8 Great Animated Movies You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
The article argues that animation can tell stories beyond the usual family fare, and highlights eight films it believes deserve more attention. The examples span surreal comedy, horror, experimental shorts and a recent coming-of-age film, showing how varied the medium can be.
Among the films described are *Mind Game*, a mind-bending Japanese adventure that moves into a whale, and *The Wolf House*, an unnerving stop-motion and hand-drawn horror film staged to look like one continuous take. *Tux and Fanny* is an 82-minute story made from dozens of short pieces and is available free on YouTube; Richard Linklater’s *Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood* is praised for its animation, humour and nostalgic themes.
In short
- Animation can tell stories beyond children’s entertainment.
- The picks include surreal, frightening and experimental films.
- *Tux and Fanny* is available free on YouTube.
Explained simply
Animation is a way of making films from drawn images, models or computer-generated pictures. It is often associated with children’s entertainment, but filmmakers also use it for comedy, horror and stories aimed at adults.
The films in this article come from different countries and use different techniques, from stop-motion models to hand-drawn scenes and short pieces joined together. Their varied styles show how animation can shape a story’s mood and form, as well as its appearance.
Some of the films are freely available online, while others are feature-length releases by established directors. Together, they offer examples of animation beyond the best-known family films.