When it comes to animated movies, there is no name better known than Disney. Children and adults alike have been falling in love with Disney movies for generations, ranging all the way from classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to modern favorites like Encanto (2021). Audiences around the world love Disney’s animated films for their family-friendly stories, fun songs, and lovable characters.
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However, not every animated film by Disney falls within this mold. Every so often, the company releases a film that challenges the audience’s preconceived notions of what a Disney movie can be. Whether this is done by depicting dark turns or covering mature topics, these films have often surprised their viewers. Of course, this is not to say that the movies that don’t fall within the typical Disney mold are bad by any means. Rather, these animated features simply push the boundaries of what a Disney movie can be, and in doing so leave a lasting impact on their viewers.
10 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
A Dark Disney Tale with Strong Religious Themes
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In 1996, Disney made a bold move in deciding to adapt Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, into a family-friendly animated movie. Like the original novel, the film tells the emotional story of the isolated bell-ringer of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. The bell-ringer, dubbed “Quasimodo,” faces severe prejudice based on his appearance, and bears witness to the brutal persecution of Paris’s Roma population, as commanded by his cruel adoptive father, Judge Claude Frollo.
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8/10 The Hunchback of Notre Dame gMusicalFamily
Disney’s take on the original novel written in 1831, The Huntchback of Notre Dame is an animated musical drama that sees a kind-hearted, deformed young man named Quasimodo who yearns to see the outside world is forced to live alone in the Notre Dame Cathedral as a bell ringer. When a group of traveling performers arrives in town, Quasimodo takes his chance to head out to see them, and his life is changed forever by a chance encounter with the equally kind-hearted Esmerelda. However, his caretaker, the cruel and iron-fisted Frollo, intends to hunt the Romani people down, jeopardizing the travelers’ lives.
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*Availability in US Director Gary Trousdale Release Date June 21, 1996 Studio(s) Disney Distributor(s) Disney Writers Tab Murphy Cast Tony Jay , Tom Hulce , Jason Alexander Runtime 91minutes Expand
While The Hunchback of Notre Dame does feature Disney staples like lovable characters and catchy tunes, it also depicts immense prejudice, widespread persecution, and prominent religious overtones. The film is bound to be rather intense for younger viewers, regardless of whether they fully understand the events playing out onscreen.
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The film is bound to be rather intense for younger viewers, regardless of whether they fully understand the events playing out onscreen.
It must also be noted that Frollo is undoubtedly one of the most frightening antagonists Disney has used in an animated film, as his existence is entirely plausible; he possesses no magical powers or abilities, but rather is driven purely by his intense beliefs.
9 Chicken Little (2005)
A Surprisingly Intense Alien Invasion Story
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Disney’s 2005 animated film, Chicken Little, offers a modern, science-fiction-heavy spin on the classic folk tale. In the film, the titular chicken is mercilessly ridiculed by the people of his town, none of whom believe him when he claims that a piece of the sky has fallen to Earth. Matters quickly escalate as Chicken Little must help save his community from an alien invasion after an alien child gets lost in the town.
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Chicken Little GAnimationAdventureComedyFamilySci-Fi
Zach Braff’s Chicken Little creates panic when he claims the sky is falling when a piece falls and hits him.Outcast for his claims, Little seeks redemption by joining the baseball team, and plays a key part in winning a crucial game. He’s once again hit by “falling sky” – which turns out to be a UFO – and must convince everyone that he wasn’t lying.
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*Availability in US Director Mark Dindal Release Date November 4, 2005 Writers Mark Dindal , Mark Kennedy , Steve Bencich , Ron J. Friedman , Ron Anderson , Robert L. Baird Cast Zach Braff , Garry Marshall , Don Knotts , Patrick Stewart , Amy Sedaris , Steve Zahn Runtime 80 minutes
Even with its cast of animal characters with silly names, Chicken Little does not have the same lighthearted feel as most of Disney’s animated movies. In the first half of the movie, the bullying and ostracization Chicken Little experiences definitely feel more mean-spirited than Disney films typically show. In the latter half, the arrival of the aliens (who appear to rip apart the sky) is bound to be upsetting to young audiences, especially when they begin appearing to vaporize the townsfolk. All in all, Chicken Little has a much more grim tone than one would expect from Disney.
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8 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
A Haunting and Incredible Holiday Tale
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Anyone familiar with the dark, twisted works of Tim Burton would likely be surprised to hear that he would be helping with a project for Disney. Though directed by Henry Selick, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion animated film that has the undeniably spooky feel of a Burton film.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
has a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 95%.
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The eerie film tells the unique story of Jack Skellington, who decides he wants to change gears and try running Christmas instead of Halloween. The film has exploded in popularity among both children and adults over the years. Even with this growth in popularity, though, The Nightmare Before Christmas feels starkly different in tone from most Disney features. The film not only highlights a dark overall tone, but consistently celebrates it.
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8.7/10 The Nightmare Before Christmas PGAnimationFantasyHoliday
Henry Selick directs The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop-motion fairytale from the mind of Tim Burton. Jack Skellington is the king of Halloween and one of Halloweentown’s most beloved citizens, but he longs for something more. When he stumbles across a magical door that leads him to discover Christmas, he makes it his mission to replace Santa Claus and bring festive cheer to his perpetually spooky hamlet.
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*Availability in US Director Henry Selick Release Date October 29, 1993 Studio(s) Touchstone Pictures , Skellington Productions Distributor(s) Buena Vista Distribution , Walt Disney Pictures Writers Caroline Thompson Cast Catherine O’Hara , Glenn Shadix , Ken Page , William Hickey , Chris Sarandon , Paul Reubens , Danny Elfman Runtime 76 minutes Expand
Many of the characters are designed to unsettle their viewers, embodying the ghoulish spirit of Halloween. Plus, one shouldn’t forget the fact that there are multiple characters in the film who aim to kidnap and kill Santa Claus. The Nightmare Before Christmas may be an enjoyable holiday film, but it hardly feels like Disney.
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7 The Black Cauldron (1985)
A Darkness-Fueled Fantasy Story
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The 1985 fantasy film, The Black Cauldron, has not had nearly the same level of lasting impact as the majority of Disney animated films. Based on stories from The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, The Black Cauldron follows a young farmhand named Taran on his journey to destroy the legendary black cauldron before the Horned King can find it and use its mystical powers for evil.
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10/10 The Black Cauldron PGAnimationAdventureFantasy
The Black Cauldron is an animated fantasy film from Walt Disney Studios, directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich. Released in 1985, it follows the young hero Taran and his quest to prevent the evil Horned King from obtaining a powerful magical relic known as the Black Cauldron. Featuring the voices of Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, and John Hurt, the film combines elements of adventure, mystery, and dark fantasy.
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*Availability in US Director Ted Berman , Richard Rich Release Date July 24, 1985 Writers Lloyd Alexander , David Jonas , Vance Gerry , Ted Berman , Richard Rich , Al Wilson Cast Grant Bardsley , Susan Sheridan , Freddie Jones , Nigel Hawthorne , Arthur Malet , John Byner Runtime 80 Minutes Main Genre Animation Expand
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The film failed to recuperate even half of its budget, and quickly fell by the wayside in the history of Disney animation. Part of why The Black Cauldron didn’t have much success was because it hardly felt like a Disney movie at all. The overall story is consistently dark, with death feeling like a genuine threat to the characters throughout.
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The film also relies on characters/stories that its audience is likely to be unfamiliar with, as opposed to trying to capitalize on more recognizable elements. Throw in a genuinely frightening villain and an army of the dead, and you end up with a film that feels more like a horror movie than a Disney feature.
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6 Big Hero 6 (2014)
A Disney Animated Film Starring Marvel Superheroes
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Nobody was surprised when Disney began churning out superhero movies after the company purchased the rights to Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The real surprise came in 2014, when Disney released an animated feature film about a little-known team of heroes from Marvel Comics, and then revealed that it would not be connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in any way (despite its cameo from Stan Lee).
It feels highly unlike the studio to capitalize on its ownership of Marvel for a non-MCU animated film.
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The film, Big Hero 6, follows a child genius named Hiro who helps form a team of superheroes as he struggles to find the man responsible for his brother’s death. While the movie itself does highlight themes and messages that are fairly typical of Disney animation, it feels highly unlike the studio to capitalize on its ownership of Marvel for a non-MCU animated film.
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8.7/10 Big Hero 6 PGAnimationActionAdventureComedyFamily
In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Big Hero 6, the child genius Hiro Hamada works with his brother Tadashi’s inflatable robot, Baymax, to assemble a superhero team in the fictional city of San Fransokyo. The titular group of geeky heroes, composed of Honey Lemon, Go Go Tomago, Wasabi, and Fred, help Hiro and Baymax take down a masked villain powered by nanobots.
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*Availability in US Director Don Hall , Chris Williams Release Date October 24, 2014 Studio(s) Disney Distributor(s) Disney Writers Don Hall , Jordan Roberts , Robert L. Baird , Daniel Gerson , Duncan Rouleau , Steven T. Seagle Cast Ryan Potter , Scott Adsit , Jamie Chung , T.J. Miller , Daniel Henney , Damon Wayans Jr. , Genesis Rodriguez , James Cromwell , Alan Tudyk , Maya Rudolph Runtime 1h 42m Expand
Big Hero 6 was a critical and commercial success, but it still manages to feel a bit out of place in the long line of Disney animated films. Its inclusion of Marvel characters leaves it feeling like a hybrid between a Marvel hero movie and a Disney animated film, not completely belonging to either category in particular.
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5 Dinosaur (2000)
An Epic Blend of Animation and Live-Action
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When hearing the words “dinosaur” and “Disney,” many minds will immediately head to Dinosaur, the thrilling attraction in Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. Not as many people realize that the ride is actually directly tied to an animated film of the same name. Dinosaur tells the story of a young Iguanodon who has been raised by a family of lemurs. When their island home is destroyed by a meteor shower, the unique family must embark on a journey to find a new place to live.
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Dinosaur (2000)
Dinosaur (2000) is a Disney animated adventure film that follows an orphaned Iguanodon named Aladar, who is raised by a family of lemurs. When a meteor shower strikes Earth, Aladar and his family embark on a perilous journey to find a new home. Along the way, they encounter various prehistoric creatures and confront natural obstacles, testing their resilience and adaptability in a changed world.
Director Ralph Zondag , Eric Leighton Release Date May 19, 2000 Cast D. B. Sweeney , Alfre Woodard , Ossie Davis , Max Casella , Hayden Panettiere , Samuel E. Wright , Julianna Margulies Runtime 82 Minutes
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Where Dinosaur stands out most from other Disney animated films is in the style of animation it uses. Dinosaur uses an interesting blend of both computer-generated animation and live-action elements. While the dinosaur characters themselves are all digitally rendered, many of the landscapes/scenery used in the film were actually recorded on site with real cameras. The technology used to do this was still very new at the time the film was made, making Dinosaur a rather unique, experimental entry into Disney’s history.
4 The Fox and the Hound (1981)
A Dramatic Story About Identity and Friendship
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In 1981, Disney decided to take a swing at a more dramatic story for a change with their new film, The Fox and the Hound. The film explores the tender friendship that exists between Tod (a fox) and Copper (a hound), diving deep into how the friendship evolves as the characters grow older and are pressured into acting as natural enemies. Despite its stark differences from most Disney movies, the film did prove to be a financial success.
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6/10 The Fox and the Hound GAnimationAdventureDocumentaryDramaFamily
Dodo is an orphaned fox who was adopted by a lady after her mother was killed by a hunter. She grows up alongside Toby, a hound puppy, and the two become great friends. The problem is their different natures: one is a hunter and the other is supposed to be the prey.
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*Availability in US Director Ted Berman , Richard Rich , Art Stevens Release Date July 10, 1981 Writers Daniel P. Mannix , Larry Clemmons , Ted Berman , David Michener , Peter Young , Burny Mattinson Cast Mickey Rooney , Kurt Russell , Pearl Bailey , Jack Albertson , Sandy Duncan , Jeanette Nolan Runtime 83 Minutes Main Genre Animation Expand
Even with its adorable animal cast, The Fox and the Hound is still, at its heart, a much more dramatic film than one would typically expect from Disney animation. When stripped of its colorful artwork, the film is a heart-wrenching story about two best friends who were pressured to hate each other because that’s what society expected of them. The film abandons the idea of musical numbers, instead relying on an instrumental musical score to further boost the dramatic tone.
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3 A Christmas Carol (2009)
A Motion-Capture Take on the Classic Holiday Story
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Though it is not the only time Disney has adapted the classic Charles Dickens story, the 2009 retelling of A Christmas Carol easily stands out as the least Disney-like. The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis (the same mind behind Forrest Gump and Back to the Future), is a rigidly faithful adaptation, as Zemeckis was determined to tell the story exactly how Dickens would have envisioned it.
The film stars Jim Carrey not only as Ebenezer Scrooge, but as the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come as well. Because the film is a faithful adaptation of the original version of A Christmas Carol, it highlights several darker moments that are often glossed over in modern interpretations.
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8/10 A Christmas Carol (2009) PGAnimationFamilyFantasy
A Christmas Carol (2009) is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novella, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jim Carrey in multiple roles. The film employs motion capture technology to bring to life the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. Through these supernatural encounters, Scrooge is compelled to reevaluate his life and change his ways.
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*Availability in US Director Robert Zemeckis Release Date November 4, 2009 Studio(s) Walt Disney Pictures , ImageMovers Digital Writers Robert Zemeckis Cast Jim Carrey , Gary Oldman , Colin Firth , Robin Wright , Cary Elwes Runtime 94 Minutes Main Genre Animation Expand
This includes scenes from all three chapters of Scrooge’s life, portraying how his greed ruined his relationships in the past, the dangers of Ignorance and Want in the present, and the cold, deadly future that awaits Scrooge if he doesn’t change. The use of motion-capture technology for the animation further separates A Christmas Carol from other Disney films, both thematically and stylistically.
2 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
Two Unusual Tales Rolled into One
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At the time that The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad was released, Disney had only been making animated feature films for barely over a decade. The studio was still finding its footing, and deciding which stories they really wanted to tell. With this 1949 film, they actually decided to tell two different stories, dividing the film into two distinct segments.
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The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Not RatedAnimationHorrorFantasy
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, directed by James Algar, Clyde Geronimi, and Jack Kinney, combines adaptations of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows and Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The film explores the misadventures of J. Thaddeus Toad and the eerie tale of Ichabod Crane.
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*Availability in US Director James Algar , Clyde Geronimi , Jack Kinney Release Date October 5, 1949 Writers Ted Sears , Winston Hibler , Harry Reeves , Homer Brightman , Joe Rinaldi , Kenneth Grahame , Washington Irving , Erdman Penner Cast Bing Crosby , Basil Rathbone , Eric Blore , J. Pat O’Malley , John McLeish , Colin Campbell , Campbell Grant , Claud Allister , Oliver Wallace , Pinto Colvig , Leslie Denison , Alec Harford , Edmond Stevens , Billy Bletcher , Jud Conlon , Mack McLean Runtime 68 Minutes Main Genre Animation Expand
The first segment, The Wind in the Willows, follows the antics of the vehicle-obsessed Mr. Toad. The second segment, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, tells the haunting tale of the Headless Horseman. Both in terms of style and content, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is drastically different from the modern expectations of Disney films.
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Related 10 Best Plot Twists In Disney Movies
Some of the best Disney plot twists elevate movies including Frozen, Coco, Cruella, and Pirates of the Caribbean by subverting narrative expectations.
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For one, it is unusual for the film to utilize an anthology style, telling two completely distinct stories, as opposed to one cohesive narrative. Additionally, the film (particularly the Sleepy Hollow portion) is very dark for Disney’s standards, even going so far as to end with the implication that the main character has been killed by a headless spirit. This is a direct contrast from the “happily-ever-after” endings audiences tend to expect from Disney.
1 Frankenweenie (2012)
A Black and White Sci-Fi Horror Story
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Years after The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton and Disney reunited for another horror-driven collaboration with the 2012 film, Frankenweenie. The black and white stop-motion animated feature follows a boy named Victor who manages to bring his beloved dog back to life, prompting his jealous classmates to perform similar experiments with their own deceased pets.
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8/10 Frankenweenie PG-13AnimationComedyFantasyHorror
Frankenweenie is a 2012 stop-motion animated remake of Tim Burton’s eponymous 1984 short film. It tells the story of young scientist Victor Frankenstein, who brings his dog Sparky back to life and tries to stop his experiment from wreaking havoc across his town.
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*Availability in US Director Tim Burton Release Date October 5, 2012 Studio(s) Walt Disney Pictures , Tim Burton Productions Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Writers Tim Burton , John August Cast Charlie Tahan , Winona Ryder , Martin Short , James Hiroyuki Liao , Catherine O’Hara , Martin Landau , Atticus Shaffer Runtime 87 Minutes Expand
Though meant to be a family-friendly adaptation/parody of Frankenstein, the film does dive deep into the idea of death, contributing to its horror-filled atmosphere. Frankenweenie‘s grim story and macabre visual style feel vastly different from the fun, upbeat nature of most of Disney’s popular films.
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Though
Frankenweenie
was a critical and commercial success, it hardly fits the mold of what one would expect from a Disney movie.
The film clearly puts an uncommonly strong emphasis on death, and is even willing to show the deaths and bodies of various animals. The use of strictly black and white colors and stop-motion animation also contrast heavily with Disney’s typical, bright style. Though Frankenweenie was a critical and commercial success, it hardly fits the mold of what one would expect from a Disney movie.