Wonka’s Chocolate Factory? …More like Willy Wonka and the Murdering Children Factory
Willy Wonka is portrayed as a respected and accomplished chocolatier. He builds sugary-sweet creations to share with the world. Considering his career, one may assume he is an exceedingly whimsical character. However, there is something off-putting about him, more sinister than sweet. Surely there are secrets behind those ominous factory doors.
The movies provide a glimpse into Wonka’s world, and I am not one to overlook a red flag. He comes off as quick-witted, with even his slip-ups feeling premeditated. His words hang in the air with a twang of mystery and uncertainty. Questions that should be explained are left unanswered. Simple concepts are twisted into nonsense.
He has a complete disregard for any form of safety precautions. He maintains a completely unguarded chocolate lake. Willy Wonka definitely could have afforded a lifeguard. I’m sure there is an oompa loompa whose swimming potential is being wasted in that factory. To make matters worse, the chocolate from the lake is transported through giant tubes. Which are conveniently large enough to FIT A HUMAN CHILD! Coincidence? I think not.
He also left out gum he knew was dangerous if ingested. Rather than hide the product or tell the children of the potential side effects, he let a young girl inflate. He’s facilitated the creation of at least one chocolate-covered child and a human blueberry. Why is no one questioning why he didn’t seem more concerned in either situation?
If anything, in the wake of these potentially gruesome events, he is detached and mechanical with his course of action. Wonka is so passive it feels as though it is not his first time experiencing it. For example, how did the oompa loompas that rolled the human blueberry out just know exactly what to do? Maybe I am the crazy one here, but I wouldn’t know how to be nonchalant about that.
If those “accidents” haven’t raised your eyebrow. Turn your attention to Wonka’s Fizzy Lifting Drink. The drinker floats up, only decreasing in altitude when they burp. Wonka leaves the drink in a room with an industrial ceiling fan that realistically could obliterate someone. He did warn them not to drink it, but obviously the general trend is that telling someone not to do something only makes someone want to do it more.
He also let ravenous, wild squirrels attack a young girl. She was easily able to get into their enclosure. She was ambushed by these highly trained squirrels and labeled a bad nut. Clearly, it was dangerous, and yet Wonka takes no real action to stop her. And remember, all of this is just in the movies; we have no idea what happens on a random Tuesday within the walls of the factory.
Evidently, the factory is a trap, capitalizing on the impulses of children, particularly those who aren’t familiar with the word no. This behaviour is clearly a result of Wonka’s trauma following his time as a musical chocolatier. Wonka, starring Timothee Chalamet, is a villain origin story, and if you don’t think so, watch it again.
I am evidently horrified by Willy Wonka in general. Johnny Depp’s Willy Wonka is an eerie sociopath, and Gene Wilder’s Wonka is straight up a manipulative murderer. I had to face my fears, rewatching these HORROR movies, so I’m feeling #brave. Just know there is much more to my theory, but I will refrain… for now.