The 14 Most Disturbing Movies Of All Time, Ranked

Whether it's the visceral feeling that truly distressing stories can produce or simply morbid curiosity, it's no secret that humans can be drawn to some horrific stuff. After all, blood, guts, and a good dose of terror are all pretty terrible, but they're still the makings of a perfect horror flick. In fact, the genre of horror as a whole was largely been built off of our fascination with what can only be called disturbing. With that in mind, we've decided to compile some of the most disturbing films ever made.

While the lion's share of our picks fall into the more traditional realm of horror, given how subjective the concept of disturbing media is, not every entry can be so easily defined. A few manage to make audiences sick to their stomachs without ever inserting a single scare into their runtimes. And though we'll be dodging spoilers wherever we can, to discuss some of the more crucial aspects of why some of these films get under your skin, there are times it's unavoidable to properly explain a title. Think you know which upsetting flicks made our list? Read on to find out!

Though some of the films we'll be looking at explore the otherworldly or downright supernatural in their disturbing premises, "Gummo" stays firmly planted in reality. Well, not quite, as director Harmony Korine's first film winds up delving deep into the bizarre and absurd.

Set in the town of Xenia, Ohio, a real-life community plagued by tornadoes both before and after the release of the 1997 film, "Gummo" follows a band of miscreant youth surviving in the wake of a particularly destructive twister. The movie's strange and experimental nature means that anything resembling a traditional plot more or less ends there. What remains are the characters on screen moving aimlessly through their lives, often engaging in some of the most disturbing behavior imaginable just to pass the time — especially considering their young ages, which make their roles far too mature for the child actors involved. It's a bold choice, with the disorganized storytelling serving as a parallel to the characters' senseless lives.

Many of "Gummo's" elements were abrasive to audiences as soon as it hit theaters, with scenes of animal abuse, uncomfortable sexual themes, and violence dominating the film. Time made the film even tougher to swallow for audiences, with "Gummo" portraying an oft-forgotten and disturbing picture of American life that may be closer to reality for some than we'd like to admit.

2015 proved to be one of the strongest years for Westerns, with "The Hateful Eight" and "The Revenant" making waves. And Quentin Tarantino's one-room thriller wasn't the only film that year to see Kurt Russell take on the role of a hardscrabble lawman. The gritty "Bone Tomahawk," a rare supernatural horror Western, thrust Russell into the role of Sheriff Franklin Hunt, whose town falls victim to several kidnappings at the hands of a tribe of Indigenous cannibals. From there, things go from bad to worse, as a blood-soaked pursuit leads them to a violent final confrontation with the people-eaters.

A decidedly bleak film, its particularly brutal climax puts "Bone Tomahawk" over the top: After being captured and imprisoned by cannibals, one of the members of Hunt's posse meets their demise at the hands of their captors — naked, mutilated, and finally ripped apart, all while the surviving members of Hunt's party look on. It's a gut-wrenching third act that pushes the film well into the realm of horror.

Any fan of the genre will likely agree that film studio A24 has earned its reputation as one of the best in the genre when it comes to modern-day horror. It's a reputation built off of entries like 2019's "Midsommar," which dives into the weird and bizarre inner workings of a fictional Scandinavian cult.

In "Midsommar," we follow a group of college students on their way to a remote part of Sweden where they're set to attend a unique cultural festival on the insistence of a friend. Though all seems fine at first in the idyllic setting, where the sun only sets for a few hours at a time, it soon becomes clear that there's a sinister undertone to the festivities when the group witnesses the ritualistic suicide of two elders. Things steadily get more bizarre from there, with a fractured relationship between our two main characters Dani (Florence Pugh) and Christian (Jack Reynor) coming to a head by the film's end.

Packed with bizarrely sexual scenes, shocking moments of gore, and the ever-present feeling that things are very, very wrong, "Midsommar" succeeds in delivering one of the most disturbing viewing experiences we've ever seen.

At this point, there's little new ground left to break when talking about "The Exorcist." Now over half a century old, the 1973 film is remembered for terrifying audiences upon release, and has become an absolute icon in the world of horror. It chronicles the story of a young girl (Linda Blair) who falls under a mysterious affliction that leaves her with horrifying symptoms. When modern science fails to find a solution, her distraught mother is left with no choice but to turn to an exorcist for help, who determines that her daughter is under the possession of a demon known as Pazuzu.

Though some may claim the film only rises to truly disturbing for those viewers who lean more religious, at its core, "The Exorcist" is still centered around a young girl in mortal peril and a few adults' desperate and deadly bids to save her life. Rife with body horror and now iconic imagery, such as Regan crawling backwards and vomiting green sludge, it certainly makes a gruesome impression. While it may not be quite as extreme as many more modern offerings, the film's enduring legacy and grip on audiences both then and today earn it a spot on our lineup.

"Mother!" is a film defined by its bold style. It even extends to the characters themselves, who remain nameless save for their titles. Jennifer Lawrence leads as Mother, who lives with an author known simply as Him (Javier Bardem). The two share a home together, which soon becomes the target of an unrelenting mob of strangers who descend upon the property. And while that's certainly tense, it's not until the final confrontation between Mother and her family's intruders that it is cemented as one of the most upsetting films out there.

"Mother!" is unique to our collection in that it's perhaps just as confusing as it is disturbing. Packed with symbolism, some examples more overt than others, it does all wind up making sense in the end when the details are fully explained. It also makes a little more sense how unusual the film is when you consider director Darren Aronofsky's film career as a whole, which kicked off back in 1998 with the mind-bending mathematical thriller "Pi." And while "Pi" didn't make our list, this isn't the only time Aronofsky will.

Set in New York City, Darren Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream" follows the lives of four people who simultaneously crumble under the weight of substance abuse. Starring Jared Leto as Harry Goldfarb, a drug dealer and habitual user, we watch as he attempts in vain to escape the grip that the product he's surrounded by has on both himself, his best friend, and his partner. Meanwhile, his mother winds up going down a similar path, becoming hooked on diet pills containing amphetamines in a bid to look her best for a TV show appearance.

Perhaps more than any other movie we're covering, "Requiem for a Dream" is difficult to watch because of how raw and realistic it is, particularly for those with who've lived with drugs. Diving headfirst into the world of addiction, the film paints a sobering picture of how destructive it can become to those who fall victim to its seductive powers. It may not have gore or supernatural elements like many on this list, but "Requieum for a Dream" will prove an incredibly distressing watch for most all the same.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Much like our previous entry, the disturbing elements of "The Road" come from its tone, which never lets its foot off the gas with how bleak and downright depressing it can get. Based on a novel of the same name and set in a world ravaged by catastrophe that has left the future of life on this planet almost certainly doomed, a widower (Viggo Mortensen) clings to the hope that he'll be able to find a better life for himself and his son. But in the desolate ruins of what was once society, only the truly evil have any chance at survival, with roving murderers and cannibalistic gangs proving to be a near insurmountable threat for the pair.

While the genre of post-apocalyptic films are almost always depressing by their very nature, "The Road" doesn't stop there, never shying away from showing just how far humanity has fallen. Standout scenes, such as when the father and son stumble across a squalid prison in which cannibals are imprisoning people as livestock, are what make "The Road" such an unsettling experience to sit through, and one that lingers long after it's over.

Something of a modern day classic, "Hereditary" is consistently ranked among the best films from arthouse studio A24. A mysterious horror plot kicks off after the Graham family suffers two back to back deaths, first with the passing of the family's elderly grandmother Ellen, and then the shocking accidental death of teenaged Charlie (Milly Shapiro). From there, the family spirals down a rabbit hole of grief, only to come face to face with the reality that something far deeper and more paranormal is working against them.

Beyond its visceral scenes of horror, with perhaps none being harder to forget than the infamous roadside decapitation, "Hereditary" doubles down on its unease with a slowly unraveling mystery that implicates a member of the family to be the cause of their suffering. Bolstered by top-notch performances, the film gives us a nightmarish story of witchcraft in the modern era that's sure to stick with you long after the credits roll. Of course, many didn't make it that far, as the film made our list of horror movies that audiences walked out of.

From the mind of Danish director Christian Tafdrup comes "Speak No Evil," a twisted tale of one family's good intentions gone horribly awry. Hitting theaters in 2022, it's the most recent title we'll be taking a look at. And while there may be some confusion given that an American remake with a decidedly different ending arrived just two years later, we'll be focusing on the original and far more disturbing Danish version.

After meeting a friendly family on a trip in Southern Europe, a Danish couple and their young daughter receive a polite, if somewhat unusual, invitation to pay a visit in their home country of the Netherlands. Afraid to appear rude, they make the trip, and are subjected to an increasingly strange and disconcerting visit that tests the boundaries of what they can tolerate. It's only when it's far too late that they realize the host couple are hiding a sinister secret about themselves, as well as their mute son Abel, which is finally revealed in the gut punch of a final act. The film was remade for American audiences in 2024 and was met with strong reviews (including our own), but the original is still head and shoulders above in the disturbing department.

There's nothing funny about 1997's "Funny Games," another foreign language entry. Set in Austria, it sees a family's day interrupted by the arrival of a pair of strangers on their doorstep. After finding their way into the home, the duo gradually overstays their welcome, and an uncomfortable confrontation devolves into a hostage situation. Subsequently, the home invaders subject their new captives to excruciating mental and physical torture for much of the remaining runtime. But "Funny Games" isn't just a typical burglar story punctuated by moments of extreme violence, and to explain what makes it so unique, we'll need to dive into some spoilers.

Unlike a good number of horror movies where our protagonists win the day, or even those with bleaker endings, we learn partway through the film that the family's captors are truly incapable of losing. That's because, in addition to several moments of fourth-wall-breaking, they even have the ability to rewind time after half of the murderous duo is killed. It's not a sci-fi twist, however, but instead a deliberate message by the film's director on the audience's relationship with extremely violent cinema. That ultimately hopeless tone, paired with the truly cruel fate the family endures, helps make "Funny Games" a far more disturbing entry than the 2007 remake with Naomi Watts.

One of the earliest works from storied and highly controversial filmmaker Roman Polanski, "Rosemary's Baby" is another indisputable horror classic. Taking place largely within the confines of an apartment in New York City, Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) conceives a child with her husband without any memory of the event, instead hallucinating that a demonic figure was responsible. But Rosemary's pregnancy is marred by a series of strange and increasingly upsetting events that suggest her bad dream is actually a living nightmare.

Beyond the film's disturbing elements of sexual violence and Satanic worship, some of the most distressing elements in "Rosemary's Baby" come from how Rosemary spirals in the wake of the conception. Increasingly isolated from friends and even trustworthy doctors, she's denied her own autonomy by all those who surround her, causing her to become consumed by paranoia. The themes of manipulation and total violation of trust — not to mention the film's obvious allegory for abortion rights — elevate the 1968 film from more standard horror to a chilling watch that remains relevant decades later.

Getting to the grisly part of our lineup, "The Human Centipede" and its subsequent sequels have become infamous titles for their disturbing premise. Released in 2009, the first film begins when three unknowing people fall victim to a mad scientist's kidnapping attempts. This leaves him able to carry out the most wicked experiment he can imagine, mutilating the trio and sewing them together from front to back (use your imagination). From there they're left locked in a desperate struggle to survive under the rule of their demented captor, who attempts to strip them of what little humanity they have left.

The less-than-stellar reviews that this one's received over the years are pretty telling. Admittedly, "The Human Centipede" series doesn't have much in terms of having a quality story or being even a remotely enjoyable watch. As a result, many are still debating whether they have any artistic merit at all, while others feel it's one of the most underrated horror movies of the last 15 years. But if what you're looking for is a gross-out flick that'll push the boundaries of what you think you can stomach, it might be worth delving into. 

A whirlwind of violence would be one of the best ways to describe "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer." The 1986 film served as something of a rebuke to the more fantastical slashers that defined the decade like "A Nightmare on Elm Street" or "Friday the 13th." And while it was a departure from what audiences expected in a bloody slasher, the final result is something much harder to sit through, with all the requisite blood and violence, but with an added dose of grit and realism.

The film follows the wanton reign of terror of a local drifter and serial murderer named Henry (inspired by real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas and played by Michael Rooker, who gained fame in "The Walking Dead" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" decades later). Traveling around Chicago with another ex-con, Henry commits heinous and random acts of violence against strangers.

Thanks to its extremely disturbing content, "Henry" faced significant challenges getting to theaters, with significant censorship by the BBFC, an organization responsible for the moderation of films in the United Kingdom. Ultimately, they settled on completely altering one scene in particular that depicts Henry's graphic murder of a woman, which speaks volumes to just how unsettling it was to viewers.

At the number one spot for the most twisted and disturbing film ever put on screen, "A Serbian Film" pushes far beyond what most audiences can stomach watching. It follows Milos (Srdan Todorovic), a former adult film star roped into one final lucrative, but not pornographic, project by a deviant director. It's only when it's far too late that he realizes he has been cast as an adult entertainer in an explicit film featuring the most depraved content imaginable.

Many films that feature moments of extreme violence or sexual imagery will come face to face with censorship at some point in their release, but few have been met with the widespread scrutiny that befell "A Serbian Film" upon release. Though the film's director has stated its extreme content is in service of a deeper message about the Serbian government's amoral control over its citizens, it's a claim that largely fell flat with most censors. According to horror magazine Fangoria, the uncut version of the film faced bans in at least 46 countries, serving as a lasting testament to just how objectionable its content is to audiences, and securing its title as the most disturbing film committed to celluloid.