This Is The Most Stressful Disney Animated Feature To Watch According To Fans
There's a good chance that everyone's list of top ten favorite movies will have at least one animated Disney feature. And why not? Since releasing the game-changing "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937 (via Den of Geek), Disney Animation has been turning out decades' worth of classics that have become imbued in everyday culture.
Whether you're a fan of its golden- or silver-era films such as "Fantasia," "Cinderella," or "The Jungle Book," renaissance-era hits like "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" or "The Lion King," or current revival-era output such as "Tangled," "Frozen," or "Moana," everyone has at least one animated Disney feature that has left an impact. Maybe you're even an adamant defender of its bronze-era movies, like "Robin Hood" or "The Rescuers," or experimental-era films such as "Lilo & Stitch" or "Treasure Planet." Through the highs and lows of the studio's history, Disney Animation has regularly proven to be the pinnacle of animated storytelling, providing heartwarming, emotionally driven, and whimsical entertainment for all audiences.
As any long-time Disney fan knows, while the studio is known for its largely family-friendly content, there's certainly a darker side to several of its films as well. Despite primarily being made for kids and families, some movies contain quite a few heavy scenes that continue to frighten young (and admittedly, plenty of older) audiences to this day. And within Disney Animation's catalog, one particular film has been stressing fans out to a special degree.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame remains Disney's darkest feature
A now-deleted user on Reddit asked what others believe is the most stressful Disney movie while sharing their opinion that Cruella de Vil's (Betty Lou Gerson) plan to turn puppies into coats in "101 Dalmatians" is especially stressful. But the comment with the most discussion was made by u/brwilliams, who pointed out a couple of issues with "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."
Released in 1996, the Oscar-nominated film (via IMDb) loosely adapts the classic Victor Hugo novel telling the story of Quasimodo (Tom Hulce), the deformed Notre Dame bell ringer who struggles to be accepted into society. While not as heavy as its source material, Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" still manages to explore many of the book's darker themes. Dealing with subject matter such as genocide, sin, intolerance, infanticide, and even lust, "Hunchback" makes for a dense watch.
A second deleted user agreed, saying, "[I] can't really think of another Disney cartoon off the top of my head that has so much weird mature material." Redditor u/fenshield commented on the villain, saying, "Claude Frollo is without a doubt the most diabolic [sic] villain in the entire Disney canon. Fear-mongering, prideful, power-hungry, lustful, manipulative." Redditor u/vinnipuh agreed with Frollo's (Tony Jay) place in Disney villain history. "Yes, but also so human," they said. "He struggled with his obviously sinful attraction to Esmerelda [sic]."
Redditor u/ProbablyHittingOnYou brought up the film's bittersweet conclusion, saying, "Poor guy doesn't even get the girl at the end." Subverting your typical Disney feature, "Hunchback" ends with Quasimodo not pairing with the kindhearted Esmeralda (Demi Moore), despite helping save her life. Despite this, he is finally accepted by society, providing a happy end to an otherwise emotionally draining experience.