My Most Disturbing Movie Experiences

6.

Compliance



If the truth be told, this movie pissed me off more than it disturbed me, but there was definitely a disturbance factor and really feel it belongs on this list. This fact-based story is about a fast food employee (Dreama Walker) who thinks she has been accused of stealing money from a customer, but ends up being sexually assaulted over the phone by a stranger pretending to be a police officer. This movie had me screaming back at the screen because everyone involved in this story is a complete idiot, including the victim. The primary idiot is the restaurant manager (Ann Dowd), who never asks this person on the phone any questions about the alleged crime, like how much money was stolen, but makes the woman submit to a strip search and involving her fiancee in the assault. The victim is an idiot because she is told that if she doesn't submit to the strip search, she will be arrested. The woman knows shes innocent, she should have refused and waited for the police. There's so much stupid behavior in this movie and the fact that it is true story that has actually occurred dozens of times all over the country makes the whole thing even more disturbing.

Hard to believe that movie came from the Homestar Runner guy. It's a good movie.

5.

Fight Club



I would like to think that the inclusion of this film on this list shouldn't be much of a surprise...considered by many to be director David Fincher's masterpiece, the film has immense re-watch appeal, but there are things about this story that really bothered me. This might seem to be a minor quibble, but I was troubled by the Narrator (Edward Norton) and Marla (Helena Bonham Carter) attending support groups under false pretenses, it sort of demeaned the validity of support groups for people who really need them and it always kind of bothered me. The house where Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) lives and the Narrator ends moving in, is absolutely disgusting...it made me sick to my stomach every time the story moved to that location, I don't how Norton and Pitt could stand working on that set. And needless to say, I was troubled by the eventual purpose of Fight Club when it begins to come to surface.

4.

Sophies Choice



The scenes in the concentration camp alone earned this film its high place on this list.

3.

Donnie Darko



The teen angst genre was turned inside out to horrifying effect in this stomach churning drama about a disturbed teenager (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is forced to commit a series of crimes via visions of a large man in a rabbit suit. This movie, OK not the movie, but that man in the rabbit suit, gave me nightmares for months. I must confess I have never really understood a lot of this movie, but I do understand that the man in the rabbit suit scared the crap out of me and I have no desire to ever sit through this film again.

2.

The Killing Fields



This unrelenting look at the war in Cambodia focuses on a journalist (Sam Waterston) who gets separated from his guide (Oscar winner Haing S. Noir) and in the process of trying to rescue him, uncovers the "Year Zero" campaign, which took the lives of over two million innocent Cambodian citizens...the absurdity of war and the horror of its destruction has never been more vividly or moire disturbingly presented onscreen. This movie is absolutely brilliant but there is absolutely no way I could ever sit through it again.

Well, down to # 2 already...I thought about including some honorable mentions here, but I am afraid if I did that, I would never stop and I'm really ready to wrap this thread. It's brought up a lot of uncomfortable movie experiences for me and I'm ready to let go of it for awhile...OK...here we go...my # 1 most disturbing movie experience:

1.

The Passion of the Christ



Mel Gibson directed this gory and bone-chilling interpretation of the last 12 days in the life of Jesus Christ...for anyone whose seen this film, I don't think there is much need to explain its placement at the top of this list and for those who haven't seen it, I hope you have a strong stomach. This film is really well made and is an important part of cinematic history, but like other entries on this list, I have absolutely no desire to ever watch it again.



Hope someone enjoyed the list.

I very much enjoyed that countdown, a lot of interesting choices.

I still need to see Sophie's Choice and Passion of the Christ.

Gideon, that was a good idea for a list! I followed the countdown, but, seeing how I usually avoid disturbing movies I haven't see many of these

I did see Sophie's Choices, and yes that was a disturbing concentration camp scene. I know of a much worse one.

Donnie Darko, I never thought of that as distributing, but I can see how you could.

Passion of the Christ, that was a very bloody movie, long and bloody, I can see it as being #1

I saw it when I was six years old and, yes, I agree.

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Look, Dr. Lesh, we don't care about the disturbances, the pounding and the flashing, the screaming, the music. We just want you to find our little girl.

You were six when you saw this movie? It's official...I'm old as dirt.

Excellent conclusion to the list Gideon.

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Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

Yep. Mom didn't really want to watch it again after she and Dad went to see it, but Dad went to Walmart and bought it so we watched it at home with my sister once. Later, when I was seven going on eight, my sister told me was going to watch it. It was about 10 or 11 at night. She got in her car and drove off, said she was "goin' to the store." I still don't know where she went. She didn't come home until 6 in the morning. It was only about 15 minutes in when Mom came into the living room after she'd left.
"What are you doing in here watching The Passion of the Christ by yourself? Where's your sister?"
"She said she wanted to watch something about Jesus and then drove off."
"Why? We have a bunch of movies about Jesus. Why this one? And why did she drive off?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
Mom took it out of the DVD player and put it back in the case.
"Come on, it's time for bed."
Mom later told Dad to sell it since we had no reason to watch it again.

I like to comment on Gideon's lists upon completion (with honorable mentions and stuff).

I could put a lot of movies that just scared me as a kid (like the Exorcist), but I'll limit that to a couple that are not on the list...
The Fly (1958) - the ending "help me" scene never stopped disturbing me.
Jaws (1975) was another that disturbed me to the point of altering my behavior in real life (going in the ocean).

I'm surprised Schindler's List (1993) didn't make it. For me, that's probably the single most disturbing (and most moving) movie I've ever seen - probably because the subject matter actually happened.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972) - yes, as a youngster this movie disturbed me.
The Elephant Man (1980)
Threads (1984) - another of the MOST disturbing movies I've ever seen.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

There are a bunch more, but I can't think of them right now.

Fabulous story, Steve.

I considered putting the remake of The Fly on this list, have always found Jaws to be overrated, though the opening scene is brilliant. I have never seen Schindler's List but from what I've heard, I'm pretty sure it would have made this list. I find The Elephant Man terribly sad, but not really disturbing. Never seen the last two either.

Haven't seen Passion of the Christ, Sophie's Choice or The Killing Fields. From knowing what they are about and how the Passion is supposed to be presented i get why all of those could be disturbing.

I also haven't seen Compliance but i know the true story well which is why i didn't watch the film. I just don't get that at all, if i hadn't heard the true story before the film i think i'd have left more confused and angry than disturbed. I dunno whatever happened here needs to be studied in Universities because it's the most baffling thing i've ever heard; i'd love to know the thought process of everyone involved. The fact that this apparently happened more than once just blows my mind, the scumbag who made the calls must have been baffled that everyone was constantly compliant with him on the most flimsy of premises. It's just one of the weirdest crime stories ever and even though it's completely disgusting you want to know more because none of it made sense. If i didn't already know about the true story i definitely would've thought this was a Fargo type of BS not actually a True Story type of deal but nah it's actually supposed to be completely accurate.

Donnie Darko is a pretty good film but i don't find it particularly disturbing or especially deep which i often hear it being called. Robert Paulson's full arc in Fight Club is difficult to watch for me so i'd say that's disturbing, i don't care about the rest though.

Really great list Gideon, maybe my favourite of yours And i've followed them all

Thank you Camo...your opinion means a lot to me.

Great list,Gideon,so many i havent seen or even heard of that i will be checking out. Im Surprised by the Jake Gyllenhaal movies i havent even heard of.
some of the most disturbing ones to me are:
Malena (though im meh to alot of the movie itself they did a great job potraying vain jealousy,and how sheepish we are,how easily we buy into gossip just to feel better about ourselfs)
Requiem for a dream (ellen burstyns part in this is heartbreaking)
the whistleblower/lilya4ever (horrible stuff that is still going on all over the world with no end in sight-both based on real events and tbh both chickened out a bit as the real story is far worse)
The bad guy (same as above though its not based on real events)
Compliance (what you said)
Irreversible (they sort of went overboard with this one,i thought the mainstory of alex was enough and theres too many shock factors but still manages to disturb you)

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Yeah, this would be on mine too. Really fun first half (or two thirds i can't remember?) then extremely disturbing/depressing second half.

Amour from the 10th Hall of Fame would be high on mine too. Such a grim, stark look at a (possible-meaning the stroke not death obviously) reality of life.