Coraline
The animated film Coraline honestly still haunts my dreams. The button eyes and the creepy Other Mother character is what makes this movie scary. Even though it is considered a kids movie, I saw it when I was older and still have nightmares about it.
Friends
Although Friends is a loved TV show, there are problematic elements to it. There is hardly any diversity in the cast, not just based on the fact that all of the main characters are Caucasian, but there were only 2 people of color throughout the series. It is incredibly important to promote diversity in casting!
Jumanji
Jumanji should be considered a horror movie with all of the terrifying characters and plot twists. The floorboards that turn into quicksand along with the giant spiders make for a messed up story. But, this movie was iconic in my childhood.
Spy Kids
This movie was my favorite growing up and it is definitely not as creepy as other movies or TV shows, but the main thing that scared me were the thumb people. They freaked me out so much that I couldn’t watch the scene. Giant thumbs running towards you is not exactly what you expect as a little kid.
That 70’s Show
That 70’s Show is a classic that is popular on Netflix. Important topics such as feminism are discussed throughout different episodes of this series, but Fez, the only person of color that is a main character on the show, is constantly demeaned and made fun of for his accent. The ideas presented on the show regarding women are progressive in terms of 2018, but race is an issue that is not addressed or handled properly.
Spirited Away
Spirited Away, an anime from 2001, has a strange plot line that scared me as a 6 year old. The main character Chihiro’s parents turn into 2 giant pigs after they go to what looks like an abandoned amusement park with her parents. In order to free her parents, she has to work at the park to free herself and her parents from the spirit. The mere idea of not having my parents freaked me out as a little kid.
Donnie Darko
The story behind this film is extremely confusing and hard to wrap your mind around. Even after watching it many times, I still don’t know what it is truly about. The main character Donnie gains the ability to alter time and destiny after surviving an accident, but was he does with that power is truly disturbing.
Matilda
The worst part of Matilda is Ms. Trunchbull, Matilda evil principal. Watching this film when I was younger terrified me just for that reason. Her parents were the worst characters ever because of the way that they treated her and every scene that they were in made me cringe.