The Disturbing Reel

In 1932, Tod Browning released Freaks, one of the most controversial and misunderstood films of early Hollywood. More than 90 years later, its history remains every bit as fascinating as the film itself.
In this episode of The Disturbing Reel, I go beyond the horror label and explore the disturbing real world history surrounding Freaks: the American circus and sideshow industry, the exhibition of people with disabilities and physical differences and the lives of the real performers Browning brought onto the screen.
We look at performers including Johnny Eck, Prince Randian, Schlitzie, conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, Harry and Daisy Earles, and others whose bodies were once marketed to paying audiences as human curiosities.
But were sideshow performers simply being exploited? Or did the circus also provide some performers with careers, communities and opportunities that wider society refused to give them?
Then there is Freaks itself.
Why did audiences react so strongly to it? Why was the original version cut? Why did the film face censorship? Was Browning exploiting the very people his story appeared to defend? And beneath its reputation as a horror film, was Freaks actually confronting audiences with a much more uncomfortable question:
Who are the real “freaks” in this story?
The people born looking different from society’s idea of “normal”
Or the supposedly respectable people who ridicule, exploit and dehumanise them?
This episode explores Pre Code Hollywood, circus sideshow history, disability and representation, exploitation, censorship, audience psychology and the changing definition of extreme cinema.
Because Freaks didn’t need excessive gore to disturb audiences in 1932.
It simply showed them people they had been taught not to see as equals.
And apparently, that was enough.

Why are people drawn to films that disgust, disturb, frighten and challenge them?
In this extended episode of The Disturbing Reel, I explore the psychology behind watching extreme cinema and why being fascinated by disturbing films does not mean there is something wrong with the viewer.
Using films such as A Serbian Film, Martyrs and Lucifer Valentine’s Slaughtered Vomit Dolls as examples, I look at morbid curiosity, sensation seeking, disgust, psychological triggers, desensitisation, taboo fascination and the strange stigma attached to admitting you watch extreme cinema.
I also talk about something that has become increasingly ridiculous within extreme cinema communities, the competitive viewer who has apparently “seen worse” than everyone else, yet somehow can never actually name the films they are talking about.
Then we get into authenticity in extreme cinema reviewing, recycled opinions, second hand analysis and the difference between genuinely engaging with a film and simply reviewing its reputation because controversy gets clicks.
Extreme cinema is not just about blood, shock and violence. It can force viewers to confront fear, morality, curiosity, disgust, censorship, suffering and their own psychological boundaries.
Watching disturbing fiction does not mean endorsing disturbing behaviour.
Sometimes the most uncomfortable films are the ones that reveal the most about the person watching them.
The Disturbing Reel
Some films entertain you, extreme cinema interrogates you.

For years, listeners of The Disturbing Reel have asked me the same question: “What are your all time favourite extreme cinema films?”
The truth is, my list has changed many times over the years. Films have moved up, moved down and occasionally disappeared altogether but after years of watching, collecting, reviewing and interviewing filmmakers, I finally have a Top 11 list that I can confidently call my definitive ranking.
In this episode, I’ll be counting down my favourite extreme cinema films of all time, including A Serbian Film, Visceral: Between the Ropes of Madness, Singapore Sling, Audition, Antichrist and more.
We’ll discuss what makes each film special, why they’ve stood the test of time, the dedicated independent filmmakers behind them and why extreme cinema is about far more than shock value.
If you’ve ever wanted to know which films shaped my journey through extreme cinema and earned a permanent place in my collection, this is the episode for you.
Until next time, stay sick, stay curious and keep exploring cinema’s darkest corners.

In this episode of The Disturbing Reel, I take a trip back down memory lane to revisit one of the most uncomfortable and psychologically disturbing films I have ever seen, Singapore Sling directed by Nikos Nikolaidis.
Every time I hear the title Singapore Sling, I instantly remember the atmosphere, the bizarre mother daughter relationship and the overwhelming feeling of unease that stayed with me long after the credits rolled. We’ll explore the psychology behind the film, the themes of obsession, identity loss, emotional enmeshment and why this disturbing Greek cult classic remains firmly in my personal Top 11 extreme cinema films of all time.
This episode isn’t simply a movie review, it’s a deep dive into one of cinema’s most fascinating psychological nightmares and why, more than three decades later, people are still talking about it.

In this episode of The Disturbing Reel, I take a deep dive into Visceral: Between the Ropes of Madness (2012), the stunning psychological horror film from director Felipe Eluti.
Far more than just another extreme horror film, Visceral is a haunting descent into obsession, isolation, violence, and madness. Through its striking black and white cinematography, powerful visual storytelling and deeply unsettling atmosphere, the film creates an experience that stays with you long after the credits roll.
Join me as I explore the film’s themes, symbolism, psychological horror elements, performances and why I believe this overlooked masterpiece deserves far more recognition within both the horror community and independent cinema as a whole. I’ll also discuss why Visceral has earned a place in my personal Top 10 films and why every fan of underground and extreme cinema should seek it out and support its creator.
If you’re a fan of psychological horror, art house cinema, extreme films and hidden gems that deserve a wider audience, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Step into another descent with the The Disturbing Reel Podcast as I take a deep psychological dive into Pink for the Masses by Sid Lucero & Vic Lucero.
In this extended episode, I explore the film’s unsettling atmosphere, emotional alienation, fragmented identity, manufactured happiness and the quiet psychological decay hiding beneath modern society. This is not a surface level review built around cheap reactions and exaggerated thumbnails. This is a discussion about what the film feels like emotionally, psychologically and symbolically.
I also speak about my previous interview with Mr Lucero and why Sehnsucht still remains one of my favourite underground films to this day, including the story behind the crow lamp that now sits in my home inspired by the film itself. Yes, I genuinely named the crow “Sehnsucht.” Cinema influencing somebody into emotionally bonding with gothic furniture is apparently where we are as a species now.
This episode discusses:
• Psychological contamination in modern society
• Emotional disconnection & identity performance
• Atmosphere over conventional storytelling
• Symbolism within Pink for the Masses
• Why ambiguity in cinema matters
• The emotional loneliness underneath the film
• Why some films are meant to be experienced rather than simply watched
If you enjoy disturbing cinema, psychological horror, surreal filmmaking and deeper film analysis that goes beyond “this movie was weird,” this episode is for you.
Instagram: @sensorystowers

Extreme cinema has always been misunderstood.
Reduced to shock value, dismissed as controversy and judged at surface level.
Beyond The Shock is a track that pushes past that noise.
It explores the psychology, the intent and the uncomfortable truths that these films force people to confront.
This isn’t about glorifying extremes… it’s about understanding them.
Created as part of The Disturbing Reel, where we look deeper than outrage and actually ask why these films exist and why they stay with us.
🎧 Listen with an open mind.

Few films divide audiences like A Serbian Film.
Talked about, condemned, and often reduced to its most controversial moments… but rarely understood.
Silence In Between focuses on what people don’t talk about, the psychological weight, the manipulation, and the deeper themes buried beneath the outrage.
This track isn’t about shock.
It’s about what’s left when the noise dies down.
Created as part of The Disturbing Reel, where we explore extreme cinema beyond headlines and reactions.
🎧 This one isn’t for everyone and that’s the point.

In this episode, I address the situation surrounding my appearance in the YouTube documentary “I caught Hollywood’s most evil movie director” by Reckless Ben.
Over the past several months I’ve received many messages asking about my brief involvement in the video and how the interview came about. Because of the way the documentary presents my role, I feel it’s important to explain the full timeline.
I talk about how Ben Schneider first contacted me after seeing a Facebook live where I discussed my interest in interviewing filmmaker Lucifer Valentine, the interview we recorded about extreme cinema, and why some of the claims in the documentary do not reflect how that interaction actually started.
I also discuss the challenges of being edited into investigative style documentaries, how narratives can shift through editing, and why creators sometimes become “characters” within larger online stories.
Most importantly, I clarify the timeline, address the accusations that have been directed toward me since the video was released, and explain why I feel it’s important to correct the record.
This episode isn’t about drama. It’s about transparency, context, and making sure the full story is heard.

In this episode of The Disturbing Reel, Sensory Stowers dissects The Girl Next Door (2007), a film inspired by one of the most disturbing real life cases of collective abuse in American history.
But this is not a reaction video.
This is psychological excavation.
We explore how ordinary people become complicit in cruelty. How authority reshapes morality. How group dynamics erode empathy. And how suburban normality can mask unimaginable violence.
Why do children obey abusive adults?
Why does group participation silence individual conscience?
Why does society label some extreme films “exploitative” while ignoring the cultural systems that produce the events they portray?
This episode examines obedience theory, deindividuation, moral disengagement, and Hannah Arendt’s concept of the “banality of evil”, all through the lens of one of extreme cinema’s most uncomfortable narratives.
We also explore audience psychology:
Why do some viewers feel physically ill?
Why do others feel intellectually stimulated?
And what does your reaction say about your own moral boundaries?
Extreme cinema isn’t about shock for the sake of shock.
It’s about confrontation.
About cultural tension.
About the parts of humanity we prefer not to see.
If you’re one of the 102 subscribers who deliberately chose to explore the uncomfortable, this episode is for you.
This is The Disturbing Reel.
We don’t just watch extreme cinema.
We dissect it.