Cartoons and animated movies deserve far more respect than they currently receive. The medium can be used to create some of the most moving and powerful standouts in any genre. Perhaps the best exemplifier is the feats of horror filmmaking achieved in animated films, whether the creators intended them or not.
Everyone has a memory deep within their soul of some film or TV project that held sway over their nightmares for the first decade or two of their life. Statistically, most of these haunting movie memories come from an animated film trying its hand at the world of horror and succeeding with a bit more aplomb than they expected — like the following scenes did.
"Let Her Go" from Monster House
Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab's 2006 all-ages horror film was famously made less threatening than it could've been. The duo, who most famously worked on Rick and Morty, reportedly intended the nightmarish home's innards to resemble organic guts and viscera rather than its more architectural final product. Even without that grim choice, though, Monster House confronts the audience with some truly challenging visuals and concepts throughout. The film's narrative follows a trio of neighborhood youths who discover that a local house is a violent living creature, and struggle to convince the rest of the subdivision.
While the film is packed with thrilling moments, the most unsettling is likely when the house finally takes a more active role in the fight. When young DJ finally convinces Mr. Nebbercracker to release the spirit of his late wife who occupies the house, the house responds with violence. Ripping itself from the foundation with a pair of horrific arms, the house chases the innocents as the massive and terrifying monster that it is. It's gripping, and a sensitive viewer would be likely to keep that image in their head for some time.
Pleasure Island from Pinocchio
Disney's original take on this iconic tale, which is about to see several more adaptations, features a deeply bizarre scene in which a child is transformed slowly and painfully into a donkey. While the absurd and prolonged transformation scene is challenging, the deeper horror of the scene comes after they've changed shape. The rambunctious boys are brought to the aforementioned island by an unnamed Coachman who promises a chance to do as they wish. The island transforms its denizens into donkeys, who are then sold off as sapient slaves in animal form to mines and circuses.
This is the kind of esoteric horror that only comes from classic fairy tales. Being violently transformed against one's will and sold into slavery feels like an appropriate ending to some magical equivalent of a Black Mirror episode. Adding to the unpleasantness, eagle-eyed viewers might notice that the Coachman escapes unharmed, leaving him to continue his horrific deeds.
Other Mother from Coraline
Picking just one scary scene from Henry Selick's adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's iconic dark children's novel is tough. Truly, the entire film is terrifying. The centerpiece of the film's horror, though, is the alternate version of Coraline's mother.
The creature who has taken the form of her Other Mother is a nightmarish arachnid called The Beldam. The slow reveal and gradual transformation of her mother figure reveal itself to be a haunting monstrosity. Beldam is the main threat in the film's climax and every moment that it is on-screen is among the most terrifying moment in animated history. LAIKA's incredible stop-motion skill is put to staggering effect in the film's climax, leaving many far too traumatized to revisit this darkly magical affair.
"Worthless" from The Brave Little Toaster
Fans of this classic 1987 Jerry Rees animated film may recall other horrifying scenes, one revolving around a clown in particular, but this musical moment carries a unique disquieting fear. "Worthless" is a song and attendant visual montage within the film, centering on its least pleasant themes. The film is about obsolescence, the feeling of uselessness that comes with the relentless march of time. This song tells the story of multiple cars that have been abandoned to their final fate, death at the hands of an industrial crusher.
This is one of the darkest moments in a Disney film, and while the imagery isn't exactly nightmare fuel, the scene cuts to the heart of some of the most crushing thoughts in the human experience. Viewers will alternate between existential dread for themselves and guilt over the fate of their precious possessions.
The Fight from Watership Down
Most viewers who've come across this 1978 film have had the same experience: stumbling onto what appears to be a forgotten Disney film, assuming it's an adorable romp about bunnies, then being shocked by the violence on display. The more recent Netflix adaptation excises most of the more difficult elements, but the original film becomes visceral in its third act.
Watership Down is a haunting natural adventure packed with some shocking violence. The impact of the blood and gore is heightened even further by its easygoing opening.