18 Insanely Messed Up Movies You Might Not Be Able To Handle

Cinema's finest endurance tests.

The House That Jack Built
IFC Films

Over the past few decades, film censorship has slackened and the boundaries of what's acceptable to show on-screen have changed enormously, meaning that the content of certain films (especially in the horror genre) has, for better or for worse, gone to previously unthinkable extremes.

These days, there seem to be at least a few extreme films per year and these following eighteen films are good examples of this. They vary greatly in subject matter, quality, release date and country of origin, but they all have one thing in common: they are all so messed up they will have even the hardest viewers watching through their fingers.

A great way to think of these following movies is as cinematic endurance tests; can you handle them? Can you sit through the entire thing? If you can endure all eighteen of these movies then congratulations, but if you can't get through all of them, there's no shame in that at all. After all, some of these films will leave many viewers scarred for life...

Warning: Spoilers follow.

18. Would You Rather?

The House That Jack Built
Periscope Entertainment

Would You Rather? is usually seen as a funny game full of silly rhetorical questions, but after sitting through this Torture-Porn film, you'll never look at it the same way again.

The plot concerns a woman who is caring for her leukaemia-stricken brother and needs money for his treatment, so goes to a party to win some money. Unfortunately, in order to get the cash prize she has to participate in a sick game of Would You Rather? that goes above and beyond your worst nightmares.

This isn't particularly gory, but it is incredibly disturbing and absolutely filled with pain. As the guests are forced to stab, beat, electrocute and torture each other and a man, at one point, slices his own eye open, the movie starts to feel much longer than it actually is.

Protagonist Iris (Brittany Snow) ultimately wins the game, so surely there's at least a silver lining? Now she'll be able to afford her brother's treatment, right? Wrong.

Once she gets home it's revealed her brother committed suicide earlier on and it had all been for nothing. Cheerful stuff this ain't.

This is a very difficult film to watch that doesn't even offer a rewarding ending and this, coupled with the film's flat direction and script, make this one that's not really worth bothering with.

Contributor

Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.