- Severe
- The first execution, while not as violently prolonged as the second, could be hard to watch due to its realism.
- An antagonist attacks some guards early on. In two scenes, a protagonist is shown to be in pain while urinating.
- The kidnap, rape, and murder of two little girls play a role in the plot. The rapes and murders are not shown. The kidnapping, which is accomplished via manipulation rather than brute force, is shown.
- There are several executions that includes the electric chair (especially a graphic one that goes horribly wrong, takes much longer than usual and results in the prisoner literally being fried) and it is unsettling, disturbing and/or suspenseful.
- The death of John Coffey is very sad and heartbreaking.
- This film is notorious for it's extremely heartwrenching ending. Probably one of the most saddest movies known to man.
- Eduard Delacroix's execution on the electric chair is extremely disturbing and sadistic. Someone sabotages his execution by leaving the sponge dry messing up the conductivity of the electricity. His body goes frying for over two minutes while we hear him scream and fry in agony and we see his burned afterwards.
- John Coffey's death is EXTREMELY sad with the swelling music, sad lines like "I'm sorry for what I am." And "don't put that thing on me boss, I'm afraid of the dark." Which is very saddening, but most of the death isn't shown.
- The execution of John Coffey is EXTREMELY emotional and upsetting, even though most of it isn't shown onscreen.