Eddie in It has a lot going on besides his mother's hypochondriacal control over his life, though his asthma inhaler is an omnipresent reminder. Some films include the disorder as a character detail of a side plot. Per the Mayo Clinic, the disordered individual 'falsely claims that another person has physical or psychological signs or symptoms of illness, or causes injury or disease in another person with the intention of deceiving others.' And if you're fascinated by The Act, you may want to check out these 15 movies about Munchausen Syndrome by proxy, which are a surprising mix of horrific and humorous. The dark reality of the seemingly heartwarming relationship between devoted mom Dee Dee Blanchard and her chronically and seriously ill daughter Gypsy Rose was exposed as a case of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy (MBP), or as it's called now, Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another.

But, as you probably know, it's based on a true story.

The plot of the Hulu series The Act seems almost unthinkable.