Sometimes you rewatch a movie that you saw in your youth and you notice something strange. It happens to be that the movie seems a little too mature, as now that you're older you understand the nuances present in the film. There are actually a lot of movies that are too scary or mature for their intended audiences, but it's marketed to kids anyway and you would have no idea if you aren't paying close attention. Well, some of these movies are also quite obviously too much for the kid as well. If you're looking to find out what might be too much for your kid, you're in the right place. Or if you just want a trip down memory lane, continue reading and you'll see what we mean.
Snow White And The Seven Dwarves
While overall a loving tale of how a group of dwarves saved Snow White from the evil queen, this movie wasn't safe from scary situations. Snow White is relentlessly chased after by this witch throughout the movie.
It all starts with her escape from the castle where she stumbles into the woods and is nearly scared to death by all of the nightmare-turned harmless creatures awaiting her. Then she's nearly murdered by a scary old woman with a simple apple. This could easily scare any child.
Pinocchio
This movie is wrought with terrifying imagery. If you remember, Pinocchio gets swallowed by the giant whale, Monstro, with horrifying teeth and has to try to escape with Geppetto from within its guts. For anyone who hates body horror, this was a nightmare.
But that's not the only terrifying scene. Shortly before being eaten, viewers are treated to the sight of Pinocchio involuntarily being turned into a donkey one limb and frightening yell at a time.
Tiny The Seventh Brother
This Hungarian movie came out in 1991. That was a time we personally feel our parents found us all manner of cartoon movies to watch, so it's possible that you might have seen this one for yourself. While this might look cute at first, you shouldn't always judge a VCR tape by its cover.
A little over 20 minutes into the film, a song expressing how much danger is around begins. The frightening images combined with the danger motif that continues throughout the film, plus the fact that this dog is lost, make for a truly ominous ambiance that might make kids unsettled.
Cry Baby Lane
When you think of Nickelodeon, you might not associate it with anything truly frightening. After all, it is a network full of cartoons made just for kids with typically lighthearted themes. This film was definitely an exception.
The movie revolved around the resurrection of an evil conjoined twin that was sawed off from his good twin brother by their father after their death. The evil twin proceeds to possess everyone in the town. Maybe too much for kids.
Watership Down
First debuting as an adventure novel, this book got a film adaptation in 1978 that will truly knock your socks off. While still remaining an adventure of sorts, it could possibly fit more into the drama and horror genres.
Yes, this is a kid's film. When was the last time you saw blood and vicious faces in a kid's animation? Well, this one doesn't shy away from it and there are many rabbits who end up getting bloodied or even outright killed.
The Brave Little Toaster
This is one of our all-time favorite children's movies, but we have to admit that it was one heck of a scary ride. It's about a toaster and a bunch of other household appliances that go on a search for their owner after he moves away and his family sells their house.
While it sounds like an amazing adventure (and it is) it is filled with countless nightmarish scenes, from Toaster being nearly burned alive from overdone toast to their owner, Rob, being nearly crushed at a car junkyard. Everywhere they go they find themselves in peril and we recommend this one for older audiences only.
Return To Oz
This is the unofficial sequel to "The Wizard of Oz" and is largely based on the next two books in the series, "The Marvelous Land of Oz" and "Ozma of Oz". You'd think being in the same universe would give it a pretty good kid's rating, but this movie took a decidedly darker turn to the series.
Just the beginning alone involves Dorothy going to get shock therapy since her grandparents think she's fantasizing too much (after previously enjoying her recalling her "dream") while they struggle to recover from the damages of the tornado. When she escapes the asylum, she finds Oz in ruins. Yeah, not exactly kid-friendly.
The Triplets Of Belleville
With a title as cute as "The Triplets of Belleville", you'd think this movie is a pretty safe bet for your kids to enjoy. However, the animation style is slightly off-putting, and that's not even mentioning the plot of the film.
The movie involves the kidnapping of an orphan whose grandma then sets out to find him. On her way, she recruits the help of some creepy triplets that are the titular characters of the film. While some people love this movie, others may find it pretty disturbing.
Tower Of Terror
As if the theme park ride wasn't scary enough, Disney went ahead and made a movie out of it. And yes, it still revolves around an elevator which ends up cursed and plummets the people within to their deaths.
At the end of the film, everyone finds out that Abigail was the cause of the murder of five people all because she didn't realize that no one forgot her birthday, but that she was supposed to have a surprise party. Sure she saves everyone at the end, but that is some messed-up excuse to kill.
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
You're going to look at the image and think we're crazy for putting something like this on the list. But if you've come this far, you need to trust that we're telling you the truth about these movies. This movie is rife with horror.
People nearly get eaten alive, children are drained of their life when they are forced to take pills which, by the way, happen because of a deal with the devil, and then the dinosaurs need to sacrifice themselves to save the kids. Goodbye innocent childhood.
Anastasia
This movie is definitely a happy story, but its beginning is quite tragic. Being loosely based on the rumors that Duchess Anastasia escaped the assassination of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, you can imagine how frightful this movie can be.
Although she manages to escape, she is still chased down by Grigori Rasputin and has to stay in hiding and on the run. Although his bat companion, Bartok, is there to offer some comedic relief, this is still a tragic journey.
Holes
Following the story of Stanley Yelnats after being falsely accused and arrested for stealing some shoes, he gets sent to a community service juvey where he is forced to dig holes seemingly for no real reason.
Aside from the terrifying thought of being sent away to a sweltering desert without a fair trial, the movie also terrifies viewers by making them watch as Stanley's fortune is nearly stolen away from him.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
We loved this movie and couldn't exactly remember why it was so scary. At first, all we could remember was the awesome music and the flying car. But then we decided to do some research into this beloved movie.
That's when we remembered: the child catcher. The King and Queen had this creepy man going around capturing children who weren't allowed in the land. He'd also steal all the toys and generally make children feel like they don't belong and need to run from the film.
Home Alone
What?! How could a movie as innocent as "Home Alone" be put onto this list?? Well, if it isn't because the thought of your parents forgetting you on vacation is horrifying in and of itself (albeit due to a multitude of unlikely events), we'll give you more reason to think so.
You're a child who is home alone. Suddenly, some scary burglars come and try to steal everything you own and harm you in the process. Your parents are unreachable and, for some reason, you don't call the police. While it may be full of comedy, we're sure there are plenty of children terrified of this movie.
Coraline
We'd be bereft if we didn't include this movie on our list. We read the book when we were young and we should just say that it was nothing short of horrifying. The movie spares nothing either.
It's about a girl who finds herself transported to a world much like her own, except that her parents are more ominous and have buttons for eyes. Forget ominous, they're straight-up evil and want to trap Coraline there, sew buttons into her eyes, and keep her as their own daughter. Goodbye.
Madeline
This movie is almost the sweetest movie your kids could see, if not for one scene that might seem quite scary upon rewatching. It is the scene where Madeline and her friend get kidnapped while people watch.
Yes, that's right, people watch with little desire to help as Madeline's own tutor kidnaps her while she screaming in pain. Not only is the thought of someone you are supposed to trust kidnapping you already horrifying, but the fact that no one does anything puts the cherry on the cake.
Thumbelina
If you went back and rewatched that scene, you might notice that Madeline's tutor called her Thumbelina. What a coincidence because that's our next entry! But what could be so scary about this cute little fantasy about a woman the size of a thumb?
Well, for one thing, people are constantly berating her and body-shaming her, calling her ugly because of her size. Other than that, she was kidnapped twice and forced into marriages by two separate people. Not the best thing to expose your kid to.
Labyrinth
We're just going to start off by saying that the puppets and animatronics in this movie are absolutely terrifying, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Looking past that, there are plenty of other reasons this movie is just terrifying for a kid.
First off, she makes a halfhearted wish that her baby brother would disappear. It comes true and she's flung into a maze where she only has 13 hours to retrieve him. Along the way, she must avoid brainwashing, terrifying creatures, and the goblin king who wants to enslave her. If that's not scary, we don't know what is.
The Dark Crystal
If you thought that those puppets were scary, then you might not like this one either. The Dark Crystals has no live-action actors in it whatsoever, so you're pretty much stuck with these puppets.
Although these puppets are arguably more charming than the last, the movie deals with genocide and kidnapping as well as the soul-stealing of mny creatures and tons of torture. Why is this geared towards kids again?
Matilda
This movie is eerily similar to Carrie if Carrie was a child who wasn't down for murder. But there are plenty of adult themes here that hold up to this "Carrie" comparison.
Before awakening her powers, we find out that Matilda is literally abused by her parents. What's more, is that the principal is also abusive and puts her into some sort of torture device called "The Chokey". We're actually surprised murderous revenge didn't make the cut.
Mrs. Doubtfire
Although you might not think of this as weird in any way, looking a little deeper into the film reveals a lot about it. While Robin Williams did a fantastic job at the role, we can't help but point out the absolute creepiness of this movie.
The main character, Daniel, basically dresses up as a nanny(and a pretty convincing one at that) in order to trick his ex-wife into letting him spend time with the kids...alone. Cute, but if he were anybody else this would literally be a parent's worst nightmare.
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
As the name implies, this was never going to be a very happy movie. Despite all the unfortunate events that take place, the main characters are still able to escape every situation that Count Olaf puts them through.
He chases them relentlessly in an effort to obtain their fortune and kill them. We distinctly remember the moment he locks one of them in a car in front of an oncoming train. If that doesn't sound scary, then consider the fact that the door locks suddenly disappear so that no one can manually unlock them.
Don't Look Under The Bed
If you think Disney can't be scary, you obviously haven't seen this movie (or the rest of this list). This Disney Channel original movie was made to be scary and it worked. Some of us here are some level of traumatized by this movie.
Frances Bacon McCausland is basically accused of pulling pranks all over town by the Boogeyman (which is already a scary thought). Frances eventually finds out the Boogeyman's world is under her bed and anyone who looks gets kidnapped and teleported there. They apparently stop him, but we never watched it past the bed part.
Hocus Pocus
As we've already determined, Disney is not afraid to be scary whether or not it's Disney or Disney Channel. "Hocus Pocus" continues this trend, though it wasn't quite as traumatizing as "Don't Look Under the Bed".
There are many things that happen during this film that's enough to scare a kid's pants off. There are children being murdered, public executions, and a cat that ends up as roadkill. Oh, and a kid is constantly mocked for being a virgin. Way to promote healthy conceptions of sex.
101 Dalmatians
"101 Dalmatians" seems pretty innocent at first, but then we meet the devil on earth, the aptly named Cruella Devil. She comes barging in for one purpose: to buy the dalmatians from Anita and Roger for their beautiful coats of fur to make... fur coats.
If that isn't terrifying enough she chases them down relentlessly, then they end up getting lost and meet more dalmatian puppies (for a total of 101) which greatly pleases this cruel woman. She just won't quit until she has slain each and every one of these dogs.
Bridge To Terabithia
This movie is such a great movie. It's about a couple of children who become best friends and create an entire fantasy world from their imagination. It becomes so real to them that they try to go every single day. So, what's the problem here?
Well, suddenly, at the end of the movie, Jesse finds out that Leslie has died after a rope snapped and she fell unconscious into the river they play by, thus drowning to death. It literally comes out of nowhere and makes you leave the theatre feeling like death is around the corner all the time. It's honestly traumatising.
My Girl
"Bridge to Terabithia" wasn't the only film to address the topic of children dying. While it's obviously a real thing that happens it's a pretty questionable choice to subject kids to this type of subject matter.
In "My Girl" there is death at every corner. Vada's mother has died, her grandmother suffers from Alzheimer's, and even she believes to be at death's door. And then her best friend Thomas, which she becomes romantically involved (the plot of the movie), dies after being stung by bees.
All Dogs Go To Heaven
What could there be to hate about a movie that tells kids that their deceased dogs are still floating around somewhere up in the sky? Well, how about the whole movie being full of gambling, robbery, and murder?
Sure the movie is sweet on the outside, but it can be pretty terrifying to think about the goings-on in the film. Also, there's that scene where Charlie dreams he's been sent to Hell. That's a great way to tell children to be good.
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory
This magical journey through a chocolate factory was every child's dream. We remember always buying Wonka bars as if we'd also get a golden ticket. Yes, this movie full of suffering children really is fantastic. No, we didn't stutter.
Everywhere you go throughout this movie, someone has fallen into some disastrous situation with potentially fatal consequences, like when Charlie and his grandfather nearly got chopped up by a ceiling fan. But it all started when Wonka took the kids on a psychedelic boat journey full of gruesome imagery, which was arguably the worst bit.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Although it was filled with comedy, this movie is not so innocent. Being a mystery film, there was sure to be some evil villain out to get Roger Rabbit, especially when you consider that the movie is about him being framed for murder.
That's already cause for concern. And while kids might be able to handle the idea that murder happens and it's bad, are they ready for all the sexual themes and that scene where Roger is almost killed by way of dip?
The Parent Trap
Not everything that's truly scary for kids has to do with horrifying imagery and chilling ideas. In this critically acclaimed film, kids are left to deal with some generally uncomfortable themes.
To put it simply, the twins in this movie were separated at birth by their divorced parents and were completely unaware of each others existance. For kids dealing with similar family issues, this movie can be pretty triggering.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is loved by everyone. We're not saying it's a bad series of movies at all, we just think that it's potentially too mature for younger audiences. Sure, the magic and family feel is quite appealing to them, but do they understand the rest?
There is a horrifying snake-like monster wizard always chasing after Harry who split his soul into pieces by murdering many people, including his parent. Now Harry is locked into a harrowing battle with this "man" and meets no shortage of horrors along the way. Giant spiders, anyone?
Spy Kids
Spy Kids was an incredible movie when you look past the fact that a bunch of kids are routinely sent out on top-secret missions that could threaten their lives. Though, that's to be expected when you're a spy and probably what made it so cool.
We can't look past the multitude of creatures featured throughout the trilogy. That meme up there doesn't do much to change the absolute creep factor that was those living thumbs.
Beauty And The Beast
All in all a great film, to the point that Disney decided to adapt it into a live-action film. When you break it down, however, Belle's situation becomes pretty synonymous with Stockholm Syndrome.
Let us explain: Belle is forcefully kept against her will until she falls in love with the beast (who is violent and scary as a result of his beastly transformation). Sure she wants to, but that's Stockholm Syndrome at it's best. And all of this is happening while the house literally sings songs to her convincing her to continue on.
Chicken Run
This movie is practically begging to be scary, whether from the perspective of the chickens or the humans. The chickens live on an egg farm, but it ight be more accurate to call it a death camp.
They are frequently trying to escape their demise by being turned into "meat pies". And if you think about it, it must be terrifying that Mr. Tweedy is aware of the chicken's escape plans. Sentient chickens?? What are we doing to them?
Alice In Wonderland Part 2: Through The Looking Glass
This Irwin Allen adaptation of Lewis Carroll's book of the same name is pretty much a faithful production of the book and is the first time the Jabberwocky appears on film. That's what makes this film so terrifying.
The movie basically opens up by introducing this horrendous creature and it doesn't stop there. Alice is relentlessly stalked by the Jabberwocky throughout the film and it left us on the edge of our seats, fearful that it might show up again.
The Black Cauldron
This movie was no joke when it came to dark themes. Pretty much everything in this movie revolved around death and resurrection complete with all the terrifying monsters that come with it.
The most terrifying part of this film by far is when Gurgi sacrifices himself by jumping into the cauldron. Although he's resurrected later, it was more than tragic watching the best comic relief in a long time make that kind of decision.
Gremlins
This movie is quite literally one of the reasons that a new rating was introduced: the PG-13 rating. While this movie wasn't exactly aimed at kids, its PG rating did make it seem like it was okay for them to see.
Although it's from Steven Spielberg, well known at the time specifically for E.T., this movie is not quite as nice and magical. Gremlins features tons of murder and gore and is just not for children whatsoever.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Indiana Jones has always been the epitome of a great adventurer. While most of the films are probably the best ones for kids to watch, this one is arguably not suitable for the kids watching.
Not only does this film feature Nazis--which, depending on their age, may or may not be appropriate for them to learn about--but a lot of them get their faces melted off when they decide to open up the ark. Not to mention the people killed by an airplane propeller.
The NeverEnding Story
This movie is yet another example of why animatronics can be so scary. If you've made it this far unafraid of puppets, maybe this one will shock you. Meet Gmork, the giant monster wolf.
And that's not all. The main character, Bastian, also comes from pretty extreme circumstances. He's raised by his widowed father and is endlessly bullied and his only escape is the titular books he reads.
The Witches
Just because the movie is adapted from a Roald Dahl doesn't make it any less scary. After all, we already have Willie Wonka on here. This movie has even more terrifying imagery than that.
The min character, Luke, is staying with his grandmother because his parents died in a car crash. He ends up at the same hotel as a bunch of witches who force the audience to watch in terror as they rip off their skin and turn people into mice.
Dumbo
Dumbo is full of subliminal messages that you might have missed as a child. The biggest of which is the stereotypical depiction of people of color that lends this movie a pretty racist tone.
Aside from that, Dumbo's mother is held in captivity and he regularly morns for her. There are also references to alcohol and trance-like states that take place in the movie. It's all just a rollercoaster of emotions that we think are too strong for kids.
Antz
This was a movie we were told by our parents that we were too young to watch, despite being geared towards children. Aside from the actual creepy character models, there were quite a few other gruesome images in this film.
For starters, the ants are waged in war with other insects and there are so many death scenes that just scared us to death. Not to mention the drownings to. All in all, this is just not the right kind of thing for your kids. Let them watch "A Bug's Life" instead.