Whiplash

Movie · 2014

A tightly wound psychological drama about a young jazz drummer's obsessive pursuit of greatness under a sadistic conservatory instructor. The abuse -- verbal, emotional, and at moments physical -- is relentless and central to the story rather than incidental.

Explicit sexual contentSelf-harm & suicideMedical traumaGraphic violence & goreAbuse & manipulationRacial & cultural stereotypes

If you’d rather skip

Abuse & manipulationearly in the filmStrong

Fletcher first confronts Andrew in rehearsal, establishing a pattern of screaming, belittling, and personal attacks that defines the instructor-student relationship from this point forward.

Graphic violence & gorethe cymbal-throw rehearsal sceneModerate

Fletcher hurls a cymbal at Andrew's head, then slaps him repeatedly while demanding he fix his tempo.

Self-harm & suicidethe five-hour drumming audition sceneMild

Andrew is kept drumming for hours until his hand is openly bleeding onto the drum kit; close-up shots of the blood are prolonged.

4 more moments are in the full report. See all of them, checked against your own settings, in Little Later.