30 Famous Movies That Have Been Banned Around the Globe

This Soviet silent film dramatizes a 1905 mutiny aboard a Russian battleship in which dozens of crewmen took over the ship after refusing to eat rotten meat and attempted to escape across the Black Sea. The film was banned in Finland, France, Germany, Spain, and the U.K. for fear that it could inspire Marxism or incite a communist revolution.

This French film follows two French soldiers who are imprisoned in a German POW camp during WWI. It was banned in Germany, Italy, and Yugoslavia upon its release because of anti-war message, and was even banned in France in 1940 for the remainder of WWII out of fear that it would weaken morale.

The first film with sound from silent filmmaker Charlie Chaplin, this satirical comedy/drama was a critique of rising fascism and antisemitism in Europe. Unsurprisingly, it was banned in Nazi Germany until the end of WWII. It was also banned in several South American countries during the reign of military dictatorships.

An anti-war film set in WWI, “Paths of Glory” depicts a group of soldiers who refuse to go through with a suiсide mission and are subsequently court-martialed for cowardice. It was banned in several countries for its critical depiction of the French army and its anti-military tone.

Set in a shocking futuristic Britain, this dystopian film portrays a young gang on a violent, drug-fueled crime spree and the subsequent incarceration and attempted rehabilitation of its maniacal leader. It was banned or censored in numerous countries, largely for its graphic depictions of violence and rаpe.

This controversial film about an American widower who begins a clandestine sexual relationship with a young Parisian woman was banned or censored in many countries for its graphic sex scenes and depictions of sexual violence. Various countries cited that it was immoral, obscene, or pornographic.

This cult classic exploitation film stars the drag queen Divine as a criminal who attempts to defend her title of “filthiest person alive.” Grotesque scenes depicting sodomy, cannibalism, castration, coprophagia, and more led to multiple countries banning it upon its release.

A notoriously violent horror film, “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” follows a group of friends who travel to a rural area and end up terrorized by a family of cannibals. In addition to being banned in at least 11 countries, the film was also pulled from many theaters after patrons complained about the violence.

A critique of authoritarianism loosely adapted from the book “120 Days of Sodom” by the Marquis de Sade, Salò is set in fascist Italy during WWII and depicts the extreme torture of a group of teenagers by wealthy libertines. It was banned in multiple countries including its native Italy for its depictions of violence and rаpe, particularly as the victims were minors.

This еrotic art film is a fictionalized account of a 1930s geisha named Sada Abe who murdered her lover and mutilated his body after they began experimenting with еrotic аsphyxiation. The film contains unsimulated sеx scenes and was widely banned or censored due to its explicit content.

Set in the red-light district of 1917 New Orleans, Pretty Baby is the story of an adolescent girl who grew up in a brothel, as she forms a relationship with an older man to escape her fate as a child prostitute. The film was controversial due to nudе scenes of Brooke Shields, who was 12 years old during filming, and was banned in South Africa, Argentina, and some Canadian provinces.

A revenge horror film originally entitled “Day of the Woman,” “I Spit on Your Grave” follows a gang rаpe survivor as she exacts brutal retribution on each of the men who rаped her and left her for dead. It has been included in Time’s Top 10 Ridiculously Violent Movies, and was banned in four European countries for seemingly glorifying violence against women with its nearly 30-minute rаpe scene.

This satirical comedy follows Brian of Nazareth, who was born in the next stable from Jesus Christ and is repeatedly mistaken for the Messiah. The film was accused of blasphemy and banned in multiple European countries as well as in South Africa.

This Italian exploitation horror film that partially utilizes a found-footage format follows an anthropologist who discovers the film canisters of an American film crew who disappeared while documenting cannibal tribes in the Amazon. It sparked controversy for its graphic violence and on-screen killing of live animals. Director Ruggero Deodato was arrested in Italy on obscenity charges and suspicion of actually killing some actors on screen – they later turned up alive and those charges were dropped – and the film was banned in at least four countries.

This crime thriller follows an undercover officer investigating the serial murders of gay men in the leather scene in 1970s New York City. The film was initially given an X rating until director Friedkin removed 40 minutes of club scenes depicting sexual acts between men. It was banned upon release in Iran, South Africa, and Finland.

A religious drama based on a controversial 1955 novel of the same name, this film portrays Jesus Christ as a man who struggles with various temptations including lust. Scenes of Jesus imagining himself participating in sexual acts caused outrage and the movie was banned for blasphemy in numerous countries including Israel, Turkey, Mexico, and Argentina. It remains banned in the Philippines and Singapore.

This historical drama about the Holocaust depicts the story of a businessman-turned-humanitarian who employed hundreds of Polish Jews in his factories during WWII, preventing them from being taken to Auschwitz. It was banned in certain Muslim countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia for seeming to be Jewish progaganda, and “too sympathetic to the Jewish cause.” Director Stephen Spielberg is quoted as having said that the bans had roots in anti-semitism.

Loosely based on a screenplay by master of cinematic violence, Quentin Tarantino, this crime film follows two lovers from broken homes who go on a killing spree and end up glorified by the media. The film was banned in certain countries for its depictions of violence as well as for fear that it would inspire copycat murders.

A satire on the fashion industry, this comedy follows the rivalry between two simple-minded male models and their unlikely fellowship as they attempt to prevent powerful fashion moguls from assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia. The film was banned in Malaysia and neighboring Singapore due to the assassination reference. It was also banned in Iran for seeming to support gay rights.

A mystery thriller based on the novel of the same name by Dan Brown, “The Da Vinci Code” follows a quest to uncover the location of the Holy Grail. The book and film were both heavily criticized by the Catholic Church for the insinuation that they were keeping secrets and hiding the Grail, as well as for the suggestion that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child. It was banned in some Middle Eastern countries as well as Pakistan, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands for blasphemy.

An action thriller loosely based on multiple bombings and terrorist attacks that occurred in Saudia Arabia in 1996 and the early 2000s, The Kingdom received criticism in the Arab world for its portrayal of Arabs as bumbling villains, and was banned in Kuwait and Bahrain for its inaccurate depiction of the 1996 bombing.

The sixth installment in a horror series about the Jigsaw Killer – a deranged psychopath who forces people to play games in which they inflict severe pain on themselves in order to “win” and survive – “Saw VI” features countless instances of torture and gruesome deaths. A few countries banned it for its gory violence and Spain gave it a rating that prevented it from being shown in regular cinemas.

This Serbian horror film portrays the story of an aging pоrn star who agrees to participate in one final film that offers a hefty paycheck. He finds out much too late that it is a snuff film about pеdophilia and necrophilia – and his own family may be among the victims. It was banned in numerous countries for its graphic violence and depictions of pedophiliа.

When a troubled loner becomes obsessed with the film “The Human Centipede (First Sequence),” he attempts to create his own 12-person centipede. This sequel to an already horrifying film was heavily censored or banned in countries around the world for its gore, violence, and disturbing sexual content.

Based on a memoir by Jordan Belfort, a former stockbroker who was imprisoned for fraud, “The Wolf of Wall Street” highlights the debauchery of Belfort’s sex and drugs lifestyle, and set a Guinness World Record for most swear words in a movie. The highly successful film was banned in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, and Nepal for its explicit content.

An epic drama inspired by the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, this film also utilized references from the Book of Enoch, an ancient Hebrew text ascribed to Noah’s grandfather. It was banned in numerous Muslim countries for its physical depictions of holy prophets – an act prohibited in Islamic tradition as akin to encouraging idol worship.

An erotic romаnce film based on the novel of the same name, “Fifty Shades of Grey” follows an innocent young student as she graduates from college and begins a troubled relationship with a billionaire entrepreneur who is into BDSМ. The film was banned in various countries for its sеxual content.

Abominable is an animated family film about a group of teenagers who set off on a journey to reunite a young yeti with his family. The film briefly displays a map of Southeast Asia that contains what is known as the “nine-dash line,” a contested political demarcation that China uses to claim parts of the South China Sea. Due to this display, the film was banned in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia – countries that oppose China’s claims.

This Pixar animated adventure film from Disney follows two elves who attempt to bring back their deceased father for a day. Due to a single line in which a female character refers to her girlfriend, the film stirred controversy in certain Muslim countries as well as countries where LGBT-related content is prohibited. Some countries banned the movie outright, while others changed the line to hide the character’s sexual orientation.

This superhero film based on Marvel comics follows a group of immortal aliens who have lived on Earth in secret for thousands of years, as they attempt to protect the planet from an enemy race. It was banned in a handful of Middle Eastern countries after producers refused to cut certain romantic scenes, including a kiss between a gay superhero and his husband.