That Grisly Cartoon Film Conclusion That Haunts Viewers
Out of all the adult-oriented cartoon movies I’ve personally viewed, nothing has stuck with me quite like the dread-soaked ending of a viscerally violent as well as overwhelingly transgressive 2022 movie The Unicorn Wars.
Back in 2015’s, the Spain-based writer-director created a dark, somber , frequently brutal universe that included a few small , desolate hints of hope.
Although The Unicorn Wars appears as it stemmed from a desire to advance the medium even more, the filmmaker stated that it was more an effort to convey a global, multicultural message regarding “the common origin of all wars.”
This theme is conveyed through a band of vividly colored bears , clearly based on a well-known series of lovable figures.
Growing up in a society centered on warmongering as well as the defense industry, many of these animals are obsessed with killing unicorns, because of a sacred text that claims them they previously were masters of the woodland, until these creatures forced them out.
A few did not entirely bought into the indoctrination, and choose to sample narcotics or fornicate in the woods.
Unlike their cuddly counterparts, these bright beings display sexual organs , obvious urges.
For one notably brutal, skeptical animal, Bluey, the war with the unicorns becomes a route to power — and particularly to dominance over his softer, nicer brother the character Tubby.
The character behaves aggressively and an apparent sociopath , and while fear overcomes his group and kills his teammates sequentially, he grabs more and more influence for himself, via progressively gory, destructive ways.
Simultaneously, the unicorns are experiencing their own terror, through a spreading, deadly beast in their woods.
“Initially, it appears as a comedy,” the filmmaker commented. “But then it turns into a more dramatic and melancholic film. And by the end, it transforms into a horror film.”
The Unicorn Wars begins feeling a bit like among the whimsical films by a renowned filmmaker, which find a mischievous joy in letting animated figures curse, engage in violence, or engage sexually.
Afterward it evolves into something more like a more grim movie from that creator, including ever more graphic violence , a tangible connection to the actual tragedy of conflict.
In the finale, it becomes an outright Grand Guignol bloodbath.
The horror that makes the film a Halloween-friendly movie begins much sooner than indicated.
Unicorn Wars is ideal for the devoted gorehounds, for enthusiasts of extreme cinema who desire to see something they’ve never seen on-screen before, and can endure a narrative that pulls no restraint.
View it with the lights off with no disturbances, and that ending will dig deep within you and stay with you.
Where to watch: Available for streaming or buying on various online services.