Despicable and offensive: 10 movies that made the world worse
It’s pretty safe to say that cinema was invented to make the world a better place, providing entertainment for the masses, as well as important documentaries, inspiring dramas and even wild horror movies that are the equivalent of roller coasters. Yet, despite its noble origins, throughout the generations, the true purpose of cinema has frequently been lost, leading to movies and filmmakers that actually damage the texture of contemporary society.
The large majority of these movies have been made in the 21st century, where bad opinions and conspiracy theories taint the world like dried toothpaste on the surface of a faucet. In a world where almost every single technological device has a camera attached, every single person who owns a phone thinks they have something profound to say about the shape of the world, leading to some truly offensive and dangerous films to be made.
Though, offensive views are nothing new, so this list exploring ten movies that made the world worse will by no means be restricted to 21st century releases. Focusing on films that are grossly offensive, needlessly provocative or so braindead that they inspire and promote terrible world beliefs, this list will pick apart everything from big-budget Hollywood releases to tiny independent projects.
Certainly not a list of recommendations, stay away from these movies as if they radiated toxins, unless you want to contribute negatively to your community, in which case, enjoy.
10 movies that made the world worse:
10. Queen of the Damned (Michael Rymer, 2002)
Before Aaliyah tragically died in a plane crash in 2001, she starred in Queen of the Damned, which was released the following year. Directed by Michael Rymer, the movie was a standalone sequel to the considerably more successful Interview with the Vampire, but it bombed, critically and commercially. The author of the book the movie was based on, Anne Rice, even encouraged fans not to watch it, believing it to be a terrible adaptation of her work.
Yet, just as 2002 was coming to its end, a Scottish man, Alan Menzies, would commit a heinous act of murder inspired by the film, which he claimed to have watched over and over. He said that Aaliyah’s character had visited him and told him to kill so that he could become immortal, even drinking his friend’s blood. As a result, he was jailed for life.
9. I Spit on Your Grave (Meir Zarchi, 1978)
Some graphic and provocative horror movies become cult classics beloved by large swathes of the population; just look at The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but while I Spit on Your Grave had its fans, it really is a despicable piece of cinema. Of course, this despicable nature is exactly why it has its fans, but it’s likely they simply enjoy the film because it’s provocative rather than it actually being any good at all.
Contributing absolutely nothing to the texture of horror cinema, I Spit on Your Grave is an exploitation genre flick made in bad taste, telling the story of a writer who, after being raped and assaulted, seeks revenge.
8. Movie 43 (Multiple directors, 2013)
Sometimes, a movie comes along that is so preposterously bad you wonder how it was even given the green light in the first place. With Movie 43, you’ll spend an hour and a half pondering how this largely acclaimed cast agreed to appear in this piece of steaming hot garbage. From Halle Berry and Richard Gere to Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Knoxville and Emma Stone, Movie 43 is perhaps the most star-studded film of recent years. Yet, nothing is redeeming about it.
The movie finally got made in 2013 after a decade on the drawing board. Divided into many segments, all directed by different filmmakers, including Elizabeth Banks, Bob Odenkirk, James Gunn, and Steven Brill, it is a constant assault of unfunniness. Upon its release, Movie 43 proved that just because you can bring together lots of established stars, it doesn’t mean you should.
7. The Haunting of Sharon Tate (Daniel Farrands, 2019)
In 1969, actor Sharon Tate, who was pregnant at the time, was brutally murdered by the Manson Family. The events of the Manson murders cast a dark shadow over Hollywood, but the industry hasn’t been able to let her rest. In 2019, Hilary Duff was cast as the ‘60s icon in The Haunting of Sharon Tate, an unbelievably offensive thriller about the months leading up to her death. In the film, she experiences premonitions about her murder, which are played for cheap horror material.
It’s poorly acted and written, with absolutely no respect shown for Tate or the other victims of the tragic night. Duff looks more like a 2010s Instagram influencer rather than a ‘60s star—there is no effort to portray Tate realistically or tell her story accurately. The Haunting of Sharon Tate is one of those movies that deserves to be wiped from existence. All it does is skew Tate’s legacy and continue to paint her as nothing more than a victim rather than a talented actor.
6. The Hottie and the Nottie (Tom Putnam, 2008)
The Hottie and the Nottie is a truly disgusting film that somehow made it into production. The whole movie is shallow, with the nerdy lead character, Nate, becoming preoccupied with dating Christabel, played by Paris Hilton. His attraction is merely surface level, and he asserts himself as a misogynistic looks-obsessed creep who’ll do whatever it takes to be with Christabel. Yet, she is only interested in dating when her best friend, June, finds a boyfriend, too.
The problem is June is hideously ugly, leading Nate on a quest to find her a man. The Hottie and the Nottie is morally reprehensible and only perpetuates horribly sexist attitudes about women’s appearances and the value that attractiveness has in society. It’s full of gross humour that surely can’t be enjoyed by anyone but 12-year-old boys.
5. Loqueesha (Jeremy Saville, 2019)
Some movies are so controversial that it’s difficult to believe that they even exist in contemporary reality. Jeremy Saville’s Loqueesha is one such movie, with the ‘comedy’ telling the story of a supposedly witty bartender who applies for a job at a radio station and proceeds to pretend he’s a black female DJ for his thousands of listeners, sparking a bounty of real-world outrage.
It shouldn’t take much for anyone to realise quite how offensive this concept is, being racist, sexist and prejudiced in its very makeup. As the writer, director and lead actor, Jeremy Saville should be thoroughly ashamed.
4. Postal (Uwe Boll, 2007)
The likes of Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg and Akira Kurosawa are often discussed as being some of the greatest movie directors of all time, but the very worst filmmakers are trickier to pick out. One thing’s for sure is that Uwe Boll is most certainly on the list, with the German filmmaker being responsible for such offensive and downright terrible flicks as Rampage, Auschwitz and Postal.
While each of these aforementioned films could easily make the cut, Postal might just be the worst of the bunch, with the adaptation of the obscure video game telling the story of a man who teams up with the uncle of a cult leader to fight the Taliban. With a copious number of distasteful 9/11 jokes and racist stereotypes and references a-plenty, this is really gross filmmaking, putting early 21st century video games to shame.
3. The Emoji Movie (Tony Leondis, 2017)
We’ve talked about some movies on this list which are offensive, disgusting and obnoxiously violent, yet, even still, few can come close to just how sickening the animated Emoji Movie is. Feeling like an advert for capitalism aimed at younger viewers, The Emoji Movie depicts the adventures of a default emoticon across the internet to find his own identity, with grating voice work from the likes of James Corden, Anna Faris and T.J. Miller.
As if your child was not already very exposed to the tedious world of the internet, The Emoji Movie will introduce them to the wonders of Dropbox, LinkedIn and Candy Crush and hammer their iconography into their minds. So awful is the movie that it actually forced Jordan Peele to quit acting altogether, stating: “The Emoji Movie actually helped me quit acting. I was offered the role of Poop. This is true. I would not make this up”.
2. A Serbian Film (Srdjan Spasojevic, 2010)
The notorious reputation of Srdjan Spasojevic’s 2010 Serbian Film most certainly precedes it, with the mysterious horror film being widely known among cinephiles for its unrivalled controversy. Supposedly a criticism of the titular country’s government, the film tells the story of an elderly porn star who agrees to be in an arthouse project to reinvigorate his career, only to discover that he’ll be forced to make a snuff movie.
Including scenes of paedophilia and necrophilia, including a scene with a newborn baby, which isn’t even worth repeating in the written word, A Serbian Film is a deplorable movie that deserves no adoration whatsoever.
1. The Birth of a Nation (D. W. Griffith, 1915)
Many filmmakers and movie lovers will tell you that The Birth of a Nation is one of the most influential films ever made. While D.W. Griffith utilised lots of pioneering cinematic techniques during the making of the film, he also used it to spread a message of white supremacy by having actors in blackface negatively portray black people. The film features the Klu Klux Klan, who ‘save the day’, while black people are depicted as less civilised. If that wasn’t bad enough to watch, the film ended up having very real consequences.
Upon its release, The Birth of a Nation led to the KKK’s rebirth, with William Joseph Simmons leading this new era, resulting in an increase in violence against black people in America. So many people hold the film in high esteem, arguing that, despite its content, it’s a groundbreaking movie. Yet, can we really laud such praise on a film that actively encouraged violent racism and upheld and promoted values that still ripple through America today?
