Dead Poets Society
Movie • 1989 • Drama
ReportAt an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.
This movie contains 35 potentially triggering events.
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Both
Yes
No
Your Triggers
Yes
0
No
78
Abandonment
Does someone leave without saying goodbye?
5 supporters
Yes
20
No
0
2
SPOLIERS:
Neil Perry commits suicide, and doesn't say goodbye or give any indication that he's going to. This scene and plotline could definitely upset someone with abandonment issues
Neil Perry commits suicide, and doesn't say goodbye or give any indication that he's going to. This scene and plotline could definitely upset someone with abandonment issues
1 comment | Add comment
Is a child abandoned by a parent?
0 supporters
Yes
19
No
3
3
monosnarkagain
Neil's father rejects him and plans to send him away.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
17
Abuse
Are there abusive parents?
1 supporters
Yes
21
No
0
2
clarkekent
Two of the main characters have abusive parents, one are more neglectful and the other is actively emotionally abusive resulting in the teenager committing suicide
1 comment | Add comment
Does an abused person forgive their abuser?
45 supporters
Yes
4
No
14
2
remithg
a character is kissed without consent while unconscious, and later forgives & gets with the person who kissed her.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone stalked?
24 supporters
Yes
55
No
9
14
soulsinashes
While it's not full-on stalking, a character finds out where the girl he has a crush on goes to school and appears there to see her without her knowledge or consent.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
11
No
45
4
zoe_samantha
Some say it can be possible that Mr. Perry, verbally abuses or mentally manipulates his wife? But also the mental abuse towards his son Neil.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
34 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
18
Is someone gaslighted?
34 supporters
Yes
57
No
10
8
ZoeLinked
Mental abuse one child is subjected to looks a lot like this.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone abused with a belt?
0 supporters
Yes
12
No
5
6
TenTinCans
Not a *belt* but someone is paddled
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
84
No
2
11
mtnmew
Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) is mentally abused by his father. His father is constantly reprimanding him and refusing what he wants to do. This eventually leads to Neil's suicide.
3 comments | Add comment
Addiction
Yes
57
No
12
7
soulsinashes
While I can't remember in how many scenes, there is casual use of cigarettes and alcohol.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
3
No
49
Does someone abuse alcohol?
20 supporters
Yes
11
No
54
3
zoe_samantha
There was an unfilmed, but written scene, where Todd has implied alcholism.
1 comment | Add comment
Animal
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
0
No
68
Yes
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69
Yes
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63
Yes
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56
Yes
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55
Yes
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14
Yes
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13
Yes
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67
Yes
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20
Yes
1
No
66
Yes
0
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66
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
65
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
1
No
61
Assault
Does a woman get slapped?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
24 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
16
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
0
No
17
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
3
No
10
Is someone restrained?
30 supporters
Yes
3
No
18
2
lunabee
a character is held back from getting in a fistfight by his friends (he still punches the other kid though), but I don't know that it really counts as "restrained"
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
50
No
11
7
ZoeLinked
There’s an unconsensual kiss.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
11
No
1
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
1
No
20
Bodily Harm
Yes
12
No
46
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
12
Does someone struggle to breathe?
1 supporters
Yes
39
No
15
3
emogej
todd anderson (ethan hawke) visibly struggles to breath after charlie dalton (gale hansen) tells him that neil perry (robert sean leonard) is dead. also the scene where they go outside and todd starts to vomit.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
47
Yes
0
No
19
Yes
2
No
12
Yes
0
No
60
Yes
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49
Yes
1
No
15
Yes
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46
Yes
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59
Yes
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18
Yes
1
No
49
Yes
0
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16
Yes
0
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29
Yes
2
No
16
Yes
0
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57
Yes
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57
Yes
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59
Yes
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55
Yes
1
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58
Yes
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23
Yes
4
No
58
Yes
0
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57
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
23
Children
Yes
0
No
20
Does a kid die?
62 supporters
Yes
95
No
2
11
mtnmew
Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) commits suicide after ridiculing from his father. He wants to become an actor, but his father wants him to be a doctor.
2 comments | Add comment
Is a minor sexualized?
1 supporters
Yes
4
No
14
2
clarkekent
Teenage characters engage in some romantic and sexual behavior but nothing graphic or objectifying
1 comment | Add comment
Creepy Crawly
Yes
0
No
14
Death
Yes
0
No
18
Yes
21
No
0
Yes
1
No
17
Yes
21
No
0
Disability
Yes
0
No
13
Is the r-slur used?
32 supporters
Yes
0
No
24
5
22eps
No, but the word 'spaz' is used a couple of times.
1 comment | Add comment
Drugs/Alcohol
Yes
0
No
24
Family
Yes
13
No
4
Yes
0
No
61
Yes
0
No
43
Yes
0
No
48
Does someone cheat?
22 supporters
Yes
28
No
27
4
Duck
depending on how you interpret it, a girl cheats on her boyfriend in a courtly, chaste way.
2 comments | Add comment
Fear
Yes
0
No
54
Are there jump scares?
68 supporters
Yes
6
No
55
1
zoe_samantha
Mild jumpscare - Charlie jumpscares Meeks in the woods
1 comment | Add comment
Is there a shower scene?
8 supporters
Yes
25
No
36
11
mtnmew
The boys are all in the restroom and preparing for bed. You can see them in towels, but that's it.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there natural bodies of water?
3 supporters
Yes
15
No
2
0
lonelytraveller
There's a shot of a lake with a dock a couple of times. A character goes on it at one point.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
55
Yes
0
No
52
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
3
No
12
Yes
0
No
16
Gross
Does someone vomit?
111 supporters
Yes
107
No
1
22
libby32
please put spoiler warnings
7 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
31
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
7
No
48
Yes
0
No
42
Large-scale Violence
Yes
0
No
19
Law Enforcement
Yes
0
No
26
Yes
0
No
12
LGBTQ+
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
0
No
13
Is there deadnaming or birthnaming?
41 supporters
Yes
1
No
13
0
Dalton does change his name to "Nuwanda" as a joke and gets mad when people don't use it.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Is an LGBT+ person outed?
25 supporters
Yes
0
No
12
1
remithg
**MAJOR SPOILERS MENTIONED!** though it is not canon in the film, many people interpret dead poets society as a metaphor for queerness/more specifically homosexuality. with this interpretation, you can see how multiple characters metaphorically get outed as queer, eventually leading to one's suicide.
1 comment | Add comment
Loss
Yes
0
No
11
Medical
Yes
0
No
52
Yes
0
No
54
Yes
0
No
51
Yes
0
No
51
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
53
Mental Health
Does someone have a mental illness?
10 supporters
Yes
12
No
3
2
remithg
yes, both neil and todd (the two main characters). though it is not canon what they have, it seems that todd may struggle with social anxiety, selective mutism, or autism. neil most likely struggles with depression.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
16
No
39
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
27
Yes
2
No
9
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
44
Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
30
No
1
Yes
0
No
13
Does someone have a meltdown?
9 supporters
Yes
12
No
2
1
remithg
todd's scene at the end heavily triggered me. it's obvious when it's happening, so if this is a trigger i do suggest skipping over it.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there misophonia?
1 supporters
Yes
0
No
25
2
remithg
misophonia triggers vary from person to person, but this movie did trigger my misophonia at times.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there anxiety attacks?
23 supporters
Yes
51
No
6
5
ZoeLinked
One of the characters is heavily implied to struggle with anxiety and has a scene of panic.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
13
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
31 supporters
Yes
40
No
1
7
LilaMcKay
when a character is in love with someone he cannot have, he says “if i don’t have [character] i’ll kill myself”
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
52
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
18 supporters
Yes
13
No
43
6
Duck
several characters cram together in a rather small cave, but that's it.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
53
Yes
99
No
1
15
jessrose
Yes, and no full body or blood is shown but a hand is shown, gun smoke, and a gun. And then everything is loud and in slow motion. Caused a panic attack so it still was intense even with the implication.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
20
Noxious
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
7
Is there shakey cam?
1 supporters
Yes
13
No
34
3
In the high school party scene the camera spins around a lot
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
25
Is there screaming?
17 supporters
Yes
10
No
0
2
TenTinCans
There is no screaming in the horror or terror sense, but they do scream and shout in other emotions
1 comment | Add comment
Is there obscene language/gestures?
8 supporters
Yes
14
No
2
1
zoe_samantha
very mild cussing
1 comment | Add comment
Are there flashing lights or images?
49 supporters
Yes
2
No
47
1
sderm
In one scene the teacher flicks the classroom light on and off repeatedly in a short time frame. It may or may not be a trigger if you're sensitive to flashing.
1 comment | Add comment
Paranoia
Is someone watched without knowing?
15 supporters
Yes
11
No
2
1
remithg
how are people saying no... knox watched chris two times throughout the film.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
22
Pregnancy
Yes
0
No
20
Yes
0
No
48
Yes
0
No
19
Yes
0
No
43
Yes
0
No
41
Yes
0
No
42
Prejudice
Are there homophobic slurs?
49 supporters
Yes
0
No
33
3
It's strongly implied that Neil's dad is homophobic but no slurs are used.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there ableist language or behavior?
41 supporters
Yes
7
No
28
2
Anonymous
“spaz”
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
34
Yes
1
No
34
Yes
0
No
24
Yes
0
No
47
Does an LGBT person die?
36 supporters
Yes
61
No
12
23
am2211
Neil is not canonically gay but is heavily gay-coded.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
39
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
2
No
11
Yes
0
No
40
Is there hate speech?
32 supporters
Yes
8
No
39
4
iloveyou
There is a kid who has health problems, and he is called many names such as “spaz”
2 comments | Add comment
Race
Yes
0
No
10
Relationships
Yes
0
No
14
Religious
Is religion discussed?
14 supporters
Yes
10
No
1
0
lonelytraveller
The main cast attend a religious boarding school, so there's religious imagery and there are scenes of the main cast in church throughout the movie where they sing hymns. Religion is more of a backdrop for the movie rather than a central plot point.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Sex
Are there nude scenes?
1 supporters
Yes
13
No
4
0
zoe_samantha
A picture of a naked woman is shown as well as half nude guys while they get ready for bed - but very mild
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
0
No
8
Is someone sexually objectified?
49 supporters
Yes
20
No
1
0
lonelytraveller
A character shows his friends a picture of a nude woman from a magazine and a character is in love with a girl who he constantly says he's in love with without actually really knowing her.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
45
Is there sexual content?
1 supporters
Yes
12
No
45
2
astrvrse
making out scenes, with moaning
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Sexism
Yes
0
No
18
Sickness
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
1
No
14
Yes
1
No
13
Yes
0
No
13
Social
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
19
Is existentialism debated?
1 supporters
Yes
8
No
1
0
lonelytraveller
The main cast's English teacher discusses with them the meaning of life, and their purposes in it. This is done through poetry and talking. Some characters in the main cast struggle with the idea of their future and talk about it.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Spoiler
Yes
0
No
43
Yes
0
No
9
Does it have a sad ending?
1 supporters
Yes
80
No
1
3
prosperolibre
Plot failure but personal triumph in some ways. See the dramatica analysis for more details.
2 comments | Add comment
Vehicular
Yes
1
No
16
Yes
0
No
47
Yes
0
No
48
Yes
0
No
44
Violence
Yes
0
No
51
Is there blood/gore?
1 supporters
Yes
48
No
12
4
mtnmew
Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles) is punched in the face and he gets a bloody nose.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
1
No
46
Is there gun violence?
29 supporters
Yes
60
No
0
3
mtnmew
Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) kills himself with his father's gun.
1 comment | Add comment