The Gruesome Cartoon Movie Ending That Lingers Viewers
Among every adult-oriented animated films I have ever viewed, no other has stuck with me as much as the dread-soaked ending of the explicitly bloody and highly provocative 2022 movie The Unicorn Wars.
Back in the year 2015, this Spain-based filmmaker crafted a dark, melancholy , frequently brutal universe with a few small , forlorn glimmers of optimism.
Although The Unicorn Wars seems like it stemmed from an impulse to advance the medium further, the filmmaker stated that it was rather an effort to express a global, cross-cultural theme concerning “the shared root of each battle.”
That message is conveyed via a band of brightly hued teddy bears , openly based on a well-known series of lovable characters.
Growing up in a culture centered on warmongering as well as the war machine, many of these animals are consumed by killing the mythical beasts, due to a holy book that claims the bears they previously were masters of the forest, until the horned beings forced them out.
Some have not completely fallen for the brainwashing, and would rather sample narcotics or engage sexually in the woods.
In contrast to their friendly counterparts, these colorful critters show genitals , obvious libidos.
For a certain notably brutal, cynical bear, Bluey, the conflict against the unicorns turns into a path to control — and specifically to authority over his gentler, nicer brother the bear Tubby.
Bluey behaves aggressively and an obvious psychopath , and as terror takes over his group and kills his comrades one by one, he seizes increasingly control personally, in increasingly gory, damaging approaches.
Simultaneously, these mythical beings are experiencing their own terror, through an expanding, deadly beast in their forest.
“Initially, it appears as a comedy,” the filmmaker said. “However it turns into a more intense and melancholic movie. And ultimately, it’s a terrifying movie.”
Unicorn Wars starts out similar to among the quirky features by a renowned filmmaker, that uncover a wicked pleasure in allowing cartoon characters swear, engage in violence, or sex each other up.
Then it evolves into more akin to a more grim film from that artist, including ever more graphic violence , a tangible relation to genuine horror of battle.
Ultimately, it is a full-on theatrical horror bloodbath.
The horror that makes the film a perfect Halloween watch starts a lot earlier than one might expect.
Unicorn Wars is ideal for the most dedicated fans of gore, for fans of graphic films who wish to view something they’ve never watched previously, and are able to withstand a story which delivers absolutely no punches.
Watch it in a dark room without any distractions, and the finale will burrow under your skin and take up residence there.
How to view: Offered for digital rental or sale on various online services.
