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

Savannah Guthrie
NBC News

Savannah Guthrie's Brother Leaves Fans Stunned With His Reaction To Her Fear That She Caused Their Mom's Disappearance

On the Thursday, March 26, broadcast of the Today show, Hoda Kotb interviewed host Savannah Guthrie about her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who disappeared from her home in Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1, 2026.

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the night of January 31. Surveillance footage then showed a masked individual disconnecting her home security camera around 1:47 am.

Keep Reading Show less
Men from TMZ video; Ted Cruz in airport
TMZ; MEGA/GC/Getty Images

TMZ Is Actually Being Praised After Asking People To Send Them Photos Of Lawmakers On Vacation

TMZ has for years generated controversy and attracted derision for its story gathering tactics, but it's actually earning a little bit of goodwill after asking people to submit photos of members of Congress on vacation during Easter break as the partial government shutdown reaches historic lengths.

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that he would deploy ICE agents to U.S. airports amid a partial government shutdown that has caused exceptionally long delays at TSA lines nationwide.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshot of Charles Barkley; Donald Trump
CBS; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Charles Barkley Sounds Off On Trump's Immigration Crackdown 'Disgrace' During March Madness Rant

Former NBA star turned sports analyst Charles Barkley condemned President Donald Trump's "disgrace" of an immigration crackdown in remarks on CBS on Sunday, lamenting the fates "amazing immigrants" who have been terrorized by the federal government.

Barkley pivoted to discussing immigration after CBS ran a feature on University of Connecticut star Alex Karaban, whose parents are immigrants from Eastern Europe.

Keep Reading Show less
Gavin Newsom; Donald Trump
Steve Jennings/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Rips Trump After Report Reveals Massive Amount Taxpayers Have Spent For Trump To Go Golfing

President Donald Trump's trips to his golf courses have cost taxpayers a fortune in his second term, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to criticize him for the massive tab in a post on X.

Trump’s golf outings have cost taxpayers at least $101.2 million in travel and security expenses since he returned to office. That total is about two-thirds of what his golf trips cost during his entire first term and puts him on pace to spend roughly $300 million by the end of his second term.

Keep Reading Show less
Joe Rogan; JD Vance
The Joe Rogan Experience; Heather Diehl/Getty Images

JD Vance Weakly Claps Back After Joe Rogan Says MAGA Is Filled With A 'Bunch Of F—king Dorks'

Former actor, comedian, and Fear Factor host turned podcaster Joe Rogan has spent years profiting off the conspiracy theorists, Christian nationalists, and White supremacists that make up the MAGA movement.

But lately, Rogan has gone from enabling Republican President Donald Trump and his cronies to criticizing them.

Keep Reading Show less