10 Most Controversial Films Of The Classical Hollywood Era

9. Freaks (1932)

There are usually 3 types of horror films: ones that pile on the gore, ones that shock and awe, and ones that screw with your mind. And then there's the 1932 horror film, Freaks. Described by the director as "standing alone in a sub-genre of one", Freaks told the story about a group of deformed carnival performers who get unwittingly caught up in a murder plot. Unfortunately, the film's notoriety scuppered it's box office chances and ruined the director's career. Freaks cast people with actual deformities in the roles of the carnival 'freaks', and seeing people with real physical deformities onscreen unsettled audiences. The film's portrayal of the 'freaks' and 'normal' people didn't help either. Rather than being pigeon-holed into the villain roles, the 'freaks' were portrayed as inherently trusting and good people, whilst the 'normal' people were portrayed as the real 'monsters'. But it was the film's shocking content that courted great controversy. The film's murder plot involves 2 'normal' people deceiving the 'freaks' in an attempt to extort money. As retribution, one 'normal' person was punished by castration and the other had her hands melted, her legs cut off, and was then tarred and feathered. That's pretty graphic even with today's human centipede standards. Despite the initial controversy, retrospective reviews of Freaks praise the film as a unique and classic horror film.