Precautions around the showings are just that — precautionary — but they aren’t necessarily unfounded. This year alone, there have been 12 mass shootings in the United States, and countless threats throughout. While the film itself in no way promotes violence or terrorism directly, it has sparked a fierce debate over art and the people who might imitate it. Phoenix recently told IGN , “[For] most of us, you're able to tell the difference between right and wrong. And those that aren't are capable of interpreting anything in the way that they may want to. People misinterpret lyrics from songs. They misinterpret passages from books. So I don't think it's the responsibility of a filmmaker to teach the audience morality or the difference between right or wrong."