Featured Image Credit: Criterion
Warning: This article contains mention of abuse and rape which some readers may find distressing.
One controversial horror movie was so shocking at it was banned in six countries upon release, and remains controversial due to it's graphic content to this day, leaving many viewers shocked and disgusted.
Many would describe the process of watching a horror film as extremely unpleasant, and it varies from person to person whether you find the nerve-wracking hide-behind-the-covers experience pleasurable or not.
Experts have indicated that watching horror films can burn as many calories as a 30 minute walk due to the stress your body is put under, and some have left audiences so disgusted that they've resorted to vomiting in the cinema itself.
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One of the most iconic films not only within the horror genre but cinema as a whole isn't actually that scary, but instead features extremely graphic content that was shocking enough to have it banned in six different countries at release, as per UNILAD.
Pier Paolo Pasolini directed some of the most critically acclaimed films of the 20th century before his tragic and untimely murder, with some even making it into Sight and Sounds list of the greatest films of all time, but he's undoubtedly known best for bringing Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom to the big screen.
Adapted from the equally controversial 1785 novel by Marquis de Sade, Pasolini's film sees four Italian fascists kidnap 18 teenage boys and girls, subjecting them to heinous acts of violence, rape, and far more across the course of the film.
Despite being considered by some to be a monumental work of art, it was completely banned in Italy, Finland, Australia, West Germany, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK at release.
For the latter, took 24 years before the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) finally permitted an uncut version to be released, and it remains an incredibly controversial movie still to this day.
Reactions across social media are very much split between those who consider it to be amazing and others who simply can't get past the shocking content that is on display.
"It is the only movie I can think of that is at once a masterpiece but at the same time complete trash," argues one comment on Reddit, with another outlining that Salò "made me wince a few times and overall I felt horrible watching it. A truly disturbing movie."
"So, last night, I watched Salò," outlines one now-scarred film fan. "I agree that it is a masterpiece, but at the same time, I wish I had never seen it. The way the physical, psychological, and sexual abuse was presented in this movie made me scared for my life."
Certainly not one for the faint of hearted then, and definitely not one to suggest for date night - even if Bill Hader might suggest otherwise.
Salò is far from the only controversial film out there though, as many point towards other horrific flicks like A Serbian Movie and Cannabal Holocaust if you really want to test your resolve. However, it's one that's definitely stood the test of time, and continues to shock even seasoned horror fans to this day.
