The 80s were so brutal. We had a kids movie that starts with the main character's horse dying from sadness.

Fun fact: Artax can speak in the novel.

For real. That moment in that movie is basically telling you that you cannot save your best friend from crippling sadness and depression. The horse and the boy love each other but it doesn't matter in the end.

I was allowed to watch that movie waaay too young, and I know it's the same for others my age, but I was pissed when I learned that one of my friends let her 5 year old watch it because she'd seen it when she was 5, and apparently forgot or didn't care that the horse dies?? Like how can you forget that?? And then the 5 year old heard us talking about the movie and the FIRST thing she says is "Remember the horse?" in this sad little voice. Way to traumatize your kid.

It was so traumatizing, death by depression. But, overall, as a little fruity kid about the same age as Bastian when it came out, TNS was the closest thing to affirmation of my own little fruity existence I could find. We easily traumatized fruity kids don’t usually get represented well in action films.

Thank you! This traumatized me as a child, my dad used to have to fast forward that part because it was so upsetting for me.

Dangit! Two people now have totally eclipsed what I was gonna add with something that just takes more wind out of my sails!

I definitely need something to cuddle now.