Considering it came from a story by Quentin Tarantino and was directed by Oliver Stone, it should really come as no surprise that Natural Born Killers was the most controversial film of the 90s. The film encountered controversy for both the high quantity of violence as well as accusations that it had inspired several copycat killings. When Stone originally submitted the film to the NPAA, they warned him that he would need to trim about four minutes if he wanted to secure an R rating. Stone obliged, excising the troublesome footage and was given the lower certificate. Despite the cuts, the film still encountered censorship problems, being banned in Ireland and its release delayed in the UK. The UK cinema release was delayed so that the BBFC could investigate claims that the film had inspired copycat killings in the US and France. Natural Born Killers, which shows how a mass murdering couple are glorified by the media, was accused of providing a template for fame-seeking psychopaths. While Stone himself has repeatedly stated that anyone who thinks that the film is actually glorifying crime is missing the point, it proved an easy scapegoat for some very real tragedies, such as the Heath and Columbine high school massacres. Although no concrete link was ever established, it ensured that Natural Born Killers became one of the most notorious films of the 90s. What do you think the most controversial film of the 90s was? Shout out any we missed down in the comments.
