While some critics may dislike blockbuster films, we can all agree that some films are completely out of line. Whether this is due to increased violence, propaganda, illegal actions, or sensitive subjects, these films are not to be taken lightly. Check out the top fifteen most controversial movies ever made, and the reasons why they have been placed on this list.
15. A Serbian Film (2010)
Our first most controversial movie is A Serbian Film, created in 2010. In the film, an aging porn star agrees to be in an “art film” to make a clean break from the business but realizes that he’s been drafted to make a pedophilia and necrophilia-themed film. A Serbian Film is extremely disturbing, with vile and brutal content throughout the whole movie. Though all of the brutal parts are fake, they look real enough to get this movie banned in more than twenty countries.
– IMDb score: 5.0
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14. I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
Starting with torture and ending with revenge, I Spit on Your Grave is gruesome throughout. An aspiring author is the main character who gets repeatedly assaulted and humiliated before being left for dead by four men. After she escapes she systematically hunts down her assailants to seek revenge. The most controversial parts of this film are the graphic rape content and brutal torture scenes, with many considering this to be the most disturbing film of the 20th century.
– IMDb score: 5.6
13. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
Just from the title Cannibal Holocaust, you can tell that this movie is controversial. The film focuses on a rescue mission in the Amazon rainforest where a professor stumbles across a lost film shot by the missing documentary crew. The graphic content is what sends this film over the edge, especially with scenes that contain real animal cruelty. Even though they have created an animal cruelty-free version, this film is sure to make your stomach curdle.
– IMDb score: 5.8
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12. Saló, or 120 Days in Sodom (1975)
The combination of religion and sex by filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini did not go down well. This explicit movie featured the abduction and sexual torture of many teenage boys against the background of World War II by aristocratic Italian libertines. Many of the actors were believed to be underage, and the film was banned in several countries.
– IMDb score: 5.8
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11. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
The movie The Birth of a Nation promoted the Ku Klux Klan, and it became such a hit that it was even screened at the White House. This three-hour-long movie was controversial for its blatant portrayal of racism. Even today, The Birth of a Nation remains one of the most controversial movies ever.
– IMDb score: 6.1
10. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Anyone who has seen Twilight Zone: The Movie might not know that it was one of the most controversial movies of its time due to the tragedy surrounding the film. The movie faced criticism after a helicopter exploded on set, killing three people, including two children and famed actor Vic Morrow.
John Landis, who directed the scene, was accused of putting the actors at risk in an unsafe situation. At the end of the trial, new laws concerning aviation safety were passed and Landis was acquitted of manslaughter.
– IMDb score: 6.4
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9. The Girl Next Door (2007)
Another film focused on rape and torture is The Girl Next Door from 2007. Both the torture and abuse are committed on a teenage girl, who is in the care of her aunt. Neither her aunt nor the boys who witness the crime report it, leaving the girl to fend for herself. The graphic rape and torture sequences draw the most controversy, with some arguing this film is more disturbing than A Serbian Film.
– IMDb score: 6.5
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8. In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
Nagisa Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses is known for its mature depiction of sexuality. However, because of the strict censorship laws in Japan, the film was listed as a French production. For years after its release, it faced immense pressure from censor boards all over the world and remains censored in Japan to this day.
– IMDb score: 6.6
7. Last Tango in Paris (1972)
The 1972 movie Last Tango in Paris became a subject of controversy in recent years when a video of director Bertolucci surfaced. He claimed that the movie’s infamous rape scene was not consensual. The scene featured Marlon Brando and 19-year-old Maria Schneider. Bertolucci was even charged with obscenity in Italy for the filming of that scene.
– IMDb score: 6.9
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6. Martyrs (2008)
Martyrs centers around a young woman’s quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tormented her, teaming up with another victim of child abuse. This will lead both of them on a terrifying journey of depravity that causes controversy in the film community. Martyrs is one of the most violent films of all time, including scenes of graphic violence against children, and will probably be controversial for the next fifty years.
– IMDb score: 7.0
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5. Triumph of the Will (1935)
Triumph of the Will was focused on Nazi propaganda. While the director distanced herself from the Nazi regime after the War, many continued to believe that the filmmaker was close to Hitler and his allies. Since courts classify this film as Nazi Propaganda, the film requires an educational context to be shown in public settings, except in Germany.
– IMDb score: 7.1
4. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
This Martin Scorsese movie attracted the critic’s attention over the odd casting choices: David Bowie playing Pontius Pilot, Willem Dafoe playing Christ himself, and Harvey Keitel playing Judas Iscariot with his heavy Brooklyn accent.
But the actual controversy surrounding the movie came from religious groups who were shocked by the movie’s content, especially in one of the later scenes where while being on the cross, Jesus is ‘tempted’ by normal life. The scene goes on to show Jesus coming down from the cross and making love to Mary Magdalene.
– IMDb score: 7.5
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3. Titicut Follies (1967)
The movie Titicut Follies shows the controversial treatment of the inmates at the Bridgewater State Hospital for the criminally insane. The movie showed inmates being neglected and abused by the hospital staff. It also showed how the staff force-fed patients, with one scene showing a guard taunting a naked, vulnerable man.
This became one of the most controversial movies in 1967 as it was a shocking exposé of how the facility was being run.
– IMDb score: 7.7
2. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
The movie The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse is often seen as an allegory for the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany. It was made in 1933, the same year that Adolph Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. The movie courted controversy and ran into trouble with the authoritative Nazi government in the early 1930s.
– IMDb score: 7.9
1. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
One of Stanley Kubrick’s most controversial movies, A Clockwork Orange, focused on ‘ultra-violence.’ The movie faced criticism for the highly stylized violence, especially after a trend of copycat crimes began in the United Kingdom following the release of the movie. The controversy even reached a point where protesters picketed Kubrick’s house in England and sent him death threats.
– IMDb score: 8.3
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