Stop-motion films have impressed audiences for decades with their elaborately crafted sets and characters. The art form itself is almost as old as the film industry. While classic 2D animation largely dominated the early days of animation and computer-generated films like Pixar have taken over since then, stop-motion animation has been given its own little corner of the world. animation. This little corner has produced some of the best animated films of all time.
November 4, 2022 Update: If you love stop-motion animated films, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve updated this article with new entries.
Given the rise of CGI in animated films, stop-motion films have almost become their own special event. Of course, creating a stop-motion animated film is already a daunting task to begin with, so when making one, directors tend to give their best to create a story suitable for the stop motion support. Each of the films on this list was a special treat, which is not given as often as one would like. Through the use of puppets, clay or even dolls, these stop motion animated films have captured the imagination of audiences and left their indelible mark on the film industry. With the October 2022 release of the big movie Wendell & Wild, we’ve been considering the best stop-motion animated feature films.
10/10 Corpse Bride
Pictures from Warner Bros.
Believe it or not, Corpse Bride was Tim Burton’s first stop motion animated feature film. A common misconception is that he directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, but it was actually Henry Selick who adapted Burton’s story. Burton finally took the reins of a stop-motion feature in 2005 when he co-directed it alongside Mike Johnson.
The film featured familiar Burton collaborators Johnny Depp and former wife Helena Bonham Carter as the title character. The dark fantasy followed Victor (Depp) as he was unexpectedly engaged to a deceased woman named Emily (Bonham Carter) and taken to the land of the dead. Burton’s usual touch of dark and gloomy was used brilliantly in this film, which led to an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
9/10 Anomalisa
Paramount Pictures
Director Charlie Kaufman brought his unique brand of storytelling to Anomalisa alongside co-director Duke Johnson. The 2015 film was Kaufman’s first animated feature, and it was an instant hit. Anomalisa was later nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the first R-rated animated film to receive this honor.
Kaufman and Johnson told a thought-provoking story about a disillusioned motivational speaker who finds himself in love with the one woman who brings him joy. The lead roles were performed brilliantly by David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh, while the wonderful Tom Noonan voices literally every other character. Anomalisa was a visual achievement in animation using 3D-printed puppets that brought Thewlis and Leigh’s performances to life in this stop-motion adult film.
8/10 Kubo and the two strings
Focus characteristics
Kubo and the Two Strings was another critically acclaimed film from stop-motion studio Laika. The fantasy film followed the adventures of a young boy named Kubo who accidentally summons a spirit for revenge. Laika’s unique animation was praised, as was the stellar cast including Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey. Although they failed to achieve financial success, Kubo and The Two Strings has always been praised for its story and animation.
7/10 James and the Giant Peach
Buena Vista Pictures
Selick’s second feature, James and The Giant Peach was an adaptation of the classic children’s book written by Roald Dahl. The book had been researched by various studios and directors before Selick and Disney finally secured the production rights to the film. One of the main issues was the bizarre story that made it difficult to produce on screen. However, Selick managed to create a gripping story that was largely stop-motion animated while ending in a live-action setting.
6/10 Mary and Max
International Entertainment Icon
2009’s Mary and Max is the feature-length animated debut from Australian director Adam Elliot, who previously directed the Oscar-winning short Harvie Krumpet. Inspired by the director’s relationship with his pen pal, Mary and Max tell the quirky and charming story of two unlikely pen pals, a shy and unloved eight-year-old girl from Melbourne and a middle-aged New Yorker with down syndrome. Sprinkle. Dealing with such difficult subjects as childhood neglect, depression, isolation, addiction and loneliness, the film truly comes from the heart.
5/10 Coraline
Focus characteristics
Neil Gaiman’s bizarre children’s tale Coraline was perfectly adapted in 2009 by Henry Selick (who, as we now see, is perhaps the master of stop-motion animation, perhaps only beaten by Aardman Animation). Selick and Laika collaborated to create an impressive stop-motion film that wowed audiences young and old. The dark modern fairy tale followed Caroline as she plunged into a portal to another world where she met her “other family”. The stop-motion animation used by Laika and Selick perfectly complimented the chilling story written by Gaiman.
4/10 My zucchini life
Praesens-Film
Claude Barras’ Oscar-nominated first animated feature, Ma vie de courgette, tells the moving and weighty story of Icarus, the wide-eyed, blue-haired nine-year-old boy who prefers to be called Courgette (zucchini in French) . After the accidental death of her alcoholic mother, Courgette is sent to the orphanage. There he learns to trust and to love. Ma vie de courgette is a little masterpiece (it only lasts 66 minutes) as moving as it is sad.
3/10 Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
DreamWorks Pictures
Few stop-motion characters are as durable as Wallace & Gromit. The British stop-motion series was created by Oscar nominee Nick Park. The franchise has produced several TV specials and the critically acclaimed feature film Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Their feature debut followed the duo as they attempted to solve their town’s rabbit problem before facing off against the titular Were-Rabbit. The film went on to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, making it the second non-American film to do so after Spirited Away.
2/10 Fantastic Mr. Fox
20th century fox
Wes Anderson’s Eccentricity was a match made especially for stop-motion animation. His first animated feature, Fantastic Mr. Fox was an adaptation of a book by Roald Dahl. Anderson partnered with Noah Baumbach to write the film’s script. Fantastic Mr. Fox starred George Clooney as the cunning Mr. Fox, a fox who must break his promise to this woman (played by Meryl Streep) never to return to his thief ways. Anderson’s delightful directing coupled with the exceptional talents of its actors have made it one of Anderson’s best films and one of the best stop-motion animated films of all time.
Anderson’s second stop-motion animation after 2018’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs, is also worth seeing. It’s a dog’s delight, a witty and heartfelt story of a 12-year-old boy’s search for his beloved lost pet.
1/10 The Nightmare Before Christmas
Buena Vista Photos Cast
Is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? The debate rages on but one thing remains certain: The Nightmare Before Christmas is a beloved stop-motion classic. Based on a story by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick, The Nightmare Before Christmas set the standard for modern stop-motion animation that led to several movies in this same list. Selick’s direction paired with Burton’s tone of voice made it an instant classic.
The story of Jack the Pumpkin King followed his attempt to take over Christmas after falling into a crisis surrounding his role as King of Halloween Town. The animation Selick used alongside some classic musical numbers made The Nightmare Before Christmas a memorable film and a triumph in stop-motion animation.