The Art of Self-Defense

Movie • 2019 • Comedy  

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Synopsis

Casey is attacked at random on the street and enlists in a local dojo led by a charismatic and mysterious Sensei in an effort to learn how to defend himself. What he uncovers is a sinister world of fraternity, violence and hypermasculinity and a woman fighting for her place in it.
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Your Triggers
Does the dog die?
707 supporters
Yes
32
No
1
10
indiedarling
A dog is killed by a human offscreen and its corpse is shown. The dog's death is described graphically by a veterinarian.
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Needs More Answers
Were animals harmed in the making?
217 supporters
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Yes
0
No
2
Is an animal abandoned?
156 supporters
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Yes
0
No
1
Is an animal sad?
145 supporters
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Yes
0
No
0
Is a woman brutalized for spectacle?
139 supporters
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Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
2
Is rape mentioned?
119 supporters
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Yes
2
No
0
Are rabbits harmed?
118 supporters
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Yes
0
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0
Is there body horror?
104 supporters
Yes
2
No
0
0
mxmango
The guy getting his elbow broken was pretty abrupt and shocking to me, at least
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0
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1
Yes
0
No
0
Abuse
Is a child abused?
149 supporters
Yes
0
No
11
1
TFMD
A kid is kept in a choke-hold until he passes out as part of a karate class, but the kid apparently is OK with it and is fine afterwards.
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Is there domestic violence?
114 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Is someone stalked?
28 supporters
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Yes
5
No
3
Yes
10
No
4
2
TFMD
Casey joins a cult-like karate class and is manipulated into committing acts of violence that he doesn't want to do. The teacher convinces him that this will help him become a better person. Some of these scenes could be disturbing for some people with triggers relating to gaslighting.
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Addiction
Is there addiction?
31 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
11
1
pizzabones
There is one scene where the main character takes a long and aggressive drink from a bottle of liquor.
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0
No
13
Animal
Are animals abused?
304 supporters
Yes
20
No
0
4
Ollie2
Not shown on screen, but the details surrounding the pet dachshund’s death are spoken by the vet. Pretty disturbing details about what happened to the dog.
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Does a cat die?
271 supporters
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Yes
0
No
15
Does a pet die?
259 supporters
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Yes
4
No
0
2
TFMD
No dogs fight other dogs. There is a scene where a dog is commanded to attack a person, and kills them. This dog isn't harmed.
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Is there a dead animal?
183 supporters
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Yes
11
No
0
Are there spiders?
78 supporters
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Yes
0
No
14
Does a dragon die?
55 supporters
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Yes
1
No
18
Are there bugs?
50 supporters
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Yes
1
No
14
Are there snakes?
26 supporters
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Yes
0
No
14
Does an animal die?
(besides a dog, cat or horse)
1 supporters
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Yes
4
No
14
Does a horse die?
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
15
Assault
Yes
8
No
4
2
Erisedstraehruoy
There is discussion of past assault that was later blamed on the woman for being too tempting to the aggressor.
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Is there pedophilia?
166 supporters
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0
No
3
Bodily Harm
Is there eye mutilation?
147 supporters
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0
No
11
Yes
0
No
3
0
I wouldn't call it gore, but there are frequent bloody injuries, however they are not shown up-close or in detail.
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Is someone tortured?
124 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
119 supporters
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Yes
0
No
4
Does a head get squashed?
81 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Is there finger/toe mutilation?
81 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Yes
15
No
0
2
TFMD
Someone spits out a bloody tooth after being hit hard in the face
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
2
TFMD
No, but a cremation is shown briefly - obviously the person is already dead
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Is there a hanging?
64 supporters
Yes
13
No
0
2
TFMD
A body of a man who hanged himself is shown, we don't see the hanging occur onscreen.
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Is there shaving/cutting?
57 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Is there cannibalism?
54 supporters
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Yes
0
No
8
Is someone buried alive?
53 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Is there amputation?
50 supporters
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Yes
0
No
6
Does someone struggle to breathe?
43 supporters
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Yes
7
No
0
Yes
17
No
0
5
indiedarling
A man breaks another man's elbow and it bleeds.
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Does someone have a seizure?
27 supporters
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Yes
0
No
13
Does someone fall to their death?
18 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Children
Is a minor sexualized?
138 supporters
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Yes
0
No
4
Does a kid die?
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
12
Family
Is a child's toy destroyed?
41 supporters
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Yes
0
No
6
Does a parent die?
39 supporters
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Yes
0
No
12
Does someone cheat?
33 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Is someone kidnapped?
19 supporters
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Yes
0
No
7
Fear
Is someone possessed?
22 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Are there clowns?
20 supporters
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Yes
0
No
14
Is there a shower scene?
16 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Are there ghosts?
8 supporters
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Yes
0
No
15
Are there jump scares?
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
15
Gross
Does someone vomit?
169 supporters
Yes
1
No
9
0
Not vomit but in the beginning of the movie, after he drops the dog food and gets beat up, he spits out blood. Might be a little triggering
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Is there audio gore?
70 supporters
Yes
7
No
0
1
TFMD
In the scene where a bone is broken, as described in another category, there is a disturbing sound.
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Does someone spit?
19 supporters
Yes
7
No
4
1
TFMD
There is also a scene where Casey takes a bite of food and a sip of water and spits both out onto the floor.
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Law Enforcement
Is there copaganda?
50 supporters
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Yes
0
No
4
Medical
Are needles/syringes used?
57 supporters
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Yes
0
No
9
Is there a mental institution scene?
43 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Is electro-therapy used?
33 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Yes
13
No
0
1
TFMD
Casey is briefly shown recovering in hospital after his attack.
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Does someone have cancer?
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Mental Health
2
TFMD
A character hangs himself; we don't see the hanging, but we see someone else find the body.
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Does someone self harm?
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES® (1-800-DONTCUT)
111 supporters
Yes
3
No
8
0
pizzabones
You do see the body of a person that has hanged themselves.
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Does someone have an eating disorder?
53 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Is there body dysmorphia?
34 supporters
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Yes
0
No
9
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
31 supporters
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Yes
0
No
8
Yes
10
No
3
1
TFMD
Casey gets severely beaten in a random attack early in the film, and later shows PTSD-like symptoms, reacting anxiously to things that remind him of the attack.
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Is there autism specific abuse?
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
5
Noxious
Is there shakey cam?
67 supporters
Yes
0
No
7
1
pizzabones
Only for one VERY brief part of a fight between two characters.
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Are there flashing lights or images?
63 supporters
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Yes
0
No
12
Pregnancy
Does someone miscarry?
45 supporters
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Yes
0
No
12
Does a pregnant person die?
39 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Is there childbirth?
38 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Are there abortions?
27 supporters
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Yes
0
No
12
Prejudice
Are there fat jokes?
65 supporters
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Yes
0
No
13
1
TFMD
Casey is misgendered by a salesperson on the phone based on having a "feminine" name. It's not intentional or malicious, and the salesperson apologises.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Are there usages of the n-word?
43 supporters
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Yes
0
No
6
Does the black guy die first?
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Is there hate speech?
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Yes
0
No
5
Does an LGBT person die?
1 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Sex
Is there bestiality?
120 supporters
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Yes
0
No
4
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
102 supporters
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Yes
0
No
15
Yes
9
No
2
1
Erisedstraehruoy
There is an extended scene with a pornographic magazine and a masturbation scene with it. The main character later makes a picture of a naked female chest his computer wallpaper at work.
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Spoiler
Does it have a sad ending?
84 supporters
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Yes
0
No
7
Is Santa (et al) spoiled?
11 supporters
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Yes
0
No
9
Vehicular
Is someone hit by a car?
33 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Does a car crash?
33 supporters
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Yes
0
No
11
Does a plane crash?
24 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Violence
Is there blood/gore?
79 supporters
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Yes
15
No
0
Does someone drown?
45 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10
Is there gun violence?
42 supporters
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Yes
15
No
0
Is there a nuclear explosion?
16 supporters
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Yes
0
No
10