Does the dog die?
334 supporters
The Poughkeepsie Tapes
Movie • 2007 • Horror
ReportWhen hundreds of videotapes showing torture, murder and dismemberment are found in an abandoned house, they reveal a serial killer's decade-long reign of terror and become the most disturbing collection of evidence homicide detectives have ever seen.
This movie contains 78 potentially triggering events.
Filter to only show:
Both
Yes
No
Your Triggers
Yes
1
No
30
3
M0USEB0NES
There are no animals in this movie
1 comment | Add comment
Abandonment
Does someone leave without saying goodbye?
7 supporters
Yes
7
No
1
5
KamiSteele
If it counts, the killer leaves his traumabonded captive behind along with the tapes. When she's interviewed, she's traumatized and still believes that he loves her despite his cruelty. She later dies from suicide, leaving a note declaring her love for her 'master.'
1 comment | Add comment
Is a child abandoned by a parent?
28 supporters
Yes
0
No
9
0
probablyadalek
No, but there is a kidnapping.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
7
Abuse
Yes
0
No
8
Does an abused person forgive their abuser?
38 supporters
Yes
14
No
0
3
M0USEB0NES
Sort of, one of the characters is very clearly suffering from stockholm syndrome
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone stalked?
27 supporters
Yes
43
No
0
6
masonisaaccccc
There is POV footage of a man stalking a 19-year-old girl
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
23
8
masonisaaccccc
No, but [SPOILER] a victim that survives is interviewed and says how the killer loved her and that he will come back for her and didn't mean to leave her. Soon after she kills herself (only talked about) and in her note she confesses her undying love for her "master"
1 comment | Add comment
Is a woman brutalized for spectacle?
73 supporters
Yes
12
No
0
6
KamiSteele
Most of the killer's victims are female, with the intent explicitly being sexually predatory. Most of the SA is either discussed or heavily implied, but it's a definite theme. The victim that gets the most focus is one that's been held captive for years, having developed an intense traumabond that results in her ending her life (not shown). Her corpse is later removed from her grave, with the implication being that the killer took her corpse to further violate.
1 comment | Add comment
Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
24 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Is someone gaslighted?
1 supporters
Yes
33
No
4
5
masonisaaccccc
Yes! There is gaslighting!
Someone says they told a girl that she was being paranoid for feeling watched and followed. Another scene in which a little girl asks what "that" (a victim screaming) was, the serial killer tells the her he just left the TV on in the basement.
Someone says they told a girl that she was being paranoid for feeling watched and followed. Another scene in which a little girl asks what "that" (a victim screaming) was, the serial killer tells the her he just left the TV on in the basement.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
39
No
0
8
Seenit
Corpse of child implied under body blanket for crime scene pictures. An 8 year old’s kidnapping is shown, and it explains that he raped and murdered her, but off camera.
1 comment | Add comment
Addiction
Yes
3
No
17
7
apostle
a character is drugged
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
16
Animal
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
21
Yes
0
No
24
Yes
0
No
23
Yes
0
No
20
Yes
0
No
18
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
24
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
19
Yes
0
No
16
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
1
No
12
Assault
Does a woman get slapped?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
17 supporters
Add comment
Yes
7
No
0
Is someone drugged?
28 supporters
Yes
13
No
0
1
probablyadalek
Yes, chloroform.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there pedophilia?
101 supporters
Yes
19
No
0
3
KamiSteele
While most of the killer's victims are adults, he kills a little girl in what was probably his first murder. We see the abduction where he knocks her unconscious and takes her to his car, but not anything after. It's shortly after mentioned she was raped as well as murdered. Later, there's a tense sequence where he invites two little girls who are selling Girl Scout cookies into his house, with the heavy implication that he plans on kidnapping and murdering them in his basement. However, they decide to leave before he can do anything. We can infer that while the killer mostly preys upon adult women, children aren't necessarily off the menu.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone held under water?
18 supporters
Yes
18
No
0
2
KamiSteele
There's a graphic torture scene where the killer shoves a captive's head into a full sink multiple times until she agrees to say what he tells her to.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
18
No
0
Yes
0
No
5
Is someone restrained?
23 supporters
Yes
30
No
0
1
Yes, in multiple scenes women are restrained
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
40
No
0
13
There is direct verbal confirmation of rape, including of children, throughout the movie. There are multiple scenes with naked corpses of women, and a few scenes of torture that are sexualized by the killer. To my memory, there was not any visuals of penetrative rape.
3 comments | Add comment
Is someone's mouth covered?
12 supporters
Yes
11
No
0
0
M0USEB0NES
Yes, with tape
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
21
No
3
Bodily Harm
Is there shaving/cutting?
33 supporters
Yes
27
No
0
4
Seenit
Murder by knife shown twice, one from camera POV one slit throat
4 comments | Add comment
Are any hands damaged?
16 supporters
Yes
5
No
1
0
M0USEB0NES
One of the victims is shown in an interview to have had her hand amputated, very briefly
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
3
No
1
Yes
7
No
0
Does someone struggle to breathe?
0 supporters
Yes
30
No
1
2
masonisaaccccc
Someone is drugged with a cloth+chemical in a up close face shot. There is also a scene in which a victim is bonded crudely and sounds like she is having trouble breathing while she is sobbing. Another clip has a girl choking briefly
1 comment | Add comment
Is there decapitation?
26 supporters
Yes
9
No
0
1
KamiSteele
A man's head gets sewn up inside a woman's abdomen while she is still alive. The scene depicting this shows the killer trying to wake her up to reveal what he did while she was unconscious. We later see the desiccated corpses of the man and woman, the head still inside her body. There is also intensive talk of dismembering bodies post-mortem, complete with some brief visuals.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
18
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
6
No
0
Yes
0
No
17
Is someone buried alive?
0 supporters
Yes
0
No
19
0
*spoilers* no, but one of the victims is found alive in a coffin that had been hidden underneath the killers bed.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
9
No
0
Is there amputation?
26 supporters
Yes
21
No
1
5
***SPOILERS***
As well as post mortem dismemberment, both for disposal and for the amusement of the killer, there is a live victim who had a hand cut off at some point off screen. In the interview with her you see the arm with hand missing briefly.
As well as post mortem dismemberment, both for disposal and for the amusement of the killer, there is a live victim who had a hand cut off at some point off screen. In the interview with her you see the arm with hand missing briefly.
2 comments | Add comment
Does a head get squashed?
53 supporters
Yes
3
No
18
4
No but there is a brief shot of a post mortem beheading, and another of a decapitated head emplanted in a corpse's stomach.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
21
Yes
7
No
1
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
1 supporters
Yes
24
No
0
3
pitifulcowboy
mention of genital electrocution, but nothing is shown
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
11
No
0
Does someone break a bone?
22 supporters
Yes
21
No
0
5
Yes, and you see xrays
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
20
Are any teeth damaged?
44 supporters
Yes
22
No
0
6
spookysailor
Not on screen
1 comment | Add comment
Is there finger/toe mutilation?
0 supporters
Yes
21
No
0
2
echoevemorrow
Finger tips are snipped off
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone tortured?
1 supporters
Yes
35
No
0
6
Yes, there is a lot of sexualized abuse and torture. There is a lot shown visually, but even more is described verbally.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
17
Is there eye mutilation?
87 supporters
Yes
0
No
17
3
No, but there are a lot of creepy shots of faces with masks on where you can only see their eyes.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
5
No
0
Yes
20
No
2
Children
Yes
11
No
1
Does a kid die?
39 supporters
Yes
33
No
0
4
Seenit
A 10 month old baby and an 8 year old girl
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
13
No
1
Creepy Crawly
Yes
0
No
5
Death
Yes
0
No
8
Does a major character die?
20 supporters
Yes
8
No
1
2
Yes, a large part of the plot is focusing on the victims of the murderer.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
10
No
0
Disability
Is someone disabled played by able-bodied?
19 supporters
Yes
4
No
1
1
M0USEB0NES
Briefly, one of the victims, Cheryl Dempsey, who is played by Stacy Chbosky, is shown to have had one of her hands amputated, though Chbosky is not an amputee
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
12
Drugs/Alcohol
Yes
0
No
10
Family
Does a family member die?
1 supporters
Yes
7
No
0
0
*spoilers* yes, a woman’s (adult) daughter dies, though we don’t see her reaction to her death. Many of the victims families are mentioned as well.
1 comment | Add comment
Does a parent die?
19 supporters
Yes
6
No
10
6
roughentumble
Technically yes, but there's only one sentence that mentions it, everything about the death is offscreen, and the child didn't survive either.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
16
Is someone kidnapped?
8 supporters
Yes
29
No
0
3
Seenit
Several victims
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
16
Fear
Yes
0
No
15
Are there jump scares?
55 supporters
Yes
24
No
2
5
masonisaaccccc
The transitions between tape clips and "documentary" clips have a loud screech-like noise (similar to a Five Night's at Freddy's jumpscare noise) that is very jarring. There is also a lot of sudden yelling towards already upset women
2 comments | Add comment
Is there a shower scene?
8 supporters
Yes
22
No
0
5
To clarify the above comment; no nudity in the shower scene, just the sound of water and you see the shower curtain. It is from the view of the killer outside though, so if you're sensitive to scary stuff around the shower be prepared!
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
2
No
2
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
16
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
1
No
5
Are there mannequins?
5 supporters
Yes
1
No
4
4
acrackerwhoisnotvibing
No but there are very creepy masks worn that remind me of the uncanny human-like-ness of mannequins
2 comments | Add comment
Gross
Does someone vomit?
1 supporters
Yes
18
No
2
1
emet0ph0bic
is it vomit or like spitting up blood?
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
17
No
1
Is there audio gore?
42 supporters
Yes
17
No
0
1
masonisaaccccc
A short clip features bone sawing body smashing/amputation. There are several instances of bones breaking.
1 comment | Add comment
Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
8 supporters
Yes
6
No
2
3
MeghanCherry
9/11 is briefly mentioned as a plot point, though a full depiction is not seen on screen.
1 comment | Add comment
Law Enforcement
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
4
No
1
LGBTQ+
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
4
Loss
Yes
0
No
4
Medical
Is electro-therapy used?
18 supporters
Yes
0
No
12
0
M0USEB0NES
No, but there is mention of genital mutilation via electrocution
1 comment | Add comment
Are needles/syringes used?
1 supporters
Yes
23
No
0
2
Seenit
A needle is used for lethal injection, and a woman is murdered with two needle esq objects
1 comment | Add comment
Is there a mental institution scene?
23 supporters
Yes
3
No
12
1
ZenWalker
There is talk about her being in one but nothing is shown.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
16
No
0
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
13
Mental Health
Yes
5
No
0
Yes
16
No
0
7
roughentumble
Only mentioned.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Is a mentally ill person violent?
1 supporters
Yes
12
No
2
2
punkrotte
they use the phrase "extremely mentally ill" to describe the killer
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
4
No
0
3
KamiSteele
Discussed. It's mentioned that masks used to be banned because it was believed to be easier to dissociate yourself from your actions during them, which made criminals less inhibited. It is theorized as one reason why the killer likes to wear masks in the footage. He also forces poor Cheryl, his long-term captive, to wear a mask, possibly intentionally making her dissociate/depersonalize for similar reasons. This is supported by a scene where he uses her as a table, placing a hand mirror near her face so she is forced to stare at her reflection.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
13
Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
10
No
0
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
2
No
2
Yes
1
No
6
Are there anxiety attacks?
1 supporters
Yes
18
No
0
2
masonisaaccccc
Several panic attacks throughout the movie, although they are all during torture clips and not ptsd/past trauma triggered, they are panicked about the current torture/kidnapping they are experiencing.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
27 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
10
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
0 supporters
Yes
15
No
0
1
There is a scene where the killer hides in a closet, and two where a kidnapped girl is forced to be in coffin like boxes
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
23
No
0
9
spookysailor
Not on screen
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone suffer from PTSD?
36 supporters
Yes
14
No
2
2
KamiSteele
While PTSD is never mentioned, it's made clear that the various professionals working on the case are scarred by the grotesque and brutal nature of the killer's actions. An early scene has an interview with the person who had to watch the tapes in their entirety and is clearly affected by it (this is a commonly traumatizing thing for law enforcement who have to analyse CSEM, sexual abuse videos, violent footage, etc. as part of their job in real life). Shortly after, we get a classroom scene full of people interested in criminology, with the instructor guaranteeing that at least some of them will go home after the lecture to rethink their career path, indicating some of the people would realistically decide not to pursue criminal justice after being scarred by the details of the crimes.
The killer's captive also shows signs of traumabonding once she's returned home, as she genuinely believes the killer loves her, asks to be 'taken home,' (actually back into captivity), self harms in the hospital, and acts confused and distraught during an interview. She ultimately ends her life shortly after the interview, with her suicide note declaring her love for her 'master.'
The killer's captive also shows signs of traumabonding once she's returned home, as she genuinely believes the killer loves her, asks to be 'taken home,' (actually back into captivity), self harms in the hospital, and acts confused and distraught during an interview. She ultimately ends her life shortly after the interview, with her suicide note declaring her love for her 'master.'
1 comment | Add comment
Noxious
Yes
0
No
4
Are there sudden loud noises?
33 supporters
Yes
6
No
0
2
KamiSteele
Lots of shouting and screaming. An example early on is an odd fetish video of one of the victims where she's asked to blow up and bounce on a large balloon. The killer first asks her to pop it at a normal register, before loudly raising his voice when he repeats himself.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there shakey cam?
1 supporters
Yes
23
No
0
5
Seenit
Filmed from a serial killers home movie camera
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
5
No
0
Yes
7
No
0
Are there flashing lights or images?
1 supporters
Yes
14
No
5
4
masonisaaccccc
YES! The camera the serial killer uses has horrible quality that frequently changes colour and becomes wavy and static-y. There is also some flashing of images
1 comment | Add comment
Paranoia
Is someone watched without knowing?
1 supporters
Yes
7
No
0
1
Yes, there are multiple POV style stalking scenes.
1 comment | Add comment
Is the fourth wall broken?
1 supporters
Yes
4
No
4
2
M0USEB0NES
This is a Mockumentary/Fake Documentary
1 comment | Add comment
Pregnancy
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
13
Are there babies or unborn children?
1 supporters
Yes
3
No
5
1
quirklessbunny
only referenced, never shown
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
12
Prejudice
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
2
No
10
Yes
0
No
10
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
2
No
10
2
KamiSteele
Not in a transphobic context, but a misogynist context. A few times the killer refers to his female victims as 'it,' clearly dehumanizing them.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
13
Is there hate speech?
1 supporters
Yes
18
No
1
8
effete
A lot of misogynistic sentiments are expressed from the killer.
1 comment | Add comment
Race
Yes
0
No
5
Relationships
Is there a large age gap?
36 supporters
Yes
10
No
0
4
punkrotte
a grown man r*pes a preteen
2 comments | Add comment
Religious
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
4
Sex
Yes
7
No
0
Yes
0
No
6
Does someone lose their virginity?
12 supporters
Yes
4
No
1
2
KamiSteele
It's not fully clear who was and who wasn't a virgin before their run-in with the killer, and it's never discussed. However, his presumed first kill was an eight-year-old girl, with dialogue confirming she was also raped. The movie generally has themes of sexual assault due to the killer's nature.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone sexually objectified?
42 supporters
Yes
14
No
0
3
CherryFizz
Rape
1 comment | Add comment
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
83 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Is there sexual content?
52 supporters
Yes
28
No
0
1
bumblebree916
Many victims were raped
2 comments | Add comment
Is there BDSM?
20 supporters
Yes
5
No
0
3
KamiSteele
Technically. The killer's torture is sexualized with BDSM undertones, especially in his treatment of poor Cheryl. In particular, he forces her to call him her 'master,' renames her 'slave,' keeps her in a mask and fetishwear, uses her as furniture, and makes her recite mantras about how she exists only to serve him. It's very much not safe, sane, or consensual for obvious reasons, and not indicative of regular BDSM practices, but the themes are still there.
1 comment | Add comment
Sexism
Yes
0
No
6
Sickness
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
6
Social
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
4
Spoiler
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
3
No
1
Does it have a sad ending?
1 supporters
Yes
22
No
0
2
KamiSteele
The movie ends with the killer never caught. Additionally, Cheryl dies from suicide after being rescued, as she is so intensely traumatized she believes that the killer loves her. Her corpse is shortly after taken from her grave, with the implication the killer took it out to desecrate. However, there's a bittersweet note in that the local police will keep an eye on cinema screenings of the film, as the killer is the sort of person to buy as many tickets as possible to relish in his crimes. So, it's entirely possible he was caught some time after the movie was over.
1 comment | Add comment
Vehicular
Yes
8
No
0
Does a car crash?
18 supporters
Yes
13
No
3
3
Seenit
There is a car crash scene from the killer’s camera pov
1 comment | Add comment
Does a plane crash?
10 supporters
Yes
0
No
11
0
M0USEB0NES
No, but 9/11 is mentioned as a brief plot point
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone hit by a car?
20 supporters
Yes
0
No
12
1
masonisaaccccc
No but there is a camera POV car crash
1 comment | Add comment
Violence
Does someone drown?
18 supporters
Yes
18
No
2
6
roughentumble
She doesn't die from it, but a woman's head is forcefully held underwater with the intent of hurting and scaring her.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
26
No
0
Yes
0
No
16
Is there gun violence?
25 supporters
Yes
2
No
14
4
masonisaaccccc
Several automatic rifles are carried by FBI while storming a house. They are not used.
1 comment | Add comment