Out of all the mature cartoon movies I have personally watched, nothing has lingered in my mind quite like the dread-soaked conclusion of a viscerally violent and overwhelingly transgressive 2022 movie Unicorn Wars.
In 2015’s, this Spanish writer-director crafted a grim, somber , frequently brutal universe with some tiny , forlorn twinges of hope.
While Unicorn Wars seems like it stemmed from a drive to push the medium further, the director clarified that it was actually an effort to convey a universal, cross-cultural theme regarding “the shared root of all wars.”
That idea is conveyed via a squad of vividly colored bears , clearly modeled after a famous line of cuddly figures.
Being raised in a culture centered on warmongering and the war machine, a lot of the bears are fixated on exterminating unicorns, thanks to a holy book which states them they previously were kings of the forest, before the horned beings drove them out.
Some haven’t fully accepted the propaganda, , choose to try out narcotics and fornicate outdoors.
In contrast to their gentle equivalents, these vivid animals have visible genitals , definite urges.
For one notably brutal, pessimistic creature, the character Bluey, the battle with the unicorns transforms into a route toward dominance — and particularly to authority above his more tender, nicer brother Tubby.
This bear acts as a tormentor , a seeming psychopath , and while horror dominates his group and claims his comrades one by one, he seizes increasingly control for himself, via progressively violent, destructive ways.
Meanwhile, the horned creatures are enduring their own horror, as a growing, deadly beast in their woods.
“At the beginning, it feels like a comedy,” the filmmaker stated. “Yet it becomes a more dramatic and melancholic movie. And ultimately, it’s a scary feature.”
Unicorn Wars commences resembling one of the most whimsical films by a renowned filmmaker, that uncover a mischievous joy in letting cartoon characters curse, engage in violence, or sex each other up.
Then it evolves into more akin to a bleaker movie from that creator, including ever more visual gore and a palpable link to the actual suffering of conflict.
By the end, it is a full-on Grand Guignol bloodbath.
The fear which makes this an ideal spooky-season viewing begins much sooner than indicated.
The Unicorn Wars is one for the most dedicated gorehounds, for enthusiasts of graphic films who wish to watch a movie they have not seen on-screen before, and are able to withstand a narrative that offers unflinching brutality.
See it in a dark room free from interruptions, and the finale will burrow under your skin and stay with you.
Availability: Accessible via streaming or buying on multiple digital platforms.
A software engineer and tech writer passionate about open-source projects and AI advancements.
