The Grisly Cartoon Movie Conclusion That Haunts Fans
Among every mature animated films I have personally watched, nothing has lingered in my mind as much as the dread-soaked finale of the viscerally violent and highly provocative film from 2022 The Unicorn Wars.
Back in 2015’s, this Spain-based filmmaker developed a dark, somber and often savage universe that included some tiny , desolate glimmers of optimism.
While The Unicorn Wars seems like it came from an impulse to expand the medium further, the director clarified that it was more a try to express a universal, cross-cultural theme about “the shared root of all wars.”
That message is communicated through a band of colorful pastel bears , obviously inspired by a well-known line of cuddly figures.
Maturing in a community centered on militarism as well as the defense industry, many of the bears are obsessed with slaughtering unicorns, thanks to a holy book that tells the bears they previously were rulers of the woodland, until the unicorns forced them out.
Some did not entirely bought into the brainwashing, and would rather experiment with drugs and engage sexually in the forest.
In contrast to their gentle equivalents, these bright beings display genitals , definite libidos.
For a certain notably brutal, pessimistic creature, the bear named Bluey, the war against the unicorns becomes a route to power — and particularly to supremacy over his softer, more compassionate sibling the character Tubby.
This bear acts as a tormentor and an apparent sociopath , and when horror dominates his squad and kills his teammates one by one, he seizes increasingly power personally, in increasingly gory, destructive ways.
Meanwhile, the horned creatures are experiencing their own nightmare, in the form of an expanding, destructive monster in their woods.
“At the beginning, it feels like a lighthearted film,” the filmmaker commented. “However it becomes a more dramatic and sad movie. And ultimately, it’s a terrifying movie.”
The Unicorn Wars begins resembling one of the most playful movies from an iconic filmmaker, that uncover a mischievous joy in permitting cartoon characters swear, fire weapons, or sex each other up.
Then it turns into closer to a more grim work by that same creator, including ever more explicit brutality and a tangible relation to the actual horror of conflict.
By the end, it is a complete Grand Guignol bloodbath.
The horror which makes the film a Halloween-friendly watch kicks in much sooner than that description suggests.
Unicorn Wars is one for the most dedicated lovers of violence, for fans of graphic films who wish to watch a movie they haven’t ever watched previously, and who can handle a narrative which delivers absolutely no punches.
Watch it in a dark room with no disturbances, and the finale will dig into your mind and take up residence there.
Availability: Available for rental or purchase on several online services.