Top 10 Most Disturbing yet Great Movies

by Piratespack | created - 14 Mar 2011 | updated - 14 Mar 2011 | Public

A mix of movies that are disturbing for various reasons (violence, sex, whatever), yet great fun to watch.

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1. The Departed (2006)

R | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

85 Metascore

An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg

Votes: 1,422,866 | Gross: $132.38M

Great movie. Nothing defines unexpected violence than the full scene of Billy Costigan bringing in Sullivan.

2. Fortress (1985)

TV-MA | 88 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

After being kidnapped for ransom by four criminals, a schoolteacher and her students flee into a cave and build fortifications in anticipation of a decisive battle with their captors.

Director: Arch Nicholson | Stars: Sean Garlick, Rachel Ward, Elaine Cusick, Laurie Moran

Votes: 3,546

Remembered watching this as a kid. When I rewatched it as an adult, I was shocked at how violent yet awesome a movie it was.

3. Little Children (2006)

R | 137 min | Drama, Romance

75 Metascore

The lives of two lovelorn spouses from separate marriages, a registered sex offender, and a disgraced ex-police officer intersect as they struggle to resist their vulnerabilities and temptations in suburban Massachusetts.

Director: Todd Field | Stars: Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley

Votes: 116,790 | Gross: $5.46M

Great movie. The only time I have ever actually felt sorry for a pedophile.

4. A History of Violence (2005)

R | 96 min | Action, Crime, Drama

82 Metascore

A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.

Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt

Votes: 252,910 | Gross: $31.49M

When else does a rape scene just work so great? And that is only the beginning.

5. Adaptation. (2002)

R | 115 min | Comedy, Drama

83 Metascore

A lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen.

Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton

Votes: 203,108 | Gross: $22.25M

Maybe it was the unexpected gator scene, maybe it was the Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep) on an adult website? So many things... But great.

6. Se7en (1995)

R | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

65 Metascore

Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.

Director: David Fincher | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker

Votes: 1,799,922 | Gross: $100.13M

Saw this as a kid, but can still remember the shocking moment. Who doesn't?

7. Falling Down (1993)

R | 113 min | Action, Crime, Drama

56 Metascore

An ordinary man frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them.

Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin

Votes: 206,747 | Gross: $40.90M

Lots of violence, but you find yourself rooting for D-Fens to destroy everyone in his path.

8. Running Scared (2006)

R | 122 min | Action, Crime, Drama

41 Metascore

A low-ranking thug is entrusted by his crime boss to dispose of a gun that killed corrupt cops, but things get out of control when the gun ends up in wrong hands.

Director: Wayne Kramer | Stars: Paul Walker, Cameron Bright, Chazz Palminteri, Vera Farmiga

Votes: 103,706 | Gross: $6.86M

Great movie. Way more violent than you would expect though.

9. Alpha Dog (2006)

R | 122 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

53 Metascore

Johnny and his pals kidnap Jake's 15-year-old brother Zach, then assign his buddy Frankie to be Zach's minder. They develop a brotherly friendship. Zach parties with his captors as things begin to spin out of control.

Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Willis

Votes: 108,013 | Gross: $15.23M

Not disturbing like the others, but not knowing the true story the movie was based on, made the final scenes a little disturbing (though you could kind of see it coming).

10. The Crying Game (1992)

R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Romance

90 Metascore

A British soldier kidnapped by the IRA soon befriends one of his captors, who then becomes drawn into the soldier's world.

Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker, Miranda Richardson

Votes: 60,076 | Gross: $62.55M

Okay I saw this movie as a kid and didn't like it that much. And maybe if I saw it now it would be different, but I will say there was nothing more shocking to a young teenage boy than the sex scene. Especially to one that had never seen anything like that before (remember it was the pre-internet days).



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