Cinemental is a podcast about mental health and how it’s portrayed in cinema and television. What did they get right? What did they get wrong? And what do YOU need to know about mental health. Hosted by Jeffrey Jones (screenwriter and professor) and his brother Dr. Joshua Jones (psychiatrist), these two brothers tackle and all subjects such as depression, grief, anxiety, schizophrenia, even possession. They’ll discuss the triggers for mental health such as family drama, the role of stress, even mentorship. Cinemental is meant to start the conversation about mental health in a fun and entertaining way to let you know that whatever mental health issue you may be struggling with… you’re not alone.
Insidious is remembered for jump scares, creepy imagery, and one of the most unsettling uses of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” ever put on film. But underneath the supernatural horror is a story about something much more grounded: generational trauma, parental fear, and what happens when the problems of one generation get passed down to the next.
In this episode of Cinemental, we break down the psychology behind Insidious, starting with the film’s portrayal of coma, brain injury, concussions, and CTE. We also dig into astral projection and ask whether some experiences people describe as leaving the body might have more in common with dissociation than the supernatural. And because this movie practically demands it, we eventually end up asking the small, easy question: Do human beings actually have souls?
We also look at the very real fears underneath the Lambert family’s story. What questions should people ask themselves before having children? What happens when two parents strongly disagree about the treatment of their child? How does damaged trust change a relationship? And for clinicians, what does it feel like when you reach the point where you genuinely may not be able to help someone? Along the way, Josh also breaks down several completely normal things that happen during sleep that horror movies have been terrifying us with for decades.
Then Jeff turns to the filmmaking side of Insidious for his screenwriting lesson of the day, before we finish with our Top 5 Ways to Learn How to Be a Screenwriter — the books, resources, habits, and approaches that can actually make you better at the craft.
23 Sept 2026
094 Remember The Titans
What can Remember the Titans teach us about prejudice, moral courage, leadership, and what actually changes people’s minds?
In this episode of Cinemental, Jeff and Josh revisit Remember the Titans through the lenses of psychology, psychiatry, filmmaking, and football. We break down Intergroup Contact Theory and why meaningful contact between opposing groups can reduce prejudice, discuss how young children learn ideas about race, and explore the difference between moral courage and moral injury.
We also take a closer look at Coach Yoast and Coach Boone’s radically different leadership styles — including when hard, authoritarian coaching works, when it becomes harmful, and what healthy coaching might actually look like. Then we turn to the film’s depiction of football, Gary Bertier’s story, Hayden Panettiere, and some of the liberties Hollywood took with the true story.
Jeff closes things out with a screenwriting lesson inspired by the film before both brothers reveal their Top 5 coaches from movies and television.
CHAPTERS:
01:28 - The WHITE Elephant in the Room
03:24 - Topics for Today
05:36 - Hayden Panettiere
07:11 - Film Recap
08:05 - Theme of the Film
09:49 - Intergroup Contact Theory
13:43 - Returning to Reality
14:39 - Teaching Anti-Racism at Young Ages
16:46 - Moral Courage & Moral Injury
18:11 - Let’s Talk About Coach Yoast
20:20 - Coaching Styles
32:48 - Moral Courage & Moral Injury Continued
40:14 - Let’s Talk About Football
56:06 - Let’s Talk About Gary
1:01:22 - Jeff’s Screenwriting Lesson
1:07:44 - TOP 5 Best TV & Film Coaches
1:15:18 - BONUS: Josh’s TOP 5 Best TV & Film Coaches
1:19:59 - Final Thoughts
Remember the Titans stars Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, Donald Faison, Ethan Suplee, and Hayden Panettiere and was directed by Boaz Yakin.
8 Sept 2026
093 Fight Club
In this episode of Cinemental, Jeff and Josh dig into the psychology behind David Fincher’s Fight Club: whether support groups could realistically help with insomnia, what dissociative identity disorder actually is, how alternate personalities form, and whether Hollywood portrayals of DID do more harm than good. We also look at antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, Marla Singer and the manic pixie dream girl trope, and the deeper tragedy hiding beneath all the movie’s chaos.
Josh explains DID from a psychiatric perspective and gives us a look at forensic psychiatry, while Jeff breaks down the film’s central theme and pulls out a screenwriting lesson from the way Fight Club connects character, conflict, and meaning.
And, as always, we finish with the Top 5.
CHAPTERS
00:00:18 - Intro
02:45:09 - Fight Club Recap
03:51:09 - Topics for Today
06:21:16 - Fight Club’s Theme
08:01:21 - Could Support Groups Really Fix His Insomnia?
09:40:09 - Numbness
14:58:06 - Diagnosing the Characters
21:38:22 - Does Hollywood Hurt People With DID?
22:57:19 - What Causes Dissociative Identity Disorder?
30:51:07 - How Are the Personalities Formed?
32:35:00 - Antisocial Personality Disorder
33:44:15 - Back to DID
37:34:00 - Borderline Personality Disorder
38:25:03 - The Manic Pixie Dream Girl Trope
39:58:22 - Let’s Talk About FIGHT CLUB
43:15:07 - What Is Forensic Psychiatry?
44:08:06 - Loneliness
50:53:18 - The Real Tragedy of the Film
54:22:10 - Will We Ever Find a Fix for the Brain?
58:34:22 - Jeff’s Screenwriting Lesson
01:06:01:15 - TOP 5
#FightClub #DavidFincher #BradPitt #EdwardNorton #HelenaBonhamCarter #DissociativeIdentityDisorder #Psychology #MentalHealth #Screenwriting #Filmmaking #Cinemental
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
76
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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Questions about Cinemental
Who hosts Cinemental?
hosts of Cinemental and unknown host the show. Published by The Jones Brothers.
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The show publishes bi-weekly, based on its RSS feed.
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