Here Are 18 Moments From Kids Films And TV That Still Keep Us Awake At Night

Bridge to Terebithia – more like the bridge to tearing our hearts out!

1. The Oompa Loompa’s song in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Paramount Pictures

Ah yes, nothing says ‘world of pure imagination’ like a group of psychedelic workers chanting as kids go missing one by one. Also, honourable mention goes to that trippy AF boat ride.

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2. The mum's death in The Fox and the Hound

Buena Vista Distribution

This film is essentially a stream of traumatic events, none more so than the literal opening credits… Like come on Disney, we see a cute cuddly movie poster and you begin the film with absolute heartbreak. They should just play this opening scene the next time someone tries to overturn the ban on fox hunting...

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3. When the giant spiders emerged in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Warner Bros. Pictures

Around 45% of the UK have a fear of spiders and this scene must be partially to blame. When Aragog’s ‘sons and daughters’ arrived in droves to prey on Harry and Ron in the middle of the forbidden forest, what kid wasn't cowering behind a cushion? Seriously, why is it never "follow the butterflies"?!

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4. The Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

United Artists

It’s literally in the name… The net, the sweets, the caged wagon... Seriously?! 

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5. When Coraline got asked to sew buttons to her eyes

Focus Features

Stop-motion always has the potential to be creepy, but sewing buttons onto your eyes is never not scary. As far as kids films go, Coraline is certainly on the darker side, and those damn buttons get us every time. 

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6. The reveal in The Witches

Warner Bros.

Not gonna lie, we were reluctant to include this one just because it meant rewatching a clip that haunted us for years. We're convinced that no one knows what actually happens in this film – surely after one watch no one goes anywhere near it. Of all the movies to remake, why do this one? 

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7. Sid's mutant toys in Toy Story

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

So after being introduced to the nice, friendly toys in Andy’s collection, we then meet what is essentially the Dr. Frankenstein of Toy Story: Sid Phillips. And suddenly, the wonderful thought of all of your toys being alive is broken up by this toy-filled torture chamber that Woody and Buzz are trapped in. One-eyed baby-doll-spider was traumatising. 

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8. When Bruce was forced to eat the whole chocolate cake in Matilda

Sony Pictures Releasing

Ms. Trunchbull was a continuous source of anxiety for all of us as kids, but the most terrifying part in Matilda has to be the chocolate cake scene. The fact that some of us genuinely believed that the cook had put her own blood, sweat, and tears into the cake made for some uncomfortable viewing. 

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9. The wartime episode of Doctor Who where the empty children were asking for their mum

BBC Studios

There were some standout times where Doctor Who went full horror (the weeping angels in "Blink" were super scary), but the zombified gas-mask children and their creepy repetitions of "are you my mummy" were the worst. Maybe it’s because Doctor Who was usually pretty tame, but these masked-up wartime lost children certainly gave loads of kids nightmares.  

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10. Clayton's death in Tarzan

Buena Vista Pictures

This whole scene was an absolute rollercoaster. Despite Clayton being the worst of the worst, when Tarzan tried to stop him from falling to his death we all thought he would survive... Instead, it cut to the silhouette of his hanging body which is harrowing even as an adult. It's rare that the demise of the villain is the shocking part, but Disney in the '90s loved a scene that was probably too dark for kids. 

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11. That scene The Lion King

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Speaking of which, can we collectively agree that this brotherly betrayal unquestionably scarred us all? This scene was responsible for 99% of our trust issues. And the fact Scar made Simba think it was his fault made it even worse!

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12. When Phineas and Ferb got busted and sent to a reformatory school

Disney-ABC

After countless episodes of watching them get away with everything, we finally got to see what would happen if Phineas and Ferb got caught — and it was difficult to watch! Finding out at the end that it was all part of Perry's nightmare didn't undo the damage.

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13. When Mary Jane's true identity was revealed for a splity second in Scooby-Doo

Warner Bros. Pictures

We don’t know about you, but seeing Mary Jane's real face made our hearts skip a beat... Or two.

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14. When Pinocchio and Lampwick transformed into donkeys

RKO Pictures

The whole of Pinocchio is scary, but this scene where Lampwick desperately cried for his mother was certainly terrifying! If we're being honest here, watching this again as an adult makes it even more disturbing.

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15. In Tangled, when mother Gothel convinced Rapunzel that she was better off locked in the tower because the outside world was too scary

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Mother Gothel evoked terror with "Mother Knows Best", convincing Rapunzel to reconsider wanting to go outside because "something will go wrong". This definitely made us not want to leave the house either.

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16. When Jess found out that Leslie died in Bridge to Terabithia

Buena Vista Pictures

More like the bridge to tearing our hearts out! Death in kids' films is always tragic, but this particular one was so unexpected because we were all so emotionally invested in their friendship. And all of a sudden, it was just... gone. Even after all these years, this moment never fails to make us cry! 

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17. When Rasputin sold his soul in Anastasia

20th Century Fox

Let's face it, a movie that is "based on a true story" is automatically 10 times scarier! Selling your soul is pretty horrifying – do we need to elaborate?

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18. When Hopper killed the grasshoppers in A Bug’s Life

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

This scene is quite petrifying, especially when you consider the fact that Hopper killed those three grasshoppers just to prove his point about needing to keep the bugs in line.

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Which scenes terrified you the most? Tell us in the comments!