So, you’re looking for movies and TV shows that inspire you to leave a toxic, abusive relationship? Or you’ve already left and you’re working on narcissistic abuse recovery, so you’d like to watch something that makes you feel inspired and ready to move on? Well, my friend, look no further. Here’s a list made by our community of narcissistic abuse survivors of movies and television shows that inspired, entertained, and properly distracted them during their own recovery.

You’re not alone if movies and TV shows help give you a little push toward taking back your life. A lot of narcissistic abuse survivors find that, especially these days, they spend a lot of time alone – whether they’re still with their abusers, or not. And in any case, one convenient way to spend rainy days or extended alone times is to watch movies and TV shows.

And, hey – when you’re dealing with the need to feel empowered or motivated, what better way to multitask than by watching inspiring, empowering, and at times, hilarious movies during the end of a toxic relationship and into your narcissistic abuse recovery, right? So what are the best movies to inspire you to feel strong, empowered, and ready to move forward with your life?

Best Movies to Empower You in Narcissistic Abuse Recovery

I polled The SPANily Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Support Group – and they shared the movies and television shows that help them stay focused on their goals, empowered to take back their lives, and properly distracted as needed

Best Movies to Inspire & Empower You To Leave a Narcissist

#1. Enough

Survivor Reviews:

• “It’s got Jennifer Lopez in it, playing an abuse victim. It was my relationship to a T!”
• “It helps you realize what you’re dealing with in the relationship, but then she takes back her power.”
• “Totally inspired me to leave.”

#2. Birds Of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

Survivor Reviews:

• “Somehow they really nailed some of the truths of escaping abusive relationships. Like how they made her vulnerable and depressed and disoriented and strong and capable and resilient all at the same time.”
• “I felt a lot of that movie on a personal level. It definitely was a solid pick me up.”
• “I found Birds of Prey to be strangely inspiring. I mean I took away from it that Harley learned to be independent and strong after her breakup. Not having to rely on anyone else’s protection anymore.”

#3. Sleeping with the Enemy

“Julia Roberts kicks narc ASS!”

Honorable Mention: I Can Only Imagine

Survivor Reviews:

• “I just watched the movie and I cried like a baby!”
• “Warning: it can cause triggers. It’s about an abusive father but the ending is absolutely amazing.”

Movies That Make Good Distractions During Narcissistic Abuse Recovery

#1. Ma

Survivor Reviews:

“It’s a horror revenge thriller but I enjoyed it so much.”

“Not necessarily empowering, but a perfect way to distract myself.”

#2. Magic Mike XXL

Survivor Reviews:

• “Because it’s sex-positive with hot guys.”
• “Yeah, that one will keep your eyes glued to it!”

#3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

“This one’s on the lighter side, but it was a great distraction for me when processing the end of my narcissistic relationship.”

More Interesting and Empowering Movies Recommended by Survivors of Abuse

• Waiting to Exhale
• Girls Trip
• Set it Off
• How Stella Got Her Groove BackWonder Woman
• Diary of a Mad Black Woman
• The Holiday
• The Women
• How to be Single
• The Intern
• The First Wives Club
• Bad Moms
• Eat Pray Love
• Under The Tuscan Sun
• Fall From Grace 
• The Other Woman
• Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, MO
• Heartburn with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.
• Once Were Warriors
• Dolores Clayborne
• Fear
• The Witches of Eastwick

Honorable Mentions 

• Captain Marvel
• Aliens
• Terminator 2
• Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Gone Girl

TV Shows Recommended to Help Inspire & Distract You During Narcissistic Abuse Recovery

• Will & Grace
• New Girl
• Parks and Rec
• Good Girls
• AJ & The Queen
• Brittany Runs a Marathon
• The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Call the Midwife
• Grace and Frankie
• Midnight Gospel
• Dirty John
• Dr. Foster

Please remember this. 

Clearly, TV shows and movies aren’t going to solve any problems for you. But, if you carefully curate your intake and choose media that empowers, amuses and otherwise supports you in your narcissistic abuse recovery, you’ll thank yourself.

As one survivor noted, “TV and movies can be very triggering for me too sometimes. I never realized how deeply it was affecting my thinking but so much of it is aimed at getting people to measure their worth by romantic relationships. So now I have a list of emotionally ‘safe’ shows and movies and even music that I resort to when I am feeling vulnerable. They are ones that don’t focus on romantic relationships but instead base the female character development on other aspects of their lives.”

Be sure that TV and movies are not the only areas you start curating in this narcissistic abuse recovery process. You want to focus on the people, activities and even the general energy you allow in your space while you’re going through recovery. It’s an ongoing process and if you want to intentionally heal, the first place to begin is by removing toxic influences from your life to make space for more positive ones.

Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Resources

• The QueenBeeing SPANily, Official – We consider this to be the best narcissistic abuse recovery support group on the web. Offers several subgroups and features a vigilant, compassionate admin team full of trained coaches and survivors, supporting more than 12k members. SPAN is an acronym created by Angie Atkinson that stands for Support for People Affected by Narcissistic abuse in toxic relationships.
• Other Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Support Groups – We also have separate groups for each stage in your narcissistic abuse recovery, as well as some for those who have moved past recovery and are evolving into the next stage of their own life. Survivors have unique and individual needs, even when they’ve moved on – so we’re still here for you.
• One-on-One Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coaching – If you prefer to get more personalized support in your recovery, you might like to schedule a session with one of our coaches to plan and execute your own narcissistic abuse recovery plan.
• Find a Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Therapist – If you’re looking for a therapist for narcissistic abuse recovery, either because you cannot afford coaching and want to use your health insurance or because you have additional issues you need to address that do not fall within the realm of coaching, you will want to find the right therapist for you – and as far as we’re concerned, that therapist must understand what you’ve been through. This page offers assistance to help you do exactly that.
• Where Are You in Recovery? You might not be sure exactly where you fit in and what level of recovery you’ve achieved. If that’s the case, you’ll want to check out this self-assessment to help you determine exactly where you fall in the stages of recovery from narcissistic abuse. Once you finish and submit the assessment, you will be given resources for your own situation, along with recommendations of which groups to join.
• Which Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Program is Right for You? If you aren’t sure which program you want to utilize to facilitate your recovery from narcissistic abuse, this self-assessment will help you decide.
• PLAN to Leave a Narcissist – Free downloadable worksheets and planning guides to help you safely remove yourself from a relationship with a narcissist.

Helpful Videos for Narcissistic Abuse Survivors

• (NEW!) Narcissistic Parents and the LIfelong, Shocking Effects They Have on Your Adult Life
• Getting Over a Narcissistic Ex to Regain Your Power
• Disarm a Narcissist With THESE Phrases & Beat Them at Their Own Game
• When You Dump a Narcissist (with Dr. Robin Bryman)
• When You See the Narcissist After No Contact 
• How to Catch a Narcissist in a Lie Every Time (No-Fail Method!) 
• 20 Things Narcissists Hate & Don’t Want You to Know They Worry About 
• Narcissists Use False Empathy to Fool You (When Narcissists Use False Empathy)
• Can A Narcissist Change For The Better? 
• 7 Comments That Instantly Trigger a Narcissist’s Anger 
• Why Narcissists Have To Hurt You
• Narcissist’s False Self (How does the narcissist’s false self develop?) 
• Narcissists in Old Age (What No One Tells You About Aging Narcissists)