Stop-motion animation is a beloved but sparingly employed film medium. Although it creates uniquely gorgeous visuals, it is an incredibly time-consuming and painstaking affair. Film production thus tend to opt for more traditional animation methods, such as hand-drawn and computer-generated imagery.
Some computer-animated films, like The Lego Movie, have even intentionally mimicked the stop-motion style in order to achieve a fraction of its aesthetic while maintaining a more convenient production route. However, there's nothing quite like the real thing Here are some amazing stop-motion movies for viewers who decide to take the plunge into this mesmerizing medium.
10 Fantastic Mr. Fox
While any animated film can be enjoyed by both children and adults, Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is far more likely to be appreciated by older audiences. It's filled to the brim with dry humor, subtle jokes, and midlife crises, is far
The critically acclaimed film’s usage of stop-motion, a medium usually used to make films for young viewers, invokes a sense of childhood whimsy that contrasts with its adult themes. It aptly mirrors Mr. Fox’s mental clash between craving the wild days of his youth and protecting what he has in the present.
9 Coraline
This dark fantasy is one of the most visually stunning stop-motion films to date. Director Henry Selick utilized a whimsically spooky aesthetic similar to the creations of Tim Burton, to create this adaption of author Neil Gaiman’s children’s novella.
Juxtaposing reality and fantasy, truth and deceit, it isn’t only Coraline’s horror elements that heighten its appeal to older viewers. It is a tale of scary things but is also a story of the extremely relatable desire to escape from one’s ordinary (and often disappointing) life.
8 Kubo And The Two Strings
With the ambiance of a folk tale and an enchanting animation style, Kubo And The Two Strings has ensnared many movie lovers. Set in a fantastical version of feudal Japan, the film narrates the story of Kubo, a young boy who finds himself thrown into an arduous quest. He must defeat his evil grandfather with the help of his two companions and a magical shamisen, a three-stringed Japanese instrument.
The fantasy film was heavily inspired by Japanese culture. The animators even designed the visuals to mirror the style of a woodblock print, a widespread East Asian printing technique.
7 Corpse Bride
A morbid twist on “til death do us part,” this Tim Burton work never quite reached the level of notoriety of his previous iconic stop-motion movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, it is an incredible film and remains beloved to this day for its catchy soundtrack, surprisingly dark plot (even for a film about the deceased), bittersweet ending, and hauntingly beautiful visuals.
For those considering dressing up as an undead bride this Halloween, pop Corpse Bride on and take some pointers from the most stunning corpse bride in cinema.
6 Anomalisa
One of the rare R-rated stop-motion productions, this adult animation is based on writer Charlie Kaufman’s audio play of the same name. The film revolves around Michael, a motivational speaker whose intense dislike of others has resulted in him regarding everyone around him, even his wife and son, as having the exact same face and voice.
This element that cleverly lends itself to the stop-motion medium, making for an interesting viewing. The homogenous world of the film is shaken up when Michael meets Lisa, an anomalous woman who has her own unique face and voice.
5 Paranorman
Taking place in Massachusetts, where the infamous Salem witch trials occurred, this perfect Halloween flick tackles normality in society and the (at times deadly) consequences faced by those who stray from it. Despite the film’s immense humor, its subject matter is no joke. It isn’t afraid to shine the spotlight on its dark moments.
The film makes remarkable use of its stop-motion medium. Its handcrafted action scenes are bewitching, and even its more mundane sequences are charming and remain a pleasure to watch.
4 The House
This Netflix original is an anthology composed of three different stories revolving around a mysterious and transformative house. Stop-motion animation always offers stunning visuals, but The House’s characters are crafted with exceptional detail and a variety of textures that truly bring bring the puppets to life.
The first story centers around an impoverished family that jumps at an offer to move into the luxurious house at no financial cost. The second concerns a rat developer attempting to sell the fur beetle-infested property. The third story is about a cat who refuses to leave her cherished childhood home despite rising waters threatening to wash everything away.
3 The Nightmare Before Christmas
One of, if not the most, well-known stop-motion movies in the history of film, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas has sired merchandise that it still manufactured to this day. It has had appearances in the popular game franchise Kingdom Hearts, had numerous concerts including one featuring Billie Eilish, and even has a seasonal ride at Disneyland.
Some have understandably grown a bit disenchanted with film after its years of mass marketing. Still, it is undeniable that the unique Christmas-Halloween film helped pave the way for the stop-motion medium and deserves to be commended.
2 Chicken Run
Although there is a chance that this critically acclaimed comedy will kill some of the pleasure of eating a chicken pot pie, viewers should risk it to watch this charming film. It's stuffed chockfull of humor, antics, invention, heart, and amazing animation. This fun flick is one that all ages can enjoy.
Chicken Run is currently the highest-grossing stop-motion film of all time. Over twenty years after its initial release, it even has a sequel in development that will be streaming on Netflix sometime in 2023.
1 My Life As A Courgette
Also known as My Life as a Zucchini, the simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming stop-motion film is an adaptation of the French novel, Autobiographie d'une Courgette, which has also been adapted as a live-action film. Despite its colorful and charmingly quirky animation style, My Life As A Courgette delves into dark places.
Set in an orphanage, the film doesn’t shy away from the tragic realities of children with no other place to go. Yet, it reminds the viewer that even in these dark places, there is nowhere that the light of love and friendship can’t reach.