The Best Animated Movies For Adults To Put On Your List

Animated movies (or cartoon movies, if you prefer so) take us in a different world, and help us escape a mundane reality with highly exhilarating emotional and intellectual experiences.

The best thing about them – they’re not made only for children! Adults love watching them too, and they certainly have a few favorites among them.

Now, nobody implies that Bambi would be an adult person’s first choice, and even if it is – what the hack?

If you’re a fan yourself, we have a delectable list of best animated movies for adults that may be marketed right towards you.

Here are the best animated movies for adults you shouldn’t miss

Chico and Rita (2010)

maxresdefault The Best Animated Movies For Adults To Put On Your List

Here’s a magnificent member of the list of best animated movies for adults –an evergreen romantic tale that will touch your heart!

Chico and Rita is a smoky love story from Cuba that feels incredibly real, despite of the fact its characters are fictional. Their messy and roiling passion that sustains their even messier and broken jazz musician lives got nominated for an Oscar, and will stay remembered for decades to come.

With so many ups and downs, this romantic and thrilling story brings us to a conclusion – There’s a bit of Chico and Rita in all of us!

‘Persepolis’ (2007)

Rather than another romance, we present you a dead-serious animation for adults that doesn’t exactly show the most pleasant story. Producers adapted Marjane Satrapi’s 2003 graphic novel that describes life in Iran before, during, and after its Islamic Revolution (1979), bringing to life a number of involving line-drawn images.

The tale was pictured with incredible clarity, and shed light of this important historical moment people in the US don’t really know much about.

The story is very well-animated, and supported by Satrapi’s bold cartoon expressionism that helps understand it.

Belladonna of Sadness (1973)

Jules Michelet’s book La Sorciere inspired many great cinematic pieces, including top quality adult animation movies. The topic is, as you recall, Middle Age witchcraft, and this movie helps us experience this period rather than simply analyzing it.

When you read the book, you get sad and involved into the tragic destiny of new wed Jeanne, and who was raped violently (yet lawfully in this period) by the feudal lord and his minions. The tormenting experience inspired her to make a pact with the devil, and to try hurting those that hurt her.

While it is difficult to depict her hatred and revenge with words, this hallucinatory and occult masterpiece does that just fine – at times, it is so explicit and severe that people misunderstand it.

Following its first release in 193, Belladonna of Sadness was restored in 4K, and promoted again. We’d say – it finally got the acknowledgement it deserves!

Fantastic Planet (1973)

Fantastic Planet is another great animated movie for adults that appeared on 1973. We get a unique opportunity to find out how it would be when humans would live on a giant plant, and be considered as animals.

Our opinion is that this is one of the best Sci-Fi movies made so far, with a recognizable visual style and stop-motion animation. Deep under the imaginative and superficial story of people being sub-leveled, this movie tackles important social questions such as racism and genocide.

Renaissance (2006)

Renaissance’s story takes place in Paris, several years from now. A brave cop is looking for the kidnapped scientist who holds the secret for an eternal life.

The use of specific techniques such as motion capture animation is what makes this animated adult movie a visual delight – it mixes up genres in a crafty way, and depicts our dystopian future in black and white. You wouldn’t believe how well that worked out!

‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988)

Hayao Miyazaki can safely be put on top of any animation creators’ list, and this is his masterpiece. My Neighbor Totoro is a nostalgically innocent story of a unique friendship between a kid and a giant, and the side effect is invoking pleasant memories of our childhood. At the same time, it is an adult cartoon movie that the entire family can watch.

FRITZ THE CAT (1972)

Here’s the debut and subversively successful animation of Ralph Bakshi, the man we today call the Father of modern American animation for adults. The movie is a total opposite to common, Disney-imposed views on animation – its visuals and its story aim to overcome political incorrectness, rather than simply providing an hour of entertainment.

Unlike most 70’s animated movies, this piece is slightly offensive and crudely satirical, which made it a common object of controversy.

One couldn’t expect less from a movie tacking the unused potential of letting anthropomorphic cats explore drugs, radical politics, and love. And yet, of course, it is not about cats, but about people. No wonder this movie has such historical significance!

Sita Sings the Blues

There are many reasons for Nina Paley’s Sita Sings the Blues to be considered and unique. To start with, the animation was distributed for free due to disputable music rights. Secondly, Paley used Flash to create almost all animations herself.

Last but not least, there’s the distinctive style – Paley combines scenes from her own life with renowned Ramayana tales, and delivers them with beautiful Indian shadow puppetry visuals. Now imagine that paired with some Annette Hanshaw’s 1930s jazz!

Beowulf (2007)

Beowulf is among the oldest and most legendary English epic manuscripts, which means that not every movie can bear its weighty legacy. Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman made the brave attempt to imaginatively adapt it, and created a fantastic adventure for adult viewers.

The cast was all-star (Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright, Angelina Jolie, and Ray Winston), which means we get to enjoy both amazing visuals and starring performances. The piece is vastly entertaining and exhilarating, especially when you watch it in 3D cinemas.

Watership Down (1978)

Watership Down is one of the dark cartoon movies you don’t want your children to see, as it could create a very traumatic experience. At first sight, the animation looks like a family saga full of animals and adventure, but nothing in there is family-friendly. The highly-nuanced piece features devastating war scenes and societal conflict, and it is emotional enough to make everyone cry.

Paprika (2006)

Paprika is a fantastic Sci-Fi movie by Satoshi Kon with the most incredible story – the world where scientists don’t only analyze patients’ dreams, but also navigate through them. You’ll see lots of menacing dolls, marching appliances, collapsing cities, and disturbing sex scenes; and you’ll have to figure out the logic of such dreams yourself!

Heavy Metal (1981)

The animation flick shows us how a glowing green orb threatens a young girl with horrible, yet sensual fantasy stories. It follows the original concept adopted by Heavy Metal magazine – there are several stories instead of one, and each brings us a different entertaining affair. Beware – Movies like Heavy Metal are pretty explicit in how they depict violence and sex.

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)

We’d call this animation the best Christmas film ever, and we’d recommend you to watch it even before the season’s on. Filmmaker Tim Burton blended in a unique way the charm of Halloween and Christmas, and introduced us to the pumpkin king who discovers the fun of celebrating Santa’s big day. Pretty awesome, isn’t it?

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Although kids play the main roles in Grave of the Fireflies, this movie goes nowhere close to a kids’ animation. Isao Takahata wants to share the shocking experiences of a brother and a sister who try to survive the WWII bombing in their hometown in Japan.

To soften the scary moments in the movie, Studio Ghibli’s experts employed some seriously accumulated artistry. Rather than fancy, this piece is low-key and non-sensational, and it is exactly the scenes of deceptive reality that make it that devastating.

American Pop (1981)

American Pop chronicles how a Russian-Jewish musician’s family lived throughout four generations. Their stories are being brought to us with subtle narratives, only to provide the most profound experience possible.

The reviews and ratings for this movie are mixed, but we believe there is nothing that can hamper the beauty of such a fine musical drama. In fact, American Pop has become more and more popular over the years, only to become Bakshi’s most praised animation work ever.

‘Fantasia’ (1940)

We all watched Fantasia as children, but how much of it did we really understood? The experience of watching it as an adult is something else, so give it a try!

Tower (2016)

Animated sequences are used in innumerous documentaries, but Keith Maitland developed a fresh approach to them. His relatively new piece Tower aired at SXSW in 2016, praised for its unique structure and meaningful message to our society.

Maitland worked with original materials; rot scoped reenactments, and animated interviews – a brave, but totally effective step in the animation world. This organizational structure was the best deal he had for drawing attention towards mass shootings in the States.

Heavy Traffic (1973)

In Heavy Traffic, we meet a young and eccentric cartoonist with bizarre fantasies… and a whole army of his imaginary and weird characters that inspire his art. The piece is once again signed by incredible and wildly original Ralph Bashi, whose authoritative control can be observed in every single scene.

The movie doesn’t go as far as becoming uncomfortable or self-indulgent, but still features incredibly personal and intimate sequences. MPAA rated it with an X because of its explicit nature, but critics called it ‘the best work Ralph Bakshi ever did’.

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ (2009)

There’s a bit of an inner hipster in all of us. If you don’t believe it, check whether you will like Fantastic Mr. Fox. We bet you will!

The animation debut of Wes Anderson goes around an idiosyncratic fox and its adventures. The well-dress and socially acquainted protagonist leads a pleasing life, but can’t resist the urge to go back to wildness and cause a retaliation against all animals. We’ll see it rescue its community, and help it come to peace with the idea of not being immortal.

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

Richard Linklater chose the works of Philip K. Dick to create this amazingly inventive movie show. He confirmed in such way that this author did not only predict technological development, but also criticized American mores.

Sad and funny at the same time, this story used Sci-Fi elements to recreate the 1977 War on Drugs, and featured a number of iconic counterculture protagonists with all their good and bad sides.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007)

This movie offers an unexpected mix of surrealism and humor, and belongs to the very few Adult Swim series that actually got a movie. Many critics, however, disapproved of the movie’s silly storyline and shallow approach.

Note that the movie also has an R rating for violent images, strong language, and adult humor.

‘The Triplets of Belleville’ (2003)

If a tour de France accompanied by typical French ladies and their cute dogs qualifies as a movie you’d watch, go for this one. The picture is pleasure-stuffed and yet dialogue-free, an excellent attempt of Sylvain Chomet to embrace the technique of silent storytelling.

The adventure of these adorable ladies features multiple references to modern pop culture, as presented by novice cartoonist Max Fleischer. You will find it easily understandable, relaxing, and truly charming.

Akira (1988)

Some viewers claim that Akira is monotonous to that end of becoming interminable, but that doesn’t decrease Katsuhiro Otomo’s great contribution to the anime world.

His cyberpunk zeitgeist and violent dystopian saga set the standards for many movies to come, even if the piece has little in common with classics such as Blade Runner.

Waking Life (2001)

Once again, it is astonishing how Richard Linklater looks at life, consciousness, unconsciousness, and the mere purpose of our existence. This time, he introduces us to a man who dreams constantly, and who’s struggling to find genuine answers about life.

The atmosphere in the movie is almost surreal – it pulls us right next to the dreamer, and it hypnotizes us with astonishing images we will remember for a long time to come.

There is nothing comparable to Waking Life – the piece never got an Oscar nomination, and we believe that’s where Academy members made a serious mistake. Yet, we should be aware that the movie contains some harsh language, and was therefore rated R.

‘Wallace &Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’ (2005)

There is no Wallace & Gromit movie that you shouldn’t watch, but the Curse of the Were-Rabbit is the one you mustn’t miss! A feature-length and brilliant piece of visual delight, in particular for British movie fans ready to pack for an adventure. It is one of the very few movies on this list we recommend both for adults and for children.

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999)

Do you remember the iconic sitcom ‘South Park’? Here’s a great movie based on it, and a story nothing less hilarious than you’d expect. Four underage boys got caught watching an R movie which happened to be Canadian. As a result, their mothers decided to initiate a war against Canada for trying to corrupt their kids.

As you can guess, the movie boosts with improper language and explicit scenes, and it therefore got an R rating shortly before it was released. Despite of the censorship issues, it has an incredible artistic value, and it is the only South park movie created so far.

‘The Lego Batman Movie’ (2017)

The Lego Batman Movie is way more about humor than it is about action and superheroes. We’ve got comedy legend Will Arnett playing the very self-involved and ultra-ego Batman – a combination that will make us laugh for hours.

Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982)

If you’re a fan of rock music, put this movie on your list right now! The cult classic focuses on a young and lost rocker, the world he’s created for himself, and the emotional dangers he’s afraid of. Here, we can see paranoia and self-destruction at their best animated versions, but as disturbing as this protagonist’s character is, we still find him fascinating and unforgettable.

This is another movie whose raw and intense depiction of violence and sexuality led to an R rating – yet, it is qualified as one of the best adult animations ever.

‘A Scanner Darkly’ (2006)

The original, life-like animation of Scanner Darkly was a staggering success, in part because of the excellent acting crew behind it. What is really specific is it being shot with actual live action footages that took a year to animate. In 2018, the movie may seem a bit outdated, but it still deserves a look.

Waltz With Bashir (2008)

Member of the specific genre of animated documentaries, Waltz with Bashir brought memories of Lebanon’s 1982 war, and did so better than many live scene movies. It is a masterpiece of director Ari Folman, the guy who used his own memories to portrait the deadly conflict, and to remind us of the cruel reality of war. This movie is not only psychologically effective, but even damaging – the viewing experience is so dark and provocative, and explores such devastating themes that you will never be able to forget it.

At the same time, its disturbingly violent and sexual content, and the number of disturbing graphic images brought it an R rating. Well, we all expected that.

Fire and Ice (1983)

There are two distinctive paths in Ralph Bakshi’s career: his pioneer animations from the 70s that were edgy and explicit; and the early 80s when he created epic and influential, but generally underappreciated fantasies. Among those was also Sorcery cult Fire and Ice, following the intriguing adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

Bakshi had one of the best fantasy painters Frank Frazetta working on the case. He made the heroic and archetypical tale even more attractive, and took us on a joyful ride to the medieval age of good kings, dark lords, and brave warriors. We’d put this animation work right next to Conan the Barbarian, and name it one of the best animations the world has ever seen.

Team America: World Police (2004)

The classic mixes up politics with pop culture – the protagonists are a commando unit whose headquarters are secret and hidden. They look as glorified versions of Barbie and Ken dolls, as they have loping bodies and fragile marble eyes. You wouldn’t really picture them using a ‘xenophobic bluster’ in their administration, but well…they do!

The movie revives the stoicism of 60s Thunderbirds, which makes it even more intricate and explicit. For instance, there are enough montage puppet sex scenes to consider them as the focal point of the movie; as well as excellent showbiz satire brough to us by Janeane Garofalo and Sean Penn.

‘Yellow Submarine’ (1968)

A play of postmodern puns and surrealist conceits – that’s the best description of this brilliant Beatles movie. Get yourself a bottle of wine, and devote an evening to this pop art splendor and miracle of animation.

Anomalisa (2015)

What if you were a bored customer service agent whose life never seems to become more interesting? That’s the very story of Anomalisa, where the protagonist falls in love with a beautiful woman, and changes his life completely. The piece is touching and romantic and it inspires all of us to look for our soul mates. Just like other Charlie Kaufman movies, it stays under the skin and makes us want to watch it over and over again.

It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

This movie was completely hand-made by Don Hertzfeldt’s, and it may not be the most visually exciting anime on this list. Yet, the piece is intellectually and emotionally involving, as it questions the meaning of life as observed by disordered protagonist Bill. The fun and the thrill are way bigger than the synopsis would indicate, so give this masterpiece a try!

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Ghost in the Shell is another awesome attempt to use alternative anime for political goals. It focuses on conspiracy and sexual exploration paired with awesome Sci-Fi actions, a one-of-a-kind mash up with great influence on modern Sci-Fi.

Perfect Blue (1997)

The list of best adult animated movies wouldn’t be complete without this masterpiece of Japanese Animation. Perfect Blue follows the path of a singer who wants to become an artist, but descends instead in the dark and compromised world of her own expectations and ambitions. Practically, Darren Aronofsky recreated the timeless Black Swan piece, but with even more psychodrama and trilling experiences.

Ending thoughts on the best animated movies for adults

Now that we presented the best animation movies for adults, go ahead and have some fun! Both adult cartoon movies and dark animated movies guarantee some serious fun, and they’re all that good that you’ll find it hard to pick a favorite!

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Bogdan Sandu

Bogdan Sandu, a seasoned designer with 15 years of diverse experience, has been designing websites since 2008.

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