That Grisly Animated Movie Ending That Stays With Audiences
Among every mature animated films I have personally watched, no other has stuck with me as much as the dread-soaked conclusion of the graphically gory as well as deeply subversive 2022 movie The Unicorn Wars.
Back in the year 2015, the Spain-based writer-director crafted a dark, bleak and often savage universe that included a few small , forlorn glimmers of hope.
While Unicorn Wars seems like it originated from a desire to advance the medium further, the filmmaker stated that it was actually an effort to communicate a universal, cross-cultural theme concerning “the shared root of every conflict.”
That message is conveyed via a band of brightly hued teddy bears , clearly modeled after a famous series of lovable characters.
Being raised in a culture focused on aggression as well as the defense industry, many of these creatures are consumed by killing unicorns, because of a religious scripture that tells them they were once kings of the woods, before the horned beings expelled them.
Others did not entirely bought into the brainwashing, and choose to sample substances and mate in the woods.
Unlike their gentle counterparts, these colorful critters display genitals and obvious sex drives.
For a certain notably brutal, cynical bear, the bear named Bluey, the war against unicorns turns into a road to power — and particularly to dominance above his more tender, nicer brother the character Tubby.
This bear acts as a tormentor and an apparent psychopath , and as terror overcomes his squad and kills his comrades individually, he grabs increasingly control for himself, through ever more gory, harmful methods.
Meanwhile, the horned creatures are enduring their own terror, through a spreading, destructive monster in their woods.
“Initially, it appears as a humorous movie,” the filmmaker said. “Yet it evolves into a more intense and melancholic movie. And ultimately, it’s a horror film.”
The Unicorn Wars commences resembling one of the more whimsical movies from an iconic filmmaker, that uncover a naughty glee in letting cartoon characters swear, engage in violence, or engage sexually.
Then it evolves into something more like a darker work from the same creator, with increasingly graphic violence and a noticeable relation to the actual horror of war.
By the end, it is a complete theatrical horror massacre.
The fear that turns this a Halloween-friendly viewing kicks in well before than one might expect.
The Unicorn Wars is ideal for the most dedicated gorehounds, for fans of extreme cinema who want to view a movie they have not viewed until now, and are able to withstand a narrative which delivers absolutely no punches.
See it in a dark room free from interruptions, and the finale will crawl into your mind and stay with you.
How to view: Accessible via streaming or buying on several digital platforms.
