There are movies that are enjoyably harrowing and there are movies that are just plain disturbing and horrific harrowing. This list deals with the later type of harrowing. Sometimes there are movies that make you want to scrub your eyeballs in bleach after you watch them - for example, Pasolini's Salo. It is not featured in the list but it is a perfect example of a harrowing movie that you only want to watch one time. If you raved to me that your favourite film is Salo and you watch it every day, I would be greatly concerned for your mental health. It's the same with the movies below. The harrow factor is so off the chart with these films, you can appreciate them as works of art, but you can't really love them. It may be a necessity to watch them once but it will be a long time before you are firing them on your DVD player again.
10. Irreversible (2002)
Gaspar Noé is no stranger to harrowing movies, having directed the pretty harrowing Seul Contre Tous which is an excellent but very disturbing film. In 2002, Noé threw his lot in with Irreversible, a film so gruelling, so distressing I have only been able to watch it once. The film has a non linear plot, but I will put the events in chronological order for the sake of coherency. Alex and Marcus are lying in bed post-coitus. She informs him that she might be pregnant and Marcus is pleased by this. They are going to a party and while Marcus pops out to get wine, Alex's pregnancy is confirmed by a home pregnancy kit. At the party, Alex is disgusted by Marcus' boorish behaviour and she leaves to go home. Alex ventures down to the train when she comes across a man slapping up a transvestite prostitute. The man is known as Le Tenia and in virtually unwatchable scenes he anally rapes Alex and beats the Living daylights out of her. Marcus and his friend Pierre leave the party and see Alex being stretchered off into an ambulance. Thus begins the hunt to find Alex's attacker. They end up, via a series of leads, in a club charmingly called The Rectum in pursuit of Le Tenia. They find him standing with another man. This man tries to rape Marcus. Pierre grabs a fire extinguisher and bludgeons Marcus' attacker to death in some more virtually unwatchable scenes. However this is not Le Tenia.. Filmed in a queasy, claustrophobic style that will really make you feel ill, Noé renders this tale of rape and revenge on the screen with such harrowing effect, it is unlikely you will be reloading it into your DVD tray in a hurry. Irreversible is much too heavy going to be watched repeatedly. It is that strong. It is a brilliant movie that is highly acclaimed and it was a stroke of genius on Noé's behalf to stage the film backwards - it heightens the horror and makes an unpleasant film even more unpleasant.