These types of tricks are gimmicks and often don't necessarily create "great" scenes, and instead reduce morale, create resentment and may have a detriment on the whole production. Not to mention the victim of these is often women and often in sexually violent scenarios.

Actors, especially trained ones, already have a process - whether its Meisner, Method, Laban, M. Chekov, etc to deal with stakes, emotion, vulnerability etc and it would behoove directors to at least partially understand that more than trying to invent their own on the hoof.

We don't hit a Foley artist with a metal bar to make them understand how to make the sound better, we don't stab the fight choreographer to make them understand knives better, we don't shoot the LX tech into the sun to understand the difference between INT and EXT, why do it to actors?

Kubrick was particularly cruel to Shelly Duvall and Scatman Crothers when making The Shining

There's some that have done extra to get the best out of young performers.

Examples would be: Room (2015) with the director making things into a game (like 'who can scream the loudest?'); and Close (2022) where the director worked with the kids for ages before even introducing a camera.

A counter-example would be Gran Torino (2008), where the young actors aren't particularly good ('cos Eastwood is more of a "you get two takes, and if you haven't got in 2, you haven't got it" kinda guy)

so directors are kinda sadists?

I heard in Die Hard that they dropped Gruber from the building before he was ready. Something about counting to 3 but dropped before the count. The look on his face was actually "oh shit, I didn't expect that."

Cameron did this with the squad of soldiers in Aliens. They all trained together with military folks for a few weeks before filming started so that they would move like a well trained unit / hold weapons correctly etc.

If I remember correctly the lady who played Vasquez said it was a very bonding experience.

Edit: He also got them to decorate their own kit and lockers with graffiti etc.

The guy who played Apone was actually ex-military. You can tell. He nails his part.