The Act of Killing
Movie • 2012 • Documentary
ReportIn a place where killers are celebrated as heroes, these filmmakers challenge unrepentant death-squad leaders to dramatize their role in genocide. The result is a surreal, cinematic journey, not only into the memories and imaginations of mass murderers, but also into a frighteningly banal regime of corruption and impunity.
This movie contains 1 potentially triggering events.
Filter to only show:
Both
Yes
No
Your Triggers
Yes
0
No
2
Unanswered Triggers
Are animals abused?
164 supporters
Yes
0
No
0
1
TFMD
We see a duckling that was previously injured by a small child's carelessness, but the duck seems fine now. The child pets the duck and is told to be more gentle in the future. This film is all about cruelty to humans, but if animal abuse is your only trigger, there's nothing to be too concerned about.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
0
TFMD
There's a scene of fishing and we see a caught fish flopping around, but nothing else (at least in the theatrical cut)
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
1
TFMD
The murderers encourage children to participate in the reenactments of real crimes in which children were hurt and killed. We don't see much simulated violence toward children, but their reactions are more disturbing: some seem to treat it like a game, while others seem genuinely upset. There is one mention of girls as young as 14 being sexually abused.
1 comment | Add comment
Assault
Yes
3
No
0
1
TFMD
There are no on-screen depictions, but in one scene a man describes how he raped women and girls while participating in massacres. It's brief and not very graphic, but for me one of the more disturbing moments of this (incredible and important) film.
1 comment | Add comment
Bodily Harm
Is there a hanging?
33 supporters
Yes
1
No
2
1
TFMD
Hanging as a method of execution is mentioned, but not depicted onscreen. Several staged reenactments of strangulation are shown, but not hanging.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone tortured?
73 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
0
TFMD
This film shows real-life torturers and murderers creating reenactments of torture/beatings, interrogations and killings that they participated in. The reenactments always seem obviously staged, never as "realistic" as torture scenes in a non-documentary film, so for me personally, this was less difficult to watch. At the same time, it's more emotionally impactful because you know that these people participated in these acts in real life. If torture scenes are triggering for you, be very cautious.
1 comment | Add comment
Gross
Does someone vomit?
82 supporters
Yes
4
No
0
0
TFMD
In the very last scene, Anwar has a violent physical reaction to his memories of killing, gagging/vomiting in between saying a few sentences. This begins just after the 1 hour 50 minutes mark, and continues for about 3 minutes. After that he walks out of the building and credits roll at around 1:54. If you cannot stand vomiting you can stop the film at 1:50. (All this refers to the theatrical version, not the director's cut.) There is one earlier scene where Anwar makes gagging noises as someone holds up raw meat to his face, but he doesn't vomit in that scene.
1 comment | Add comment
Prejudice
Is there hate speech?
23 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
0
TFMD
There are no slurs (at least not in the subtitles), but this film is full of people attempting to defend and justify genocide.
1 comment | Add comment
Sex
Is there sexual content?
54 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
0
TFMD
Mentions of sexual assault, but no sexual content depicted onscreen
1 comment | Add comment