Wait, There’s Torture in Zootopia? Examining the Prevalence of Torture in Popular Movies

Abstract

Roughly half of the U.S. public thinks that torture can be acceptable in counterterrorism. According to recent research, dramatic depictions of torture increase public support for the practice. Yet we do not know how frequently—and in what context—torture is depicted across popular media. What messages about the acceptability and effectiveness of torture do Americans receive when they watch popular films? To address this question, we coded each incident of torture in the twenty top-grossing films each year from 2008 to 2017 to analyze how torture is portrayed in terms of its frequency, efficacy, and social acceptability. Results show that the majority of popular films—including films aimed toward children—have at least one torture scene. Across films, the messages sent about torture are fairly consistent. As expected, movies tend to depict torture as effective. Further, how movies portray torture is also a function of who is perpetrating it. Specifically, protagonists are more likely to torture for instrumental reasons or in response to threats and are more likely to do so effectively. In contrast, antagonists are more likely to use torture as punishment and to torture women. The frequency and nature of torture’s depiction in popular films may help explain why many in the public support torture in counterterrorism.

Victims, perpetrators, and bystanders: Atrocity and its aftermath in the films of Jasmila Žbanić

“…The richness of film as a medium allows multiple perspectives to be engaged in a way that is difficult for conventional forms of academic communication (Rafter and Brown 2011: 8). Film, television and streaming media can serve as a bellwether for shifting attitudes and practices related to crime and criminal justice (Hogan 2022) and carry messages that may shape those attitudes (Delehanty and Kearns 2020). Cinematic criminology, like its academic counterpart, can generate harmful impacts, for example through negative stereotypes (Shaheen 2003: 175).…”

“…A coherent strategy for selecting films is essential, with different strategies serving different research objectives. Delehanty and Kearns (2020) selected the 20 highest grossing films each year over 10 years to explore the consistency of representations of torture in popular cinema. Small n samples across time 'snapshot' changing norms (Hogan 2022).…”

Persuasive and Unpersuasive Critiques of Torture

“…Public views of torture, however, lag significantly behind the scholarly consensus, influenced in large part by media portrayals of torture as a quick and efficient, if grim, means of obtaining counter-terrorism intelligence. When protagonists in top grossing films employ torture, they tend to use it instrumentally and successfully to counter a threat (Delehanty and Kearns 2020). Scholars have documented the persuasive effect that these fanciful scenarios have on public endorsement of torture and on the public belief that torture “works” (Flynn and Salek 2012; Schlag 2021; Green 2005; Mayer 2007; Kearns and Young 2020).…”