The narcissist’s playbook

“The Narcissist’s Playbook” is a feature-length documentary exploring one of the most pervasive and often misunderstood mental pathologies in our culture: Narcissism.

Shot in seven countries and viewed through the lens of four self-confessed, self-aware malignant narcissists who openly share the secrets of how they operate with uncensored candor, the film follows their disturbing stories, juxtaposed with the growing body of wisdom from victims, survivors, scientists, and mental health professionals.

While the term narcissist is thrown around freely and the issue seems to be everywhere in the cultural conversation due to the overwhelming omnipresence of social media -- most are unaware of the narcissist’s shared “playbook” and how pervasive their abuse can be – from the most intimate relationships to the actions of global leaders. It’s all abuse, it’s just a question of scale.

By exposing these patterns of behavior directly from the mouths of the narcissists themselves, the film sets out to educate its audience to become aware of their manipulations and, by understanding their moves, protect themselves from falling for their self-serving lies and abuse.

STATUS: POST Production

OUR EXPERTS

Dr. Ramani Durvasula

Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at California State University Los Angeles, and one of the world's leading experts on narcissism and narcissistic abuse. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA and has appeared on major media outlets including Red Table Talk, the TODAY Show, and Good Morning America. Dr. Durvasula is the host of the groundbreaking podcast "Navigating Narcissism" and author of bestselling books including "It's Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People."

Professor Sam Vaknin

Professor Sam Vaknin is an Israeli writer, professor of psychology, and author of the seminal work "Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited" (1999), considered by many as the authoritative guide on narcissism. A visiting professor at Southern Federal University and professor at the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, Vaknin has studied over 1,500 narcissists over 23 years and openly identifies as having narcissistic personality disorder himself. His YouTube channel has over 170,000 subscribers and 35 million views, offering unique insights that combine academic rigor with personal experience.

Richard Grannon

Richard Grannon is a renowned narcissistic abuse recovery expert, CPTSD coach, and author who specializes in helping individuals break free from the cycle of narcissistic abuse. He is the author of books including "A Cult of One" and hosts regular podcasts on CPTSD and recovery. Grannon's methodology draws on NLP, cognitive behavioral therapy, zen meditation, and psychodynamics to offer practical solutions for reclaiming self-worth after narcissistic abuse and developing emotional regulation skills.

Dr. Heather Berlin

Dr. Heather Berlin is an American neuroscientist and licensed clinical psychologist who serves as Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She earned her doctorate from Oxford University and Master of Public Health from Harvard University. Dr. Berlin is the host of the PBS Nova series "Your Brain" and a prominent science communicator who explores the neural basis of consciousness, creativity, and human behavior, bringing a unique neuroscientific perspective to understanding the brain mechanisms underlying narcissistic behavior.

Dr. Keith Campbell

Dr. W. Keith Campbell is an American social psychologist and professor at the University of Georgia, nationally recognized for his research on narcissism, personality, and cultural change. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers and authored influential books including "The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement" and "The New Science of Narcissism." Dr. Campbell has delivered popular TED Talks on the psychology of narcissism and his research has been instrumental in documenting the rise of narcissism in American culture.

Christine Louis de Canonville

Christine Louis de Canonville is an internationally recognized clinical psychotherapist, author, and specialist in narcissistic abuse recovery who worked in mental health and trauma recovery for over 35 years. She holds a B.A. (Hons) in Theology & Psychology and is the founder of narcissisticbehavior.net. De Canonville is the author of "The Three Faces of Evil: Unmasking the Full Spectrum of Narcissistic Abuse" and created specialized training programs for therapists working with survivors of narcissistic abuse.

Dr. Bandy Lee

Dr. Bandy Lee is a forensic and social psychiatrist, world expert on violence, and former professor at Yale School of Medicine and Yale Law School who is currently with the Harvard Program in Psychiatry and the Law. She is the president of the World Mental Health Coalition and has authored the comprehensive textbook "Violence: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Causes, Consequences, and Cures." Dr. Lee has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and led violence prevention initiatives for the World Health Organization, focusing on the intersection of dangerous leadership and public mental health.

Behind the Scenes

Why this Film?

In 2017, I discovered that the leader of an organization I had been part of for some 12 years was likely a malignant narcissist and was doing truly evil things to many of my friends. This came as an enormous shock as I had considered the leader, Keith Raniere, a mentor in ethics, scientific thinking, and humanitarian endeavors. I realized I had been in a cult for over a decade, and Raniere was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The organization, NXIVM was being used by Raniere as a front for deeply immoral and illegal activities. During the next few years, as my friends and I did everything in our power to bring him and his co-conspirators to justice, I began to ask many questions. How did I fall for it? How did I not see it? How was he able to infiltrate my deepest yearnings and have me believe he and I were aligned in our mission?

The leader, Keith Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison for racketeering and sex trafficking. Bit by bit, my friends and I began to get our lives back and heal our hearts and minds from years of coercive control and manipulation. In my journey of healing, it became my passion to understand the pathologies of leaders like this. It led me to the study of Narcissism and Narcissistic Abuse. I began to realize that the same patterns of narcissistic abuse present in abusive relationships are mirrored identically in certain families, groups, religions, corporations, and political parties.

“The Narcissist’s Playbook” exposes the epidemic of narcissism fast becoming the accepted default in our world. It is my belief that all the symptoms we are trying to address in the world cannot be truly solved until we understand who is causing it. Many of our world issues can all be traced back to individuals without conscience or empathy. We must take off our Pollyanna, rose-colored glasses and recognize that these people do exist and many of them are running the show.

I have the great fortune of working with talented producers and crew members who have intimate experiences of narcissistic abuse at the hands of individuals like this. This film is the step-by-step playbook many of us wish we had received many years ago before the profound betrayal, pain, and resulting confusion. It is a message to future people to help them see the pattern. Because, once you see it, you cannot unsee it and so much of what had been going on in our lives and the world at large, begins to make sense. Then, we can become so much more effective in our individual missions.