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Entity looks at six dark kids movies.

You may remember these children’s movies fondly.

But were you really paying attention? Go back and watch them now. I guarantee you’ll see a darker side to the stories that you never noticed before.

Until then, let ENTITY casually destroy your childhoods with these six seemingly “innocent” kid’s movies and their seedy, twisted underbellies.

1 “Matilda”

Entity story on dark kids movie

An empowering movie about a young girl standing up for herself in a family of verbally abusive parents. Touching, right? This movie actually has a creepy, dark side. People might forget how Matilda was actually abused. She wasn’t allowed to read (ring a bell?) and her family constantly left her alone to fend for herself at much too young an age.

Also, how scary is it that principal Trunchbull literally locks students in a coffin filled with nails? Not to mention the whole cake scene, which basically ruined cake eating for life. And Ms. Honey is all too nice. Nobody can actually be that nice without it being weird.

2 “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”

Entity story on dark kids movie

This movie has more fan theories than we can count. According to this Reddit user, the fifth golden ticket (which turns out to be a fake) is announced on the news as having been found just as Charlie is going to bed.

This theory then claims that the rest of the movie is a dream in which Charlie finds a golden ticket and gets to go on the chocolate factory tour. If Charlie’s experience was a dream, that would help explain all the weird stuff that goes on. Like how Grandpa Joe could all of a sudden walk again.

But even without this theory, the movie is still pretty messed up. Each kid on the tour essentially dies one by one until Charlie is the only one left. This Reddit user points out that when they board the boat after Augustus dies, there are only enough seats for the remaining children. This must mean that one of the children had to die before they boarded the boat. This puts the dark in dark chocolate.

3 “Mary Poppins”

Entity story on dark kids movie

After recently rewatching this movie, the only possible solution to all the weird things that occur is that Mary and Burt were definitely on drugs the entire time. Mary appears out of literally nowhere, and nothing she does makes any sense. Cough syrup that tastes different to everyone who tries it? Likely story.

Also, there was definitely a ton of sexual attention between Mary and Burt during their date at the cartoon horse races. Where were the kids during that? Walking around the imaginary world inside the sidewalk drawing all alone? Mary is clearly not the most responsible nanny around.

This Reddit fan theory even proposes the idea that Mary was Burt’s nanny when he was a child, which would mean Mary somehow defies the laws of aging and never gets older. This would add an even more messed up side to the whole sexual tension angle. Nanny and child? We bet you’d never thought of Mary Poppins as a dark kids movie until now.

4 “Spirited Away”

Entity story on dark kids movie

Where to even start with this one? When Chihiro’s family’s car stops at that creepy tunnel place, Chihiro is very adamant about not wanting to walk through it. Her parents totally should have listened to her. This Reddit user  explains a theory where Chihiro is actually dead for the entirety of the story, and the whole movie is basically her in the afterlife.

But there is something truly dark about the whole big baby locked in the bathhouse thing. As the theory explains, there’s an allusion to Greek mythology, where eating food in the underworld traps you there forever. Hence, the parents turning into pigs and thus being left there unable to escape.

5 “Bridge to Terabithia”

Entity story on dark kids movie

One Reddit user proposed the theory that Terabithia was where Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb) and Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) would go to do drugs. This theory claims that when Leslie fell on the rock, the cause of her death was actually an overdose.

This theory may not hold up since the characters were so young in the movie, but it’s plausible. Also, how did Jesse possibly go on with his life after his best and basically only friend dies? Talk about a dark kids’ movie.

6 “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”

Entity story on dark kids movie

With basically the same cast and musical score as “Mary Poppins,” it’s pretty hard for this movie to pass as kid friendly. First of all, many of the same druggy themes are present in this film. A car that can fly and doubles as a boat is a cool idea, but it seems much more feasible if you’re not sober.

The father is a crazy inventor. So could it be possible that the kids aren’t actually his, but he kidnapped them and is holding them hostage? We could see that. And then we have the creepy town (which happens to be called Vulgaria) with the child catcher.

This theory likens the scene in Vulgaria to the Holocaust. This may seem crazy, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The kids have to stay silent and hidden when the soldiers come around looking for children at all the houses. Verrrrrry creepy. The child catcher lures them outside with candy and then captures them in a cage and takes them away. Exit stage left.

So as you can see, there’s often more than meets the eye when it comes to children’s movies. We encourage you to rewatch these classics and see for yourself if you agree with any of the theories.

Because some are pretty far-fetched, but others are uncomfortably believable.

Edited by Kayla Caldwell
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