The Gory Animated Movie Ending That Stays With Audiences
Among every mature animated films I’ve personally viewed, nothing has lingered in my mind quite like the terror-laced conclusion of a explicitly bloody and overwhelingly transgressive film from 2022 The Unicorn Wars.
In 2015’s, this Spanish writer-director created a dark, somber , frequently brutal universe with a few small , desolate hints of optimism.
Although Unicorn Wars seems like it originated from a desire to expand animation even more, the filmmaker stated that it was rather an effort to communicate a global, multicultural message regarding “the shared root of all wars.”
That idea is expressed via a group of brightly hued teddy bears , openly based on a famous line of cuddly characters.
Maturing in a community focused on militarism as well as the military-industrial complex, a lot of the bears are obsessed with killing unicorns, thanks to a religious scripture that tells them they used to be masters of the woods, before the unicorns drove them out.
A few have not completely fallen for the brainwashing, , would rather try out drugs or engage sexually in the forest.
Unlike their cuddly equivalents, these bright beings show sexual organs , clear libidos.
For a particular notably brutal, cynical bear, the character Bluey, the battle against unicorns becomes a path to power — and especially to dominance above his gentler, more compassionate sibling the character Tubby.
This bear acts as a tormentor , a seeming antisocial figure , and while horror overcomes his unit and takes his teammates sequentially, he seizes increasingly power personally, through ever more violent, harmful methods.
At the same time, these mythical beings are suffering their own terror, in the form of an expanding, harmful creature in their habitat.
“At the beginning, it seems like a humorous movie,” the director said. “But then it becomes a more serious and sad film. And by the end, it becomes a scary feature.”
The Unicorn Wars begins similar to one of the more quirky features by a legendary animator, which find a mischievous joy in allowing cartoon characters curse, engage in violence, or sex each other up.
Afterward it turns into something more like a darker movie by that same director, including ever more visual gore , a palpable relation to the real horror of battle.
Ultimately, it is a complete Grand Guignol massacre.
The terror which makes this an ideal spooky-season watch kicks in well before than indicated.
The Unicorn Wars is suited for the most dedicated lovers of violence, for enthusiasts of graphic films who want to view a movie they’ve never seen on-screen before, and who can handle a plot that offers no restraint.
See it in a dark room free from interruptions, and that ending will crawl under your skin and take up residence there.
Where to watch: Accessible via digital rental or sale on multiple streaming sites.