Content and Trigger Warning Guide: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Note: This guide may contain spoilers.

Synopsis: While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron’s new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard. (Source: IMDb)

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Estimated Self-Censored Rating Using Full Guide: PG-13 for frightening scenes and some character designs that may be upsetting to young viewers. This movie contains more frightening scenes than The Fellowship of the Ring.

Watch On: Amazon, HBO Max

Content Warnings

• Blood* (13)
  • There is dried blood on an unconscious Merry’s forehead at brief moments from 11:41-12:02. It is visible again from 21:26-23:10.
  • An orc is born and cut from his membrane sack in a bloody manner 15:49-15:59.
  • We see a close up of Theodred’s bloody face and torso 17:54-18:10. 
  • A severed and bloody orc head sits on a pike 28:17- 28:52.
  • Merry and Pippin are slightly bloody following their flee from battle as a beat-up and bloody orc 31:02-31:14. The pair are still lightly bloody until 31:14
  • Gandalf is seen with a bloody nose from 44:33-44:38.
  • A bloody dead horse is shown on the battlefield 1:30:57-1:31:00.
  • Arragorns wounded shoulder is seen rom 1:38:31-1:39:17. It is visible again from 1:57:07- 1:57:12, and intermittently from 2:03:33-2:04:30.
  • Legolas places a necklace in Aragorn’s bloody hand from 1:57:36- 1:57:46.
  • A man with a bandaged head walks by, there is a red spot indicating blood on the bandage from 2:03:54- 2:03:57.
  • The climactic Battle of Helm’s Deep against the forces of Saruman takes place between 2:13:12-2:45:33. Thousands of soldiers die during the long battle, with Sauron’s army eventually being defeated. Haldir is the only named character to die during the battle.
    • There are brief shots of blood on soldiers and swords throughout the battle.
    • Aragorn’s bloody hands are shown up close up from 2:24:20-2:24:25.

Note: Most blood is seen under colored filters and is not a bright red. 

• Graphic Violence (14)
  • Gandalf is entwined in battle with Balrog and stabs him several times as they fight while falling down a long chasm from 3:00- 3:47.
  • An Orc’s head is cut off and flies into the air before hitting the ground with graphic sounds. 22:53-22:57. Organs are seen comically flying through the air as a crowd of orcs begins to eat him accompanied again by the grotesque sounds 23:07. We do not see his body post or during be-heading.
  • There is a short battle scene as horsemen ride through the Orc camp, killing them with swords, javelins, and arrows 23:28- 24:04. The battle is continued from 29:25- 30:24.
  • An Orc is squished by an Ent 32:11-32:14.
  • Some of a traveling army is shot and killed with arrows. One falls to the ground dead in front of the camera. No blood is shown 1:19:29- 1:20:04.
  • There is a battle from 1:26:31-1:31:00. Most of the graphic violence is shown in the background including stabbing and beheading. Afterward, victims are shown on the battlefield with arrows sticking out of their bodies. In this time Aragorn falls off a steep cliff. presumably into the river below.
    • An orc one a wild beast attacks the group of Rohan refugees and kills one, throwing his body away 1:26:31-1:26:42. There is a close-up shot of the beast’s (Warg) teeth as it attacks.
  • The climactic Battle of Helm’s Deep against the forces of Saruman takes place between 2:13:12-2:45:33. Thousands of soldiers die during the long battle, with Sauron’s army eventually being defeated. Haldir is the only named character to die during the battle.
    • The first arrow is fired into the neck of an orc who falls down dead from 2:13:12-2:13:22.
    • Men are shot at and fall off the high fortress, some hitting stone on the way down 2:14:37-2:14:45.
    • An explosive blows up a major area of the Helm’s Deep fortress, people are blown away from the explosion, while huge stones and debris fly out, killing many 2:18:59- 2:19:27.
    • Haldir is cleaved in the back and falls to the ground, dying in Aragorn’s arms. At this time the camera also pans over the faces of his fallen soldiers. 2:23:51- 2:24:25.
    • King Théoden is stabbed in the chest by a spear that remains there as he continues to attack, he responds by driving another spear in the attacking orc’s neck 2:25:05- 2:25:09.
    • At 2:40:20-2:42:49, the Ents begin their attack on Isengard, many orcs are smashed, squished, and killed. Ents are attacked with axes and fire. The group destroys the surrounding industry of Isengard by breaking a damn and flooding it. 

Trigger Warnings

• Domestic/Child Abuse (1)
  • Children are conscripted as fighters in the Battle of Helm’s Deep. It is presumed that many children die during the battle, but it is not shown.
• Animal Abuse (4)
  • Sméagol (Gollum) presents Frodo with a couple of dead rabbits to eat, he then proceeds to break one of the rabbit’s back and bites into it, and some viscera is exposed 1:16:07-1:16-47.
  • A wild bread of wolves (Wargs) are used as battle mounts along with horses, and many are killed in battle, 1:26:21-1:31:00.
  • Sméagol (Gollum) smacks a fish violently against rocks to kill it from 1:49:53-1:50:04. He then eats the fish and dangles it from his mouth from 1:50:35- 1:51:16.
  • Warhorses enter the Battle of Helm’s Deep at 2:40:07
• Self-Harm/Suicide (1)
  • An orc throws himself into a sewer grate with an explosive in order to blow a large hole in the Helm’s Deep fortress. It explodes with him still holding it from 2:18:59-2:19:06
• Intense War Scenes/Torture (6)
  • The Rohan refugees are attacked by Orcs riding wild beasts (Wargs). Multiple people are stabbed, shot, and beheaded from 1:26:31-1:31:00. In this time Aragorn falls off a steep cliff. presumably into the river below.
  • The climactic Battle of Helm’s Deep against the forces of Saruman takes place between 2:13:12-2:45:33. Thousands of soldiers die during the long battle, with Sauron’s army eventually being defeated. Haldir is the only named character to die during the battle.
    • There is a short reprieve from 2:16:08- 2:17:46, 2:21:12- 2:22:56, 2:28:54- 2:30:18, 2:30:55-2:33:09  where the focus is back to Merry, Pippin, and the Ents.
      • At 2:40:20-2:42:49, the Ents begin their attack on Isengard, many orcs are smashed, squished, and killed. Ents are attacked with axes and fire. The group destroys the surrounding industry of Isengard by breaking a damn and flooding it.
    • There is a short reprieve from 2:30:18- 2:30:55, 2:33:09-2:34:45, 2:42:49- 2:45:19 where the focus is back on Frodo and the Rangers of Ithilien.
      • At 2:45:19- 2:45:04, Sam’s monologue is heard over the Battle of Helm’s Deep as it comes to a close, and Isengard floods.

This guide was completed by Mackenzie Marrow, a Content Reviewer in Lincoln, Nebraska.