The Most Controversial Movie Scenes Of 2025

2025 may be over, but we're not done talking about all of the year's movies. While the best films of 2025 invited discussion and helped push the medium forward, others were less well received. Then there are the releases that actively courted controversy, whether it was due to overt political content or baffling creative decisions. For a full breakdown, check out our video above of 2025's most controversial movie moments. 

To kick things off, 2025 was the year of the infamous Chicken Jockey. If you have no idea what that means because you're over the age of 15, "A Minecraft Movie" featured a scene of a baby zombie riding a chicken, to which Steve (Jack Black) cries out, "Chicken jockey!" It doesn't seem like much, but it became a full-fledged meme, complete with videos circulating on social media of people cheering and throwing their popcorn when Steve says his now iconic line. The scene itself wasn't so much controversial as the mania it brought on. 

But "A Minecraft Movie" wasn't the only kids' movie that got people talking for the wrong reasons. The live-action "Lilo and Stitch" made over $1 billion at the box office, despite a controversial change from the original story. Instead of Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong) staying together and building a family with some aliens, Lilo goes into foster care while Nani attends college. It goes against the entire film's ethos of "Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." Nani literally leaves Lilo behind, and even if she has a portal gun to instantly visit Lilo, it naturally left many viewers feeling cold. 

A movie can recover from a rough start, but the final scene is what audiences remember most as they walk out of the theater. 2025 had plenty of movie endings that rubbed audiences the wrong way, but perhaps none as much as "28 Years Later." Fans were no doubt excited to see director Danny Boyle return to the "28 Days Later" universe, but the ending of "28 Years Later" involved a blonde wig-sporting gang showing up and performing a bunch of moves straight out of "Power Rangers" on the infected. It was a complete tonal clash from the rest of the film, so maybe it's not too surprising that "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" bombed at the box office just seven months later.

Then there's Netflix's "A House of Dynamite," with an ending that left viewers divided because ... nothing really happens. The movie is all about a nuclear weapon heading toward Chicago and what the military and White House's response would be. It's gripping material, but the movie ends before we learn which country launched the missile and what course of action the president (Idris Elba) wants to take. It's clear that this is meant to signify how this information is irrelevant; the world is forever changed regardless of what the president does. But if you invested nearly two hours into the story, it's only natural to want some kind of resolution. 

Of course, these examples only scratch the surface. Make sure to watch Looper's video above to see more of 2025's most controversial movie moments.