7 DreamWorks Movies That Are Totally Traumatizing

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DreamWorks is famous for family-friendly animation, not horror, but some of its movies have surprisingly scary moments. These scenes can be really frightening for young children who are expecting something lighthearted, and potentially even upsetting. DreamWorks has definitely distinguished itself from Disney by taking risks and exploring darker themes, but it’s fair to wonder if it was worth potentially scaring its audience.

If you grew up watching early DreamWorks hits like Antz, or discovered the studio with films like How to Train Your Dragon and Puss in Boots, you might remember being genuinely scared! While you won’t get any money back, maybe we can all share a laugh now about the emotional impact those DreamWorks movies had on us.

7) How to Train Your Dragon

Although How to Train Your Dragon is known for being a heartwarming film, it actually contains some surprisingly scary moments. One scene, where Hiccup and his friends find a massive Red Death dragon eating smaller dragons, has been described as truly frightening, especially for children. The image of a helpless Gronkle being eaten is a particularly shocking and disturbing moment for what’s meant to be a family movie.

Fans also frequently point to the scene where Hiccup frees Toothless as a particularly intense moment. Initially, Toothless appears frightening – he even traps Hiccup and stares him down with menacing green eyes – before we get to know his lovable side. A key element of what makes the more dramatic scenes in How to Train Your Dragon work so well is that the movie first relaxes you, then unexpectedly shifts to tension.

6) Shrek the Third

Like the previous Shrek movies, Shrek the Third can be surprisingly scary for both children and adults. A major theme of the film is Shrek’s anxiety about becoming a father, and this is highlighted in a truly frightening dream sequence. After learning Fiona is pregnant, Shrek has a nightmare where a spooky baby stroller appears in his swamp. The baby inside then vomits on him, followed by the arrival of even more unsettling ogre babies.

Shrek is caught in a chaotic dream where he desperately tries to protect a flood of babies from dangerous situations – like knives and matches. The dream culminates in a bizarre and disturbing scene: Shrek, completely naked except for a graduation cap, stands on stage in front of thousands of cheering infants. It’s a truly unsettling sequence that’s frightening no matter how old you are, and it just keeps getting stranger the longer it goes on.

5) Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

At first glance, Spirit appears to be a simple, heartwarming story about a horse who dreams of being free. However, the film becomes surprisingly powerful through its blend of music, how the horse expresses itself physically, and Matt Damon’s narration. Many viewers remember the exciting escape scene, where Spirit, while being forced to work on a train, cleverly pretends to collapse. This leads to a dramatic chase where the stallion wrecks a train and a forest fire breaks out.

Many fans remember a particular scene from their childhood as being quite upsetting, but it could have been even more intense. The original story, once described by screenwriter John Fusco as “Schindler’s Horse,” was much bleaker, similar in tone to Animal Farm. Fusco explained that it depicted Spirit enduring a series of terrible experiences, ultimately ending up trapped in a dark, sunless mine. Thankfully, that version was abandoned, but hints of its darker elements still appear in the final film.

4) Puss in Boots

While the original Puss in Boots is generally more lighthearted than the second film, the villains Jack and Jill add a surprisingly dark element. These grinning, ruthless bandits are fixated on stealing a goose that lays golden eggs and using it for their own purposes. Their chaotic and violent behavior makes for some surprisingly unsettling moments, especially considering it’s a movie aimed at children.

Puss and Kitty Softpaws are delightful, but the characters Jack and Jill feel out of place, adding a surprisingly dark and rough sense of humor to the movie. The villain, Humpty Dumpty, is also quite unsettling. As with other DreamWorks films, Puss in Boots offers an adventure that’s entertaining and a little spooky for both children and adults.

3) Antz

DreamWorks’ debut animated film, Antz, released in 1998, is still considered one of their strangest. The movie features a surprisingly intense battle scene with termites that took many parents by surprise, as they anticipated a lighthearted cartoon. The violence – including ants being torn apart by acid, crushed, and dismembered – resembled scenes from the war film Saving Private Ryan, which was shocking for a movie rated PG.

Many children growing up in the 1990s remember this scene—and the entire movie—for its unsettling and strangely dark mood. While most animated films feature adorable animal characters (like those in A Bug’s Life), the insects in Antz are realistically—and even creepily—designed. Add in Woody Allen’s anxious personality, some surprisingly deep conversations, and a frightening battle with termites, and the result was a film that left a lasting impression—and maybe even scared—a lot of young viewers.

2) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

The new Puss in Boots movie, The Last Wish, took viewers by surprise with its surprisingly dark and intense tone. It’s a remarkably strong sequel, especially considering it’s a follow-up to a spin-off – it currently boasts a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While the film is still funny and moves quickly, the villain, Death – depicted as a terrifying wolf with scythes – creates a genuine sense of fear. Every scene between Puss and Death is filled with tension, and the idea of mortality itself being the enemy is a clever and genuinely frightening concept.

While the film’s villain creates fear, many viewers find Puss’s panic attack to be the most unsettling moment. The animators realistically depict a racing heart and rapid breathing, which resonates with anyone who’s experienced anxiety. It’s a powerful and heartbreaking scene as Puss confronts the fact that he’s down to his last life. Overall, the film is emotionally intense, honest, and often frightening.

1) The Prince of Egypt

Even for DreamWorks, The Prince of Egypt is remarkably profound and intense. It’s one of the studio’s most overlooked films, telling the story of Moses and the immense responsibility he feels leading his people to freedom, and it doesn’t hesitate to portray hardship. The film begins with a deeply disturbing scene of Egyptian soldiers abandoning babies in the Nile River. Later, a beautiful but unsettling dream sequence shows hieroglyphics coming to life to depict the enslavement of Moses’ people, and it’s genuinely frightening.

The movie feels both grand and frightening, powerfully enhanced by Hans Zimmer’s music, which perfectly complements the story’s terrifying elements, like the plagues. Fans still talk about the line “They were only slaves” as the most unsettling moment in any DreamWorks film. For many, it was their first time seeing biblical stories portrayed with such intensity. Despite being scary for a whole generation of kids, The Prince of Egypt is still considered one of DreamWorks’ best films, beautifully portraying Moses and giving viewers chills.

What DreamWorks movie scene really disturbed you when you were a child? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-10-31 16:41