There are plenty of movies that traumatized audiences out there, and this can happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they’re a little too intense for moviegoers, and they can’t handle things. Other times, the ending hits home a little too close to home. Now imagine you’re a kid, sitting down for what you expect to be a nice, innocent, and wholesome movie experience. It may start that way, but even movies made for children can traumatize viewers. To be fair, some of these films shouldn’t have been watched by younger viewers, yet that didn’t stop certain moviegoers from watching them when they were younger anyway.
Return to Oz
The Wizard of Oz is a timeless classic for all ages. Families have gathered around the television to view the movie for nearly 100 years. In 1985, an unofficial sequel was released. It was, in a word, different. Part of the charm of the original movie is the set design and characters. They’re comforting and wholesome. The costume design for Return to Oz is one of the most unsettling in cinematic history.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a perfect movie that contains the only on-screen interaction between Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny. Kids love it because they get to see animated antics. Adults love it because it’s a fantastic modern neo-noir detective movie. Having said that, Judge Doom is a terrifying villain. The way he tortures that poor shoe is heartbreaking, and his revelation as a cartoon character is the stuff of nightmares. Hats off to Christopher Lloyd’s performance.
Jaws
So here’s the thing about Jaws. We know now that this isn’t a kids’ movie, but you have to remember: it was rated PG back when it was released, so younger viewers were not deterred. If you’ve ever wondered why so many kids were afraid of swimming in the ocean or scared of sharks, here’s your answer. It’s honestly a testament to the quality of Jaws that the movie was able to traumatize older children. I’d reckon that the film would be rated PG-13 today, which means some kids who were 11 or 12 would still get to see it under parental supervision, but that still left people traumatized.
Follow us on MSN for more content you love.
Poltergeist
Yep, another film that was PG, which very clearly shouldn’t have been. Poltergeist is one of the scariest movies ever made. It’s a film that terrorized adults. Now imagine you’re a kid sitting down for a movie with parental guidance merely suggested. Yeah, no wonder they were traumatized.
Gremlins
If it’s not evident by now, there are quite a few “PG” movies that traumatized audiences. It’s actually Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom that led to the creation of the PG-13 rating. Those little mogwai may look cute, but we all know that some of them are up to no good. That includes causing recurring nightmares for years.
Bridge to Terabithia
One of the biggest ways younger moviegoers would be traumatized or scarred by a movie is through something they weren’t expecting. On the surface, Bridge to Terabithia is a fantasy young adult story. In reality, it’s all about dealing with grief and loss and confronting the feelings that come with that.
My Girl
Since we just talked about Bridge to Terabithia, it only seems appropriate to bring up My Girl. What starts as a sweet, innocent, and wholesome story of young romance turns into, you guessed it, a story about dealing with loss and grief. Watching a young Anna Chlumsky break down at the funeral is not just heartbreaking, but also traumatizing to those who weren’t expecting it.
The Land Before Time
I have a bone to pick with Don Bluth: why did you make so many movies that traumatized audiences? Do you enjoy making younger viewers cry? If so, mission accomplished. Now, I understand the importance of letting kids know the importance of overcoming loss, but to have Littlefoot’s mother die so early in what was supposed to be a cute children’s cartoon with dinosaurs was a little too much at first.
All Dogs Go To Heaven
To be honest, I have no idea how I was able to watch this movie as a kid. Yes, it’s an animated movie with talking dogs, but there are so many mature themes here that it’s wild this thing was ever released: drinking, violence, dark and grim depictions of the afterlife; it’s all here. Directed by Don Bluth. Oh, that makes sense.
The Brave Little Toaster
I was shocked to learn that The Brave Little Toaster wasn’t directed by Don Bluth. As much as I remember loving this movie, it turns out that I had just repressed a lot of the film’s, at times, frightening scenes and imagery.
Bambi
Walt Disney, we need to have a talk. As a child, you really won me over with that winter scene of Bambi and Thumper playing in the snow. I would always act like Bambi and Thumper on the ice. I ate that up as a toddler, because who wouldn’t? Then you go ahead and have the hunter shoot his mother, and we have to watch Bambi’s heartbreak as he looks for her in the snow? Yeah, that got to us.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
As an adult, yes, we know that E.T. is just a cute, lost little alien. When we were younger, however, he was the stuff of nightmares. The scene of him lying in the ditch was the stuff of nightmare fuel for younger viewers.
IT
This aired on television. It’s not the modern-day remake that’s rated R. This aired on ABC. Surely because of this, younger viewers were safe. You’d figure that a two-part film airing on ABC wouldn’t turn into a movie that traumatized audiences, right? Well, about that. IT is absolutely terrifying from beginning to end, thanks in part to Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise the clown. If you’re wondering why so many kids were afraid of clowns, here’s your reason.
Follow us on MSN for more content you love.
Read More From Us:
