We all know that Disney+ is a fantastic way to access all of your favorite Disney films, old and new, in one place! But Disney+ is also treasure trove when it comes to the off-the-beaten-path content as well.
And when you do some deep digging, you’ll find that there are some CREEPY films on Disney+ that you can watch right now! But don’t worry, we checked them out so you can have a full understanding of what you’re getting into! Use this as a watch list if you feel like watching some pretty bizarre stuff this weekend!
Return to Oz
Our first “creepy” film on our list is Return to Oz, a 1985 sequel to The Wizard of Oz. In this film, The Emerald City is under attack and Dorothy learns that her friends from her first trip to Oz are in danger. She teams up with a new set of pals to rescue not only Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, but the Emerald City as well.
While no one would dispute a good old sequel to The Wizard of Oz, we can’t help but wonder exactly what went wrong in the costume and makeup department. Dorothy’s friends seem to have this bizarre human/puppet hybrid quality to them. We all know that Oz can have some creepy qualities to it, so we’re willing to buy into the absurdity.
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Don’t Look Under the Bed
Our next film started out as a Disney Channel Original Movie in 1999. Don’t Look Under the Bed came out around Halloween and centers around a high schooler named Frances McCausland, who uses the help of her brother’s imaginary friends to take on the infamous Boogeyman.
Clearly, some spooky stuff is afoot! But when you realize how CREEPY the imaginary friends are, in addition to how frightening the Boogeyman is, you may start to wonder how this film was approved to air on the Disney Channel in the first place.
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The Black Hole
When you hear that a film is categorized as a “space opera,” you know you’re in for a treat. The Black Hole came out in 1979 to generally mixed reviews. And while sci-fi movies by definition can seem a little “out there,” the mere premise that this film takes place in outer space doesn’t qualify it as creepy.
However, what’s a bit bizarre about this film is that it strikes a lot of similarities to Star Wars, which had been released just two years prior. The Black Hole even features two fun-loving robot sidekicks, and critics were keen to point out that Disney seemed to want to get on board the Star Wars bandwagon.
Want more ideas for what to watch on Disney+ this weekend? Click here!
Mr. Boogedy
This next film is CREEPY, full stop! While Return to Oz has a whimsical quality to it because, well, it takes place in Oz, and The Black Hole is bound to have its moments of bizarre space peril, we can’t offer much explanation for Mr. Boogedy other than it is just plain CREEPY.
The film takes place in the fictional town of Lucifer Falls (natch), where an innocent family moves into a haunted house. Don’t worry, if you end up watching Mr. Boogedy and want even MORE, it has a sequel called The Bride of Boogedy.
Check out our Disney+ watch list when you’re bored at home here!
Can of Worms
This next film almost needs no explanation. J/K. While we were doing our research for this article, the first screenshot we found from this film is already going to give us nightmares for weeks.
Can of Worms is about a teen who believes he doesn’t belong on planet Earth and calls on aliens to help him escape. Plot aside, we have a few questions we need answers to: is that alien wearing socks and shoes? WHY does the alien have human teeth? Who approved this design?
Disney released a watchlist for Earth Day this past April! Check out the full list here.
Fuzzbucket
This next film is creepy, but in a kind of adorable way. Fuzzbucket is about a young boy in junior high who seeks the help of his invisible friend Fuzzbucket to deal with troubles at home and at school. In return, he promises to make Fuzzbucket visible.
Once we see Fuzzbucket, well…he may have been better off invisible. You definitely need to warm up to Fuzzbucket, but once you do, it’s a rather charming film!
See what the newest additions to the Disney+ lineup are here!
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall
The next couple of films move away from the sci-fi genre and are creepy for entirely different reasons! The first is The Ghosts of Buxley Hall, which tells the story of a 100-year-old academy that finds itself in financial trouble. The school is haunted and the ghosts call upon a young boy, who is the heir to a large sum of money, to help save the school.
Sounds innocent enough, right? Once you start watching the film, however, you come to realize that the ghosts are up in arms over the fact that the academy, which at one time was an all-boys school, wants to invite girls to attend for the first time. This “battle of the sexes” turns out a lot of one-liners that may make you cringe more than laugh.
Some films may NEVER arrive on Disney+. See the list of those films here!
The Black Cauldron
The final two films on our list are the only two animated movies we included. In general, Disney’s animated films seem to be straightforward in their ‘family-friendly’ factor, but every once in a while we’ve seen movies that break that mold and are rather creepy and perhaps frightening for younger viewers.
This next film has a huge cult following, so we know there are probably lots of people out there who would NEVER say The Black Cauldron is creepy. However, given its dark nature, we would say that its content is rather bizarre for a Disney film. The Black Cauldron was considered a financial flop, and many deemed it to be too dark and scary for children. It was one of the first films Tim Burton worked on out of school so, if you need some more perspective, there ya go!
What other things has Disney gone too far on and have had to ‘dial back’ over the years? Find out here!
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Our final film on this list is part of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad! Specifically, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” This film is partnered with “Wind in the Willows,” which is a stark contrast in tone.
Disney’s older animated films by default have a twinge of creepiness built-in, just from the mere fact that they are older animation styles, and the sound has that “vintage” feel. For 1949, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was a big achievement in animation, even adding to the creep factor! It’s one scary tale, but one of Disney’s most impressive! Wonder where we get that UBER creepy Headless Horseman at Disney’s Halloween bashes?
Yep…this movie.
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Despite these films being creepy, scary, and downright bizarre, we still recommend you check these out for yourselves! Spending time on Disney+ makes you realize just HOW MUCH content Disney has produced over the years, and there is really something for everybody!
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What has been your favorite new discovery on Disney+? Let us know in the comments!
Delete this. Do not ever disrespect Return to Oz
I am so incredibly happy I got to go to the Sleepy Hollow screening at the old Tri-Circle-D barn. Having the film end to the screen rising to one of the Percheron horses (oh and the Headless Horseman on it 😉 ) was sooooo cool. I even DisneyBounded as Tilda (the other female in the short)… green dress, bloomers, blue butt-bow, everything.
I LOVED Return to Oz. Sure, the crazy head scene was, well, crazy. But that movie is great!
Return to oz *Shudders* Nope. Couldn’t make me watch that again if you paid me.
Those things on on wheels!! 👀