From controversial scenes that shocked audiences to moments that sparked global outrage, we're diving into the most notorious movie scenes that caused massive backlash. Prepare for a wild ride through cinema's most controversial moments that pushed boundaries and left viewers stunned!
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00:00I just want to see if it's really you.
00:03He's real, like us.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the on-screen moments that stirred up the most controversy.
00:12Warning, a few spoilers ahead.
00:21Number 10, The Assassination, The Interview.
00:30Come on, let your colors burst. Make them go, oh, oh.
00:38All things considered, this 2014 political satire was pretty brazen.
00:44Not only does it portray a feared political figure as an overly sensitive man-child who loves Katy Perry,
00:50but it also features his fiery demise.
00:53While delivered in a darkly comedic fashion, the ending sparked a global uproar,
00:58leading North Korea to condemn The Interview before it even came out.
01:02North Korea says the United States is on the verge of committing an act of war and that it's reckless, provocative insanity.
01:10In fact, they refer to it as an act of war and undisguised sponsoring of terrorism.
01:16Things escalated when Sony Pictures became the target of a massive cyber-attack,
01:21wherein hackers issued threats of violence against theaters screening the film.
01:25This real-life tension led to several delays and changes to The Interview's release strategy.
01:30One of the largest theater chains in the country says it is now pulling the plug on The Interview.
01:35This really is hitting Sony right in the wallet.
01:38Number 9, Multiversal Cameos, The Flash.
01:42Look at what's happening. These worlds.
01:46This box office bomb aimed to celebrate DC's multiverse,
01:51but its use of CGI renderings of past characters fell flat.
01:55Similar to Carrie Fisher's controversial de-aged appearance in Rogue One, a Star Wars story,
02:01and Ian Holm's posthumous one in Alien Romulus,
02:05The Flash featured cameos of actors who once portrayed DC heroes and villains.
02:10Among them were recreations of deceased icons like Adam West, Christopher Reeve, and George Reeves.
02:17Critics and fans slammed the cameos as exploitative and disrespectful,
02:22not to mention poorly designed and unsettling.
02:24Word of advice, if you're going to tastelessly include digital versions of late performers,
02:30at least make sure they're done well.
02:32How long have you been doing this?
02:35Time is inconsequential.
02:37Number 8, The Love Scene, Ecstasy.
02:41Okay, so by today's standards, this moment isn't exactly shocking, but to 1933 audiences,
02:48it was downright scandalous.
02:50Starring a young Hedy Lamarr, Ecstasy features one of the first depictions of female nudity
02:55in mainstream cinema, as well as a boundary-pushing climax,
02:59and we're not talking about the film's finale.
03:02This triggered a global uproar, with religious groups and censors decrying the movie as
03:07immoral and several countries banning it outright.
03:10Even the Pope publicly condemned it.
03:13Although the outcry nearly derailed Lamarr's budding career, Ecstasy is recognized as a
03:18milestone in movie history even decades later, albeit one forever linked to controversy.
03:24Number 7, Nuking the Fridge, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
03:41Oh, that can't be good at all.
03:43Indiana Jones devotees aren't likely to forget this moment, for better or worse.
03:49When Indy finds himself seconds away from being fried in an atomic explosion,
03:54he seeks refuge in the only place he can, a refrigerator.
03:587, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
04:09Many of us probably wouldn't think to do this, mostly because it's preposterous.
04:14But the jaw-dropping outcome here is that it works.
04:18Plenty of fans exploded with disdain for the scene,
04:21citing its absurdity and seeing it as an outlandish insult to plausible reality.
04:26Even worse, viewers declared this to be the exact
04:30instant that the Jones franchise had given up on good storytelling.
04:34It even birthed the phrase, Nuke the Fridge,
04:37a cinematic equivalent to television pop culture's famous term, Jump the Shark.
04:47Number 6, 9-11 Twist, Remember Me.
04:52I gotta go to my dad's office.
04:53Say hi to him for me.
04:58Alan Coulter's 2010 drama starts as a typical romance film,
05:02until it takes an unexpected and unwelcome turn.
05:05The movie reveals that its protagonist dies in the 9-11 attacks,
05:10a twist that many viewers found unnecessary and even offensive.
05:14The decision was criticized for exploiting the tragedy of September 11th
05:18for emotional manipulation.
05:20Audiences also felt the story trivialized the real-life victim's loss,
05:25especially given the tone leading up to the twist.
05:28As Lisa Kennedy of the Denver Post aptly put it,
05:31such is the danger of borrowing from the enormous to merely entertain.
05:37I love you.
05:42God, I miss you.
05:48And I forgive you.
05:49Number 5, Singing in the Rain, A Clockwork Orange.
05:53Yes, who is it?
05:55Excuse me, missus, can you please help?
05:57There's been a terrible accident.
06:00My friend's in the middle of the road, bleeding to death.
06:02Can I please use your telephone for an ambulance?
06:04Stanley Kubrick's dystopian cult classic is infamous for its disturbing sequences,
06:09but perhaps one of its most jarring occurs when the protagonist,
06:14Alex, simultaneously performs a brutal attack and jaunty song and dance routine.
06:20While much of the film shocked audiences,
06:22the stark contrast between the cheerful tune and violent assault proved too much for some.
06:28Many viewers saw this scene as a glorification of brutality,
06:31whereas others debated Kubrick's intent to highlight society's desensitization to violence.
06:38Some even believed A Clockwork Orange to have inspired copycat crimes.
06:42Regardless of interpretation,
06:44there's no denying this sequence is among the most memorably frightening moments
06:49in a film defined by its darkness.
06:52Number 4, The Temptation, The Last Temptation of Christ.
06:56He's tested you and he's happy with you.
06:59He doesn't want your blood.
07:02He said, let him die in a dream, but let him live his life.
07:07Martin Scorsese's epic religious drama isn't the only work to portray Jesus
07:11grappling with human struggles, but it stands out for the uproar it caused.
07:16Audiences were particularly outraged by a sequence in which Jesus, played by Willem Dafoe,
07:22steps down from the cross, marries Mary Magdalene, and lives as a mortal man.
07:28What's wrong?
07:31Why are you crying?
07:34I'm thanking God for bringing you here.
07:40Religious groups condemned this choice as blasphemous and a distortion of the Gospels.
07:45This plot point launched widespread protests, theater boycotts, and even a terrorist attack
07:51in Paris, where a group attempted to burn down a theater screening of the film.
07:55Decades later, The Last Temptation of Christ remains a flashpoint in debates about faith,
08:01arts, and creative expression.
08:03You know, I'm glad I met you, because now I can forget all about you.
08:07My Jesus is much more important and much more powerful.
08:11Number 3.
08:12Butter, Last Tango in Paris
08:16There's some butter in the kitchen.
08:18So you're here.
08:20What did you answer?
08:21Who left the butter?
08:22Despite being released in 1972, this drama starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider
08:29continues to spark outrage.
08:32While some hail Last Tango in Paris as an erotic masterpiece, its depiction of a graphic
08:38and non-consensual act understandably unsettles viewers.
08:42You afraid?
08:43No.
08:44No?
08:50You're always afraid.
08:51Upon its release, the film faced walkouts, protests, and even legal action, with director
08:57Bernardo Bertolucci being tried for obscenity in Italy.
09:01It gets much worse behind the camera.
09:03Schneider later revealed she felt harassed and manipulated by both Bertolucci and Brando
09:08during filming, particularly in the notorious butter scene.
09:12This revelation makes an already disturbing moment even harder to stomach.
09:17I've got a surprise for you.
09:21That's good.
09:24I like surprises.
09:25Number 2.
09:26Shower Scene, Psycho
09:28Julie, wouldn't you like to stay just a little while longer?
09:31Just for talk?
09:33I'd like to, but…
09:35Alright.
09:36Today it's one of the most iconic and terrifying segments ever featured in a movie.
09:41But in 1960, Marion Crane's murder was considered ghastly by many audiences.
09:46They were appalled at seeing a woman befall such a violent fate,
09:50especially in this kind of vulnerable scenario.
09:54International censors insisted that the scene be edited before release,
09:58with objections to perceived nudity and excessive stabbing shots being the chief complaints.
10:04Other elements also invited pushback, like the notorious toilet flush and the reveal
10:09of Mrs. Bates' remains.
10:11But public exasperation surrounding the shower sequence outshone them all.
10:16Despite this, Psycho towered as the second-highest-grossing movie in its history.
10:21It seems that some moviegoers enjoy a dose of the macabre with their entertainment,
10:27even despite controversy.
10:511. The Crucifix Scene – The Exorcist
11:05It's no secret that this horror classic turned some heads.
11:08The Exorcist more than did its job of scaring initial audiences,
11:13with many viewers fainting and vomiting upon their first watch.
11:17In fact, some theaters even had ambulances on hand.
11:20The movie had no shortage of creepy moments, from the creepy backwards crawl,
11:25to the infamous backward head-turn, to the demon Pazuzu's foul mouth.
11:36But decades after The Exorcist hit theaters,
11:39watchers are still haunted by the moment when Regan's mother walks in on her possessed daughter
11:44performing a heinous act with a religious artifact.
11:47If you're of the Catholic faith, it doesn't get any more offensive than this.
11:52Needless to say, many critics were not amused.
11:59Did we miss any outrageous scenes? Let us know in the comments.