Twas a simpler time, filled with childhood laughter and highly disturbing movies! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most inappropriate or adult-themed films that we watched as children.
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00:00I can be reasonable.
00:01That time is past.
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:04And today we're counting down our picks for the most inappropriate
00:08or adult-themed films that we watched as children.
00:12Yum yum.
00:15Number 20.
00:16Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
00:17This might be an ode to vintage cartoons,
00:20but it's also full of some terrifying images.
00:23Who Framed Roger Rabbit features some unsavory characters
00:26that commit crimes like in a classic film noir.
00:29Just like a tune to drop a safe in a guy's head.
00:33Sorry, Eddie.
00:35Better wait here, all right?
00:36There's also more than a few suggestive references
00:39to go along with the adult storytelling.
00:41It's also safe to say that most of the children watching
00:44aren't going to understand homages to darker mysteries like Chinatown.
00:48This doesn't even count Jessica Rabbit's entrance
00:51and her entire presence in the story.
00:53Judge Doom alone could cause nightmares with his evil behavior.
00:57Bringing together some diabolical looks and an eye-popping reveal.
01:02Remember me, Eddie?
01:04When I killed your brother, I talked.
01:08Just. Like. Me!
01:10The finale features plenty of violent material
01:13that feels more at home in a horror movie.
01:15Number 19.
01:17Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
01:19Throughout this Ru-El doll adaptation,
01:22there's a degree of menace and irreverence
01:24that you rarely find in a modern kids movie.
01:26The trickster chocolatier invites children to Tora's factory.
01:30Welcome. It's nice to have you here.
01:33I'm so glad you could come.
01:35This is going to be such an exciting day.
01:37I hope you enjoy it.
01:39I think you will.
01:40It sounds pleasant enough,
01:42until you realize that the title character doesn't do anything the easy way.
01:46Throughout the adventure,
01:48Willy Wonka doesn't mind frightening them,
01:50or even naming them, in order to teach a lesson.
01:53He's also happy to send his guests down a psychedelic tunnel,
01:57forcing them to watch disgusting images as he screams.
02:00There's no earthly way of knowing
02:05which direction we are going.
02:09There's no knowing where we're rowing
02:13or which way the river's flowing.
02:16It's not exactly the happiest tour with its countless surprises
02:20and hard lessons about greed.
02:22Capped off by Wonka's angry speech,
02:24this film is much more disturbing than you'd expect.
02:27Number 18.
02:28The Brave Little Toaster.
02:30How could a movie about cute household items be so adult?
02:33Five characters embark on a dangerous journey,
02:36tackling themes such as abandonment in a real way.
02:39What is it with you guys anyway?
02:41You act like you just came off the assembly line.
02:44Now get this through your chrome.
02:46We've been dumped. Abandoned.
02:48But he loved us.
02:50That's right.
02:51So what?
02:52This isn't a simple fairy tale either,
02:54considering that the appliances risk their parts and lives for their master Rob.
02:59Along the way,
03:00the Toaster and friends face down threats from humans and rival technology.
03:04The life lessons here are much more blunt and depressing
03:07than your average kids film.
03:09More than once,
03:10you're convinced that these heroes won't survive their trek
03:13from treacherous waterfalls to junkyard crushers.
03:16At least we'll all go together.
03:18Yeah, that's looking at the bright side, isn't it?
03:20Even as an adult, you might find this hard to watch.
03:24Number 17.
03:25Beetlejuice.
03:26Is this Tim Burton film a kids movie?
03:29It's hard to argue that the story about a dead couple haunting their old house
03:32is made for a younger audience.
03:34We just want to get some people out of our house.
03:36Ah, I understand. I understand.
03:38The morbid plot and title character's raunchy personality
03:42doesn't exactly scream family-friendly.
03:44However, it seems to be an influential experience for most kids that watch it.
03:48It isn't afraid to take on the concept of death from many imaginative angles.
03:53Beetlejuice also lets Michael Keaton run wild
03:56with a politically incorrect character that steals every scene he's in.
04:00Sure, I can help him.
04:02You gotta help me.
04:03What?
04:04Look, I'm watching my colonel again, okay?
04:07I want out, per good.
04:08In order for me to do that,
04:10hey, I gotta get married.
04:12Hey, these aren't my roles.
04:13Burton's blend of dark humor and whimsical fantasy lures in curious kids.
04:18Freaking them out and maybe even making them laugh by the end.
04:22Number 16.
04:23The Nightmare Before Christmas.
04:25From the mind of Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick,
04:28The Nightmare Before Christmas is an unconventional look at the holiday season.
04:32Jack Skellington and his Halloween Town cohorts
04:35hatch a plan that almost ruins Christmas.
04:38You know, I think this Christmas thing is not as tricky as it seems.
04:42And why should they have all the fun?
04:43It should belong to anyone!
04:45With plenty of inventive stop motion,
04:47the movie blends its creepy atmosphere with conniving characters.
04:51The fact that Santa Claus gets kidnapped might be traumatizing enough.
04:55It's a film that boldly plays with sacred traditions surrounding the December holiday,
05:00upending young viewers' beliefs and innocence.
05:03You're right, something is missing.
05:06But what?
05:07I've got the beard, the coat, the boots, the bow.
05:11While it might be a musical,
05:13this gothic tale doesn't mind twisting two fun holidays into one scary concept.
05:18Number 15.
05:20My Girl.
05:21Fresh off of Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin's presence in a coming-of-age romance
05:25should have signaled a light-hearted experience.
05:28Want to go to Gray's Orchard and pick some peaches?
05:31No, I'm going home.
05:33Why?
05:33It's not dinner time yet.
05:34Dinner time? You're like a dog, you just go home to eat.
05:38Don't pee on the hydrant!
05:40But many 90s kids were unprepared for this movie's heartbreaking impact.
05:46My Girl introduced us to Veda,
05:48the misfit who befriended a young boy that remarkably understood her.
05:52There were carefree scenes about childhood crushes and first kisses.
05:57Then there were troubling moments addressing mortality and trauma.
06:01And then there was the fate of Culkin's character.
06:04Did anyone not cry when Veda insisted that Thomas needed his glasses?
06:08And where is his glasses? He can't see without his glasses.
06:13Put his glasses on!
06:15Put on his glasses!
06:16My Girl told a story about the complexities of youth,
06:20while bravely facing the inevitability of growing up.
06:23Many of us probably watched this film before we were ready for it,
06:27even if it had plenty to teach us.
06:30Number 14.
06:31The Witches.
06:32With names like Ruald Dahl and Jim Henson associated with this project,
06:36you might expect something more kid-friendly.
06:39You'd be wrong given the central plot of The Witches.
06:42Everywhere I look,
06:46I see the repulsive sight of hundreds,
06:52thousands of revolting little children.
06:56It's all about sorceresses that blend in with society
06:59in order to transform kids into mice.
07:02Needless to say, if you don't already have an aversion to the rodents,
07:06you might after watching this movie.
07:07The Witches pretty much loathe children,
07:10which makes for some frightening sequences and wild chase scenes.
07:19Thanks to great acting from the likes of Angelica Houston,
07:22this story comes alive with spooky imagery to make your younger self freak out.
07:27Number 13.
07:28The Neverending Story.
07:30When Bastion finds a strange book,
07:32he learns about a world where the young warrior Atreyu
07:35tries to defeat the Nothing.
07:37You would be willing to go on a quest?
07:42Yes, of course.
07:44What kind of a quest?
07:46To find a cure for the Empress.
07:51And to save our world.
07:53It's a memorable fantasy plot that also features many exciting and difficult moments.
07:58There's more than a few reasons to be unsettled throughout this adventure,
08:02with frightening creatures around every corner.
08:04In one of the film's most upsetting scenes,
08:07the horse Artax dies while his young master is unable to help.
08:11The Neverending Story also has much to say about life and death.
08:16Bastion.
08:19Why don't you do what you dream, Bastion?
08:23But I can't, I keep my feet on the ground!
08:27Call my name!
08:29Through the sadness and the weight of this universe,
08:32the audience is forced to face some of their worst fears.
08:35Number 12.
08:36The Secret of Nimh.
08:38With Don Bluth as a director,
08:40this animated film is full of excitement and visual splendor.
08:43It's also tackling serious topics such as grief, sickness, and mortality.
08:48I would not, if I knew there was a cat nearby.
08:53But she's out there, somewhere.
08:56And when I find her, I'll feel it way down in my wishbone.
09:01What cat?
09:02It might be full of animals and imaginative creatures,
09:05but The Secret of Nimh truly puts them to the test.
09:08The terror for some people might begin with Dragon,
09:11and continue all the way to the climactic duel.
09:14Bluth's vision makes younger audiences
09:16confront these evil forces through indelible scenes.
09:19Watching his characters battle to the death.
09:22It was you.
09:25You did it.
09:26You killed Nicodemus.
09:28That was no accident.
09:31I killed him.
09:32His art style also lends itself to creating nightmares
09:35with all kinds of never-before-seen images.
09:38Number 11.
09:39The Dark Crystal.
09:40Before projects like Labyrinth,
09:43Jim Henson explored fantasy worlds in The Dark Crystal.
09:46He also used animatronics that were simultaneously believable and disturbing.
09:55On the surface, this film seems like a straightforward story of good and evil,
09:59but it features some darkly moody scenes and scary surprises
10:03courtesy of the filmmakers' incredible talents.
10:06Jen and Kira encounter several obstacles on their way to the titular crystal,
10:11including fearsome villains such as the Chamberlain,
10:14the General, and the High Priest.
10:16Watch your tongue, Harrigan.
10:18We are Lords of the Crystal.
10:20Lords?
10:21Not for long!
10:22What about the prophecy that a Delphling will end Skeksis' power?
10:27With this film,
10:28Henson pushes the limits of what could be considered kid entertainment,
10:32showing that he wasn't just Sesame Street or The Muppet Show.
10:36Number 10.
10:37Coraline.
10:38Buttons for eyes?
10:39No thanks.
10:40Based on the 2002 novel of the same name,
10:43Coraline is just one of those kids movies that's tailor-made to give you nightmares.
10:48No way!
10:49You're not sewing buttons in my eyes!
10:51Oh, but we need a yes if you want to stay here.
10:55We're sure you all remember it just fine.
10:57Yes, we all share the same trauma,
10:59but in case you don't, we'll give you a refresher.
11:02Our protagonist, Coraline, wishes she had adults who cared about her more.
11:06This wish is ultimately granted when she discovers a portal to a parallel universe.
11:20As is the narrative standard, there's always a catch.
11:24Unsurprisingly, there's something more sinister at play in this world,
11:27and we're not just talking about the button eyes.
11:36The movie is also comprised of stop-motion animation,
11:39which perfectly fits its creepy vibe.
11:42Number 9.
11:43All Dogs Go to Heaven.
11:44Dogs are great.
11:46It's hard to imagine wanting to see anything bad happen to them,
11:49which is what makes this next movie so difficult to watch.
11:55Ain't you supposed to be on death row?
11:58No, I ain't supposed to be on death row.
12:01Don Bluth's All Dogs Go to Heaven follows Charlie,
12:04a dog whose life is taken by his best dog friend.
12:07That's already wild as it is, but then Charlie decides to cheat death
12:11so he can return to Earth and murder his murderer.
12:14Yeah, dark stuff.
12:16You thought I was dead?
12:16So will Carface.
12:18But he might kill me.
12:19Look, try to kill me.
12:21I'm gonna make him pay.
12:23The movie is actually quite poignant and has a lot to say about the nature of life and death,
12:27but it's still a tough pill to swallow either way when you're about 10 years old.
12:32There's one sequence in particular, where Charlie dreams about hell,
12:36that still gives us nightmares to this very day.
12:48Number 8.
12:49Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
12:50You probably associate Roald Dahl with a lot of your favorite kids books.
12:54The Big Friendly Giant, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,
12:57and Matilda to name a few.
12:59I'm smart, you're dumb.
13:00I'm big, you're little.
13:01I'm right, you're wrong.
13:02And there's nothing you can do about it.
13:04You can also probably draw a line directly back to him
13:07from the things that scared you most as a child, including this movie.
13:11Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
13:13Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
13:15All you pretty Chitty Bang Bang.
13:17Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you.
13:19Dahl co-wrote the screenplay for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,
13:22and while we have no proof,
13:24the child catcher feels like something straight out of his brain.
13:27Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has some normal family-friendly musical moments,
13:31but the child catcher totally scared the ever-loving Chitty out of us when we were kids.
13:41Go inside, my little dears.
13:44Number seven, Stand By Me.
13:46This film is a wonderful coming-of-age movie.
13:49Having said that, it might be best to wait a little while before you show it to your kids.
13:53I don't shut up.
13:55I grow up.
13:55And when I look at you, I throw up.
13:59And then your mother goes around the corner and she licks it up.
14:03Stand By Me follows four boys who set out looking for a dead body,
14:07hoping it will garner them some positive attention from their town.
14:11The movie explores themes of death, growing up, and friendship,
14:14and has some genuinely beautiful moments between the four boys on their adventure.
14:18I'm not sure it should be a good time.
14:22You saying you want to go back?
14:24No.
14:25But going to see a dead kid, maybe it shouldn't be a party.
14:29But the moment where they actually discover the body is quite jarring,
14:33and definitely had us losing sleep after we saw it.
14:36There he is!
14:37I see him!
14:38Look!
14:38Look over there!
14:39I see him!
14:40I see him!
14:41None of us could breathe.
14:45Again, this is a great movie that deserves to be seen,
14:48maybe just at a bit of an older age.
14:51Number 6.
14:52Raiders of the Lost Ark
14:54Harrison Ford.
14:55Adventure.
14:56Historical relics.
14:57What could go wrong?
14:59The first installment in the Indiana Jones franchise
15:02is one of the best films to come out of the past 50 years.
15:11It may offer swashbuckling adventures for viewers of all ages,
15:15but it certainly has its fair share of scarring moments too.
15:18Throughout the film,
15:19Indy is trying to recover the ancient Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do.
15:24What do you want?
15:25The same thing your friend Dr. Jones wanted.
15:28Surely he told you there would be other interested parties?
15:33Must have slipped his mind.
15:35The man is nefarious.
15:38The Nazis eventually take hold of the Ark and open it to discover its power,
15:43much to their detriment.
15:44The level of face melting that takes place on screen is kind of crazy,
15:49even for those of us years beyond our coloring book days.
15:57Let's face it though,
15:58we all watched this when we were way too young.
16:01Number 5.
16:02Return to Oz
16:03The 1939 The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved children's movies of all time.
16:13Sure, it has scary moments,
16:14but for the most part,
16:15it introduces kids to a magical, colorful world of enchantment.
16:20If you don't want to ruin that for yourself,
16:21we suggest skipping out on Return to Oz.
16:24In the movie, Dorothy finds herself in a very different,
16:27much more terrifying version of Oz.
16:30I believe I'll lock you in the tower for a few years till your head is ready,
16:35and then I'll take it.
16:36I believe you will not!
16:39This Oz is ruled by the evil Gnome King,
16:41and everything Dorothy remembers,
16:43the Yellow Brick Road,
16:44Emerald City,
16:45the lively citizens,
16:46has fallen into ruin.
16:48And it's not just Oz that's scary, no.
16:51The film opens with Dorothy in a sanitarium
16:54because her aunt and uncle don't believe her stories about Oz.
16:57Big yikes all around.
17:014. Gremlins
17:08Christmas is usually a time of cheer.
17:11Usually.
17:12And while the gremlins in this movie might start out as cute little Furby-looking things,
17:16they certainly don't end up that way.
17:27This 1984 classic follows Billy,
17:30who receives a very unusual,
17:31very alive present from his father for Christmas.
17:34He names the creature Gizmo,
17:36and his father tells him three very specific rules for Gizmo's care.
17:40No light,
17:41no water,
17:42and absolutely no feeding after midnight.
17:45Did you feed them after midnight?
17:47Well, I gave them some chicken,
17:49but I made sure that it...
17:53No, no, no, no, wait a minute.
17:55I made sure.
17:56Of course, rules end up broken,
17:59and Gizmo and his ilk end up terrorizing the town over the holidays.
18:03These cute little guys quickly become the stuff of nightmares.
18:113. Pinocchio
18:13Disney sure has a knack for inadvertently scaring kids out of their wits,
18:18and Pinocchio is probably its worst offender.
18:20And someday, I'm gonna be a real boy!
18:24A real boy, it's my wish, it's come true!
18:28The story of a puppet who wants to be a real boy is known to all,
18:32but we for one have blocked out the more terrifying details
18:35of this 1940s children's film.
18:37Throughout the course of the movie,
18:39one of Pinocchio's adventures takes him to Pleasure Island.
18:42What'd I tell you?
18:43Ain't this a swell joint?
18:45Yeah!
18:46Being in bed's a lot of fun, ain't it?
18:48At Pleasure Island, little boys are allowed to drink,
18:51smoke, and gamble.
18:52As if that's not enough, the island is also cursed.
18:55In a horrifying sequence,
18:57the boys are turned into donkeys and sold off to work in salt mines.
19:01There's also a monstrous whale,
19:03fittingly named Monstro of all things, at the end of this movie.
19:07You know, for kids!
19:132. Watership Down
19:15Most people love rabbits.
19:17If that's how you feel about the cuddly little animals,
19:20we suggest you skip this one.
19:22Watership Down follows a group of rabbits on their search for a new home.
19:25Along the way, they face peril, destruction, and death.
19:29Yep, death for the kiddos, why not?
19:42The film might be animated,
19:44but that doesn't stop it from feeling nauseatingly realistic.
19:47Watership Down has it all.
19:49Blood, guts, and violence galore.
19:52The contrast between the gore on screen and the 2D animation style
20:03is really difficult to reconcile.
20:05More than anything, the film is just extremely unsettling,
20:09and we're saying that as adults.
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20:271. Labyrinth
20:29With Muppet creator Jim Henson
20:31and Star Wars creator George Lucas at its helm,
20:34you might think that Labyrinth would be perfect for kids.
20:37Think again.
20:43In the film, Sarah, played by a young Jennifer Connelly,
20:46wishes that her baby brother would disappear.
20:48The Goblin King, played by David Bowie,
20:51suddenly appears and makes her wish come true.
20:53You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King.
20:57I want my brother back, please, if it's all the same.
20:59What's said is said.
21:01He gives her 13 hours to find and save her brother,
21:04but to do so, Sarah has to solve horrifying riddle after horrifying riddle.
21:12Watch out!
21:17Some of the visuals are absolutely petrifying,
21:20solidifying this movie as one of the craziest we ever watched as kids.
21:24Come on, come on.
21:26We haven't got all day.
21:28Well, it's a big decision for you.
21:30Which film traumatized you the most when you were a kid?
21:34Let us know in the comments.
21:36I'm not gonna have anything nice to say about this place when I get back.
21:40Andy, for God's sake, tell me what's the mess with you?
21:45Did you enjoy this video?
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