MovieChat Forums > Nil by Mouth (1998) Discussion > Top 10 Most Disturbing Films Ever!

Top 10 Most Disturbing Films Ever!

posted 19 years ago by nickkarner
54 replies | jump to latest

Hey. So, I adore films that just make me squirm or really leave me with a sense of disturbance. You know, those awesome flicks that just mess you up in the head. I'm trying not to double up, although several directors on this list have more than one messed up film. What's your top ten? If you have more than 10 favorites, put those down too, I definitely have more than ten. I felt compelled to make out a list. In no particular order:

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
Taxi Driver
Happiness
The Brood
Nil By Mouth
Salo
Eraserhead
Ichi the Killer
Night of the Living Dead(Original 1968 version! try and tell me that scene where the little girl kills her mother with the garden spade isn't freaky!)
Pink Flamingoes
The Piano Teacher
Blue Velvet
Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer
Julien Donkey Boy
Battle Royale
Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS
The War Zone
Begotten
American History X
Kids
Irreversible
Night and Fog
Sick

I could go on, but let me know. And by the way, I know NOLD is an old Romero flick, but try and tell me that scene where the little girl kills her mother with the garden spade isn't freaky! Good luck.
Hope to hear from you soon and hear about all these crazy sicko movies I've been missing!
-NK

informer

[–] FROM_HELL 19 years ago

hey ma brotha keep the list going thanks....

"We are to repeat our mistakes time and time again, it is the worlds only constant." - mithras

[–] geek_uk 19 years ago

Oldboy
Irreversible
Audition

[–] cannonfodder420 19 years ago

Ghosts of the civil undead (relatively unknown but really disturbing)

Dont you guys ever get tired of ordering the same thing? ........ No!

[–] WolfXXX 19 years ago

American Psycho, perhaps? I'm not sure...hm.

[–] tounge_of_calicab 19 years ago

Interesting Thread, Id agree with most of the films in the list, especially The War Zone, Winstone has an amazing phsychopathic quality to his acting.

Id like to add Scum(more Winstone), La Haine & Requiem For a dream...

This gentle hearts like shot birds falling.

[–] CocoCherry 19 years ago

I found The War Zone (Tim Roth's Directorial Debut) to be one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen.

_-*~ I Love Alan Rickman ~*-_
<<<<<<<<<< _-*~ I wish ~*-_

[–] peteg8888 19 years ago

'Once were warriors' is a very disturbing film. Also 'A soft touch' from Irvin Welsh's Acid House film adaption is quite a traumatic viewing experience.....

[–] ma_marcil 19 years ago

I haven't seen "Acid House" but I certainly do agree with you about "Once Were Warriors".

As for a personal list of the most disturbing movies I have ever seen, well here it is:

Irreversible
American History X
La Haine
Jacob's Ladder
Angel Heart
Midnight Express
A Clockwork Orange
Histoire de Pen
High Tension
Requiem for A Dream
Romper Stomper
Boys Don't Cry
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Thesis

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bowlerhat100 19 years ago

'Dancer in the Dark' with Bjork directed by Lars Von Trier. The most harrowing film ever. Horrible but great.

[–] mgegn 19 years ago

Gummo anyone, two adolescent cat murdering mental cases, crys and whispers bergman, check out some of the Quay brother's stuff also, and the only thing disturbing thing about le Haine was that the audience bought it...

[–] rotorboy 19 years ago

Seems to be some missing films from the list, here is my additions
August Underground
August Underground Mordium
Society
Madhouse
Bay Of Blood
The Prowler
Football Factory
Scum
When A Stranger Calls
Black Christmas
Mermaid In A Manhole
Deep Red
Tenebrae
Dario rocks

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Non9751 17 years ago

Disturbing Films:

1) L.I.E.
2) GOZU
3) Ichi the killer
4) Visitor Q

[–] the_omen_666 17 years ago

A Clockwork Orange
American History X
Nil By Mouth
Apocalypse Now

[–] BAHicks 17 years ago

"1900" (a.k.a. "Novecento") definitely has some disturbing moments in it. Donald Sutherland's character is a real monster.

Also, Cronenberg's "The Fly" is wonderfully disgusting and disturbing.

"One Chance Out Between 2 Worlds...Fire Walk With Me"

[–] Nbates-3 19 years ago

Bad boy Bubba (maybe it was Bubby, or something, I forget.)
Anyway, that was really disturbing but funny if you have got the sick humour.

[–] Isenhart8 19 years ago

No one has mentioned Last House on the Left. This is ine hell of a disturbing film in my opinion. I just cant get it out of my head. The scene where Krug cuts his name into the girls chest is intense.

[–] labreatarpits 19 years ago

How about Baise Moi or Once Were Warriors ?
-LaBrea

[–] sobers76 19 years ago

The Manson family
Axe
Scum
Killing Zoe
The Omen
I spit on your grave
Maniac
Charlie & the chocolate factory
"You didnt weigh the chain did ye Doc?"

RP Mc Murphy

[–] sobers76 19 years ago

Dead mans shoes
The island
"You didnt weigh the chain did ye Doc?"

RP Mc Murphy

[–] craig-278 19 years ago

"Irreversible", in my view, beats everything, but Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox still give me nightmares. And American History X, Henry, portrait of a serial killer.

Has anyone seen Who'll stop the rain? I'm told it's brilliant and disturbing

"I'm entitled. Simple. End of.."

[–] Dodgearooney 18 years ago

Oldboy - this film had me literally gasping for breath at some moments.
Man Bites Dog
Requiem for a Dream - a majestic and deeply disturbing journey into addiction
Blue Velvet
The death of Mr Lazarescu
Taxi Driver
Crash (Cronenberg)
Kids

[–] tounge_of_calicab 19 years ago

"How about Baise Moi or Once Were Warriors ?
-LaBrea "

Base Moi is the best excuse for a soft porn film i have ever seen.

Good though.

This gentle hearts like shot birds falling.

[–] bobfred1288 19 years ago

The dead baby on the cealing on Trainspotting...*shivers*

You're obviously not a golfer...

[–] nicktreiber 13 years ago

Gummo

**taking a bang off a whisky bottle** Weve just ran out of wine, what are we going to do about it?

[–] Grapefruit13 18 years ago

Audition, American History X, Dancer In The Dark (at the end, anyway).

I have nothing to say, I just love this hat.

[–] AlmaCuerpocaliente 18 years ago

Didn't read all the lists, but Clockwork Orange and Requiem for a dream are two of the most upsetting movies I have seen. I liked the latter better, and I'm glad I've seen them, But I would never willingly sit through either movie again.

:)
Alma

[–] mr_x-2 18 years ago

The civil rights documentary Eyes On The Prize was genuinely disturbing to me, and it helped that I was in 4th grade..

"Oi! Oi! Oi!"

[–] an-only-twin 18 years ago

storytelling
punishment park

... both absolutely depraved...

although nothing beats 'that' scene in irreversible

[–] TheLampPost 17 years ago

I completely agree about Irreversible. David Lynch's Inland Empire should be on here. It's very psychologically permeable.

[–] flanoer 16 years ago

My disturbing favourites are:

Idi i smotri (1985)
Funny Games (1997) -- and almost any other work by Michael Haneke
Repulsion (1965)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)

in addition:

Lost Highway (1997)
Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1975)
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Tesis (1996)
Requiem (2006)
4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile (2007)
Hundstage (2001)
Trouble Every Day (2001)

[–] bk60 16 years ago

I loved Nil by Mouth and The War Zone, but probably the most disturbing film I've seen is Spoorloos.