10 Shocking Moments From Family Films

1. The Boat Ride - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

To be fair, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a pretty unsettling film from start to finish, from its off-kilter aesthetic, to Gene Wilder's unforgettably odd performance, and of course, the Oompa Loompas. Still, it's the combination of all these elements that makes the infamous boat ride scene the most disturbing in the fine lineage of family films. A lot of it is down to Wilder, who remains oddly calm throughout, while we're treated to a bunch of unnerving images such as a huge millipede dancing on a woman's face, and of course a chicken's head being chopped off. Given that Wilder's Wonka is singing a haunting song while this is happening, and the Oompa Loompas are steering us into this absolute Hell, the whole scene feels like a drug trip you want to get out of but can't; by the time Wonka says "Stop the boat", we've already spent 2 minutes in another room, sobbing and rocking back and forth. It's a testament to the disturbing power of suturing sound and images together; it's a scene that doesn't need overt gore or even a villain, it's just a thoroughly unpleasant sensory experience that nevertheless has the desired effect. Even if kids everywhere wet themselves upon hearing it, like Pavlovian dogs. Are there any other shocking moments from family films we missed? Let us know in the comments below.