The 10 strangest movies to be banned across the world

No matter how hard you try, you’re never going to appease everyone. Just look at the ‘Best Picture’ winners from the past few years, some people adored the multiverse drama Everything, Everywhere All at Once, yet others considered it one of the worst Oscar winners of all time or consider the films of Lars von Trier, with arthouse critics calling him a ‘mastermind’ whilst others lambast his provocative nature. 

Still, even if a film or filmmaker is hated, it’s rare that the movie in question will be outright banned. Yet, such blanket bans do happen, with some governments choosing to prevent a film from being screened within the borders of their country due to a number of different political and social reasons. 

We’ve already explored some of the most controversial movies to be banned across America, but in the following list, we will be breaking down the ten strangest movies to be banned across the world, focusing on seemingly harmless family-friendly flicks. 

Take a look at our list of banned movies across the world below, which includes films from the likes of Zack Snyder, Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, Patty Jenkins and Ben Stiller. 

The 10 strangest movies to be banned:

300 (Zack Snyder, 2006)

The American filmmaker Zack Snyder has a loyal legion of fans, having directed such movies as 2009’s Watchmen and 2021’s Justice League. One of his most seminal films came back in 2006 when he released 300, a highly stylised action romp that told the story of King Leonidas of Sparta and his army of 300 men who fought the Persians at Thermopylae back in 480 BC.

Adapted from the comic book written by Frank Miller, the film was banned in Iran due to its provoking nature, with Persians being depicted as arrogant and flamboyant individuals, whilst the Greeks were presented as noble and strong.

Abominable (Jill Culton, 2019)

It’s pretty tricky to stir controversy with a children’s movie, right? Wrong. Jill Culton’s 2019 film Abominable, which told the charming tale of three teenagers who must help a yeti return to his family, was banned in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The reason for its controversy is pretty particular, too, with the film using a shot of a map that features a demarcation line that marks total Chinese ownership of a section of the South China Sea. 

The aforementioned countries have territorial claims over this section, hence the controversy. The film stars the likes of Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Joseph Izzo, Sarah Paulson and Eddie Izzard.

Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985)

The Robert Zemeckis movie Back to the Future is rightfully considered to be one of the greatest family-friendly films of all time, telling the story of Marty McFly’s adventures back in time with Dr. Emmett Brown. Still, the trilogy of movies, released from 1985 to 1990, isn’t exactly loved by everyone, with China choosing to censor all time travel-related movies and TV shows back in 2011. 

In the opinion of the Chinese government, such plotlines were simply “frivolous”, with Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure earning the very same fate as Back to the Future.

Barney’s Great Adventure (Steve Gomer, 1998)

OK, so we’ve established that politics plays a big role in the censorship of certain movies, but surely no country would have had a problem with the release of Barney’s Great Adventure from 1998? Surely? Well, the truth is that no one is safe from the strong arm of censorship laws, with the friendly purple dinosaur being banned in Malaysia for being “unsuitable for children”, even though it’s a movie made specifically for young tots.

Remarkably, their reasoning doesn’t go beyond this rather vague explanation, leaving film fans questioning the decision for many decades. Will we ever find out exactly why Barney’s Great Adventure was banned? Probably not.

Christopher Robin (Marc Forster, 2018)

From one children’s movie to another, in 2018, Disney and director Marc Forster were surprised to discover that their seemingly harmless Winnie the Pooh spinoff movie, Christopher Robin, has been banned in China. The censoring of this specific title goes back to leader Xi Jinping’s insecurity about being compared to Winnie the Pooh, subsequently banning anything related to the honey-loving yellow bear.

The film, starring the likes of Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Peter Capaldi, Brad Garrett and Chris Pratt, follows an older version of Christopher Robin, who is revisited by his furry childhood friends to help him rediscover his former spark for life. 

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982)

We’ve already addressed how Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future was banned in China, but how about any family classic? Steven Spielberg’s 1982 alien flick E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which follows a boy’s journey through childhood with the help of a lost alien, was banned from the eyes of youngsters in Sweden, Finland and Norway when it was released, with the film supposedly presenting “adults as enemies of children”. 

The decision sparked outrage from audiences eager to see Spielberg’s new classic, but the censors didn’t budge, and the movie was only available to viewers over the age of 11. 

The Simpsons Movie (David Silverman, 2007)

There’s no doubt that The Simpsons are one of the most beloved families in TV history, with the likes of Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa becoming icons in their own right. Still, not everyone was fond of their big screen adventure in 2007, with the Burmese government banning the movie, not because of the brief appearance of Bart’s private parts, but for the excessive use of the colour yellow. 

It’s not fully known exactly why they deemed this a good enough reason to outright ban the movie, but the country has very superstitious beliefs, and this film is seen as yet another example of their fears being brought to life. 

Shrek 2 (Andrew Adamson, Conrad Vernon, Kelly Asbury, 2004)

From one animation to another, the beloved Dreamworks classic Shrek 2 was pulled from screens in Israel when one of the cast members attempted to make a joke that was specifically relevant to the country’s culture. The joke mocked the voice of David D’Or, an Israeli singer, who took offence to a version of his voice being used during a moment that alluded towards castration, subsequently suing the distributor who pulled the movie from theatres. 

To this day, Shrek 2 is considered to be one of the most beloved animated movies of all time, featuring excellent voice work from the likes of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas. 

Wonder Woman (Patty Jenkins, 2017)

The DC cinematic universe hasn’t exactly received the same amount of praise as its Marvel rival, with many criticising almost each and every release that exits their door. Still, Patty Jenkins’ 2017 film Wonder Woman was one of the better ones, telling the story of Diana (Gal Gadot), an Amazonian warrior who travels away from her home to fight in the First World War alongside Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor. 

As has become the trend with this list, however, not everybody loved the film, with the Arab League banning the movie due to the fact that Gadot had served in the Israeli Defense Force for two years, publically voicing support for the country. Due to this historical conflict, Tunisia and Qatar also banned the movie. 

Zoolander (Ben Stiller, 2001)

The last movie to grace our list is the 2001 Ben Stiller comedy Zoolander, which starred a whole host of Hollywood talent, including Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor, Milla Jovovich, Alexander Skarsgård and Vince Vaughn. The film, which satirises the fashion industry, was banned in Iran, however, due to the country’s strict policy that bans anything that appears to depict or promote homosexuality. 

The weird thing is, there’s nothing overly ‘gay’ about Stiller’s movie at all. Apparently, the costumes, hair, makeup, and set design were just a little too flamboyant for the country’s censors to take.