Childhood films that made you think, why the hell did they make this for me?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

To take our minds off... everything.

Watership Down goes without saying.

Plague Dogs - two abused dogs escape from laboratory. Swim out to sea and drown (which, incidentally, was NOT how the book ended).

Animal Farm. Why make a cartoon about that? Boxer

I would be interested to know if anyone else remembers Little Nezha (pronounced NIGH-ah). Chinese animated film about (TLDR) a small boy who cuts his throat after his father rejects him. There's a bit more to it than that (dragons) but that's the gist.

Holy balls, I remember Little Nezha! Always seemed to be on at Easter. There was a bit when he ripped out a dragon's spine and used it as a whip - classic family fare!

I swear Plague Dogs started my turn to veganism. I'm tearing up just thinking about it (in my mind they did not drown, so there 😐).

If I had kids I'd make them watch both Plague Dogs and Watership Down. If I had to experience that level of bleakness, other kids have to as well. I'm not staying in the room with them though, no fucking chance.

I used to love The last unicorn but I remember it always scared me a bit. When I googled it as an adult I'm not surprised- theres a lot of death, kidnapping and a giant red bull who wants to kill all the unicorns. Its still rated a U though.

My mother used to get so excited for watership down and it killed me.

As for those bastards as disney and Bambis mother. No wonder I preferred star wars.

I remember being terrified of the smooze(?) in the My Little Pony film...

I used to have to watch Dark Crystal from behind the sofa

The Dark Crystal
The Never Ending Story
Labyrinth

Labyrinth was terrifying to six year old me!

Labyrinth, I was both terrified and awed by it. Now it's one of my favourite films and we watch it often. I was the same over the last unicorn. I felt so sorry for the unicorn when she was alone and then watching her struggle in her human form really killed me.

The garbage pail kids. The fake snot, slime, zits made me queasy. I swear I could imagine what it smelled like.

The BFG animated film. I loved the book but at age 10/11 I watched the movie and it triggered 6 months of nightmares. Bone crunchers eye ball would appear at the portacabin class room windows and then he would grab me and eat me.

In fairness, I don't think Animal Farm was aimed at children! Fun fact - although it's a British film, it was funded by the CIA to enocurage anti-communist sentiments.

Neither watership down or Animal farm are children's books / films. Just because it is a cartoon doesn't make it a child's film.

@Latenightreader

I remember being terrified of the smooze(?) in the My Little Pony film...

Me too ! My dm was really cross because she took me to see it in the cinema and I had to be taken out. The purple smooze was terrifying.

I can never watch Watership down again or read the book.....I will happily watch horror films but not watership down.

The Witches Roald Dahl.....who in hell didn't think that would traumatise children ?

I remember crying my eyes out at Land Before Time

@UnalignedAnt

Holy balls, I remember Little Nezha! Always seemed to be on at Easter. There was a bit when he ripped out a dragon's spine and used it as a whip - classic family fare!

Yay!

He absolutely did, and iirc he was naked at the time.

Ring of Bright Water put me off watching any films with animals in when I was young, I’d even refuse to watch Black Beauty.

@crivit

I swear Plague Dogs started my turn to veganism. I'm tearing up just thinking about it (in my mind they did not drown, so there 😐).

If I had kids I'd make them watch both Plague Dogs and Watership Down. If I had to experience that level of bleakness, other kids have to as well. I'm not staying in the room with them though, no fucking chance.

After watching the first time, I used to always skip the beginning and end - that way it didn't seem quite as bad.

Remember this: "Hold on, there's something down there... "Oh my God, look at that!"

@TiptopJ I have a vague memory of that too. Something about a werewolf? "I'm going to BITE you." Or was that The Singing Parcel?

Ring of Bright Water - Jesus

Sorry posted too soon

Mij's death was horrible

@rbe78

In fairness, I don't think Animal Farm was aimed at children! Fun fact - although it's a British film, it was funded by the CIA to enocurage anti-communist sentiments.

I did not know that!

Went right over my head, I just thought all pigs were bastards.

Horrible Gingernaut, my Grandad actually recommended it as a good family film, I was heartbroken at it.

@sashh

Neither watership down or Animal farm are children's books / films. Just because it is a cartoon doesn't make it a child's film.

Probably. I think in the 80s, there was a tendency among parents to watch the first few seconds of something, and think, "Oh, it's a cartoon about animals, my 4yo will enjoy that, lalala." I

We're more careful these days, probably as a direct result of childhood trauma

Yep, remember Witches and Land Before Time!

Let's not forget Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Scared me so much I threw up.

Ring of Bright Water 💔 I remember once a friend suggested watching it on a playdate at her house. I couldn't bear to watch it again but was too embarrassed to say so. In the end I just left in a hurry and ran home.

I watched Watership Down at school when I was six. I loved it, and later it became my favourite book.

Bambi and Dumbo on the other hand - yikes.

I've always hated the Wizard of Oz.
Not appealing at all with hurricanes and witches. Bluegh