11 Classic Disney Movies, Ranked by How Dark They Are
Disney movies are so joyous and uplifting -- except when they're not. Here are some of the darkest Disney movies that have haunted us since we saw them.
'The Lion King' (1994)
Your father dies at the hands of your uncle and you blame yourself? Heavy, heavy stuff. Shakespearian, even. We might be more traumatized than Simba, who seems to tun out just fine. (Unlike Hamlet.)
'Dumbo' (1941)
Mrs. Jumbo is unfairly locked up and labeled a “mad elephant” after she comes to Dumbo's defense from some bullies. Try not crying while she sings the beautiful lullaby "Baby Mine" while rocking Dumbo in her trunk.
'Fantasia' (1940)
Yes, this Disney musical anthology has Mickey and dancing hippos, but it also ends with a monstrous, winged demon in a sequence straight out of a horror film! Not to mention the sequence where marching dinosaurs drop dead one by one.
'Pinocchio' (1940)
Possibly no Disney movie ever scared more kids off of bad behavior than Pinocchio's pals being turned into donkeys, rounded up by sinister figures and shipped off for a lifetime of slavery! Pinocchio escapes, only to be swallowed by a whale. He ends up as a real boy, but there's no happy ending for Lampwick and the other bad boys. The transformation scene alone, and the terrified cries turning into panicky donkey brays, still haunts us.
'Old Yeller' (1957)
In one of the most heartbreaking moments in any Disney film, a boy is forced to shoot his own beloved dog after it's infected with rabies. It was defending the family from a rabid wolf, which makes it that much more tragic. "Old Yeller" dies a hero and "Young Yeller" comes along, but just thinking about this movie has us in tears.
'Bambi' (1942)
The cruel death of Bambi's mother, who is gunned down by hunters, ranks as one of the most traumatic childhood moments for several generations of moviegoers. The terrifying fire that nearly claims grown-up Bambi and his mate's life is almost a walk in the park by comparison.
'The Black Cauldron' (1985)
After kids ran out screaming from a test screening, Jeffrey Katzenberg (then the new chairman of the studio), demanded that the film be trimmed. Most of what was cut involved the disturbing scene where the Horned King uses the cauldron to raise the dead. Who are, frankly, scarier than the undead army summoned by Aragon in "Return of the King." There's also cute little Gurgi sacrificing himself to save his friends. Happily, he's brought back to life, but still... damage done.
'Snow White' (1937)
An evil queen who wants her pretty stepdaughter killed and her heart brought back to her in a box? It doesn't get darker than that -- except when that plan fails and she turns herself into an old hag to trick the girl into eating a poisoned apple. In both guises, she's the stuff of nightmares. This was voice artist's Lucille La Verne's last role, and it made her immortal.
'The Princess and the Frog' (2009)
Doctor Facilier (the brilliant Keith David) dazzles Prince Naveen and his valet with some smooth talk and bam – with the song “Friends on the Other Side,” they're in the middle of a voodoo ritual, complete with snakes, blood and transformations. It's a scary, showstopping performance to rival Oogie Boogie in "The Nightmare Before Christmas."
'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1996)
How did this movie -- in which the villain sings about his lust for the heroine while surrounded by hellfire -- get a G rating? The Daily Mail called it "Disney's darkest picture, with a pervading atmosphere of racial tension, religious bigotry and mob hysteria." Jason Alexander, who voiced gargoyle Hugo, said when the film came out, “Disney would have us believe this movie's like the Ringling Bros., for children of all ages,. But I won't be taking my 4-year-old. I wouldn't expose him to it, not for another year.''
'101 Dalmatians' (1961)
One of the most terrifying of classic villains, Cruella de Vil kidnaps puppies so she can skin them for their coats! Luckily, she and her henchmen are bumbling idiots, but still. Unhand those pups!
