Sure, horror movies are scary. From classic slashers such as Halloween to nerve-wracking psychological thrillers like Silence of The Lambs, horror is one of the most prominent genres in the film world.
But horror movies aren’t the only genre where the viewer could give themselves a good scare… All those nostalgic films everyone watched as a child might not be as innocent as they first appeared. Pretty much everyone has fond memories of watching their favorite movies as a kid. And in happy memories, those beloved flicks appear to be sweet and adorable.
This isn’t always the case though, as some of those childhood films are actually fraught with creepy aspects and unsettling themes that you may not have noticed upon first glance. With that in mind, let’s look through 10 of the most creepy kids’ movies.
10. CORALINE (2009)
This film, as well as the Neil Gaiman novel that inspired it, is very well-known for the perplexing varying emotions it evokes from viewers. Coraline is a stop motion film directed by Henry Selick. When it hit theatres in 2009, it delighted children while simultaneously scaring adults.
Coraline, a bored little girl, comes across a strange corridor in her new house. She learns that the door actually leads to another world - a parallel universe. Everyone from her own world is there; her parents, and even her eccentric neighbors - but they’re all… different. Every single thing and being that ever existed in Coraline’s world has a parallel-dimension doppelganger with buttons sewn into their eyes. Oh, and the doppelgangers are all puppets of the Other Mother (or the Beldam). This is an undoubtedly chilling and utterly horrifying concept for adults, but for children, it’s an exciting adventure, and thus why Coraline is such a famous anomaly.
9. TINY THE SEVENTH BROTHER (1991)
If you grew up in the ’90s or early 2000s and had an obsession with movies that featured talking, singing animals, chances are you saw this film. Tiny, The Seventh Brother was a Hungarian film about a puppy named Tiny, who gets separated from his owners one night.
The film is innocent enough for the first twenty minutes or so. Tiny meets and befriends a family of cowardly rabbits. Since the rabbits are afraid of everything and Tiny is a curious puppy, the rabbits take it upon themselves to teach Tiny a lesson about the value of fear - and that’s where things get creepy. The movie goes into a weird, almost psychedelic sequence in which one of the rabbits dresses up as a monster, which they refer to as the “Savage Beast”, while ominous music plays in the background. This little scene makes what would otherwise be a mostly innocent movie into something that shocked and terrified children.
8. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
Snow White was Disney’s first ever animated feature film. It was adapted from the German fairy tale written by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. This age-old tale told in typical Disney style, would be expected to be a little odd, but Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was downright distressing.
While it had the usual elements of the Disney princess movies that would later succeed it - such as songs, a dreamy, whimsical setting, a Prince Charming, and a jealous guardian - Snow White followed a much darker story than the others. This included eerie scenes of Snow White running through a forest of creepy trees with gnarled arms and glaring eyes. The sequence is completely disturbing for everyone, not just kids.
7. THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984)
This West German fantasy film follows the story of Bastian, a young boy who is constantly teased and bullied by his peers. One day, Bastian finds a book called “The NeverEnding Story”, which tells the tale of a land called Fantasia, that is being terrorized by a force of destructive darkness called The Nothing.
This concept itself is quite scary, but what makes this film all the more eerie and disturbing are the fantastical and strange creatures Bastian encounters on his endeavors to save the dying Fantasia. Oh, and the scene where Artax, the adorable white pony, is killed when he gets sucked into the Swamp of Sadness, is completely traumatizing.
The NeverEnding Story is a beautiful film, and it wouldn’t be as captivating as it was without the touch of utter creepiness that runs through it.
6. ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN (1989)
Don Bluth’s films are known for their rich, dreamlike, nostalgia-evoking animation quality, and All Dogs Go To Heaven is no exception. However, looking past this artful setting, this film does have a rather morbid concept. Charlie is a “criminal” dog who teams up with a bulldog named Carface. Charlie ultimately winds up getting murdered by Carface, and finds himself in heaven.
Seeking vengeance, Charlie returns to earth, where he meets a little orphaned girl named Anne-Marie. A mission for revenge quickly turns into a rescue mission when Charlie learns that Anne-Marie is in danger.
Charlie and Anne-Marie form a close bond, which makes for a heartbreaking goodbye when Charlie has to return to heaven. The concept of death - especially the death of dogs - is a fairly heavy one for kids, as this movie maintains a traumatizing memory for many.
5. BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA (2007)
Bridge To Terabithia was, for the most part, a sweet and charming film. It follows outsider Jesse as he struggles with school and his dysfunctional family life. When he meets Leslie, a new student at his school, Jesse’s life changes for the better.
The two kids go on several adventures together, and even create their own world in the woods, which they name Terabithia. This movie’s fantasy aspect and breathtaking special effects make it a wonderful adventure, but then things take a turn for the dark. Jesse comes home one day to find his family in tears. It’s then, in this extremely emotional scene, that Jesse learns of Leslie’s demise. Throughout the rest of the film, the heartbreaking notion of Leslie’s tragic death takes on a heavy presence.
For a kid watching Bridge To Terabithia, it is a shocking experience and a jarring introduction to the fact that sometimes, the main character dies.
4. THE BLACK CAULDRON (1985)
The Black Cauldron is one of Disney’s most unique - and extremely expensive - animated films. To this day, it’s infamously known for the fact that its $44 million dollar budget only ended up resulting in $21 million earned at the box office, creating a substantial loss for Walt Disney Studios.
Being Disney’s first animated film to receive a PG rating, The Black Cauldron was meant to target the teen demographic. But even for a movie with a more complex plot, there are many elements to Black Cauldron that make for a creepy atmosphere. Demonic spirits are a major aspect of this film, which is a very dark and heavy topic for a Disney movie. The Black Cauldron is infamous for good reason.
3. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (2009)
Based on the classic 1963 children’s book by Maurice Sendak, Where The Wild Things Are is a very well-known story. Spike Jonze’s 2009 film takes on a slightly more complex plot than its inspiration.
The movie utilizes a budget of $115 million to make the fantastical creatures known as Wild Things, into visually stunning beasts. Like the book before it, the film tells the story of a mischievous young boy named Max, who is frustrated with his life. He runs away and discovers a mystical land that belongs to a group of peculiar creatures.
What gives this movie some creepy undertones is the eeriness of the Wild Things. They are massive, artfully designed, and honestly, a little unsettling. This movie was beautiful, but perhaps a little too mature for kids.
2. JACK FROST (1998)
There are several Jack Frost movies, but Troy Miller’s 1998 version is notoriously known as “the creepy one”. With a pitiful 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, Jack Frost is remembered as not only utterly ridiculous, but extremely creepy.
The movie is about Charlie, a young boy whose father was killed on Christmas Day in a car accident. A year later, after Charlie had played his father’s harmonica, he discovers that Dad is back - but as a snowman. This movie carries on a ludicrous concept while creeping its viewers out with a completely disturbing talking snowman (voiced by Michael Keaton). Jack Frost wasn’t only creepy for kids; it lives on in the memories of pretty much everyone who has seen it, as an unsettlingly weird film.
1. WATERSHIP DOWN (1978)
When Richard Adams’ classic 1972 novel was made into a film, it’s safe to say that no one could have predicted the end result.
Martin Rosen’s animated take on the beloved story was fairly accurate to the book. But this brightly colored, beautifully animated, film had a serious dark side. The movie follows the fairly harmless story of a colony of rabbits who discover that their warren is in danger. But how did this little animated movie about bunnies manage to terrify generations?
Watership Down is filled with so much haunting imagery and visually horrifying moments that the fact that it is considered a kids’ movie has been seriously called into question. Watership Down is now rather known as an animated horror movie for adults.
