The Gruesome Animated Movie Ending That Lingers Fans
Out of all the adult-oriented animated films I’ve personally watched, nothing has stuck with me quite like the fear-filled ending of the explicitly bloody and highly provocative 2022 movie The Unicorn Wars.
Back in 2015’s, the Spanish filmmaker developed a grim, melancholy , frequently brutal universe with a few small , forlorn glimmers of optimism.
Although Unicorn Wars feels like it stemmed from a desire to advance the medium further, the filmmaker clarified that it was actually a try to convey a universal, cross-cultural theme about “the shared root of each battle.”
That idea is conveyed through a squad of brightly hued teddy bears , openly inspired by a well-known series of cuddly figures.
Growing up in a culture centered on militarism as well as the military-industrial complex, numerous the bears are fixated on exterminating unicorns, thanks to a holy book that tells them they previously were rulers of the woods, before the horned beings forced them out.
Others have not completely accepted the brainwashing, and prefer to try out substances or engage sexually outdoors.
In contrast to their cuddly equivalents, these bright beings have visible genitals , clear libidos.
For a particular notably brutal, cynical bear, Bluey, the conflict against the unicorns becomes a road to power — and specifically to supremacy above his gentler, kinder brother the character Tubby.
Bluey behaves aggressively and an obvious antisocial figure , and as terror takes over his group and kills his fellow soldiers individually, he takes increasingly influence on his own behalf, through ever more violent, harmful methods.
Simultaneously, these mythical beings are experiencing their own nightmare, as a growing, destructive monster in their forest.
“Initially, it seems like a humorous movie,” the filmmaker said. “However it becomes a more dramatic and sad movie. And ultimately, it transforms into a scary feature.”
The Unicorn Wars begins feeling a bit like one of the more whimsical films by a renowned filmmaker, that discover a naughty glee in letting animated figures curse, engage in violence, or have intimate relations.
Then it evolves into closer to a bleaker film from that director, with increasingly graphic violence , a palpable connection to the real suffering of war.
Ultimately, it’s a full-on Grand Guignol massacre.
The terror that turns this a Halloween-friendly movie begins much sooner than one might expect.
The Unicorn Wars is suited for the hardcore fans of gore, for fans of extreme cinema who wish to view something they have not viewed until now, and are able to withstand a story that offers absolutely no punches.
View it in a dimly lit space free from interruptions, and the finale will burrow under your skin and stay with you.
Where to watch: Offered for streaming or buying on several digital platforms.
