Worst2First: My Top Ten Most Disturbing Films

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Most Disturbing Films

Not every film has a happily ever after.  Not every film features superheroes who overcome an unstoppable enemy to win the day and save the world.  Not every film will leave you with warm fuzzies and happiness.  Some films are downright disturbing, unforgettable in all the worst ways, and yet like a car wreck, we can't seem to look away.

Here are my personal top ten most disturbing films, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

The Mist

 This list wouldn't be complete without at least one film based off the works of the famed Stephen King.  "The Mist" centers around a group of small town citizens who find themselves trapped in a department store as alien bugs attack them from the outside - but learn that the dangers aren't all on the other side of the door.  Starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden (in one of her most delectably devious roles), Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, Jeffrey DeMunn and Sam Witwer, "The Mist" includes several rough scenes, with an ending that'll leave your mouth agape. 

#9

 Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky's first (and not last) film on this list, "Black Swan" finds Natalie Portman (in her Oscar winning role) playing Nina Sayers, a dancer who wants nothing more than to land the duel role of the coveted Black and White Swan.  While she exhibits the innocence of the White Swan, her director doesn't feel she can portray the sensual feel of the Black Swan, sending Nina spiraling down a mentally unstable world that will leave her - and the audience - changed forever.

#8

 Irreversible

The great Roger Ebert said of "Irreversible" that it's "a movie so violent and cruel that most people would find it unwatchable."  Gaspar Noe's film is unique in many ways, most notably the fact that it's played out in reverse order, centering around two friends who go out to avenge the brutal rape of the one man's girlfriend.  It also includes a particular soundtrack and filming style that makes you very uneasy and almost queasy.  The film is filled with almost unwatchable images, and you'll never see a fire extinguisher the same way again.

#7

 Antichrist

In Lars von Trier's most haunting work, "Antichrist" finds Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as mourning parents after the loss of their young child.  The man attempts to aid his wife's grief by taking her to the woods for some exposure therapy, but instead it goes bad in every sense of the word, culminating in a shocking, vile, almost unwatchable finale that'll leave you shocked - especially if you're a man.

#6

 The Human Centipede II

Tom Six's shocking "Centipede" trilogy began with one of the most shocking films set to screen, but then he decided to up it a million fold with its sequel (while the third one fizzled out).  "The Human Centipede II" centers around a lowly, pudgy loser of a man who becomes obsessed with "The Human Centipede" and sets out to make his own - by sewing 12 people together, instead of three that was in the film.  That's not even the sickest moment of the film, as pretty much from start to finish it's a study of utter depravity, a film you won't soon forget.

#5

 Martyrs

In the 2000s the French began a new subgenre called the "New French Extremity," focusing on films that were filled with violence, torture, and even some thought-provoking ideas.  "Martyrs" is one of those films, about a woman who was kidnapped as a child who returns to the home where she was abducted years earlier to get her revenge, but finds something even more shocking.  Asking the question about the afterlife, "Martyrs" is much more than just an exploitation torture film, but one that hits a deep philosophical nerve.

#4

 Inside

Another film of the New French Extremity movement, "Inside" is a film not for expecting mothers to see.  When her husband is killed in a car accident, a woman must bring her unborn child to term alone, but discovers that she isn't really alone - a mysterious woman wants the unborn baby inside her, and will stop at nothing to get it.  Filled to the brim with blood, gore, and extreme violence, "Inside" also serves as a cautionary tale for any expecting mother to always be vigilant and prepared to protect not just yourself, but the unborn child inside.

#3

 Requiem for a Dream

Darren Arnonfsky's magnum opus is easily "Requiem for a Dream," a film that focuses on the dangers of addiction and how it affects those who struggle with it.  Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans star as four people who each deal with different addictions and how it affects them both physically and mentally, resulting in a shocking climax that is emotionally jarring.

#2

Cannibal Holocaust

The grand-daddy of found footage films, "Cannibal Holocaust" has been banned in several countries, and the government even brought director Ruggero Deodato in after concerns that his film was actually a snuff film.  The movie follows a group of filmmakers in the Amazon who film an indigenous tribe, not knowing that they're really cannibals.  The film is filled with shocking visuals (including the deaths of real-life animals) and is still almost unwatchable today due to the carnal nature of the film.

#1

 A Serbian Film

Out of the countless number of films I've seen in my life, this one still unnerves me the most.  "A Serbian Film" has been banned in several countries, and after watching it there's no surprise why.  The film centers around a former porn star who's struggling financially to keep him, his wife, and young son afloat, and agrees to do one final film, thinking it's an art film - but in reality it's a snuff film that centers on the darkest corners of the human psyche.