The 20 best stop-motion animated movies

Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, Coraline is one of the most popular stop-motion animated films of all time. The story follows a young girl who discovers a door in her home that leads to an idealized version of her frustrating life, but everything is not what it seems. Coraline pushes the boundaries for a children’s film with its super creepy storyline and characters. However, it is also brimming with imagination and wonder, elevated by its meticulously crafted visuals. 

As the first major stop-motion animated film to be released, The Nightmare Before Christmas permanently changed the creative landscape thanks to its unprecedented visuals. The film, perfect for both Halloween and Christmas viewing, follows Jack Skellington as he discovers Christmas. Many people are under the impression that it is directed by Tim Burton, but it is actually directed by Coraline’s Henry Selick. Burton produced the movie and wrote the story. 

Chicken Run marked the first collaboration between DreamWorks and Aardman, as well as Aardman’s first-ever feature film. The 2000s comedy classic follows a rooster and chicken who plan an escape from their evil owners. Chicken Run was also the first feature film made using claymation, which has become Aardan’s signature style. The long-awaited and highly anticipated sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, debuts in December 2023 on Netflix. 

There have been many adaptations of Pinocchio, some being better than others. Guillermo del Toro’s version, released in 2022, is one of the most singular and breathtaking. The beloved tale of a wooden boy brought to life is set against the backdrop of wartime Italy at the height of fascism. Del Toro’s vision is much darker than previous takes and breathes new life into a well-known story. The animation is full of intricate detail, making every frame a sight to behold.

Director Tim Burton is known for his quirky and distinctive visual style, which is on full display in Corpse Bride. When a groom practices his wedding vows in front of a deceased woman’s grave, she comes back to life and thinks they are married. As Burton’s first animated feature as director, it is imbued with his quirkiness and signature gothic style, mainly through its character design. There is a bittersweet love story at its core, told with whimsy and depth.

After appearing in a series of shorts, claymation duo Wallace and Gromit finally made their big screen debut in Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The film follows the cheese-loving Wallace and his intelligent dog, Gromit, who must track down the beast threatening the village’s Giant Vegetable Competition. Full of heart, wit, and absurdity, the film was a smash hit for DreamWorks and Aardman, winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. 

Based on the classic novel by Roald Dahl, director Wes Anderson brings his unique flare and tone to Fantastic Mr. Fox . When Mr. Fox returns to his old habits of stealing, three farmers threaten him and his kind. The stop-motion animation in the film is so detailed and precise that you can quite literally see every fiber and hair of Mr. Fox and his friends. Anderson brings his signature aesthetic style to the animation landscape with an all-star cast led by George Clooney and Meryl Streep. 

Inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Frankenweenie sees Tim Burton adapt his live-action short into a stop-motion animated feature. When young Victor Frankenstein’s beloved dog Sparky dies, he uses science to bring it back to life, causing chaos among his neighbors. Presented in black and white, Burton offers a fresh take on the classic monstery story that is both funny and heartfelt. The pairing of Burton and the Frankenstein story is just as good as it sounds on paper.

After directing The Nightmare Before Christmas, director Henry Selick paired with Disney once again to adapt Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach. The stop-motion animated/live-action hybrid film tells the story of an orphaned boy who befriends a group of bugs who live inside a giant peach. While the film is not as popular as Selick’s other titles, it offers a whimsical and music-filled adventure with heartfelt themes at its core, as well as plenty of memorable and peculiar characters. 

After the success of Coraline, stop-animation house Laika released their second feature film, ParaNorman. Norman, a young boy who can speak to ghosts, must use his abilities to save his town from a deadly curse. He teams up with various eclectic characters, including his bratty older sister and her jock boyfriend. Filled with suburban thrills, zombies, and plenty of laughs, ParaNorman is gorgeously animated with perfectly family-friendly spooky vibes. 

From A24, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a stop-motion animated/live-action hybrid film that is the independent studio’s most family-friendly outing. Based on a series of short films, the feature follows Marcel, a tiny mollusk shell searching for his family. Living in an Airbnb, a documentary filmmaker captures Marcel’s story as it reaches millions of people worldwide. Life-affirming and ridiculously adorable, Marcel and his spirit will melt your heart.

The House is an anthology film from Netflix, consisting of three stories set over different eras in the same house. Featuring human and anthropomorphized animal characters, each story sees something strange and mysterious happen that is tied to the house. The runtime is filled with a creepy and eerie atmosphere while balanced with some great dark comedy. Weird and wonderful, The House features the voice talents of Mia Goth, Helena Bonham Carter, and more. 

Based on the hugely popular children’s TV series, Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep Movie is a bona fide hit and even an Oscar nominee. When The Farmer goes missing, Shaun and the flock travel to the Big City to find him. Despite featuring zero dialogue, just like the show, the film is full of hilarious moments and references and is also surprisingly emotional. Shaun the Sheep’s first movie was followed by the 2019 sequel Farmageddon, which is just as much fun. 

Almost ten years after Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson returned to stop-motion animation with Isle of Dogs. Set in the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki, the film sees all dogs banished to an island after a canine flu outbreak as one boy searches for his missing dog. Despite being animated, Anderson’s film isn’t necessarily targeted towards children. The dogs aren’t cute but instead are scruffy and rough around the edges, and the film also features mature themes. 

Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic fantasy adventure that is as visually captivating as it is narratively. The film follows a young boy named Kubo, who, along with friends Monkey and Beetle, must find his father’s suit of armor to defeat an evil spirit. Full of rich mythology and Japanese-inspired visuals, every shot is striking and a work of art in its own right. It pushes the medium in new directions, and its plot also highlights the importance of stories and their legacy.

From surrealist director Charlie Kaufman, Anomalisa is an introspective and profound stop-motion animation for grown-ups. Michael, a man tired of his mundane life, meets a lively woman who changes his perspective. The film examines the monotony of existence and how a deep connection with another person can change our lives. While Anomalisa is animated, this is certainly not for kids, as it features sex, profanity, and other adult themes. 

Mary and Max is a somber yet hopeful tale about the weight of loneliness and the power of friendship and human connection. The film follows Mary, a friendless eight-year-old girl living in Melbourne, and Max, a forty-year-old man from New York who is deeply depressed. Through luck and a phone book, the two become pen-pals and help each other through their pain on opposite sides of the world. Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman provide the titular voices.

Thirteen years after the release of Coraline, Henry Selick returned to the world of stop-motion animation with Netflix’s Wendell & Wild . Comedy duo Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key voice the two titular demons, who enlist the help of a teenage girl named Kat to summon them to the Land of the Living. Featuring the exquisite spooky vibes Selick is known for, the film is a visually quirky treat, as well as an effective exploration of grief and other realistic struggles. 

Laika ditches ghost stories and demons with Missing Link , a good old-fashioned adventure flick. Zach Galifianakis voices the mythical creature, who recruits explorer Sir Lionel Frost to help him travel across America to find his relatives. Featuring the painstakingly crafted stop-motion animation Laika is known for, the film is full of heart and humor and has many positive real-world lessons to teach its audience. It also won a Golden Globe for Best Animated Film. 

Co-written by Portrait of a Lady on Fire director Céline Sciamma, My Life as a Zucchini is a French-Swiss film about finding hope after tragedy. The story follows a young boy sent to an orphanage after the death of his mother, where he forms friendships that help him love and trust again. At just a little over an hour in runtime, the film’s simplicity is its greatest strength, telling a familiar story with originality and empathy. It is bittersweet and incredibly moving.