Disturbing Films

Profoundly Disturbing Films
Herein is a list of films that contain truly disturbing elements. While most of them were intended to be horror films, some exceptions are included (exploitation films, mondo films, etc.). The trouble with recommending disturbing films is that the more of these films I see, the less shocking they become. Being desensitized can take the fun out of some of these abhorrent movies.

Although I will try to avoid specific details, be advised that I may spoil the impact of these movies if you haven't seen them yet. Also, I am limiting my discussion to films I have actually seen myself.

Grand Prize Winner

Men Behind The Sun

Chinese, 1988 - aka "Man Behind the Sun" and "Hei Tai Yang 731" This infamouse film deals with prison camp atrocities and biological warfare testing. About six scenes provide truly ghastly highlights, including what happens to a person subjected to rapid decompression. Arguably the most shocking scene deals with the effects of excessive frostbite followed by rapid warming. Blech. The detached attitude of the military participants creates a strange tension that adds to the intensity of the film, which is reportedly based on (at least partially) historic events in Manchuria. There is a sequel, but have not seen it, and I doubt it carries the intensity of the original. Even children are not safe in this genocidal potpourri. Chinese, subtitled

First Runner Up

Salo: 120 Days of Sodom

Italian, 1975 Pier Paulo Passolini's last film deals a sadistic criticism of facism loosely framed by De Sade's 120 Days of Sodom. This is not a horror film, but it is horrifying and explicit, with a methodical pacing that pulls you from shock to shock. If you enjoy mysogeny, this film is for you. The Criterion Edition of this film is regarded as the rarest DVD on earth, as production was very limited and the film became infamous. Often going for up to $500 in auctions, I own a copy of the Criterion disk that was purchased at a suburban garage sale for $1.00 Italian, subtitled

Second Runner Up

Nekromantik

German, 1987 Jorge Utgerheit wrote and directed this wonderful film. This is the ultimate necrophilia film, but I find it quite artistic, complemented by fine acting and a solid industrial-influenced soundtrack. Even the most revolting scenes are shot artistically, although the climax of the movie is... well... memorable. Consider it an art house film among horror. There is even a 'making of' documentary about this film (called "Corpse F___ing Art") that was reportedly produced to prove that no actual corpses were used. The sequel (Nekromantik 2, 1991 - see below) is clever, but lacks the directness of the original, as though Utgerheit blew hid load on this film. German, subtitled

Third Runner Up, Part 2

Chaos

American, 2006 Despite the fact that Sage Stallone (yes, Sylvester's son) was pulled into this shamless rehashing of Last House on the Left (with a 'rave' party thrown in to keep it real), there are some deep shocks in this film. The ending is cheap, but the fate of two of the main female characters (both involving a really big knife) bring an immediacy to the screen that leaves an audience in stunned silence. I was able to preview this film at a horror event (yes, Sage was there), and that jaded audience was uncharacteristically unsettled.

Third Runner Up

Violent Sh*t Part 2 - Mother Hold My Hand

German, 1992 This is basically an amateur video, letterboxed to make it feel like a film. This sequel explores the multifaceted character of Karl the Butcher Jr, who continues his father's legacy of mutilating anyone who comes into the woods near his house. Although the acting is pitiful, the low-budget effects and innovative shockers are truly memorable. Please excuse the 10 minute ninja fight at the beginning of the film, which has nothing to do with the story. Less recommended is a third installment from 1999. German, subtitled - I don't really think you will ever find a copy of this film, nor should you seek it out. Really. However, I was shocked to find it referenced in a horror film 'book of lists,' so I guess someone else has seen this!

An American Runner Up

Sleepaway Camp

American, 1983 All right, all right. This is a cheesy 1970's early slasher film, as you would expect. However, it is refreshing not to have 30-year olds portraying teen agers, and it actually not a bad movie. What gets this film onto this list is the film's climax. It is worth the wait, and has made this film legendary within the genre. The star, Felicity Rose, is still making a career out of her work in this film, which spawned two weak sequels, and they (Felicity Rose and director Robert Hiltzik, anyway) were talking about a fourth in 2007.

Fifth Runner Up

Zombie 2

Lucio Fulci made this as a sequel to Romero's Dawn of the Dead, which was released overseas in 1978 as Zombi. This film is able to make the whole zombie thing even more depressing, with a famous scene involving an eyeball and a large splinter of wood (do the math). Fulci had been involved in the production of Romero's film, so this kept things in the family while allowing Fulchi to assert himself in the genre. More intense and less wry than Romero's work. Some of the impact has been dulled by the years, but it is still an entertaining experience. Italian, dubbed like a bad 80's movie.

Second Runner Up, Part 2

Nekromantik 2

German, 1991 Utgerheit's followup to Nekromantik picks up where the first film left off (right down to re-using the end of the first movie as an intro, which is a little cheap). Although it has some memorable scenes, the real impact was all spent in the original film. However, after the alarming climax of the original film, he makes a good attempt at finishing this movie with something memorable. German, subtitled

Second Runner Up, Part 3

Aftermath

Spanish, 1994 Nacho Cerda's short film graphically shows that loneliness doesn't have to be a part of the autopsy room. With no dialog, and a surgical-mask-wearing protagonist (antagonist? I guess that depends on you), there is a very effective silent movie quality to this film. Spanish. This film used to be impossible to find, but thankfully it became available on DVD in 2007.

An Honorable Mention

Murder Set Pieces

2004 Relentless and unflinching with a German accent. This film may drag from time to time, and the antagonist's apartment looks like something from the 1980s, but this film shows more shocking acts of misanthropic gore-churning than any film in recent memory. Working as a fashion photographer keeps the victims headed his way, and it takes a nosy little kid to get things to unravel.

Honorable Mention, Too

Lucker

Belgian, 1986 When you discuss infamous, hard-to-find films, this one is always in the list. Also released as Lucker - The Necrophagous, this is a surprisingly boring movie until the pay-off. However, points must be awarded because this was the earliest film to deal directly with necrophelia and necrophagia. Although the content's impact has been eclipsed by later films (like Necromantic), it still deserves notice. Having been univerally condemned for a while, complete prints became very rare. A recent DVD release includes the best of what was avaialble, so some scenes are granier than others. Still, what I remember most from this film is a confused protagonist (Lucker) wandering around an empty apartment for 20 minutes. Or something like that. Oh, yeah, he did the necro thing, too. Belgian. This film actually was impossible to find, existing mostly in legend, but now available on DVD around 2008.