9 Disney Movies With Upsetting And Dark Moments
1. Jess' Only Friend Drowns - Bridge To Terabithia
Bridge to Terabithia is a heartwarming oddball coming-of-age story for young protagonist Jess. He's your prototypical strange teen: he draws in his spare time, deals with family problems and bullying, all the usual story beats. Until he befriends Leslie, the class outsider, and they become King and Queen of Terabithia, the fictional fantasy land that exists only across a fast-flowing river in the woods.
Cut to about two thirds into the movie: Jess goes to a museum with one of his teachers, only to return home to crying parents who inform him that Leslie drowned in the river they had to cross and that they were terrified he'd fallen in too. The news completely blindsides both Jess and the audience, and actor Josh Hutcherson really delivers the confused grief you'd expect from a young teen attempting to process this tragedy.
Exploring grief, adolescence, love and problems just growing up, Jess is about one of the most relatable protagonists going in Disney live action movies, which makes seeing his reaction as he charges off to check for himself whether Leslie really has drowned all the more traumatic. It might come out of nowhere, but Leslie's death has got to be one of the most distressing moments in Disney history.