Poltergeist

Movie • 1982 • Horror  

Report
Steve Freeling lives with his wife, Diane, and their three children, Dana, Robbie, and Carol Anne, in Southern California where he sells houses for the company that built the neighborhood. It starts with just a few odd occurrences, such as broken dishes and furniture moving around by itself. However, when he realizes that something truly evil haunts his home, Steve calls in a team of parapsychologists led by Dr. Lesh to help before it's too late.
This movie contains 36 potentially triggering events.
Filter to only show:
Both
Yes
No

Your Triggers
Does the dog die?
1 supporters
Yes
3
No
58
16
misselsalouise
E-Buzz is alive throughout, also the BEST boy
1 comment | Add comment
Unanswered Triggers
Abandonment
Yes
2
No
3
3
CMster
No, but the parents do leave the kids alone after really scary and traumatic events in the spot where those events happened. I was pretty mad about it.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
8
2
Onnamata
The family dog is actually sent away to safety around act 2
1 comment | Add comment
Abuse
Yes
0
No
11
3
CMster
The parents are simultaneously really protective good parents and also flighty and a little neglectful considering the situation, but not abusive.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Is someone stalked?
21 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
3
Onnamata
No but might be worth noting that the actress who played the older sister (Dana?) was murdered by her ex boyfriend less than a year after the film aired which might be brought up if you were to look up the film
1 comment | Add comment
Is a woman brutalized for spectacle?
79 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
6
Is someone gaslighted?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
Is someone abused with a belt?
21 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Is a child abused?
93 supporters
Yes
5
No
32
5
Gab
We see children being harmed by the poltergeists but are saved by their parents.
1 comment | Add comment
Addiction
13
Quiet_Wyatt
Two parents smoke pot, nearly get busted by kids.
4 comments | Add comment
Is there addiction?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
35
Yes
8
No
26
9
georgiarose
No, but some characters are shown drinking alcohol to deal with their stress/fear
2 comments | Add comment
Animal
Were animals harmed in the making?
123 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
3
Does a horse die?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
45
Does an animal die?
(besides a dog, cat or horse)
1 supporters
Yes
71
No
2
13
csbyron1
Canary seen dead
4 comments | Add comment
Are animals abused?
176 supporters
Yes
6
No
37
18
FishMan
Only in the non graphic/unintentional sort of way with improper tanks/cages for a bird and fish
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
40
Yes
58
No
1
8
The pet bird “tweety” is found dead in the cage then given a proper burial Licorice and all ..
1 comment | Add comment
Is an animal sad?
76 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
4
Are rabbits harmed?
63 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Does a cat die?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
47
Does a pet die?
142 supporters
Yes
16
No
1
3
In the first few minutes the mom finds the pet bird dead
2 comments | Add comment
Does a dragon die?
30 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
45
Are there spiders?
44 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
38
Are there alligators/crocodiles??
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Are there snakes?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
39
Are there sharks?
6 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Are there bugs?
30 supporters
Yes
45
No
1
17
Microsoft_Nerd
There appear to be maggots infesting a steak, but it seems to be more of a vision/hallucination than real. It would still probably be triggering though.
1 comment | Add comment
Assault
Does a woman get slapped?
17 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Is someone drugged?
27 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Is there pedophilia?
107 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Is someone held under water?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Is rape mentioned?
75 supporters
Yes
3
No
4
2
Onnamata
A ghost tries to rape the mother in her bed, mostly implied but intended
1 comment | Add comment
1
PeachyBaby
The kid only mentions being beaten up at school, but we never see it.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
21
No
0
2
A young boy is grabbed and almost "swallowed" by a possessed tree.

A woman is held down by an invisible force, then forcefully rolled around on the walls and ceiling.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
11
No
24
14
AReichel31
At one point it seems like the poltergeist is sexually assaulting the mother because it keeps lifting her shirt.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone's mouth covered?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
8
Bodily Harm
Is there shaving/cutting?
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
35
Are any hands damaged?
16 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Are there dislocations?
8 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Is there throat mutilation?
37 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
35
No
1
11
Microsoft_Nerd
A clown doll attempts to strangle a kid, during which time the kid struggles to breathe.
2 comments | Add comment
Is there decapitation?
34 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Is there cannibalism?
31 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
23
Is someone crushed to death?
33 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Is someone choked?
16 supporters
Yes
7
No
1
1
Shadow_Burn
The clown wraps his arm around the neck of the son but there is no choking action.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone burned alive?
41 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
34
Yes
1
No
30
2
GlendaJordan
No but someone does fall into a pit filled with water that has old caskets come up around them that surrounds the character
1 comment | Add comment
Is there body horror?
50 supporters
Yes
11
No
1
4
CMster
There's a scene where a character hallucinates their skin falling off and their head melting. It's pretty graphic but the only scene like that in the movie.
2 comments | Add comment
Is there amputation?
26 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
Yes
3
No
30
2
Anonymous
No, but there is GRAPHIC facial trauma (see the Body Horror section's comments for more detail). I know many people (myself included) who are triggered by both head/facial trauma, so I had to warn others about this.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there Achilles Tendon injury?
22 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
12
Is there a hanging?
33 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
28
Does someone asphyxiate?
26 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
9
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
78 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
19
Does someone become unconscious?
5 supporters
Add comment
Yes
4
No
1
Does someone break a bone?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
32
Does someone have a seizure?
6 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
Are any teeth damaged?
51 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
38
Is there finger/toe mutilation?
50 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
34
Is someone tortured?
77 supporters
Add comment
Yes
7
No
28
Yes
11
No
3
3
GlendaJordan
yes - the mother is pushed by spirits down the stairs and has to fight invisible forces to get back up them
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone fall to their death?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
Yes
13
No
22
12
huviks
Sort of--there's a graphic scene where a character starts clawing at his eyes and face, clawing off the skin. It's just a hallucination, though.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone stabbed?
15 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
2
No
17
1
Not gore, but there's a substance resembling grape jelly covering a woman and young child.
1 comment | Add comment
Children
Yes
9
No
4
4
Not an infant, but a 5 year-old girl is abducted by spirits.
1 comment | Add comment
Does a kid die?
46 supporters
Yes
2
No
40
5
Parents leave their very young daughter alone in the bedroom where a tree just crashed through the window and snatched their son. Alone & scared, the little girl is screaming “Mom” for help but they have seemingly forgotten about her while trying to save their son outside. Could be triggering for those with neglectful parents related trauma.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
11
No
1
5
CMster
Construction catcall a 15 year old girl. It's really creepy.
1 comment | Add comment
Creepy Crawly
Are there bedbugs?
16 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Death
3
CMster
A character puts themselves in extreme danger to save their child
1 comment | Add comment
Does a major character die?
23 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
4
No
3
1
Shadow_Burn
The pet bird is found dead at the start of the film
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone die?
12 supporters
Yes
1
No
5
0
gmoney12
no, but there is a monologue about people dying and “seeing the light” that has parts about how sometimes people don’t want to die and have a long life to live, or how they’re still with us.. just a very heavy grief monologue
1 comment | Add comment
Disability
Yes
0
No
6
Is the r-slur used?
30 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
17
Drugs/Alcohol
Does someone overdose?
14 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
13
Family
Does a family member die?
22 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Does a parent die?
24 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
34
Yes
30
No
1
7
georgiarose
many toys are destroyed in the events of the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
37
No
1
10
AReichel31
The boy, Robbie is kidnapped by the tree. The girl, Carol Anne is kidnapped by the poltergeist.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone cheat?
17 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
Fear
Are there ghosts?
9 supporters
Yes
52
No
0
12
Anonymous
It's kind of the whole movie.
4 comments | Add comment
Yes
45
No
0
2
Onnamata
Multiple jumpscares throuout the film including a clown toy suddenly appearing behind a child, a large skeleton face bursting through a door, loud noises playing when stuff jumps out (or more accurately when the corpses start pushing through the ground) etc
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
10
No
25
12
Microsoft_Nerd
There is a bath scene, but nothing is shown that would be inappropriate.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there natural bodies of water?
2 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Are there clowns?
11 supporters
Yes
52
No
0
14
AReichel31
Toy clown that comes alive
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone possessed?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
3
No
27
Is trypophobic content shown?
22 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Are there razors?
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES® (1-800-DONTCUT)
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
1
No
3
2
Haven77
Not a mannequin exactly but a large clown doll that attacks a child.
1 comment | Add comment
Gross
Does someone vomit?
93 supporters
Yes
36
No
7
10
SophiePatrice24
Somebody technically does vomit. Since no one commented on this I will say. When one of the men with glasses tells the other man he is hungry and goes to the kitchen it happens. He goes to a kitchen, gets a drumstick and drops it because it has bugs in it. You should skip the scene to when he drops the drumstick (way before the actual throw up) to the scene where the guy looks in the mirror in the bathroom. Don't skip straight away to the bathroom because it happens when he is in the bathroom.
4 comments | Add comment
Does someone wet/soil themselves?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
16
Is there farting?
10 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Is someone eaten?
31 supporters
Yes
7
No
0
3
CMster
A character comes very close to being eaten by a tree. It's honestly pretty scary!
1 comment | Add comment
Is there on-screen pooping?
34 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
8
Does someone spit?
9 supporters
Add comment
Yes
27
No
4
Is there audio gore?
41 supporters
Yes
8
No
15
3
Onnamata
The scene where a guy tears his own face off is accompanied by meaty goey sounds as chunks of flesh fall into the sink
1 comment | Add comment
Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
8 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
12
Law Enforcement
Is there copaganda?
28 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
16
Is there incarceration?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
LGBTQ+
Are there transphobic slurs?
47 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
0
No
7
Is there deadnaming or birthnaming?
34 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Is there bisexual cheating?
21 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Is an LGBT+ person outed?
23 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Loss
Is a priceless artifact destroyed?
8 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Medical
Is electro-therapy used?
21 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
Are needles/syringes used?
29 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
32
Is there a mental institution scene?
24 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
Is there a hospital scene?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
29
Is there menstruation?
6 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Does someone have cancer?
18 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
30
Mental Health
Does someone have a mental illness?
10 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Does someone self harm?
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES® (1-800-DONTCUT)
69 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
29
Is autism misrepresented?
29 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Is a mentally ill person violent?
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
15
Is there D.I.D. misrepresentation?
18 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Is there autism specific abuse?
40 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
28
Yes
0
No
9
3
CMster
Very much so!
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone have a meltdown?
7 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
4
Is there misophonia?
32 supporters
Yes
3
No
9
7
RamenDestroyer
No, but there is a whole lot of whispering. I only put that here because both are super annoying mouth noises.
2 comments | Add comment
Are there anxiety attacks?
22 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
26
Is there ABA therapy?
16 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
16
Is there body dysphoria?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Is there body dysmorphia?
27 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
5
No
21
Does someone have an eating disorder?
38 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
28
Yes
0
No
28
Does someone suffer from PTSD?
38 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
8
Noxious
Are there underwater scenes?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
2
Yes
8
No
0
2
irisplains
Thunder gradually becomes louder, glass breaking, sudden yelling/screaming, music can get loud as well.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there shakey cam?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
24
No
3
Does a baby cry?
15 supporters
Yes
3
No
10
7
RamenDestroyer
No, but a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old scream and cry a lot.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there screaming?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
7
No
0
4
If it's on basic cable, this part is usually cut, but, in the original version, a teen girl makes what could be considered an obscene gesture towards workmen who are cat-calling her.
1 comment | Add comment
12
csbyron1
Anytime there is TV static, there are usually strobe shots of the characters following
6 comments | Add comment
Paranoia
Is someone watched without knowing?
12 supporters
Add comment
Yes
4
No
1
Is the fourth wall broken?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Pregnancy
Is a baby stillborn?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Does someone miscarry?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
26
Are there babies or unborn children?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Is there childbirth?
19 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
26
Are there abortions?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
28
Does a pregnant person die?
17 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
25
Prejudice
Are there homophobic slurs?
40 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
25
Yes
1
No
25
Are there usages of the n-word?
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
25
Yes
0
No
24
Are there "Man in a dress" jokes?
33 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
15
Does an LGBT person die?
29 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
26
Are there fat jokes?
52 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
26
Is there aphobia?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Is a minority is misrepresented?
23 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
30
13
AReichel31
There is 1 black guy and he does not die
1 comment | Add comment
Is there hate speech?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
27
Race
Is there blackface?
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Relationships
Is there a large age gap?
37 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Religious
Yes
7
No
1
0
OJAndToothpaste
Not in great detail, only in passing.
2 comments | Add comment
Are there demons or Hell?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
8
No
0
Sex
Are there nude scenes?
39 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
12
Is there bestiality?
79 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Does someone lose their virginity?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
14
No
1
4
Workmen cat call a teenage girl.
2 comments | Add comment
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
80 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
30
Yes
2
No
26
16
vlixxord
^ I think the mother was amused at her daughter giving them the finger though, not the actual cat calling.
3 comments | Add comment
Is there BDSM?
22 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Sexism
Yes
0
No
11
Sickness
Is someone terminally ill?
19 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Does someone have a stroke?
9 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Does someone have a chronic illness?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
10
Is there dementia/Alzheimer's?
25 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Social
Are there fat suits?
31 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
8
Yes
1
No
10
3
At the very end, the family is technically homeless (houseless?)
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
3
No
1
0
heyaodh
There are discussions of souls being trapped in the house, or in limbo, throughout the film.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there anti-abortion themes?
31 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Spoiler
Is Santa (et al) spoiled?
5 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
27
Are there end credit scenes?
36 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
2
No
29
2
OJAndToothpaste
Not at all! Everyone makes it out alive, if a little rattled. Even the friendly ghosts get to peacefully pass onto the other side.
The only casualty in the whole movie was the parrot who passed before the events began, rest in peace Tweety.
1 comment | Add comment
Vehicular
Does a car honk or tires screech?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
9
No
1
Does a car crash?
20 supporters
Yes
6
No
20
3
Onnamata
Multiple cars are overturned and while trying to drive away the main family back up into a car behind them, all occurs during the final 5min or so of the film
1 comment | Add comment
Does a plane crash?
12 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
25
Yes
7
No
16
7
georgiarose
A car reverses into another car but no one is injured.

Also, the car drives into a skeleton which ends up on the windscreen - could be triggering in the sense that it is as if a person was hit by the car
1 comment | Add comment
Violence
Does someone drown?
18 supporters
Yes
0
No
27
6
KrystalTiger
They believe the missing daughter might have been in a pool being constructed and search for her. The audience knows she isn’t there but this could trigger
2 comments | Add comment
Is there blood/gore?
52 supporters
Yes
40
No
0
13
ZoeWilson
man sees in mirror his face peeling and he pulls off his face
4 comments | Add comment
Yes
1
No
29
0
CMster
No but toward the end basically everything explodes/collapses
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
22
2
Onnamata
When Carol anne is staring at a static TV the mum switches it to a war film which has fairly loud gunfire playing and people getting shot
1 comment | Add comment