Warning: This article discusses themes that may upset some readers.
In the realm of horror cinema, there are films that make the audience uneasy, and then there are those so unsettling that they are prohibited in over 40 countries.
One such film is “A Serbian Film,” released in 2010. It has earned a reputation as one of the most contentious movies ever made.
This horror-thriller centers on Milos, a retired adult film actor who unwittingly becomes involved in a snuff film for one last lucrative project.
The narrative descends into a vortex of sexual violence, murder, and extreme depravity, making it challenging to even articulate its content, and the film sparked outrage as soon as it was shown.
In South Australia, the film was withdrawn a day before its scheduled screening at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival.
John Rau, the Attorney-General of the region at the time, elaborated on the decision not to classify the film: “It was grotesque at a number of levels.”
“Exploitative sexual violence, offensive depictions of interactions between children and adults, exploitative behaviour generally of a nature that is so unusual that I can’t imagine how any right-thinking person could think that this was something that should be appropriately, legally obtained in South Australia.”
Nonetheless, the festival’s director, Richard Wolstencroft, proceeded with a version approved at the national level. He stated to reporters: “I’m against the banning of any film, as long as no one’s actually been hurt.
“Even as it made me question it, this film is not illegal and as far as I can tell no one was hurt in the making of it; it was made legally, so I can’t see why the film shouldn’t be played.”
The backlash extended beyond Australia, with countries such as Spain, Malaysia, and Brazil completely prohibiting the film.
In both the US and the UK, the film could only be released with substantial edits—one minute cut for the American audience, and nearly four minutes removed across 11 different scenes in the UK.
The situation intensified in Spain when film festival director Ángel Sala was arrested in 2011 following complaints from a Catholic organization.
He faced charges for ‘exhibiting child pornography’ due to the screening of “A Serbian Film” and risked a year in prison before the charges were eventually dismissed.
However, the film’s director, Srđan Spasojević, maintains that the movie is more than just a vehicle for shock.
In a conversation with IndieWire, he expressed: “We just wanted to express our deepest and honest feelings towards our region and also the world in general – a world that is sugar-coated in political correctness, but also very rotten under that façade.”
Some critics perceive it as a harsh political metaphor reflecting Serbia’s history, while others dismiss it entirely.
If you’re contemplating watching this film, the top review on IMDb might deter you or affirm your decision.
It reads: “I heard about this movie on YouTube, it was someone saying don’t watch it it’s made to disturb you but I didn’t listen and I feel like vomiting now please do not watch this just don’t I’m literally crying right now.”
Perhaps that serves as sufficient caution.