Raw (2016): Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival 2016, Raw shocked some viewers and left them feeling nauseated due to its intense and visceral depiction of cannibalism. According to The Guardian, the film’s graphic scenes of gore and violence are unsettling, particularly when they involve a young woman. The story revolves around a veterinary student who, after becoming a vegetarian, unexpectedly develops a craving for human flesh. Image: Wild Bunch.
The Conjuring 2 (2016): According to the Telegraph, during the summer, a 65-year-old man in the UK died after watching the horror film The Conjuring 2 at a cinema in Sri Balasubramaniar, Tiruvannamalai. Witnesses reported that the man suffered a heart attack and collapsed just as the film was about to conclude. Although he was taken to a local hospital, he was unable to be revived. Image: Sony.
Bite (2015): Directed by Chad Archibald, this horror film centers around a woman who becomes infected by a parasitic creature. The gruesome imagery, reminiscent of body horror, leads her to crave human flesh to nurture the grotesque being growing inside her. At the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival, the audience was reportedly given vomit bags due to the extreme content. According to First to Know, several viewers fainted during the screening because it was too disturbing. Image: Shout.
Goodnight Mommy (2014): This Austrian horror film involves twin boys who suspect that their mother, returning home after surgery, is not who she claims to be. The film’s unsettling atmosphere and shocking twists left two viewers fainting during a press screening. Overall, it received high praise and was even selected as Austria’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2016 Oscars. Image: The Weinstein Company.
The Green Inferno (2013): Directed by Eli Roth, this horror film follows a group of activists who crash land in the Amazon rainforest and encounter a cannibalistic tribe. Similar to many of Roth’s works, it features intense graphic violence and disturbing themes. At its premiere at the Deauville American Film Festival in France, several audience members fainted. Following the incident, the filmmakers had to issue a public warning about the film’s content. Image: Universal.
V/H/S (2012): This horror anthology produced by Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting includes several short films. According to the Daily Mail, at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, two audience members reportedly experienced convulsions and vomiting during the screening. Fortunately, they received immediate medical attention and did not need hospitalization. Image: Magnolia Pictures.
The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011): This film is infamous for its grotesque premise of surgically connecting multiple people to create a “human centipede.” At its premiere at the 2011 Fantastic Fest, several audience members were reportedly left shocked and disturbed, leading to medical staff being called in to assist those who fainted. Image: IFC Films.
Saw III (2006): As the franchise progressed into its third installment, viewers had become accustomed to the film’s graphic torture scenes. However, according to the BBC, a screening in the UK required paramedics to be called three times in one evening during a showing of Saw III. One woman in her 20s had to be hospitalized due to the intensity of the film’s content. Image: Lionsgate.
The Exorcist (1973): Regarded as one of the scariest films of the 20th century, The Exorcist caused panic in theaters during its original release in the 1970s. According to research by A.V. Club, numerous reports document audience members fainting or screaming during screenings. Harry Francis, the manager of the Westwood theater, noted that many viewers were so frightened that they fainted or screamed during the film. Image: Warner Bros.
Freaks (1932): This cult classic horror film premiered before various censorship laws in the U.S. were enacted in 1934. Freaks centers around a group of circus performers with disabilities, and its showing reportedly left many audience members feeling horrified. In fact, one woman made headlines after claiming the film caused her to miscarry. Image: MGM.
(Source: Zing)
