Considering that, as you point out, with at least some of these movies, “viewers are left to ponder and process what they have just absorbed, the personal and societal implications,” I would agree that they are certainly not made for enjoyment, but would also say that they were not made “ONLY made to test the endurance of their viewers” (emphasis mine).
True that. The stamina test is just one aspect of extreme films like these. The filmmakers surely had many intensions, some more obvious than others. Just not “enjoyment” at least in the traditional sense of the word. There’s also a small percentage of viewers who actually do find sadistic pleasure in this type of entertainment, but that’s a can of worms I didn’t want to open.
Found. was extremely disturbing about a boy named Marty who discovers his older brother Steve is a serial killer who takes his victims’ heads as souvenirs. The last ten minutes of the movie is played out entirely in the audience’s minds as Marty is tied to his bed listening to the murders of his parents in another room.
i wouldn’t consider all of these to be “horror” films, but i’m always a, eh, “fan” of a “good” disturbing film (yeah, it’s hard to say that without the quote marks). a few more i’d add to the list: -Martyrs (french canadian film that starts out as a revenge film and turns into something much, much darker… in search of enlightenment no less) -Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (three words: nazi torture club) -Ichi the Killer (this is one that, while it’s almost laughably over the top–think arterial spurts that look like they were fired by a pressure washer–the subject matter and coldness of the characters makes it disturbing enough to make my list, and even if you don’t consider it disturbing enough, it’s still a great film anyway) -Happiness (the most dysfunctional “normal” family you’ve ever met. okay, it’s not technically horror, but it’s as black as a black comedy can get, and certainly disturbing from beginning to end… though i would say it’s a film that can be watched and, eh, “enjoyed” more than a few times. i challenge you not to either pity or loathe any one of the characters in this film) -KIDS (again, not technically horror by any means, but one of the darkest, most disturbing films ever produced in my opinion, starring real street skater kids, not actors, and introducing names like chloe sevigny and rosario dawson to the industry) -Straw Dogs (1971. relatively tame by today’s “standards,” but still no less disturbing, especially for a Dustin Hoffman vehicle. two words: bear trap) -Audition (japanese slow burn with a fiery ending) -Dread (film student attempting to make a documentary about people’s darkest fears) -Vulgar (a party clown pieces his life back together after being gang raped) -Santa Sangre (alejandro jodorowski is the master of the mind fuck, and this one is no exception) -I Spit On Your Grave (1978 version is far more disturbing and difficult to watch than the remake) -Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (enter the mind of a true psychopath. loosely based on real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas) -Man Bites Dog (a mass-murderer brings a camera crew along with him to document his talents, and his twisted philosophizing between killings is no less disturbing) there’s another japanese film i saw a year or two ago that is definitely worthy of the list, but unfortunately the title escapes me. i’ll try to find it again and post it either here or on https://www.facebook.com/groups/diabofilmreview/
ok just remembered it: while the entirety of the film isn’t as disturbing, there is one segment in particular in The ABCs of Death that definitely fits the category: L is for Libido. A man is unmasked to find himself strapped to a wooden chair, next to another man in the same predicament, both being watched by a masked audience. a naked woman appears and both men begin to masturbate. the first man ejaculates first, and the woman presses a button, releasing a large wooden spike that impales the second man. this is only the first in a series of “competitions” the man is forced to endure throughout the segment… that being said, The ABCs of Death is a great film as a whole, 26 short films, each made by a different filmmaker. the filmmakers were each given a different letter of the alphabet and given full freedom to do with it what they wanted, as long as there is death involved. SEE THIS FILM!!!
Because of the line crossed in that sequence -sexual violence against children- I turned it off and never finished it. Maybe potential viewers should be aware of thst.
Snowtown definitely deserves to be on the list. Soul blisteringly depressing, especially since it’s based on actual events. I’d add Requiem for a Dream. An amazing film I could only watch once. And maybe Red White and Blue. The Bunny Game made me disgusted with myself for even trying to watch it.
Where’s Gutter Balls? I found that film not so much sickening but also the dark humour aimed at sexual violence and a 10 min long rape the worst
Martyrs should be on this list. Eden Lake is pretty fucker up too. Poughkeepsie Tapes also comes to mind.
Watch “Dogtooth”. Probably one of the most disturbing films I’ve seen…and it’s on Netflix too! (or, it WAS at least…I watched it probably 2-3 years ago)
Watch the August Underground trilogy. American Guinea Pig and it’s “sequel,” Bloodshock for a bloody good time!
Megan is Missing was unbearable. Even the “payoff” in the last – let’s be real – twenty minutes was not worth sitting through the inane stupidity of the previous hour. The ending is shocking and disgusting, yes, but the real endurance trial is “can you listen to a bunch of teenagers talk about the ridiculous twaddle of their day-to-day lives for an hour non-stop?” It took me three attempts to get through it, and only because people kept telling me that the ending was worth it. It’s not worth it. I haven’t seen Hidden in the Woods or A Darker Reality yet, but if you tell me they’re worth sitting through I will go out and watch them tomorrow.
A film that is not a horror film that got under my skin was “Alive” (1993). It wasn’t the cannibalism that bothered me as much as the plane crash, the aftermath, the avalanche when they are sleeping in the fuselage, and the general feeling of cold and hopelessness. The fact that it was based on a true story didn’t hurt either.
Martyrs really broke me as did the Russian epic war film Come and see. The loved ones was very disturbing. Bad Boy Bubby also takes some doing.
The Night Train Murders was one of the few movies that left me wanting to take a bath. Last House on A Dead End Street and In A Glass Cage as well.
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