Martha Marcy May Marlene

Movie • 2011 • Drama  

Report
After several years of living with a cult, Martha finally escapes and calls her estranged sister, Lucy, for help. Martha finds herself at the quiet Connecticut home Lucy shares with her new husband, Ted, but the memories of what she experienced in the cult make peace hard to find. As flashbacks continue to torment her, Martha fails to shake a terrible sense of dread, especially in regard to the cult's manipulative leader.
This movie contains 33 potentially triggering events.
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Both
Yes
No

Your Triggers
Does the dog die?
344 supporters
Yes
7
No
11
2
Okamigirl
See dies a cat die, probably answered before does a cat die added
1 comment | Add comment
Unanswered Triggers
Does a woman get slapped?
16 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
0
Is existentialism debated?
11 supporters
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Yes
0
No
0
Is religion discussed?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
0
Is someone restrained?
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
0
Abandonment
1
TBN1994
Martha is missing for 2 years and left without telling her sister/anyone else and they discuss this abandonment.

Also Martha leaves the cult in the initial scene by leaving when they’re all asleep
1 comment | Add comment
Is a child abandoned by a parent?
27 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
2
Is an animal abandoned?
75 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Abuse
Are there abusive parents?
45 supporters
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Yes
0
No
4
1
TBN1994
Sort of. It’s more of a case of she’s gaslit so hard into essentially thinking she isn’t being abused
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone stalked?
26 supporters
Add comment
Yes
8
No
0
0
Sickboy
A woman is consistently abused by a man who she believes loves her. A character kicks their in law down the stairs - the person is okay.
1 comment | Add comment
Is a woman brutalized for spectacle?
69 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
1
TBN1994
Martha drugs another girl as part of her initiation
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
12
No
0
4
MingaLei
It’s a cult so lots of people are gaslighted
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone abused with a belt?
17 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is a child abused?
87 supporters
Yes
0
No
8
1
TBN1994
Not on screen but there are children in the cult and they practice things like food restriction
1 comment | Add comment
Addiction
2
LeslieP
Drugs are put into a drink and given to someone who doesn’t know.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there addiction?
15 supporters
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Yes
0
No
8
Does someone abuse alcohol?
14 supporters
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Yes
0
No
9
Animal
Were animals harmed in the making?
112 supporters
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Yes
0
No
3
Does a horse die?
77 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Does an animal die?
(besides a dog, cat or horse)
144 supporters
Add comment
Yes
9
No
3
Are animals abused?
168 supporters
Yes
8
No
4
0
fraisierdesbois
A cat is shot (off camera)
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
12
No
0
1
Sickboy
Not onscreen, but it’s clear a cat was killed.
1 comment | Add comment
Is an animal sad?
63 supporters
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Yes
0
No
3
Are rabbits harmed?
51 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Does a cat die?
144 supporters
Yes
15
No
0
1
LeslieP
Two cats are shot off screen
2 comments | Add comment
Does a pet die?
132 supporters
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Yes
3
No
1
Does a dragon die?
25 supporters
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Yes
0
No
9
Are there spiders?
41 supporters
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Yes
0
No
8
Are there alligators/crocodiles??
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
3
Are there snakes?
16 supporters
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Yes
0
No
9
Are there sharks?
5 supporters
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Yes
0
No
3
Are there bugs?
27 supporters
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Yes
0
No
7
Assault
Is someone drugged?
26 supporters
Add comment
Yes
3
No
0
Is there pedophilia?
98 supporters
Yes
0
No
4
1
Sickboy
Not outright, but some of the girls in the cult look quite young.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone held under water?
16 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is rape mentioned?
74 supporters
Yes
5
No
0
1
TBN1994
Sort of. 2 characters discuss what has just happened with main expressing confusion (she was drugged) with one of the brainwashed characters rationalising it away and encouraging her that it’s happened to them all and it’s all part of the process. The word is never actually used in the movie as far as i recall
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone beaten up by a bully?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
18
No
0
4
MingaLei
Graphic rape scene at ~26 mins
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone's mouth covered?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
2
Yes
0
No
3
Bodily Harm
Is there shaving/cutting?
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Are any hands damaged?
14 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Are there dislocations?
5 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is there throat mutilation?
25 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
2
Larkinik
During an anxiety attack
1 comment | Add comment
Is there decapitation?
23 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is there cannibalism?
29 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Is someone crushed to death?
26 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Is someone choked?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is someone burned alive?
34 supporters
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Yes
0
No
9
Is someone buried alive?
23 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there body horror?
42 supporters
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Yes
0
No
3
Is there amputation?
24 supporters
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Yes
0
No
7
Does a head get squashed?
48 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Is there Achilles Tendon injury?
15 supporters
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Yes
0
No
5
Is there a hanging?
31 supporters
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Yes
0
No
8
Does someone asphyxiate?
22 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
71 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Does someone become unconscious?
5 supporters
Add comment
Yes
3
No
0
Does someone break a bone?
19 supporters
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Yes
0
No
8
Does someone have a seizure?
6 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Are any teeth damaged?
42 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there finger/toe mutilation?
42 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is someone tortured?
71 supporters
Yes
0
No
9
1
Sickboy
The cult coerces and later forces people into things like food restriction and rape, but otherwise, no.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
6
No
0
0
elfizowa
Just a few and with no injuries
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone fall to their death?
10 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there eye mutilation?
82 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is someone stabbed?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
3
No
0
Is there excessive gore?
73 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Children
Is an infant abducted?
14 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Does a kid die?
38 supporters
Yes
1
No
7
1
Anonymous
The cult leader claims that he only produces male infants. The implication is that he kills the female infants. This isn't a reach given that he also doesn't think of murder as immoral, and he believes men are more valuable than women.
2 comments | Add comment
Is a minor sexualized?
93 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Creepy Crawly
Are there bedbugs?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Death
Does someone sacrifice themselves?
9 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Does a major character die?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
1
No
3
1
Cat

1 comment | Add comment
Does someone die?
12 supporters
Yes
3
No
1
0
TBN1994
The house they break into they likely killed them although deaths aren’t on screen
1 comment | Add comment
Disability
Yes
0
No
4
Is the r-slur used?
31 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Drugs/Alcohol
Does someone overdose?
14 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Family
Yes
3
No
1
0
TBN1994
Not onscreen. But the sisters discuss their mother dying when Martha was young and her sister was in college
1 comment | Add comment
Does a parent die?
19 supporters
Yes
8
No
4
4
Larkinik2
Mentioned that the sisters mother died when Martha was younger.
2 comments | Add comment
Is a child's toy destroyed?
22 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
8
0
Sickboy
Not outright but it’s lightly implied a character is kidnapped or killed towards the end of the movie.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone cheat?
16 supporters
Yes
0
No
7
1
TBN1994
Not strictly speaking, the cult is not exactly encouraging monogamy though
1 comment | Add comment
Fear
Are there ghosts?
9 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
9
Are there jump scares?
53 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Is there a shower scene?
8 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
0
TBN1994
Multiple scenes. Large lake and what looks like a river/creek system
1 comment | Add comment
Are there clowns?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Is someone possessed?
14 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Is trypophobic content shown?
19 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Are there razors?
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES® (1-800-DONTCUT)
12 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Are there mannequins?
5 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Gross
Does someone vomit?
88 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
3
MingaLei
Main character wets herself while sleeping
1 comment | Add comment
Is there farting?
10 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is someone eaten?
26 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is there on-screen pooping?
33 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Does someone spit?
8 supporters
Yes
1
No
7
1
Anonymous
YES. A character deliberately spits in someone else's food at 1:06:01.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there audio gore?
40 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
5
Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
8 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Law Enforcement
Is there copaganda?
26 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Is there incarceration?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
LGBTQ+
Are there transphobic slurs?
43 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
4
Is there deadnaming or birthnaming?
31 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
2
Is there bisexual cheating?
21 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is an LGBT+ person outed?
21 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Loss
Is a priceless artifact destroyed?
6 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Medical
Is electro-therapy used?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Are needles/syringes used?
29 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
2
LeslieP
But there is discussion of it
2 comments | Add comment
Is there a hospital scene?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Is there menstruation?
5 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Does someone have cancer?
17 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Mental Health
1
TBN1994
Martha has undiagnosed PTSD and has a lot of general anxiety throughout the film
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone self harm?
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES® (1-800-DONTCUT)
68 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is autism misrepresented?
27 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is a mentally ill person violent?
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
6
No
0
Is there D.I.D. misrepresentation?
18 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is there autism specific abuse?
35 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
5
1
TBN1994
Not really. But Martha sort of dissociates between her current situation and the cult, this is presented to us via it transitioning suddenly into the other timeline through audio/visual cues
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
4
No
0
0
TBN1994
Martha believes she sees a cult member at her sisters party (it’s never confirmed if she was right) and gets angry and then has a panic attack
1 comment | Add comment
Is there misophonia?
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
12
No
0
0
TBN1994
Very public anxiety attack. She essentially needs to be sedated to stop
1 comment | Add comment
Is there ABA therapy?
15 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
7
Is there body dysphoria?
16 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is there body dysmorphia?
28 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
17 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
0
Sickboy
The cult only eats one meal per day, even if members are hungry, which could potentially fall into the eating disorder category. But otherwise, no.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
9
No
0
4
MingaLei
Main character has PTSD from being in a cult
2 comments | Add comment
Noxious
Yes
4
No
0
0
TBN1994
Couple shots where the camera goes underwater. Nobody is in danger while underwater though
1 comment | Add comment
Are there sudden loud noises?
31 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
9
No
1
0
MingaLei
In the very beginning of the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Does a baby cry?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
7
Is there screaming?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is there obscene language/gestures?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
3
No
0
Are there flashing lights or images?
44 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Paranoia
0
TBN1994
No way of knowing. Martha thinks she is and the film never confirms or denies whether she is really being watched or if it’s her PTSD
1 comment | Add comment
Is the fourth wall broken?
12 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Pregnancy
Is a baby stillborn?
22 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Does someone miscarry?
21 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Are there babies or unborn children?
14 supporters
Add comment
Yes
6
No
0
Is there childbirth?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Are there abortions?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Does a pregnant person die?
16 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Prejudice
Are there homophobic slurs?
40 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Are there usages of the n-word?
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
8
Are there "Man in a dress" jokes?
33 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Does an LGBT person die?
30 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Are there fat jokes?
51 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there aphobia?
18 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is a minority is misrepresented?
24 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Does the black guy die first?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there hate speech?
26 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Race
Is there blackface?
28 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Relationships
Yes
7
No
0
0
TBN1994
The cult leader is in his late 40s or such, the girls are all largely younger. The youngest (Martha and Sarah) are probably very early 20s at best
1 comment | Add comment
Religious
Are there demons or Hell?
14 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Sex
Yes
9
No
0
1
Sickboy
Scene where multiple people swim nude together, nudity partially but not fully obscured by the water. A character undresses completely before jumping into the water, and she is briefly seen naked from behind. Some nudity is the sex scene with multiple couples.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there bestiality?
76 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Does someone lose their virginity?
12 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
2
Is someone sexually objectified?
43 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
2
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
83 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
15
No
0
0
Sickboy
A brief but graphic scene where multiple couples are having sex in one room as a man watches them. Two characters have sex but stop when they realize another character is in the room with them (no nudity).
1 comment | Add comment
Is there BDSM?
18 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Sexism
Yes
0
No
6
Sickness
Is someone terminally ill?
17 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Does someone have a stroke?
9 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Does someone have a chronic illness?
10 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Is there dementia/Alzheimer's?
24 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Social
Are there fat suits?
25 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
7
1
TBN1994
Martha doesn’t have a home, which they point out but she has her sister to turn to.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there anti-abortion themes?
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Spoiler
Is Santa (et al) spoiled?
3 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Are there end credit scenes?
30 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
10
No
0
1
Anonymous
The ending is more than just "ambiguous".
It abruptly ends on a car ride. There's a car driving behind them with a guy in it. Not highlighted in a tense way, either. It's just.. cut.
3 comments | Add comment
Vehicular
Does a car honk or tires screech?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
5
No
0
Does a car crash?
18 supporters
Yes
0
No
8
0
Sickboy
No, but a scene cuts off implying a car will rear end another. However, we never see it.
1 comment | Add comment
Does a plane crash?
10 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Is someone hit by a car?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
7
Violence
Does someone drown?
16 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there blood/gore?
51 supporters
Yes
2
No
6
1
Sickboy
A man is stabbed to death, though we never see the nice. Some blood is shown on the murderer’s clothes.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there a nuclear explosion?
6 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there gun violence?
23 supporters
Add comment
Yes
14
No
0