The 100+ Most Controversial Films of All-Time: Films always have the ability to anger us, divide us, shock us, disgust us, and more. Usually, films that inspire controversy, outright boycotting, picketing, banning, censorship, or protest have graphic sex, violence, homosexuality, religious, political or race-related themes and content. They usually push the envelope regarding what can be filmed and displayed on the screen, and are considered taboo, "immoral" or "obscene" due to language, drug use, violence and sensuality/nudity or other incendiary elements. Inevitably, controversy helps to publicize these films and fuel the box-office receipts. Note: The films that are marked with a yellow star are the films

that "The Greatest Films" site has selected as the "100 Greatest Films". Controversy-invoking films may be from almost any genre - documentaries, westerns, erotic-thrillers, dramas, horror, comedy, or animated, and more. Standards for what may be considered shocking, offensive or controversial have changed drastically over many decades. From the earliest silent films, to the gunfights in early 30s gangster films, to the mid-60s countercultural changes when the ratings were modified, to current day bloodbaths, violence in films has always stirred controversy. The voluntary ratings system of the Motion Picture Association of America can influence a film's public showing in a theatre -- an NC-17 rating or an unrated film may often close down a film's screening and lead to commercial failure. There are about half a dozen main factors responsible for making a film controversial (and many films have multiple issues), including excessive sexuality or misogyny (including homosexuality or pornographic elements), political ideology, excessive violence (and gore), racial issues, obscenities (profanity and vulgarity), drug use, and religious issues (blasphemy, immorality, demonic elements, etc.). Another common factor causing criticism has been a film's unwise casting choices (a phenomenon known as "whitewashing" - by placing a white performer in the role of a minority), most recently in films such as Ridley Scott's Biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), Aloha (2015), and Rupert Sanders’ live action remake of Ghost in the Shell (2017).