"One of the joys of parenting is getting to relive your own childhood—which includes rewatching some of your favorite films together. However, rewatching childhood movies with your kids doesn’t always go as planned. For example, my daughters didn’t like how the boys in The Sandlot treated girls—and were on the dog’s side for most of the movie. I also realized some movies might not be the best for kids upon rewatching, whether scary, heartbreaking, or mildly inappropriate—I totally forgot Gordon Bombay gets stuck coaching The Mighty Ducks hockey team because he was arrested for drunk driving.
We have enjoyed rewatching some ‘80s, ‘90s, and early 2000s movies together, including Flight of the Navigator, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Freaky Friday. And I’m sure more movie nights are in our future. But I don’t want to traumatize them by rewatching one of my nostalgic movies. So I polled my coworkers at The Everygirl Media Group about their “childhood trauma” movies and the flicks they’d never show their kids. Here are the top movies you might want to rethink before watching with your little ones—or at least be at-the-ready to skip certain parts.
‘80s movies not for kids
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
1982 | Rated: PG
This 1982 flick ran the board when it came to childhood trauma movies from the team at The Everygirl Media Group. It even traumatized Editor-in-Chief Robi’s 8-year-old son last year. However, the movie was a four-time Oscar winner and even had a family ride at Universal Studios for a long time. As CEO Alaina Kaz said, “E.T. is creepy the whole movie, but then you cry when he goes home at the end.”
The NeverEnding Story
1984 | Rated: PG
A childhood trauma movie for multiple team members, The NeverEnding Story had a lot of reasons why it’s not the best movie for kids. “The gigantic villains, the amorphous/ambiguous antagonist of ‘The Nothing,’ and the loop of getting stuck in a book and never remembering your own dad or name!? TRAUMA!!!” said Megan, Senior Sales Manager.
Return to Oz
1985 | Rated: PG
“If there’s one thing I take very seriously, it’s introducing my son to my favorite movies,” said Robi. “That being said, he knows that there’s one movie that will never play on our screens—Return to Oz. The movie came out in 1985, and I was probably 6 by the time I saw it. I don’t think I can ever get the images out of my head (pun intended if you remember the hall of heads), and those weird robots on roller skates gave me absurd nightmares. We love all things Oz around here usually, but that’s one that I just can’t bring myself to watch again or let him watch. Truly horrifying.”
Beetlejuice
1988 | Rated: PG
“My older brother would tease me and say ‘Beetlejuice’ two times, and it TERRIFIED me. I didn’t want that third ‘Beetlejuice,’” said Patty, Editorial Assistant. And watching this Halloween movie as an adult is an experience—even though the effects are from the 1980s, the sand snake is still pretty scary. Not to mention, there’s sexual innuendo that probably went over our heads as kids.
More traumatizing ‘80s movies
On the whole, these ‘80s movies are family-friendly, but parents might want to be aware of some of the scenes that scared (or scarred) some editors—and their kids.
- Ewoks and the Battle for Endor (1985): Cute Ewoks are all over this Star Wars spin-off, currently available on Disney+. But the main character is orphaned in the first action sequence, and the bad guy is so scary.
- Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985): This throwback movie is available with an HBO Max subscription; you just might want to skip the nighttime drive with “Large Marge” if rewatching with kids.
- An American Tale (1986): This immigrant animated story follows Fievel Mousekewitz and his family as they head to America in search of a better life. What I remember? The cats being so, so terrifying—while the song Somewhere Out There was the best.
- Willow (1988): I loved and hated this adventure-fantasy flick as a kid. My pre-teen crush on Val Kilmer after Top Gun made me love his character Madmartigan, but any movie where a baby is in danger was just too much. Willow is available on Disney+ if planning a rewatch in honor of the late and great Kilmer.
- The Land Before Time (1988): This animated movie is full of lovable prehistoric characters, but the scene following Little Foot’s mom’s encounter with Sharp Tooth might be just as traumatizing for parents as for the kids. Hearing Little Foot’s mom’s last words, “I’ll be with you, even if you can’t see me,” all but destroyed me watching as a parent 😭.
- All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989): This movie broke a million tiny hearts when beloved dog Charlie is called ‘home.’ It is currently free with an Amazon Prime subscription; just have the tissues handy.
‘90s movies not for kids
Jurassic Park
1993 | Rated: PG-13
While one of our editors loved this movie as a child, Branded Content Editor Steph was not a fan. “I had nightmares about dinosaurs for years. I was terrified of a velociraptor popping outta my closet ‘til i was like 12.” I confess I thought my kids were ready for this movie when they were 8 and 11, as long as we skipped through the whole T. Rex eating a person scene. But be warned—I’d forgotten a bloody arm pops up later.
Jumanji
1995 | Rated: PG
“As a kid, there is nothing more terrifying than the unknown—especially when that unknown involves giant mosquitoes, lions, and falling through the floor,” said Assistant Editor Madigan. “So with a fictional board game full of mysterious pieces with horrifying consequences, consider a young me terrified.”
James and the Giant Peach
1996 | Rated: PG
“James and the Giant Peach is soooo scary,” said Robi about this ‘90s family movie based on Roald Dahl’s famous children’s tale. Why is it so terrifying? “For me, generally, it’s all claymation,” said Garri, Senior Managing Editor. But you know your kids best. For example, Maddie, Senior Fashion & Beauty Editor, loved the character Mr. Centipede—still does.
Witches
1990 | Rated: PG
Another Roald Dahl childhood trauma movie—my brothers and I borrowed the Witches VHS from the library on repeat growing up. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t scare us. I recently learned Angelica Huston’s character was made extra terrifying by the talents of Jim Henson’s creature shop.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
1990 | Rated: PG-13
Adorable Gizmo might make you think this sequel to the ‘80s movie Gremlins is for kids—but it’s decidedly not! I was excited to watch this movie at a friend’s sleepover when I was a kid… Little did I know I would henceforth only sleep with all the lights on in my bedroom because the creepy gremlins couldn’t live in the light.
It
1990 | Rated: PG-13
Some people are born with a fear of clowns, and some people watched the movie It as a child. “My brother had a TV in his bedroom, and I ALWAYS wanted to be in there with him. So in an attempt to get me out, he watched It one night (the version on TV with commercials),” said Allyson, Editor-in-Chief. “[Afterwards], I would not shower without the door open until I was in junior high. I would plug all the drains, only take baths, and leave the door wide open with a full exit plan.”
Mars Attacks
1996 | Rated: PG-13
While this movie’s cast is filled with big names—Jack Nicholson, Annette Bening, Michael J. Fox, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan, to name a few—it’s up there in the childhood trauma department. “I was NOT supposed to watch [Mars Attacks], and my friend’s older brother played it while I was at her house for a sleepover,” said Megan. “Didn’t sleep for weeks… It was so bad my dad called my friend’s dad about it.”
More traumatizing ‘90s movies
Here are a few more ’90s movies our editors accidentally traumatized their kids by watching:
- Hook (1991): On the whole, my elementary-aged kids loved Hook except for one scene: the “Boo Box.” In it, Captain Hook’s pirates lock another pirate in a box and drop scorpions and bugs inside as punishment. My daughter is a tough girl but hates bugs, so I think the Boo Box was her literal nightmare.
- My Girl (1991): I’ll always remember this movie as the first film to make me cry, and I warned my kids before we watched it: Thomas J., the mood ring, the glasses… IYKYK.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): For claymation-phobes, this Halloween film was filled with a lot of creepy characters, but none were so scary as Mr. Oogie Boogie was to my then-kindergartner.
- The Lion King (1994): “We always skipped the part where Simba’s dad dies [for my toddler] except for the ONE time we forgot,” said Patty.
2000s movies not for kids
Bridge to Terabithia
2007 | Rated: PG
This family adventure flick is based on the famous book many of us had to read in elementary school. Spoiler alert: This was the first time Social Media Editor Lex remembers seeing a main character die. “I was like, they can do that?! Also, am I gonna die?” Maddie concurred, “My 4th grade class went on a field trip to see that, and it’s such a core memory of legit every one of us sobbing in the theater.”
Chicken Run
2000 | Rated: G
“Unfortunately, every time I’ve seen this movie, it’s been against my will,” said Garri, Senior Managing Editor. “Chicken Run was a favorite for movie days at my daycare, but to this day I cannot stand that style of clay animation; it truly freaks me out.”
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2005 | Rated: PG
“Narnia had a lot of death, which made it very difficult to watch,” said Kaia, Video Content Editor. “But the scene that struck me in the heart was when the White Witch humiliated and killed Aslan, all while Susan and Lucy watched from afar. Not to mention, all of the creatures that were cheering on the White Witch were horrific and ugly. It’s a no from me!”
Coraline
2009 | Rated: PG
The Everymom readers had thoughts when we suggested this as a Halloween movie for kids on Instagram last year. Overall, parents advised against watching this movie, described as “dark” and “creepy,” with kids. However, Common Sense Media recommends it for children 9+, so you know your kids best for this one.
More traumatizing movies from the early 2000s
Animated movies today handle some pretty deep topics for kids. For example, Encanto addressed generational trauma, Inside Out 2 addressed anxiety, and Frozen was a love story not about romance. But some animated movies from the early 2000s have some questionable scenes for kids:
- Finding Nemo (2003): Take my advice, fast-forward through the first scene when Nemo’s mom gets eaten—and be ready to skip the deep sea anglerfish scene later in the movie unless you also want your preschooler reliving it each night before bed.
- The Incredibles (2004): Another Disney-Pixar movie trauma? Only watch The Incredibles if you’re ready to chat about suicide—it’s what the entire opening scene is about.
- Ratatouille (2007): “We just watched Ratatouille, and we hyped it up [for my 4-year-old,]” said Patty. “But the opening scene has an old lady with a shotgun killing all the rats. And when Remy is running up in the ceiling through Parisian apartments, there’s a scene where a woman has a gun pointed at her lover.”
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
Kathy Sisson has been a key contributor in the editorial parenting space for eight years, not only as a full-time editor at The Everymom but previously as a freelance writer for top parenting sites, including Scary Mommy, Motherly, Parent Co., and more. As an editor at The Everymom, she has produced hundreds of articles on a range of parenting topics, reviewed dozens of family-focused products, interviewed leading experts in the children and parenting world, and created viral parenting social media content. A mom of two, she is committed to sharing the honest, helpful, and often humorous stories of motherhood.