30 Most Controversial Movies of All Time: Where to Watch Everything From 'Cannibal Holocaust' to 'Lolita'

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Ghezal Amiri

Ghezal Amiri

JustWatch Editor

Some of the most controversial movies of all time have pushed the boundaries of what is socially acceptable and tested the limits of artistic expression. These movies often tackle taboo subjects such as sexuality, violence and politics in a way that challenges traditional norms and values. Our guide showcases 30 of the most controversial movies of all time and where you can stream them on platforms like Netflix and more!

Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 dystopian crime drama A Clockwork Orange is a celebrated mainstay in the discussion of controversial movies. The movie is infamous for its graphic depictions of violence and rape along with its exploration of the morality of free will and government control. Despite the controversy, the movie has garnered critical acclaim for its cinematic techniques and thought-provoking themes.

What makes audiences intrigued to view such controversial movies is often a desire to confront uncomfortable or challenging subjects. These movies can elicit strong emotional reactions and force audiences to question their beliefs and values. Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological horror-thriller that has been both critically acclaimed and subject to controversy. The film follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she seeks the help of incarcerated cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Sir Anthony Hopkins) to catch another serial killer. Hopkins' ability at depicting such a morally despicable individual earned the legendary actor the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992.

In some cases, controversy can even generate publicity; drawing in viewers who may not have been interested otherwise. The 1973 horror classic The Exorcist famously had audience fainting during initial screenings. Additionally, some viewers may be drawn to controversial movies as a form of rebellion against social norms or as a way to challenge authority.

Where to watch the best controversial movies of all time online

Controversial movies ultimately offer a unique opportunity for filmmakers to push the boundaries of creativity and for audiences to engage in thought-provoking and often intense cinematic experiences. Here are 30 of the most controversial movies of all time and where to find them streaming in the United States!

  1. The ion of the Christ

    The ion of the Christ

    2004

    # 1

    A graphic portrayal of the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life.

  2. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom

    # 2

    Four corrupted fascist libertines round up 9 teenage boys and girls and subject them to 120 days of sadistic physical, mental and sexual torture.

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  3. A Clockwork Orange

    A Clockwork Orange

    1971

    # 3

    In a near-future Britain, young Alexander DeLarge and his pals get their kicks beating and raping anyone they please. When not destroying the lives of others, Alex swoons to the music of Beethoven. The state, eager to crack down on juvenile crime, gives an incarcerated Alex the option to undergo an invasive procedure that'll rob him of all personal agency. In a time when conscience is a commodity, can Alex change his tune?

  4. The Exorcist

    The Exorcist

    1973

    # 4

    When a charming 12-year-old girl takes on the characteristics and voices of others, doctors say there is nothing they can do. As people begin to die, the girl's mother realizes her daughter has been possessed by the Devil. Her daughter's only possible hope lies with two priests and the ancient rite of demonic exorcism.

  5. Cannibal Holocaust

    Cannibal Holocaust

    1980

    # 5

    A New York University professor returns from a rescue mission to the Amazon rainforest with the footage shot by a lost team of documentarians who were making a film about the area's local cannibal tribes.

  6. Last Tango in Paris

    Last Tango in Paris

    1972

    # 6

    A recently widowed American begins an anonymous sexual relationship with a young Parisian woman.

  7. The Birth of a Nation

    # 7

    Two families, abolitionist Northerners the Stonemans and Southern landowners the Camerons, intertwine. When Confederate colonel Ben Cameron is captured in battle, nurse Elsie Stoneman petitions for his pardon. In Reconstruction-era South Carolina, Cameron founds the Ku Klux Klan, battling Elsie's congressman father and his African-American protégé, Silas Lynch.

  8. Irreversible

    Irreversible

    2002

    # 8

    Events over the course of one traumatic night in Paris unfold in reverse-chronological order.

  9. A Serbian Film

    A Serbian Film

    2010

    # 9

    Retired porn star Milos leads a normal family life trying to make ends meet. Presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to financially his family for the rest of their lives, Milos must participate in one last mysterious film. From then on, Milos is drawn into a maelstrom of unbelievable cruelty and mayhem.

  10. Lolita

    Lolita

    1962

    # 10

    Humbert Humbert is a middle-aged British novelist who is both appalled by and attracted to the vulgarity of American culture. When he comes to stay at the boarding house run by Charlotte Haze, he soon becomes obsessed with Lolita, the woman's teenaged daughter.

  11. The Last Temptation of Christ

    # 11

    Jesus, a humble Judean carpenter beginning to see that he is the son of God, is drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas -- despite his protestations that love, not violence, is the path to salvation. The burden of being the savior of mankind torments Jesus throughout his life, leading him to doubt.

  12. Natural Born Killers

    Natural Born Killers

    1994

    # 12

    Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.

  13. Kids

    Kids

    1995

    # 13

    A day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating, drinking, smoking and deflowering virgins.

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  14. Crash

    Crash

    1996

    # 14

    After getting into a serious car accident, a TV director discovers an underground sub-culture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims, and he begins to use car accidents and the raw sexual energy they produce to try to rejuvenate his sex life with his wife.

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  15. Showgirls

    Showgirls

    1995

    # 15

    A young drifter named Nomi arrives in Las Vegas to become a dancer and soon sets about clawing and pushing her way to become a top showgirl.

  16. Basic Instinct

    Basic Instinct

    1992

    # 16

    Catherine, a novelist with an insatiable sexual appetite, becomes a prime suspect when her boyfriend is brutally murdered -- a crime she had described in her latest story.

  17. Caligula

    Caligula

    1979

    # 17

    After the death of the paranoid emperor Tiberius, Caligula, his heir, seizes power and plunges the empire into a bloody spiral of madness and depravity.

  18. Day of the Woman

    Day of the Woman

    1978

    # 18

    A young, beautiful career woman rents a backwoods cabin to write her first novel. Attacked by a group of local lowlifes and left for dead, she devises a horrific plan to inflict revenge.

  19. The Devils

    The Devils

    1971

    # 19

    In 17th-century , Father Urbain Grandier seeks to protect the city of Loudun from the corrupt establishment of Cardinal Richelieu. Hysteria occurs within the city when he is accused of witchcraft by the sexually repressed Sister Jeanne.

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  20. Cuties

    Cuties

    2020

    # 20

    Amy, an 11-year-old girl, s a group of dancers named “the cuties” at school, and rapidly grows aware of her burgeoning femininity—upsetting her mother and her values in the process.

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