20 Awesome 90s Movies The World Forgot

19. The Hunchback Of Notre Dame

There is perhaps no run of animated movies that is more beloved than the Disney Renaissance, and many of these flicks are rightfully cherished today. The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, Hercules, Mulan... but what about The Hunchback of Notre Dame? That is one of the very best Disney movies of all freaking time, and no-one ever talks about it enough. 

Well, one can guess why. Hunchback is noteworthy for being perhaps the darkest and most mature entry in the whole Disney canon. While still remaining accessible to the youngest viewers, this also explores themes such as prejudice, genocide, cruelty and religious corruption.

This is perhaps best symbolized through Hellfire, arguably the best villain song of all time, sung by Judge Claude Frollo (Tony Jay), an utterly evil and corrupt justice minister and one of Disney's greatest villains. This song effectively explains Frollo's inner conflict - despite wishing to commit genocide against Paris' Romani population and despite being a ruthless religious puritan, he has found himself lusting after Esmeralda (Demi Moore), a gypsy woman and the picture's female lead. 

Hunchback explores these dark themes to tear-jerking effect while retaining the life-affirming hope Disney gives us at its best, all while bringing glorious visuals, outstanding songs and stunning set-pieces to the table. It's a phenomenal film and while it might not sell many toys or be turned into many rides at the theme parks, it still deserves greater recognition from Disney buffs and the public at large.