Does the dog die?
365 supporters
Music
Movie • 2021 • Music
ReportZu, a free spirit estranged from her family, suddenly finds herself the sole guardian of her half-sister, Music, a teenager on the autism spectrum whose whole world order has been beautifully crafted by her late grandmother. The film soon challenges whether it is Zu or Music who has a better view of the world, and that love, trust, and being able to be there for each other is everything.
This movie contains 44 potentially triggering events.
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Both
Yes
No
Your Triggers
Yes
3
No
17
2
greenseaturtle
Kazu mentions having had a childhood dog who died, but no dogs die during the film.
1 comment | Add comment
Unanswered Triggers
Yes
0
No
0
Are there dislocations?
9 supporters
Yes
0
No
0
0
greenseaturtle
Dislocations are mentioned, though, during Sia's cameo when she's talking about the earthquake that she's supposedly sending aid to.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Yes
0
No
0
Is there incarceration?
1 supporters
Yes
0
No
0
0
greenseaturtle
Not during the film, but Kazu is on probation and just got out of court-mandated rehab. She refers to this as "my brief stay with the state", indicating that there may have been some jail time involved.
1 comment | Add comment
Abandonment
Is a child abandoned by a parent?
26 supporters
Yes
8
No
0
4
SiRenfield
Zu (who’s not her parent but her older sister/guardian) considers abandoning Music in a group home
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
3
Abuse
Are there abusive parents?
44 supporters
Yes
5
No
1
0
greenseaturtle
Felix's father verbally abuses him on several occasions, which eventually escalates to physical abuse of both him and his mother that ends up killing Felix.
1 comment | Add comment
Does an abused person forgive their abuser?
36 supporters
Yes
4
No
1
3
SiRenfield
In the sense that Music stands by her older sister despite the questionable stuff she’s done to her as a caregiver
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone stalked?
23 supporters
Yes
4
No
10
1
greenseaturtle
It's not stalking per se, but Felix follows Music and watches her silently while she's on her walks.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
35
No
0
1
greenseaturtle
Two graphic prone-restraint scenes. According to Sia herself, she didn't realize that this practice was dangerous while making the film.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
25 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
4
Is someone gaslighted?
36 supporters
Yes
27
No
4
2
greenseaturtle
Yet again, the people who voted "yes" have no idea what gaslighting is. Gaslighting is an abuse tactic in which the abuser attempts to convince the victim that they are mentally unstable and incompetent. Regardless of how you feel about this film, there is no gaslighting in it.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
62
No
0
20
meganf3000
An autistic teen is physically restrained during meltdown.
1 comment | Add comment
Addiction
Yes
49
No
0
18
meganf3000
Zu is a sober drug dealer who apparently goes into relapse because of Music (believe me i hate this too)
1 comment | Add comment
Is there addiction?
16 supporters
Yes
42
No
0
8
meganf3000
I believe Zu is shown to go into relapse after taking care of Music
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
31
No
0
Animal
Yes
1
No
4
Yes
3
No
15
Yes
3
No
14
Yes
3
No
14
Yes
3
No
14
Yes
4
No
13
Yes
1
No
3
Yes
1
No
3
Yes
3
No
14
Yes
1
No
3
Yes
3
No
14
Yes
3
No
11
Yes
1
No
2
Yes
3
No
11
Yes
1
No
3
Are there bugs?
27 supporters
Yes
7
No
9
1
greenseaturtle
A bee is briefly seen on Music's hand before it stings her.
1 comment | Add comment
Assault
Does a woman get slapped?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
16 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
4
Is someone restrained?
23 supporters
Yes
30
No
0
14
ShanYuBeingSUS
The film includes a prone restraint scene, a horrible practice that multiple autistic children and teenagers have DIED from.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
3
No
7
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
1
No
3
Yes
0
No
5
Bodily Harm
Yes
2
No
12
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Does someone struggle to breathe?
27 supporters
Yes
45
No
0
18
meganf3000
Idk if she does but if people restrain autistic people the way the other characters restrain Music it could be very harmful to their physical health and even fatal.
4 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
2
No
14
Yes
0
No
4
Is someone choked?
15 supporters
Yes
4
No
0
1
greenseaturtle
Felix's father starts choking his wife during an argument. It's one of the more triggering moments of the film that doesn't get talked about as much.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
2
No
14
Yes
2
No
11
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
2
No
13
Does a head get squashed?
49 supporters
Yes
3
No
16
11
Anonymous
Not squashed, but there is head trauma
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
4
Yes
2
No
10
Yes
1
No
4
Yes
2
No
10
Does someone become unconscious?
6 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
0
greenseaturtle
The grandmother has a stroke and collapses in her apartment, dying shortly afterward.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
12
Does someone have a seizure?
6 supporters
Yes
4
No
18
2
Paci
I have autism and I almost had a seazure for how bad it was (but for real, the movie is potentially harmful to autistic people who have hypersensitivity)
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
2
No
12
Yes
3
No
14
Is someone tortured?
72 supporters
Yes
61
No
0
26
meganf3000
People probably wouldn’t call this torture but to autistic people it definitely is. Music gets physically restrained during meltdown TWICE.
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone fall down stairs?
9 supporters
Yes
2
No
5
0
greenseaturtle
Not all the way down, but a drunk Zu stumbles on the front steps and injures her nose.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
9
Yes
2
No
16
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
2
No
7
Children
Yes
0
No
4
Does a kid die?
44 supporters
Yes
26
No
8
12
ShanYuBeingSUS
I don't know why there is more no's than yeses. Felix's (an Asian kid) father chokes his mother then strikes Felix, knocking him into a table and killing him; blood is quickly seen. PS: I am actually autistic and I despised this movie so much all of my heart!
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Creepy Crawly
Yes
0
No
3
Death
Yes
0
No
3
Does a major character die?
22 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
0
greenseaturtle
Grandma Millie's death kicks off the plot, and Felix dies at the halfway point.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
5
No
0
Disability
Is someone disabled played by able-bodied?
20 supporters
Yes
29
No
3
13
Deacon
An autistic person is portrayed by a neurotypical actress, in a way that is reminiscent of children mocking someone with an intellectual disability. The 14yo actress is reported to have been hesitant (FWIW), but the writer/director insisted the portrayal was not problematic.
1 comment | Add comment
Is the r-slur used?
29 supporters
Yes
0
No
10
18
whipnaenae
no, but as an autistic person my god you might as well be reaching right out the screen and screaming it at me for the film’s whole runtime
1 comment | Add comment
Drugs/Alcohol
Yes
0
No
3
Family
Does a family member die?
21 supporters
Yes
6
No
0
0
SiRenfield
The grandmother’s death kickstarts the plot
1 comment | Add comment
Does a parent die?
20 supporters
Yes
31
No
0
4
throwaway2468
Music's grandmother dies in the apartment. However, no graphic imagery is shown.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
8
Yes
2
No
9
Yes
2
No
10
Fear
Yes
2
No
12
Yes
2
No
13
Yes
2
No
11
Yes
2
No
12
Yes
2
No
11
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Gross
Yes
1
No
14
Does someone wet/soil themselves?
20 supporters
Yes
12
No
0
3
throwaway2468
In one scene, Music is frightened by Zu's behaviour and Music wets the bed from a nightmare. (Not exactly sure if it was a nightmare.)
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
2
No
10
Yes
2
No
11
Large-scale Violence
Yes
0
No
5
Law Enforcement
Yes
2
No
5
LGBTQ+
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
3
Loss
Yes
0
No
3
Medical
Yes
3
No
12
Yes
4
No
11
Yes
33
No
0
Is there a hospital scene?
11 supporters
Yes
32
No
0
0
throwaway2468
Zu brings Music to the emergency room after Music suffers a severe allergy to bees.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
11
Mental Health
Yes
5
No
1
Yes
29
No
0
3
throwaway2468
During one of Music's meltdowns, she hits herself repeatedly as she is overwhelmed.
1 comment | Add comment
Is autism misrepresented?
30 supporters
Yes
71
No
4
20
RyanS
A very bad depiction of people with autism
3 comments | Add comment
Is a mentally ill person violent?
31 supporters
Yes
15
No
1
0
throwaway2468
Zu realises she left her backpack somewhere outside and she goes into a breakdown, throwing stuff around the apartment.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
2
0
greenseaturtle
The music video sequences are quite surrealist, depicting the emotional beats of the film via abstract dance sequences and bright-hued sets.
No character literally dissociates or is explicitly said to be dissociating, however. So if that specifically is a trigger, the film is safe.
No character literally dissociates or is explicitly said to be dissociating, however. So if that specifically is a trigger, the film is safe.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is there autism specific abuse?
38 supporters
Yes
96
No
0
43
cassandrasaurus
In response to a meltdown, an autistic minor is forcibly restrained and pinned face down on the ground with an adult partially sitting on top of them. This is also known as the “prone” restraint and it is highly dangerous and can cause asphyxiation in the individual being restrained.
It should be noted that the autistic minor was not a danger to herself or others, only engaging in loud vocal stimming and lightly slapping herself. The adult caregivers’ FIRST response was to restrain her with zero attempts at non-violent de-escalation. The narrative does not seem to frame this as abuse (it is) but as a “normal” and necessary response to a meltdown.
It should be noted that the autistic minor was not a danger to herself or others, only engaging in loud vocal stimming and lightly slapping herself. The adult caregivers’ FIRST response was to restrain her with zero attempts at non-violent de-escalation. The narrative does not seem to frame this as abuse (it is) but as a “normal” and necessary response to a meltdown.
5 comments | Add comment
Yes
3
No
2
0
greenseaturtle
Kazu confesses to Ebo that her "falling off" the fire escape before the events of the film was actually a suicide attempt.
1 comment | Add comment
Is reality unstable or unhinged?
19 supporters
Yes
3
No
1
0
greenseaturtle
The musical scenes can be quite trippy and jarring, especially the first few.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone have a meltdown?
8 supporters
Yes
9
No
0
2
SiRenfield
And the film teaches you to respond to meltdowns in the WORST way possible
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
14
No
0
Are there anxiety attacks?
23 supporters
Yes
39
No
0
9
cha0ticneutralsys
Autistic meltdowns but similar
2 comments | Add comment
Is there ABA therapy?
16 supporters
Yes
14
No
6
2
jdpamv
Violence is used to suppress autistic traits so in that regard there is ABA therapy.
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
29 supporters
Add comment
Yes
9
No
1
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
2
No
8
Yes
2
No
9
Yes
2
No
8
Does someone die by suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
71 supporters
Add comment
Yes
2
No
9
Yes
1
No
3
Noxious
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
2
No
1
Is there shakey cam?
35 supporters
Yes
30
No
0
1
throwaway2468
Shaky cam throughout the entire movie.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
4
No
0
Is there screaming?
12 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
1
greenseaturtle
Music screams and cries out at several points in the film. At the halfway point, Zu screams when she loses a backpack full of drugs.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
3
No
0
Are there flashing lights or images?
42 supporters
Yes
42
No
0
9
Anonymous
You don't even have to watch the movie to see this, the trailer is full of very triggering flashing lights and very fast changes/movements. Absolutely not accessible.
1 comment | Add comment
Paranoia
Is someone watched without knowing?
13 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
0
greenseaturtle
Felix is seen quietly following and watching Music as she goes about her daily walk, peeking at her through the bookshelves in the library. It's never really made known whether or not Music is aware of this or how she feels about it.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
1
No
3
Pregnancy
Yes
1
No
3
Yes
2
No
7
Yes
2
No
1
Yes
2
No
7
Yes
2
No
7
Yes
2
No
7
Prejudice
Yes
2
No
6
Is there ableist language or behavior?
39 supporters
Yes
129
No
0
49
meganf3000
This whole movie is ableist because it perpetuates the fact that autistic people are broken or need to be cured. The main autistic character is played by a neurotypical actress, there are scenes infantilising Music and physically restraining her during meltdown. Sia also partnered with an autistic hate group to make this movie (Autism Speaks).
4 comments | Add comment
Yes
2
No
8
Yes
3
No
5
Yes
7
No
3
Yes
2
No
8
Yes
2
No
8
Yes
2
No
6
Yes
0
No
3
Is a minority is misrepresented?
24 supporters
Yes
34
No
0
11
SiRenfield
Even ignoring the infamous advocacy of restraint, this movie is just plain not good at depicting autism as Music is infantilized to hell and back, and has little to no agency as a character. And autistic people are not even the only victim of this either!
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
3
No
7
Is there hate speech?
26 supporters
Yes
52
No
1
11
Anonymous
And also repetitive mockery of autistic movements/stims, which also feels deeply hateful.
2 comments | Add comment
Race
Is there blackface?
30 supporters
Yes
13
No
1
4
jdpamv
Scene of Music in blackface with cornrow headphones.
2 comments | Add comment
Relationships
Yes
0
No
3
Religious
Is religion discussed?
11 supporters
Yes
0
No
3
0
greenseaturtle
Religious themes and motifs occasionally pop up, but it's never discussed in-depth. In "Beautiful Things Can Happen", Ebo is seen rising out of what first appears to be a coffin but is revealed to be an oversized bible. The lyrics to the same song also reference hell.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Sex
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Is someone sexually objectified?
41 supporters
Yes
0
No
3
1
SiRenfield
Objectification maybe but not of the sexual variety
1 comment | Add comment
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
82 supporters
Add comment
Yes
2
No
7
Yes
2
No
5
Yes
0
No
3
Sexism
Yes
3
No
2
Sickness
Is someone terminally ill?
16 supporters
Yes
2
No
1
1
greenseaturtle
Ebo is HIV positive, but it is medicated and he doesn't seem to be showing symptoms of progression to AIDS.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone have a stroke?
9 supporters
Yes
3
No
0
0
greenseaturtle
The grandmother dies of a stroke at the beginning of the film. Before she collapses, we see one side of her face droop, which is a classic stroke symptom. Her death is quick and seems relatively peaceful, though.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone have a chronic illness?
8 supporters
Yes
5
No
0
2
SiRenfield
HIV
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Social
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
2
No
1
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
No
3
Spoiler
Yes
2
No
7
Are there end credit scenes?
35 supporters
Yes
2
No
1
1
greenseaturtle
A brief one of the Radgicals TV show host (played by comedian Tig Notaro), showing a clip of the show where she meets the Encourager creature and they have an awkward interaction.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
8
Vehicular
Yes
3
No
0
Yes
2
No
6
Yes
2
No
7
Yes
2
No
5
Violence
Yes
2
No
6
Is there blood/gore?
53 supporters
Yes
21
No
0
1
throwaway2468
There is one scene where Zu falls down the stairs drunk and breaks her nose. Next scene, Zu's injury is visible but it's not severe.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
2
No
7
Yes
2
No
6