Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Reveal Which Non-Horror Movies Absolutely Traumatized Them As A Kid

An audience watching a movie in a movie theatre
person watching movie
Photo by Krists Luhaers on Unsplash

Reddit user alina_love_ asked: 'What's a non horror movie that traumatized you as a kid?'

No matter how long ago we saw it, there are some scenes or images from movies that still send shivers down our spine or keep us awake at night to this very day.

Pennywise appearing in the sewer in It, Janet Leigh surprised in the shower in Psycho, Freddy Kreuger's tongue popping out of the telephone in A Nightmare on Elm Street.


Of course, some of the scariest, most disturbing, or most emotionally traumatizing scenes from films might have been featured in films outside of the horror genre.

Even more shockingly, some of these films were primarily marketed towards children!

Redditor alina_love was curious to hear which non-horror films the Reddit community saw as children still send shivers down their spines today, leading them to ask:

"What's a non horror movie that traumatized you as a kid?"

It Was Tim Burton, After All...

"'Pee Wee's big adventure'."

"Large Marge scared the crap out of little me."

"I was even scared of the fortune teller."- BlueStarrSilver·

With A Title Like "Temple Of Doom"...

"'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'."

"The scene where the guy gets his heart ripped out traumatized me for years."- Pbhf

That Funeral Scene Though...

"'My Girl'."

"Fear of death, fear of losing a friend, fear of bees, fear of puberty."- heidismiles

macaulay culkin kiss GIF Giphy

Jurassic Park's Got Nothing On This...

"'The Land Before Time'."

"Watching Little Foot’s mother die was awful."- HourglassSass

He'll Always Regret Not Bringing Her To The Museum...

"'Bridge to Terabithia'."- jumpstart-the-end

"Everything goes so well and it falls apart SO FAST and your left absolutely traumatized."- VortexDestroyer99

The Reason People Hold On To Their Appliances For As Long As They Do...

"The Brave Little Toaster'."- Catgurl

"The junkyard scene alone was responsible for so many nightmares."- ManChildMusician

brave little toaster animation GIF by Coolidge Corner Theatre Giphy

And Let's Not Forget The Coachman's Smile...

"Disney’s version of 'Pinocchio'."

"The scene where kids are turned into donkeys and kept on the island and then resold was f*cking weird."

"You felt bad for that bully kid after he looked sad and nobody understood what he said because he was a donkey."- earnestlikehemingway

Few Things More Sad And Scary Than Deforestation

"'Ferngully: The Last Rainforest'."

"That evil tree scared me so bad."- slutsdotnet

Anything But "Truly Scrumptious"...

"The 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' Childcatcher guy!"

"I'm still scared of him!"- Jet_Maypen

child GIF Giphy

Offing Children One By One...In A Children's Movie!

"'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' boat scene."

"Honorable mention of claustrophobia when Augustus gets stuck in the chocolate tube."

"UGH!"- looseseal-bluth

At Least We Know He Had A "Sole"...

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit."

"That poor shoe….."- dalalice5555

At Least The Song Is Catchy...

"Neverending Story."

"Not even Artax, which was awful, but the Rockbiter and his good strong hands."- marxychick1

Neverending Story 80S GIF Giphy

Dorothy Gettying Electro Shock Therapy Says it All...

"Return to Oz."- Jeff_Steelflexx

"Horrifying! What about the animated wig heads?"- weensfordayz

The Reigning King Of Childhood Trauma

"Old Yeller."- IceTech59

"I remember watching this on TV during, I think, Wonderful World of Disney (Sunday nights were Disney night on TV)."

"Cried and cried and cried."

"I've never been able to watch it again and I've never shown it to my kids!"- crowwitch

Not All Friendships Are Tenable... A Terrifying Thought

"'The Fox and the Hound'."

"Still makes me incredibly sad, lol."- mental_reincarnation

best friends friendship GIF Giphy

Sometimes, writers and filmmakers simply overestimate what might go over a child's head.

Or, for that matter, they might underestimate their emotional capacity.

Regardless, ask any of Fairuza Balk's fans which is scarier, Return to Oz or The Craft, and their answer will be immediate...

(... and it won't be The Craft...)


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

White House's Post About Going Back To The Moon To 'Stay' Has Everyone Thinking The Same Thing

The White House was widely mocked online after sharing a post on X about their goal of bringing Americans back to the Moon and making sure they "stay," a declaration that prompted many to suggest the Trump administration should stay there while they're at it.

It all started when NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote the following on X:

Keep Reading Show less
James Talarico
Tico Mendoza/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images

James Talarico Has Perfect Response To Hegseth's Pastor Who Prayed For His Death On MAGA Podcast

Texas Senate nominee James Talarico spoke out after MAGA podcaster Joshua Haymes and pastor Brooks Potteiger—who counts Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth among his congregants—prayed that "God kills" Talarico.

Earlier this month, Talarico pulled off an upset against Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett, who has urged Democrats to support his candidacy as the 2026 midterm season kicks off.

Keep Reading Show less
Anna Kendrick (left) and Kieran Culkin react during an uncomfortable 2010 press junket moment, as Michael Cera (right) remains at the center of the resurfaced interview.
@PATELICIOUSXO/X; Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Video Of Anna Kendrick And Kieran Culkin's Uncomfortable Reaction After Interviewer Called Michael Cera 'Unattractive' Resurfaces

It’s the kind of interview moment that makes your skin crawl—and somehow, it only gets worse the longer it lingers.

Flash back to 2010, when Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was in full press junket mode, and its cast—Anna Kendrick, Kieran Culkin, and Michael Cera—were making the usual promotional rounds.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump; Kash Patel; Stephen Miller
Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Video Of Stephen Miller And Kash Patel Trying To One-Up Each Other With Their Fawning Praise Of Trump Is Giving Us The Ick

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and FBI Director Kash Patel had people cringing hard after they tried to one-up each other with their glowing praise of President Donald Trump during a roundtable about crime and public safety on Monday in Memphis, Tennessee.

Trump, who signed an executive order in September creating a task force dedicated to crime in Memphis, spoke in terms that gave insight into how his administration will use Memphis as a testing ground for its initiatives fighting urban crime.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshot of Donald Trump; Joe Kent
@atrupar/X;

Trump Gets Brutal Reminder After Shaming Former Counterterrorism Chief For Remarrying Too Quickly After Wife's Death

President Donald Trump was given a blunt reminder of his own past after he shamed Joe Kent, the former National Counterterrorism Center director who recently resigned over the war with Iran, saying Kent had remarried too quickly after the death of his first wife.

Kent, a former Green Beret and political candidate with ties to right-wing extremists, was confirmed last July in a 52–44 vote to lead the National Counterterrorism Center, where he oversaw efforts to analyze and detect terrorist threats.

Keep Reading Show less