'80s Film, Ranked Among the Best Horror Movies of All Time, Was Banned in Multiple Countries
Cannibal Holocaust remains one of the most controversial horror films ever released.
Infamous for its extreme realism, the 1980 fictional film adopts a documentary-style approach but highlights a gore-heavy premise featuring extreme violence, explicit slaughter and graphic sexual violence that led to widespread outrage and censorship.
Directed by the late filmmaker Ruggero Deodato, it showcased a "found footage" format that follows an ambitious expedition led by anthropologist Professor Harold Monroe, played by Robert Kerman. His mission was to lead a rescue expedition into the Amazon.
Joining him is the experienced guide Chaco Losojos, played by Salvatore Basile, along with the documentary crew consisting of director Alan Yates, played by Carl Gabriel Yorke, cameraman Jack Anders, portrayed by Perry Pirkanen and scriptwriter Faye Daniels, played by Francesca Ciardi.
In a previous interview, Deodato revealed what prompted him to create such a disturbing yet thought-provoking film.
According to him, the idea came after watching a violent news report in Italy.
"It was the time of the Red Brigades," he said as cited by The Guardian. "Every night on TV, there were very strong images of people being killed or maimed. Not only killings, but also some fabrications. They were increasing the sensationalism of the news just to shock people."
Cannibal Holocaust Restricted in 13 Countries
Given the movie's notorious reputation, it is widely considered one of the most brutal horror films of all time.
In fact, Collider ranked it among the top 20 horror movies that were so disturbing they were prohibited in multiple countries.
While the 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and the 1978 movie I Spit on Your Grave ranked first and second, respectively, Cannibal Holocaust secured third place on the list.
The ranking was based on the number of countries in which the films were prohibited from screening.
For Cannibal Holocaust, 13 countries reportedly prohibited the film from screening in theaters.
In New Zealand, the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) completely prohibited the film in 2006 due to real or simulated animal cruelty and extreme graphic violence that violated the country's censorship laws.
Adding to the list are Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Iran, Germany, Iceland, and more.
In Singapore, the horror movie was rejected for screening due to "very high impact violence" and "offensive animal cruelty."
On the other hand, the film managed to premiere in Milan, but shortly after its debut, Italian officials reportedly prohibited the film from screening and charged the director with obscenity.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 10:30 AM.