Top 10 Most Controversial Movie Scenes

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Controversial Movie Scenes. For this list, we’ll be looking at the sequences that are considered the most notorious for their content, context, and subsequent reaction to them. This means a few spoilers. Did we forget an infamous movie scene? Let us know in the comments below.

#10: The Assassination

“The Interview” (2014)

Those who remember this 2014 comedy probably focus on the fact that it almost started an international incident. North Korea was offended by the film’s premise, which culminates with Kim Jong-un’s demise. Not only does the nation’s leader die at the end. He meets his destruction in excruciating detail as a tank projectile hits his helicopter. This led to serious threats from the country. Hackers linked to North Korea cyber-attacked Sony, in what became an unprecedented disclosure of information. Theater chains initially backed out of showing the film as controversy shrouded its release. Eventually, the movie reached audiences despite foreign objections about its assassination plot.

#9: Early Lovemaking

“Ecstasy” (1933)

Actress Hedy Lamarr started her career in Europe, where she received a starring role in the groundbreaking drama “Ecstasy.” The Czech movie features one of the earliest instances of sex in a mainstream feature film. More specifically, Lamarr takes part in a love scene that shows her face during a… climax. The entire moment is remarkably tame by today’s standards. This didn’t stop censors of the time period from banning the movie, which also includes the performer swimming in the nude. The Hollywood censors at the Hays Office rejected the piece and several US states prevented screenings.

#8: Movie Theater Fire

“Inglourious Basterds” (2009)

Quentin Tarantino’s WWII film has plenty of his trademark violence and snappy dialog, but the most prominent part is the dramatic ending. Taking place at a movie theater, the finale corrals Nazi leaders into a premiere event and takes them out. The owner Shosanna lights the place on fire, while the titular commandos tear into the baddies with machine guns. Hitler's death receives particular attention during this sequence. The filmmaker's revisionism received both cheers and boos from critics, with some feeling it was disrespectful to play around with history. Others felt that Tarantino was turning Jewish characters into morally questionable humans. He doubled down on this idea in future projects such as “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” taking other fictionalized looks at the past.

#7: Ending

“Kids” (1995)

Larry Clark directed Harmony Korine's gritty account of teens in New York City entitled "Kids." It quickly generated controversy for its frank look at sex, garnering controversy upon release. The end features the movie's most graphic scene, which exposes an attacker to HIV. Clark's direction feels too real at times, playing out the moment with a disturbing authenticity. Some objected to the film's release. It was rated NC-17 and required some maneuvering to even be exhibited to the public, forcing Miramax producers to purchase the rights from Disney in order to release it in its unaltered state.

#6: Water Buffalo

“Apocalypse Now” (1979)

Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam epic is known as much for its thrilling storytelling as it is for its troubled production. For the climactic sequence between Kurtz and Willard, the director chooses to juxtapose the action with the ritual sacrifice of a water buffalo. Coppola merely filmed the ceremony and included it in the final product. Considering that it was shot in the Philippines, the film was able to circumvent American laws about animal cruelty. The scene itself features members of a tribe using a machete in a bloody moment. This led to organizations such as the American Humane Association denouncing the movie for filming the slaughter.

#5: Shower

“Psycho” (1960)

Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic stars Janet Leigh as a woman on the run. She pulls into the Bates Motel, where she takes one final shower before being attacked. The iconic scene features a slew of quick cuts that avoid any excessive brutality of the moment. Hitchcock’s direction scared numerous viewers and his lead actress, with Leigh saying that she switched to baths for the remainder of her life. This doesn’t even include an uproar over the misconception that there’s nudity. Other controversial elements include the flushing of a toilet in an earlier shot. Despite significant worries from censors, the sequence ended up being released as originally intended.

#4: Extended Attack

“Irréversible” (2002)

Argentine director Gaspar Noé attracts controversy with almost every film. His tense and experimental drama “Irréversible” is no different, featuring a harrowing assault as its most consequential scene. Monica Bellucci’s character runs into her attacker in a sequence that’s over ten minutes long. The remainder of the movie features fast-paced and chaotic moments leading up to and directly following the horrible crime. Some consider the project impossible to engage with due to its explicit content, almost forcing the viewer to look away during its controversial centerpiece. It reportedly prompted walkouts during its initial release at the Cannes Film Festival.

#3: The Temptation

“The Last Temptation of Christ” (1988)

Rather than following more traditional tales about Jesus Christ, “The Last Temptation of Christ” delves into a more controversial viewpoint of the sacred story courtesy of Nikos Kazantzakis’ novel. The main crux of the film’s notoriety stems from its climax, whereby Christ is tempted off of the cross to live a normal life as a married man. Protests surrounded the movie’s release as some religious leaders called this blasphemous. One radical group set fire to a Paris theater for screening the film, while boycotts were organized in the US. Martin Scorsese’s project also received bans that unfairly marked it as an infamous release in the late 1980s.

#2: Singin’ in the Rain

“A Clockwork Orange” (1971)

Among the most controversial films of the 1970s, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ novel features copious amounts of violence. Alex DeLarge and his droogs bring anarchy and violence wherever they go. This includes a disturbing scene where the gang leader provides a haunting soundtrack. With the use of “Singin’ in the Rain,” the main character’s psychopathic tendencies are on full display. It’s one of the sequences that inspired calls for censorship. In a tragic case of copycat crimes, several incidents were allegedly influenced by the onscreen acts. Kubrick was later inspired to take the film out of British theaters due to its perceived connection to various violent activities.

#1: Crucifixion

“The Exorcist” (1973)

Among the most lauded horror films ever made, “The Exorcist” still shocks people to this day. The production overcame serious setbacks and alleged curses to create a groundbreaking scary movie. In a project full of terrifying turns, there are few images as indelible as the possessed Regan stabbing herself with a crucifix. Her demonic voice and movements only make the sequence more haunting. It’s one of the elements that provoked wild audience reactions in 1973, including apparent medical emergencies at the sight of the plot’s darkest moments. It also involved Ellen Burstyn receiving a serious back injury after being knocked back by her onscreen daughter. Through it all, this proves to be one of the more unexpectedly dangerous and controversial scenes of its kind.