Perhaps no toy is as widely recognized, not to mention classic, as the teddy bear. This stuffed icon comes in many shapes and sizes; a teddy can be cute, cartoonish, or even lifelike. Over the years, though, these playthings have occasionally gone from cuddly to creepy.
Teddy bears are susceptible to sinister makeovers, be it in horror or another genre. And as these following on-screen teddies demonstrate, their transformations may entail wicked behavior.
So, behold, 20 terrorizing teddy bears—or in some cases, killers and monsters inspired by teddy bears—from both film and television.
Bearry
Image: The title character of Bearry (2021).
More often than not, evil teddy bears stay small in stature, but in Bearry (2021), the namesake is full-sized as well as full of jealousy. This indie horror-comedy features a recently divorced woman whose coping mechanism, a very big teddy, kills any competition for its owner’s affection. While the movie’s not the most polished production, Bearry gets points for having a giant bear plush on the loose.
R. L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour
Image: Mangler from the The Haunting Hour episode “Near Mint Condition” (2014).
In R. L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour (2010–2014), the episode “Near Mint Condition” conjures a myth about an in-universe cartoon’s line of toys. In short, the stuffed merch for the villainous character Mangler—who might be inspired by Were Bears and Terror Teds—is rumored to bring doom to its owners. The legend obviously has truth to it, as the silly episode’s young characters soon fend off their newly acquired collectible.
Night of the Killer Bears
Image: A teddy bear-headed killer wields a wrench in the Thai slasher Night of the Killer Bears (2022).
This is a bit of a cheat, but the Thai slasher Night of the Killer Bears (2022), also known as The World of Killing People, has its human antagonist(s) wearing teddy bear heads. If that sounds weird, just watch the rest of the movie; it gets even weirder.
Krampus
Image: The teddy bear from Krampus (2015), courtesy of Wētā Workshop.
The New Zealand-based Wētā Workshop (The Frighteners, 30 Days of Night, M3GAN) is responsible for the demonic teddy bear found in the Christmas Horror movie Krampus (2015). The supporting creature, Teddy Klaue, was portrayed by a hand puppet.
Imaginary
Image: The monstrous bear from Imaginary (2024).
Opinions about Blumhouse’s Imaginary (2024) remain mixed, but most everyone can agree that the Chauncey Bear Beast was the best thing about the movie. And at the very least, director Jeff Wadlow didn’t solely rely on CGI for the monster in question, seeing as the final form of the story’s teddy bear was done with a performer in an animatronics-assisted suit (played by Dane DiLiegro). The drool, however, was all digital.
The Company of Wolves
Image: A life-sized teddy bear takes hold of Sarah Patterson in The Company of Wolves (1984).
The anthology The Company of Wolves would naturally focus on wolves, but in the beginning, a character comes across a threatening teddy in her dreams. It’s a mere yet memorable moment in this surreal fantasy movie.
Demon Is on the Island
Image: A teddy bear gives a girl an eyeful in Demon Is on the Island (1983).
Demon Is on the Island (1983), also known as Le Démon dans l’île, has appliances going haywire and attacking residents on an island off the coast of France. And one of the movie’s set-pieces has an ordinary-looking, drumbeating teddy bear giving a child a proper poke in the eye.
Toy Story 3
Image: Lotso in Toy Story 3.
Adults wouldn’t find Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 3 to be scary, yet surely Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear/Lotso made them feel scared for Woody and the other toys. That incinerator scene alone is akin to a nightmare, particularly for younger viewers.
Demonic Toys
Image: Grizzly Teddy gets big in Demonic Toys (1992).
In addition to Full Moon’s Puppet Masters series is Demonic Toys (1992), a separate but similar installment of little terrors. The two properties, however, would later come together in a shared sequel. And among the original pint-sized cast of Demonic Toys is the Grizzly Teddy, a perfect example of teddies lensed through horror. Darling at first, then deadly as hell later.
Night Terror
Image: Teddy in Night Terror (1989).
The 1989 movie Night Terror has more connective tissue than other anthologies, but the segmented format is certain. And in the final chapter, a teddy bear, among other toys, seeks vengeance for a slain toyman. The poem-reciting teddy isn’t so intimidating in its original form, hence it later turning into a larger and more effective killing machine.
Yes! PreCure 5
Image: Girinma turns a pile of teddy bears into a giant teddy bear Kowaina, in episode 7 of Yes! PreCure 5.
The long-running, Sailor Moon-esque anime franchise Pretty Cure (shortened as PreCure) has been going strong since 2004. And in the series Yes! PreCure 5 (2007–2008), a villain turned a pile of normal teddies into one giant monster. It is as lovable as it is menacing.
Teddy Bears Are for Lovers
Image: Several dangerous stuffed bears in the short film Teddy Bears Are for Lovers.
Teddy Bears Are for Lovers (2016) is the only short film here, but it’s also not the shortest entry. The viral video, directed by Cloverfield cinematographer Michael Bonvillain, mixed humor and horror as a small army of bear plushies descend on a man. Why? Because these toys, which were all gifts given to ex-girlfriends, want revenge. Bonvillain was said to direct a feature-length adaptation of the short sometime ago, but there have been no major updates since then. In the meantime, you can still watch the original short here.
The Pit
Image: Teddy in The Pit (1981).
The 1981 movie The Pit (also known as Teddy) saw its troubled main character, a 12-year-old boy, having conversations with his bear plushie named Teddy. The same toy encourages the child to later feed his enemies to voracious creatures called Trogs, which can be found at the bottom of a pit in the woods. In the novelization, by the way, Teddy is far more twisted than his on-screen parallel.
Tales from the Darkside
Image: Teddy’s eyes glow in the Tales from the Darkside episode “Ursa Minor” (1985).
In this episode from Tales from the Darkside (1984–1988), a couple’s marital problems stir up more than sadness for them and their child. “Ursa Minor” chronicles a struggling family’s unhappy home life before introducing an unusual threat; a girl’s fuzzy companion ultimately summons a real bear! The bleak ending definitely doesn’t offer an ounce of hope for these characters.
Akira
Image: The “teddy bear” fromAkira (1988).
The cyberpunk anime classic Akira (1988) made a brief yet significant contribution to the niche of Teddy Bear Horror. The nightmarish scenes featuring the composite bear have rightfully stuck with viewers. Creepiness aside, it’s just an impressive display of animation.
Bloodbath at the House of Death
Image: A teddy bears hides a blade in its paw in Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984).
Late radio personality and comedian Kenny Everett only did one film, and that was Ray Cameron’s Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984). Fittingly, this spoof of The Amityville Horror and other haunted house stories was a comedy, although there are moments of eeriness. Such as a character getting his throat slit by a ribbon-wearing teddy, which hides a teeny blade in its paw.
Family Guy
Image: Rupert (really Jerry) tries to murder Brian in the Family Guy episode “Peter, Peter Pumpkin Cheater” (2024).
The relationship between baby Stewie Griffin and his bear bestie Rupert—whose real name turned out to be Jerry—has always been a strange one in Family Guy. And so for Stewie to bring Rupert to life, then wish for him to kill Brian the Dog, isn’t all that surprising. The Halloween special episode “Peter, Peter Pumpkin Cheater” had the now-sentient Rupert (voiced by Derek Jacobi) attempt to murder Brian, while dressed as Sonny Bono, before Stewie came to his senses and to the rescue. This wasn’t the last we saw of Rupert, though, as he’s already back to being Stewie’s silent partner by the episode’s end.
Spine-Chilling Stories
Image: The protective teddy bear in Spine-Chilling Stories: “The Tale of the Terrifying Teddy Bear.”
The shortest entry here belongs to the subversive “The Tale of the Terrifying Teddy Bear.” This minisode, from a children’s online anthology series called Spine-Chilling Stories, has a boy showing up to a sleepover with his stuffed bear, even though he swears he didn’t pack the thing. Then the same object goes on to protect him and his bullies from a greater threat. So while the teddy itself isn’t the one frightening people in this story, the fact that it can scare away bigger creatures raises further questions about the toy.
The Outer Limits
Image: A monster uses a teddy bear to lure a child in the The Outer Limits episode “Under the Bed” (1995).
The ’90s The Outer Limits wasn’t known for having straight horror stories, and “Under the Bed” feels out of place next to everything else this sci-fi anthology had to offer. Nevertheless, a lot of people have vivid memories of this one episode, and that’s because of its opening scene. In it, a boy is abducted by a creature pretending to be his beloved teddy bear.
Dolls
Image: The giant teddy bear reveals its true form in Dolls (1987).
Stuart Gordon opened the makeup and effects-heavy Dolls (1987) with a sequence that, despite its validity within the story, grabs your full attention. A kid imagines her bear toy turning big and ferocious, then mauling her parents to death. When you think Teddy Bear Horror, this scene is likely what springs to mind.
The post Celebrate National Teddy Bear Day With These 20 Terrorizing Teddies appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
