A lot of us have memories of childhood films that stick with us, films full of happiness and joy and color and light and, in the case of a lot of films, very catchy songs. Just as many of us, however, have memories of films that conjure up something different, stories of darkness and despair and tragedy and sacrifice.
This is especially true for people who grew up during the 1980s and 1990s, when films geared toward children had more than a little bit of an edge. As traumatizing as they were, however, a lot of us still love those films, and here are ten of the best of them.
The Secret of NIMH (1982)
There’s no question that Don Bluth, who formerly worked at Disney, made some of the most innovative animated films of the 1980s. And, of course, many of them were very traumatic, full of startling and frightening images, such as The Secret of NIMH, which features such traumatizing images as a cat named Dragon (definitely one of the ugliest cats to ever appear in a film), rats that have been genetically modified to be super intelligent, and a giant owl. Despite the emotional scar, it is a truly beautiful film to watch.
The NeverEnding Story (1982)
If internet memes are anything to go by, this film is not only visually very strange but also has one of the most traumatic scenes in the history of children’s movies. Everyone can remember when they saw the scene in which Artax, Atreyu’s horse, falls into the muck and is lost. This iconic scene has been replicated many times on the internet, with numerous memes making clear how significantly this film has scarred a certain generation of children. There’s something uniquely awful about seeing a horse be unable to escape from a swamp, isn’t there?
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Disney wasn’t having the best time of it in the 1980s. A lot of their films underperformed at the box office, and The Black Cauldron is no exception. However, it does deserve some props for the new directions in which it took the Disney brand.
The film’s villain, the Horned King, is definitely one of the most frightening villains to have ever appeared in a Disney film. The scene in which he brings an army of the dead to life is similarly traumatizing, and will no doubt haunt the dreams of many 1980s children for years.
Watership Down (1978)
Watership Down is the mashup between The Wind and the Willows and Game of Thrones that you didn’t know that you needed. It focuses on a group of rabbits who attempt to find a safe haven for their clan and face numerous challenges and bloody conflicts. The film features a rather strange and otherworldly opening sequence which sets out its unique mythology. Watership Down also features some truly brutal imagery, especially near the end, when the rabbits go to war with one another. Nature red in tooth and claw, indeed.
The Last Unicorn (1982)
Though a lot of people tend to dismiss animated films as not being able to convey anything meaningful or truly emotional, those people have clearly never seen The Last Unicorn. Based on the Peter S. Beagle novel of the same name, this is one of those films that has a powerful, potent, beating heart that will leave you in tears near the end. The soundtrack, performed by the band, is also emotionally traumatizing, with haunting tunes that will stick with you long after the film is over, a potent reminder of the film’s essential sadness.
The Witches (1990)
Roald Dahl has a well-earned reputation for writing books that were both earthy and disturbing, and their film adaptations have kept up with that. That is definitely true of the film adaptation of The Witches.
This film follows a young girl and her grandmother as they confront the world’s most powerful witch and attempt to defeat her. The image of the divine Angelica Huston as she transforms from her beautiful self into the hideous witch—the witch persona was created by Jim Henson—is something that will stay with anyone who watches this film.
Return to Oz (1985)
This very strange film is one of several films intended as a sequel to the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. In case you found yourself wanting to see the beloved character Dorothy imprisoned in a mental institution, this film is for you.
Return to Oz features some truly disturbing and emotionally traumatizing imagery, including seeing both the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion transformed into stone, as well as a race of creatures called Wheelers. Watching this film, you definitely get the feeling that you are not in Kansas anymore.
James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Another adaptation of a Roald Dahl novel, this film is both visually stunning and, at times, disturbing. It’s rather strange storyline focuses on a young boy (whose parents are eaten by a rhinoceros) who inhabits a giant peach in the company of several giant, talking insects. Though it’s actually fairly light-hearted compared to several other films adapted from the works of Roald Dahl, the ways in which the insects are brought to life are, to put it mildly, more than a little disturbing. It is definitely not for those with arachnophobia.
The Dark Crystal (1982)
What to say about The Dark Crystal? It is one of those films that is unlike almost anything there. It’s rather like what would happen if the Muppets were crossed with The Black Cauldron. There’s no question that it is a visually stunning film, and it’s also easy to get caught up in its epic fantasy narrative.
The real highlight of the film, however, are the creatures, and there are some images that will be forever burned into the minds of all of those kids who watched this film when it came out.
The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
It takes a truly brilliant film to make audiences care about inanimate household appliances such as a toaster, and electric blanket, and a vacuum. However, that is just what The Brave Little Toaster manages to do. It’s one of those animated children’s films that really dives down deep into the well of human emotion, and though it has a mostly happy ending, the steps that it takes to get us there are incredibly intense. The film asks us all to remember the heartbreak associated with growing up and leaving our childhood behind.