unilad homepage
unilad homepage
    • News
      • UK News
      • US News
      • World News
      • Crime
      • Health
      • Money
      • Sport
      • Travel
    • Music
    • Technology
    • Film and TV
      • News
      • DC Comics
      • Disney
      • Marvel
      • Netflix
    • Celebrity
    • Politics
    • Advertise
    • Terms
    • Privacy & Cookies
    • LADbible Group
    • LADbible
    • SPORTbible
    • GAMINGbible
    • Tyla
    • UNILAD Tech
    • FOODbible
    • License Our Content
    • About Us & Contact
    • Jobs
    • Latest
    • Archive
    • Topics A-Z
    • Authors
    Facebook
    Instagram
    X
    Threads
    TikTok
    YouTube
    Submit Your Content
    Controversial horror film with real life sex scene handed 'anti-award' at one of the biggest film festivals
    Home>Film & TV>News
    Published 20:05 14 Jun 2024 GMT+1

    Controversial horror film with real life sex scene handed 'anti-award' at one of the biggest film festivals

    The film features lots of sexual content and violence

    Emily Puckering

    Emily Puckering

    google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
    Featured Image Credit: Zentropa Entertainments

    Topics: Sex and Relationships, Film and TV, Cannes Film Festival, Horror

    Emily Puckering
    Emily Puckering

    Emily is a sub-editor at LADbible Group. With degrees in English Language and Multimedia Journalism, she works with the editorial team on LADbible, UNILAD and Tyla sub-editing and writing articles. And for those who are interested, Emily is from East Yorkshire which means she makes a cracking cuppa.

    X

    @emily_puckering

    Advert

    Advert

    Advert

    You know a film is going to be pretty damn gruesome when one of the world's biggest film festivals awards it with an 'anti' award.

    Yep, this controversial horror actually got awarded with this, and if you've seen it... well, you'll know why.

    Starring Spider-Man's Willem Dafoe and Alphonse's Charlotte Gainsbourg, the 2009 film tells the story of a couple who lose their son in an accident and go to a secluded cabin in the woods to reconnect.

    Only their experience turns sexual and very violent.

    Advert

    Willem Dafoe stars in the controversial 2009 film. (Zentropa Entertainments)
    Willem Dafoe stars in the controversial 2009 film. (Zentropa Entertainments)

    So violent, in fact, that at one point Gainsbourg's character snips off her own clitoris... so it goes without saying this one really isn't everyone's cup of tea.

    And if you think you've heard enough, then I'm sorry to say there's more.

    The film in question is Antichrist, and according to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), the film is 'clearly adult in theme and tone from the outset, including strong images of real sex, bloody violence, strong gory images, and a scene of self-mutilation'.

    But it's true when they say that there's something out there for everyone, and the film managed to make its premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

    But it wasn't all positives at the the 2009 festival, as the film - directed by Lars von Trier - was awarded the 'anti' award.

    At the time, Radu Mihaileanu - a French filmmaker and head of an international jury at the film festival - said: "We cannot be silent after what that movie does.

    "Antichrist is the most misogynist movie from the self-proclaimed biggest director in the world."

    However, Cannes festival director Thierry Fremaux responded, calling the resolution a 'ridiculous decision that borders on a call for censorship, (it is) scandalous coming from an 'ecumenical' jury which what is more is headed by a filmmaker' to AFP.

    While the film didn't receive any necessarily positive accolades, Gainsborough was named Best Actress in Cannes for Antichrist.

    Antichrist features real sex scenes and lots of violence. (Zentropa Entertainments)
    Antichrist features real sex scenes and lots of violence. (Zentropa Entertainments)

    It later emerged that when it came to the intimate scenes, body doubles were used in Dafoe and Gainsborough's place - and this was apparently due to the actor's 'well endowed' manhood.

    In an interview, director von Trier claimed that the actor's penis was so 'enormous', it left 'people confused'.

    "He [Dafoe] has an enormous d**k. We had to take those scenes out of the film," he said. "We had a stand-in for him because we had to take the scenes out with his own d**k.

    "We had to [have a stand-in d**k], because Will’s was too big."

    Dafoe himself was asked about this during an interview with The Telegraph, to which he stayed pretty tight-lipped by simply saying: "I always get asked about it in interviews. Interviewers seem obsessed with the subject."

    Choose your content:

    7 hours ago
    10 hours ago
    a day ago
    3 days ago
    • Photo Credit: Netflix
      7 hours ago

      Fast food order 'world's most wanted' death row inmate accepted in exchange for dead body information

      Killer Wade Wilson's chilling offer was brought to light in the second series of Netflix's Worst Ex Ever, which was released today

      Film & TV
    • Image by Steve Granitz/Getty
      10 hours ago

      Lisa Kudrow reveals what she really thinks about Friends' Ross and Rachel storyline

      The Phoebe Buffay star answered the question every Friends fan wants the answer to - 'Were Ross and Rachel on a break?'

      Film & TV
    • Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
      a day ago

      Euphoria creator slammed for 'disgusting' Sydney Sweeney scene involving NSFW act

      Sam Levinson previously said he wanted Cassie's OnlyFans scenes to feel 'gnarly and jarring'

      Film & TV
    • The Run Through with Vogue
      3 days ago

      Real life Emily from Devil Wears Prada speaks out and she's now Charlize Theron's stylist

      The NYC Stylist speaks out about the 'betrayal' and confirms which iconic line from the Devil Wears Prada original movie is true

      Film & TV
    • Sickening scene voted most shocking start to a horror movie in history
    • ‘Proud’ actress defends filming real-life sex scenes for controversial film
    • Controversial director who films real-life sex in his movies reveals reason why it's different to porn
    • Actress explains why she doesn’t regret real-life sex scene that caused huge public backlash