The purpose of movies is to elicit a certain emotion or reaction from the audience. In this list we shall share some of our all-time favourite disturbing movies. Of course the opinion on what constitutes as “disturbing” differs from person to person but in this list, we’re going to focus on those psychological movies that really get under your skin as opposed to out and out horror and gore.
Happiness, 1998
The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.
Oldboy, 2003
After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.
Hard Candy, 2005
A teenage girl raids a man’s home in order to expose him under suspicion that he is a pedophile.
Misery, 1990
After a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.
Mysterious Skin, 2004
A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.
A Clockwork Orange, 1971
In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn’t go as planned.
Requiem for a Dream, 2000
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep.
Ken Park, 2002
Ken Park is about several Californian skateboarders’ lives and relationships with and without their parents.
Dogtooth, 2009
Three teenagers live isolated, without leaving their house, because their over-protective parents say they can only leave when their dogtooth falls out.
KIDS, 1995
A day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating, drinking, smoking, and deflowering virgins.
Lolita, 1997
A man marries his landlady so he can take advantage of her daughter.
Funny Games, 1997
Two violent young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic “games” with one another for their own amusement.
Kalifornia, 1993
A journalist duo go on a tour of serial killer murder sites with two companions, unaware that one of them is a serial killer himself.
We Need to Talk About Kevin, 2011
Comments:
Martyrs is a really disturbing film. Watch it.
You’re right, it certainly is.
I’ll be doing a foreign horror movie article soon with it included!
Where’s the picture from at the top? The one with the man and the boy in the car.
Hi Cameron,
That’s a still from “Happiness.”
We need to talk about kevin is one of my favorite films!!!
Have you read the book? It’s fantastic too!
“We Need To Talk about Kevin”…..As a parent i wondering why won’t there ser6talk TOO Kevin .The parents should have gone to prison for neglectful stupidity!!!
Upstream Color!
Most disturbing movies I’ve ever seen are Vulgar,What Is it? ,and Gummo… these are all puppy dogs in comparison.
Where did you watch What Is It?
Gummo is definitely messed right up!
Ive seen most of them but I will mever forget Mysterious Skin, this movie broke me in 1000 pieces
Totally. I went and saw it alone in the theater and it just stuck with me for days and days…
You missed many!!! For one: I saw the Devil!!!
Mysterious Skin and Dogtooth are absolutely excellent movies!
Gummo should definitely be on this list.
what about Raw(2016)? i thought that one was disturbing
excision is one of the most disturbing films ive watched its so good but gorey
I thought that movie was terrible.
Chained, starring Vincent D’Onofrio, should be in this list. That movie stuck with me for a very long time!
7 is the best movie and most disturbing.
I TOTALLY AGREE! what makes it so disturbing to me is that actual, real people came up with it. The basic premise and every intricate detail. Then they wove it all into a story that from start to finish seemed actually plausible. There are actual minds among us who were able to meticulously and flawlessly link it all together. If we have people who are intelligent enough to do this for the sake of a Hollywood thriller than there are CERTAINLY those who have the same level of intelligence but are actual sociopaths.
I have seen 3 out of these but
Holy Motors is way twisted!
Last House On The Left, I Spit On Your Grave, Cannibal Holocaust, The Human Centipede.
You missed two;
Radio Flyer (1992)
The Others (2001)
I thought “Jon e Movie” was disturbing. It’s been over 3 years since I saw it and the thought still gives me chills.
serbian movie
came to see if this was on the list
A Serbien film
Glad to see they didn’t leave out Clockwork Orange; easily one of the MOST disturbing films EVER. But they should also have included Midnight Cowboy, so disturbing in so many ways, yet heartbreaking. Also, they left out Videodrome.
Se7en and The Cell
Yes the cell is crazy messed up. The scene with the crank whoa
AntiChrist is a real doozie if you’re looking for a traumatizing viewing!!
Boxing Helena from 1993
Santa Sangre
13 Tzameti
The serbian film should have been number one on here.
Midsomer needs to be on here!