Surprisingly Dark Scenes From 22 Beloved Disney And Pixar Films

Remember when Sulley thought Boo was crushed in the trash compactor?

Chelsi

• Published in Disney
• June 17, 2022

Disney and Pixar animated movies form a big part of our childhood. They have been a staple part of culture ever since the first princess film came out.

Once they started collaborating with Pixar they have been able to tackle and create more diverse films. Plus, they are centering some of their films on POC characters rooted in their authentic culture.

They took this a step further and started to create movies that tackle more difficult topics. They are making movies that are teaching kids about real-life events in an age-appropriate way.

Disney talked about environmental conservation in "WALL-E" and "Moana", they explored the healthy expression of feelings when the Pixar film "Inside Out" was released and recently discussed Colombian family dynamics in "Encanto." Talking to children about serious topics is not always easy but movies like these show us ways to make them easier to explain.

It is unavoidable, however, that we will stumble on serious scenes when watching films like these. We may not notice immediately but there are relatively dark moments in these Disney/Pixar movies.

Don't worry, they're not too graphic that they will traumatize children but it will definitely warrant a double-take from knowing adults. Films like these remind us to screen the movies first before watching them with our kids just so we can ready ourselves when they ask questions.

So which Disney/Pixar films have relatively dark moments we may have missed the first time? Take a look at the list below to find out!

1. Soul (2020): Joe and 22 became lost souls thinking they weren't ever going to find their purpose only to realize the 'spark' they were looking for was their willingness to live

2. Ratatouille (2007): Remy's dad took him to a poison shop to show him what happens to rats who get too comfortable around humans

3. Cars 2 (2011): they showed a scene where a good car was being tortured by bad cars. The last we see of the car was him bursting into flames.

4. Big Hero 6 (2014): Hero's brother, Tadashi, was a casualty from the tragic explosion at his university and Hero watched helplessly as the fire got bigger and ultimately caused his brother's death

5. Monsters, Inc. (2001): Sulley's reaction when he thought Boo was crushed in the trash compactor

6. Finding Nemo (2003): Marlin lost all hope they will ever find Nemo so he left Dory behind which led to her confusion and breakdown

7. The Incredible (2004): Syndrome's death was... brutal; he was sucked into a jet engine.

8. Coco (2017): Ernesto stole Hector's songs and murdered him

9. A Bug's Life (1998): The colony almost witnessed Flick's death when Hopper nearly crushed Flick's head

10. Coco (2017): Ernesto was trapped for all eternity underneath the bell

11. The Incredibles (2004): Helen thought Mr. Incredibles was cheating on her and said "I love you," before he went away again

12. Monsters, Inc. (2001): When Boo was almost used as the guinea pig for the scream extractor (see: torture machine) to generate electricty

13. Toy Story (1995): how terrifying were the mismatched toys Sid experimented on?

14. Finding Nemo (2003): In the beginning of the film, Marlin's entire family was basically annihilated

15. Toy Story 3 (2010): the horrifying moment when the toys were almost burnt to death

16. Float (Pixar short film/ 2019): Alex was floating and his dad yelled asking him to be normal. Alex floated to the ground and cried.

17. Inside Out (2015): They showed Riley, an 11-year-old kid, deal with depression

18. Ratatouille (2007): Remy was almost shot when an old lady tried to kill him and his entire family

19. Up (2009): Ellie and Carl were expecting their first child and were happily painting the nursery. Unfortunately, Ellie miscarried.

20. Toy Story 4 (2019): Forky referred to himself as trash throughout the movie and repeatedly tried to kill himself by jumping into the bin

21. Inside Out (2015): Bing Bong, Riley's childhood toy, slowly disappeared as he was forgotten little by little

22. In the intro of every Pixar film, Luxo Jr., the lamp, repeatedly jumps on the "I" until it was crushed into oblivion

Disney/Pixar movies are no longer just about damsels in distress needing rescue from a white Prince Charming. They have evolved in a sense and are trying to provide a platform for more realistic discussions.

These films may be made with children in mind but we, adults, are also learning from them. Just watch out for the darker sequences they sneak into some of these movies so you can prepare for the inevitable questions from your kids.

Chelsi