Tetsuo the Iron Man
Movie • 1989 • Horror
ReportA "metal fetishist", driven mad by the maggots wriggling in the wound he's made to embed metal into his flesh, runs out into the night and is accidentally run down by a Japanese businessman and his girlfriend. The pair dispose of the corpse in hopes of quietly moving on with their lives. However, the businessman soon finds that he is now plagued by a vicious curse that transforms his flesh into iron.
This movie contains 36 potentially triggering events.
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Both
Yes
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Your Triggers
Yes
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No
11
Unanswered Triggers
Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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0
Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
19 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
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0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Is there BDSM?
16 supporters
Yes
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No
0
0
Honkzilla
There is a dream sequence that could be an issue if BDSM is one of your triggers, but no actual BDSM.
1 comment | Add comment
Abandonment
Yes
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No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Abuse
Yes
0
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4
Is someone stalked?
24 supporters
Yes
14
No
2
3
FandomLover
The main villain, guy from beginning, stalks the main character and his girlfriend for revenge for hitting him with their car.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
12
No
3
2
FandomLover
The main protagonist looses control, when he is transforming into the metal man, and attacks his girlfriend.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
1
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
7
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9
2
Makoko
Child abuse is heavily implied. The "Metal fetishist" has a flashback in which he is beaten with a metal rod. You don't actually see him as a kid, but you can hear a boy screaming "Stop!" multiple times.
2 comments | Add comment
Addiction
Yes
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11
Is there addiction?
12 supporters
Yes
8
No
3
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ArthurMcConnell
The metal fetishist has more of an obsession with metal than an addiction with substance abuse. I didn't consider it triggering and have suffered from addiction, but obviously use your own discretion
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
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13
Animal
Yes
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3
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
4
No
7
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FandomLover
Cats are transformed into metal creatures and fused into metal
1 comment | Add comment
Are animals abused?
148 supporters
Yes
11
No
3
2
RichardHoule
While none of the cats appear to die onscreen, they are melded together with metal, and one turns into a metal creature, meowing in discomfort.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
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10
Is there a dead animal?
85 supporters
Yes
10
No
1
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FandomLover
Cats are fused into metal creatures. Not shown on screen
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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3
Yes
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3
Does a cat die?
128 supporters
Yes
14
No
4
1
Okrast
Multiple cats in the apartment mutate and fuse with metal, they are shown to cry out and transform until they lose shape and fuse with the main character.
2 comments | Add comment
Does a pet die?
116 supporters
Yes
6
No
0
0
charredworm
Cats are fused with metal, presumably dying. The filmmakers clearly do not hurt the animals and very obviously just put some tinfoil on some cats.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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12
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
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11
Are there bugs?
21 supporters
Yes
17
No
2
4
fakesqueer
In the opening sequence (within the first 5 minutes +/-) there are maggots in an open leg wound
2 comments | Add comment
Assault
Yes
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3
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
2
No
2
Yes
6
No
1
Yes
19
No
1
1
charredworm
The girlfriend attempts to sexually comfort her boyfriend in his sleep after he says no, and he also attempts to either physically or sexually assault her at one point.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there jokes about sexual assault on men?
36 supporters
Yes
0
No
3
0
MagitekVai
Kinda but not really? A man gets raped, and it's portrayed as horrific, yet also somewhat darkly comedic (at least that's how I viewed it). I still wouldn't say that it's a joke though
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
5
No
0
0
MagitekVai
The main character gets raped by a weird metal snake penis. We get a side view of it entering his butt
1 comment | Add comment
Bodily Harm
Is there shaving/cutting?
28 supporters
Yes
18
No
0
0
charredworm
Shaving is vital to a horror scene, and there is lots of cutting.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
2
Yes
9
No
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Yes
0
No
7
Yes
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No
5
Yes
0
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7
Yes
0
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7
Is there body horror?
34 supporters
Yes
9
No
0
1
Honkzilla
It's a body horror movie
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
6
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
3
No
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Yes
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No
9
Yes
0
No
4
Are any teeth damaged?
35 supporters
Yes
5
No
8
6
fakesqueer
In the beginning sequence, a character pulls a bar of ribbed metal between their top and bottom teeth. The teeth are not damaged, but there is a loud grinding sounds that goes with the action.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
8
No
1
Yes
0
No
9
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
58 supporters
Yes
7
No
2
1
charredworm
A man's genitals are turned into a drill. This is a core plot point.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
9
No
4
Is someone tortured?
68 supporters
Yes
9
No
4
0
FandomLover
The main character is slowly and painfully transformed into a metal man
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
9
No
4
Is there excessive gore?
69 supporters
Yes
8
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0
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Honkzilla
It's in black and white but it's still pretty intense
1 comment | Add comment
Children
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
10
Is a minor sexualized?
78 supporters
Yes
0
No
6
0
charredworm
The are four characters in this film, all are adults.
1 comment | Add comment
Death
Yes
0
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3
Disability
Yes
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6
Drugs/Alcohol
Yes
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No
5
Family
Yes
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9
Yes
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No
10
Yes
0
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8
Yes
0
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9
Fear
Yes
0
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10
Is someone possessed?
11 supporters
Yes
12
No
4
1
ArthurMcConnell
There is something akin to a possession, but it is not the traditional religious or demonic possession people usually think of.
[[[SPOILERS]]]
At the end of the film Tetsuo and the Metal Fetishist are fused together and become one being. (I believe this is what the other answers are referring to)
[[[SPOILERS]]]
At the end of the film Tetsuo and the Metal Fetishist are fused together and become one being. (I believe this is what the other answers are referring to)
1 comment | Add comment
Are there ghosts?
10 supporters
Yes
1
No
8
0
charredworm
The main couple are haunted by a man they hit with their car. He comes back in some shape or form, but he is like a ghost.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
3
No
0
1
MagitekVai
Prominent scenes feature a razor. It is NOT used for self-harm
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Gross
Yes
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No
7
Yes
1
No
8
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
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3
Does someone spit?
10 supporters
Yes
13
No
0
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charredworm
Spitting, no farting.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
11
No
0
Large-scale Violence
Yes
0
No
6
Law Enforcement
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
3
LGBTQ+
Yes
0
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3
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Medical
Yes
1
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12
Are needles/syringes used?
28 supporters
Yes
0
No
9
1
ArthurMcConnell
While no needles specifically are used there are cases of solid objects being inserted into skin.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
10
Does someone have cancer?
13 supporters
Yes
0
No
10
1
Honkzilla
No cancer, but the metal grows and spreads in and on human bodies
1 comment | Add comment
Mental Health
Yes
5
No
0
Yes
15
No
0
1
Okrast
Graphic opening shot of the antagonist cutting open his thigh
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is a mentally ill person violent?
28 supporters
Yes
4
No
4
0
ArthurMcConnell
None of the characters have a mental illness based on the dialogue and behavior in the film. While many characters may be violent, and behave in strange ways I don't believe that the filmmakers are intending to present any character as exhibiting a clinical mental illness.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
58 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Is there misophonia?
32 supporters
Yes
10
No
0
5
glitchbirds
Excruciatingly loud metallic scraping, clanging, drilling, etc throughout the film. Can confirm it's very, very painful if you have misophonia.
2 comments | Add comment
Is there body dysmorphia?
1 supporters
Yes
11
No
5
0
JooPereira
It's a body horror film, so naturally there's going to be a lot of stuff like that.
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
24 supporters
Yes
0
No
8
0
charredworm
No, but a lover does say that she would rather die than be without her boyfriend.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
8
No
1
Yes
12
No
0
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
No
8
Does someone die by suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
64 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
10
Noxious
Are there sudden loud noises?
26 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
1
Honkzilla
The movie is like 90% sudden loud noises
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Is there shakey cam?
29 supporters
Yes
16
No
1
1
tasharomanoff
So. Much. The movie was reportedly filmed "underground style" and it looks like most if not all of it was shot on a handheld camera.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there flashing lights or images?
35 supporters
Yes
16
No
1
5
fakesqueer
The film is shot in black and white, mostly with what seems to be a handheld camera. The strobe effects come from rapid scene changes and moments of almost stop motion animation. These happen through out the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Paranoia
Yes
0
No
5
Pregnancy
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
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7
Prejudice
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
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6
Yes
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6
Yes
0
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8
Yes
0
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3
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
3
Race
Yes
0
No
3
Relationships
Yes
0
No
4
Sex
Is there sexual content?
44 supporters
Yes
16
No
0
0
MagitekVai
Intense sexual content, especially during the first half of the movie. Includes multiple sex scenes and a whole lot of phallic imagery
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone sexually objectified?
33 supporters
Yes
2
No
2
1
charredworm
Narratively and within the story. Objectification is a bit of a theme.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there nude scenes?
28 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
0
MagitekVai
Nude butts and breasts are shown
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
67 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Sexism
Yes
0
No
3
Sickness
Yes
0
No
3
Does someone have a chronic illness?
8 supporters
Yes
2
No
2
0
charredworm
The metal infection is like an illness, but aside from that there are none.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Social
Yes
1
No
2
Yes
0
No
3
Spoiler
Yes
0
No
7
Does it have a sad ending?
36 supporters
Yes
5
No
7
4
wormclowns
Depends on how you see it. At the end of the movie the two men merge into a giant tank-like monster. They then promise to turn the Earth into a planet made entirely out of metal as they travel around the city.
1 comment | Add comment
Vehicular
Yes
10
No
1
Does a car honk or tires screech?
12 supporters
Yes
6
No
0
0
MagitekVai
Car crash is a huge plot point. A scene features the sound of screeching tires for an extended period of time
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
13
No
0
Violence
Yes
0
No
9
Is there blood/gore?
44 supporters
Yes
14
No
0
0
Honkzilla
There is a lot, and it's very effective even though the movie is in black and white
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Is there gun violence?
19 supporters
Yes
0
No
7
0
MagitekVai
A gun appears in the very last scene, but it is never used
1 comment | Add comment