Typically, when we think of animated movies, we think of light-hearted joy and morally driven plots that don’t dive too deep. But as with everything, there are exceptions to this. There are a handful of animations that didn’t follow the surface-level plots and instead decided to go all in and dive into heavy topics such as grief, mortality, mental health, and several others. All of which left us traumatized, but in a way that left us with a better understanding and an appreciation for the trials of life.
1. The Lion King (1994)
This movie is the most iconic example of an animated movie that shocked us with something real and raw, leaving children and adults alike crying for days after. If I had never seen this movie and based it solely on the description and cover, I’d assume it was a heartwarming animated film about talking lions. Because – how deep can a movie about talking animals really go? Obviously, that would be a laughable assumption because this movie managed to go deeper than the majority of animated movies with stories based on humans.
One particular scene from the film could possibly be the most traumatic scene from any animated movie–ever. It wasn’t even the scene itself, but everything that had happened before it–the way the movie allowed us to fall in love with Mufasa and, even more so, fall in love with the relationship he had with his son. By the time Simba disobeys his father and ends up stuck amongst a stampede in need of his father’s rescue, we were already so invested in their story that it just hurt so much more.
That scene and the movie as a whole shocked us because we weren’t used to something being so…real. Mufasa didn’t die with his story all wrapped up perfectly; he didn’t die in a way that he deserved (he was betrayed by his own brother). No, he died when he was at his prime, and he died without getting to watch his son grow up. But what’s so real and heartbreaking at the same time is that he did it for his son. He gave up all of that so Simba could have the chance to grow and evolve into the amazing ruler he eventually became. So in the end, Mufasa didn’t get his happy ending, but he died knowing that he gave his son a chance at one.
2. Inside Out (2015)
This Pixar movie came out of left field with its deep and relatable emotional storytelling. Before this movie, topics such as mental health and emotional intelligence weren’t really something a lot of movies focused on–especially not animated movies. For some reason, our society accidentally placed these important developmental subjects in the taboo bin. But Pixar decided to break out of the mold and teach everyone that emotions aren’t something to be ashamed of or to try to hide.
Inside Out follows a middle-school girl named Riley who has to move away from her hometown and start over. As she deals with this intense change, her emotions(which take on physical forms inside a control room-type headquarters in her mind) go through their own turmoil when Joy and Sadness get swept out headquarters.
Throughout the movie, Joy is constantly trying to overcompensate and not let Sadness have much power, thinking that is what Riley needed to get through the hard time. This ties back in to what our society has made children and adults think we should do in difficult times–be positive, right? We have been taught to ignore the negative emotions and hide them away. This movie taught us that it actually isn’t healthy to do that. Sadness is necessary for healing, and it’s experiencing it allows room to one day experience authentic joy–there can’t be one without the other.
A scene that was surprisingly heart-wrenching and left a few people in tears was when Riley’s forgotten imaginary friend, Bing Bong, sacrificed himself. The sacrifice allowed for Riley’s emotions to return and was a hidden metaphor for letting go of childhood innocence. Growing up isn’t easy, and letting go isn’t either–but the moment showed us that it’s a necessary part of life for each and every one of us.
3. Up (2009)
Another iconic film that managed to traumatize us literally within the first five minutes is this 2000s Pixar classic. The film starts off with a long, dialogue-free montage that explores the marriage of the main character, Carl, and his wife, Ellie. At first, it was a happy-go-lucky assortment of clips that showed their wedding and the happiness that comes along with being newlyweds and starting a life together. Viewers probably thought that it made sense for a Pixar film to begin with a happy montage, nothing out of the ordinary. But then, the script flipped so quickly it took a moment to catch up. One moment, the couple was happy and painting a nursery…and the next, they were going through the trials of infertility. It was heartbreaking, and I think the wordless montage made it sting even more.
But Pixar didn’t stop there. It continued with the couple attempting to find a different purpose in life by saving up to adventure to a place called Paradise Falls. Each time their money jar was almost filled, some sort of realistic life event occurred that made them have to start over, and the next thing you know, they are at the end of their life, and Carl sees the old jar and realizes they never made it to their destination. He sets out to make it happen, and we see him visiting a travel agent–but then, that gets interrupted when Ellie ends up in the hospital. One moment she is there, the next she is gone, and Carl is a widower–and they never made it to Paradise Falls. In less than five minutes, the movie managed to capture the real emotional rollercoaster of life in a way that no other movie ever could.
Obviously, there was still an entire movie after the heartbreaking opening scene, and it delved deeper into grief and life after loss. He forms a connection with a child named Russel as they attempt to make it to Paradise Falls, and he eventually learns that there can be joy after loss. Despite the movie being epically traumatizing, it teaches that sometimes letting go of grief and remembering the love instead is the best way to honor someone.
4. Big Hero 6 (2014)
On the outside, Big Hero 6 is a movie about a 14-year-old robotics prodigy, Hiro, who ends up going on an adventure with a healthcare robot tag-along named Baymax. Underneath the action and the humor associated with the inflatable robot, the movie is about grief and how sometimes it manifests as anger or apathy. Hiro loses his brother in an explosion and learns that it was not an accident. Rather than dealing with the pain, he focuses his attention on getting revenge on those responsible.
While Hiro is spending every moment figuring out how to enact his revenge, Baymax is simply there for him– talks to him, offers comfort, and takes care of him without any expectations. It was a powerful reminder of how important the gentle persistence and presence of a caregiver is for a teen going through grief at such a young age.
The ending is just as impactful because Hiro learns that revenge was never the answer. He doesn’t ‘defeat’ the bad guy; he instead shows compassion and restraint despite the pain that was caused by him. The movie reminded us that the world has enough pain, and causing more of it is never the answer…sometimes the answer is to simply accept comfort from those who are willing to give it.
5. Encanto (2021)
Another Disney movie that decided not to follow its usual formula is the magical musical, Encanto. I loved this film because it did such a good job at conveying the habit people have of covering up pain and problems with blanket positivity. It follows the Madrigal family, a family where each member is blessed with magical gifts except the daughter, Mirabel. The family’s magic begins to disappear, and Mirabel worries that it is her fault and sets out to figure out the cause.
As the movie progresses, the tension in the family rises, and it gets to a point where they can no longer live in silence about their unaddressed emotional wounds. Each member of the family covers up their inner turmoil with various coping mechanisms like performance, strength, positivity, and/or perfectionism. The ending climax of the film isn’t about a villain or even the magic, but it’s about the family’s breaking point, which eventually leads to honesty and healing. And there is something both sad and real about that, because in the real world, there usually isn’t a scary villain causing harm; it’s a person, sometimes a friend or a family member, just regular people hurting other regular people.
Somehow, these animated movies managed to destroy me in a way that no live-action film ever could, but I am grateful for them. They were honest and real, and gave children and adults a sense of peace, knowing that they aren’t alone in the struggles of life.
