Movies are one of the few joys that can either be enjoyed individually or in a group. This decision is mostly dominated by the equation of the group along with the movie in question. If there is any discrepancy between what’s being watched and who’s watching it, the resulting outcome can be catastrophic. For example, imagine watching a slow, black-and-white classic with friends, or a raunchy, vulgar comedy with your parents, recipe for disaster, right? If you still want to experience immense an amount of awkwardness, here are some of the most embarrassing movies to watch with your parents.
9 Don Jon (2013)
What could be more embarrassing than observing the daily routine of a man, who’s addicted to the act of watching porn and objectifying women. Don Jon is a film that objectifies male female sexuality with a no-holds-barred approach. The plot revolves around Don Jon (Joseph Godon-Levitt), a bartender that views life as a sexual conquest, aiming to watch as much porn as he can while also being interested in women only to go to bed with them.
8 The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
Virginity and parenthood do not mix well together, add to that Steve Carrell’s eccentricity and Judd Apatow’s natural penchant for deriving humor from the most mundane things, and you are presented with a laugh riot, that’s better viewed alone.
7 Magic Mike (2012)
While the title of the film could be interpreted in a few different ways, Magic Mike is not a children’s film and especially not a film to be viewed with one’s parents. The film serves as a crash course in all things unsettling to parents. With an abundant depiction of sexual innuendos, easy money and good times, Magic Mike is a feel-good film but doesn’t advice parental discretion.
6 365 Days (2020)
365 Days, from its narrative material doesn’t warrant the amount of sexual energy it offers. The constant reference to sexuality seems like a marketing gimmick that works on its own accord independent of the narrative. The plot revolves around a simple sales executive who’s held prisoner by a member of an Italian Mafia organization for 365, in a bid to make her fall in love with him.
5 Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
Another film that’s solely propelled by its blatant depiction of sexuality is Fifty Shades of Grey. The film is based on E.L James’ novel of the same name and stars Jamie Dornan as a rich businessman, Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele, a journalist that’s tasked with interviewing him. As the two polar opposites get entangled in a deep web of sexual intimacy, the film, inversely becomes a tougher viewing experience with parents around.
4 American Beauty (1999)
On the surface, American Beauty seems like a satirical take on the American Dream, making a play on the hollow nature of modern interpersonal relationships. Directed by Sam Mendes, who won multiple Academy Awards for American Beauty, the film realistically showcases the weird dynamics of a disturbed family and may not be the ideal film to watch with ones’ parents.
3 A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Anthony Burgess’s 1962 novel of the same name isn’t an easy film to watch. It errs on the extreme end of the spectrum with frequent themes of violence, drug use and sexuality. Barring these radical elements, the film is psychologically very dark and disturbing in nature, a trait that distinctively sets Kubrick apart from his peers. A Clockwork Orange isn’t a frivolous college comedy that’s embarrassing to watch with adults; it’s a deep dive into the darkness of the human psyche and is sufficiently understood when viewed alone.
2 Kids (1995)
Kids touches upon every dangerous aspect that’s involved in the lives of teenagers without being pretentious. Director Larry Clark gets up close with his subjects, giving the viewers an unflinching look into the reality of the world that belongs to the “Kids”. Through the film, Clark addresses important topics such as the sexually transmitted diseases, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy in a manner that’s so direct and unassuming that it puts the real world preachers to shame. Though Kids is not a movie to be viewed with ones’ parents, It's still one of the most relevant movies about growing up till date.
1 American Pie (1999)
A bona fide college humor flick, American Pie, has transcended from a film into a rite of passage. Most teenagers all around the world have some semblance of the impact the film has had on their lives and their understanding of the workings of the world. American Pie is very direct in its approach to sex that its plot can be summed up in a single sentence; four friends try every trick in the book to ensure they lose their virginity before prom night. The impact of the film runs so deep that everybody who’s watched the film can testify to the fact that everything in the film is overly sexualized, including a piece of apple pie.