The Most Disturbing Movies Ever
December 19th, 2002 at 1:54 pm (Film Discussion)
Forget the gore fests. Who cares just how realistic some effects wizard can make an exploding baby head look? Well, some might care, but that is not my cup of tea. No, these are some of the best films to watch if you want to end up huddled late at night hugging your blanket for comfort. These are movies that crawl under your skin, burrow themselves a nice little home and settle in for a good night’s worth or nightmares.
Jacob’s Ladder (1990) - Be in a sane state of mind before trying this one on.
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Sister My Sister (1994) - Soft, subtle and mentally damaged.
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Eraserhead (1977) - Malformed fetuses anyone?
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Trainspotting (1996)- Ceiling crawling crack babies anyone?
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Kids (1995) - It is 10pm, do you CARE where your kids are? Well you SHOULD!
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House of Yes, The (1997) - OK, maybe it isn’t that disturbing, but it is still a good movie that leaves you with the feeling of ants crawling up your back.
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Se7en (1995) - Do not know if I have become desensitized since 1995 or if it was just more shocking the first time around but this movie freaked me out when I saw it in theaters.
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Saving Private Ryan (1998) - The opening scenes of soldiers being butchered on the beach turned my stomach.
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Handmaid’s Tale, The (1990) - The reason this goes into the ‘Most Disturbing’ list for me is that this adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s movie makes this dystopia even MORE believable and accessible! I can choose to disbelieve the future in ‘Gattaca’ but after watching this movie with a Republican president I just could not sleep at night.
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Blue Velvet (1986) - One of the most beautiful openings for a film. A trip into the mind of a sick individual.
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Requiem for a Dream (2000) - Beautiful, psychological and subtle. Get it on DVD for the interview with the author of the book.
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The Baby of Mâcon (1993) - You thought a Zed and Two Naughts was disturbing? How well does a 10 minute gang rape sit with you? It emptied half of the theater when I saw it.
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The Dark Backward (1991) - Pork juice anyone?
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Bad Taste (1987) - Before Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson did his best to gross us out.
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Heavenly Creatures (1994) - Speaking of Peter Jackson, try this wonder view into the world of girls gone psychotic
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Dead Alive (1992) - More Peter Jackson. This time with a brain eating Zombie motif
Sam Rowe said,
December 23, 2002 at 7:02 am
I’m a huge fan of the Polanski trilogy of Repulsion, The Tenant, and Rosemary’s Baby. The Tenant, is quite possibly the scariest movie I’ve ever seen.
I thought The House of Yes was a hysterical comedy, though, so maybe our tastes are different.
I thought The Dark Backward was more weird than disturbing. Again, I thought it was comedy.
I dunno that I’d call Requiem for a Dream “subtle” especially considering the ending. I thought the first hour or so was fairly lousy.
Al said,
December 28, 2002 at 12:01 pm
Please add Short Circuit and Porky’s to the list of most disturbing movies. I am ashamed of my humanity when I see them.
Nick said,
January 4, 2003 at 1:58 am
It’s not quite with most of those, but Deliverance is pretty disturbing: Mutant hillbillies, bones protruding from legs, fear, desperation, and anal rape….
That’s a pretty good list, though. Seven is a movie I wish I’d never watched.
Resevoir Dogs probably has the most disturbing scene you never saw: the ear slicing scene. You can see it on the new DVD, if you wish, though. I think the one where you don’t see the ear get lopped off is worse. Weird, eh?
Hey Al, if you want to question your humanity know that at least Porky’s and Short Circuit cost like a buck each to make. Michael Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer, Joel Schumacker get to spend zillions on their crap. (And Porky’s and Short Circuit are way better than Bad Company.)
Leopoldo said,
January 4, 2003 at 6:03 pm
Se7en is a very interesting movie. When I first saw it in a theater in 1995 it had an incredible impact on me. Seeing it in 2002 on DVD it seemed a whole lot milder. I honestly believe Se7en was pushing the envelope in ‘95 and since I have been desensitized by even more outrageous violence.
Joe said,
February 19, 2003 at 6:25 pm
The most disturbing I’ve ever seen is without a question “Salo,” an italian film. “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, Her Lover” was also rough!
Dreamer said,
February 28, 2003 at 11:10 am
The film Begotten. Out of twenty-three people, three people including myself were the only ones to finish it. If you can find it… see it. I will be stunned by anyone who does not leave that film “marked.”
Hawk said,
March 10, 2003 at 7:26 pm
disturbing…eh i dunno but maybe you should add L.I.E. to that list. A different kind of disturbing, but regardless..
jon smith said,
April 19, 2003 at 5:59 pm
you guys what about event horizon, the house on haunted hill, murder by numbers was cool, jeepers creapers, the virus(kinda), 8 mm, IT, if you want to see a movie thats depressing and really eerie see the CUBE, this movie is mad. nobody though of the exorcist, and there was this other movie called the boys club or something they like worship satan its really fucked up too.
Leopoldo said,
April 21, 2003 at 12:49 pm
Lets see…
House on Haunted Hill - Did not see it, it did not seem that interesting from the previews.
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0185371
Murder by Numbers – Once again the movie looked flat so I did not see it.
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0264935
Jeepers Creepers – I don’t really care for horror, so once again… (notice a pattern so far?)
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0263488
The Virus – Do you mean the 1999 release ‘Virus’? Did not see it either. All of these are ‘oooh, lets see how we can scare people’ rather than intelligent scripts that get under your skin type movies.
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0120458
8MM – I was very disappointed with this movie. It billed itself as terribly creepy but was about as believable as… well.. a hollywood flick trying to be an art film.
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0134273
Cube – Now this one impressed me. I thought V. Natali did an awesome job with a limited budget. I did not find it all that disturbing though.
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0123755
The Ecorcist – Yup, this one creeped the hell out of me when I frist saw it. Still does get to me so many years later.
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0070047
Boy’s Club – No idea what this movie might be…
liz said,
June 2, 2003 at 5:52 pm
i think he means the black circle boys, which i thought was a bit creepy and somewhat realistic.
john said,
July 5, 2003 at 2:10 pm
BULLY - By the director of KIDS, is another examination of the aimlessness that some of todays teens feel. Made all the more disturbing by the fact that this is based on an actual event.
THE MINUS MAN - Another film that left my stomach in knots… not because it was scary, but because it presented a believable character that on the outside doesn’t seem to be out of the ordinary, but inside is another story. It had me asking myself, “How many people do we meet like this everyday of our lives?”
THE PLEDGE - I still don’t know what Jack Nicholson’s motivations were in this film… and that, to me, is why it is so brilliant.
CHINATOWN - This may seem like an odd choice, but this was the first movie I can remember seeing that really opened my eyes to the world around me. Not everything turns out OK in the end… the good guy doesn’t always win… and not all bad guys come to justice. A movie that really left its mark on me.
john said,
July 5, 2003 at 2:23 pm
Sorry for the triple post… I don’t know what happened there. I had a question to add. Where did you find a copy of “The Baby of Macon”? I have looked for this film going on ten years now, but have only seen the behind the scenes book. It looks stunning, but perhaps like Prosperos Books, it only got the most limited release here in the states. If anyone can help, I’d appreciate it.
Leopoldo said,
July 8, 2003 at 2:02 pm
Hey John. Just fixed the triple post (deleted the other two copies) so no worries there.
I was lucky to see “The Baby of Macon” while working for the Olympia Film Festival. The cinematographer, and one of the film makers I most admire, Sacha Vierny was present for it’s US debut. The organizer of the film festival had to bring a copy of the movie down from Canada because it is black listed in the United States. The official line is that the movie “failed to find a U.S. distributor” but it seems pretty clear that it was censored in the US because of it’s graphic violence.
I don’t know where you are located or how you can get a copy of it. I did some web searching and it seems that there is not region 1 (US) release of the DVD. The most excellent Seattle video store Scarecrow Video has a copy on DVD Region 4 and one on laserdisc. In Portland I would contact Movie Madness. I know this one is very hard to find, good luck.
Gerree said,
July 9, 2003 at 1:23 pm
Good list. I would add to that:
Suspiria - Truly one of the strangest and most terrifying things I’ve ever seen. Add that to the late seventies clothing and cheesy dialogue and you have one very disturbing movie. Much more than just horror, it masters suspense in a unique and artful way.
28 Days Later - A new edition, and again, much more than a horror flick. It’s actually a psychological thriller, depicting events that could in many ways be considered possible. Interesting visuals and a great job directing.
The Animatrix - The Second Renaissance Part I & II - Another new edition. Somewhat based on the Terminator premise, but takes it to another graphically disturbing level of a future ruled by machines, with images of human fuses and fun things like that.
Pixie said,
July 19, 2003 at 1:40 pm
Not to be rude or anything, but I thought 28 Days Later was HORRIBLE…I was expecting to be really scared and disturbed by it, but when it was over, I was just kind of like “ooooooook.” It was similar to that movie The Signs that came out last year maybe? Not in plot or anything but just that it looked reeeeeaaaally scary, but turned out to be the aliens are chasing us, still chasing us, scaring us, we defeat them…the end. That’s kind of like 28 Days Later(though not aliens) No brilliant underlying theme, not a surprise ending, just cat and mouse…but then, that’s just my opinion. *********In response to an earlier post, someone had written about a movie called The Boys Club–I saw this movie-it starred Devon Sawa and Chris Penn…kinda wierd, but I don’t remember anything about the boys worshiping the devil.
Hannah said,
July 23, 2003 at 11:30 am
THE RING- Truely a disturbing movie. Very well put together, not overly graphic, but quiet horrifying.
Chantal Root said,
July 27, 2003 at 12:47 am
I’d have to say that without question, “SALO, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM” is the most disturbing movie I’ve seen to date. On a slight tangent, I’m curious, yet apprehensive about Pasolini’s adaptations of “Medea” and “Oedipus Rex,” as the books are quagmires in and of themselves.
To continue the list:
-SANTA SANGRE: co-dependency and Fellini-esque touches have never been so intense and fanatical.
-MULHOLLAND DRIVE: a complex and very disorienting study of psychosis, lack of identity or dubious indentity, aspirations that expire and are inevitably never reached, and how the film industy is a catalyst for many of these issues, particularly in the category of lookism. And it’s a Nancy Drew farce to boot. Fantastic film.
-MEET THE FEEBLES: Muppets on crack is perhaps not a very creative concept, but Peter Jackson really packs in the humor and absurdity. Whoever thought a walrus could make love to a Siamese cat no larger than the size of his fin? A truly dysfunctional movie.
-DEAD ALIVE: A wonderfully superfluous tribute to George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead,” exhibited shamelessly (and humorously)in gallons and gallons of bleeding corn syrup. Various genres are mixed very well, too, despite the madness that constantly ensues. Love the 1950s sci-fi look and parody when the zombies crash the party!
-SE7EN: Forensic odyssey into multiple murders whose impact patiently awaits to unveil the grisly denoument.
-PERSONA: Another foray into identity, and the lack of control over it. Evil genius unfolds very slowly and its impact is psychologically deadly.
-REQUIEM FOR A DREAM: Best anti-drug movie ever made, yet somehow deliriously beautiful and very engrossing.
-PI: A great study of schizophrenia, and how the existance of patterns in life are enlightening, but as they branch out further and further, become cluttering and incrimentally less manageable, disorienting, paranoia-inducing, it ultimately gives way to private, personal madness.
-BLUE VELVET: Dennis Hopper. Need I say more?
-MOULIN ROUGE: So insulting to the intelligence, that it’s actually disturbing. This film had a lot of potential and a great set-up, but to little avail.
Chantal Root said,
July 27, 2003 at 12:52 am
Forgot to add:
THE EXORCIST: truly demented, and in some cases, just plain wrong. End of story! One of the best horro movies ever made.
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: Deux ex machina approach to watching one’s companions become abusive authorities.
Leopoldo said,
July 29, 2003 at 2:44 pm
Hey Chantal, thanks for the post, lets see what I can say in response
Salo, 120 Days of Sodom – Wow, I cant believe I missed this one. I think maybe because I blocked it from my mind.
Santa Sangre – Another one that freaked me out and I would rather not revisit.
Mullholland Drive – I quite liked it, but I was not as wierded out nor did I like it as much as many did.
Meet The Feebles – I have wanted to see this movie since I first heard about it (many years ago now) but I have somehow not managed to… yet.
Moulin Rouge – It is interesting how some movies are liked, some disliked and then some like these are loved by some and hated by others. I should figure out what gives a movie such a split reaction.
Zach said,
August 5, 2003 at 6:52 pm
I didnt find Salo as bad as everyone made it out to be, but some others to add to the list might be
Caligula
Baise-Moi
Storytelling
Dancer in the Dark
Ron said,
August 16, 2003 at 2:25 am
how can you talk about the director of kids and not mention GUMMO?
and although i have not yet seen it, i believe IRREVERSIBLE with monica belucci could be the most shocking and explicit; therefore disturbing, movie of all time. ill let you know.
how about FULL METAL JACKET as well? vincent d’onofrio wields a rifle… poor little vietnamise girl… boot camp period.
BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE is fucking disturbing because its real.
the first time i saw it, VERY BAD THINGS was respectfully awful, although it lost its appeal subsequently.
BRINGING OUT THE DEAD is close to a masterpiece, scorsese’s best since TAXI DRIVER; which also has its moments, but i never want to be an e.m.t.
-i dont know if this qualifies, but there was a short film on a woman who, on her path to enlightenment, proceeds to drill into her own forehead. i have no idea the where when how why or who of this doc, but it truly disturbed me.
-any faces of death or banned from tv (dont know if they qualify, but if youre not disturbed by these, then you must have already watched someone die.)
brian disaster said,
September 11, 2003 at 7:33 am
Ok I have seen most of the movies that have been posted here but i recently saw a movie that is by far more disturbing then any of them. It’s called “Irreversible” and it will change you. Its the only movie that I have EVER fast forwarded through a scene because it was so disturbing. If you think that you have the stomach for it then you should definitly rent it.
Brian Jackson said,
September 16, 2003 at 5:11 pm
Thought I’d mention my personal pick of most disturbing flick of all time: “CLOSET LAND” (starring Madeline Stowe & Alan Rickman, co-produced by Ron Howard.)
It’s hard to find at some rental chains, but it’s a movie you’ll never forget. I’m a big fan of horror flicks, but even I had trouble making it through the first viewing of this film. It’s not gory, but the incredible quality of acting in the psychological & physical torture scenes truly raises the bar. It’s the kind of disturbing film that will stay with you for weeks.
What I liked most about this movie was the amazing direction and cinematography. In fact the entire movie only casts 2 actors locked in a single, depressing room: the political prisoner (Stowe) and her torturer (Rickman). Do not watch this just before going to bed. Trust me.
Regards,
Brian Jackson
Brian Jackson said,
September 16, 2003 at 5:46 pm
By the way, there’s some excellent reviews of CLOSET LAND here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6302135397/103-0379307-6993435?v=glance
Leopoldo said,
September 16, 2003 at 8:30 pm
Wow, had not heard of Closet Land before. It sounds very well made and very disturbing.
Brian Jackson said,
September 16, 2003 at 11:53 pm
Hi Leopoldo.
I’m not even sure if “disturbing” is the correct word here. I’ve seen many of the films mentioned on this board thus far, and they’re good. I enjoyed them. But CLOSET LAND is in a category unto itself.
As I said earlier there’s little gore shown on screen, but the acting quality of Madaline Stowe (the prisoner) while she’s getting her toenails pulled out with pliers, truly left a dent in my head. You don’t need to see all the gore to experience it. You feel it.
Conversely, Alan Rickman is perfectly cast as the ultimate sadist. He thoroughly enjoys his job, though he f**ks with her head in ways you wouldn’t believe.
Trust me here… fake blood & slasher films is one thing. CLOSET LAND changed me. Not sure if it was the part he made her drink piss, or shoved red-hot skewers up her anus, or the part he ran wires up her vagina… Alan Rickman played a sick individual whom enjoyed giving pain.
But perhaps the most intense moment of this film, without giving anything away, was how she was able to escape the physical torture in her mind. My favorite moment is when her coping mechanism is revealed. It’s the ultimate “F**k you.”
Don’t expect anything though. The ending was more horrible than the story.
Brian Jackson said,
September 17, 2003 at 12:16 am
… by the way, when I said “The ending was more horrible than the story,” I meant “disturbing.” Horrible could be construed as bad, which this film clearly wasn’t.
paul said,
September 19, 2003 at 1:59 pm
heres a few for your list
bully
ken Park(vile)
i stand alone
irreversable(vile)
nekromantik 1&2 (vile)
all night long 1-2-3 Part 3 is really vile
Happiness
salo (vile)
vistor Q (vile)
Audition
Ichi the Killer(vile
Theres alot more but thats all i can think of right now
paul said,
September 19, 2003 at 2:12 pm
here are a few more
giene pig series (no story but still disturbing and they are fake not real)
man bites dog
vulgar the clown (vile)
And all night long 3,Irreversible,necrimantik 2, Ken Park,visitor Q & salo are vile vile movies i don’t think i stressed that enough
Brian Jackson said,
September 20, 2003 at 11:47 am
http://www.great-debate.com/tv.htm
Disturbingly funny video clip!
Gerree said,
October 9, 2003 at 9:29 am
More:
MAY - I’m convinced Angela Bettis IS May. Categorized under horror but I’d call it more of a study in very abnormal psychology.
Donnie Darko - One of those “What just happened?” kind of movies. Skattered, dark pieces make up the whole of this movie. The giant bunny image will stay with you for awhile.
Cabin Fever - I know, I know - but I gotta give this movie props. There are at least four scenes which I found to be pretty gruesome and startlingly original. It’s not often you have to beat to death the object of your lifelong affection with a shovel because her face is rotted away.
Don’t Look Now - The first and last scenes of this movie are what you will remember. The rest is creepy and great film noir, but it’s really just about starting off on the right foot + getting to the end result that makes the ride worth it. You can also have fun watching for subtle clues and symbols in this film.
Dead Alive is a great movie, funny and original, but I wouldn’t really call it disturbing. Taxi Driver was probably up there in its time, but other than just being a cool movie I don’t find it to be as edgy as it once was. The Exorcist is a classic and a great horror flick, but I think a tad overrated. I was never really scared by it for some reason. Happiness is a priceless movie and a bit disturbing, but the humor helps take the edge off. Caligula was just a mess. Deliverance and Se7en go without saying.
From what I’ve read I’m scared to see Closet Land or Salo.
Karate said,
October 9, 2003 at 12:51 pm
I Stand Alone, although I haven’t yet seen “Irreversible” the most deeply disturbing movies of all time.
paul said,
October 13, 2003 at 8:25 pm
Here is a couple more
Combat Shock
In a Glass Cage
The Untold Story
paul said,
October 30, 2003 at 4:58 pm
See The Sea
Schramm
In My Skin
rachelle said,
November 2, 2003 at 11:02 pm
I just saw this movie called “light it up.” I thought it was pretty violent and scary at times. All in all, the message was good, but I think it would have been better w/o all the violence…I guess they were making it more realistic. It was a good movie, but I guess I’m just not a fan of violence.
Rachelle said,
November 3, 2003 at 5:35 pm
Another movie I found a little disturbing and quite depressing was “Leaving Las Vegas.” It was just so sad and self distructive. There’s also a rape scene that I thought to be violent and aweful(had to turn away). Maybe I have a weakness for that kind of violence. The acting was outstanding though. Nicholas Cage was amazing! But when it ended, I was so depressed. All in all, a very unsettling film.
Aden said,
November 11, 2003 at 8:32 pm
KEN PARK
GUMMO
BASTARD OUT OF CAROLINA
omen said,
November 13, 2003 at 6:09 pm
When I think of the most “disturbing” films I’ve seen, it isn’t the gory ones that come to mind. Believe you me, I love gory films. Heck, I grew up watching Dead Alive, Evil Dead, Faces Of Death and all that. But when I think about films that really disturb me, it isn’t the ones that SHOW us the horror. Instead, it’s the ones that show us what the horror is going to be, and then let us IMAGINE it for ourselves, thereby letting us experience and feel it for ourselves. This, I believe, is what makes a film scene truly, truly disturbing.
Here are some titles I’d throw on the heap (with a focus on specific scenes):
Un Chien Andalou - The Eye Slicing Scene
American History X - The Curbing Scene
Misery - The Hobbling Scene:
Scarface - The Chainsaw Scene
Pink Flamingos - The Shit Eating Scene
Ah, “The Horror…”
cancer said,
December 24, 2003 at 8:05 pm
GUMMO (spaghetti,chocolate and dirty bathwater do not go together at all)
SALO (watch it, i dare you not to squirm)
LEON (18 year old natalie portman acting sexy is hot, 12 year old natalie portman acting sexy is wrong)
HAPPINESS (please screen whoever you decide to let your children stay overnight with….please!)
BULLY (violence and underage drug use never looked so fun, oh wait i forgot about KIDS)
HATED (this GG ALLIN documentary from the director of OLD SCHOOL is a great introduction into the mind of a truly sick and twisted individual, rock & roll before GOOD CHARLOTTE made it look pussy)
Cheyanna said,
January 2, 2004 at 7:37 pm
Even though it wasn’t a scary movie, it tramatised me like you wouldn’t believe. Even though some freak isn’t gona come and eat my body parts it still scares me!!!!
MaMaDuck said,
January 9, 2004 at 11:49 am
Ok ! enough with the stupid Remarks, Let’s get it together … By Far the scariest movie in the last 10 Years has got to be undoubtly ” Night Falls ” I’m a Theatre arts major and have seen alot of Scarey Movies …Most are to over the top and YOU DO KNOW without a doubt it’s only a movie …..Now, Night Falls scares the Crap out of you in the first 10 minutes ..on a scale of
1-10 …I’d give it a 8.5 …the best Horror Movie ever …Hum, Still get nightmares after the end of the Original Carrie …10+++
theatre arts major said,
January 10, 2004 at 4:33 pm
AS A FELLOW THEATRE ARTS MAJOR I HAVE TO QUESTION THE OPINION OF ANYONE WHO WOULD READ ALL THE POSTS LISTED HERE, AND SOMEHOW COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT “SCARY” MOVIES ARE THE TOPIC. SECONDLY, “A LOT” IS TWO WORDS, NOT ONE. THIRDLY, THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE INFORMATIVE. I TRIED TO FIND “NIGHT FALLS” AT AMAZON, AND THERE WAS NO LISTING, WHERE CAN YOU GET IT, WHAT IS IT ABOUT? TALK ABOUT STUPID REMARKS!
Leopoldo said,
January 15, 2004 at 8:59 am
I just came across a book that seems to be somewhat related: Profoundly Disturbing : Shocking Movies That Changed History! by Joe Bob Briggs
Gerree said,
February 17, 2004 at 4:55 pm
I hope by “Night Falls” she didn’t mean “Darkness Falls”. I couldn’t find Night Falls at Rotten Tomatoes, either. Darkness Falls was a terrible movie. Boring…
I agree with the curb scene in American History X and the chainsaw scene from Scarface. The latter I have only been able to watch once, thankfully.
To that I gotta add Requiem for a Dream, particularly the last ten minutes. If that doesn’t move you, nothing will.
cheney said,
February 17, 2004 at 5:42 pm
i dont think that leather face in tcm was all that scary i found the family a lot more disturbing
April said,
March 11, 2004 at 2:52 pm
The only movie I have truly felt physically ill after was, “Boys Don’t Cry.” I think the main reason it was so disturbing was because it was based on a true story.
Leopoldo said,
March 11, 2004 at 5:35 pm
What odd synchronicity. I just watched “Boys Don’t Cry” again on Friday (I had originally seen it in theaters). I expect to write a review of it for GeekRoar.com soon.
nemo said,
April 29, 2004 at 11:00 pm
Have the tape of scar face and the chainsaw scene really bugs me because the feeling of helplessness when you are in that situation.Also the curb scene in american history x really hurts even if you are only watching just like the japanese movie i saw wherea kid made a guy bite a soda can and stomp the guys head.
Jordan said,
June 17, 2004 at 4:26 pm
Just glancing over some of the movies listed and havent heard anyone mention “Strangeland” with dee snider….that was a great way to pass some time!
thepiranha said,
July 6, 2004 at 11:02 am
how about pink floyd the wall, to me its the most sick and disturbing movie ever made
47 Ronin said,
July 19, 2004 at 11:49 pm
I few I haven’t seen yet.
Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer
Bad Lieutenant
^^^The performances in both of these blow me away.
Fresh - The basketball court scene left me numb. So did not see it coming.
coolraul said,
July 29, 2004 at 12:02 pm
the most disturbing film and i do mean very, very disturbing has to be …..irreversible…..i watched the first 10 minutes with my girlfriend and she freaked out telling me to stop the dvd.
i grew up watching all kinds of scary and disturbing films and this one beats out all of them. It is so realistic and all i got to say is that the rape sceen is the most disturbing ever…
warning and make sure not to watch this with your GIRLFREIND
mavro said,
August 27, 2004 at 10:04 pm
KEN PARK - from the director of kids. if anyone has seen this movie(based on a true story) and doesnt atleast feel like throwing up is insane. this movie is f#$%ed. im never gonna watch it again
frankie said,
August 31, 2004 at 8:59 am
i agree with whoever mentioned
Donnie Darko - the idea of the tangent universe full of manipulated dead and manipulated living and the one and only donnie within just doesn’t get out of my mind
The Ring - just think evil thoughts could kill anyone
still like to add
Lost Highway
Dolls
did any of you guys watch these films and did not feel eerie.. or better did understand them..?
Gerree Serrels said,
August 31, 2004 at 4:47 pm
Saw Irreversible. Yep, right up there. I am a woman but I can stomach a lot. You definately don’t forget it. It’s one of those movies you can’t “unsee”. Hence the title, Irreversible.
I was disappointed in The Tenant. I can take slow pacing and really messed up stuff, but this one I just didn’t get. Although I saw Polanski’s Bitter Moon and thought it was great. Pretty disturbing in it’s own right.
Shan said,
September 17, 2004 at 12:25 pm
Julien Donkey Boy is a great flick. Done by Harmony Korrine, who directed Gummo and Kids (I think).
Mercedes said,
September 17, 2004 at 8:09 pm
ok so ive finally accomplished my movie marathon watching and ive come to the conclusion that these are disturbing movies, each in their one way but will still leave you more than thinking… directed by the most disturbed directors:
-Bloody Sunday
-Clean, Shaven
-A Clockwork Orange
-Rules of Attraction
-Thirteen
-Gummo/Kids/Bully/Ken Park/Another day in Paradise
-Trainspotting
-Eternal Sunshine
-The tenant
-Elephant
-Funny Games
-baise-moi
-Fear and loathing in las vegas
-Party monster
-monster
-Identity
-Se7en
-Irreversible
-Deliverance
-Pink Flamingos
-Caligula
-The Cube
-May
-Salo
-Spun
-The last seduction
-Boys dont cry
-Basketball Diaries
-War Zone
-Grey Zone
-Happiness
-The Wall
-Velvet Goldmine
-Ginger Snaps
-Storytelling
-Welcome to Dollhouse
-SLC Punk
-Lost in Translation
-Begotten
-Taxi Driver
-Natural Born killers
-Requiem for a dream
-Resevoir Dogs
-Scarface
-Jacob’s LAdder
-Eraserhead
-The Baby of Mâcon
-Boys club(well not so disturbing but wtv)
-Julien Donkey-boy
-Mulholland drive
-Donnie Darko
-Suspiria
-The house of yes
-The Minus Man
-Alice in wonderland/The wall pinkfloyd
(play these two simultaneously and you wont laugh at my pick)
-Closet Land
-Santa Sangre
-Heavenly Creatures
-L.I.E
-Crime and Punishment in Suburbia
-Short Circuit
-Leon
-Luckytown
-Le passager(from the book)
-Persona
-Spider
-Lost Highway
-Fresh
-American History X
-In a Glass Cage
-The Cell
…
well thats what i have up to now if you have more to add to that please post it as long as it doesnt fit in the ²horror² categorie because like seen before: ‘’disturbing is: intelligent scripts that get under your skin'’
And id like to thank all these directors who had to have fully tormented lives to write such art…
Efrisp said,
October 8, 2004 at 3:37 am
After seeing most of these posts, I am on my way to watching Irresistable to see what all the talk is about…
Now before I list this movie, I just want to say that I am in no way religious, so I have no religious ties to this movie, but:
Passion of the Christ
Even though I don’t believe in Jesus, the hatred of the people, and the very graphic scenes kind of left me teary eyed just to think that people are like that… You will NEVER get some of these images out of your head…
Efrisp said,
October 8, 2004 at 4:09 am
I mean’t Irreversible in the previous post, sorry..
leopoldo said,
October 8, 2004 at 6:26 am
I just watched Irreversible a week ago. Well made but wow, I would NOT recommend that movie to anyone not specifically looking to be disturbed. The movie begins with a guy in a bar literarily beating another fellow’s brains in… And I mean literarily and graphically.
cal said,
October 20, 2004 at 2:02 am
-the ring
-poltergeist (kinda)
-event horizon
-strangeland (whoever mentioned that earlier thumbs up)
-requiem for a dream
-21 grams
-traffic
i cant help it… drug movies are fucked up, although 21 grams wasnt really about drugs.
-the grudge (well i havent seen it yet but i can bet that it will make its way on to some peoples disturbed list cept for sarah michelle… BLEH!)
LoKI said,
November 1, 2004 at 2:12 pm
SALO: 120 Days of Sodom was the most disturbing film I ever saw. Its a wonder the people involved with its production didn’t come out of the experience unbalanced - oh wait, the director was murdered just after the films release wasn’t he?
LoKi said,
November 1, 2004 at 2:51 pm
There are some amazing movies mentioned here. PI was a favorite, though I can’t say why. No one has mentioned Hour of the Wolf directed by Ingmar Bergman. Not a horror film per se but the images are striking and frightening enough to stick in your mind. Probably deserves mention.
Also Fellini’s Satyricon. Ok not disturbing but a lot of fun.
Maybe not so disturbing but certainly odd is a film called Vulgar, which I don’t think is so vile. Produced by the “Silent-Bob-and-Jay” crowd (Jay is in it I think), it successfully depicts the villainy of control freak rapists who you know actually exist out there somewhere. For a low budget film, it isn’t that bad.
How about 8mm? What did you think of it? What a role for James Gandolfini!
For fans of the writings of William S. Burroughs – the creator of a very disturbing novel Naked Lunch – is the 1991 filmed called Naked Lunch. For anyone who has not read Burroughs, the movie is a confusing waste of time. For those who have, the movie is not an adaptation of the novel Naked Lunch, but rather an interesting collage of Burroughsque material both from the author’s life and his writings. Its David Cronenberg at this best .
Dana5140 said,
November 5, 2004 at 11:57 am
Only one other person has listed what has to be the most disturbing, stomach churning movie ever made, the Japanese film Audition. It is like nothing ever filmed before….
jonfolds said,
November 22, 2004 at 2:30 pm
heres a couple more you might take interest in:
gummo
six ways till sunday
julian donkey boy
spun
caligula
Thomas Corson said,
December 1, 2004 at 11:23 am
Nekromantik 2 is The scariest movie ever made!
Ediefalcoarmy said,
December 3, 2004 at 4:08 pm
Some great choices here! I’m surprised noone’s mentioned “Funny Games”. The film’s got some of the most disturbing yet understated scenes ever. It just made me feel uncomfortable.
Drancy said,
December 8, 2004 at 6:55 pm
Another movie that is reall distrubing is female pleasures. Its a john waters film and is pretty funny but the people just look and act so messed up it is disturbing and it stars Divine.
warper said,
December 19, 2004 at 7:00 pm
Got most of my most disturbing films. Would like to add Bad Boy Bubby, Ichi the Killer and Tetsuo I & II (The Iron Man & The Body Hammer). I think Apocalypse Now deserves a mention too.
Most disturbing, Salo or Pink Flamingoes.
Cosmo said,
December 29, 2004 at 12:54 am
BULLY
KIDS
STORYTELLING
DAS EXPERIMENT
FUNNY GAMES
THE SHAPE OF THINGS
FINE DEAD GIRLS
DISCO PIGS
Gerree said,
January 27, 2005 at 10:20 am
Okay, here’s an update.
I saw Funny Games, it was okay, but I wasn’t that impressed. Couldn’t sit through Hour of the Wolf. I have yet to get my hands on Closet Land, Salo, or Begotten, but I keep looking.
So far I gotta say Irreversible, with Requiem for a Dream, Se7en, and Happiness right up there. I’m glad someone mentioned Storytelling, I forgot about that one. Vulgar is pretty messed up, too. I really enjoyed both Ginger Snaps I & II, they were a suprise to me. Good suspenseful, and surprisingly believeable films. Werewolves always scared me as a child, and I haven’t seen a good wolf in move in awhile that got under my skin, but these did.
I am now to add I’m Not Scared, subtly disturbing and a good film nonetheless. Similarly is The Devil’s Backbone. Also a couple of Gus Van Saint movies, Gerry and Elephant. These movies pride themselves on lots of long shots with little or no dialogue, but I think they are quite effective. Neither are forgettable.
I’m waiting now for Audition from Netflix, and a couple Dario Argento movies, since I’m a big fan of Suspiria.
Orkahn said,
January 29, 2005 at 4:14 pm
Doom Generation was pretty messed up, especially the ending scene. Audition was sick and highly confusing, therefore disturbing. Gotta get Irreversable, sounds like a lot of you rate it. Event Horizon was disturbing, just watched it again tonight.
Mogkoli said,
January 30, 2005 at 1:56 am
I just wanted to say that without a doubt Closet Land is the most disturbing film I have ever attempted to watch- I actually couldn’t finish watching it (and am glad of it too) AND dumped the boyfriend who told me it was his “favorite film”. Good yes, but to have your girlfriend watch it and not even HINT that it was gut churningly traumatising….. scary man.
I’d like to reccommend Romper Stomper to the list as well. One of those movies that does stay with you for a long time and exquisitely acted and filmed.
Seven ucked me out after wards (loved the film but slowly the need to scrub myself clean just built up stronger and stronger).
Eraserhead was NOT a good thing to watch while stoned, and much as I love David Lynch I have never worked up the nerve to see it again.
Jacobs Ladder was AWESOME but gave me some serious shuddery nightmares.
I loved Man Bites Dog, and found it very black, slightly funny and not at all disturbing, ditto for A Clockwork Orange, Lost Highway, Reservoir Dogs, and NBK .
Heavenly Creatures hung around in my mind for a long uncomfortable time.
But Closet Land is high above the top of the list, and Jacob’s Ladder runs second.
afowler8 said,
February 10, 2005 at 9:01 am
I just had to say that I recently watched American History X for a course I am currently enrolled in. It is BY FAR the most disturbing film I have ever watched. And, the only film to ever cause me to become physically ill. It’s a must see for Adults.
Tiago said,
February 19, 2005 at 8:22 am
Ok, so i googled specifically, for schocking/disturbing movies, so this is what i get.
i had a list of my own, preconceived, and was searching for this kind of movies, because no matter how you do it, this are the ones that count, that let something on your memory…
going to the cinema is getting quite boring in our days, so i have to create classics, like the ones, i see above.
i believe that in the midle of all this i haven’t seen two of my favourites, so i add them to the list:
la haine - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113247/
crash - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115964/
trully amazing list for a marathon, including post psychological attendance, would be expected…
amy said,
March 23, 2005 at 12:56 pm
theres a film thats the same as alice in wonderland - its just extremly weird - i had it when i was little - it was such a scary film then -very twisted and weird - do u think you could help me? i dont no what it is!! or where 2 get it
Leopoldo said,
March 23, 2005 at 6:22 pm
Are you maybe thinking of ‘Alice’ by Jan Svankmajer?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095715/combined
This is a very disturbing version of Alice in Wonderland with animated objects including an unforgettable chunk of steak crawling along the floor.
nazuraki said,
March 25, 2005 at 10:10 pm
Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies) is the most damaging and sad movie you will ever see.
Lord Delicious said,
March 29, 2005 at 2:34 pm
Definitive list: As a person who has been seeking out obscure and often disturbing movies for the better part of 15 years, I have come across some real stomach turners. This list excludes all mondo films including Faces of Death, Traces of Death and the like. All of these selections have a narrative structure, albeit a very disturbed one. They are all relatively low-budget and have few “stars” in them. How disturbing can a movie really be if Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock or Rider Strong are in it? So here is my very abbreviated list of films that are actually disturbing.
1. Cannibal Holocaust(1979, Italy)-Blair Witch Project ripped this movie off, big time! As the title suggests, there are cannibals and a lot of real animal sacrifice.
2. Man Behind the Sun(1988, China)-Japanese scientists experiment on Chinese villagers during WW2.
3. Last House on the Left(1972, USA)-Rape, torture and murder hit home in Wes Craven’s first film.
4. I Spit On Your Grave(1980, USA)-45 minutes of gang rape and then it really gets ugly
5. Salo, 120 Days of Sodom(1977, Italy)-based on the Marquis de Sade. Enough said.
6. Maniac(1980, USA)-Guy goes around NYC scalping women and nailing the scalps to mannequins. Tom Savini acts in and did the SFX for this depressing film.
7.) Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(1986, USA)-loosely based on Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole. Feels like an after school special gone horribly wrong.
Honorable Mentions; Combat Shock, Necromantic 1& 2, Violent Shit, all Nazi Exploitation films, the Ilsa series and of course Bloodsucking Freaks.
hoogys said,
April 11, 2005 at 1:57 am
I’d like to add one more to the list.
Boxing Helena
Jason said,
April 30, 2005 at 8:13 pm
Cannibal Holocaust is probably the most disturbing film I’ve ever seen. Good luck finding it though.
Jason said,
April 30, 2005 at 8:19 pm
Oh, and I forgot Possession. It starts out with newlyweds having marital problems, but then it veers off way into left field.
Issl said,
May 14, 2005 at 11:40 pm
IRREVERSIBLE, hands down. Had to walk out of art house during the rape scene. Might have to finish it on DVD some time.
Gerree said,
May 15, 2005 at 6:29 am
I heard that some of the Faces of Death stuff was staged and not real. At any rate, I wouldn’t really consider those disturbing movies, they are merely a bunch of images of carnage and horror put together to freak people out. They are pretty much low grade documentaries - they aren’t “films” so to speak.
“Last House on the Left” is a cool movie, and I’ll bet it was quite something in its time. Personally I didn’t find it all that disturbing. Maybe I’ve seen too many low-budget 70’s horrors. I saw “I Spit on Your Grave” many, many years ago, and I do remember at the time specifically renting it after hearing about it. I’d have to give it another go around to see if it stood the test of time.
I couldn’t watch any film that I knew contained real animal sacrifice. That’s not disturbing…that’s just wrong. That said, Wicker Man was pretty whacked, and I really hope no animals were harmed during the making of that film.
I will say Audition was pretty intense. It was one of those films where everyone in the room at the time was freaked out by a different scene. I was disappointed by Ichi the Killer, although interesting, not as intense. Too much CGI I think.
I can’t seem to find Begotten, Salo, or Closetland anywhere. Until then, I still go with Irreversible. If you can make it through the whole thing it is actually a pretty remarkable film, and nothing like anything I can think of.
Tiffany said,
May 24, 2005 at 7:03 pm
Ok, OK…I get a lot of crap from guys when I say that I like psychological/horror movies because they seem to think that girls can’t take scary shit. Let me just say that I have seen most of the movies on this list and cracked up, only to have all the guys in the room leave and get sick in the bathroom. Maybe I’m a freak or whatever, but I like to study and take notes on movies because I plan on directing my own in the near future. After I feel that I have enough notes, I will begin production. But mark my words…THE MOVIE I AM PLANNING ALREADY PUSHES THE ENVELOPE AND MAKES IRREVERSIBLE AND CLOSETLAND LOOK LIKE DISNEY MOVIES. It should be done sometime towards the end of this year…
Tiffany said,
May 24, 2005 at 7:13 pm
By the way…just thought I’d tell you…
I’m not the only one who is a complete weirdo with these kind of movies…I come from a school in which we watched SE7EN and the whole class laughed. So, it’s not just me…I just happened to live in a really fucked up town! And for my creative writing class, I am making a documentary in which I will be going inside the house that Kenneth Biros murdered a girl in 1991. Look it up if you don’t believe me, but I’m sure it will be fun. Needless to say, I enjoy scaring the shit out of people. Wish me luck and I’m sure one of my movies will be on this list someday!
Dan said,
June 6, 2005 at 2:00 am
I saw a movie called “The Reflecting Skin” about seven years ago. While a bit slow from what I remember, there are definitely a few scenes that made me feel like I was having a nightmare about watching this movie. Bizarre. Something abot crappy quality film (especially when it looks like it was made in the late 60s/early 70s) that tends to disturb me a bit. Not sure why. Maybe because some movies that came out in that era gave a good degree of authenticity to the situations. For instance, Ted Danson getting executed in “The Onion Field” (John Savage, who plays a policeman, screaming like a woman after witnessing the shooting is a sound that stuck with me), Deniro blowing off Keitel’s fingers in Taxi Driver, Dustin Hoffman’s pasty, greenish corpse on the bus in Midnight Cowboy, Linda Blair’s violent spasm on her bed in “The Exorcist”, Piper Laurie’s freakish grin as she darts at her own daughter with a knife at the end of “Carrie”, poor, poor Ned Beatty in “Deliverance”…even Scorpio slapping a little kid upside the head while forcing a busload of children to sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in the original “Dirty Harry”. The realism of these classics is what tends to be absent from films of today. Nowadays (with the exception of a few filmmakers) it’s just gore and either no story or one so simple it doesn’t force us to reexamine the world around us or ignite our imaginations, and in the end, is that not where the disturbing events that can and sometimes do inspire great films come from? Anyhow, I’ll quit rambling. Here are a few recewnt movies that, whether I liked them or not, were haunting and disturbing for the fact that they carried a degree of authenticity that really made me feel like I was trapped in a nightmare:
Requiem for a Dream
Pi
Open Water
Jacob’s Ladder
Ghost Dad (just kidding)
Bully
Begotten
Blue Velvet
Mullholland Drive
Eraserhead
Gummo
Julien Donkey Boy
Happiness (though I agree with the posting that humor took off some of the edge)
Dark Days (interesting documentary about a thriving community of homeless people…just the sight of a few of them kinda gave me the willies)
Here a few that I have yet to see that have been highly recommended by friends:
Funny Games
Clean, Shaven
Butcher Boy
I’ve enjoyed reading your posts. Here’s a word of advice for any potential filmmaker coming from a die-hard yet picky fan of “disturbing” movies:
Keep the shock value subtle, as in Happiness or Gummo (the environment and characters were shocking enough without the story…whatever the hell it was supposed to be), and if you’re going to use violence, make it authentic so that we feel for the characters who the violence is happening to (as in Tim Robbins’ heartbreaking performance in Jacob’s Ladder or the doomed scubadivers in Open Water). I’ve seen too many movies where someone’s face gets splattered on the cement and the shallow characters seem to be able to get one decent gasp and then go about their business (usually in slasher films…the genre I am most critical of). If you want to scare me, make me feel like the characters. Make me feel like this could happen to me (though I have a few minor complaints about M. Night Shymalan, his characters are never flat and shallow). That’s all I have to say about that. Good-night all.
manchild said,
June 13, 2005 at 5:37 pm
A few disturbing flicks you guys seemed to have missed:
DEAD-RINGERS. Nothing was more shattering to me than watching the complete psychological deterioration of twin brothers played by Jeremy Irons and Jeremy Irons. As they regress and disintegrate before our eyes, confused victims in a cold, indifferent universe, the meaning of life appears to be revealed as nothing more than the inevitable progress of degenerative psychopathology.
THE RAPTURE. What could be worse than fundamentalist notions of reality bearing out? Cthulu’s tentacles seem so warm and friendly when compared to an evangelical paradise.
JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN. Much like the heroine in THE RAPTURE, our hero is left screaming into the void.
MEMENTO. Primarily for the sense of ambiguity and implication that the hero is in fact…really bad.
NIGHT OF THE HUNTED. Lightly erotic film with elements similar to MEMENTO.
MARK OF THE DEVIL. Mostly theater-of-cruelty stuff like SALO, but I saw it when I was six years old, so I add it to my list as it left an impression on me.
Until I see Irreversible, I Stand Alone, and Audition, my vote for most disturbing film of all time remains DEAD RINGERS.
yay.
Gerree said,
June 15, 2005 at 2:59 pm
Another one to add - The Machinist. This just came out on DVD. Worth it alone to see the 6′2″ Christian Bale at 120 pounds. Quite a sacrifice as an actor I must say, and he deserves to have this noted. Otherwise, the movie is still very surreal and etheral in addition to Bale’s skeletal appearance.
Johnny Got His Gun - forgot about that one. Goes without saying…very disturbing movie, the idea inofitself is torturous to think about.
erotomania said,
June 22, 2005 at 9:10 am
As far as all time sickest movie, that would be a difficult call, but if you get a chance, view these films. They’re sure to turn some stomachs.
Nekromantik 1 and 2
The Death King
Schramm
Begotten
Guinea Pig ” Flower of Flesh and Blood”
Salo
Some brilliant films include
Eraserhead
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
Blue Velvet
A Clockwork Orange
Bad Taste
enjoy:)
lee said,
June 27, 2005 at 7:09 am
IRREVERSIBLE is an okay film, yes the rape scene is not for the faint hearted and the guy getting his brains bashed but thats the only two disturbing parts in the film, if your looking for films that are psychologically disturbing try all of larry clarks films, requiem for a dream is awsome i hear guinea pig is good but i havent seen it yet
cube aint disturbing but it still is a cool flick
spun is funny like trainspotting
Dan said,
June 30, 2005 at 12:06 am
Thanks for the update, all. I hope to find these titles. What is Salo about? I’ve heard it’s a difficult watch, and that’s what I’m on the lookout for. Filmmakers who aren’t bound by studio influence and commericial criteria. Guinea Pig also…not sure about that one. I, too, recently saw The Machinist. While the conclusion was not as shocking as the events leading up to it, I agree that Bale really went above and beyond the call of duty for this one. Creepy, bleak thriller/mystery was full of strange events and weird characters. I know it’s not a disturbing movie, but as long as Christian Bale is being discussed, I have to say his performance as the dark knight in Batman Begins is noteworthy. And kudos to Christopher Nolan, who finally takes the viewer out of the realm of campy into the surreal and tragic. Great movie. Good-night all.
Emma B said,
July 25, 2005 at 7:49 am
You can get most films (uncut and otherwise) from eBay! I got my uncut versions of Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox from eBay (and am currently waiting for Salo to arrive in the post). I also managed to aquire the entire Guinea Pig Box set off eBay for a very reasonable price. I’m sure some of this stuff is probably still banned, I have heard (read) lots of other people say they have had problems importing some of these films.
If you want disturbing, sick movies, avoid anything Hollywood produces, or anything with known actors in it, or pretty much anything that you can watch at your local high street cinema, sick movies just don’t make it that far.
Good luck finding your sicko films!!!
Daniel said,
July 28, 2005 at 10:38 pm
What about Igby goes down. The end bit where Igby and his brother kill their mum, not the whole movie. That is very disturbing.
A CLockwork Orange is great, if not all that disturbing.
Cruel Intentions is disturbing in it’s own way, as is American Beauty.
As you can tell I am not a fan of mindless violence. On screen violence detracts from the phsycological side of the film. The only disturbing thing about overly violent movies is that normal people go to see them and actually enjoy them.
Gerree said,
August 22, 2005 at 5:55 pm
I want to add Doom Generation. A really trippy (and often amusing) movie entirely, but the ending especially is very, very, disturbing. I haven’t been quite that taken aback by something in a movie since Irreversible. I have a pretty strong stomach but it bothered me quite a bit.
filmartguy said,
September 4, 2005 at 1:55 pm
I hate to admit but I am a fan of disturbing films. I first discovered these guilty plesure when i came across a website “Losman’s Most Disturbing Movies” I decided to buy one and see what the deal was. I think it was Cannibal Holicaust. I then continue to track down most of the movies on the list and 70% of the movies left me quite disturbed. I dont know if this would qualify as disturbing but I just saw a The Last Horror Movie and in a glass cage. IN glass cage is very intense because of its taboo subject matter. I find it very hard recommend. Also I thinks suicide club and battle royale is also quite disturbing. Let me know what you think.
Anne said,
September 9, 2005 at 10:09 pm
Crash is a film that messed me up so much. I can not handle- whoa. Please see it. All of those other films messed me up too- but crash was different somehow. Perhaps it felt more pertinent or real.
Lunatic said,
January 28, 2006 at 6:51 pm
Try this one AFTERMATH - GENESIS
Evana Vleck said,
April 10, 2006 at 7:52 am
This is fucking beautiful…great choice in movies
True horror and fear is a trip into the subconscious…it’s all psychological ~
Spencer Smith said,
April 14, 2006 at 8:56 am
I watch too many movies, but here are a few of my personal thoughts:
Gorriest Movie ever made (by far):
————————————
Brain Dead (uncut UK version of Dead Alive)
Most disturbing sex scene:
———————-
Nekromantik 2
Worst Horror Movies ever made (by far):
*Barn of the Blood Llama
*Black Devil Doll from Hell
* these movies are hilarious with a few drinks of your choice
Most Disturbing Horror Movie:
Cannibal Holocaust
Devil’s Rejects (uncut)
P.S. - can’t wait to watch Salo, thx for the advice!
:-) Spencer
Ben said,
May 9, 2006 at 9:38 pm
Aftermath is the most disturbing movie I’ve ever seen. Granted, I’ve yet to see Salo or The Men Behind the Sun, but Aftermath can’t be too far behind them.
michele said,
June 17, 2006 at 1:22 pm
CHUCKY RULLEESSS
Filmophile said,
June 26, 2006 at 10:25 am
Isn’t Bastard out of Carolina the sickest film ever? I mean he bends a 10 yr old girl over and butt-fucks her - ouch!
Neil said,
July 24, 2006 at 12:47 am
I found a hidden treasure at the theatre the other day. I read a review of “Down in the Valley,” saw Edward Norton’s name and decided to go see it, (I hadn’t even heard of the movie yet.) I was surprised, the movie wasn’t incredibly disturbing, but I couldn’t help but feel unnerved the whole way through. Edward Norton did an incredible job of making his character really likeable, but still just suspicious enough to keep me creeped out the whole way through. It was nice to see something recent that could mess with my head like this one. If you are the type of person who likes disturbing movies, this won’t become a new favorite - but is definately worth seeing.
Even though I was very disappointed with the remake of “The Hills Have Eyes,” the rape scene made me sick to my stomach, the relentlessness of that whole part was very unnerving.
To agree with one of the older posts, “Event Horizon” definately disturbed me. Strange, because it doesn’t seem like it would.
“Deliverance,” although disturbing, was a very good film. I was forced to appreciate the bizarreness of it even when I was 6 years old, and I wasn’t smart so it must have been well made. The sadness that the man portrays when he’s being raped is impossible to ignore.
I thought “Virus” was disturbing too. Yes, the plot was hoaky, but the concept of turning a conscious human mind into part of a machine had me really creeped out, especially because of how the virus re-used parts of people to build its machines.
Two scenes from “Tremors” disturbed me. The scene where the poor old Asian man is eaten creeped me out. Moreso, when the old rancher goes out to check on his cattle and is eaten - I’ve always found it very disturbing when old people are killed violently.
One of the most disturbing things I have ever seen in a movie came from “The Mouth of Madness.” I don’t remember it perfectly, but there is a scene when this little old lady in a hotel is speaking to the main characters, calm and innocent as can be. As soon as the two leave, the camera moves down behind the counter, and at the lady’s feet is her husband - chained up, emaciated, bloody, and terrified. Made me want to throw up.
“Langoliers” - Dunno if I spelled it right. Creepy balls of teeth eating entire dimensions. The Langoliers themselves weren’t so terrifying, it was the complete emptiness of this dimension, and the creepy paper ripping guy, that made this one disturbing.
Finally, “The Thing.” Again, like in “Virus,” taking over living things in disgusting ways and turning them on there peers is very disturbing.
Craig said,
July 28, 2006 at 9:27 am
Irreversible is to me the most disturbing movie i have ever watched hands down. i didn’t think anything could be as disturbing as this one was. the first scene threw me for a loop i was stunned. how did they make the beating look so real and not to mention the rape scene damn! There’s a movie you guys forgot though. i forgot the name but it was about men who eat human flesh and gain strength really disturbing. there was a part in that film where the main character gets wounded and the cannibal visits him in the night. he is telling some people the events of the night and shouts out “he was licking me” that scence stay in my mind along time as a matter of fact it’s never left.
Jordan said,
October 13, 2006 at 12:57 am
Irreversible - disturbing? Come on, I was really disappointed with this crappy movie. It’s much worse and much less disturbing than Hanneke’s The Pianist (if you want a disturbing rape scene try this one, including great Isabelle Huppert). Yup, Salo… Jarman’s films are also quite disturbing, and Blue is the best of all.
Drake said,
October 26, 2006 at 2:23 pm
People forget about IRREVERSIBLE. That’s a crap. Really it’s the worst film i’ve ever seen. The whole plot maybe wouldn’t be so bad, but the backward construction of this movie make it very boring and just lousy. And the ending leaves you without any emotions nor reflection. There is no point watching this movie it’s just a big waste of time.
Better try to watch Lost Highway, Oldboy or Saw. Maybe they’re not like others mentioned on this site, but i assure you’ll enjoy watching them.
Jon Maloney said,
November 17, 2006 at 1:36 pm
Thank you for leaving your movie list and all these comments online for the last four years. I have seen most of the English-language movies mentioned, and I have added about 20 movies to my movies-to-see list. Thanks.
The original post characterized disturbing movies not as shockers, but as movies that “crawl under your skin”. My favorite movies have always been those that disturbed me enough that I found myself continuing to think about them days, weeks, or even years later. Here are some quietly disturbing movies I haven’t seen mentioned yet. Each one bothered me long after viewing. All are worth seeing.
Touching the Void (2003)
10 Rillington Place (1971)
The War Game (1965)
Wake in Fright (1971)
Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)
The Three Faces of Eve (1957)
Fire in the Sky (1993)
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)
Oleanna (1994)
The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
Communion (1989)
Afraid of the Dark (1991)
Twin Falls Idaho (1999)
Loose Change 2nd Edition (2006)
Arlington Road (1999)
Those last two may seem out of place. Loose Change is disturbing because of all the people who believe it. Of course if you do believe it, it’s disturbing because of what it says about our government. I found Arlington Road disturbing because it increased my distrust of news stories. We never know what’s true and what isn’t.
Jon
nhunter said,
November 20, 2006 at 2:24 am
Damn, all the movies I want to see are getting thrown around like they’re at the local Blockbuster… Baby of Macon, Salo, Julien Donkey Boy…
I guess there’s a whole bunch of different spectrums of ‘disturbing’. There’s movies that provide provocation, uncertainty, abnormalities or spontaneities. Heaps of wicked movies have been said (including Noe’s pearls I Stand Alone and Irreversible hands down the most disturbing movies I’ve seen and undoubtedly two of my favourite films) but I’ll try and throw out some others…
RIVERS EDGE - i found it pretty eerie picturing my teenage recklessness if there was a dead body involved.
PALINDROMES - Solondz’s confidence in the films taboos makes me feel uncomfortable
ONCE WERE WARRIORS - awful study in the cultural acceptance of violence, from my homeland. the eerie ambient noise that accompanies each scene of domestic violence makes me tense.
ORPHANS - kind of in the same realm of disturbing as palindromes, really dark entertainment that it feels uncomfortable to embrace.
LAST TRAIN TO FREO - new Aussie flick that is quite gripping to watch at times as it really is a setting were we are all familiar and quite subject to.
I really love this thread! New movies for me to look out for!
bad post said,
April 20, 2007 at 5:37 pm
i think u forgot a bad on: American History X
watermetalpigrat said,
July 12, 2007 at 2:58 pm
heh, one of my personal favorites is closet land. for those of you who rank this as being disturbed, it is the closest to reality as any of them can get in hollywood (amnesty international funded portions of this film). If you can’t watch things like this then you probably enjoy being shoved in the dark behind commercial democracy.
On a different note, faces of death was a knock off way after paolo cavara did Mondo Cane & Mondo Cane 2. These are the original shocumentary movies from the 60’s that noone remembers… se if you can get your hands on these for some in-your-face what-the-hell-was-that filmwork.
au revoir
Grubbanax Swinnasen said,
August 17, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Oh come on!!! Where are all the HANEKE films?: Benny’s Video, Funny Games, The Seventh COntinent, The Piano Teacher, TIme OF The Wolf, Hidden??? Huh? Go to the video shop/library and do yourself a favour and get those out NOW.
Also no mention of Salo: The 120 Days of Sodom. Do any of the films you listed have shit-eating scenes in them?? NOOO!!
And while we’re fu-cking at it: MAN BITES DOG and IRREVERISBLE and HUMANITY…
and one more, although you will never find it, maybe download it: Vase De Noces [WEDDING TROUGH]. A pig gets fu-cked in that one.
Now that’s a sick list!!! ha ha
Grubbanax Swinnasen said,
August 17, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Then again, this has disturbed me more than anything: http://yuvutu.com/modules.php?name=Video&op=view&video_id=93758
Is that allowed??
Envy said,
September 28, 2007 at 3:12 am
I found Hostel too disturbing ….
The180Curse said,
October 19, 2007 at 4:57 am
Can’t believe none of you have mentioned the 1970’s original,”The Wicker Man”. The ending scene is to shocking to describe. No violence, no gore, no rape, just damn right disturbing. I’ll always remember Howies (whatever his name is) screams as he is burned alive in the wicker man. Stay well away from the 2006 remake with Nicholas Cage at all costs (unless you’d like to see Nicholas Cage on fire)
Another one is Jeepers Creepers. This film is packed with disturbing sequences which will guarantee nightmares. When they first pass the church and see a distant sinister figure wearing a cowboy hat and ripped black coat stuffing body bags down a old pipe, especially when he turns around and looks at the couple them selfs. And THAT ending..I’m not even going to go into details…just watch it here:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DGQWUiu7Vv4
madtwatter said,
November 1, 2007 at 5:38 pm
=======================
A Guide To Disturbing Cinema
=======================
Disclaimer a): The following is a comprehensive list of the most shocking, deranged and psychologically disturbing films of the last fifty years. This is far from a conclusive or definitive list but simply the opinions of the author and various other movie-goers. If you are looking for films which are more brutal, in terms of content, than titles such as Hostel and Saw then I’d suggest starting with the first few on the list and work your way up. For the more hardcore audience then get straight down to the last five on the list.
Disclaimer b): The following list has been created as a reference point for those who are interested in shock cinema. This means that many of the acts depicted in the film will be listed and may, in some cases, contain spoilers or ’soften the blow’. If you are simply looking for titles to try out then you will find the movie names highlighted in bold and a link to their IMDb page. The list will flow in order of bad to worse.
For the purpose of this article we will be using the following rating system which is relevant to the content and not the quality of the film.
* = Uncomfortable
** = Shocking
*** = Sick
**** = Extremely Disturbing
***** = Thoroughly Depraved
————————————————————————–
Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer
1986 - USA
Synopsis:
Based on the true story of the serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, the film follows two drifters, Henry and Otis, while they set off on a spree of murder, rape and theft.
Shock Value:
- The film depicts incestous vaginal and anal rape, although the scenes are not visually graphic.
- Henry and Otis take a family hostage in their own home (ala Funny Games). They sexually abuse and humiliate the wife before killing the whole family.
- Other murders included are electrocution and strangulation, which are shown on screen.
Overall:
Very unsettling at times but is essentially disturbing only in a psychological sense rather than a gore-fest. Especially as the film is based on true events.
Rating: *
————————————————————————–
Braindead
1992 - AUS
Synopsis:
A young man’s mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbors.
Shock Value:
- Full-on Zombie sex.
- A lawnmower used to kill hundreds of zombies.
- The remains of an eaten German Sheppard.
- A zombified baby being kicked and beaten.
- Literally hundreds of inventive and graphic deaths involving blenders, cleavers, knives and other household objects.
Overall:
Prehaps one of the goriest films ever produced but the film is essentially a comedy. More likely to put you off your food (especially custard) than give you nightmares.
Rating: **
————————————————————————–
Man Bites Dog
1992 - BEL
Synopsis:
A camera crew follows a serial killer/thief around as he exercises his craft and as a result they inevitably become more involved with his work.
Shock Value:
- Very realistic executions of civilians including an elderly lady and a train passenger.
- Gang-bang rape and the disembowlment of a woman.
- Full frontal nudity, both male and female.
- Child-murder.
Overall:
This mockumentary style film tries to create the illusion that the killings shown on screen are real. And for the most part they do seem realistic but, as with a few movies on this list, the film is hilarious and therefore dispells the realism.
Rating: **
————————————————————————–
Visitor Q
2001 - JAP
Synopsis:
A strange young man visits the even stranger Yamazaki family in order to bring them closer together (through breast feeding).
Shock Value:
- A father filming himself have sex with his own daughter.
- A man gets a microphone plunged into his anus.
- On-screen necrophilia.
- Adult/teenage breast feeding.
- Multiple killings of Japanease school children.
Overall:
Compellingly disturbing but the satirical nature of the film lessens the impact of the above scenes.
Rating: **
————————————————————————–
In My Skin
2002 - FRA
Synopsis:
A woman grows increasingly fascinated with her body after suffering a disfiguring accident.
Shock Value:
- Graphic and excessive self-mutilation.
- Self-cannibalism.
Overall:
Some disturbing, raw imagery but it falls into the category of a psychological film rather than a visual shocker.
Rating: ***
————————————————————————–
Ichi The Killer
2003 - JAP
Synopsis:
Yakuza boss Anjo disappears with three hundred million yen. His loyal gang members, lead by the masochist Kakihara, start a search, but their aggressive methods worry the other yakuza gangs. Kakiharas most frightening counterpart is the mysterious Ichi, a psychopathic killer who is controlled by a retired cop.
Shock Value:
- Excessive torture through the use of body piercing.
- A man’s removal of his own tongue and self-inflicted eardrum puncture.
- The brutal rape of a schoolgirl.
- Excessive violence used against women including nipple-slicing.
- Inventive murders which include a man being sliced down the middle, from head to toe.
Overall:
Very graphic in terms of on-screen violence but at the same time hilarious and over-the-top.
Rating: ***
————————————————————————–
The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover
2003 - JAP
Synopsis:
The wife of an oafish restaurant owner becomes bored with her husband and considers an affair with a regular patron.
Shock Value:
- Child torturing.
- Domestic Violence/Abuse
- Human eating of excrement
- Cannibalism
Overall:
Sadistic, sick, twisted but also humourous and well-made.
Rating: ***
————————————————————————–
The Beast
1975 - FRA
Synopsis:
The head of a failing French family thinks that fate has smiled down on him when the daughter of a wealthy man agrees to be married to his son. The daughter and her aunt then travel out to the French countryside to meet with the family, unaware that a mysterious ‘beast’ is stalking the vicinity.
Shock Value:
- Graphic horse sex including a close-up of a horse’s vagina.
- Sexual games played with a woman and bear-like creature including foot masturbation.
- Copious amounts of ‘beast’ ejaculation.
Overall:
More disgusting than disturbing, a truly unique experience none the less.
Rating: ***
————————————————————————–
Irreversible
2002 - FRA
Synopsis:
Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order as the beautiful Alex is brutally raped and beaten by a stranger in the underpass.
Shock Value:
- Very brutal rape scene.
- Man’s head pummeled repeatedly with a fire extinguisher.
Overall:
Although the film is deemed extremely disturbing and tough to watch it is the above two scenes that give it that label.
Rating: ***
————————————————————————–
Nekromantik
1987 - GER
Synopsis:
A street sweeper who cleans up after grisly accidents brings home a full corpse for him and his wife to enjoy sexually, but is dismayed to see that his wife prefers the corpse over him.
Shock Value:
- A man ejaculates whilst stabbing himself in the stomach with a knife.
- Rotting eyeball sucking.
- General necrophilia nastiness.
- Animal cruelty including the skinning of a rabbit and beating of a cat.
Overall:
Truly perverse. A must see for anyone wanting to see the ‘worst’ of cinema.
Rating: ****
————————————————————————–
Guinea Pig: Devils Experiment
1987 - GER
Synopsis:
A group of guys capture a young girl with the intent of hurting her.
Shock Value:
- Eye Torture.
- White noise and repetitive rotation torture.
- Throwing animal guts at the unconscious victim.
Overall:
Filmed and edited to give the illusion of a real snuff movie (and apparantly suceeded as actor Charlie Sheen famously reported the film to the FBI).
Rating: ****
————————————————————————–
Salo: The 120 Days of Sodom
1975 - ITA
Synopsis:
Four fascist libertines round up 9 teenages boys and girls and subject them to 120 days of physical, mental and sexual torture.
Shock Value:
- Forced eating of human excrement.
- A slave fed food which has concealed needles inside.
- Rape, homosexuality and full frontal nudity.
- Very graphic torture and murder scenes at the end of the film.
Overall:
The absolute daddy of disturbing cinema is horrifying on so many different levels. Many people have said they have felt guilty just for watching, many people have turned it off after twenty minutes because they simply could not handle it. Vile, bleak and perverse but an absolute classic. As a side note, the director of this film was murdered shortly after it’s release.
Rating: *****
————————————————————————–
A few others worth mentioning;
* = Oldboy / Romper Stomper
** = Funny Games / Deliverance
*** = Begotten / Caligula
**** = Pink Flamingos / I Stand Alone
***** = Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan
Diana said,
November 18, 2007 at 4:18 am
What about “Spank the Monkey” .. this movie was disturbing as well.. A film based on a young teenage boy who’s father goes away on a business trip leaving his crippled wife at home with their son to take care of her. Well he takes care of her in more then one way lemme tell ya….
WarriorKalia said,
November 18, 2007 at 8:56 pm
I bought a copy of Salo a while ago on eBay, still haven’t watched it.
Audition is a hit-or-miss film. The way it’s set up, next to nothing happens until the last twenty or so minutes. But it’s still recommended for the originality of the tortures- I never knew about the needle points until I watched this…
Visitor Q is a parody film. It will either creep you the hell out or have you laughing uproariously. Unfortunately for me, I’m fairly broad minded, so I only go the latter out of it. For everyone else: Breast milk shower scene. Now you wanna see it?
You guys might actually like one of the episodes of the Masters of Horror series. It’s called “John Carpenter’s Cigarette Burns”.
Diana said,
December 7, 2007 at 2:05 pm
correction on the film name spank the monkey…it’s actually called “Spanking the monkey” my fault…sorry
Sanjay said,
December 30, 2007 at 3:29 pm
The Bandit queen is VERY disturbing!
steve said,
January 8, 2008 at 12:33 pm
For disturbing films, my wife and I found Braveheart pretty gut wrenching at times….the intensity of the violence in the battle scenes is fairly no haolds barred in my opinion….and the scence at the end were Mel Gibson is hung, drawn and quartered really made me squirm….no real gore, just the suggestion of what was happening. Not sure about disturbing but A Time Too Die with Samuel L Jackson (Snakes on a Plane…what were you thinking?), is emotionally draining…and Keiffer Sutherland is a particularly convincing white supremasist. Call me a woose if you want…just my opinions!
Oh, and i havent seen most of the films mentioned above, but i will give a big thumbs up for Carried and The Exorcist. Deliverance and Resrvoir Dogs yes…but Se7en? Is it just me or was the ending just a bit too obvious?
Randy Vallely said,
March 22, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I saw a couple comments from people saying they didn’t find Salo disturbing… I’ve only been able to get ahold of the Italian version (I know exactly 3 Italian words) and I wasn’t able to get an erection for a week after seeing it or go to the bathroom without getting sick as well. If those people weren’t just bullshitting, I hope I never meet them in person.
Another recommendation for the list I have is Marilyn Manson’s “Doppelherz”. It isn’t disturbing so much for the imagery (though that alone could shatter fragile minds) as for it’s ability to force you to think. Every time I see it, it blows my mind and makes me feel emotionally ambiguous. Definitely not something you want to watch after dropping acid.