That Grisly Animated Movie Ending That Haunts Viewers
Out of every adult-oriented cartoon movies I’ve ever watched, nothing has remained with me as much as the terror-laced ending of a viscerally violent as well as overwhelingly transgressive 2022 movie Unicorn Wars.
Back in the year 2015, the Spain-based filmmaker created a grim, melancholy and frequently brutal universe with several minor , desolate glimmers of optimism.
Although Unicorn Wars feels like it stemmed from an impulse to expand animation further, the filmmaker clarified that it was rather an effort to express a widespread, cross-cultural message concerning “the common origin of every conflict.”
That idea is communicated via a squad of brightly hued teddy bears , openly based on a popular line of lovable figures.
Being raised in a community built around aggression and the defense industry, many of these creatures are obsessed with killing the mythical beasts, because of a sacred text that claims them they were once kings of the woods, until these creatures expelled them.
A few did not entirely fallen for the brainwashing, and prefer to experiment with drugs and engage sexually in the forest.
In contrast to their friendly equivalents, these colorful critters display genitals and obvious libidos.
For one especially vicious, skeptical animal, Bluey, the conflict against unicorns becomes a route to control — and especially to supremacy above his softer, more compassionate sibling the character Tubby.
The character is a bully and a seeming psychopath , and while horror overcomes his squad and takes his teammates individually, he takes progressively control personally, in increasingly gory, destructive ways.
Meanwhile, the horned creatures are enduring their own horror, in the form of a growing, deadly beast in their habitat.
“In the early stages, it seems like a lighthearted film,” the filmmaker stated. “But then it becomes a more serious and sad movie. And ultimately, it’s a scary feature.”
Unicorn Wars starts out resembling one of the most playful features by a renowned filmmaker, that uncover a mischievous joy in letting drawn beings swear, fire weapons, or have intimate relations.
Afterward it becomes something more like a bleaker film from that director, featuring progressively visual gore and a palpable connection to the actual suffering of war.
In the finale, it’s a complete Grand Guignol massacre.
The fear that makes the film a Halloween-friendly movie kicks in much sooner than that description suggests.
Unicorn Wars is one for the devoted lovers of violence, for enthusiasts of intense movies who wish to see a film they’ve never viewed until now, and who can handle a narrative that pulls unflinching brutality.
Watch it with the lights off with no disturbances, and the conclusion will dig deep within you and stay with you.
Where to watch: Accessible via digital rental or sale on various streaming sites.
