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15 Most Disturbing Movies That Will Seriously Creep You Out: From Nekromantik to The Snowtown Murders
Caution: These movies are seriously disturbing. Watch at your own risk!
Trigger Warning: This article contains gruesome details of murder and violence, which could be triggering for some readers.
Trigger Warning: This article includes references to sexual abuse
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with any kind of abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
People enjoy watching violence in movies, whether it's the goofy antics of cartoons like Looney Tunes or the Avengers beating up the bad guys in big action films. It's like a way to let out our feelings or because we know it's all pretend, so it's okay. We also know that there aren't real consequences, both in the movie and in real life. I'm not here to judge people who like this kind of stuff—I'm one of them. Instead, I want to talk about what happens when moviemakers take this violence to the extreme. There are some movies that go way over the top, showing really shocking, disgusting, and messed-up stuff. They leave a mark on your brain with images and ideas about our darkest and most messed-up impulses—impulses that might not be so different from the violence we see in more "normal" movies (Oops, I guess I'm admitting to liking those too!).
So, here's a list of the most disturbing movies ever made. These are the kinds of movies that will seriously mess with your head and leave you feeling really uneasy. Watch them if you dare.
1. A Serbian Film(2010)
- Genre: Horror/Thriller
- Star Cast: Srđan Todorović, Sergej Trifunović, Jelena Gavrilović, Slobodan Beštić, Katarina Žutić
- Director: Srđan Spasojević
- Writer: Aleksandar Radivojević, Srđan Spasojević
- Year of release: 2010
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: VUDU Free/ Netflix
- IMDb rating: 5/10
- Runtime: 1h 50m
The title of this movie is very straightforward, and it reflects the shocking and explicit nature of the film itself. The director, Srđan Spasojević, uses the movie to criticize not only the challenges of living in a war-torn society with a government leaning towards fascism but also the government's hypocrisy in funding safe and sanitized films that hide their own wrongdoings.
To convey this message, Spasojević and his co-writer, Aleksandar Radivojević, have created a story that goes to extreme and disturbing places. The main character, Miloš, who used to be a porn actor, is struggling to support his family. Despite his reservations, he agrees to participate in an artistic adult film by a provocative filmmaker. However, the director uses unethical methods, including drugging Miloš into a state of helplessness, and makes him do horrific things on camera.
When I say "horrific," I mean it quite literally. The film includes extremely taboo and disturbing subjects like sexual violence, necrophilia, incest, and pedophilia, presented in graphic detail. This has quickly gained the film a notorious reputation, especially in the world of film festivals. The movie's conclusion and the choices made by the characters are profoundly evil and unsettling.
2. Audition(1999)
- Genre: Horror/Thriller
- Star Cast: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina
- Director: Takashi Miike
- Writer: Daisuke Tengan
- Year of release: 1999
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Amazon Prime
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
- Runtime: 1h 53m
Takashi Miike is a really prolific director who's known for making some pretty intense and shocking movies like "Ichi the Killer" and "Visitor Q." Now, you might wonder why "Audition" stands out among all his other films. Well, it's because it plays a bit of a trick on the audience. At first, "Audition" seems like a typical romantic drama. There's this guy named Shigeharu Aoyama who's a lonely widower and is trying to find a new love. He starts "auditioning" women to see if they could be his new love interest, and he falls for a woman named Asami Yamazaki. They both express deep feelings of love for each other, and everything seems fine.
But then, things take a really strange and disturbing turn. Miike, the director, suddenly changes the whole tone of the movie. It makes you confront the problematic idea behind the film - how dating and pursuing romantic relationships can sometimes have sexist undertones, even in the film industry. When Asami Yamazaki starts to take control of the situation, things get really messed up. There are horrifying scenes involving torture with needles, dismemberment, and some really disturbing stuff that shocks the audience. It's a deliberate move by Yamazaki and Miike to make you feel uncomfortable and make a point about obsession and control in relationships.
3. August Underground's Mordum(2003)
- Genre: Horror/Slasher
- Star Cast: Srđan Todorović, Sergej Trifunović, Jelena Gavrilović, Slobodan Beštić, Katarina Žutić
- Director: Srđan Spasojević
- Writer: Aleksandar Radivojević, Srđan Spasojević
- Year of release: 2003
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Through download
- IMDb rating: 3/10
- Runtime: 1h 17m
Fred Vogel's Toetag Pictures is a small company that makes really intense and shocking horror movies. They're not big-budget films, but they push the limits of what's acceptable in cinema. One of their most famous works is a series of three movies called "August Underground." These films are like home videos made by a twisted family of killers. They record themselves torturing and killing people, and the quality of the videos is purposely bad, making it feel disturbingly real.
The second movie in this series, "August Underground's Mordum," is probably the most disturbing. It's filled with gruesome scenes where they do awful things to bodies, and it just keeps getting worse as the movie goes on. It's hard to tell if there's a deeper meaning or message behind all this horror – Toetag might not even be trying to say anything profound.
4. Cannibal Holocaust(1980)
- Genre: Horror/Adventure
- Star Cast: Robert Kerman, Carl Gabriel Yorke, Francesca Ciardi, Luca Barbareschi, Perry Pirkanen
- Director: Ruggero Deodato
- Writer: Gianfranco Clerici
- Year of release: 1980
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Amazon Prime
- IMDb rating: 5.8/10
- Runtime: 1h 38m
In the 1980s, there was this really infamous horror movie called Cannibal Holocaust. It's kind of famous because it used a style that later became known as found footage. Some countries even banned it, and the director, Ruggero Deodato, got into trouble because people thought the gruesome scenes were real. He had to prove in court that they were just special effects.
The movie is like a fake documentary where a group of people go to the Amazon to find some lost filmmakers. When they get there, they find these disturbing film reels showing cannibals doing really terrible things. It's a pretty messed up story that makes you think about stuff like how white people often try to act like saviors in other cultures, how colonialism messed things up, and how sensational news on TV can make violence worse. It even messes with your head as the person watching the movie. Now, Cannibal Holocaust isn't exactly trying to be super smart about these ideas. It shows some really shocking and graphic stuff, and some of it, like hurting animals, might feel totally unnecessary. But you can't deny that the movie has a lot going on in its head, even if it goes to extremes to get its message across.
5. Eraserhead(1977)
- Genre: Horror/Sci-fi
- Star Cast: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates
- Director: David Lynch
- Writer: David Lynch
- Year of release: 1977
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Amazon Prime
- IMDb rating: 7.3/10
- Runtime: 1h 28m
David Lynch's first movie, "Eraserhead," is like a really strange and unsettling dream brought to life on screen. It's shot in black and white and has creepy sounds that make you feel like you're in a weird post-apocalyptic world. The story is about a guy named Henry Spencer, who's kind of weak and sensitive. He has to deal with all sorts of crazy stuff like having a family, raising a child, and even things like sex and the afterlife. Lynch shows these things in a way that makes your skin crawl, but also in a way that feels completely random, like there's no pattern to the madness.
The movie ends with a shocking revelation about a child, and there's a lot of debate about how Lynch created that child character. Somehow, "Eraserhead" manages to make us think about the deep, hidden stuff in our minds that we can't really talk about, and it does it without saying much at all.
6. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(1986)
- Genre: Crime/Horror
- Star Cast: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold
- Director: John McNaughton
- Writer: Richard Fire, John McNaughton
- Year of release: 1986
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Amazon Prime
- IMDb rating: 7/10
- Runtime: 1h 23m
In this low-budget horror film from 1986 called "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," there's a guy named Henry, played by Michael Rooker, who does some really disturbing stuff. Despite his twisted actions, Michael Rooker's acting is impressive because he manages to show a glimpse of humanity in this character who mostly causes harm to people, especially when they show any kind of affection.
Now, this movie isn't entirely shot like those found footage films you might have seen. Some parts are filmed like a regular movie with clear and rich colors, even though it's a low-budget horror film. But the most shocking and brutal moments, including the tension leading up to them, are captured from the perspective of Henry and his group. What sticks with you after watching this movie is how casually and predictably the violence and destruction happen. It's a movie that shows us a portrait of a serial killer and also reflects on what can happen when we become so detached and desensitized that we lose our ability to feel empathy.
7. The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)
- Genre: Horror/Drama
- Star Cast: Srđan Todorović, Sergej Trifunović, Jelena Gavrilović, Slobodan Beštić, Katarina Žutić
- Director: Tom Six
- Writer: Ashlynn Yennie, Laurence R. Harvey
- Year of release: 2011
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Tubi
- IMDb rating: 3.5/10
- Runtime: 1h 31m
The first film, "The Human Centipede," made waves with its bizarre concept, mixing dark humor with a strange premise of linking people together, mouth to butt. But its sequel, "The Human Centipede 2," takes things to a much darker and gruesome level. It's about a guy named Laurence who's obsessed with the first film and decides to create his own human centipede using crude methods. The movie gets really graphic and disturbing, with scenes that are hard to watch involving violence and some truly gross stuff. In simple terms, it's the film that people might have expected the first one to be, for better or worse.
8. In a Glass Cage(1986)
- Genre: Thriller/Horror
- Star Cast: Günter Meisner, Marisa Paredes, David Sust
- Director: Agustí Villaronga
- Writer: Agustí Villaronga
- Year of release: 1986
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Amazon Prime/Binged
- IMDb rating: 6.7/10
- Runtime: 1h 51m
"In a Glass Cage" is a movie that tells a disturbing story. The main characters are a retired man named Angelo and a mysterious stranger named Klaus. Angelo was once a very bad person, doing terrible things to children. Klaus, who is paralyzed and confined to an iron lung, claims to be one of Angelo's past victims.
The story takes place in a creepy, old house where Angelo and his family live. Klaus somehow gets into the house and starts tormenting Angelo, forcing him to remember and confront his awful deeds. It's like a psychological horror show, with lots of tension and fear. As the movie goes on, you see the power shift between Angelo and Klaus, and it's hard to tell who the real villain is. The film is quite intense and might make you uncomfortable because it deals with really dark and unsettling themes.
9. Nekromantik(1988)
- Genre: Horror/Exploitation
- Star Cast: Daktari Lorenz, Beatrice Manowski, Harald Lundt
- Director: Jörg Buttgereit
- Writer: Jörg Buttgereit, Franz Rodenkirchen
- Year of release: 1988
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: download
- IMDb rating: 4.9/10
- Runtime: 1h 15m
"Nekromantik" is a 1988 movie that's seriously disturbing. It's not for the faint-hearted. The film is about a guy who works with dead bodies and becomes obsessed with a decomposing corpse. It's got graphic and shocking scenes that can be deeply unsettling. Definitely not your typical movie night choice; it's disturbing in a way that's hard to forget. Viewer discretion is a must if you decide to watch it.
10. Irréversible(2002)
- Genre: Thriller/Drama
- Star Cast: Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel
- Director: Gaspar Noé
- Writer: Gaspar Noé
- Year of release: 2002
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Download
- IMDb rating: 7.3/10
- Runtime: 1h 37m
Gaspar Noé, the filmmaker known for his shocking and disturbing movies like "I Stand Alone" and "Climax," created a film called "Irréversible" in 2002. This movie is a bit different from the usual ones in the "rape and revenge" genre. In typical films of this kind, we follow a female character who goes through terrible sexual abuse and then takes revenge on her attackers. But Noé does something different. He tells the story backward.
The movie starts with a chaotic scene full of noise, colors, and violence. We see a man filled with rage doing something terrible to someone we know nothing about. Then, in the very next scene, we witness a graphic and very difficult-to-watch scene where Monica Bellucci's character is brutally raped and beaten. So, Noé is showing us the usual elements of a "rape and revenge" story but in reverse order. This might make us think about the senselessness of violence and revenge, or some might just see it as a pointless and unpleasant movie, depending on how you look at it.
The rest of the movie does have some moments of love and character development involving Bellucci's character, but it all feels dark and sickening. It's a reminder that evil actions, once done, can't be undone, no matter the reason.
11. Man Bites Dog(1992)
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Star Cast: Benoît Poelvoorde, Rémy Belvaux, Jenny Drye, Jacqueline Poelvoorde-Pappaert, Malou Madou, André Bonzel
- Director: Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde
- Writer: Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, Vincent Tavier
- Year of release: 1992
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Amazon Prime
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
- Runtime: 1h 36m
Out of all the disturbing movies they've ever watched, there's one that stands out as the only one that made them skip through a scene because it made them really uncomfortable. This movie is called "Man Bites Dog," originally from Belgium, where it's known as "C'est arrivé près de chez vous," which means "It could happen to you." The film is shot in black and white and is presented as a fake documentary, kind of like the found-footage style often seen in horror films. The whole point of this movie is to make us think about how we react to and almost worship violent acts and the fear they create, especially when we see them in the news.
In the film, a group of journalists are following a guy named Ben, played brilliantly by Benoît Poelvoorde. He's charming, funny, and also happens to be a really twisted serial killer. These journalists want to film him and his increasingly violent crimes while keeping a so-called objective distance. But, in a weird and unsettling way, they start getting involved in his crimes themselves. This doesn't just criticize news media all over the world but also makes us question ourselves for wanting to watch and even laugh (yes, it's surprisingly darkly funny at times) at a movie like this. The movie reaches a really intense point in the middle where there's a scene of violence and its aftermath. It's shown so casually, so vividly, and without any remorse that they wish they could fast-forward it in their mind because it's just that disturbing.
12. Melancholie der Engel(2009)
- Genre: Horror/Exploitation
- Star Cast: Zenza Raggi, Carsten Frank, Janette Weller, Bianca Schneider, Patrizia Johann, Peter Martell, Margarethe von Stern
- Director: Marian Dova
- Writer: Marian Dova, Carsten Frank
- Year of release: 2009
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Amazon Prime
- IMDb rating: 3.3/10
- Runtime: 2h 45m
A German filmmaker named Marian Dova is known for making really disturbing movies. One of his films, "Melancholie der Engel" from 2009, is particularly intense. It's super long, lasting two and a half hours, and it's full of deep thoughts, mainly about life having no meaning. The main character, Katze, thinks he's close to dying, so he does some really messed-up stuff with his so-called "friends." They film these awful acts, and it all looks really ugly on screen. The movie is supposed to be about big ideas and Catholic guilt and redemption, but it's hard to understand why anyone would make or watch this. Maybe if you're into bizarre movies like Richard Linklater's "Before" trilogy but with really disgusting scenes, you might like it.
13. Men Behind the Sun(1988)
- Genre: War/Horror
- Star Cast: Gang Wang, Hsu Gou, Tie Long Jin, Zhao Hua Mei, Zhe Quan, Run Sheng Wang, Dai Wao Yu, Andrew Yu
- Director: T. F. Mou
- Writer: Mei Liu, Wen Yuan Mou, Dun Jing Teng
- Year of release: 1988
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Youtube
- IMDb rating: 6.1/10
- Runtime: 1h 30m
This movie, "Men Behind the Sun," shows the terrible things that happened in war, especially during World War II when Japanese commanders did horrifying experiments on Chinese and Siberian prisoners. The film uses really graphic and shocking effects to make you feel sick. But it's not just about the gore; it also tries to make you think about the deep scars war leaves on people and how patriotism can go too far. It wants to tell us that war is always a nightmare. But it's also trying to be a scary movie with lots of blood and guts. Can it do both things? Should I even try? If it does succeed, is it still worth watching? Are there better, less intense ways to learn about the horrors of war? Or do we need these harsh messages to really understand how terrible war can be?
14. The Snowtown Murders(2011)
- Genre: Thriller/Crime
- Star Cast: Daniel Henshall, Lucas Pittaway, Louise Harris
- Director: Justin Kurzel
- Writer: Shaun Grant, Justin Kurzel
- Year of release: 2011
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Amazon Prime
- IMDb rating: 6.6/10
- Runtime: 2 hours
"The Snowtown Murders," based on real killings in Australia, is a disturbing, slow-paced film. It delves into messed-up small-town life and follows John Bunting, who wants to eliminate pedophiles and gay people. He gathers a group to torture and kill them. The director, Justin Kurzel, uses intense violence and psychological tension to make you uncomfortable. The movie doesn't let anyone off the hook, not even the criminals, viewers who might sympathize, or the characters like Jamie and John. It's a dark exploration of human cruelty that will leave you feeling dirty.
15. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom(1975)
- Genre: Drama/War
- Star Cast: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Umberto Paolo Quintavalle, Aldo Valletti, Caterina Boratto, Elsa De Giorgi, Hélène Surgère, Sonia Saviange, Inès Pellegrini
- Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Writer: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Sergio Citti
- Year of release: 1975
- Where to Watch/OTT Platform: Online Download
- IMDb rating: 5.8/10
- Runtime: 1h 57m
"Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom" is a really disturbing horror film. It's famous for its extreme content and has become a sort of high-brow classic. The movie is all about showing how corrupt fascism and our worst instincts can get out of control in really graphic ways. It's inspired by a book called "The 120 Days of Sodom" and some really terrible things that happened in Italy during World War II. The film is tough to watch, and I'm not sure if I'd recommend it, but it's an important one. It makes you think about how people can do really cruel things when they have power over others. Definitely not a movie to watch during dinner.
Also read: 40 Best suspense movies as per IMDb that will keep you hooked
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