Top 20 Disney Movies That Are Surprisingly Dark
#20: “James and the Giant Peach” (1996)
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Stop-motion animation is one of the most intricate mediums in the realm of cinema, creating everlasting images. Funnily enough, however, some of the scariest parts of “James and the Giant Peach” take place in live-action. Before James finds his way into the peach and everything becomes stop-motion, he is living with his terrifying aunts Spiker and Sponge. For a kids movie, these aunts have a pretty terrifying way about them, treating James horribly. He eventually gets revenge on them, but not before they attack him with fire axes. The themes about abuse are pretty richly wrought here in a way that’s surprising for an animated film.
#19: “Mulan” (1998)
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“Mulan” is a delightful Disney movie, filled with amazing songs and a plucky protagonist. But, when you really think about it, it’s also one of Disney’s more adult-themed films. There are a lot of ideas about gender that factor into the story of Mulan, of course. But there is also a pretty heavy swatch of violence. In one scene, Mulan and the rest of her squad come across a village that has been burned down by the Huns. They find out that the Huns have murdered their leader’s father, and it’s very heavily implied that young people have also died in the massacre. It’s a dark scene in a movie that doesn’t shy away from that sort of thing.
#18: “Toy Story 3” (2010)
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The “Toy Story” franchise is known for tugging at our heartstrings, but the third installment in the series manages to go even further than its predecessors. There are several times throughout “Toy Story 3” where things seem pretty bleak for our favorite toys, with none being quite as horrifying as when it looks as though Buzz, Woody, and the rest of the gang are going to be burned alive in an incinerator. Not to mention, this film’s villain is totally creepy and has some seriously dark intentions.
#17: “Zootopia” (2016)
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When you think of “Zootopia,” you probably think of cute little animals. However, there’s also that whole racism allegory to contend with. The general message of “Zootopia,” which centers on a rabbit and a fox teaming up together despite their prejudices, is that we shouldn’t take stock in stereotypes. The movie goes further, using the allegory of predators and prey, to try and make a statement on systemic racism. While some of that allegory doesn’t necessarily come together all the time, it’s still a fairly complicated and dark subject to try and fit into a kids' movie.
#16: “Tarzan” (1999)
On the surface, “Tarzan” seems like a pretty fun romp. That Phil Collins music, the comedy of errors that arise when a human is raised by apes, is all in good fun. But there’s a lot of darkness to the “Tarzan” story. The story begins with Tarzan’s parents being murdered by a leopard, and Tarzan struggles throughout the film with the concept of found family. Plus, the character of Clayton, a hunter, is one of the most vicious villains that Disney has ever come up with. His death scene at the end is so visceral, and something we’ll never forget.
#15: “The Rescuers” (1977)
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Despite being made for children, Disney movies sure do seem to like to put their young heroes in peril. Nowhere is that more prevalent than in 1977’s “The Rescuers.” The film centers around Penny, an orphan who has been kidnapped by Madame Medusa, an aspiring jewel thief. Medusa seems to have no real plans for Penny but to continue to treat her terribly. She abuses her constantly, even going so far as to put her under the “care” of two terrifying crocodiles named Brutus and Nero. Penny is luckily saved by Bianca and Bernard, but her plight up until then is not one we want to dwell on.
#14: “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)
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Everyone loves puppies! Except, quite famously, one person. “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” is a beloved movie for a lot of reasons, not least of all its numerous adorable dogs. But its villain, and her vendetta against those adorable dogs, is truly dark. Cruella de Vil loves fashion and she will go to any means to get what she wants. Even if it means skinning cute little puppies and turning their fur into coats. Despite the jaunty little song that’s written about her, Cruella is anything but delightful. She’s shrewd and cunning, and her ambitions cannot be stopped.
#13: “Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
So many Disney movies are based on classic fairy tales of old, and those old fairy tales are usually a bit darker than the movies we see. In the case of “Sleeping Beauty,” that is still quite true. But this princess romance is definitely a lot darker than you remember. Maleficent’s curse on Aurora at the beginning of the film is really the least of its darkness. The moment Aurora falls asleep is pretty terrifying within itself, and Prince Phillip’s fight with Maleficent at the end is scary as well. As a dragon, Maleficent becomes one of the more intimidating villains in Disney history.
#12: “Dumbo” (1941)
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Animals in peril, drug use, and light racism. How much darker can this Disney movie get? “Dumbo” has such a cute protagonist at its center, it’s easy to forget everything that actually happens in the film. Dumbo’s mother is at one point locked up in a cage, but that’s really one of the last dark things about this film. There’s also the moment when Dumbo and Timothy the Mouse get drunk and start to hallucinate. Not to mention that gang of crows led by Dandy Crow, previously named Jim Crow, a pretty obvious racial stereotype against African Americans. We guess there’s a lot you can get away with when you’ve got a cute elephant as your star.
#11: “Fantasia” (1940)
If you’ve seen the 1940 film “Fantasia,” then you know exactly where this one is going. The majority of “Fantasia,” a sort of series of musical sequences, isn't too scary. But the ending scene will have you quaking in your boots. The last section of the film is called “Night on Bald Mountain.” If the name doesn’t already give you pause, you’re in for a treat. It centers around a devil named Chernabog, a terrifyingly large winged creature who summons a number of lesser demons to do his bidding for the night. Everything about this, from its music to its animation, is one of the scariest things we’ve ever seen.
#10: “Alice in Wonderland” (1951)
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There’s a lot to enjoy in “Alice in Wonderland,” from its glorious animation to memorable characters. But this trippy 1951 film is a lot more strange than you might remember. Alice goes through a lot of trauma while on her journey through Wonderland, including shrinking and growing numerous times and meeting creatures who seem bent on deceiving her. The logic of Wonderland, from the “unbirthday” celebration to the Queen of Hearts, is all so absurd and just a little bit too unsettling. When we remember watching this as a kid, it’s hard not to remember just how freaked out we were.
#9: “The Fox and the Hound” (1981)
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When a young fox’s mother being killed at the beginning of a movie isn’t the worst thing to happen to him, you know you’re in for a depressing story. It may at first seem like an adorable tale of interspecies friendship, but Big Mama’s warning that Tod and Copper are natural enemies lingers over the entirety of “The Fox and the Hound” until it finally comes to fruition. In the end, these two can never be the best of friends, because one has been bred and trained to kill the other. There are a lot of sad and scary moments in this film, making it one you don’t want to show to more sensitive kids.
#8: “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” (1949)
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This movie didn’t exactly make it into the canon of beloved Disney films, and it might just be because it’s simply too scary for most kids. Many are familiar with the tale of the Headless Horseman, and this 1949 version of the tale manages to ramp up the tension leading up to his appearance in a fashion so effective that it still gives us chills. The fact that we never find out for sure what happened to Ichabod Crane leaves viewers with an unsettling feeling that just can’t be shaken.
#7: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
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As Disney’s first major feature film, it seems that the House of Mouse was still ironing out the kinks of what kids would like when they made this one. It has of course become a timeless classic, but its themes are decidedly more sinister than some of its successors. The Evil Queen wanting to dispose of Snow White is pretty standard fairy tale fodder, but it’s the part where she wants the hunter to rip her heart out and put it on display that has us raising our eyebrows.
#6: “The Lion King” (1994)
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Parents dying in Disney movies is pretty much par for the course, but it never happens in quite as horrific of a fashion than in this 1994 film. Not only does Scar murder his brother Mufasa in cold blood by throwing him into a gorge of stampeding animals, he then goes on to blame Simba for it, exiling him from his home. When Simba grows up and goes back to Pride Rock to take what is rightfully his, he recreates the circumstances of his father’s death to get revenge.
#5: “Bambi” (1942)
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How could a movie about adorable woodland creatures be dark? Well, for starters the action kicks off when Bambi’s mother is killed by hunters. Everyone is familiar with the basic outline of the story, but there’s another lesser-known scene you may have forgotten about. When hunters are approaching, a trio of birds are hiding in the underbrush. One of them is panicking and suggests they fly away, which the others quickly dismiss. She can’t help herself though and soars out of their hiding spot, only to be immediately shot and killed.
#4: “Pocahontas” (1995)
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There has been plenty of debate over the years since this movie was released as to whether it properly serves its purpose. Telling the story of early colonialism in the United States is going to be a touchy subject no matter how you spin it, even though for the most part it’s clear that the white guys are the bad guys in “Pocahontas.” Not to mention, a major character is suddenly killed and John Smith is almost executed. This is undoubtedly one of the heavier stories that Disney has attempted to tell.
#3: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996)
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Disney has made a lot of feel-good movies over the years, and this definitely isn’t one of them. There are a lot of upsetting moments in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” from Quasimodo’s public humiliation when he is dubbed the King of Fools, to Frollo’s creepy obsession with Esmeralda in his song “Hellfire,” where he talks about wanting her to burn in hell because he can’t stop thinking about her. Talk about red flags! The ending is also a lot more nuanced than even adults are able to understand, showing that just because you’re the “hero” of the story doesn’t entitle you to end up with the love interest.
#2: “The Black Cauldron” (1985)
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The 80’s were a time of transition for Disney. By the end of the decade, they would begin the animation studio’s renaissance with “The Little Mermaid” but there were some bumps on the way to success. Sandwiched between “The Fox and the Hound” and “The Great Mouse Detective,” Disney released this film which everyone has been trying to forget ever since. Featuring an army of undead soldiers and an absolutely terrifying villain, “The Black Cauldron” stands out as being the most un-Disney-like film that the studio ever made.
#1: “Pinocchio” (1940)
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Sure, he gets eaten by a giant whale, but that’s not even the worst of it! As one of Disney’s earlier films, “Pinocchio” definitely has a more sinister tone than what we have come to associate with Walt’s creations. While there are a lot of scary things that happen in this 1940 movie, the worst has to be Pleasure Island, where boys can go to drink, smoke, carouse, and oh, get turned into donkeys. Watching one of the boys be transformed was terrifying when we were kids and honestly, didn’t get any less disturbing when we got older.
