Films & Docs / Documentaries
Stutz
A 2022 documentary in which actor and director Jonah Hill talks with his own psychiatrist, Phil Stutz.
Viewing note
This is a documentary about one person's experience of therapy, made with the participation of both people shown. It presents one client's view of one psychiatrist and his methods. It is not representative of therapy in general and is not evidence that any method works.
Details
Title: Stutz
Year: 2022
Director: Jonah Hill
Format: documentary
Country: United States
Running time: 96 minutes 24 seconds
What the work shows
Jonah Hill, the film’s director, speaks with Phil Stutz, the psychiatrist who has been his therapist. Netflix describes filmed conversations about Stutz’s life and approach, including the visual exercises he calls the Tools. The production is a documentary, not a record of their ordinary therapy appointments.
How closely it reflects practice
The film is shaped by its maker, who is both a participant and the director. In an interview with VICE, psychotherapist James Davies described it as engaging but cautioned that watching a documentary and adopting its suggestions is not a substitute for therapy. This is one practitioner’s view, not a general assessment of treatment formats.
The film presents a particular relationship and arrangement. The method it presents is Stutz’s own and has not been evaluated here.
Participation and privacy
Hill directs and appears in the documentary with Stutz. The terms of their participation have not been independently examined for this entry. Confidentiality rules differ between professions and jurisdictions.
Limits of this entry
Netflix’s catalogue provides the year and running time; its promotional material describes the production. The film has not been viewed for this draft, and the entry does not evaluate the clinical effectiveness of its methods.
Sources and inspection notes
Netflix Tudum. Stutz (film record).
Supports: Netflix lists the year as 2022 and the running time as 1:36:24; it describes the filmed conversations. The film itself was not viewed.
Richards, A. (2022). Meet Stutz, Jonah Hill’s documentary about his therapist. Netflix Tudum.
Supports: Netflix promotional description of the documentary and its distinction from a recording of ordinary therapy appointments.
Sharma, R. (2022). What an actual therapist thinks of Jonah Hill’s Netflix doc. VICE.
Supports: Psychotherapist James Davies’s stated opinion of the film and its limits. His comments are a personal professional view.