and Greed (1924). Early examples of popular psychological drama films include La vuelta al nido (1938), Death of a Salesman (1951), Johnny Belinda (1948), A Place in the Sun (1951), The Snake Pit (1948), and Rapture (1965).
Several films generally within the subgenre have employed controversial social issues and/or psychosexual themes, most notably Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962), A Clockwork Orange (1971), and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Other acclaimed films with similar themes include Last Tango in Paris (1972), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), The Ninth Configuration (1980), Pink Floyd – The Wall, Sophie's Choice (both 1982) Heavenly Creatures (1994), Breaking the Waves (1996), I Stand Alone (1998), Magnolia (1999), Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Piano Teacher (2001), Elephant (2003), Enter the Void (2009), Biutiful (2010), Shame (2011), Jagten and The Master (both 2012), Nymphomaniac (2013), Whiplash (2014), The Power of the Dog (2021), and Blonde and The Whale (both 2022).