The Most Disturbing Movies of All Time

[Deck Rickard]

So I recently saw A Serbian Film. It was probably the most disturbing movie I've ever seen. The third act has pretty much the most repulsive **** I've ever seen in a movie and I don't think I could ever watch it again. That said, it was well made, and I generally enjoy stuff that leaves me feeling horrified and/or disturbed. What are some other movies that genuinely messed you up after watching them?

Here's my list. I find these movies disturbing for various reasons:

Martyrs (original version)
Inside
The Devil's Rejects
Funny Games
Antichrist
Happiness
I Spit on Your Grave (original)
A Clockwork Orange
Oldboy
I Saw the Devil
The Human Centipede 1 & 2
Hostel 1 & 2 (These movies aren't good, but some of the imagery is effective)
An American Crime

 

[Boom]

I don't know what it is exactly, but the last ten minutes of The Wicker Man (original) really got under the skin. Couldn't sleep afterward.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I've never seen the original, only the remake. But nothing is as disturbing as Nicolas Cage in a bear suit running around punching women.

 

[Boom]

Also Bone Tomahawk has one of the most upsetting sequences I think I've ever seen.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I thought about listing that one, but I couldn't. It does have some disturbing imagery, but I found everything else about that movie just so poorly done. I can't, for the life of me, understand why it got critical praise. It looked like a student film to me, and I didn't think any of the performances were good.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Henry : Portrait of a Serial Killer must rank 'up there', for me. Plus Irréversible too, one 10 minute take for a rape scene is horrific to endure.

 

[MydnightPhoenix]

Irreversible's rape scene is not as bad as people make it out to be; I've seen worse on Oz.

Human Centipede is the only one I was able to get through. I went through a time when I thought I had the strength to watch some of those famously disturbing movies like Cannibal Holocaust or A Serbian film... and I definitely was not strong enough.
Deck I give you props for making it through.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Salo.

 

[Lighthouse]

The Treatment

 

[Guts]

I've watched Horrible Review's series "The Most Disturbing Movies Ever Made". The only movies he has reviewed that I saw are Antichrist, A Clockwork Orange, Funny Games, and Requiem For A Dream. Here is a list most of the movies he has reviewed. On that list, I think Salo and Sweet Movie are the kind that either wouldn't get made nowadays or protested. Especially Sweet Movie.

 

[Marvel united]

The Human Centipede series

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Salo
A Serbian Film
Cannibal Holocaust

Only seen CH, but am very aware of the reputations of the other two.

 

[Sawyer]

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2

 

[OutOfBoose]

Man Bites Dog

 

[PhasedPlasma101]

I'm glad Funny Games and I Spit On Your Grave are in the OP.


Nyphomaniac & Shame were pretty disturbing, depicting sex in such ugly abhorrent manners

 

[Deck Rickard]

Irreversible's rape scene is not as bad as people make it out to be; I've seen worse on Oz.

Human Centipede is the only one I was able to get through. I went through a time when I thought I had the strength to watch some of those famously disturbing movies like Cannibal Holocaust or A Serbian film... and I definitely was not strong enough.
Deck I give you props for making it through.

Thanks, yeah it was tough making it through HC2 and A Serbian Film. I know I couldn't sit through either one again.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2

You made it through that one? You're a braver man than I!

 

[Deck Rickard]

I'm glad Funny Games and I Spit On Your Grave are in the OP.


Nyphomaniac & Shame were pretty disturbing, depicting sex in such ugly abhorrent manners

Yeah, Funny Games is amazing and I Spit On Your Grave, which terribly acted and rather poorly made, is still profoundly upsetting to watch. Though when she goes around getting revenge on all of those scumbags, it becomes rather cathartic.

I've only seen some of Nymphomaniac; been meaning to finish it. Shame is somewhat disturbing; not in the way many of these other films are but it's rough to watch his descent.

 

[Spider-Fan]

There isn't a movie where I felt I couldn't make it when I was watching it. But, I hate movies that a sick and disgusting just for the sake of it. Cannibal Holocaust is a disturbing movie for example, but I get the narrative point of the movie (though there is no excuse for REAL animal torture). Now, Human Centipede 2 and 3 in particular, gross for the sake of being gross and utter TRASH!

 

[scarlet-witch]

I've never heard of Sweet Movie until this thread....ew.

 

[Mandon Knight]

There isn't a movie where I felt I couldn't make it when I was watching it. But, I hate movies that a sick and disgusting just for the sake of it. Cannibal Holocaust is a disturbing movie for example, but I get the narrative point of the movie (though there is no excuse for REAL animal torture). Now, Human Centipede 2 and 3 in particular, gross for the sake of being gross and utter TRASH!

Aye, justifiable violence or twisted behavior against an individual or being usually holds consequence in everyday life and often in films, but when it's purely 'torture porn' for the enjoyment of seeing somebody 'put through' the experience for the purposes of 'enjoyment', that's when its incredibly hard to watch.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I've only seen some of Nymphomaniac; been meaning to finish it. Shame is somewhat disturbing; not in the way many of these other films are but it's rough to watch his descent.

I attempted to watch Nymphomaniac, but I did not end up finishing it. Mostly because I was very bored, LOL.

 

[samsnee]

Why did I read the plot summary for a Serbian Film? Good god why?!?

 

[Guts]

Aye, justifiable violence or twisted behavior against an individual or being usually holds consequence in everyday life and often in films, but when it's purely 'torture porn' for the enjoyment of seeing somebody 'put through' the experience for the purposes of 'enjoyment', that's when its incredibly hard to watch.

I feel like that describes Funny Games. But I didn't find Funny Games to be disturbing. I guess I found Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet's performance as the two psychopaths to actually be entertaining. So I wasn't really disgusted by what was going on.

 

[scarlet-witch]

Now, Human Centipede 2 and 3 in particular, gross for the sake of being gross and utter TRASH!

There's apparently a market for that otherwise the Guinea Pig and August Underground series wouldn't exist.

 

[chamber-music]

Besides the movies already mentioned I suggest

1991 movie Begotten is nightmare fuel. The movie Elijah Wood said disturbed him the most.

Audition
Ichi the Killer
Nekromantik
Nil By Mouth

Also Bone Tomahawk has one of the most upsetting sequences I think I've ever seen.

Have you seen his latest movie Brawl In Cell Block 99 yet?

The violence is equally insanely over the top and brutal.

Towards the end of the movie it gets so ridiculously over the top that it almost feels comical.

His next movie is Dragged Across Concrete, a film about police brutality starring Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn. As the name implies it will probably be grim viewing like his previous movies.