That Grisly Cartoon Movie Conclusion That Haunts Viewers
Among every mature animated films I have ever viewed, no other has lingered in my mind as much as the terror-laced conclusion of a viscerally violent as well as highly provocative film from 2022 Unicorn Wars.
Back in 2015’s, the Spanish writer-director crafted a dark, somber , frequently brutal universe with a few small , desolate glimmers of hope.
While Unicorn Wars feels like it stemmed from a desire to expand animation further, the director stated that it was rather an effort to express a global, cross-cultural theme regarding “the shared root of every conflict.”
That idea is communicated through a squad of brightly hued teddy bears , clearly inspired by a famous line of cuddly characters.
Being raised in a society centered on warmongering as well as the military-industrial complex, many of the bears are fixated on slaughtering unicorns, thanks to a holy book that claims them they previously were masters of the forest, before the horned beings expelled them.
Others have not completely fallen for the propaganda, and choose to sample drugs or engage sexually in the forest.
In contrast to their friendly equivalents, these vivid animals display genitals and clear urges.
For one particularly cruel, skeptical animal, the bear named Bluey, the war with unicorns transforms into a road to control — and specifically to authority over his more tender, kinder brother the bear Tubby.
The character behaves aggressively , a seeming sociopath , and as fear takes over his squad and claims his fellow soldiers sequentially, he seizes increasingly influence on his own behalf, via progressively bloody, damaging approaches.
At the same time, these mythical beings are enduring their own terror, in the form of a growing, harmful creature in their woods.
“At the beginning, it seems like a humorous movie,” the director commented. “However it turns into a more intense and melancholic movie. And ultimately, it becomes a scary feature.”
Unicorn Wars commences feeling a bit like one of the more playful films from an iconic animator, that discover a wicked pleasure in allowing animated figures swear, fire weapons, or engage sexually.
Afterward it evolves into closer to a more grim work by that same creator, with increasingly visual gore , a noticeable relation to the real tragedy of battle.
Ultimately, it becomes an outright theatrical horror massacre.
The horror that turns this a perfect Halloween watch begins well before than that description suggests.
The Unicorn Wars is one for the devoted fans of gore, for enthusiasts of graphic films who desire to see something they haven’t ever seen on-screen before, and can endure a story that offers absolutely no punches.
Watch it in a dark room without any distractions, and the finale will crawl under your skin and take up residence there.
Where to watch: Accessible via rental or purchase on various online services.
