The 1980s was a strange time to be a kid; bright neon colors hid the stress adults faced with the Cold War, AIDs crisis, and more. It was a time of transition: from exploring outdoors to staying inside playing video games, from moody independent films for adults to blockbusters for wider audiences. Technology was booming and escapism dominated the era, resulting in some of the most bizarre kids’ films in existence.
Since the PG-13 rating didn’t start until 1984, some films released as PG were questionable at best, and probably more mature than kids were ready for. Current kids’ movies still tackle adult subjects (like Disney’s Up), but often in more subtle ways than the ’80s. The kids’ movies from the 1980s traumatized many children in myriad ways – eliciting tears or frights, or exploring heavy themes – some even creeping out adults to this day. These are some of those scary kids’ movies from the ’80s for anyone looking to relive their childhoods.
15 ‘Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation’ (1986)
Directed by Dale Schott
By the time Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation was released, the characters had transformed from greeting card artwork (painted by Elena Kucharik) into a major kids’ franchise. The cute, multi-colored bears first got animated specials and a TV series before turning to feature films and a massively successful toyline (which still exists today!). The second film, A New Generation, actually acted as a prequel, telling the story of the Care Bears, the Care Bear Cousins, and their first mission to stop the evil Dark Heart.
Care Bears Movie II follows the general structure of the Faust myth: young girl Christy makes a deal with the film’s version of the Devil, Dark Heart (posing as a young boy), to make her more popular – and will have to pay the price. Throughout the film, Dark Heart transforms into several intimidating creatures (both real and imaginary), traps the Care Family with magic in the crystals of a chandelier, and accidentally kills Christy when she sacrifices herself for True Heart and Noble Heart. A New Generation also borrows from Peter Pan mythos when the Care Family begs the audience to “care” with them, even prompting the viewers to say it out loud. This blurs the line between reality and fiction, perhaps making children think they can affect the outcome of a film. Good thing there are plenty of Care Bear plushies to hug when they have nightmares!
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14 ‘An American Tail’ (1986)
Directed by Don Bluth
“Somewhere out there…” children are cowering in fear due to the Don Bluth classic, An American Tail. Hidden – or perhaps more obvious upon a rewatch – amongst the catchy soundtrack and endearing Mousekewitz family are several heavy themes for the intended child audience. After an intense opening of vicious cats descimating the Mousekewitz’s village, a terrifying storm separates our main character Fievel from his family on their trip to America. And that’s just the beginning…
While the themes of immigration and racism might go over kids’ heads upon an early watch, adults will be hard-pressed to miss the importance of such messaging. For the kids, though, the narrative unfolds with some terrifying imagery. The gang of cats contributes to some horrifying destruction for the mice; it’s a surprise that any children who saw it aren’t afraid of cats now! The real pièce de résistance is the Giant Mouse of Minsk: based on a bedtime tale, the mice use a giant mechanical mouse (which catches on fire) to combat the domineering cats.
13 ‘Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure’ (1985)
Directed by Tim Burton
Beating out Beetlejuice for the most disturbing Tim Burton ’80s movie, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure brought the unconventional hero to the big screen and led to the children’s show, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. Paul Reubens‘ awkwardly impish Pee-Wee brings a childlike enthusiasm to life that is easy for kids to relate to; everything is a happy surprise… until his bicycle is stolen, which sends him on a journey that is not for the faint of heart.
On top of Burton’s uneasy aesthetic – something is just slightly off about everything – Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure punctuates Pee-Wee’s quest with jump-scares and images that will traumatize the kids (and some adults) watching. A stand-alone car scene sees Pee-Wee hitchhiking with Large Marge (Alice Nunn), whose laugh is straight out of Hell itself, and her reveal is something out of a Twilight Zone episode; and a nightmare scene will give Pennywise a run for his money on “the scariest movie clown.”
12 ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ (1988)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
A murderer on the loose. Possible adultery. Crooked, weasel cops. A cigar-smoking infant? Baby, this is Toontown. In Robert Zemeckis‘ foray into combining live-action and animation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, anything goes. The PG-rated film provides kids a look into the criminal underbelly of Hollywood stand-in Toontown, where cartoons and humans co-exist and a murder has been committed. Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer) is the main suspect, but did he do it?
In this animated crime noir, P.I. Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) encounters all sorts of unsavory characters – including sultry (she’s just “drawn that way”) Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner), her manic and potentially criminal husband Roger, and ultimate villain Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd). When a cute little “toon” shoe tries to cozy up to Doom, he demonstrates his ruthlessness by lowering the innocent shoe into The Dip, an acid that dissolves cartoons, slowly. The shoe’s screams may have fallen on deaf ears with Doom, but the viewers sure heard them.
11 ‘The Black Cauldron’ (1985)
Directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich
Before The Little Mermaid brought Disney into its golden age, The Black Cauldron marked a low point for Disney in the 1980s, in addition to scaring scores of children. The film was based on a fantasy book series by Lloyd Alexander, and follows a farm boy on a quest to retrieve his magical pig from the Horned King (voiced by John Hurt) and his army of the dead. The Black Cauldron was Disney’s first PG-rated animated film, and was even pushed back a few years for edits after a test screening frightened kids too much.
While the dark fantasy elements are more commonplace nowadays, the evil Cauldron-Born army in the final act of the film was too terrifying for the kids of 1985, and the film bombed at the box office. This darker take on Disney, after the also-traumatizing Fox and the Hound, lacked an antagonist to root for with the bland characterizations of the pig-farmer and his love interest – except for the fuzzy woodland creature, Gurgi. And even Gurgi sacrifices himself (he comes back, though) by jumping into the Cauldron to stop the army of the dead from killing everyone!
10 ‘Explorers’ (1985)
Directed by Joe Dante
Explorers is a sci-fi fantasy centering on three middle-schoolers befriending a pair of aliens, Wak and Neek. It’s a light-hearted romp with the boys (played by Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, and Jason Presson) constructing a spacecraft out of an old carnival ride and being intercepted by Wak and Neek, who learned about humans from TV reruns.
The twist is that Wak and Neek are also considered “children” of their species, and are admonished from engaging with humans. The TV footage shows the aliens how violent humans are, especially toward “others.” The film holds a mirror up to humanity, which hits hard for the characters and those watching.
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Directed by Steven Spielberg
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Steven Spielberg‘s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is so relatable, and thus scary, because of its stellar cast of children. Kids identify with Elliott (Henry Thomas) and Gertie (Drew Barrymore), and trust them in befriending ugly-cute E.T. – who is a candy-lover like most kids.
E.T. takes a turn from heartwarming to a horrific science experiment when the government intervenes as E.T.’s health deteriorates. The sight of a pale, ailing E.T. lying on a gurney as Elliott screams for his friend is spine-chilling for adults, let alone children. And viewers can try (likely unsuccessfully) to NOT cry when E.T. and Elliott say goodbye.
8 ‘The Land Before Time’ (1988)
Directed by Don Bluth
Don Bluth‘s best theatrical film, The Land Before Time introduces kids to the world of dinosaurs. But children barely get to meet Littlefoot and Cera (who starts off as quite a bully) before an “earthshake” separates families and kills many. Littlefoot’s mom is injured and dies in a sob-worthy scene that will wreck audiences young and old.
On their journey, Littlefoot and Cera encounter Sharp-Tooth (a T-Rex) in several intense sequences. In a final stand, the kids and the lovable friends they picked up along the way risk their lives to kill the ferocious predator. The Land Before Time is less traumatic than some of Bluth’s other films because it ends on a happier note; the threat is vanquished, and families are reunited.
7 ‘Willow’ (1988)
Directed by Ron Howard
Ron Howard‘s Willow follows Willow’s (Warwick Davis) quest to return baby Elora to the human world while being pursued by evil Queen Bavmorda. Filled with whimsical magic and adventure, Willow also dives into the darker side of this fantasy world. Bavmorda’s Death Dogs are fast and frightening when they kill Elora’s mother and ravage Willow’s town.
Willow has Oscar-nominated special effects, including the two-headed dragon creature (Eborsisk) that Willow accidentally magics into existence. In a scene too intense for some, Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) impales the Eborsisk with a sword, causing it to breathe its fire inward and explode. Even with Willow‘s happy ending, the sorcery and intimidating monsters could be difficult for kids to get through.
6 ‘All Dogs Go To Heaven’ (1989)
Directed by Don Bluth
Don Bluth strikes again with All Dogs Go To Heaven. This film tells kids almost right away that dogs die – and introduces a lovely idea of Heaven and a scary, fiery Hell to which lovable Charlie could go if he dies a second time. Children watching will likely relate to losing a beloved pet, and could worry about where they will “end up.”
While centering around death, the film also features violence, gambling, and drinking. Carface, one of Bluth’s most evil villains, has Charlie killed to take over their joint casino, kidnaps a girl, beats up Itchy, and facilitates the destruction of Charlie’s new casino. Even light-hearted King Gator and his infectious song can’t keep this film from scarring children.
5 ‘Little Monsters’ (1989)
Directed by Richard Greenberg
Little Monsters expands on kids’ fears of a monster hiding under their bed. Fred Savage stars as Brian and Howie Mandel plays Maurice, the ghoulie living under Brian’s bed and playing pranks on him. Befriending Maurice, Brian participates in the pranks, pushing the boundaries of right and wrong, and indulges in the monster world’s unlimited candy and video games.
Some pranks are mean-spirited (ruining someone’s school project) or downright disgusting (filling an apple juice cup with pee). The monster effects are weird and visceral like Snik, and sometimes land in the uncanny valley. The violence and body horror are also graphic for a kids’ film; monsters explode, kids transform, and the villain’s face reveal is the stuff of nightmares.
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4 ‘The Secret of NIMH’ (1982)
Directed by Don Bluth
In 1982, Don Bluth brought Robert C. O’Brien‘s 1971 novel to animated life with The Secret of NIMH, terrifying children in the process. Widowed mouse Mrs. Brisby, one of Bluth’s most memorable characters, struggles to find medicine for her ill child, grounding the story in a mother’s love. On her quest, Mrs. Brisby finds out the truth about her husband’s death and puts her own life in danger multiple times.
The National Institution of Mental Health (NIMH) is where the rats now living near Mrs. Brisby were tortured and tested on, shown in a horrifying flashback. Mrs. Brisby faces threats from the genetically altered rats, a tractor, a mouse-hungry cat (her husband’s killer), and the predatory Great Owl. These sequences are intense at any age, and the film doesn’t shy away from showing characters die on screen.
3 ‘Gremlins’ (1984)
Directed by Joe Dante
Truly terrifying in parts, Christmas-horror favorite Gremlins lures kids in with an adorable Mogwai, Gizmo, before unleashing gruesome mayhem when gremlins spawn. The gremlins indulge in all kinds of debauchery: drinking, smoking, gambling, and murder. And the movie indulges in showing viewers (including kids) the dirty deeds and morbid results.
Gremlins is a prime example of practical horror effects done right; a melting Stripe is both amazing and utterly disgusting. Billy’s mom kills three other gremlins in ghastly ways: in a blender, with green fluids and parts spewing everywhere; stabbing one with a knife; and microwaving one until it bursts… on screen. Additionally, Kate’s action-stopping monologue about her father dying in the chimney while dressed as Santa puts an extra depressing spin on the holiday.
2 ‘Return to Oz’ (1985)
Directed by Walter Murch
Return to Oz is the sequel to the family classic The Wizard of Oz, so it can’t be too bad, right? In one of the best live-action Disney movies from the 1980s, Fairuza Balk dons the ruby slippers to portray Dorothy in a very different Oz: one ravaged by the Nome King. There is no singing in this Oz, only statues that once lived, and those that turn to sand in the Deadly Desert.
Throughout Dorothy’s journey, she meets terrifying characters like the half-man/half-roller-skate Wheelers; Princess Mombi, who likes to change her head, leaving others without theirs; and the Nome King, who wants to rule Oz. And this doesn’t include the real world, in which Dorothy is scheduled for electroshock therapy within the first fifteen minutes of the film!
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1 ‘The NeverEnding Story’ (1984)
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
One word from The NeverEnding Story can have “fine” adults weeping: Artax! The aforementioned horse, Artax, slowly sinks to its death while his owner, Atreyu, wails – in the Swamp of Sadness. The horse sinks from being sad. And Fantasia as a whole, where Atreyu lives, is at risk from The Nothing; a difficult concept for even adults to grasp.
The NeverEnding Story also features Atreyu fighting for his life against a terrifying animatronic wolf, giant topless statues that laser beam intruders to dust, and a questionable luck dragon. In the real world, the boy reading The NeverEnding Story lives with his widowed father and gets intensely bullied at school. That’s two worlds to horrify the children watching.
