10 Deceptively Innocent Movies With Incredibly Dark Moments

For many genres, gloomy and depressing moments are all part and parcel of the cinematic experience. In the context of horror, thrillers, or even action movies to name but a few, viewers are so accustomed to such instances that they rarely even bat an eye when one comes along.

As such, there's a legitimate sense of shock when these instances arrive in films that the average viewer wouldn't expect to see them in. Often targeted towards younger audiences, these movies traditionally feature less complex plotlines, narrative devices, and characters in comparison to those designed for an adult demographic.

Accordingly, when these offerings take a sudden turn into morbid territory, they can leave a genuine lasting impression. This isn't to say that the inclusion of these elements is a bad thing; far from it. Highlighting the complexity of the human experience, these ventures into the grimmer aspects of storytelling can often add gravitas and legitimacy to proceedings, heightening the emotional resonance of the scene and the wider picture.

With all that being said, this does little to dampen the impact of the shock factor, and these dark moments still land with an almighty clang when utilised against the backdrop of a seemingly innocent film.

Stand By Me is consistently acclaimed as one of cinema's finest coming-of-age tales; an innocent story on paper if ever there was one. That said, it's hard to escape the fact that large swathes of Rob Reiner's ultimately uplifting picture are as dark as Satan's armpit.

Despite the youthful nature of the movie's 12-year-old protagonists, Stand By Me's central theme is arguably death, considering the film's core premise concerns the hunt for a corpse. The movie's central quartet set off in search of the body of Ray Brower - a young boy who had recently gone missing.

However, it's the kids' backstories that constitute Stand By Me's most unsettling aspects, serving as case studies in multiple forms of child abuse. A grieving Gordie LaChance is ignored by his parents following the death of his elder brother Denny,  while Teddy Duchamp's mentally ill father is revealed to have attempted to burn his son's ear off. 

However, Chris Chambers is arguably the film's most tragic example. In addition to having to deal with his loathsome elder brother and his psychotic friends, River Phoenix's charge was also framed by a teacher for stealing money at school. More heartbreaking still, is the revelation of how an adult Chris met his end - stabbed to death in a diner whilst attempting to break up a fight.