The Grisly Cartoon Film Conclusion That Haunts Fans
Out of all the mature cartoon movies I have personally watched, nothing has remained with me quite like the dread-soaked conclusion of a explicitly bloody as well as deeply subversive 2022 movie The Unicorn Wars.
In the year 2015, this Spain-based writer-director developed a grim, somber , frequently brutal world that included some tiny , forlorn twinges of optimism.
While Unicorn Wars feels like it came from a drive to push the medium even more, the director explained that it was more an attempt to express a universal, multicultural theme regarding “the mutual source of all wars.”
That message is conveyed via a band of brightly hued teddy bears , clearly inspired by a popular line of cuddly figures.
Growing up in a community built around warmongering as well as the military-industrial complex, a lot of these animals are obsessed with slaughtering unicorns, due to a religious scripture which states them they previously were masters of the woodland, until the horned beings drove them out.
Some haven’t fully fallen for the indoctrination, and would rather experiment with narcotics and engage sexually outdoors.
In contrast to their gentle counterparts, these bright beings display sexual organs , obvious sex drives.
For a particular particularly cruel, pessimistic creature, the character Bluey, the war against the unicorns turns into a path to control — and specifically to supremacy over his more tender, nicer brother Tubby.
The character is a bully , an obvious antisocial figure , and as terror dominates his squad and claims his teammates individually, he takes increasingly control on his own behalf, through ever more gory, destructive ways.
Meanwhile, these mythical beings are suffering their own horror, through a spreading, deadly beast in their forest.
“Initially, it seems like a lighthearted film,” the filmmaker commented. “But then it turns into a more intense and sorrowful movie. And in the finale, it’s a terrifying movie.”
Unicorn Wars starts out similar to one of the most whimsical features from an iconic animator, which find a wicked pleasure in allowing animated figures swear, shoot each other, or engage sexually.
Afterward it turns into something more like a more grim movie by that same artist, including ever more visual gore , a palpable connection to genuine horror of war.
In the finale, it’s a complete theatrical horror bloodbath.
The fear which makes this a perfect Halloween movie begins well before than that description suggests.
Unicorn Wars is suited for the most dedicated gorehounds, for fans of extreme cinema who want to watch a film they have not watched previously, and are able to withstand a narrative which delivers absolutely no punches.
See it in a dark room free from interruptions, and that ending will burrow under your skin and take up residence there.
Where to watch: Offered for rental or purchase on multiple digital platforms.
