We'll be honest. It's actually kind of rare that we get to sit down and watch an entire movie with our kids because, well, who has the time these days? But on the infrequent occasions that we do or when we happen to overhear something they're watching, there have been more than a few moments that made us want to hit the rewind button. Some seriously dark, depressing, and downright inappropriate scenes exist in kids' movies that have made us wonder if the film we cued up was actually intended for kids after all.
It's totally understandable when film companies throw in a few jokes for the grown-ups (we need to be at least a bit entertained when we're watching movies with our kids) but that's not even what we're talking about here. We're talking movies both old and new that were flat-out terrifying, dealt with delicate topics such as depression and miscarriage, and even movies with scenes so disturbing they left our kids with nothing but questions.
We're not saying that some of these children's movies aren't totally entertaining or even that they're not quality films. Many of them are. But upon close inspection, some definitely feel like they were made more for adults than children. We've gathered a few movie moments that made us wonder if these flicks were really kid-friendly.
'Fantasia'
Was anyone else absolutely terrified of Disney's Fantasia as a kid? No? Just us? Seriously though, it seems this super-weird animated movie was either made to give kids nightmares or to entertain parents who might be enjoying a nightcap or even something a bit stronger on family movie night. From the totally creepy "Sorcerer's Apprentice" scene to the bare-chested wild harpies, Fantasia seems more like a trippy animated film for grown-ups.
'The Addams Family'
Many of us have watched The Addams Family countless times as both children and adults, but it's not until we see it with our own kids that it becomes obviously inappropriate. For starters, the Thanksgiving play scene is out of control. As true as everything Wednesday says is, the fact that she burns down an entire camp isn't exactly kid-friendly. And then, Morticia and Gomez murder their foes and bury them in the backyard.
'Coraline'
The 2009 film Coraline is a really good movie, but it's also totally messed up. It's pretty suspenseful and spooky for the younger crowd, but the part that beats all is that when Coraline finally finds happiness, they want to sew buttons onto her eyes! Who wouldn't be creeped out by that?!
'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'
We honestly can't believe we were allowed to watch this one as children. It's literally all about adultery and murder — not at all appropriate for children — even if some of the characters are cartoons. Parents in the 1980s were seriously wild. Despite the seedy themes, it's still rated PG, believe it or not.
'Soul'
Honestly, the Pixar animated film Soul is pretty depressing. Sure, things mostly work out in the end, but there are some seriously heavy themes in this movie that make us wonder if it was really made with kids in mind. When Joe realized that the "spark" they talk about in the movie is actually a willingness to live? That's probably a bit much for little kids to process.
'Tangled'
The "Mother Knows Best" number in the Disney film Tangled is beyond disturbing. Rapunzel's mom is narcissistic and vain and obviously abusive, and it's just so wrong to portray mothers who are supposedly acting in the best interest of their children in that way. Of course bad mothers exist, but little kids really don't know need to be exposed to that in such a way.
'Big Hero 6'
Something tells us Big Hero 6 is actually just an animated action movie for adults disguised as an adventurous children's flick. To be more specific, the scene in which the building explodes and Tadashi is killed is so dark and twisty, we're positive it's given at least a few kids nightmares.
'Matilda'
We all love the movie Matilda starring Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman, but OMG — it is so messed up. This child is being neglected and verbally abused at home and at school, and at 6 years old she has enough freedom to essentially destroy her parents. If anything, Matilda is less a movie for kids and more a cautionary tale for their parents.
'The Incredibles'
Just like Big Hero 6, The Incredibles really is just a superhero movie wrapped up in kid-friendly paper. There is so much death and destruction in this film and the sequel that it's almost unbelievable. Seriously, Syndrome was sucked into a jet turbine! So sick. And that's not to mention the random moments when it appears Mr. Incredible might be cheating on his wife.
'Mulan'
Despite its G-rating, Disney's 1998 film Mulan is actually pretty intense. We understand how important it is for girls to see strong role models like Mulan, but that desecrated village scene is a bit much for little kids, isn't it? It's pretty terrifying and has the potential to open a big can of worms.
'Coco'
We know that the film Coco is entirely about connecting with the souls of dead people, which makes it a bit dark by nature, but it actually gets really intense during several scenes. One of the main characters is murdered by someone who manipulated him, stole from him, and then killed him.
'101 Dalmatians'
Ask us and we'd say Cruella de Vil is pretty much evil incarnate. Like, how did we spend our childhoods watching this woman commit animal cruelty again and again and everybody thought it was OK? Sure we knew she was bad, but no one ever talked to us to explain how awful the specific things she was doing were.
'Toy Story'
To be more specific, all of the movies in the Toy Story franchise are far from lighthearted fodder for kids. They are undeniably fantastic animated films but have the potential to be incredibly confusing for little kids. THere are even specific moments, such as when Woody encounters all the disfigured toys, that could actually be traumatizing.
'Inside Out'
We love the movie Inside Out and think it makes a really powerful statement on mental health, but most young kids don't understand that what Riley is actually experiencing is depression. By not naming the mental disease and explaining it, children could easily misinterpret what's going on. Childhood depression is really a topic that should be addressed by any parent who lets kids watch this film.
'The Wizard of Oz'
We don't know if The Wizard of Oz was actually intended to be a movie for children back when it was originally released in 1939, but that's definitely how people watch it now, and we're not so sure if that's appropriate. As much as we love it, the movie is an actual nightmare: Literally, the entire thing is Dorothy having a nightmare. From the wicked witch to the flying monkeys, some might find it more akin to a horror flick than a family musical.
'Up'
The animated film Up is undeniably an emotionally driven film, and although kids do love it, there are actually some very specific scenes quite clearly intended for grown-ups. One in particualr that comes to mind is when Ellie is pregnant and she and Carl are decorating the nursery, only to discover that Ellie has suffered a miscarriage. It's devastating.
'The Nightmare Before Christmas'
Even though our kids have definitely seen it and probably more than once, we're absolutely convinced Tim Burton's iconic film The Nightmare Before Christmas was actually made for adults. It's really much more of an animated horror film than it is a children's movie. The whole thing is totally macabre, and between the hanging eyeballs and the worms and, well, all the dead things, a lot of kids are really creeped out by this one, even if their parents are obsessed with it.
'Annie'
We're talking about the original 1982 version here, and we're honestly still not sure if this one's great for kids, especially sensitive ones. Mrs. Hannigan is a beast of a person, and the scene in which she's drunkenly singing about how much she hates the "little girls" she's charged with makes our stomach turn.
'Beetlejuice'
Tim Burton does it again! Anyone who hasn't rewatched Beetlejuice as an adult definitely should, especially before letting kids watch it. This campy film is insanely inappropriate in so many ways. Sure, it's dark by nature as many other films on this list are. It also deals with death and the afterlife, but there is also so, so much sexual innuendo that isn't exactly subtle.
'My Girl'
Anyone who didn't bawl their eyes out when Vada's best friend Thomas dies in 1991's My Girl — even as a kid — is probably a bit off. But now, as adults, that only makes us wonder why in the world we were watching it as children in the first place. It's rated PG, but so many of the film's themes are entirely too heavy for little kids. Just because a movie is about kids doesn't mean it's something kids should watch.
'The Witches'
When it was first released, The Witches, which is based on a children's book by Roald Dahl, was billed as a Halloween movie for kids. But it was quite controversial because even Dahl himself thought it was far too scary. The one scene we'll never be able to erase from our minds is when all the witches at the convention are peeling off their faces. Gnarly!
