Hogarth is on the Iron Giant's shoulder in the 1999 movie The Iron Giant
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Dani Kessel Odom
Published 7 minutes ago
Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer on the New TV team, focusing on writing and content planning for streaming shows. They often assist with Classic TV coverage, as well.
They have covered events, such as Denver Fan Expo. Their articles have also been shared by professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale.
In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18.
Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity.
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TV shows and movies like The Iron Giant might have advertised themselves as being for children and families, but they’ve left generations with emotional scars. Children’s onscreen media is just as varied as TV and movies meant for adults.
Cozy, feel-good children’s shows have always existed, with shows like Bluey and Dragon Tales teaching children essential lessons while healing adult viewers. However, on the other side of the coin, darker and more emotional children’s shows have a place in children’s media as well. Shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Over the Garden Wall never underestimate children's intelligence.
However, there’s another category entirely that most of us would love to forget – children’s shows and movies that terrified us or left us with emotional wounds. These ten are particularly notorious for having scarred their child viewers, even if we now love them as adults.
Eerie, Indiana
The 1990s show Eerie, Indiana follows a family who moves to the fictional town of Eerie, Indiana, which is the central location of everything scary and sci-fi. The show feels a bit like the a family-friendly version of Twilight Zone, except with episodes having a throughline.
By today’s standards, Eerie, Indiana wouldn’t be considered a children’s TV show; it targets tweens and young teens instead. However, at the time of its release, it was lumped in with the rest of the kids’ shows. Eerie, Indiana also aired on Disney Channel and Fox Kids as a Sunday morning show.
The creators even had a child psychologist review the episodes ahead of release (via Washington Post). Despite this, Eerie, Indiana really nailed its horror storylines, creating a disturbing TV show that scarred younger viewers. They even did a direct homage to classic horror movies.
Courage the Cowardly Dog
A mean aubergine and a scared Courage in Courage the Cowardly Dog
The Cartoon Network show Courage the Cowardly Dog follows the titular dog, who is scared of everything but overcomes his fears to save his owners, Muriel and Eustace. Courage the Cowardly Dog is the kind of show that not only scares children watching but also unsettles adults watching the show, which is an impressive feat for a kids’ show.
There’s nothing quite as haunting as the floating head in “The House of Discontent” or the floating woman in “The Mask.” The story thrives on the uncanny, walking the line between familiar and unfamiliar, creating a feeling that something is not right.
Courage the Cowardly Dog also occasionally delves fully into body horror. The music also has an eerie quality that creates an on-edge feeling. Ultimately, even though it only lasted three years, Courage the Cowardly Dog will be remembered as a show that scarred viewers.
The Land Before Time
Littlefoot and his mother in The Land Before Time-2
The Land Before Time is an absolutely beloved animated movie franchise about a group of young dinosaurs who embark on adventures and form meaningful friendships. Unfortunately, the first movie is so emotionally scarring that it’s nearly impossible to watch without tearing up. In this case, it’s mostly sadness and grief that cause scars, not fears.
Littlefoot gets attacked by Sharptooth, separated from his family, and then watches his mother take her last breath. The line “I’ll be with you, even if you can’t see me,” feels like one of the most devastating lines ever uttered in a movie. Little Foot then goes through severe survivor’s guilt.
The movie also taps into the fear of earthquakes, loss, loneliness, and getting trapped. Ultimately, The Land Before Time could completely wreck viewers with even the hardest exteriors.
Doctor Who
A Weeping Angel reaching toward the screen in Doctor Who
Doctor Who is the perfect example of a show that can simultaneously terrify the audience while also being extremely enjoyable. The show started as a children’s show and has mostly maintained that family-friendly feel ever since. This doesn’t stop Doctor Who from creating terrifying storylines that will disturb viewers.
On the Classic Who side, we have serials like “The Ark in Space,” “The Deadly Assassin,” and “The Terror of the Zygons.” On the Revival Who side, we have episodes like “Listen,” “Blink,” and “The God Complex.” I still can’t think about the gas mask child from “The Empty Child” without getting chills.
When it comes down to it, every Doctor Who scare is worth it because the show is just so entertaining. However, parents might want to skip a few episodes when watching with young children.
Labyrinth
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Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie stand together in Labyrinth (1986)
The 1986 Jim Henson film Labyrinth, starring David Bowie as the Goblin King, is an absolute cult classic. “Dance Magic Dance” is iconic. However, the movie also has a disturbing premise and some terrifying visuals that can scar viewers forever. The film follows a Goblin King who kidnaps a baby and refuses to return him unless his sister gets through a labyrinth.
The Goblin King spends the movie playing psychological games with Sara and planning to keep the kidnapped baby, which is scary on premise alone. The monsters popping into the room are also absolutely terrifying to look at, even as an adult. Plus, the Fierys pulling off their eyes, heads, and limbs is also disturbing.
Labyrinth is re-releasing in theaters in January 2026 for its 40th anniversary (via Variety).
Even watching the movie back now, Labyrinth is the ultimate nightmare fuel movie. However, it has such a magnetic quality that viewers will find themselves revisiting it over and over.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
This section includes a brief mention of rape.
Disney decided to make one of the most depressing books in existence, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, into a kids’ movie, softening the themes in many ways while keeping some of the story's scarier aspects like genocide and religious abuse.
Most notably, Frollo sings an entire song about how he lusts for Esmerelda, and the rape-y undertones are incredibly overt. He states in less harsh words that she will die at the stake by fire if she doesn’t sexually submit to him. He wants the power over her. On top of that, Frollo also emotionally abused Quasimodo throughout the entire movie.
They really went all out with the movie's heavy themes. This makes The Hunchback of Notre Dame one of the darkest Disney movies, up there with The Black Cauldron. It’s certainly a movie parents should have gauged based on their individual child’s needs rather than a rating, as it undoubtedly scarred many viewers.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
The Midnight Society screaming in Are You Afraid of the Dark
Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid Of The Dark? is an anthology series in which each episode focuses on a different scary story told by children around a campfire.
Unlike many shows and movies on this list, Are You Afraid Of The Dark? was made with the explicit intent of scaring audiences, and it succeeded. This is one of the children’s horror shows whose episodes are still bone-chilling for adult viewers.
For example, The Grinner leans into the fear of clowns. Meanwhile, the corpse in the pool is a masterpiece in practical effects. The red monster feels like it was pulled from an adult horror movie. It’s unlikely this show would ever get made today, but it certainly was a gem that scarred viewers in the best way possible.
The Iron Giant
The Iron Giant holding a waving Hogarth in his metal hand
The Iron Giant is possibly the most traumatizing movie of all time for Millennials. Set during the Cold War, a young boy named Hogarth meets the titular character after The Iron Giant crash-lands on Earth. The sci-fi film teaches viewers the importance of love, acceptance, and friendship despite differences.
Unfortunately, the ending rips out viewers’ hearts, throws them on the ground, and stomps on them. Every bit of happiness from the story is torn away. Adults and children alike will blubber because of The Iron Giant’s ending.
The epilogue might offer the slightest glimmer of home in the same way Big Hero 6 does, but it doesn’t change the sheer devastation. Don’t be surprised to learn that young viewers hardened their hearts due to the ephemeral nature of friendship.
Return To Oz
Dorothy strapped down for electroshock in Return to Oz
Long before Wicked and Wicked: For Good became worldwide phenomena, The Wizard of Oz brought L Frank Baum’s book to the screen with Judy Garland. The story sparks a fear of tornadoes, flying monkeys, and a green witch who threatens to kill a little girl and drown a dog. The Munchkins are essentially slaves.
However, The Wizard of Oz is absolutely tame compared to the movie Return to Oz, which shockingly is rated PG. Doctors try to subject Dorothy to electroshock therapy. Dorothy runs into the Wheelers, which are terrifying creatures with wheels for hands and feet. She walks through a hall of decapitated heads.
Ultimately, The Wizard of Oz almost took this slot on the list until I remembered that Return to Oz existed and was advertised as a family movie. This is beyond disturbing and absolute nightmare fuel.
The Animals of Farthing Wood
The Animals of Farthing Woods all standing at the edge of a cliff.
If you’ve never watched this children’s show, be very, very grateful that you weren’t subjected to the trauma that is The Animals of Farthing Wood. The premise is simple. Farthing Wood is getting destroyed by humans, so a bunch of wild animals go on an adventure together to find a magical preserve.
It sounds like it could be a great way to teach children about ecology and environmental preservation, right? Wrong. The animal characters that kids are supposed to invest in get picked off in what can only be described as Final Destination with woodland creatures.
These animals get run over, set on fire, killed with guns, swept away by water. The most sickening scene is a bunch of baby mice that are slaughtered with blood pouring out of them. It is non-stop carnage. In just 39 episodes of The Animals of Farthing Wood, 24 animals are murdered. Ultimately, there is no way anyone got out of that children’s TV show without some serious mental scars.
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