Controversy often serves as a catalyst for discussion, debate, and even dissent. From provocative themes to boundary-pushing visuals, certain films have sparked fervent discourse, challenging societal norms, moral codes, and artistic boundaries. Join us as we embark on a cinematic journey through film history, as we encounter a diverse array of works that have ignited controversy in various forms.
This curated list delves into what we at SAW have determined to be the 100 of the most controversial movies ever made. These films are not merely provocative for the sake of shock value; rather, they offer profound insights into the human condition, societal taboos, and the power of art to challenge, provoke, and inspire. Some have been met with critical acclaim despite their contentious nature, while others have faced censorship, bans, and public outrage.
From groundbreaking classics that pushed the boundaries of cinematic expression to modern masterpieces that continue to polarize audiences, each entry in this list represents a unique chapter in the ongoing evolution of cinema. As we navigate through tales of love, violence, politics, religion, sexuality, and everything in between, we invite you to engage with these films, not only as entertainment but as thought-provoking discussions of art.
90. Visitor Q (2001)
Takashi Miike is a mad man. He is renowned for his boundary-pushing and often confrontational cinema that is sometimes more violent than a snuff film or more gross than a John Waters movie. He’s not afraid to subject his viewers to the most insane shit imaginable, which has never been more apparent than with his film Visitor Q. The film is about a dysfunctional family grappling with various forms of personal and familial decay. The father, a former journalist, seeks to document his family’s dysfunctionality, leading to increasingly perverse and violent encounters. The arrival of a mysterious stranger, known only as “Visitor Q,” serves as a catalyst for the family’s descent into depravity, as they engage in acts of violence, incest, and necrophilia. This movie might as well be a checklist of every perversion the Marquis de Sade jerked off to. It’s an unforgettable ride through every illegal kink, wicked fetish and uncomfortable moment you can possibly imagine.
-Sailor Monsoon
89. Wedding Trough (1974)
Wedding Trough, or as it’s commonly referred to as, “the pig fucking movie”, is a movie about a farmer who fucks a pig. That’s it. That’s the entire movie. You’ll watch the farmer fly a kite, drink some milk, take a shit and break some jars, all without saying a single word. Oh, and he fucks a pig. The pig eventually births some mutant offspring (don’t picture something crazy, they’re just piglets), and after they prefer their mother over their father, the farmer drives them and the pig to commit suicide. It’s an unpleasant slog of a movie that was created to test the patience of anyone who decides to watch it. No one who has ever watched it likes it. Not even sick fucks who enjoy fucking pigs in real life enjoy this movie. You watch it to say you’ve seen it. It’s a badge of honor for a movie club no one wants to be a part of.
-Sailor Monsoon
88 The Hunt (2020)
The Hunt revolves around a group of liberal elites who organize a deadly game where they hunt and kill what they have determined “deplorables”, individuals they view as politically conservative. As the violence escalates, the film explores themes of class warfare, ideological polarization, and the consequences of extremism that sparked controversy and debate due to its premise and perceived political undertones. The film would be delayed for over a year due to its content and in light of a couple of mass shootings before the release.
The issues surrounding The Hunt largely came from its politically charged subject matter and its portrayal of violence against individuals based on their political beliefs. The film’s premise led to accusations of political bias and incitement of violence from both ends of the political spectrum. Additionally, the film’s marketing campaign, which initially played up its controversial elements before being reined in after mass shootings and political tensions, further fueled the controversy surrounding its release. Despite the controversy, The Hunt received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its satirical take on societal divisions, while others criticized its execution and handling of sensitive themes.
-Vincent Kane
87. Birth (2004)
Any movie that deals with pedophilia will instantly be a lightning rod for controversy but to understand Birth and why it was even made in the first place, you have to examine the work of one of its writers. Jean-Claude Carrière has hundreds of screenplays to his name in the 63 years he was in the business but his association with Luis Buñuel is undeniably his most famous. Once you understand that this was supposed to be a surreal satire that Glazer then took, reworked and played deadly straight, it makes total sense. This isn’t a film endorsing pedophilia, it’s a movie that uses a taboo subject matter and an uncomfortable premise to explore loss, grief and love. A decade after her husband dies, a still grieving widow (Nicole Kidman) is finally about to move on and marry her boyfriend (Danny Huston) when a young boy (Cameron Bright) approaches her and tells her that he’s her dead husband reincarnated.
Critics and audiences alike questioned the appropriateness of portraying such a relationship on screen, highlighting the ethical concerns and discomfort it evoked. The film’s exploration of this theme raised important questions about power dynamics, consent, and societal taboos, but its execution left many viewers deeply unsettled. Compounding the controversy was the film’s ambiguous treatment of its central premise – whether the boy truly is the reincarnation of Kidman’s deceased husband or if he is a disturbed child with an unsettling fixation. Birth deliberately refrains from offering clear answers, leaving audiences to interpret the narrative and its implications. It’s a difficult movie but if you meet it on its terms and approach it with an open mind, it’s a deeply rewarding experience.
-Sailor Monsoon
86. The Brown Bunny (2003)
Let’s just cut to the chase here, Vincent Gallo just wanted to get a blow job on screen. Several actresses were attached but continually dropped out until he got to maybe former girlfriend (depends on who is telling the story) Chloë Sevigny to commit to doing the unsimulated act in front of a camera. Of course, this generated significant controversy and divided opinions due to its explicit content but also its unconventional narrative style. The film follows a motorcycle racer named Bud Clay, played by Gallo himself, as he embarks on a cross-country journey to reunite with his former girlfriend. Along the way, the film explores themes of loneliness, regret, and longing, juxtaposed with explicit scenes of sexuality and graphic content.
Controversy primarily centered on its notorious 10-minute explicit sex scene between Gallo’s character and actress. The scene, which features unsimulated fellatio, shocked audiences and critics alike, leading to walkouts and accusations of pornography. Additionally, the film’s slow pacing and minimal dialogue drew criticism for being self-indulgent and pretentious, with some viewers dismissing it as little more than an exercise in narcissism. Despite the controversy, The Brown Bunny has since gained a cult following among fans of independent cinema, with some praising its raw emotional honesty and others condemning its graphic content and controversial director.
-Vincent Kane
85. Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973)
Often referred to as They Call Her One Eye or simply Thriller, this Swedish exploitation film follows a young woman named Frigga (Christina Lindberg), who is rendered mute after a traumatic childhood incident. She leads a sheltered life until she is kidnapped and forced into a life of prostitution and drug addiction by a sadistic pimp named Tony (Heinz Hopf). Seeking revenge for the injustices inflicted upon her, Frigga trains herself in martial arts and marksmanship, becoming a lethal assassin determined to take down those who have exploited her. Since it made the list, you can probably guess what those injustices are. Lots of torture and rape. But as repugnant as those scenes are, they’re actually fairly tame compared to the revenge she doles out.
Similar to films like I Spit on Your Grave and The Last House on The Left, Thriller really goes all out on the graphic violence. Furthermore, the director employs a gritty, documentary-like approach that adds to the film’s sense of realism and brutality. The use of slow-motion sequences during the violent scenes heightens their impact, making them all the more visceral and disturbing. As hard to watch as it is sometimes, there’s never a moment when you think the director is focusing on shock value over artistry. I don’t know if the violence was studio mandated and he decided to shoot them as visually interesting as possible as protest or he’s a De Palma level talent stuck in low budget exploitation films, either way he made a genuine exploitation classic that remains w significant work in the genre.
-Sailor Monsoon
84. White Wilderness (1958)
Seeing a Disney movie pop up on the most controversial movies list might be shocking at first due to their squeaky clean image but once you remember they have a closet full of skeletons they’ve been trying to bury for decades, it all makes sense. They’ve edited racist caricatures out of Fantasia, had sexually explicit images on the covers and buried within the frames of their films, and have straight up refused to release one of their movies. And that’s just the films they’ve edited or pretend don’t exist. There are many others that have problematic images, songs or characters that are considered classics. If you dig deep enough, there’s many instances that prove Disney is definitely no stranger to controversy but their most controversial movie ever might be one you’ve never heard of.
The thirteenth installment of the True-Life Adventures series of nature documentaries produced by Walt Disney, White Wilderness is a doc exploring the flora and fauna of the arctic, including polar bears, lemmings, the musk ox and Beluga whales. It’s considered by many to be the best in the series and actually received an Academy award for best documentary the year it was released. Which is kind of crazy considering it’s the film that propagated the myth of the lemmings death march. Because of this movie, lemmings will forever be associated with mass suicide. One of the most successful video games of all time is literally built around this misconception. The director shipped in a bunch of lemmings to his filming location, placed them on a cliff overlooking a river and then herded them into the water. Where they all eventually drown. Disney made a movie where a bunch of helpless rodents were killed for no reason and not only were they not punished for it, they actually received an Academy award for this. That’s about as insane a movie fact as you’ll ever hear.
-Sailor Monsoon
83. Gremlins (1984)
Look, you know why Gremlins is on this list, right? No, it’s not Phoebe Cates’ story about her dad as Santa Claus and the chimney (gruesome and disturbing as that is). No it’s not the chair launch death of Mrs. Deagle or the off-screen death of Billy’s science teacher. No sir, it’s the kitchen scene with Billy’s mom. Not only does a gremlin get stabbed multiple times, but Mrs. Peltzer then stuffs another gremlin into a microwave. Then turns it on. And then the gremlin explodes into goop.
This is pretty dark fare, especially compared to all the family-friendly scenes that come earlier in the film. It’s something of a remnant of an earlier draft of Chris Columbus’ script, though – where he imagined a Rated R black comedy containing elements like Billy’s Mom’s head bouncing down a stairway. Producer Stephen Spielberg asked for it to be toned down, but some of that nastiness still bled through, and that microwave scene in particular led (along with Spielberg’s own Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) to the creation of the PG-13 rating.
-Bob Cram Jr.
82. The House that Jack Built (2018)
The film follows Jack, a highly intelligent but sadistic serial killer, as he recounts five incidents from his life to an unseen character named Verge. Throughout the film, Jack’s gruesome murders are depicted in graphic detail, challenging viewers with its unflinching portrayal of violence and its exploration of the nature of evil.
The controversy surrounding The House That Jack Built was due to its extreme and disturbing content, which some critics and audiences found gratuitous and offensive. The film’s graphic depiction of violence, including scenes of torture and mutilation, led to walkouts and protests during its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Additionally, its exploration of philosophical themes such as art, morality, and the nature of humanity provoked intense debate among viewers and critics alike. Despite the controversy, The House That Jack Built received praise for Lars von Trier’s direction and Matt Dillon’s performance as the titular character, and it has since garnered a cult following among fans of psychological horror.
-Vincent Kane
81. Cuties (2020)
Cuties, directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, stirred significant controversy with its exploration of themes related to the sexualization of young girls and the pressures of social media on adolescent identity. The film follows an 11-year-old girl named Amy, who becomes involved in a dance group called the Cuties as she navigates the challenges of growing up in a conservative Muslim household in France. Doucouré’s intention was to critique the hypersexualization of preadolescent girls in contemporary society and to highlight the complexities of coming of age in a digital age obsessed with image and popularity. However, the film’s promotional materials and certain scenes depicting the girls in provocative dance routines led to widespread condemnation and accusations of exploiting the young girls.
Cuties faced backlash from various quarters, with critics arguing that it crossed ethical boundaries and sensationalized its subject matter for shock value. The film’s portrayal of the girls’ burgeoning sexuality and their participation in highly sexualized dance routines drew particular scrutiny, with many accusing Doucouré of inadvertently contributing to the very phenomenon she sought to critique. Calls for boycotts and petitions to remove the film from streaming platforms further fueled the controversy, leading to debates about artistic freedom, censorship, and the responsibility of filmmakers when depicting sensitive subject matter involving minors.
-Vincent Kane
100-91 | 80-71
How many of these controversial movies have you seen? Did you find any of them controversial?