Last Updated on August 3, 2021
#1 – A Serbian Film
When THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE was released, everyone was shocked in the mainstream media about how f*cked up it was. I wonder if they had ever heard of A SERBIAN FILM. This…this movie is just f*cked in every way possible. From the completely nihilistic and depressing ending or the entire premise of the film, this movie is completely wrong in every way. But, it is the scene that involves a pregnant woman that you will never forgive yourself for witnessing. I still cannot understand why that scene was filmed. I have an extremely high tolerance for f*cked up shit, but A SERBIAN FILM crosses any line that I have. Seriously, beyond f*cked.
#2 – Nekromantik
Jörg Buttgereit is known amongst horror fans as one of the more controversial figures due specifically to NEKROMANTIK. Many of you likely recognize the title of the movie but may not have seen the film itself. The movie is more than just a shocking exercise in depravity and does have some competent direction. But, this is overshadowed by the sheer amount of insanity in the movie. I mean, if you ever needed to know how to give a corpse an erection, this movie will show you how. Good luck finding a decent copy of the movie on DVD unless you are looking to shell out over a hundred bucks (I wouldn’t).
#3 – Aftermath
AFTERMATH is a short film by Nacho Cerda and the first of two that involve necrophilia on this list. What starts out as a film showcasing an autopsy soon devolves into a violent and disturbingly depraved sexual smorgasbord that involves blood, butts, and detached body parts. At just over 30 minutes long, this movie feels a hell of a lot longer and if you can sit through the duration you will be rewarded with an equally creepy smoothie recipe.
#4 – Begotten
My personal favorite on this list, BEGOTTEN is a surreal movie from director E. Elias Merhige. No dialogue is spoken and only incidental music is heard as you watch God kill himself with a straight razor, Mother Earth is born from his body who then jerks him off. Eventually Flesh on Bone (aka Jesus aka Seizure Man) arrives and the rest is the retelling of the rise and fall of Christ. The movie is hard to watch and has some truly messed up images. Marilyn Manson used scenes from the movie for one of his music videos. I actually found this on a shelf at a Blockbuster in Colorado and still have the VHS copy. It is definitely a unique movie and one that you will not soon forget.
#5 – Salo
Scalping, brading, eyes being cut out, rape, torture, sodomy. Ah, the feel good movies of the Seventies! SALO was the final film from director Pier Paolo Pasolini and boy did he go out with a bang. This movie is banned in various countries to this day due to the depraved nature of what is shown on screen. The Criterion edition is out of print, but if you get a chance to watch this film in some way, you may not be able to sit through the entire two hours.
#6 – Eraserhead
Some would say BLUE VELVET is more messed up but ERASERHEAD is the pinnacle of what people call Lynchian. Auditory and visual flashes of twisted flesh and distorted mechanical monstrosities, ERASERHEAD cannot be compared to anything else in terms of the bizarre. That damn creepy bird baby thing is one of those scenes you just cannot unsee.
#7 – The Exorcist
This is the CITIZEN KANE of disturbing movies. The rare movie that holds up years and years later, it is less the moments of head spinning, pea soup puking horror that make this movie unsettling but rather the surreal dream sequences that plague Father Damien throughout the film. The white ghost face of Pazuzu and the silent screams of his elderly mother are way more creepy than anything. But, any time you have a young girl masturbating with a crucifix you are in f*cked up territory.
#8 – Gozu
Japanese director Takashi Miike has better movies like ICHI THE KILLER and AUDITION which feature elements of a disturbing nature, but it is GOZU that comprises a full running time of crazy ass scenes strung together: the Yakuza attack dog, the lactating old lady, the cow head guy, the dry cleaners, and the bizarre locals. I imagine David Lynch would watch this movie and getting a hard on.
#9 – Cannibal Holocaust
Probably the first disturbing movie I ever saw. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY has nothing on this progenitor of the found footage genre. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is not exactly a good movie, but it is one you will likely fast forward to for the key scenes of castration and boob hanging. I personally prefer the crazy ass CANNIBAL FEROX, but nothing tops this jacked up classic.
#10 – Antichrist
Lars Von Trier is a sick bastard. No one wants to see Willem Dafoe’s penis, let alone after it is smashed by a wooden log and then jacked off until he cums blood. Yeah, that is a seriously f*cked up scene. Plus, you get an extreme close-up on a rusty pair of scissors cutting off a clitoris. But, none of that compares to the opening sequence which could be one of the most jarring uses of slow motion in any film. Chaos most definitely reins.
Honorable Mention – Requiem for a Dream
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM is one of those movies that is brilliantly acted and uniquely edited and yet you can only watch it once or twice. It is disturbing in the fact that the depiction of addiction that it presents is real in its surreality. Watching the simultaneous downward spiral of Jared Leto and Ellen Burstyn is heartbreaking and savage. From the electroshock therapy to the arm amputation to the double dildo scene, this movie will haunt you.
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