Many of us have either read the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, or seen one of the movie adaptations. The older movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder, is the classic movie that most people think about when referring to the story. It has humor, amusement and oddities, but what if we told you it gets even darker?
A recent theory circling the internet about the original Rated G movie, suggests that Willy Wonka is not a joyous chocolate lover who wants someone to inherit his business, but instead a serial killer with a strict moral code. Weird right? But it gets even weirder when the facts are lined up together. Let us submit the following into evidence.
- Seven Deadly Sins. Each child represents a combination of different deadly sins, the seven being pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth – which is often used in pop culture as a “justification” for killers. Each child ends up being forced to leave the tour after they act out with one of the aforementioned “sins.” However, we never actually see these children leave, they simply disappear while their parents and caregivers panic. Willy Wonka appears amused whenever this happens, as if everything was going according to his master plan. In fact, he hardly reacts to any of the children as they face danger, as if it was all calculated. The cold smirk he wears could easily be one of a serial killer.
- The protege. Every good killer needs a protege. Enter Charlie. The innocent boy who inherited the chocolate company and all of Wonka’s fortune had a rocky start. If you remember, Charlie and his grandpa stole a drink that almost killed them. In fact, it most definitely would have killed them had they not been smart (and gassy) enough to figure it out. This was not according to Wonka’s plan, who hoped their pride would get them killed like the rest of the children on the tour. However, Charlie’s ability to outsmart Wonka perhaps had him decide to groom Charlie to be a serial killer much like himself.
- Crazy Eyes. Enough said.
- The Oompa Loompas. Willy’s secret sauce is in his wealth and slaves. His money allows him to buy an insurmountable amount of technology and social power. He also has an army of Oompa Loompas at his disposal, whom he enslaved from their homeland and forced to clean up after his murders. The words they sing are dark and imply a theme of mortality. What more proof do you need?
A Willy Wonka prequel, Wonka, is coming to theaters December 2023 and focuses on Willy’s early years. Perhaps, we’ll finally get the answers we seek.