Whether it's a psychological thriller, a gory horror Film, or any of the numerous subsections in between, films can stay with us long after we watch them for various reasons. Here are some of the most bothersome movies that you will wish that you could erase from your memory.
1. Children of the Corn (1984)
When a small town is overtaken by a group of kids who had enough of things like “chores,” a new culture of fear and overwhelming violence becomes the law. Powered by a generally frightening premise and chilling performances Courtney Gains, this one is perfect to throw on for Halloween.
2. Obsessed (2009)
When a gorgeous temp begins showing a little too much interest in a married man, things quickly take a nightmarish turn for the worst. When things get too extreme, it's up to Beyoncé's character to save the day — and unlike her, it won't be pretty.
3. Gummo (1997)
There were a few reasons why Gummo was hard to watch, chief of which was the kids, one in particular named “Bunny Boy,” who would randomly choose a cat to hunt and kill. They did that just for leisure, which made it even more creepy. There's also the guy who uses his sister, who is mentally disabled, to gain extra cash by making her perform explicit acts.
You won't find a ton of gore and violence in the film, as it mainly just focuses on the lives of the people in a small town. However, they have a nihilistic style of living that is just flat-out disturbing. One member from an online forum said he couldn't sleep for weeks after watching this movie.
4. Come and See (1985)
The primary reason that Come and See is so challenging to watch is that it's based on a terrible reality that details the extent of human depravity. The movie focuses on the invasion of the Soviet Union and how control and “purification” caused the deaths of millions. The director, Elem Klimov, experienced the takeover firsthand and has poured his memories into this film.
You get plenty of footage where the actors and actresses interact directly with the camera, forcing the audience to confront an ugly past. The most disturbing scene in the movie is when an old church full of innocent men, women, and children gets set on fire, and everyone inside is burned alive. There's also real footage of Holocaust victims in the movie, which drives the point home even more.
5. The Good Son (1993)
The Good Son stars Macaulay Culkin, a troubled young boy wreaking havoc, but unbeknownst to his mother. The movie nosedives into psychological conflict when the mom takes in her nephew because of a tragedy. The nephew sees how crazy Macaulay is, and he's eager to warn the others.
On the one hand, you acknowledge that Macaulay's character is a child with issues, but he's also a psychopathic murderer. When the mom has to choose whether to save either her son or her nephew and let the other fall to his death, it's deep that she chooses her nephew. It also makes sense, which makes you feel really weird inside as the viewer!
6. The Girl Next Door (2007)
Only a handful of movies can make you want to vomit while watching, as The Girl Next Door does. The fact that it's based on a true story makes it even worse. When an aunt takes in her two nieces (one of whom is disabled) after their parents die in a car crash, things get sickening.
The aunt subjects both girls to assault, brutally beating and mutilating one of them. She even allows the neighborhood kids and her own sons to partake in the “fun.” It's cringe, saddening, infuriating, and doesn't have a happy ending.
7. Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary gives you horror and suspense while presenting mental illness, grief, and paranormal activity in a truly unnerving fashion. While grieving the loss of her mother, Annie, played by Toni Collette, also loses her daughter in a horrific accident involving her son.
Annie's son is detached and dependent on substances, and her husband is distant. On top of that, her mother was involved in a cult, which caused demonic activity and strange occurrences around her. Throw in a sèance where everyone is unclothed and, well, you get the picture.
8. Mother! (2017)
With so many themes to keep up with and quite a bit of controversy, Mother! is easily one of those films that you either love or hate. Some people view it as an artistic masterpiece, whereas others on the forum said it's a jumbled mess that's offensive to multiple groups.
There are some unfavorable views of God, portrayed as a narcissist who adores being worshiped, and devout members of the faith aren't having it. Immigration is also shown to be a destructive ideology, with multiculturalism depicted as harmful and dangerous. When you add themes of genocide, emotional abuse, and over-the-top violence, it's easy to see why this film is so disturbing to many.
9. The Human Centipede (2009)
One online horror guru states, “The Human Centipede is terrible because it's more about gross body horror than actual artistic and thoughtful production that conveys a point.” I can't say I disagree. From start to finish, you can anticipate gore, torture, and much more suffering.
If the idea of humans sewn together like one large insect seems maniacal and unfathomable, you don't want to watch this film. More unsettling than the movie itself is that someone thought this story up, and the actors agreed to star in it.
10. I Saw the Devil (2010)
Movies that focus on revenge in the name of a loved one generally include a high level of lawlessness and brutality. I Saw the Devil does not falter on either of these concepts. It's a sort of crime drama that reels you into a moralistic debate within yourself. After a man catches his girlfriend's killer, he takes matters into his own hands to deliver justice. And it's not pretty.
When you have a victim at your mercy who has spared no expense when it comes to causing pain, do you repay the favor or take the high road? A contributor to the online thread said they were disturbed mainly because they're not sure they would do things any differently.
11. The Playground (2017)
The Playground is kind of along the lines of The Girl Next Door and Come and See. It's a horrifying rendition of a true story that involved the sadistic treatment of a three-year-old by two school-aged boys. There's also a lot of physical assault and violence that makes you want to scratch your eyeballs out.
It's sad and incredibly troubling to sit through, as many people feel that there's too much senseless depravity instead of getting straight to the point. I hate that this was a dramatized film instead of a documentary. I'd never watch this twice.
12. Tusk (2014)
The Tusk is just a few steps down from The Human Centipede when it comes to feeling like you're getting force-fed very gruesome and dark emotional and physical torture. While this film is supposed to offer some comic relief, it's not enough to offset the disgusting and dreadful operations carried out during the movie.
In a nutshell, there's an interviewer who ventures to speak to an eccentric old man who supposedly just wants someone to hear his life stories in exchange for free room and board. In reality, the interviewer ends up drugged and at the mercy of a serial killer who enjoys turning his victims into half-human, half-walrus hybrids. Need I say more?
13. The House That Jack Built (2018)
Given all the graphic violence depicted against women, children, and animals, The House That Jack Built was an awful showing that some of the commenters online thought should be permanently banned from viewing. Jack is a true villain who deceives, tortures, and murders, especially women, using complex methods.
He annoyingly refers to these monstrous acts as “art,” immortalizing them in pictures for the press. This combination of shock and skill is also the foundation of director Von Trier's success. Unfortunately, many have argued that the filmmaker misused his notoriety to indirectly justify the violence in his movies.
14. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Though this film is the oldest on the list, respondents from the online forum mentioned that it still bothers them today. It's a bleak film that describes a dystopia where the government controls free will and high levels of violence are an ordinary way of living in London.
This movie was initially rated X when it was first released in the United States, and many people complained that it was too much to sit through. The film portrays intense acts of brutality and presents a decaying society, contributing to an overall sense of unease. One of the main characters said he actually had to endure the torture seen on the screen to make the scene as realistic as possible. Yikes.
15. The Purge (2013-2021)
The idea that allowing people to engage in as many heinous acts as they want for 12 hours once a year will somehow keep crime levels low is disturbing in and of itself. That's before you watch these acts unfold on the screen, which adds another level of disgust.
The worst part is buying into the premise and acknowledging the human need to “purge” and inflict pain and suffering upon one another without penalty. The level of moral corruption within those who get pleasure out of being able to unleash inner demons is really something else!
16.The Skin I Live In (2011)
“Antonio Banderas takes us on quite the rollercoaster,” says one of the contributors within the online forum. Many users said they'd had their fill of psychological body horror films, but The Skin I Live In adds a clinical element to the madness, making it even creepier.
Banderas loses his daughter and wife to tragedy, and he becomes highly obsessed with creating a new form of skin that doesn't burn easily. To test this development, he holds the man responsible for his daughter's passing as a hostage, and he forcibly changes him from a man to a woman through reassignment surgery. The whole storyline is dark and anxiety-inducing.
17. The Platform (2019)
While I typically enjoy movies that provide commentary on the condition of humanity, The Platform took the most grotesque route possible to say that people are greedy and inconsiderate of one another. There are way too many scenes of actual and attempted cannibalism, violence, assault, and more.
In the movie, people willingly or involuntarily go to a tower-style “self-management” center (prison).
They're randomly assigned to a floor, and they can eat just once a day from a platform filled with food that starts at the top and slowly descends to each floor for a few minutes. The people at the top eat abundantly because the platform starts off full. There's less and less food as it goes down, with every level beneath only getting the leftovers from the level above.
Source: Reddit.
