The movie industry does its part to keep us entertained with a variety of different genres. Some are funny and make us laugh, but others are brilliantly crafted to inspire emotions that leave us feeling somewhat altered at the close. While the majority of viewers seem able to shake it off after a few moments, others take the effects to heart. Movies that move us on a deep psychological level have the greatest potential to be dangerous to society at large. We must face the fact that there is a number of people who live among us, that are suffering from mental illness, or who are easily influenced. This makes movies that are already disturbing dangerous for them, because it could exert an effect that pushes them over the edge. This makes them dangerous for everyone else who lives around them. Examples are evident all over the world. With this in mind, here are the 20 most dangerous movies ever made.
“Funny Games” (2007)
The movie “Funny Games” is anything but funny. The film is about a pair of psychopathic young men who kidnap a family and hold them hostage in their vacation cabin. It is an ongoing psychological thriller that pushes the family to the brink of breaking. The “games” involve putting the family through cruel games to see if they will be able to survive them. The two psychotics have a running bet to see if their captives can withstand the horrors that they put them through. Once you start watching the film, it’s hard to disconnect and walk away. As a viewer, you root for the family and there is even a faint hope that at least one of them will be able to escape the two madmen. Without giving any spoilers for those who haven’t seen it, most people who watched the movie have a deep sense of anger. This is a dangerous movie because it is so grim and moving on an emotional level. It doesn’t leave you feeling good at the end.
“Moebius” (2013)
The movie “Moebius” is a total mind screw whether you’re emotionally stable or not. Director Kim Ki-Duk totally knows how to achieve spectacular effects upon the audience in this horror flick. In fact, you need to have a strong stomach in order to make it through a viewing. The movie is a disturbing maelstrom of adultery, incest and some graphic castration scenes. It’s an Asian film that focuses on two main themes and these are sorrow and revenge. There is nothing “feel-good” about it. The plot involves a woman who is married to a cheating husband. She decides to castrate him for his indiscretions, only she ends up doing this to her son, then eats his phallus.
“Hostel” (2005)
The 2005 film “Hostel” is just the beginning as one of three horror films that deliver nothing short of a scare fest. What makes this, and its sequels so dangerous is that they are filled with severed body parts and acts of grim and grisly carnage. It’s not for the faint of heart. “Hostel” is one of the most horrendous gore films ever made. It’s about a game of torture that could only be created from a sick and demented mind. Some of the scenes are startling and will scare you, but for the most part, the cruel and twisted things that are done to the characters will turn your stomach. Watching films like this can lead to some serious desensitization and for those who are bent towards violence anyway, it could give them some really horrible ideas on how to carry out evil intentions.
“Enter The Void” (2010)
“Enter The Void” is a Gasper Noe horror flick that makes brilliant use of camera angles and is a cinematographic masterpiece. Some viewers couldn’t easily grasp the meaning, but for others, it hit hard. The first person rendering of life in Oscar, a Tokyo based drug dealer is filled with floating and psychedelic delusional imagery that makes it a bit difficult to watch. The presentation alone is mood altering, but the content touch on subjects that are potentially dangerous for certain people in society. It is laced with voyeuristic shots of people engaging in sexual acts with fluorescent highlights on bodily fluids and genitals in a dreamlike depiction with the full capacity for triggering those already struggling with mental stability. the fantasy cinematography combined with vibrant colors and lots of glow are moving and they meld with the darker aspects of the content to make one dangerous film to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyd_elz6jZQ
“The Piano Teacher” (2001)
On a psychological level, “The Piano Teacher” is one of the most dangerous films that a person can watch. the plot revolves around a middle aged woman in her 40s, who becomes inappropriately attracted to one of her teenage students. She is a woman who regularly engages in paraphilia, self-mutilation and pornography. She is a woman that holds multiple fetishes and as the guy makes innuendos, she gets a big surprise when she gives in. The film can be summarized in two words and these are masochism and self-denial, which are both unhealthy behaviors, but it takes the viewers into some very dark places. It’s disturbing to say the least so if you’re planning to watch it, be prepared to feel disconcerted at the end.
“Sweet Movie” (1974)
This film from the 1970s is a little milder than some of the other movies on our list, but it is still a dangerous one. “Sweet Movie” is difficult to watch. It tells the story of two women. One is the captain of a ship and the other is a beauty queen who is close to being mute. Both women use their bodies as bait to lure unsuspecting boys and men onto the ship with the offer of sex, but they just want to get them on-board to kill them. The “Sweet Movie” is named so because the boat is loaded with sugar and candy. It is actually reminiscent of the story of Hansel and Gretel with the witch who tried to lure children to her lair with offers of sweets and delicious treats.
“Requiem for a Dream” (2000)
This is yet another dangerous movie that viewers should watch with discretion, if at all. The film is actually brilliant in its presentation with good writing, directing and an excellent performance by Ellen Burstyn, who brought the character of Sarah Goldfarb to life in a realistic fashion that really got under the skin of some viewers. Anyone who has issues with addiction should think twice before deciding to watch, because the movies explores both the pleasure and the pain associated with all types of addictive pleasures. The 90 minute film is a roller coaster ride of emotions that make viewers feel empathetic, yet desperate. For some viewers, watching this film with its pedications, drug addictions, scenes of oral sex and other content could easily trigger undesirable psychological responses, and herein lies the danger.
“Oldboy” (2003)
This film is disturbing to say the least. It is one of the most psychologically damaging films out there, complete with an uneasy protagonist and a highly sketchy antagonist. It’s got a little bit of everything on the brutality, horror and disgusting acts scale. It even includes a little incest in a mind blowing display that will mess with your mind for a long time to come. The film has achieved cult status which makes it even more dangerous for society as a whole. It’s horrifying to watch and the average stable viewer will have feelings of disgust with a healthy helping of disbelief.
“Antichrist” (2009)
This is yet another movie that is dangerous to the mental health of unstable people. The plot centers around the story of a couple who have had marital problems. In their grief and broken state, they take a break from their everyday lives to go to the cabin that they own in the woods with hopeful hearts that they can fix what is broken in their lives. this Lars von Trier film goes beyond psychologically disturbing. As nature begins to take its course, the situation, which is bad to begin with, accelerates into something unimaginable that is brought to life. There isn’t much that viewers can hang onto that is hopeful in the movie and if you’re already having a tough time, it could well become the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
“The Skin I Live In” (2011)
This disturbing film centers around a scientist who becomes obsessed with creating a perfect skin that is impervious to the effects of being cut or burned by fire. His passion is inspired by the death of his wife who was involved in an accident in which her car was engulfed in flames. To honor her memory, he embarks on his mission. He works with a patient who has also been involved with tragic life events and this serves as a constant trigger in the film that leaves you feeling strangely odd on a mental/emotional level.
“Inside” (2007)
“Inside” is a good movie but in the same regard it is really messed up. It’s about a pregnant woman who is a recent widow. An odd woman keeps her detained in her home because she wants to take her unborn baby from her. It’s a gory psychological thriller and horror flick that involves a lot of torture for both the characters and the people who are watching. There are many instances in which the pregnant woman could possibly be rescued from her situation, but the characters consistently bungle the situation, including both she, and her would be rescuers. This is a genuinely scary movie and to make it even worse, it gets you on the edge of your seat then drops you own again hard. It’s a tough one to watch, and another on the list of the most dangerous movies for your mental health.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3we-rvXH7M
“Cannibal Holocaust” (1980)
This is easily one of the most disturbing films ever made. It has even been banned since shortly after it was released more than thirty seven years ago. “Cannibal Holocaust” is disturbing on many levels. Watching human beings being cut apart and eaten by other people is possibly one of the most repugnant and disgusting things that a person can experience. This film is dangerous to the human psyche and unless you have a strong stomach and absolutely no empathy, it’s one that should probably be avoided.
“I Spit On Your Grave” (1978)
This film is so disturbing that some viewers who watched it in the late ’70s, remark that they still remember it in horror. It’s one of those flicks that you may watch once, but that is usually enough for most people. What makes “I Spit On Your Grave” so dangerous is that it glorifies violence and the committing of atrocities. It has a feminist tone that shows women really taking charge in a very negative way. This dangerous movie encourages violent behavior and if viewed by a seriously disturbed person, could serve as an inspiration to commit horrendous crimes.
“A Clockwork Orange” (1971)
Stanley Kubrik’s brilliant work is also among the most dangerous movies ever made. “A Clockwork Orange” centers around the main character Alex, who is a murderer and violent sex offender. He is highly delusional and he maxes out on the creepy scale. His thing is devising horrific ventures and raping women whenever he can. The film is filled with suffering, pain, hysteria, violence and sex. It tells the story of the perverse and deranged killer in a believable portrayal that makes it all the more dangerous to watch.
“A Serbian Film” (2010)
This Serbian film has been banned in several countries because it is considered to be highly dangerous for viewers and for society as a whole. The movie tells the story of an aging porn star. She becomes involved in the production of a flick that is sold as an “art film.” She is trying to distance herself from the porn film business. Little does she realize that the new project is much worse than anything she has done up to this time. It is heavily laden with sadism, necrophilia, pedophilia and murder. It is quite possibly the worst movie that has been made in the history of cinema, and viewing it is highly discouraged because of the damage that it can cause.
“Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
This film wins the award hands down for being the most psychologically disturbing for its sadistic and graphic depictions of the act of sodomy. Viewers who managed to get through it commented on how sickening it was to watch. Multiple pornographic acts take place among nine young women and men who are forced to eat their own feces, sodomized, tortured, humiliated, mutilated and then murdered. This film is dangerous on multiple levels and watching it is highly likely to trigger some type of undesired response. Those who are mentally stable will be sickened, so take a word of warning and avoid this one because there isn’t anything that is particularly redeeming about it.
“The Human Centipede” (2009)
This dangerous film brings the notion of a mad scientist full circle. It’s a very disturbing movie about three tourists who are kidnapped by a crazed scientist. He mutilates each of them and performs some of the most ghastly experiments on them that can be imagined. He basically takes them apart and then reassembles the body parts in ways that are equal to our worst nightmares. Many viewers had difficulty sitting through the entire film because it was so disturbing. It’s disgusting to watch a crazy surgeon stitch the mouths of the victims to the rectums of one another. He turns the three tourists into a long human centipede and when one of them eats and digests their food, the feces is passed into the mouth of another and processed through their bodies. Could anything be more sickening? If it could, then it’s hard to imagine. Be forewarned that this film has received some really bad reviews from would be viewers who couldn’t make it past ten minutes of the movie. It really is that horrific.
“Irreversible” (2002)
“Irreversible” is loaded with disturbing scenes. It is laced with brutality, rape and other violent things that are fairly referred to as gut wrenching by previous viewers. It starts out with a horrifically brutal murder, then backtracks in time through the events that lead up to the event. The movie is well executed and the actors do a decent job, perhaps acting a bit too well because they certainly make both characters and the story seem believable. This film does give us a good look of the destructive nature of human beings. It’s a good portrayal of the cruelty of the times for certain people, and it does contain a message. This one has some redeeming qualities, but it still remains firmly in the category of being dangerous for society on a psychological level.
“Martyrs” (2008)
The movie “Martyrs” is another very dangerous film that hooks the audience in quite expertly, then unleashes a maelstrom of sick and depraved actions by the characters. It tells the story of a young woman who is kidnapped as a child and then tortured. When she is finally free to make her own choices, all hell breaks loose. She makes a friend who suffered abuse as a child as well. The victim is hell bent on revenge and she goes after the people responsible for her childhood misery. This movie is nothing short of terrifying and it takes a strong stomach to get through it. Perhaps one of the most dangerous aspects of the film for viewers is the fact that we begin to empathize with her early on. For some viewers, this minimizes the horrible and frightening actions that she takes on her former captors. What she does is in no way legal, moral or ethical, but it is, after all, a film about revenge. This is one that viewers must be very careful about because it tends to shift one’s thinking and the lines between right and wrong become very blurry. It is very difficult not to say that they had it coming.
“Taxi Driver” (1976)
The movie “Taxi Driver” may be one of Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro’s most disturbing collaborations. The two have teamed up for multiple blockbuster hits, but few have the psychological impact, or the danger to society that are found within this example. It gives us an honest and realistic look at the grittiest parts of New York City. The film received rave reviews and was highly popular upon its release in 1976, but this doesn’t diminish the fact that it is a very dangerous movie for some viewers to watch. The proof of the danger of this film is in the admission of John Hinckley Jr., that it served as his inspiration and the reason why he attempted to assassinate President Ronald Regan. Hinckley further shared that he had watched “Taxi Driver” about fifteen times. Jodie Foster is the actress who played a prostitute in the movie and he also formed a sick obsession for her. His disturbing fixation warped his mind and Hinckley believed that if he killed President Reagan, it would prove his unwavering love for Foster. This serves as an example of the power of certain movies on people who are already mentally disturbed. In fact, they can put the entire population at risk for becoming the victims of sick people.
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