Top 13+ classic movies that could never be made in 2025

Movies have always reflected the times in which they were made. What was once considered acceptable soon changes though, sometimes quite drastically. Many beloved classics, while iconic and important in their own right, soon become viewed as problematic due to outdated attitudes, depicted stereotypes and suddenly quite offensive themes. In today’s socially-conscious and sensitive culture, that’s never been more true. Let's revisit 13 big films that simply wouldn’t make it past the pitching stage now. And understandably so in some cases... (Picture: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)

1. Soul Man (1986)

The argument against: We start with a film that's not really stood the test of time all that well, a questionable comedy starring C. Thomas Howell as a teenager who uses blackface to pose as a black student and receive a scholarship. Even the title is cringe inducing now. The film, unsurprisingly, features quite an offensive portrayal of racial identity, all while trivialising racism. Pitched now? It'd have roughly a 0% chance of getting made (Picture: New World/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

2. Shallow Hal (2001)

The argument against: The comedy Shallow Hal uses fat-shaming as its core joke (over and over and over again), with a protagonist who only sees a woman’s true physical appearance after an intervention. The film's handling of body image issues and its reinforcement of beauty standards would likely be seen as harmful and insensitive in today's culture of inclusivity. It’s almost 25 years old now and it’s a film concept that's aged like milk (Picture: Glenn Watson/Twentieth Century Fox/THA/REX/Shutterstock)

3. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

The argument against: Ace Ventura uses what could be described as transphobic humour in some parts of the film, through the antagonist character of Lois Einhorn, whose gender identity is revealed towards the end as a punchline. The film’s treatment of transgender people is far from sensitive or considered, something which would be universally criticised in the 2025 entertainment landscape. Which would make a remake not alrighty then! (Picture: THA/REX/Shutterstock)

4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The argument against: Of course, most people think of Hannibal Lector when there’s discussion of ‘the serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs’. But let’s not forget that the murderer not in jail who’s killing people is Jame Gumb, aka ‘Buffalo Bill’. He’s depicted as a transgender person with grimly violent tendencies, a portrayal that many now view as deeply problematic. It's argued by some that the film’s representation of trans people as inherently dangerous reinforces regressive and harmful stereotypes. Now, to be fair, the movie would still get made today, but serious changes to the character of Gumb would be required (Picture: Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

5. Aladdin (1992)

The argument against: Though Aladdin is a beloved modern animated classic propelled by the manic energy of Robin Williams as Genie, it‘s faced criticism for its portrayal of the fictional Arabian world. With a fair whack of stereotypes about the Middle East, the movie presents what might be argued as a culturally inaccurate and overly simplistic version of the region that would be called out for cultural appropriation today. The film would likely still be made today (a recent remake appeared in 2019), but with much more attention paid to the representation of people from the Middle East (Picture: Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

6. The Blue Lagoon (1980)

The argument against: In The Blue Lagoon, two young cousins engage in a relationship while stranded on a deserted island. Their bond, alongside a fair bit of gratuitous nudity, makes the film uncomfortable to say the least. Even back in 1980 plenty of viewers questioned some of the filmmakers’ decisions. But now? It’s the kind of film that might have people protesting. The shipwreck movie has Brooke Shields aged just 14, playing opposite the then-18-year-old male lead Christopher Atkins. The film featured nudity from both actors. 'Never again will a movie be made like that,' Shields said during an interview with the iHeartRadio podcast. 'It wouldn’t be allowed.' Atkins backed up what her co-star said, adding: 'Animals were hurt in the movie. We were spearing fish and all kinds of crazy things. Children are naked running down a beach; you couldn’t do that now' (Picture: Getty)

7. Leon (1994)

The argument against: Leon features a rather uncomfortable relationship between an adult hitman and a vulnerable 12 year-old girl, with the film sometimes framing it as romantic. The disturbing nature of this dynamic, paired with the lack of clear boundaries, makes the film feel inappropriate. The director’s cut is even dodgier than the cinematic version, with Leon and Matilda’s relationship erring far more towards the stomach churning (Picture: Snap/REX/Shutterstock)

8. The Last Samurai (2003)

The argument against: In Edward Zwick's The Last Samurai, Tom Cruise’s character embodies the 'white saviour' trope, where a Western hero is portrayed as the key to saving and teaching a non-Western society how to sort themselves out. It could be said that this potentially problematic narrative erases the agency of Japanese people and perpetuates a rather patronising view of other cultures. Whether it does or not is debatable. But there's very little chance that a studio would take a chance on a movie like this now. Not without serious amendments to the script (Picture: David James/Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

9. Dirty Harry (1971)

Don Siegel's Dirty Harry is a stone-cold thriller classic. Now an iconic piece of Hollywood history, it was pioneering in a number of ways, inventing as it did a number of genres and sub-genres. Clint Eastwood's uncompromising 'Dirty' Harry Callaghan is a San Francisco police inspector whose unapologetic attitudes toward race and crime can make a modern audience wince. His aggressive methods of justice would clash with contemporary values of inclusion and fairness. His racist remarks would no doubt see floods of complaints. The most controversial scene? The now legendary ‘"Do I feel lucky?" Well do ya, punk?’ scene where Harry has great fun terrorising a group of Black bank robbers (Picture: Getty Images/Moviepix)

10. Short Circuit (1986)

The argument against: In the otherwise fun robot comedy Short Circuit, a white actor plays an Indian man, donning brownface as part of the performance. This form of racial caricature is considered really quite offensive today, making the film’s attempts at humour somewhat out of touch with current expectations for respectful representation. The actor was Succession's Fisher Stevens, who has since admitted to regretting taking the part. 'It definitely haunts me,' he said in an interview back in 2021. 'I still think it's a really good movie, but I would never do that part again' (Picture: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)

11. Manhattan (1979)

The argument against: Woody Allen’s Manhattan controversially focuses on a romantic relationship between a 42-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl, with Allen’s character seeing it as acceptable. This inappropriate dynamic, which glosses over the power imbalance and the general creepiness of the situation, would unlikely appear in a modern film unless it were being specifically addressed (Picture: Brian Hamill/United Artists/Rollins-Joffe/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

12. Sixteen Candles (1984)

The argument against: A beloved teen comedy (well, it is to Gen Xers, anyway), Sixteen Candles features a now quite noticeable disregard for things like consent and cultural sensitivity. The film also includes what would now be considered as ‘problematic’ racial stereotyping (the character of 'Long Duk Dong' is a pretty sketchy caricature) and seems to minimise the trauma, impact and seriousness of harassment, molestation and assault. This attitude would be immediately condemned in 2025 for its lack of empathy toward serious issues and victims. Sixteen Candles? More like Sixteen Rewrites (Picture: Universal Pictures)

13. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

The argument against: While Temple of Doom is undeniably an adventure classic, its portrayal of Indian culture is fairly well steeped in racist tropes. The film's depiction of the culture as primitive and the use of exoticism are today considered inappropriate and offensive in the context of modern cultural awareness. Even at the time, plenty of people objected to the depiction. India banned showing the film, for instance. You could argue it was never meant to be an accurate portrayal of the culture or religions of the place, but it's still pretty jarring to watch. Were it made today, the script would need serious whipping into shape (Picture: Lucasfilm Ltd/Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)