The Brave Little Toaster Is A Horror Movie & You Can't Convince Me Otherwise

Have you ever wondered what Toy Story would be like if it was a horror film? The Brave Little Toaster is here to answer that question. Because while it may masquerade itself as a fun, fantasy musical made for children, in reality it’s a nightmarish fever dream from which I may never recover. Now, don’t get me wrong, I used to love this movie as a kid and watched it countless times when I was growing up. Never once did I think that it was scary or troubling in any way. It was just a heroic story about some brave appliances trying to reunite with their former owner. Having rewatched it as an adult, though, I’m honestly shocked that this was ever considered appropriate for children — or even adults, for that matter.

On paper, the concept should work. Inanimate objects becoming sentient and working together for a common goal is a tried and true success. (Just look at how beloved the Toy Story franchise is!) Yet, in the case of The Brave Little Toaster, the whole thing proves to be absolutely terrifying. Yes, you could argue that the film is actually a profound metaphor about love, sacrifice, grief, and the brevity of life. And you’re right — the parallels are there and can be interpreted in a deep and insightful way.

But the way those metaphors play out feels downright traumatizing, and it’s high time we started talking about it... or I may never be able to look at my toaster, vacuum, lamp, blanket, or radio the same way ever again.

The Air Conditioner’s Meltdown

Right from the start, it’s clear that all of these devices are suffering from some severe abandonment issues. The owners of the cabin have been MIA for years, and that long-term isolation has made them all feel lacking in purpose. They’re all in perfectly good condition, but without anyone around to use them, they’re left floundering for a sense of self-worth. Depression and anxiety are written all over their surfaces, but no one has a shorter fuse than the Air Conditioner.

After bullying the core five utilities — Radio, Lamp, Blanket, Kirby the vacuum, and Toaster — with some crass remarks about how useless their existence now is, the other appliances counter by pointing out that “the master” (the young kid whose parents owned the cabin) never played with him because he’s stuck in the wall.

Setting aside how strange it is for the kid of the house to be referred to as a “master” and the fact that said child wouldn’t actually be playing with any of these items ever except maybe Blanket, it’s enough to make Air Conditioner completely lose his cool, so to speak. He begins to have a full-on psychological breakdown until he eventually self-destructs. It’s a disturbingly chilling scene guaranteed to haunt my dreams for years to come.

Flower Power

During their journey to go out and find the boy, Toaster has an up close and personal encounter with a flower that sees itself in Toaster's reflection and falls in love with it. But when the flower goes to embrace its identical counterpart, Toaster runs away, leaving it rejected and heartbroken. When Toaster looks back, the flower has started to wilt as its petals fall to the ground.

Having taken a Greek mythology class in college, I admittedly appreciated on some level that the flower was a daffodil, also known as a narcissus — named after the Greek god who fell in love with his own reflection, which is a clever Easter egg to throw in there. But again, this is a kids' movie, so that moment will go completely over their heads. All they are going to see is a devastated flower that is given no resolution or happy ending. Anyone else scarred for life?

Toaster’s Nightmare

While asleep, Toaster dreams that “the master” is making toast, but it starts a massive fire. A smoke hand grabs the kid and yanks him away. Then, a scary clown fireman rises from the flames and tells Toaster to run. (Pennywise — eat your heart out.) Next thing you know, Toaster is dangling over a bathtub full of water and falls in, getting electrified. Why? Just WHY?!

The Sinkhole

At one point, Kirby falls into a sinkhole and gets pulled beneath the surface. And since they're all connected to him by cords, the entire group gets dragged under with him. Thankfully, they get saved at the last minute by some random guy who just so happened to be walking by this sinkhole out in the middle of nowhere (as one does).

But their relief is short-lived. He brings them back to his shop titled "Parts," which, when you're a household utility, isn't really a great omen. Sure enough, he strips machines down for parts and sells them to customers. The thought alone is terrifying, but the film takes things one step further by visually showing viewers what this entails. A guy comes in looking for a blender motor, so the owner promptly goes in the back and surgically removes it from a scared, fully functioning blender while all the other appliances are forced to watch in abject horror. The owner's shadow is seen snipping and pulling the blender apart as it slowly drips oil onto the ground like blood. It felt like what you'd expect to see in an episode of Dexter rather than a kids' movie.

The Junkyard

This list wouldn’t be complete without including the cruelest villain of all: the large, orange magnet from Ernie’s Disposal. Attached to a tower crane, this magnet mercilessly grabs everything in its path and drops them on a conveyor belt where they get compacted down into a tiny cube — something Toaster and the gang witness firsthand when they find themselves in this hellish landscape. As the magnet proceeds to choose its next victim, the abandoned, run-down cars in the lot sing a song called “Worthless,” where they recount the lives they lived prior to this, before they were rendered obsolete or worthless. They’re essentially singing a song about their impending doom until CRUNCH — they can sing no more. It’s soul-crushing to witness. (Sorry, poor choice of words.)

Needless to say, aside from some clever appliance puns and a “Tutti Fruitti” dance montage while cleaning, this film has no business sporting a G-rating. It’s a horror movie, plain and simple. And now, after this latest rewatch, I think it may be time to pull the plug on all future viewings for my own emotional well-being.