10 Sci-Fi Movies Audiences Walked Out Of

10. A Clockwork Orange

Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange was actually toned down somewhat from the original source material. For example, a scene in which protagonist Alex enjoys a sped-up threesome to a soundtrack of synthesised Beethoven is actually one of the films lighter moments. By contrast, At the same point in Anthony Burgess’ novel, Alex drugs and rapes two ten-year-old girls.

You can see why Kubrick decided not to depict that particular horror on screen but the film didn’t escape controversy. Probably because, despite the changes, there is still quite a lot of sex and violence left in this fairly faithful adaptation.

Any walkouts ended abruptly, in the UK at least, in 1973 when Kubrick himself asked for the film to be withdrawn from release after a spate of presumed copycat killings made the British press. There’s no walking out on a film you can’t walk in on.

Deprived for decades of the film’s iconic visuals and Malcolm McDowell’s brilliant starring performance, film fans in the UK can now access the film quite easily. The film was eventually rereleased after the director’s death, by which point you presume audiences had some idea what they were in for.