This is the first film that's ever truly disturbed me (as an adult). I've seen Irreversible, A Serbian Film, Cannibal Holocaust and a whole bunch of other extreme films and none of them unnerved me like this one. Maybe it just depends on the individual, so I am intrigued... could anyone who didn't have such a reaction to this film tell me which films they did?
Last 3:
The Girl Next Door-2007 (3/10)
Monster (7/10)
Red State (5/10)
This was the most disturbing Film I have ever seen. I wish I never saw it.
shareAgreed. I've seen Cannibal Holocaust as well, and a movie called "Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom" -- which, if you haven't heard of it, is about the rape and torture of tons of teenagers. But this movie was still more disturbing.
share[deleted]
Well there are different types of disturbing, Cannibal Holocaust is just gory and disgusting, this however is emotionally disturbing.
shareI feel the same way.
shareI give you credit, the writeup for A Serbian Film still haunts me. Then again, I've never seen it and I've read The Girl Next Door so I think it was because I knew what was coming.
This movie had a really weird feel for me. A true horror movie and at the same time, not, because of the complete normalcy going on in the outside world (outside the basement.) It made me feel like I lived during the time, like I know in the 50s a lot of people didn't talk about abuse and things like this that happened. The carnival and everything make you feel like it was a time of innocence and then you go in the house and it's completely different.
I'd break the back of love for you.
I've seen all the regular extreme disturbing films as well.. This one was on par with them, somewhere between Serbian and Begotten for me.
The real trick to life is not to be in the know, but to be in the mystery. -Fred Alan Wolf
I watched this back in October... 5 months on and every now and then it still comes back to haunt me. Wish I hadn't seen it. Haven't seen Begotten; looks interesting, is it good?
"I demand to have some booze!"
Well, of course "good" is a relative term.. it's pretty avant garde and doesn't have a typical storyline. There's no dialogue. But it slowly sucked out my soul. So if that's something you're interested in, give it a whirl. But if you wish you hadn't seen this movie, then perhaps disturbing cinema isn't for you.
The real trick to life is not to be in the know, but to be in the mystery. -Fred Alan Wolf
Sounds like my kind of thing. By 'good' I meant does it have artistic merit, as I didn't think this film had any. As I said in my original post, I've seen many 'disturbing' films, it's just this one that got to me. Even my friends who are well into their horror films are amazed at some of the stuff I watch.
"I demand to have some booze!"
Oh my mistake, I didn't realize you were the OP!
Begotten is definitely different. "Disturbing" is a pretty relative too as you know. If you want to satiate your curiosity immediately, it's offered for free in a single video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubfkP1rweBo. The quality is supposed to be like that, BTW.
The real trick to life is not to be in the know, but to be in the mystery. -Fred Alan Wolf
No worries, thought you might have missed that :P
Wow, well that was an intense 72 minutes, very interesting. Thanks for the link.
"I demand to have some booze!"
I agree that this is definitely the most disturbing film I've ever seen. Prior to this, it was "Antichrist," but this surpasses. However, I think that it is at least a very good, and even an excellent film. It's a hard one to get out of your head. I watched it a couple of days ago, and I still can't get some of those scenes out of my head. But I think it was done very well. I had never before heard of this film, and it was a lot more artsy than I was expected. But one of the things that I like about this film is that it made me feel more grateful for my own life, even if I often feel like my life is difficult. I think that the very realistic way in which it portrays torture makes one of the most powerful arguments against it in any form whatsoever. I think that it's no coincidence that it came at the end of a cycle of "torture porn" films. This film could actually be a kind of commentary on those films, reminding us that there is nothing amusing about it at all; that in real life, it is much more abhorent than even in those over the top films like Hostel. So, I can't say that I "enjoyed" this film, but I do appreciate it.
shareIf you like begotten check Hanna's house then.
shareA Serbian film isn't that bad. I think too many people are buying into the hype when they watch it. Its so over the top its funny. Like the new born porn scene, even the uncensored version, is kind of funny the way its done. The idea is horrible but the way the movie shows it with the guy ranting and philosophizing is funny. Scenes like the girl being choked to death through fellatio, it seems like a dark comedy. And i find it hard to believe its unintentional. I know the writer and director said its satirical, about how we're all being raped by the system or whatever. But again its so over the top I don't see how anyone could take it seriously.
This film I can see though, even if its not the most well made. You're not going to be laughing. Salo too. Salo is one of the few films I think seeing once is enough. You got to be a pretty weird person to want to watch that one over and over again. Martyrs is great.
Singapore Sling is another one that is worth checking out. Its a black and white film, like if David Lynch directed a really gorey film noir. And The Bunny Game- but that one probably is more disturbing because the actresses actually let themselves be tortured for the film (Everything, the sex, hot iron brandings, drugs are all real. Everything but the actually murdering).
There were three movies that deal with this type issue. One took place somewhere on the West coast and another I think in Indiana. Those two were true stories. But somehow this one disturbs me the most. I think it has something to do with there being no closure and how we see how it affects David years after. And I think the girl that played the part really got to me more then the others.
shareThis film was based on the same (true) story as An American Crime; and to me, American Crime was not only a more superb film because of its better acting, but also the scenes were just as disturbing, if not more so.
OTHER disturbing films- you mean more so than this?? Easy... Irreversible, Kids, Gummo (both penned by the same writer), Last House on the Left, Martyrs, any Takashi Miike film, A Clockwork Orange, Antichrist, Salem's Lot, The Mechanist, Silent House (SPANISH version), Requiem tor a Dream... hell, there's probably hundreds more! As for child abuse, there's also Lilya 4 Ever, Gardens of the Night, Salo (only seen a small part though), Carrie, Sleepers... so many others too I'm sure I'm forgetting.
Look at how happy you are, so carefree. It's almost as if you don't know you're Billy Bush!-Triumph
I've seen a lot of those films you say are more disturbing than this one but still find this the most disturbing, which is why I was wondering in the first place if anyone else felt similarly. Still can't explain why this one got to me so find this thread interesting. (I'm the OP if you hadn't realised!)
"I demand to have some booze!"
I'm only halfway through the movie now, and it reminds me of Stephen King when he feels particularly nasty, with The Body, and It in particular. Norman Rockwell having a really bad trip. I'm guessing the first half of the film is vastly differently to the second half.
shareI'm only at the part where Ruth spanks the sister with the toilet brush. I'm reading all these posts about how awful and disturbing this movie is, thinking, "really?" I've been beaten worse than that myself and I survived. So I'm with you Peter, thinking the 2nd half is way more intense.
"You gotta have a goal! Do you have a goal?"
Follow-up to my post above. I was not at all affected by this movie. Now had it dealt with animals, that would be completley different. I have no problems with human torture, but put an innocent animal in the mix and forget it! Whenever an animal appears on screen in a scary movie, I shut my eyes and plug my ears! Worst I ever saw was an episode of shock video on HBO about animal consumption in China. Skinned cats for sale at a booth, still breathing. I will never ever get that out of my head for as long as I live. A bunny wacked on the head with a crow bar before being put in a snake enclosure at a zoo. Bull fights. Humans are awful creatures!
"You gotta have a goal! Do you have a goal?"
Thank you for so perfectly showing why animal rights activists are completly F'd up!
Humans being tortured? That's fine. I problem.
Animals? OH NO thats wrong...
How about KILLING humans? I bet you're okay with that too.
DO you have any idea how screwed up your thinking is?
I value ALL human life over animals. Yes that means your life too.
I never want to see an animal get hurt. Ever. But to say that you're okay with humans being tortured?! I seriously wish I knew who you are and where you can be found because I think someone needs to have a talk with you. I worry about what you might do.
You are seriously broken and I feel sorry for you and afraid for humanity knowing you are walking this earth. I LOVE animals and cannot bear to see or hear of them harmed. The things I have stumbled upon, I would never share in fear of putting horrible visuals in someone else's mind. Yet you describe despicable animal torture for all to read. Makes me wonder if you have compassion for ANY living being at all. Please seek help.
"Issues of control happen when we're tired!"
I'm only at the part where Ruth spanks the sister with the toilet brush.
no film, including this has ever phased me.... movies have scared me but thats only due to my fears of ghosts, spiders and heights. that said the fact that this really happened, i am disturbed by what the real people did but the movie didnt disturb me.
oh and i laugh when people tell me a serbian film shocked them. that movie was nothing.
about Jrdmln:im not sure whether the kid is mentally unstable or just loves to troll.
movies don't phase you?
Geez thats sad.
I watch movies so that they will make me feel something.
So when you watched The Girl Next Door you never felt any kind of frustration? You never thought wow that woman Ruth is a bitch?
You never felt sympathy for the tortured girl?
I guess you just stare at the screen and movies have no effect on you. Weird. Why even watch??
Not everyone is an emotional wreck whilst watching a film being portrayed by actors. Try watching some Chechen beheading videos or something.
shareVery sad movie, but the strongest feeling I got was to kill the aunt and her kids.
shareJust watched the movie yesterday. I think I feel more frustrated than disturbed. I know the situation in the story is hard for David to do anything to stop it but I really wish I can be him and broadcast to everyone in the town...
It was a better movie than I thought though.