The Top 10 Most Disturbing Movies

Disturbing Movies by Disturbing Filmmakers for Disturbing People.

I’m one of those guys whose morbid curiosity is stronger than their stomachs. So, when I decided to tackle a list of the 10 most disturbing movies ever made, I knew that I would need to call in some help. Luckily, I knew just the guy who has a long history of seeking the sickest films he can find to test his resolve. So, before going any further, I want to give a special thanks to Lane Davis and his cast-iron stomach when it comes to disturbing movies. That being said, this whole list is one big trigger warning. The films below are nothing short of horrifying with their themes of murder, torture, rape, and a few things I’m too scared to look up the names for. They are not for those movie fans with delicate sensibilities (like myself). Don’t get me wrong, I like a hard-hitting film as much as the next guy, but I could never get into torture porn. Still, I know there are those of you who love watching disturbing movies and this list is for you

*Please note: This list is called the Most Disturbing Movies for a reason. The films that follow are incredibly @#$%ed up. Last chance to check out one of Stars & Popcorn’s friendlier lists.

10. The Last House on the Left (1972)

Kicking off this list of disturbing movies is horror legend Wes Craven’s first film, The Last House on the Left. The movie follows a group of criminals that rape and kill a young woman for “funsies.” They get their comeuppance when they seek refuge in a house owned by the girl’s parents and they seek brutal revenge. Originally given an X-rating when it was sent to the MPAA, Craven tried desperately to cut it down to an R-rating, but to no avail. Eventually, a buddy of his got it the R-rating and it was sent to theaters. Unfortunately, that resulted in audience members vomiting, fainting, and even rumors of one having a heart attack during the initial screening. The Brits didn’t even allow it to be shown for over 28 years. An eventual remake was done in 2009, but it’s got nothing on the gut-wrenching original.   

9. Irréversible

Newsweek called the next film on this list of disturbing movies, “the most walked-out-of movie of the year.” Gaspar Noé is a director who thrives on controversy and quite honestly doesn’t give a damn about the audience. I’m a bit torn over this film because it’s about a woman being raped and her boyfriend and ex-lover joining forces to hunt down the culprit and get revenge. What makes this so disturbing is that the entire film was shot with only a 3-page script, meaning that actors had to improvise, including the brutal rape (which star Monica Belucci claims to have never been able to watch in its entirety). When it showed at Cannes the audience was so stunned that they sat in complete silence afterward. Not sure if that’s something to brag about or not, but Noé has continued to make messed up films ever since.   

8. À l’intérieur AKA Inside

Despite being one of the most disturbing movies of all time, À l’intérieur also happens to be one of the best home invasion movies. That’s the thing about disturbing movies, as hard as they are to watch, some of them are actually really, really good. À l’intérieur centers around a pregnant woman who is being tormented by a mysterious stranger who has broken into her home. It becomes clear that the psycho is actually after her unborn child and plans to remove it with a pair of scissors. It’s such a messed up premise that you can probably imagine what comes next, but trust me, your mind can’t even begin to conjure up the sort of twisted imagery that directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury created (at least I hope not). As hard as it is to watch, this film received mostly positive reviews from critics, making it one of the better films on this list.     

7. Audition 

I don’t know what happened to Takashi Miike as a child, but he’s one of the most brutal directors to come out of Japan. Audition is perhaps his best-known film (though I’m a fan of 13 Assassins myself) and with good reason. Not only did viewers walk out of the initial screenings, but heavy metal rockstar turned horror director Rob Zombie called it, “the most creepy and unsettling of any horror movie I’ve ever watched.” That probably gives you some idea of just how messed up Audition is. The film is about a man who holds a casting audition to find a future wife. Little does he know that one of the women is actually a total psycho. So much so, that she captures men and slowly tortures them in a sick display of their “mutual” love for one another. As sick as the film is, I’ve read some behind the scenes info that makes my stomach churn. Still, Audition is regarded as one of the better “torture porn” films out there… which is kinda weird. 

6. The Human Centipede Movies

It seemed lame to give The Human Centipede films three whole spots on this list. So, I decided to throw them all in together. Really, no matter which one you watch, you’re going to wish you hadn’t. When it comes to disturbing movies, few have reached cult status as quickly as these films. The first one features one of the most twisted mad scientists in modern cinema on a quest to create a, well, human centipede. I don’t really want to go into the details of such an experiment, but let’s just say it must have been hard to find funding for his research. The film is so messed up that Roger Ebert said, “[The film] is what it is and occupies a world where the stars don’t shine.” Director Tom Six seemed to take that as a challenge because each sequel gets more and more grotesque.