Top 10 Movies So Offensive They Were Banned
#10: “The Birth of a Nation” (1915)
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Few movies are as notorious as D. W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation.” Released all the way back in 1915, the historical epic has garnered intense criticism for over a century. It’s an incredibly racist piece of work, featuring evil and bumbling Black characters, a heroic depiction of white supremacy, and pseudohistory that legitimizes the Lost Cause of the Confederacy. Even by 1915 standards, this was all seen as wildly problematic, and the movie’s release was met with protests and vehement criticism. Fearing racial backlash, several American cities and states, including Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Ohio banned “The Birth of a Nation.”
#9: “The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)” (2011)
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There’s arguably a good idea buried deep within “The Human Centipede 2”, as it utilizes some clever metafiction to comment on the original movie and the potential danger that it poses. But critics agreed that the good idea was squandered by bad filmmaking and some reprehensible violence. The movie was not given a rating by the British Board of Film Classification (or BBFC), which means that it was de facto banned. It wasn’t until more than two minutes of footage was removed that the BBFC gave it the classification required for release. A similar incident occurred in Australia. But the story is different in New Zealand, as the distributors never even sent it to theaters there. Its DVD release, meanwhile, was prohibited.
#8: “The Death of Stalin” (2017)
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This political satire from Armando Iannucci mines comedy from the death of Joseph Stalin and portrays his Council of Ministers in a not-so-flattering light. The movie was widely praised and won various British Independent Film Awards. But as you can imagine, “The Death of Stalin” was not warmly received in Russia. Various institutions released statements, claiming that it was both inaccurate and antagonistic, and it was banned shortly before release. Regardless, that hasn’t stopped many Russian citizens from viewing it. One particular theater made headlines for defying the ban, and over one million people are thought to have watched the movie through illegal piracy.
#7: “The Da Vinci Code” (2006)
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Dan Brown’s classic thriller subverts many canonical facts about Jesus Christ, and the film adaptation follows suit. During his rousing adventure, Robert Langdon discovers that Jesus and Mary Magdalene not only wed, but had a kid. As if that wasn’t enough, he also learns that their lineage continues to this day in the form of the metaphorical Holy Grail. The movie portrays the Catholic Church as holders of this secret knowledge who have been concealing the truth for ages. The film and its fictional weaving of religion and history offended many and drew widespread condemnation. It was met with protests and was banned on blasphemous grounds in numerous countries, including Egypt, Pakistan, and Jordan.
#6: “Pink Flamingos” (1972)
While some may call it John Waters’ masterpiece, “Pink Flamingos” makes for an incredibly difficult watch, even by today’s standards. We can only imagine how contentious it was back in 1972. The movie is filled with depraved actions and disturbing scenes, as characters compete to be the “the filthiest person alive.” It was even marketed as “an exercise in poor taste,” and yep, that pretty much sums it up. “Pink Flamingos” was deemed offensively revolting and received bans in Australia, parts of Canada and Switzerland, just to name a few places. Funnily enough, the movie is now part of the Criterion Collection. Perhaps there’s sometimes artistic merit to be found in the grotesque.
#5: “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1988)
Top 10 Banned Movies
Movies that depict Jesus Christ have to walk a fine line, as religious content has a lot of potential to offend. “The Last Temptation of Christ” started as a novel published in 1955 and was met with immediate backlash for its themes and a depiction of Jesus some felt was “blasphemous”. The novel was adapted by Martin Scorsese over thirty years later, and nothing had changed. Scorsese was threatened, and an extremist Catholic group even carried out an arson attack at a Paris theater that was screening the movie. Numerous countries banned the film outright, including Argentina, Israel, and Mexico, and it continues to be outlawed in Singapore.
#4: “Cannibal Holocaust” (1980)
There are scandalous movies, and then there’s “Cannibal Holocaust.” The granddaddy of video nasties, Ruggero Deodato’s horror film has long been criticized for its extreme level of violence. The killings are so realistic and disgusting that people genuinely thought this was a snuff film, and Deodato was charged with homicide. He was eventually acquitted, but the reputation of his movie lived on. Countless film censors took umbrage with the violent content and real animal killings, so “Cannibal Holocaust” received bans across the globe. Many of these prohibitions have since been lifted, but the movie is notably still barred in New Zealand.
#3: “Borat” (2006)
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If anything, “Borat” is a great exercise in interpretation. The movie was widely acclaimed in the Western world, won numerous awards, and was the pop culture event of the year. Even to this day, people imitate Borat and his many catchphrases. But most of the Arab world found the movie to be wildly offensive. Officials in Kazakhstan condemned both the film and its leading character, and the government successfully asked that it not be distributed there. Kazakhstan wasn’t the only country to take issue with the movie’s satirical content. In fact, “Borat” was banned in nearly every Arab country.
#2: “A Serbian Film” (2010)
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It takes a lot to offend 21st century movie-goers. The Motion Picture Association in America, for instance, has grown more lenient throughout the years. So it can seem like everything but the most extreme content is given a pass. Well, “A Serbian Film” has that extreme content, and then some. It carries a heavy reputation, and it’s widely regarded as one of the most unsettling, gross films ever made. It was therefore banned (either temporarily or permanently) in numerous places, including New Zealand. One Spanish festival director notably faced charges for publicly showing the movie, though he was exonerated. It was also the first film in over 20 years to be banned in Brazil.
#1: “The Interview” (2014)
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It’s rare for a movie to cause as much drama as “The Interview.” This political satire is about an entertainment talk show host and his producer who travel to North Korea to interview Kim Jong-un. Unsurprisingly, the country was none too happy with the content of the film and took offense with its depiction of their nation and leader. A criminal group with links to North Korea hacked into Sony Pictures Entertainment and threatened violence in a bid to prevent the film’s release. In the aftermath, “The Interview”’s US wide theatrical release was controversially axed by Sony. While it would go on to be released through VOD and streaming, it remained banned in both North Korea and Russia.
