15 Horror Movies So Disturbing They Were Actually Banned
There are many reasons a movie might get banned. A country might ban movies with messages it deems harmful. Even the United States with its right to free speech has banned films. This was especially true during the early to the mid-20th century.
Whether real or imagined, any movie that appeared more political propaganda than entertainment was banned. Another perceived threat was moviegoers becoming desensitized by exposure to gratuitous violence. Movies from any genre can be banned, but it goes without saying horror movies are often public enemy #1.
Here we've curated a list of 15 horror movies thought to be too disturbing for movie audiences. Although a movie might be offensive, sometimes the backstories and action behind the scenes prove truly shocking. So, grab yourself some popcorn, and let's dive into this celluloid cesspool.
1. The Exorcist — 1973
(Banned for a decade by the UK)
While demonically possessed, a young girl spews green goop and casually mentions that the mother of the catholic priest performing the exorcism is...busy...doing things…in Hell. The UK ban was to protect "impressionable children."
2. Possession — 1981
(Banned by the UK)
This film made an impact on nearly everyone involved. The lead actress said it took years to recover from the role mentally and emotionally, describing one scene as "emotional porn."
3. Human Centipede 2 — 2011
(Banned in the UK)
Even if viewers are okay with the movie's "ick'' factor, watching a mentally challenged person become completely deranged and unhinged is difficult to watch. If you know what a "human centipede" is, you'll get why seeing the main character obsess over creating one himself is disturbing AF.
4. Texas Chainsaw Massacre — 1974
(Banned by some US theaters and several countries around the world)
This film almost never made it to theaters. Of the US theaters willing to screen it, many showed it only briefly due to viewer complaints. Twenty years after the film debuted, it was still on the UK-banned movies list.
5. The Bunny Game — 2011
(Banned in the UK)
A prostitute is abducted (and forced to wear a bunny mask, hence the title), raped, and tortured by a truck driver. Had it been presented as a statement on society's disregard for the safety of sex workers and other marginalized populations, this might've been acceptable. That's not what this movie is about though. One of the most difficult things to digest is the actress being abused in the film actually went through the physical torture (including being branded by her captor) being filmed. The source she drew from for this? Her own experience with physical and sexual abuse.
6. Hostel 2 — 2007
(Banned in Germany & New Zealand)
Eli Roth is known for his unapologetic unflinching horror movies. Hostel 2, categorized by some as "torture porn," has been criticized for its abundant and realistic acts of violence. When one of the film's distributors refused to cut scenes to get a more acceptable film rating, it was banned.
7. Faces of Death — 1978
(Boasted it was banned in 46 countries)
The UK, NZ, and Germany all banned this movie. How many others did remains a mystery. Hollywood has produced a lot of found/fake footage movies. The Faces of Death series was one of the progenitors of the genre. Purported to be footage of violent deaths, the movie is still banned in many places despite being proven fake.
8. Traces of Death — 1993
(Banned in the UK)
While Faces of Death presented itself as real, Traces of Death was real. The movie is strung together from coroner images and incidents that took place in public view. Not sure if that makes it better or worse, but the BBFC is having none of it.
9. Mikey — 1992
(Banned in the UK)
If post-Pet Sematary-burial Gage and Macauley Culkin's character from The Good Son (also banned in the UK for a while) merged, the result would probably be Mikey. 9-year-old Mikey begins his murder-thon by killing his adopted family. Besides the movie's content, another reason for the ban was the murder of little Jamie Bulger by two schoolboys was, and still is, one of the most tragic murders in UK history. While the UK ban was lifted from The Good Son, it's likely Mikey will never be shown there.
10. The Evil Dead — 1981
(Banned in several European countries)
This movie serves up grizzly and grotesque with a side of gallows humor par none. "Splatter Gore" before the term even existed, there's no way of knowing how many gallons of fake blood were used. Enough to get it banned, anyways.
11. Land of the Dead — 2005
(Banned in Ukraine)
Ukraine's ban was due to "cultural sensitivities." The problem wasn't zombies, it was the depiction of cannibalism. Ministry of Culture representative Maksym Rostotsky explained, "The memory of the Holodomor (the famine that killed millions in the country and sparked episodes of cannibalism) of 1933 is still fresh in our society."
12. I Spit on Your Grave — 1978
(Banned in several countries, including the UK)
This film depicts extremely graphic and realistic scenes of gang rape. There's also an incredible amount of violence, but the sexual assault alone is enough to get the movie banned. The title itself is a hint of the offensive material to follow.
13. Slender Man — 2018
(Milwaukee and surrounding areas)
Milwaukee and the US as a whole was shocked when two preteen girls repeatedly stabbed a classmate to impress/assuage the fictional entity known as Slender Man. Locals felt the film was potentially exploitative and dangerous. For those who find the idea silly that people could be inspired to commit violence because of a movie, remember Slender Man was just a story until two kids found in it inspiration to murder.
14. Saw 3-D — 2010
(Banned in several countries, including Malaysia)
Malaysia's banned movie list is interesting. Along with Saw 3-D, you'll find the movie Babe and its follow-up Babe: Pig in the City. Britain even removed a television ad promoting the film after a 10-year-old voiced complaints that the content was "distressing."
15. A Serbian Film — 2011
(Name a country and this film's probably been banned there)
The revulsion caused by the movie's depiction of child rape and murder cannot be overstated. A prosecutor in Spain became so incensed he threatened to file child pornography charges against the director.
We'd advise against looking up many of the movies on this list. For many of them, we'll have to pass on a viewing. After all, some really are banned for good reason.