The Grisly Animated Movie Ending That Lingers Viewers
Among all the mature animated films I have personally viewed, no other has lingered in my mind as much as the fear-filled conclusion of the viscerally violent and highly provocative 2022 movie Unicorn Wars.
In the year 2015, this Spanish writer-director crafted a dark, somber , frequently brutal universe that included some tiny , desolate glimmers of optimism.
Although The Unicorn Wars appears as it came from an impulse to advance animation even more, the filmmaker clarified that it was more an effort to convey a global, multicultural message regarding “the shared root of every conflict.”
That message is communicated by means of a band of vividly colored bears , openly modeled after a well-known series of cuddly characters.
Being raised in a community focused on aggression and the war machine, numerous the bears are fixated on exterminating the mythical beasts, thanks to a holy book which states them they used to be kings of the woods, before the unicorns drove them out.
Some haven’t fully bought into the propaganda, and prefer to experiment with drugs or fornicate outdoors.
Unlike their friendly counterparts, these colorful critters show sexual organs , definite urges.
For a particular notably brutal, cynical bear, the character Bluey, the battle with the unicorns becomes a path to power — and especially to authority over his softer, kinder brother the bear Tubby.
The character is a bully , an apparent antisocial figure , and when fear dominates his unit and claims his teammates individually, he takes more and more influence on his own behalf, in increasingly gory, destructive ways.
Meanwhile, the unicorns are suffering their own terror, in the form of an expanding, deadly beast in their forest.
“Initially, it seems like a humorous movie,” the director commented. “But then it turns into a more serious and sad movie. And ultimately, it becomes a terrifying movie.”
Unicorn Wars starts out feeling a bit like one of the more playful features from a renowned animator, that discover a mischievous joy in allowing cartoon characters curse, engage in violence, or engage sexually.
Subsequently it turns into closer to a bleaker movie from the same artist, including ever more visual gore , a tangible link to genuine tragedy of conflict.
Ultimately, it is a complete theatrical horror carnage.
The horror which makes the film a Halloween-friendly viewing kicks in well before than that description suggests.
The Unicorn Wars is suited for the most dedicated lovers of violence, for enthusiasts of intense movies who desire to view something they’ve never viewed until now, and who can handle a plot which delivers absolutely no punches.
View it with the lights off free from interruptions, and the finale will burrow deep within you and stay with you.
Where to watch: Offered for rental or purchase on various online services.
