Every now and then a movie comes along that piques the nation’s interest, but not in the way its producers might want. We’re talking controversial films that elicit turned up noses for either their vulgar subject matter or questionable content. At best, these films are rated R by MTRCB, at worst, they’re outlawed from movie houses around the country entirely.
In recent news, action-thriller movie Plane has been put under scrutiny and is now in danger of the same treatment. This comes after Philippine lawmakers expressed their concern that the Gerard Butler starrer paints Sulu in a bad light—that it’s a war-torn area abandoned by the Philippine military and government. While there’s no final verdict yet on whether the film will be banned or not, below we list down five Hollywood movies that previously suffered the very demise at the time of their release.
5 Controversial Movies That Are Banned in the Philippines:
1. Schindler’s List (1993)
Schindler’s List was banned in 1993 for its sexually explicit scenes and nudity. It was also kept from showing in Malaysia and Indonesia for “containing material offensive to their Muslim majorities.” That said, the ban in the Philippines was later lifted after it historical merits were taken into consideration.
The Stephen Spielberg movie is based on a 1982 novel titled Schindler’s Ark. It follows the plight of German industrialist Oskar Schindler as he strives to save more than a thousand Jewish refugees from the Holocaust.
2. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
The Bridges of Madison County trails the love affair of a photographer and a married woman. Although seemingly harmless, the romance drama was nevertheless cut from Philippine cinemas after MTRCB gave it an X rating for a three-second scene where Meryl Streep appears nude. “There is pubic hair exposure, which...is contrary to our good customs and is injurious to the prestige of Filipino women,″ explained then MTRCB chairperson Henrietta Mendez.
3. The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Described by appealers as “sacrilegious” and "the most pornographic and blasphemous film in history,” The Da Vinci Code was given an 18+ rating by MTRCB. While it was still shown in movie houses around the country, the film was not screened in SM Malls as per their policy not to show R-18 media. It was also banned exclusively in the city of Manila after a resolution was passed that tagged The Da Vinci Code as "offensive and contrary to established religious beliefs…”
4. Abonimable (2019)
Who would’ve thought a DreamWorks animated film could cause national trouble? Unfortunately, Abominable was banned not just in the Philippines, but in Malaysia and Vietnam as well, for depicting China’s “nine-dash line” map that supports the country’s claim over widely disputed territory. The film was co-produced by DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studio, a film company based in Shanghai.
5. Uncharted (2022)
Tom Holland’s action-adventure movie Uncharted was also banned in the country for the same controversy that met Abominable. Similar to the animated title, it was also pulled from Vietnamese theaters after a two-second frame showed the image of the "nine-dash line" policy.
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