10 Harrowing Movies That Will Crush Your Soul

A Clockwork Orange was banned in the UK for over 20 years at the request of Stanley Kubrick himself after it was accused of inciting copycat violence, and it remains one of the most controversial films of all time. Furthermore, unlike some controversial movies where the outrage was a product of the time more than anything else, this one does live up to its reputation and then some.

The picture's violence might seem tamer by today's standards, sure, but this is still an intensely harrowing watch. It's a nihilistic look at human nature that is not only full of misery, cruelty, and sadism, but it's also unsettling due to the complicated feelings it provokes in the viewer.

Throughout the first half of A Clockwork Orange, protagonist Alex (Malcolm McDowell) is a psychopath who provokes little more than abject disgust. Once he has been subjected to controversial mind control techniques, he falls apart, and many viewers will find themselves feeling sorry for him. 

Furthermore, as you'd expect from Kubrick, the ingenious directing ramps the film's intensity up past 11, and that theme music will always haunt you. It's a phenomenally good feature and one of Kubrick's very best, but it is not cheerful, nor is it an easy watch. 

In a filmography filled with gritty movies, A Clockwork Orange outdoes them all as Stanley Kubrick's bleakest movie.