Top 20 Scariest Banned Horror Movies
#20: “Freaks” (1932)
The UK The “freaks” in question here refer to disabled individuals who perform in a carnival sideshow. However, its merits as a horror film are undeniable. “Freaks” underwent a critical reevaluation in the 1960s, with many arguing that it’s not exploitative but sympathetic to its titular characters. It’s also attracted the attention of film scholars, who praise the movie’s horror sequences and study its themes on class and disability. These merits were not recognized back in the 1930s, when “Freaks” was met with widespread controversy. It was banned in the United Kingdom owing to its disturbing content and wasn’t released there until 1963, when it was given an X rating.
#19: “Dead Alive” (1992)
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Multiple Countries Known as “Braindead” outside of North America, “Dead Alive” is a revolting splatter movie directed by Peter Jackson. While more of a comedy than a horror movie, “Dead Alive” mines some chills from its zombie-based violence. And what horrible violence it is. Considered one of the goriest movies ever made, “Dead Alive” features buckets upon buckets of blood. The gore greatly upset a number of international film censors, and the movie was banned in Finland, Singapore, and South Korea. While Finland has since lifted the ban, it remains prohibited in the latter two countries. The uncut version is also banned in Germany. Instead, they released a heavily-edited version that’s missing most of the violence.
#18: “Saw 3D” (2010)
Top 10 Scariest Banned Horror Movies
Germany “Saw 3D” was the seventh and supposedly final chapter in the mega popular “Saw” franchise, and like its predecessors, it includes scenes of extreme violence. This violence was almost too much for the MPAA, who slapped the movie with an NC-17 rating numerous times before it was edited and given an R. The German censors weren’t so lenient. It was banned for a number of months beginning in 2012, as the film betrayed the country’s penal code. Under “Representation of violence,” it claims that movies cannot portray “inhuman acts of violence against human or humanoid beings.” As such, it was against the law to show “Saw 3D” in public, but the ruling was eventually overturned.
#17: “Hostel” (2005)
Ukraine Writer-director Eli Roth took a huge page out of the “Saw” handbook and crafted a sister franchise of sorts called “Hostel.” Like “Saw,” “Hostel” was criticized for containing a flimsy story that served mainly as a platform for its grisly violence. Roth believed that “Hostel” would be given an NC-17 and planned around the edits he would have to make, and the MPAA obliged. In the end, over twenty minutes were cut to get it down to R. But Ukrainian censors weren’t so forgiving, and like “Saw 3D” in Germany, all public showings were banned. However, it’s still legal there to own a private copy.
#16: “Mother’s Day” (1980)
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Australia & the UK A little-known cult classic of sorts, “Mother’s Day” takes its cues from infamous revenge films of the 1970s like “I Spit on Your Grave” and “The Last House on the Left.” More on them in a bit! The story follows three city women who are assaulted during a camping trip. They then seek revenge against the depraved people responsible. “Mother’s Day” immediately attracted negative attention, with critics calling it “repulsively graphic” and “sick.” Australian censors banned the film in 1985, and it wasn’t approved for distribution by the BBFC. It remained banned in the United Kingdom - minus the odd television airing - until 2015.
#15: “Maniac” (2012)
New Zealand Back in 1980, director William Lustig released “Maniac,” a highly controversial movie about a serial killer who scalps his female victims. The movie was remade in 2012 starring Elijah Wood as the killer, and it was every bit as controversial as its predecessor. “Maniac” received mixed reviews, with some praising its intelligence and performances while others criticized the high degree of bloody violence. It’s not often that slashers get banned in today’s day and age, but “Maniac” proved the exception. The New Zealand government banned the movie from theaters and restricted its release on home video. However, it was given the green light for film festivals and “academic viewing” in educational institutions.
#14: “Faces of Death” (1978)
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Multiple Countries This film is quite unique; unlike the others on this list, it features highly disturbing sequences of real deaths. There’s a basic plot revolving around a pathologist, and many scenes were made specifically for the movie. However, about half of the film is composed of genuine footage. Real scenes include the horribly graphic death of a cyclist and the nightmarish aftermath of a plane crash. Morbid curiosity is evidently a huge selling point, as “Faces of Death” grossed $35 million at the box office. Regardless, and perhaps understandably, the movie was outlawed around the world, with countries like New Zealand and Australia banning it outright. It was also labeled a “video nasty” in the UK and remained unavailable on home video until 2003.
#13: “The Poughkeepsie Tapes” (2007)
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The US Some movies have very confusing releases, and “The Poughkeepsie Tapes” is one of them. The movie serves as a fake documentary about a serial killer who prowls the area of Poughkeepsie, New York. Interspersed throughout are snuff films personally shot by the killer - the titular “Poughkeepsie tapes.” The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007 and was scheduled for a theatrical release in 2008, but MGM pulled the plug. It then saw a very brief release on VOD in 2014 before getting pulled yet again. It was finally released on DVD in 2017, a full ten years after its festival debut. The reason for this janky schedule are unknown, but some posit that it was too disturbing for a wide theatrical distribution.
#12: “Black Sunday” (1960)
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The UK This gothic Italian horror film serves as the official directorial debut of Mario Bava, who would become known as the Master of the Macabre. He proved his budding talent with “Black Sunday,” a vicious film about a witch seeking revenge for her death. While it’s rather tame by today’s standards, the violence seen in “Black Sunday” was quite graphic for the time. Furthermore, its controversial themes are based in religion and witchcraft, and those were considered very sensitive subjects. As a result, “Black Sunday” was banned in the United Kingdom for many years. It didn’t receive a wide release there until 1968, but the film was heavily censored. The full and uncut version wasn’t seen in the UK until 1992.
#11: “The Evil Dead” (1981)
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The UK Made for a paltry $375,000, “The Evil Dead” overcame its small budget and birthed one of the most iconic franchises in horror. And it did so by being really, really gross. It received much trouble in America, where it has been repeatedly given X and NC-17 ratings for its violence. “The Evil Dead” also had trouble abroad. It was originally passed in the UK with an X, but it was later deemed a “video nasty” and taken out of circulation. It was subsequently banned there throughout much of the ‘80s, and the uncensored version wasn’t released until 2000. The 2013 remake had similar problems, as it was cut by five minutes to receive an R. The unrated version wasn’t released until 2018.
#10: “Antichrist” (2009)
France Danish director Lars von Trier makes movies that feel designed to sadden, sicken, and shock you all at once. And “Antichrist” might be his crowning achievement in terms of overall disturbing quality. The film details the harrowing journey taken by a couple after the accidental death of their son. We don’t blame you if you have to look away or even turn it off. In 2016, seven years after its release, “Antichrist” was banned in France due to a court deeming its 16+ rating too low. Promouvoir, a Catholic traditionalist group, had pressured the court in hopes of having the film reclassified with a more restrictive rating. As of yet, there’s no indication of “Antichrist” being re-rated and unbanned in the country.
#9: “The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)” (2011)
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The UK, Australia, & New Zealand If you’re wondering what a “human centipede” is, we’re not going to explain it here. The second installment in this gross-out trilogy is about a disturbed man who’s inspired by the first film to try some unnecessary surgery of his own. Unsurprisingly, the film's graphic content got it banned in multiple countries, with the British Board of Film Classification initially disallowing its release before accepting a cut version. A similar situation happened with the Australian Classification Review Board, which also later accepted a recut version. And, in New Zealand, the film wasn’t shown in theaters, due to the controversy in Australia. Sometimes, a few minutes of cuts can make all the difference.
#8: “I Spit on Your Grave” (1978)
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Multiple Countries This film, about a woman who’s attacked and then gets revenge on her assailants, bears the dubious honor of being called “the worst movie of all time” by the late, great critic Roger Ebert. While there’s debate over the artistic and moral value of “I Spit on Your Grave,” it’s undeniably a difficult watch. The film’s graphic content got it banned in many countries, such as Iceland, Ireland, Norway, China, Singapore, Thailand, and West Germany. It was also banned in Canada until the ‘90s, as well as for seven years in Australia. The original title was “Day of the Woman,” which doesn’t quite indicate how shocking it truly is.
#7: “Cannibal Holocaust” (1980)
Multiple Countries With a title like this, you know not to choose it for family movie night. An early example of found-footage horror, “Cannibal Holocaust” details the search for an American documentary crew that goes missing in the Amazon rainforest. The film sparked intense controversy for its actual depictions of animal deaths and graphic violence. It was so convincing, that the director, Ruggero Deodato, was charged with murder, which he was later cleared of. But the film still received bans around the world, including in Italy, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Some of these bans have been lifted, but “Cannibal Holocaust” remains one of the hardest movies to endure.
#6: “The Last House on the Left” (1972)
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The UK Director Wes Craven was responsible for two of the most famous horror series of all time. But his career started with a movie so unsettling, it makes those other films look like kid stuff. “The Last House on the Left,” a horror take on Ingmar Bergman’s “The Virgin Spring,” tells the harrowing story of parents seeking revenge on their daughter’s killers. The results are brutal, and the film sparked plenty of controversy. In the UK, the British Board of Film Censors declined to give it a certification, resulting in its ban. In 2002, a modified version of the film earned an “18” certificate, while the uncensored version was released in 2008. We’ll stick with “Scream,” thanks.
#5: “Hostel: Part II” (2007)
Multiple Countries Some horror movies almost seem like they’re trying to convince you to avoid travel at all costs. We’ve already gone into detail about the first “Hostel,” and the second film went even further in terms of depravity. As a result, many countries have been hostile toward “Hostel: Part II.” Eli Roth’s sequel has been banned/censored in multiple countries, including New Zealand, Germany, and Malaysia, and it’s pretty incredible to think it even played in American multiplexes. Four years later, “Hostel: Part III” was released straight to video, and attracted far less negative attention.
#4: “Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom” (1975)
Multiple Countries “Salò” is based on a book by the Marquis de Sade, who’s responsible for the term “sadism.” And that’s certainly what happens in director Pier Paolo Pasolini’s film about teenagers being tortured in fascist Italy. Just hearing about the acts depicted on screen is enough to turn your stomach. This explains why the film has been banned in so many countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. These bans have been lifted, but not until decades later. While many have praised “Salò” as a work of legit cinema, others find it more obscene than artistic.
#3: “A Serbian Film” (2010)
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Multiple Countries If there was ever a horror movie that should come with mandatory therapy for viewers, it’s this one. This film, a Serbian production about the making of a shockingly brutal film, is itself shockingly brutal. And so, it’s been banned in multiple countries for its sickening content. At different points, the film has been banned in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Spain. Overall, it’s reportedly been banned in forty-six countries. We’re all for watching films from different cultures. But if you’re looking for a good, clean Serbian film to watch, we recommend choosing something besides “A Serbian Film.”
#2: “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974)
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Multiple Countries Compared to horror films that came after it, the original “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” can seem somewhat quaint. But it’s still an incredibly effective thriller and caused quite a stir when it was first released. Contemporary audiences weren’t used to seeing violence depicted in such a brutal way, and many countries subsequently banned it. These included Australia, Brazil, France, Ireland, Sweden, and Norway. Not all of these bans have been permanent, and the film is now recognized as a horror classic. It might not be the goriest movie on this list, but it’s definitely one of the scariest. Its sequel also garnered controversy, receiving bans in Singapore, Germany, and Australia.
#1: “The Exorcist” (1973)
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Malaysia Director William Friedkin’s film about a young girl’s demonic possession was nominated for ten Oscars and won two, including Best Adapted Screenplay. It also arguably changed horror and movies in general, forever. The film’s graphic content reportedly caused numerous viewers to throw up and pass out. There were even reports of heart attacks. Various cities in the US and UK ended up banning the film, but it still became a box office bonanza. The film was even banned in Malaysia. While undoubtedly a great piece of filmmaking, it’s certainly not one you want to watch with dinner.
