Horror movie so scary it's been banned blows up online

A horror movie deemed so frightening that it had to be banned in certain countries has started doing the rounds again online.

Much in the same way that creepy Japanese ghost girls will always crawl out of the well you thought you'd locked them in, banned horror movies have a way of resurfacing from time to time.

In this instance, it's the 2011 horror movie Megan Is Missing that has managed to disturb an entirely new audience over a decade after its original release. The unsettling flick was so disturbing and graphic back in the day that it was actually banned in New Zealand. Take a look at the trailer below, if you're feeling brave.

As pointed out by UNILAD, Megan Is Missing follows best friends Megan Stewart (Rachel Quinn) and Amy Herman (Amber Perkins) living their best teenage lives in North Hollywood.

Shockingly, it's not long before Megan goes missing after meeting up with a stranger she'd been talking to online. The film courted controversy as a result of its graphic and shocking scenes, and it wasn't long before it had earned itself a ban from the Office of Film & Literature Classification in New Zealand.

A spokesperson said at the time: "The DVD is classified as objectionable.The feature depicts sexual violence and sexual conduct involving young people to such an extent and degree, and in such a manner, that the availability of the publication is likely to be injurious to the public good."

So why has Megan Is Missing found its way back into the conversation after all this time? Two words: TikTok. Or is TikTok one word? Hmm.

Anyway, a clip of Megan Is Missing went viral on the social media app, prompting the movie's director, Michael Goi, to warn potential viewers to proceed with caution.

“I didn’t get to give you the customary warnings that I used to give people before they watched Megan Is Missing," Goi said.

"They are: do not watch the movie in the middle of the night, do not watch the movie alone, and if you see the words ‘Photo Number one’ pop up on your screen, you have about four seconds to shut off the movie, if you’re already freaking out before you start seeing things that maybe you don’t want to see.”

I look forward to adding this one to my list of movies I have no intention of watching ever.