Cinemagoers were left too disturbed to continue with these films (Pictures: Rex / Getty Images)
The boundaries of cinema are constantly being pushed with directors finding new ways to shock and enthrall audiences.
Recently, the gory and ‘offensive’ horror film Terrifier 3 shot to public attention after it was reported the film had multiple walkouts during its UK premiere – and even caused one person to vomit.
It’s not the first time Art The Clown’s uniquely bloody kills have caused controversy, with 2022’s Terrifier 2 prompting reports of people throwing up and fainting in cinemas.
The latest film, set around the Christmas period, has had fans hailing it the ‘best’ and ‘most depraved’ of the Terrifier films, with many flocking to the cinema in droves to see if they can stomach it.
This is not the first time audience reactions have caused controversy surrounding a film – in fact, there is a rich and terrifying history of people suffering visceral reactions to what they see on screen.
From puking to passing out and even worse, cinema sometimes goes beyond a simple fright.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Up Next
Here are 20 films that did just that when they were released.
See if you can withstand them all… if you dare.
The Exorcist (1973)
Religious horror classic The Exorcist is one of the most notorious films for garnering an extreme reaction from cinemagoers.
Based on the novel by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin, it tells the story of Regan, possessed by the ancient demon Pazuzu, whose mother desperately searches for answers to her daughter’s condition.
Part of the hype that sent film fans to see the flick in droves was the tales of people suffering from panic attacks, vomiting, and fainting during screenings.
Reports claimed several audience members ran from the theatre in hysterics, while others fainted or vomited during an early screening of The Exorcist in New York.
Following the hysteria surrounding the film in America, when it opened in the UK, ambulances waited outside theatres with stretchers at the ready.
Where to stream: NOW TV and BBC iPlayer
Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock shocked audiences with the release of Psycho which saw actress Janet Leigh slain by Norman Bates’s ‘mother’ while taking a shower at the Bates Motel.
Psycho sees a woman on the run who takes refuge in a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother, though all is not as it seems as she uncovers the horrors behind closed doors.
Various sources claim people were seen running out of theatres, and police in New York had to deal with cases of ‘mass fainting’.
Many called for the film to be banned at the time of its release, though these pleas proved unsuccessful.
In 2001, Leigh told The New York Times that she was still scared of showers after filming the now iconic opening scene of …read more
Source:: Metro
