The Grisly Animated Movie Ending That Haunts Viewers
Out of all the adult-oriented cartoon movies I have personally watched, no other has lingered in my mind as much as the dread-soaked ending of the graphically gory and highly provocative 2022 movie The Unicorn Wars.
Back in the year 2015, the Spanish writer-director crafted a dark, somber , frequently brutal universe that included some tiny , forlorn twinges of hope.
While The Unicorn Wars appears as it stemmed from a drive to expand the medium further, the filmmaker stated that it was rather an attempt to communicate a universal, multicultural message regarding “the common origin of each battle.”
This theme is expressed through a squad of brightly hued teddy bears , clearly based on a famous line of cuddly figures.
Maturing in a community built around militarism as well as the military-industrial complex, a lot of these creatures are consumed by exterminating unicorns, because of a religious scripture that claims the bears they used to be rulers of the woods, until the horned beings expelled them.
Some have not completely fallen for the indoctrination, and choose to sample substances or mate outdoors.
Unlike their gentle counterparts, these vivid animals show genitals , definite libidos.
For a particular notably brutal, cynical bear, the bear named Bluey, the war with unicorns turns into a path toward dominance — and especially to supremacy above his gentler, more compassionate sibling the bear Tubby.
This bear is a bully , an obvious sociopath , and when terror takes over his group and claims his teammates one by one, he grabs increasingly control on his own behalf, via progressively violent, damaging approaches.
At the same time, the horned creatures are experiencing their own nightmare, as a growing, deadly beast in their forest.
“At the beginning, it feels like a comedy,” the director commented. “However it becomes a more dramatic and sad film. And by the end, it transforms into a scary feature.”
Unicorn Wars starts out feeling a bit like one of the most playful films from an iconic animator, that uncover a naughty glee in letting cartoon characters curse, fire weapons, or sex each other up.
Then it turns into something more like a darker film from that artist, with increasingly graphic violence and a tangible link to the actual tragedy of war.
Ultimately, it becomes an outright Grand Guignol carnage.
The terror that makes this a perfect Halloween movie kicks in well before than indicated.
Unicorn Wars is suited for the devoted gorehounds, for enthusiasts of graphic films who want to see a movie they’ve never watched previously, and are able to withstand a narrative that offers unflinching brutality.
See it in a dimly lit space without any distractions, and the conclusion will burrow into your mind and linger.
How to view: Offered for digital rental or sale on various online services.
