Trauma in film

Trauma in film and other visual media represents an increasing concern for survivors of trauma. While witnessing traumatic events in film can help sensitize people to the importance of trauma, these same scenes of graphically portrayed traumatic events can not only trigger traumatic memories and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in trauma survivors, but can also be traumatic for non-survivors to witness. Some in the mental health community have expressed concern about the impact of graphic violence on trauma survivors, and the responsibility of the media regarding the effects of watching trauma in film. The significance of trauma triggers in film is becoming more recognized as issues of trauma, PTSD, and trauma recovery become better understood.

Films
Films with traumatic or potentially traumatic scenes are alphabetically listed below by trauma category. Some films may appear in more than one category. Listing below is based on whether the content is perceived to be traumatic or a trauma trigger for a trauma survivor; thus, a movie may be listed based on whether the person watching the movie perceives there to be a traumatic occurrence, not on whether the occurrence actually takes place. (Example: there is a miscarriage perceived in Kill Bill that the movie watcher later learns did not take place.) If you add films to a category, please be sure to add them alphabetically. To view and add your movie to an alphabetical list of all movies with identified trauma scenes, and to describe or discuss these scenes briefly, go to Talk: Trauma in film.

Violent trauma
* Domestic abuse
** Boys on the Side
** Dolores Claiborne
** Fried Green Tomatoes
** Sleeping with the Enemy
** Titanic

* Mugging
**Trade

* Hostage taking
* Kidnapping
** Fargo

* Murder
** Five Corners
** The Shawshank Redemption
** Gerry

* Suicide
** Dead Poets Society
** Girl, Interrupted
** It's My Party
** Monster's Ball
** Nowhere
** Ordinary People
** The Rules Of Attraction

* Abortion
** The Cider House Rules
** Dirty Dancing

* Slave trafficking
** The Magdalene Sisters

* Cannibalism
**Fried Green Tomatoes
**Ravenous
**Titus

* Gun violence
** Regarding Henry

* Knife violence
** Crocodile Dundee

* Hate crime-specific violence
**American History X
**
**Jeffrey
**Romper Stomper
**Urbania

* Animal Abuse
** Five Corners
** Straw Dogs

* School Shootings
** Elephant
** Higher Learning

Accident/Accidental Death
* Car accident
**Audrey Rose
**Fly Away Home

* Drowning

* Fire
**Audrey Rose
**Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

* Train accident

* Airplane crash

* Death by exposure to elements

* Starvation

* Accidental gunshot death
** Pulp Fiction

* Miscarriage
** Kill Bill

Childhood trauma
* Kidnapping

* Child molestation
** Dolores Claiborne
** Mysterious Skin
** Notes on a Scandal
** The Woodsman

* Child rape
** Happiness
** Hounddog
** The Kite Runner
** The Prince of Tides

* Incestuous child rape
** Antonia's Line
** Priest

* Domestic child abuse

* Child slavery

* Child Abuse
** The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

Military/Combat Trauma
* Battlefield/land combat

* Military torture
** Three Kings

* Terrorist attacks
** Die Hard

* Land mines
** Die Another Day

* Navy/water combat
** The Hunt for Red October

* Air combat
** Top Gun

* Guerrilla warfare
** Apocalypse Now
** Forrest Gump

* Gang/Gangster warfare

* Genocide

* Child soldier trafficking
** Blood Diamond

* Execution
** Braveheart
** Gladiator
** Jesus Christ Superstar
** The Passion of the Christ

Sexual trauma
* Rape
** The Accused
** A Clockwork Orange
** The Clan of the Cave Bear
** Deliverance
** Don't Move
** The Doom Generation
** The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael
** Irreversible
** La Bamba
** Little Children
** The Magdalene Sisters
** Once Upon A Time In America
** Sleeping with the Enemy
** Straw Dogs

* Attempted rape
** Pretty Woman
** The Pianist
** Thelma and Louise
** V for Vendetta

* Gang/group rape
** The General's Daughter
** Last Exit To Brooklyn
** Leaving Las Vegas
** The Accused

* Homogenital rape
** Pulp Fiction
** The Shawshank Redemption

* Military rape
** The General's Daughter

* Sexual trafficking
**Trade

* Prostitution
**My Own Private Idaho
**Mysterious Skin

* Exotic dancing

Natural Disaster
* Flood
**The Day After Tomorrow

* Earthquake

* Volcano

* Tsunami

* Storm
** The Day After Tomorrow
** The Ice Storm

* Tornado

* Hurricane

Addiction
* Alcoholism
**Leaving Las Vegas

* Drug addiction
**Nowhere
**Requiem For A Dream
**Rush
** Train Spotting

* Eating disorder
**Eating
**Girl, Interrupted
**Nowhere

* Gambling
** Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Psychological Trauma
* Cult
 
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