Ah, the childhood nightmare fuel! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at violent, disturbing, and/or grisly scenes that traumatized us at a young age. Possible spoilers ahead!
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00:00 Oh! What's happened?
00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at violent, disturbing, and/or grisly scenes that traumatized us at a young age.
00:09 Possible spoilers ahead.
00:11 [Screaming]
00:13 No more!
00:14 [Music]
00:16 Number 10. Flying Monkeys. The Wizard of Oz.
00:19 It might be one of the first films a child watches, but parts of The Wizard of Oz never fail to stir up bad memories.
00:25 Take your army to the haunted forest and bring me that girl and her dog.
00:28 The flying monkeys make a big entrance as the wicked witch of the West's private army.
00:32 After all, they're monkeys with wings that are sent to harm the heroes.
00:35 Are we not supposed to be scared of them?
00:37 This isn't even mentioning the part later in the movie, when they rip Scarecrow to shreds.
00:42 Don't stand there talking. Put me together. We've got to find Dorothy.
00:46 There's something about their menacing shape and attitude that can't be denied,
00:49 making us all fearful that they'll swoop down and attack at any moment.
00:52 [Screaming]
00:55 Number 9. Boat Scene. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
00:59 [Speaking French]
01:03 Taking his group on a boat, Willy Wonka journeys down the chocolate river into a mysterious tunnel.
01:08 This includes hallucinations, flashing lights, and the chaotic performance of Gene Wilder.
01:13 It's an intense and psychedelic experience that feels like sensory overload for children.
01:17 I think I'm going to be sick.
01:18 I can take a joke with this if you go too far.
01:20 As a kid, you were probably grossed out by the imagery as much as you were wondering about Wonka's behavior.
01:25 The danger must be growing for the rowers keep on rowing,
01:30 and they're certainly not showing any signs that they are slowing.
01:38 [Screaming]
01:40 The terrified passengers beg to be let off the ride as their screaming tour guide freaks them out.
01:45 Considering that the rest of this movie is a fun musical,
01:47 this disturbing scene likely shocked many viewers into having bad dreams.
01:51 Number 8. The New Parents. Coraline.
01:54 Mom? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?
01:58 You're just in time for supper, dear.
02:01 From the mind of Neil Gaiman, this animated tale about finding another universe isn't all fun and games.
02:06 Coraline encounters two adults who are her alternate parents and have a very creepy look.
02:11 With their dead eyes, the mom and dad seem part of a nightmarish reality.
02:15 Imagine being a kid and having your family replaced by lifeless and robotic beings.
02:19 The heroine comes up against an existential threat to her ordinary life that could easily scare any child.
02:25 My father can't play piano.
02:27 No need to.
02:30 This piano plays me.
02:32 She also has to listen to her new father's music, showing the extent of his bizarre transformation.
02:37 With some surreal imagery, this menacing scene makes us feel lucky that we never found ourselves in a parallel world.
02:43 See you soon.
02:45 Number 7. Spiders Attack. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
02:50 When Harry Potter and Ron Weasley venture into the Forbidden Forest, they encounter the giant spider, Aragog.
02:55 Hagrid has never sent men into a hollow before.
02:59 Things become even more tense as the monster's children begin to appear.
03:02 If you didn't have arachnophobia as a kid, this might have started it.
03:06 You probably reacted just like Ron as the many legged creatures surrounded him.
03:09 Harry. What?
03:16 The boys escape by car can't come soon enough, with a few close calls putting the duo in danger.
03:22 This also inspired our younger selves to think twice about sneaking out into the woods.
03:26 The haunting scene still makes viewers of all ages curl up with terror, even more so than the hero's encounter with a basilisk.
03:33 Number 6. Sid's Room. Toy Story.
03:43 When Woody and Buzz Lightyear end up in an unfamiliar house, they have no idea that it's going to have these kinds of creepy sights.
03:49 We are gonna die. I'm outta here.
03:52 They find themselves in the villain Sid's room and discover his fondness for mutating toys.
03:56 You can't help but check underneath your bed after seeing this sequence.
04:00 With baby doll heads on mechanical spiders, these creations feel more at home in a haunted house.
04:05 Adding in some mood lighting and shadows, the heroes and the audience watching them are almost equally scared by the room.
04:18 The villain's treatment of his possessions likely had you creeped out by twisting childhood memories into horrible images.
04:24 I've set my laser from stun to kill.
04:27 Great, yeah, and if anyone attacks us, we can blink 'em to death.
04:30 Number 5. T-Rex Escape. Jurassic Park.
04:34 Once the electric fence turns off, a T-Rex in Jurassic Park decides to interrupt the main tour group.
04:43 Director Steven Spielberg builds up this moment with all the tension and fear of a horror film.
04:48 The massive creature nearly tears apart a car before being distracted in a terrifying scene that's too intense for kids.
04:55 [Screaming]
04:58 Jinaro escapes to a bathroom hut, but he's eventually gobbled up by the dinosaur.
05:02 It's a quick and horrifying meal that viewers get to witness in all its glory.
05:06 Along with all of the dramatic buildup, kids watching might be scared by witnessing the mighty jaws chomp a man.
05:12 After watching this movie, our dinosaur face came with worries that the same thing could happen to us.
05:17 Number 4. Pleasure Island. Pinocchio.
05:20 After being threatened to go into Pleasure Island, Pinocchio finds himself living it up in a lawless paradise without knowing the truth about the place.
05:27 The extent of this island's secret is shown as other children are turned into animals and sold into slave labor.
05:33 The hero and his friend, Lampwick, think they can have fun, but they also get turned into donkeys in a disturbing reveal.
05:39 "Heh, hear that beetle talk? You'd think something was gonna happen to us."
05:45 It's shocking for its time, but Hammers home the serious consequences that come with listening to strangers.
05:51 "What the f***? What's going on?"
05:54 [Screaming]
05:56 Seeing the fate of the other unlucky kids, young viewers were probably twice as scared about not listening to their parents.
06:02 The transformation itself evokes body horror movies from David Cronenberg, making us all worry about the same fate.
06:08 [Screaming]
06:16 Number 3. Saying Goodbye. Old Yeller.
06:19 Traumatizing doesn't begin to describe this Disney movie.
06:22 The live-action tale about a boy and his dog doesn't hold back in its finale.
06:26 "What's the matter, boy? Come on, it's time to eat."
06:34 After the dog Yeller is bitten by a rabid wolf, the family must make a decision about his fate.
06:39 It's the kind of decision that would completely wreck any family, putting young viewers into a bad headspace.
06:44 Travis finally decides that it must be him that puts down the pet.
06:48 "He's suffering. You know we've got to do it."
06:52 "I know, Mama. He was my dog. I'll do it."
07:00 In spite of its time, this emotionally complex turn has the hero take a gun and finish the job.
07:05 You don't see many kids' films trying to replicate this violent moment.
07:08 Giving Old Yeller its sad reputation, this scene comes with a brutal finish that hasn't lost any power all these years later.
07:14 [Explosion]
07:21 Number 2. Death of Mufasa. The Lion King.
07:25 The Lion King continues Disney's trend of killing off parents in a devastating scene.
07:29 Scar has a chance to save his brother Mufasa, but instead, he assists the king's fall into a stampede.
07:35 The evil uncle ferociously sends his brother to his death without any remorse.
07:39 "Long live the king."
07:43 Watching this as a kid, the entire moment is only made worse by Simba's scream.
07:47 [Scream]
07:52 Since this scenario would be a nightmare for a child, it makes this sequence that much more traumatic to watch when you're little.
07:57 The young hero then has to inspect his dad's body, bringing home the weight of the dramatic and awful death.
08:03 "Dad? Dad, come on. You gotta get up. Dad, you gotta go home."
08:15 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
08:18 Pink Elephants, Dumbo. Champagne and animals don't mix well in a twisted fantasy sequence.
08:24 [Singing]
08:34 Artax's death, the never-ending story. The beloved horse can't make it out of the swamp in a devastating moment.
08:40 "You have to now! Come on!"
08:45 Hanging in the jungle, Tarzan. Tangled up in vines, Clayton meets his end in a shocking way.
08:51 "Please, don't!"
08:58 Judge Doom, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The villain reveals his tooned self in an eye-popping scene featuring a steamroller.
09:05 "Remember me, Eddie? When I killed your brother, I talked! Just like you!"
09:14 Dr. Facilier's demise, The Princess and the Frog. After losing his talisman, Facilier's underworld friends come to collect him.
09:22 "I promise I'll be your man! I promise!"
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09:44 Number 1. Face Melt, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
09:48 For most of this adventure film, director Steven Spielberg crafts amazing chases for the Ark.
09:53 The Nazis then make the mistake of opening it. This unleashes spiritual forces, taking down the villains and melting their faces.
10:06 You probably looked away like Indiana Jones the first time you saw these bad guys go down.
10:11 "Marion, don't look at it. Shut your eyes, Marion. Don't look at it, no matter what happens."
10:16 We don't blame you either, as there's not much blood to speak of in the rest of the movie.
10:20 It's only in the sequel that they try to top this moment with a heartbreaking turn from Temple of Doom.
10:24 The special effects emphasize the destruction, haunting your nightmares for years to come.
10:29 Do we forget a memorably gruesome moment? Let us know in the comments below.
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10:44 [Music]