Although horror is its own film genre, there are several non-horror films that feature strange scenes that terrify children. Horror is a vast genre with many iconic franchises, including Scream, Halloweenand Friday the 13th. Despite the all-encompassing genre, Not all horror movies or TV shows are necessarily terrifying. There are even horror books that aren’t very scary, even if they give you a scare from time to time. There are also several horror films that are not horror films.
Sometimes Hollywood produces media for children that isn’t intended to be scary, but that scares children anyway. There are several scary TV shows for kids, while other iconic children’s shows have unforgettable scary moments. These scenes are frightening because of shocking deaths, character nightmares, or grotesque appearances of fantastical entities. In addition to TV shows, several films also have horrific scenes that terrified children, despite the film itself not being a horror film. They are scary for similar reasons, but other reasons also include creepy background music and lasting impressions of the characters.
10
The boat trip
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
In Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factorythe children, their parents and Mr. Wonka board a boat to enter the factory and continue the tour. The boat ride gets worse when they enter a tunnel and begin traveling at full speed. The scene is scary because of the crisp background music, dark colors, and Mr. Wonka’s haunting voice. The boat ride is noticeably less scary in Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryanother difference between the 1971 and 2005 films.
9
Great Marge
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
Part of Pee-wee Herman’s journey to find his bike involves hitching a ride with a ghost truck driver. This scene is scary because of Large Marge’s unexpected physical transformation as she tells her story, which is quite a scare. Large Marge’s laugh after leaving Pee-wee is also considerably creepy.
8
The driver’s murder
Clue (1985)
Tip is undoubtedly a comedy, but watching the film as a child can definitely be scary. One of the most horrific scenes involves the power going out and the mysterious killer killing three more people – Yvette, the maid, the police officer and the Telegram singer, who turns out to be Professor Plum’s former patient. The eerie background music, the frightening anticipation before each murder, and the total darkness make this a terrifying scene for children.
7
Eyes of Judge Doom
Who framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit It’s a strange film to begin with, but the reveal of Judge Doom as a cartoon is quite frightening. His eyeballs fall out of their sockets, falling to the ground, as Judge Doom reveals his real eyes. It’s a horrible moment because of the animated eyes popping out of the sockets of a live-action body. It’s especially scary because Judge Doom can transform his eyes while in his live-action body, making him even scarier. Judge Doom’s eyes remain horrible until he actually dies.
6
Boys love snakes
The witches
Sometimes dark comedy films can have scenes that terrify children, as is the case in the film The witches. A witch tries to trick Luke into coming down from his treehouse, but he stands his ground. However, The witch’s behavior is frightening, from her unexpected purple eyes to her demure but convincing voice. It certainly doesn’t help when the witch pulls out a snake and her eyes go crazy.
5
Scar kills Mufasa
The Lion King (1994)
One of the most tragic scenes in cinema is also one of the most horrific scenes in a non-horror film. Everything about Mufasa’s untimely death is scary—Scar’s low, dangerous voice, Mufasa’s slow-motion fall, Simba’s horrific scream, and, of course, the tragic consequences. Although Mufasa’s death is one of Disney’s most tragic moments, the film overall is still happier than some other heartbreaking Disney films.
4
Hopper’s introduction
A Bug’s Life (1998)
There are some aspects Bug’s Life that are scary, from the large animated bird to the grotesque mosquito house. However, Hopper’s introduction is the scariest scene in the entire film. The scene is scary from the moment the ants anxiously wait in the dark for the mosquitoes to eat and leave until the last mosquito leaves. Mosquitoes are animated significantly larger and more realistic than ants, which makes Hopper’s introduction both surprising and horrifying.
3
The aliens apologize for almost destroying the city
Small Chicken (2005)
Small Chicken is definitely one of Disney’s most bizarre films with strange messages, but one of the film’s final scenes is just awful. The aliens trick their voices into sounding horrible to scare the residents of Oakey Oaks. Although their voices are fake, the scene remains frightening because of Foxy Loxy’s sudden entrance as her new self.. Foxy Loxy permanently remaining an overly gentle, feminine fox keeps the atmosphere creepy, even if it’s more subtle.
2
The wildebeests prepare to eat the lions
The Wild One (2006)
The Wild is Disney’s attempt to create its own version of Madagascarand the film proves that Disney should let some stories stay with Dreamworks. The Wild is the furthest thing from being a horror film, but the entire film is more horrific than many horror films. One of the scariest scenes in The Wild is when Ryan and Samson fight wildebeests as they prepare to implement their plan – to change the food chain by eating lions. Kazar is a deranged villain with a frightening voicewhich is why the moments leading up to his plan are horrific.
1
Ellie the German Shepherd dies
A Dog’s Purpose (2017)
Whenever Boss Dog reincarnates into A dog’s purposeIt’s sad to see him at the end of his life. However, one of Boss Dog’s deaths is tragic and frightening. Boss Dog’s life as a German Shepherd police dog is not as long as some of his other lives because he dies after a criminal unexpectedly shoots him. Boss Dog, living as Ellie in this life, attacked the criminal because he was going to shoot Ellie’s owner and partner. Ellie’s scream as she is shot and the bloody scene that follows make this a terrifying scene for children.