While the excess of the 1980s led to plenty oftraumatic kids' moviesto horrify children, the ’90s took a different approach to kids' films. There were fewer movies featuring frightening creatures like inGremlinsorWillow. Instead, the family movies of the ’90s explored more emotional stories and mature narratives. Screams and nightmares were replaced by buckets of tears and examinations of loss and grief.
Of course, the 1990s also provided some spooky Halloween fare perfect for families, but the six-year-old PG-13 rating weeded out movies that pushed the envelope a bit too far. Themacabre and funnyThe Addams Familyor the whimsical and emotionalEdward Scissorhandswere “off limits” to children too young to handle the content, even though dark movies from the 1980s likeThe NeverEnding Storywere considered acceptable. There are still ’90s kids' films that are traumatizing, exemplifying the last vestiges of the creepy ’80s or exploring adult themes that bring kids to tears.
10’White Fang' (1991)
Directed by Randal Kleiser
InWhite Fang,youngEthan Hawke’s Jacktravels to San Francisco for the 1896 Gold Rush. During his journey to his father’s claim, Jack faces several frightening attacks – from a pack of wolves, a grizzly bear, and other miners.These scenes are intense and feature characters (human and animal) being hurt or killed.Throughout the film, Jack has several run-ins with the lovable wolfdog White Fang, who saves him from the grizzly bear, and viewers quickly get attached.
After White Fang is traded against Jack’s wishes, the wolfdog is abused and trained to fight other dogs.The scenes of animal cruelty are difficult to watch,but Jack saves White Fang, and the two form a deep connection as White Fang is rehabilitated. The heartbreaking third act sees Jack trying to send White Fang back into the wild by coldly using a stick to trigger and scare him; Jack has to emotionally hurt his friend to save him, bringing tears to everyone watching thisforgotten Disney classic.
White Fang
White Fangis available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
Watch on Disney+
9’Hocus Pocus' (1993)
Directed by Kenny Ortega
Hocus Pocushas become a Halloween traditionand spawned a sequel 30 years later despite a middling 40% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Witches Winifred (played byBette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) are instantly charming and identifiable due to the actors' excellent performances; their humor bounces off one another perfectly. However,the witches ofHocus Pocusare the villains and are out to ingest children’s souls.
The kooky, campy vibe of the film cannot hide that the narrative touches on guilt, virginity, death, and murder –themes that could be difficult for young children to navigatedespite the fun musical interludes. Violence is quite prevalent throughout the film – the witches are hanged, burned alive and turned to stone/dust – and children sacrifice themselves for each other.Hocus Pocusalso features Winifred’s zombified lover Billy (Doug Jonesin gnarly special effects make-up), who might be scary for some.
Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocusis available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
8’Matilda' (1996)
Directed by Danny DeVito
In thisfilm adaptation ofRoald Dahl’sMatilda, telekinetic Matilda (Mara Wilson) is a vivacious six-year-old who wants to learn despite her horrible (and criminal) parents' objections. They (along with Matilda’s older brother)neglect and mistreat her, so she retaliates with some ill-advised pranksthat hopefully don’t rub off on young viewers (like gluing her father’s hat to his head).
However, Matilda’s family is just the tip of the iceberg. She is eventually sent to a school that features one of themeanest teachers in movies, Miss Trunchbull. Towering over the school kids and putting her athletic prowess to nefarious purposes,Trunchbull’s teaching method consists of torturing children, sending misbehaving kids to an iron maiden-like device called the “chokey” – which is still seared into some adults' memories today.
Matildais available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
Watch on Netflix
7’FernGully: The Last Rainforest' (1992)
Directed by Bill Kroyer
FernGully: The Last Rainforestintroduced children to environmental issuesby following tiny fairies living in the Australian rainforest. One of the fairies accidentally shrinks a logger down to her size when she saves him.Shrinking the logger helps viewers identify with the fairies' and animals' plight by showing the film from their perspectives.Robin Williamsvoices comedic relief Batty, but his tragic backstory reveals that Batty was tested on by humans, resulting in severe mental health complications.
Also threatening the rainforest is the scary pollution monster Hexxus (voiced by the incomparableTim Curry), who poisons and destroys the trees and foliage, ruining the wildlife’s homes.His burning and oil-slick skeletal appearance oozes danger.In an intense finale, Hexxus sets the rainforest on fire, and not all the fairies make it out alive.
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
FernGully: The Last Rainforestis available to stream on Starz in the U.S.
Watch on Starz
6’The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993)
Directed by Henry Selick
Henry Selick’sstop-motion masterpieceThe Nightmare Before Christmasis often mistaken for aTim Burtonfilm (he did write and produce the movie) due to its macabre themes and recognizable imagery (Jack Skellington can briefly be seen inBeetlejuice).Spooky visages like skeletal reindeer, mad scientists and trick-or-treaters populate Halloween Townuntil Pumpkin King Jack decides to take over Christmas for the year. He kidnaps Santa Claus and makes several inappropriate changes to the cheerful holiday, like gift-wrapping decapitated heads.
The Nightmare Before Christmasfinds a suitable balance of scary-to-fun,though, with the dichotomy of the Halloween Town crew versus Christmas Town and Santa Claus. The Halloween Town inhabitants aren’t evil, they just want to celebrate. ThisChristmas must-watchshows off some extensive grotesque imagery, but theDanny Elfmansoundtrack helps ease the tension after a monstrous and bug-riddled Oogie Boogie makes an appearance.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.
The Nightmare Before Christmasis available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
5’The Iron Giant' (1999)
Brad Bird’s directorial debut,The Iron Giantis thebest animated movie of the 1990sthat’s not from Disney. Being set in the Cold War in 1957 may put the narrative a little above kids' heads, and thethemes of war, paranoia and weaponry are heavy.However, children relate to nine-year-old Hogarth when he finds a giant extraterrestrial robot after it falls on Earth, and they’ll fall in love with theVin Diesel-voiced behemoth.
As Hogarth and the Giant’s bond strengthens, so too does the viewers' love for the characters.This makes it more gut-wrenching when the Giant is threatened by the military and subsequently sacrifices himself to save Hogarth’s town.The Iron Giantleans into the tear-jerker ending when the missile-bound Giant remembers Hogarth’s words: “You are who you choose to be. Superman.” With a critics' score of 96% and an audience score of 90% onRotten Tomatoes,The Iron Giantsucceeded in examining complex themes throughout the beautifully animated visuals.
The Iron Giant
The Iron Giantis available to stream on MAX in the U.S.
Watch on MAX
4’The Lion King' (1994)
Directed by Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff
Disney’sThe Lion Kingbrought children and adults to tears with itsretelling ofWilliam Shakespeare’sHamlet. In Disney’s take on one of the ultimate tragedies, lion cub Simba is tricked by his uncle Scar into believing he killed his father, Mufasa. Scar’s betrayal, and murder, of Mufasa is high-intensity, with the wildebeest stampede an imminent threat below. The camera zooming in on a horrified Simba reiterates his isolation and trauma after the fact.The scene of Mufasa’s lifeless body, along with Simba’s tears, after the lion-killing stampede remains a tearjerker even for adults.
The Lion Kingsoftens themature themes about griefwith its catchy songs byElton John. But not everything can be “Hakuna Matata.” Scar’s memorablevillain song, “Be Prepared,“andJeremy Irons’sinister voice performance are exquisitely menacing. And the final, ferocious battle between lions culminating in hyenas eerily laughing as they devour their once-leader could be traumatizing. Circle of life, indeed.
The Lion King
The Lion Kingis available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
3’My Girl' (1991)
Directed by Howard Zieff
My Girlfollows 11-year-old Vada (Anna Chlumsky) in a coming-of-age story about first love and loss. As the daughter of the town’s funeral director, Vada feels like an outsider until she befriends fellow unpopular kid Thomas (first of thefamed Culkin brothers,Macaulay).This sweet film delves into heavy territory when Vada expresses her guilt over “killing her mother” due to complications shortly after her birth.Vada also has to navigate a new family dynamic when her father (Dan Aykroyd) begins dating a new woman (Jamie Lee Curtis).
Vada faces further tragedy and loss when Thomas dies due to his bee allergy. When her father arranges the funeral for Thomas, Vada finds her way into the open-casket funeral and the waterworks begin.Vada’s wails for her friend shatter viewers' hearts, and she ultimately runs away in tears, unable to handle her grief. Thisunforgettable death scenestill haunts viewers to this day. We’re not crying, you’re crying.
My Girlis available to rent on Amazon in the U.S.
Rent on Amazon
2’Ernest Scared Stupid' (1991)
Directed by John R. Cherry III
Bumbling Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) made his fifth film appearance inkids' horror-comedyErnest Scared Stupid. Unwittingly unleashing a ruthless ancient troll, Ernest has to figure out how to stop the grotesque creature with the help of a few tweens.The cursed troll succeeds in transforming several kids into wooden dolls and sucking up their life force.It also mutates kids into other trolls, brainwashing them into turning against their friends and family.
Living up to its title,Ernest Scared Stupidis mostly cheesy fluff with a few jump-scares.But the creature effects are handled seriously and can be quite intimidating.The mucus-ridden trolls are frightening and disgusting, especially when Ernest gets up close and personal with one who’s extra snotty. The film is definitely skewed more toward children than adults, with the slapstick humor not fully landing for older folks. However, the morals of unconditional love and retaining one’s child-like innocence resonate with all ages.
Ernest Scared Stupid
Ernest Scared Stupidis available to rent on Amazon in the U.S.
1’The Witches' (1990)
Directed by Nicolas Roeg
Releasing in 1990,gross-out kids' movieThe Witchesfits right in with the traumatizing films that permeated the ’80s.Anjelica Hustondevours every scene she’s in as the incredibly wicked Miss Ernst, the Grand High Witch – in both human and witch form – with the assistance ofgrotesque special effects make-up that still holds up.The witches are the stuff of nightmares for children and adults: rash-covered bald heads; pointed, wart-covered noses; clawed hands; and squared-off feet don’t even begin to describe the visuals.
This Roald Dahl adaptation also features children in peril, lovable mice who are also in peril and several unsettling transformation sequences.The Witchesincludes clever comedy to off-set its more morbid and terrifying scenes, making the film a good watch for brave kids with a morbid sense of humor. From the half-human/half-mice children to the witches' blistering true forms to the Grand High Witch’s various mutations,The Witchesis full of body horror that children and adults won’t soon forget.
