Toy Story is an Existential Horror Movie

Kids won’t realize it, but I sure as hell did.

On its surface, Toy Story is a straightforward buddy comedy where toys come to life when the humans aren’t looking, go on an adventure, and find their way home at the end. It is a fun romp for kids and for adults who just want to be entertained. But hidden just beneath the surface is a subtle subplot with a not-so-kid-friendly message that is almost too terrifying to consider.

And that, my friends, is that we could all be toys, too.

The first hint of this underlying theme comes when Buzz Lightyear joins the gang as Andy’s newest toy. Earnest, determined, and sure of himself and his mission, Buzz confronts his new circumstances with the cocky assurance of the highly trained Space Ranger he believes he is.

A jealous Woody, worried about losing his prime spot as Favorite Toy, tries to burst Buzz’s bubble by telling him he is just a toy and can’t really fly or do any of the cool things a real Space Ranger can do, like destroy an enemy with lasers or administer death chops with his arms. Buzz doesn’t even have the capacity to understand this argument. Of course he is a Space Ranger! He has been a Space Ranger his entire life. It is the only thing he knows for sure.

Except we in the audience know the truth: he is not a Space Ranger. He only thinks he is a Space Ranger. And this is horrific premise is presented as comedy — a plastic replica who thinks its beliefs…