Despite what some may say, animation is not only for children. There’s plenty of animation out there geared directly to adults, exploring more complex themes than that geared toward a younger audience. Even animated films meant for children can be and are enjoyed by everyone. Unfortunately, the medium is often overlooked by critics and at award shows. All the more reason to highlight some of the best adult animation, whether it be movies or series, that you’ll want to break out the popcorn for right now. For the sake of brevity, anime series will have to form a separate list, but everything else is fair game.
Arcane
There can’t be a discussion on the best of adult animation without bringing up the phenomenon that was “Arcane.” The League of Legends-inspired Netflix series made waves when it first dropped, both for the quality of the animation and the brilliant storytelling it portrayed. The series centers on the conflict between two cities, Piltover and Zaun, and two sisters that are torn apart by time and loyalties. The animation is beautifully realized and the themes of family, class, and identity give it the heart it needs to stand all on its own.
The House
If you are an adult who was once a child sitting in a theater, eyes glued to the screen as “Coraline” went on a dark and whimsical adventure, “The House” is the perfect grown-up movie to scratch that itch. The movie is a Netflix original that packs three stories into one. You have a 19th century family navigating a new home and relief from poverty before a new problem invades their walls. Then there’s an anthropomorphic rodents developer with strange tenants he can’t get rid of. Finally, a house of anthropomorphic cats floats in a post-apocalyptic world and one, named Rosa, refuses to leave even as the waters continue to rise. What binds them all together is one house that acts as its own central character.
Love, Death & Robots
Another Netflix original, “Love, Death & Robots,” is a perfect watch for “Arcane” lovers. It is an anthology series full of sci-fi stories, spanning all manner of animation styles. Currently with a total of four volumes, there’s plenty of material to keep you satisfied, whether you’re looking for something comedic or dark. Think quirky robots navigating a post-apocalyptic city, mythical sirens, and an adorable zombie apocalypse.
Smiling Friends
For comedy lovers, turn to Adult Swim’s “Smiling Friends.” Smiling Friends Inc. is a company doing the good work for once. The goal is to spread joy and smiles to as many people as possible. That’s where Charlie and Pim come in, two of the company’s representatives tasked with going out into the real world and doing just that. Charlie is rather negative while Pim is the embodiment of optimism. Together, they encounter all kinds of crazy characters and each job is more difficult than the last. But look a little deeper and you’ll find some poignant messages beneath the strange humor.
Persepolis
Quite the 180 from the last pick, “Persepolis” is a striking film based on Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. Marjane tells the story of growing up during the Iranian Revolution and later of leaving her home behind for a new one in Europe. The narrative details the growing pains of becoming a teenager and then an adult, alongside political and familial tensions. A black and white color pallet and 2-D animation that feels straight out of the book’s pages adds to the movie’s realism. But moments of color seeping in artfully separate the present from the past, and illustrate Marjane’s shifting identity.
Mary and Max
One movie sure to make any viewer shed a tear is “Mary and Max.” The plot is not a maze of twists and turns, and the movie’s scope is rather small. That is part of its beauty. We meet a young, lonely girl named Mary in Australia and, across the ocean, an elderly, autistic man named Max. The two strike up an unexpected pen pal situation and soon find solace in their communication. Both of their lives, though different, are clouded by isolation. The movie is imbued with moments of dark humor, as well as an all-too-human sadness that connects us regardless of who we are.
Paprika
“Paprika” is everything “Mary and Max” is not in terms of tone. It’s all vibrant colors, bustling cityscapes, and high-octane action sequences. The Japanese sci-fi film follows a researcher named Dr. Atsuko Chiba who has another hidden identity. A new form of technology allows therapists to enter patients’ dreams but there’s someone intent on using it for evil. Chiba takes on the alter-ego, Paprika, and enters into these eclectic dream worlds on a mission to put a stop to the interloper.
Tokyo Godfathers
Another animated film hailing from Japan is “Tokyo Godfathers.” This one is part Hallmark holiday movie, part action-adventure. On Christmas Eve, three very different characters, all without a home, find each other. They also stumble across an abandoned baby, thus setting them on a twisting and turning journey to find the parents. As the movie progresses, we see the common hopes and dreams between the three and a once-comical trio becomes something of a little family.
Fantastic Planet
What most will recognize first about “Fantastic Planet” is the bizarre and unsettling animation style. In fact, every scene looks like it could be straight out of a Salvador Dali painting in its stark surrealism. The plot centers on a people called the Oms who are humanlike in appearance. They live on a planet under the rule of the Draags, a race of large blue creatures. The Draags treat the Oms as less than until one Om boy sparks a rebellion that could turn the tide. The film is a poignant allegory with visuals that feed one’s curiosity.
Isle of Dogs
Wes Anderson’s catalog is not complete without “Isle of Dogs,” a beautiful stop-motion film that deserves just as much praise as his other masterpiece, “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” In the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki, spreading illness leads the mayor to send all dogs to a place called Trash Island. That includes young Atari’s dog, Spots. Atari leaves on a mission to retrieve Spots and finds himself with a gang of canine sidekicks along the way. The detailed character designs and heart-warming coming-of-age adventure plot makes for the perfect feel-good movie.
Grave of the Fireflies
While many Studio Ghibli films reveal striking social commentary and underlying themes that inspire analysis, “Grave of the Fireflies” still stands out among the rest. This film is an afflicting war drama following a teenager named Seita as he struggles to care for his younger sister after the two are separated from their parents. Each scene is more moving than the next and the tragedies that unfold will leave your reaching for tissues no matter what number rewatch you happen to be on.
BoJack Horseman
On a — somewhat — lighter note, we have the Netflix original series, “BoJack Horseman.” The main character is, you guessed it, a horse who was once a beloved ’90s sitcom star. Now, however, stardom has faded and BoJack Horseman is looking for fulfillment again. With a couple sidekicks and a whole lot of wit, he steps back into the world, but not without a few missteps along the way. The series is a comedy with a side of realism and heart, and it touches on things like mental illness in a way that some non-comedy shows can’t even get right.
Ghost in the Shell
“Ghost in the Shell” is a cultural phenomenon and one of the most recognizable pieces of cyberpunk animation out there. It follows Maj. Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg, and her partner as they track down a hacker known as “The Puppet Master.” Along the way, Motoko begins to question her own identity and the tension between cyborg and human, and what it means to be human, rise to the forefront. The vibrant, futuristic visuals are just the cherry-on-top to this epic journey.
Anomalisa
Drawing us back into the real world with sobering clarity is “Anomalisa,” a movie that follows a man named Michael. Michael works as a motivational speaker but when he comes down from it all, his life feels incredibly mundane and uninspiring. That is until he meets Lisa at one of his conventions. The two strike up a conversation and Michael spends the night enraptured by Lisa’s presence, one that has the potential to light up the darkness that is his life. The story confronts our most human desires, and the tension between what we want and what we get.
La Casa Lobo (The Wolf House)
“La Casa Lobo,” known in English as “The Wolf House,” is a Chilean horror film that draws on stop-motion’s unique characteristics to create one of the most unsettling films you’ll ever see, animated or not. The narrative centers on a young woman named Maria who flees from an isolated cult into the woods where she takes refuge in abandoned house. There, she meets its inhabitants, a pair of pigs. As the story unfolds, Maria’s surroundings shift, taking the shape of the stuff of her dreams and the stuff of her nightmares. Each moment draws viewers into their own nightmare of sorts and doesn’t let go until the end.
Něco z Alenky (Alice)
This is not quite the “Alice in Wonderland” you’re used to. While the original and its various remakes over the years have run the gamut from whimsical to unsettling, none are quite so dark and surreal as Jan Švankmajer’s take on the classic tale in “Alice.” This is not purely animated, as Alice herself is played by a live action actress, Kristýna Kohoutová. The story starts off familiar as Alice follows her stuffed rabbit into a magical world. But the other characters take on a new strange life as Švankmajer uses all manner of puppets, taxidermy animals, and skeletons to twist the narrative.
Soul
To round out the list, I’m throwing in one that admittedly doesn’t quite fit the criteria. Soul is a Disney Pixar film from 2020 that was not marketed specifically for adults. However, the themes and execution of this movie, for me, make it a perfect fit. When I first watched “Soul,” I cried harder than I have in many adult films because of just how raw and relatable the characters’ struggles were. The story follows Joe who is a middle-school band teacher with big dreams and a life that’s gone in a different direction than he intended. His passions war with reality, leaving him bitter and resentful. But when an accident leaves his body and his soul torn apart, he goes on a journey to reunite them in time for his big break. Along the way, he learns what living really means.
