As a fan of horror, I’ve seen quite a few films that many others would consider to be too upsetting to watch. If you want some examples, feel free to take a look at my articles concerning the films of the Disturbing Movie Iceberg and the New French Extremity. I was able to watch these movies without much issue, although the tortoise sequence in Cannibal Holocaust did make me feel a little queasy, but it’s interestingly been a couple of relatively tame horror films that actually managed to genuinely upset me in a way that I found both disturbing and triggering. Therefore, I thought it might be interesting if we took a look at the two films in question, the scenes in question and why they managed to get under my skin when so many others were unable to. Even though it may seem obvious, I still wish to warn you that there will be spoilers for the two films in question.
Drag Me To Hell
Of all the films that may’ve upset me, I’m sure many of you weren’t expecting this one, the Sam Raimi directed 2009 film Drag Me to Hell. From what I remember, it’s a pretty good movie. Following Christine Brown, a loan officer, as she has to contend with the curse a Romani woman gave her after her house was repossessed. She attempts to fight back against the curse with the help of a fortune teller and it’s one of these attempts that is the part that upsets me. You see, Christine has a pet cat at home and the fortune teller tells her that an animal sacrifice may be required to stave off the entity haunting her. She is abhorred by the suggestion but, after a particular incident, she is driven to sacrifice her cat in an ultimately futile attempt to free herself.
I’ve thought long and hard about why this scene upsets me. You see some blood but the cat itself is stabbed off-screen so it’s a pretty tame scene by most counts. What I’ve come to believe is that it’s both the context as well as several small details that allow for it to get to me. You see, I’ve had lots of cats throughout my lifetime, currently I have six, and I find their independence and range of personalities endearing but, because they live outdoors, I have to work hard in order to earn their trust. In the scene, Christine calls the cat over which the cat does, having complete faith in its owner, only for it to be stabbed to death by the very person it trusts most. Another detail that upsets me is that the cat survives the first couple of stabbings, crying out in pain as Christine stabs again and again. I believe that this culminates in something that proves to be too effective to me, toying with my life experience with cats as well as my sympathy for them.
The Babadook
The Babadook became quite the worldwide sensation in the years since its release and it took me a while before I got the chance to see the film for myself. Again, it’s a good movie and it’s one that’s sparked all manner of discussion. As for the story, we’re introduced to a widow called Amelia Vanek who’s trying to take care of her young son, Samuel. After reading a pop-up book to him concerning a creature called the Babadook, she starts experiencing strange events that begin to take a strongly negative effect on her.
Interestingly, it was the first half of the film that proved to be upsetting to me with the horror of the second half proving to be a relief to me. If you’re wondering why, it has to do with Samuel as well as the treatment and struggle that Amelia goes through her everyday life. You see, I have Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism that I’ve mentioned I have in other content I produce. While not explicitly stated, it has been noted that Samuel exhibits numerous traits that are typically associated with autism such as his inability to sleep as well as his social awkwardness which results in him and his mother being isolated by society. As I watched these scenes play out, I was flooded with memories from my childhood, many of which that I do not look on fondly due to either fault of my own or those of others. As you can imagine, this was not pleasant and while I commend Jennifer Kent for the accuracy, assuming of course that it isn’t a case of accidental representation, I found this film getting under my skin in a way that I was neither prepared for nor desiring.
I hope you enjoyed taking a look at these horror films that genuinely upset me and my explanations for why. Let me know what you think about all of this, what horror films that you yourself may’ve been genuinely upset by and for what reasons, what you think makes a disturbing horror film and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!