Whileinternationalcinema has become more accessible than ever, not all of its films have been openly welcomed in the US (or would be) due to their graphic content and controversial themes, which can be disturbing. Notably, while Americans live in a progressive society, a puritanical approach to art persists; the MPAA is notorious for rating films based on a set of traditional values. These movies don’t currently fall under the label ofbanned, censored, or kept from the public. This is not a “not safe for life” list with these films still having redeemable factors, but their disturbing content makes it very hard for most US audiences to approach.
These 10horrormovies are too disturbing for US audiences; some you may have heard of due to their notoriety, while others may be new to you.
As is the case with all disturbing cinema, the following list may be highly triggering due to its subject matter.
10’Calvaire' (2002)
Marc Stevens is a traveling singer who performs at old folks' homes and hospitals. On his route to his Christmas performance, his van breaks down, stranding him in a small, remote village for the day. The locals seem to have some odd traditions, and soon Marc finds himself the target of a perverse game that the locals enjoy playing.
‘Deliverance’ Turned Up to 11
Calvairewould be lumped into the New French Extremity, a label with which director Fabrice Du Welz disagrees. Still, this gives an idea of the content, with a focus here on extreme violence delivered with a shocking realism framing a well-constructed story. Many of those films could have fit the bill, such asHigh Tension,Inside, andMartyrs, worthy of inclusion in a list like this. Yet,what makesCalvairestand out is itsDeliverance-like angle, which creates a truly shocking moment that will leave even hardened horror fans wanting to look away.
Director Fabrice Du Welz is certainly underrated, withCalvairegaining some notoriety, but also serving as an unfortunate stopping point for most; his later work is arguably better and more focused, while still incorporating disturbing elements.
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9’Climax' (2018)
It is the final night of a dance troupe practicing in an isolated warehouse. Here they dance, drink, and accidentally end up consuming copious amounts of acid. With the spiking of a drink, every member begins to lose their minds, blame one another, and let their most violent urges come out. By the end of the night, bodies pile up, and only a few are left to deal with the scars of what they witnessed.
A Disturbing Drug-Fueled Party
But what aboutIrreversible!?!?! Yes, yes, we hear you,Irreversibleis the quintessential “too disturbing for American audiences” from Argentine director Gaspar Noé. Yet, let us presentClimax,amovie that starts with a prolonged dance scene, uncomfortable conversations about sex, and then breaks down into an hour of chaos as a spiked drink causes everyone to lose their mind. As with any Noé film, numerous disturbing sequences emphasize extreme and sometimes perverse cruelty between people. That said, the movie is a visual masterpiece with some wonderfully constructed moments of chaos.
8’A Serbian Film' (2010)
A Serbian Film
Miloš is a retired adult male performer, now struggling with financial hardship due to a lack of work. This leads him to take on a job in an “art film,” as suggested to him by a friend. As Miloš becomes more involved in the production, he and his family are drawn into a dark web of depravity and unspeakable horrors.
The Most Infamous Disturbing Movie of the Modern Era
Knowing the extreme film community, this list would be considered invalid without includingA Serbian Film. Its infamy is often more well-known than among those who have actually watched it; its taboo-breaking content would get you banned on most social media platforms for discussing. That said, the film’s long-standing infamy is also tied to its status as a scathing critique of Serbian society; it is, in many ways, a modernSalò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. Out of all the films on the list, this one runs a long checklist of disturbing content that would not be well-received by the general American audience and even borders on “not safe for life” if not for its underlying political critique, which lends it value.
7’Solvent' (2024)
A found footage horror movie with historical footage included,Solventstarts with an investigation into a small farm in Austria, where the now deceased owner is believed to have hidden vital information about mass graves from WWII. However, after an incident that turns one of the researchers violent and the other insane, another makes it their mission to discover what caused the incident. His obsessive investigation leads to a spiral into madness, body horror, and occult magic.
Occultism, Atrocities, and Body Horror
Solventis the newest release on this list, and one that is still widely available, yet there is plenty here that limits its ability to reach that international audience. This involvesmuch of the story being framed by the atrocities that happened in World War II, and a lot of the horror plot is tied to bodily functions and mutilation. Notably, any trauma to the penis is not something that American audiences tend to enjoy. Well, who does? But looking at something like the MPAA, which is always okay with female over male nudity, speaks to how uncomfortable this will make many.
All that said, director Johannes Grenzfurthner is one of the most unique creators working in the horror genre;Solventis a wild, bizarre, and darkly humorous ride from start to finish. The ending is the most mind-boggling yet gleefully entertaining thing perhaps ever committed to the horror genre.
6’Late Bloomer' (2004)
Sumida lives a life heavily reliant on others, with cerebral palsy that requires constant care. Among his caretakers is the lead singer of a punk band that Sumida admires, and the two go to shows together and get drunk together. However, Sumida hides a secret: he wants to be capable like everyone else, and the one thing he wants more than anything is to kill. He will find a way to make his wishes come true.
A Thought-Provoking Horror Film With a Challenging Killer
Late Bloomerasks a challenging and disturbing question to its audience: Does sympathy for people with disabilities still exist when their desire to be able includes the desire to kill? You have to watch the movie to decide for yourself, butLate Bloomeris approached in a thought-provoking and nuanced manner. Still,it borders on exploitation, and the violent visions of a man with cerebral palsy drugging and killing his friends are going to place the Japanese indie film in the category of too disturbing for most. As a side note, the movieboasts a wonderful punk aesthetic, with its visuals and music, that will appeal to many.
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5’Don’t Torture a Duckling' (1972)
Don’t Torture A Duckling
After a series of young boys are found dead in a small town, panic erupts among the locals, who are used to a peaceful countryside existence. Blame is soon placed on any outsider, as well as assumed practitioners of black magic in the village. Andrea Martelli, a journalist from Rome, teams up with a local named Patrizia, and they begin to investigate and uncover the bizarre religious leanings behind the series of ritualistic murders.
A Stylish Giallo with an Uncomfortable Premise
There are a few entries from Italian cinema, and specifically the films of Lucio Fulci, that could have made this list. What makes Fulci’s entry inthe fan-favorite Giallo genre, despite being known for gore-filled films, is the subject matter of a serial killer focused on children. In general, there is plenty of uncomfortable subject matter around children here beyond the chilling scenes of corpses being found throughout the city. Yet, like any good Giallo, the movie has style in abundance and blends elements of horror, crime, and mystery to create a deeply engaging tale of murder in a small town.
4’Red to Kill' (1994)
Chi Wai Chan is a sadistic serial killer who is triggered into violence whenever he sees the color red. For Ming-ming, an abandoned orphan with a learning disability, she believes she has found the perfect home with Chi, who can control his urges as long as he does not see red. Yet, when Ming-ming wears a red dress to her graduation at a special needs school, Chi goes on a vicious killing spree, making her his primary target.
A Slasher With a Disturbing Target
Cat III would serve as a rating in Hong Kong cinema, equivalent to America’s NC-17 rating,but throughout the late ’80s and ’90s, the tag became more of a genre unto itself: this list could be populated solely by these Hong Kong productions. Yet,Red to Killstands out as both disturbing as a horror film and for its content. Presented primarily as a slasher with some crime elements, the villain in Red to Kill targets people with developmental disabilities, making his graphic assault on them revolting.
Why do people watch Cat III? Well, there is a specific style and unapologetic approach that borders on the comedically absurd at points, but if you can’t tap into that nuance,Red to Killis a disturbing abomination.
3’Be My Cat: A Film for Anne' (2015)
Be My Cat: A Film for Anne
Adrian is an obsessive aspiring filmmaker who has begun preparing for his newest work, which he believes he can get Anne Hathaway to star in through a series of vlogs detailing his vision and love for the actor. To help him prepare, he casts local actors whose resemblance to the iconic actor is as close as possible. Yet, the auditions soon breaks down to Adrian killing each hopeful.
A Filmmaker’s Violent and Unhealthy Obsessions with an American Actor
Ask fans of found footage horror, and many will tell you thatBe My Cat: A Film for Anneis as infamously popular as it is a shocking entry in the genre. However, outside the fandom,the film presents an uncomfortable (fictional) level of obsession for an actor, from a madman who uses stand-ins to fulfill his desires. The disturbing element comes from writer/director Adrian Țofei’s performance, which is uncomfortably believable. The prolonged scenes of torture under the guise of auditioning for a film are also likely to strike a nerve with most American audiences still dealing with controversies in the entertainment industry and beyond.
2’Red Room' (1999)
Four desperate contestants are brought into a small, red room and forced to compete in the “King’s Game.” Each takes turns drawing cards, which decide which two will enter a small prison cell and perform heinous acts on the loser. As things escalate, their actions become increasingly deadly, presenting a sort of social experiment turned competition for the benefit of silent, wealthy investors.
A Slow and Grueling Death Game
To give you an idea of whereRed Roomstands, director Daisuke Yamanouchi has one of his films deep in the ‘disturbing movie iceberg’ that is worthy of such notoriety.Red Roomis not that, but it is one of the director’s films that is extremely disturbing to watch, and it is slightly more approachable. Notably, American audiences are fairly comfortable with death game scenarios,with franchises like Saw, which features many grueling kills, making the genre quite commonplace.
Yet,whereSawis polished,Red Roomfeels like a horrific find at a thrift store; it is a low-budget, gritty film that spends its time drawing out each deadly challenge. You need a strong stomach for this one, but the movie was popular enough to get a sequel, which is equally grim and uncomfortable.
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1’Who Can Kill a Child' (1976)
Who Can Kill a Child?
Killer children will always be a taboo subject, and here there are plenty of films that fit the bill both in America and internationally. Yet,the Spanish filmWho Can Kill a Child?remains among the most disturbing and misunderstood. Starting on a disturbing note, the film has an awkward framing of kids becoming killers as a response to the atrocities against them worldwide, showing real footage of atrocities from different corners of the world with dead children, while a voice-over explains what happened in each region; already an instant “too disturbing” for anyone. However, beyond this crude introduction,Who Can Kill a Childis an underrated masterpiece.
A Disturbing Yet Underappreciated Masterpiece
Taking inspiration fromNight of the Living Dead, and having similarities to Lucio Fulci’s well-knownZombi(while also predating it),Who Can Kill a Child?, turns a village of kids into stand-ins for zombies. Here, they maintain a semblance of natural innocence and curiosity that lures adults into a false sense of security. This sense of innocence comes crashing down with the kids viciously murdering people, and in the latter parts of the film, forming large hordes similar to mindless zombies. The movie’s title in itself is a philosophical question, and there are layers in putting oneself in the shoes of the young couple facing an entire small coastal town full of kids who want to murder them while one is expecting her first child.
With a shocking ending and a few long, disturbing sequences that will make anyone with kids or nieces/nephews squirm, the movie ultimately succeeds as an atmospheric horror film that asks deeply philosophical questions. Still, the challenging opening and scenes of kids killing adults, as well as kids dying, don’t exactly scream ready for an American audience even decades after its release.
