- 5 months ago
Animation isn't just for kids! Join us as we count down our picks for the greatest animated films that were definitely made with grown-ups in mind. From mind-bending psychological thrillers to provocative social commentaries, these films push boundaries in ways that children's animation never could. Get ready for a journey through animation's most mature masterpieces!
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the greatest animated films
00:13for adults. We'll be getting into spoilers for various movies, so consider this your warning.
00:18Number 30. Predator Killer of Killers
00:31Not only does this animated anthology treat us to a catalogue of interesting stories,
00:39but it also pretty much revives the Predator franchise from the ground up.
00:43Killer of Killers shows us three distinct tales of people trying to kill a Predator.
00:47The real kicker is that each story takes place in a different historical era,
00:51which means the possibilities for what can happen are endless.
00:54We see Predators go up against Vikings, Samurai, Fighter Pilots, and never once does it lose our attention.
01:10It's incredibly gory, taking the violence that fans are used to seeing in this franchise
01:15to a completely different level through its animation.
01:17It's inventive, exciting, and absolutely brutal.
01:31Number 29. Nine.
01:33There's a lot about Nine that's unsettling, making it feel much more mature than you'd expect.
01:48The story revolves around a sentient ragdoll who wakes up in a post-apocalyptic future,
01:53where others like him are hunted by murderous machines.
01:56There's not much else out there like this.
01:57The visuals are stunning, the atmosphere is moody, and the tone is bleak.
02:07Nine deals with intense subject matter,
02:09and forces you to look at who's left standing after the end of the world.
02:13It's a haunting film.
02:14Sure, you can see it with your family, but you might want to sleep with a nightlight on after.
02:24Number 28. Barefoot Gen.
02:27It's no secret that World War II deeply affected Japan,
02:40but seeing the crisis play out from the perspective of a young child
02:43makes the situation all the more terrifying.
02:46Barefoot Gen follows Gen Nakaoka,
02:48a young boy directly impacted by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
02:51The film expertly depicts the devastating effects of war.
03:05It goes into painstaking detail to show how much destruction the atomic bomb created,
03:10and how it utterly destroyed Gen's life.
03:12It's easy to look back at historical tragedies like numbers on a page,
03:15but this movie doesn't gloss over the pain.
03:17Barefoot Gen makes us see the consequences of war on everyday citizens,
03:22and reminds us just how severe these historical events are.
03:34Number 27. Fantastic Planet.
03:36The world of Egon might seem like a wonderful place,
03:49but it's got some real problems hidden underneath the surface.
03:52The planet is dominated by a species of giant blue aliens called the Drags,
03:56who keep humans, whom they call Ohms, as house pets.
04:00However, tensions escalate between the two
04:02when one of these humans starts to get smart.
04:14Fantastic Planet is jam-packed with all sorts of trippy visuals
04:17that make it one heck of a viewing experience,
04:20but it doesn't just have style, it's got substance too.
04:23It shows us what rebellion looks like,
04:25and how systematic oppression creates anger.
04:27The complex themes it explores,
04:29and its depictions of violence,
04:30make it clear that the movie's not for the faint of heart.
04:42Number 26. Beavis and Butthead do America.
04:47When these two doofuses try to replace their stolen TV,
04:58they end up going on a wild journey,
05:01where they accidentally become hitmen.
05:03This movie is an entertaining and star-studded adventure
05:05that makes sure to keep you laughing.
05:07It's not just all jokes, though.
05:09It's also a pretty good satire of America,
05:11which hasn't exactly gotten smarter since 1996.
05:22So, the film still holds up well now.
05:24Adult animation doesn't have to just be serious stories
05:27and gritty violence.
05:28It can be crude humor and over-the-top spectacles.
05:30That's exactly what this cinematic Beavis and Butthead adventure
05:33is all about,
05:34although the film is smarter than it seems.
05:36Are you threatening me?
05:38I am Cornholio.
05:40Number 25. Isle of Dogs.
05:43There's a pile of broken eggshells
05:44and an old smushed-up rotten gizzard with maggots all over it.
05:46Okay, it's worth it.
05:49Wes Anderson's distinguished cinematic flair
05:51has changed the landscape of movies,
05:53and not just live-action ones.
05:55His animated films, like Isle of Dogs,
05:57share his typical tone and usual quirks.
05:59The movie's about a young boy who tries to find his dog
06:02after an entire group of them is sent to live
06:04in a place called Trash Island,
06:06following the spread of a dangerous canine flu.
06:08Mayor Kobayashi of Uni Prefecture
06:10issues emergency orders,
06:12calling for a hasty quarantine.
06:14Despite revolving around animals,
06:15this isn't exactly a family-friendly movie.
06:18It has loads of distinctly unsettling visuals
06:20and deals with some heavy stuff,
06:22such as prejudice and politics.
06:24The dogs are marginalized and isolated.
06:26Seeing that play out on the screen isn't easy.
06:29While the dogs may be cute,
06:30the situations they go through are ugly.
06:40Number 24. Beowulf
06:42Beowulf has a distinct visual style
06:52in the vein of Robert Zemeckis' other motion-capture films.
06:55Unlike The Polar Express or A Christmas Carol, though,
06:57this animated film isn't for the whole family.
06:59It's a retelling of the classic Beowulf poem,
07:02covering the famed warrior's battle to slay Grendel,
07:05as well as the aftermath of that journey.
07:07Mine is strength and lust and power.
07:11I am power!
07:12If you're into epic action,
07:14then this movie is perfect for you.
07:16Even if that's not quite your speed,
07:17don't worry,
07:18there's still plenty of juicy drama
07:19to keep you on the edge of your seat.
07:21In short,
07:22Beowulf not only adapts a famous piece of literature,
07:24but also changes things enough
07:26to keep things fresh.
07:26Number 23.
07:35It's Such a Beautiful Day
07:36Bill's mother put a heavy coat over him
07:39whenever he left the house
07:40for fear that he might fall victim
07:42to something called
07:42walking pneumonia.
07:44Stick figures are works of art.
07:47Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
07:48Speaking of stick figures,
07:50they're the focus of this Don Hertzfeld movie.
07:52It's Such a Beautiful Day revolves around Bill,
07:54who navigates life amidst memory problems
07:56and other health issues.
07:58This is a very experimental project
08:00that plays around with its narrative
08:01and messes around with the tone.
08:03One moment could be funny,
08:05while the next is a complete gut punch.
08:06His stepfather stormed to the door
08:09where he turned his face up
08:10towards a hole in the ceiling
08:11and yelled,
08:13I just can't handle
08:14this goddamned woman
08:16and left.
08:18The film has garnered
08:18incredible critical acclaim.
08:20It's so popular
08:21that it's widely considered
08:22one of the greatest movies in animation.
08:24That's pretty high praise,
08:25but it's well deserved.
08:27This isn't just a quirky cartoon.
08:28It's a meditation on life and death
08:31and a film that'll absolutely
08:32move you to tears.
08:33You will only get older.
08:36The next thing you know,
08:40you're looking back
08:41instead of forward.
08:42Number 22.
08:43Pink Floyd, The Wall.
08:56The Wall is a wild adaptation
08:58of Pink Floyd's album of the same name.
09:00It largely tells the story
09:01of a rock star named Pink
09:03and his turbulent past.
09:04Though this technically has a mixture
09:06of both animation and live action,
09:08the animated parts elevate the movie.
09:10The surreal musical drama
09:11is loaded with symbolism,
09:13namely with the wall itself.
09:22The trippy film essentially implies
09:24that it's a barrier Pink used
09:26to shield himself from the world
09:27after the death of his father.
09:29The movie clearly has a lot to say.
09:31As a result,
09:31it can get pretty intense
09:33and bizarre for audiences.
09:34Behind all of the darkness
09:35and the absurdity
09:36is ultimately
09:37a story about someone
09:38trying to reconcile with himself.
09:49Number 21.
09:51Persepolis.
09:52How do you maintain who you are
10:01when the culture around you
10:02is dangerously shifting
10:03into something else entirely?
10:05That's a problem
10:06that Marjan Marji Satrapi
10:08had to figure out how to solve.
10:10Based on the acclaimed
10:10autobiographical comic book,
10:12Persepolis chronicles the life
10:13of a young girl
10:14growing up in the 1970s
10:16during the Iranian revolution.
10:18It's a turbulent time
10:19where dynasties are toppled,
10:20political systems are changed,
10:22and families are radically affected.
10:23The hate shamelessly
10:25is to trample on the blood
10:26of all those
10:27who sacrificed their lives
10:28for our freedom.
10:28That is why I ask
10:29all the women present here today
10:31to refrain from wearing
10:32wide-legged pants and makeup.
10:34Marji's story
10:35is a deeply personal one.
10:37The movie does an exceptional job
10:38of portraying it.
10:39The cultural landscape changes,
10:41and as it does,
10:42so does she.
10:43Coming-of-age stories
10:44are hardly anything new.
10:45However,
10:46seeing Marji grow up in Iran
10:47during this challenging time
10:49is a truly eye-opening experience.
10:51I just don't understand why,
10:53as a woman,
10:54you don't think
10:54I'd be affected
10:55by the sight of men
10:56in skin-tight pants,
10:57yet you're worried
10:58they'll get turned on
10:59by a few less inches of veil?
11:01Number 20,
11:02The Animatrix.
11:03Is it important?
11:04Very.
11:05I hope it gets
11:06where it's supposed to go.
11:08Me too.
11:08These days,
11:09you never know.
11:10No.
11:11You never do.
11:12Being PG-13,
11:13one might assume
11:14this anthology
11:15is more restrained
11:16than the live-action Matrix films,
11:17yet,
11:18The Animatrix contains
11:19some of the most graphic imagery
11:20in the franchise,
11:21especially the second renaissance part one,
11:24where heads are as smashable
11:25as pumpkins.
11:26As gritty as intense
11:27as the imagery is,
11:28The Animatrix
11:29is nothing short
11:30of visually stimulating,
11:31covering a range
11:32of genres and styles.
11:33And man said,
11:35let there be light,
11:36and he was blessed
11:37by light,
11:38heat,
11:39magnetism,
11:40gravity,
11:42and all the energies
11:43of the universe.
11:44The film isn't style
11:45over substance,
11:45however.
11:46Where some segments
11:47are heavy on world-building,
11:48others tell smaller-scale,
11:50more personal stories.
11:51Either way,
11:52you can expect them
11:52to emphasize
11:53the ideas and philosophies
11:55this series is known for.
11:56We don't think it's a hot take
11:57to say it's the second-best Matrix movie
11:59after the original.
12:00How do they know
12:01that the real world
12:02isn't just another simulation?
12:04How do you?
12:05Well, I know I'm not dreaming now
12:06because I know
12:07what it's like being in a dream.
12:09Number 19,
12:10The Plague Dogs.
12:11Director Martin Rosen
12:12is best known
12:13for Watership Down,
12:14which predated
12:14the PG-13 rating
12:16and has thus
12:16scarred children
12:17for generations.
12:18Rosen's next adaptation
12:19of a Richard Adams novel,
12:21The Plague Dogs,
12:22would retroactively
12:22be rated PG-13,
12:24but even that
12:25feels lenient.
12:26Why do they do it,
12:27Snitter?
12:28I'm not a bad dog.
12:30I don't think they do it
12:31because they think
12:32you're bad, Rolf.
12:33This harrowing story
12:34follows two dogs
12:35who escape from
12:36a torture chamber
12:36posing as a research lab.
12:38While Snitter and Rolf
12:39were subjected
12:40to unspeakable cruelty,
12:41nature isn't much
12:42more forgiving.
12:43To survive,
12:44the animals must become,
12:45well, animals.
12:46Considering how
12:47the white coats
12:48treated them,
12:49we may be the real animals.
12:50Even with several scenes
12:51cut from the US release,
12:53Plague Dogs is
12:53uncompromisingly bloody
12:55and brutal,
12:56but also thought-provoking
12:57in its portrayal
12:58of how the animal world
12:59views the human world.
13:00It's our island.
13:02Don't you see it?
13:04That's where we have to go.
13:08We can be free.
13:10Number 18,
13:11Aqua Teen Hunger Force
13:12colon movie film
13:13for theaters.
13:14This big screen version
13:15of the hit Adult Swim show
13:16sets a tone
13:17with its title alone.
13:18Even then,
13:19few could have anticipated
13:20the opening
13:21when the let's all go
13:22to the lobby snacks
13:23are bombarded
13:24by a heavy metal band
13:25who proclaim
13:25that even if you walk out,
13:27your money's theirs now.
13:28That said,
13:40we could imagine
13:41some adults heading
13:41for the exit,
13:42specifically those
13:43who weren't raised
13:44on this brand
13:44of irreverent humor.
13:46For those well acquainted
13:47with the Aqua Teens,
13:48Moonanites,
13:48Plutonians,
13:49and Carl,
13:50this feature is a laugh riot
13:51that raises the stakes
13:53while undermining
13:53the plot at every turn.
13:55No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
13:56I know what you're talking about.
13:57Don't worry about it.
13:58Uh, hey, look,
13:59a caterpillar.
14:00Oh, hey, where's this caterpillar?
14:02Just, uh, keep looking.
14:03As for kids,
14:04let's just say
14:05they might not be ready
14:06for this material
14:07or the substances
14:08some adults will bring
14:09into the theater.
14:10Number 17,
14:11When the Wind Blows.
14:12Jimmy T. Murakami's
14:13film adaptation
14:14of Raymond Briggs'
14:15graphic novel
14:16might not seem
14:16strictly adult-oriented
14:17at first glance.
14:19The film invites the viewer
14:20in with a cozy style
14:21that blends hand-drawn
14:22and stop-motion techniques,
14:23almost calling
14:24a pop-up book to mind.
14:25If a job's worth doing,
14:27it's worth doing well, James.
14:29Yes, dear.
14:30But it is only temporary.
14:32After all,
14:33you'll be over in a flash.
14:35Jim and Hilda blogs
14:36are delightful central characters,
14:38even when they're talking
14:39about the prospects
14:39of a nuclear holocaust.
14:41By the second act, though,
14:42this nuclear attack
14:43is no longer theoretical.
14:45Jim and Hilda
14:45carry us through the hardships
14:46with their optimism
14:47and love for each other,
14:49leading us to believe
14:49the worst is behind them.
14:51You won't have to worry
14:52about the thing.
14:53The powers that be
14:54will get to us in the end.
14:57I hope they come soon, dear.
14:59I'm not feeling very well.
15:01Alas,
15:01this is only the beginning.
15:03When the Wind Blows
15:04is a descent
15:04from denial
15:05to acceptance
15:06as we powerlessly watch
15:08a married couple
15:08succumb to fallout.
15:10Number 16,
15:11Heavy Metal.
15:12For anyone who thinks
15:13animation is just for kids,
15:14Heavy Metal
15:15is a rite of passage.
15:16That's not to say
15:17Heavy Metal
15:17isn't an immature film.
15:19It is,
15:20with over-the-top violence
15:21and gratuitous nudity
15:22for the sake of
15:23gratuitous nudity.
15:24For anyone who was ever
15:25a rebellious teenager, though,
15:26few films better
15:27encapsulate
15:28our wildest daydreams.
15:29I'm taking it all.
15:32Pull over.
15:37Are you sure
15:37this is what you want?
15:39Positive.
15:40Capturing the spirit
15:41of the magazine
15:41that inspired it,
15:43this anthology
15:43is an 80s time capsule
15:45with the highest
15:46of high fantasy,
15:47the punkiest
15:47of steampunk,
15:48and a rock and roll sound.
15:50It's a product
15:50of the time,
15:51but that's why
15:51Heavy Metal
15:52has endured.
15:52The power of evil
15:54is contained
15:56for another generation,
15:59and a new Terrakian
16:01is born
16:02to protect.
16:05Over four decades later,
16:06it still serves
16:07as a gateway
16:07to adult animation
16:08and an inspiration
16:09for modern anthologies
16:10like Love, Death,
16:11and Robots.
16:13Number 15.
16:14Ghost in the Shell.
16:15Speaking of gateways,
16:16Ghost in the Shell
16:17was an entry point
16:17for many in terms
16:18of anime
16:19and adult animation.
16:20Your body's almost
16:21completely human.
16:22If we all reacted
16:23the same way,
16:24we'd be predictable,
16:25and there's always
16:26more than one way
16:27to view a situation.
16:28At the time,
16:29Japanese animation
16:30was gaining a reputation
16:31for being more violent
16:32and sexualized
16:33than what most westerners
16:34were used to.
16:35Even a fair deal
16:36of kid-friendly anime
16:37had to be censored
16:38for those sensitive
16:39North Americans.
16:40Ghost in the Shell
16:41was introduced
16:41to the US
16:42with a hard R rating,
16:44keeping his kinetic violence
16:45and sex-positive portrayal
16:46of the female form intact.
16:48While this made the film
16:49not suitable for children,
16:51its meditation on humanity
16:52technology
16:53and identity
16:54made Ghost in the Shell adult.
16:55This might be our last chance
16:57to get the puppet master.
16:58The chief knows what it is now
16:59and he'll only use it
17:00to bargain with.
17:01I'll never have another chance
17:02to dive into it.
17:04What?
17:04You've lost me.
17:05I don't know what the hell
17:06you're talking about.
17:07It not only ushered in
17:08a new age of more adult animation,
17:10but smarter sci-fi films as well.
17:12Number 14,
17:13$9.99.
17:14From the stunning establishing shot,
17:16director Tatia Rosenthal
17:18immerses us in a stop-motion world
17:20that's so simple,
17:21yet so layered.
17:22A couple of bucks
17:23can only take you so far
17:24in this world.
17:25At the same time,
17:26opening your wallet
17:26can make all the difference.
17:28If it's not enough,
17:29I'll go with you to an ATM,
17:31but please don't kill me.
17:33I have two children.
17:34Man, relax.
17:35I was just gonna ask you
17:36for a buck for coffee.
17:37I wasn't robbing you.
17:38This isn't even mine.
17:39For less than 10 bucks,
17:40you may even learn
17:41the meaning of life.
17:42At least,
17:43that's what an ad reads.
17:44$9.99 doesn't spell out
17:46the meaning of life
17:46or even the movie's meaning.
17:48Through a series of
17:49interlocking stories, however,
17:50we experience life
17:51at its most mundane
17:52and its most surreal.
17:54In short,
17:54the film is about life itself
17:56and the best things
17:57in life are free.
17:58Of course,
17:58a ticket is worth
17:59the price of admission.
18:00Life is supposed to be
18:01full of joy and sorrow.
18:02It's just that...
18:04the joy part.
18:05Don't say that.
18:07Let's just...
18:09do something fun.
18:10Number 13.
18:11American Pop
18:12He's gone right away, Charlie.
18:13Charlie, he'll keep his eyes closed.
18:15He won't see nothing.
18:16His ears closed.
18:17He won't hear nothing.
18:18Won't breathe nothing.
18:18Won't take nothing.
18:19If you get nothing about it,
18:19you'll pay nothing.
18:21Ralph Bakshi is synonymous
18:22with adult animation
18:23and American Pop
18:24is among his most mature films.
18:26When we say mature,
18:27we're not talking about
18:28sex, drugs, and violence,
18:30although all three
18:31are present here.
18:32American Pop
18:32may be Bakshi's
18:33most thematically mature film,
18:35chronicling the lives
18:36of a Russian-Jewish
18:37immigrant family
18:38across four generations.
18:39Accompanied by a banger soundtrack,
18:41we not only experience
18:42the evolution of music
18:43throughout the decades,
18:44but also this family's
18:45pursuit of the American dream.
18:46Aren't you going to finish the song?
18:49You can't make any money
18:50if you don't finish the song.
18:52Don't you know what
18:53I don't need no money?
18:55In addition to the past
18:56and present,
18:57you can argue that
18:58American Pop looks to the future.
18:59Six months after its debut,
19:01MTV launched,
19:02giving birth to the
19:03music video generation.
19:05American Pop has the essence
19:06of an epic music video
19:07backed by a timeless story.
19:09Number 12.
19:10Waking Life
19:11Primarily known for live action,
19:13Richard Linklater has helmed
19:14several rotoscope films
19:16aimed at older audiences.
19:17A scanner darkly gained
19:18a passionate cult following,
19:20but many consider
19:20Waking Life to be his masterpiece.
19:22In animation circles,
19:23rotoscoping is divisive,
19:25with some writing it off
19:26as glorified tracing.
19:27You know how they say
19:28that there's still
19:29six to twelve minutes
19:30of brain activity
19:31after everything else
19:32is shut down?
19:33And the second
19:34of dream consciousness,
19:35right?
19:35Well, that's infinitely longer
19:37than a waking second.
19:39While live action footage
19:40was shot first,
19:41the visuals were still
19:42digitally drawn
19:42frame by frame,
19:43with the artist
19:44adding a surreal touch.
19:45However you categorize it,
19:47we can't think of
19:47a better method
19:48to tell a story
19:49that blends reality,
19:50dreams,
19:51and everything in between.
19:52The film transports you
19:53to another plane
19:54of consciousness,
19:55where even if you don't
19:56understand every image
19:57or conversation,
19:58the experience is as
19:59engrossing as a dream
20:00you don't want to wake up from.
20:01All of life is like,
20:02no thank you,
20:03no thank you,
20:04no thank you,
20:04and ultimately it's,
20:06yes, I give in,
20:07yes, I accept,
20:08yes, I embrace.
20:09Number 11.
20:11Marion Max.
20:11Director Adam Elliott's work
20:13is perhaps best summed up
20:14as whimsically bleak.
20:16This unusual marriage of tones
20:18is on full display
20:19in Elliott's Marion Max.
20:20The film's limited color palette
20:22reflects the themes
20:22of depression,
20:23isolation,
20:24and other facets
20:25of mental health.
20:26There is something
20:27I have to tell you
20:28which will explain
20:29why I have not written.
20:32Each time I received
20:34one of your letters,
20:35I had a severe anxiety attack.
20:38While few would describe it
20:39as a feel-good movie,
20:41there's an abundance
20:41of charm to be unearthed.
20:43From the offbeat character designs
20:44to Elliott's quirky screenplay,
20:46we'd say that it's bittersweet,
20:47but the film is never
20:48100% bitter or sweet.
20:50It is ultimately
20:51life-affirming, though,
20:52demonstrating the importance
20:53of friendship,
20:54no matter how unlikely.
20:55Although the relationship
20:56between the titular pen pals
20:57can seem inappropriate,
20:59one being much older
20:59than the other,
21:00it stems from a place
21:01of sincerity.
21:02But her excitement
21:03suddenly dribbled away
21:05like a chocolate
21:07in the sun.
21:09Number 10.
21:10Waltz with Bashir.
21:11Ari Fulman's film
21:12is unlike any war documentary
21:13we've ever seen before.
21:15We aren't merely saying that
21:16because it's animated,
21:17although this does help
21:18to distinguish it.
21:19What stands out
21:20about Waltz with Bashir
21:21is its subject matter.
21:22There is only one
21:23one from there.
21:25And how are you
21:26living in this story?
21:29What's the story?
21:31The film revolves
21:32around the 1982 Lebanon War,
21:34as well as the Sabra
21:35and Shatala massacre.
21:37Yet,
21:37it's more about memories.
21:39When you think about it,
21:40that's what every documentary
21:41essentially is,
21:42a reflection on past events.
21:44Some people have
21:45photographic memories.
21:46In Fulman's case,
21:47some memories are clear,
21:48others are distorted,
21:50and a select few
21:50might be forever erased
21:52by trauma.
21:52I don't remember it.
21:54It's a situation
21:55that a man is in a situation
21:59but he feels
22:00that he's outside
22:01of the situation.
22:01For example,
22:02While the animators
22:03hauntingly recreate
22:04Fulman's living nightmares,
22:05this is one of the most
22:06psychological war documentaries,
22:08presenting PTSD
22:09through a whole new lens.
22:11Number 9.
22:12I lost my body.
22:13I lost my body
22:14is about separation
22:15in more ways than one.
22:17After interacting
22:17with a woman
22:18over an intercom,
22:19Naofel becomes determined
22:21to meet her properly.
22:22Although,
22:22his methods are questionable.
22:24And when it blows
22:24really hard,
22:25when there's a lot of wind,
22:26I can feel the building swaying.
22:29I don't know.
22:30It feels like...
22:32Like the whole world
22:33is drunk.
22:34Naofel grows more detached
22:35after losing his hand
22:36in a freak accident.
22:37If you think that
22:38sounds morbid,
22:39the hand develops
22:39a mind of its own,
22:40determined to find
22:41its way back to Naofel.
22:43What ensues
22:43is right out of
22:44a survival movie,
22:45with an urban playground
22:46proving every bit
22:47as deadly as the wild.
22:48While some may cringe
22:49and faint at the sight
22:50of the hand,
22:51we surprisingly come to care
22:52for the severed body part
22:53as an individual.
22:54What's lost
22:55can't always be found,
22:56but it can forge a new path.
22:58Come on,
22:58open the door.
23:03Okay.
23:05If you need anything.
23:07Number 8.
23:07I Married a Strange Person.
23:09A strange film
23:10by a strange person,
23:11and we mean that
23:12as the highest of compliments
23:13to director Bill Plimpton.
23:14Some very strange things
23:16have been happening.
23:17You know, men,
23:18they have certain needs.
23:22No, I mean really bizarre things.
23:24This indie animated film
23:26was only produced
23:27for $250,000,
23:29but it overflows
23:30with Plimpton's signature
23:31twisted humor and style.
23:33We use the word twisted
23:34for a variety of reasons,
23:36namely because Plimpton
23:37has a knack
23:37for animating transformations.
23:39His skills are perfectly suited
23:40for a story
23:41about a man
23:42who can change people
23:43and objects
23:44with the power of his mind,
23:45although he can't always
23:46control what pops into his head.
23:48This puts a strain
23:49on his marriage,
23:50with reality itself
23:51also potentially in jeopardy.
23:52Oh, did that so cute?
23:56How'd you get to be so hot?
23:59Did you pop out on the spot?
24:01Hello?
24:02For those unfamiliar
24:03with Plimpton's work,
24:04I Married a Strange Person
24:05is a gateway
24:06down his demented rabbit hole.
24:08Number 7, Perfect Blue.
24:10With films like
24:11Millennium Actress
24:12and Paprika,
24:13the late Satoshi Kon
24:14left the audience
24:15constantly wondering
24:16what's real
24:17and what's a dream.
24:18This theme traces back
24:19to his feature-length debut,
24:21Perfect Blue,
24:21one of the most disturbing
24:22animated films
24:23we've ever watched.
24:24Mimiren, Mimiren,
24:25here, here, take this.
24:28I'm always watching Mima's room.
24:30As shocking as the imagery is,
24:32that's only part of
24:32what makes this thriller
24:33so unsettling.
24:34Centered on a young celebrity
24:36being stalked,
24:36the terror stems just as much
24:38from what we don't see.
24:39As the protagonist
24:40begins to question her sanity,
24:42we're left with a query
24:43sure to make anyone's skin crawl.
24:44Would you rather be the target
24:45of a malevolent outsider
24:47or a victim of an inescapable
24:48enemy within?
24:49It's a question
24:50most are afraid to even ask.
24:52No, I'm the real thing.
24:54Number 6, Sausage Party.
24:56You and me,
24:57we're finally gonna be official.
24:58I'm so happy
24:59the gods put our packages together.
25:01It's because we belong together.
25:02It's like we were made
25:03for each other.
25:04We'd like to think
25:05that at least one absent-minded parent
25:07put on Sausage Party
25:08for their kid
25:09assuming it was a Pixar movie
25:10and left the room.
25:12Then later,
25:12over a hot dog dinner,
25:13the kid said,
25:14Mommy and or Daddy,
25:16I'm not sure I'm comfortable
25:17putting my Frank
25:18inside a bun anymore.
25:19If you think that sounds explicit,
25:21then you aren't prepared
25:22for this film's unfiltered glory.
25:24Seth Rogen and company
25:25set out to make
25:25a CG animated film
25:27that appeared family-oriented
25:28on the surface,
25:29but in reality,
25:30was strictly for the adult crowd.
25:31What, uh,
25:33do you want?
25:35Let's just say
25:36what I want involves
25:37much more than
25:38just the tips.
25:40As unapologetically low-brow
25:42as Sausage Party is,
25:43it's also a clever satire,
25:45not just of other
25:46CG animated films,
25:47but religion as well.
25:48We guess you could call this
25:50the anti-veggie tales.
25:52Number 5.
25:53Anomalisa
25:54For a film with
25:55full frontal puppets,
25:56Anomalisa is much deeper
25:58than you may expect.
25:59Sex, nudity,
26:00and profanity
26:01might have earned it
26:01an R rating,
26:02but that's not purely why.
26:04Anomalisa isn't aimed at kids.
26:06Charlie Kaufman
26:06and Duke Johnson's film
26:08depicts a midlife crisis
26:09in a way that
26:10only stop-motion can convey.
26:11Listen,
26:12do you feel that you changed?
26:14I mean,
26:14do you feel that you changed?
26:17What are you talking about?
26:18I don't know.
26:19I don't know.
26:20Like in any way,
26:20like in any way,
26:21did you change?
26:22Protagonist Michael Stone
26:23works as a motivational speaker,
26:25despite being overcome
26:26with loneliness
26:26and self-loathing.
26:27As everyone else
26:28in Michael's orbit
26:29blends in with one another,
26:31the ordinary Lisa stands out.
26:33Lisa seems like an anomaly,
26:34although at the end of the day,
26:35this chance encounter
26:36is an anomaly
26:37that can't be sustained.
26:38Everything's fine.
26:40I'm just...
26:40I know.
26:42I'm not great to look at
26:43in bright sunlight.
26:44No, you're very pretty.
26:46This portrait
26:47of middle-aged life
26:48is grim,
26:49but being a Charlie Kaufman production,
26:50it's awe-inspiring
26:51even at its most depressing.
26:53Number 4.
26:54Grave of the Fireflies
26:55Studio Ghibli
26:57makes movies for everyone,
26:58but some lean more adult than others.
27:00Any older Ghibli fan will tell you,
27:02Grave of the Fireflies
27:03makes Princess Mononoke
27:04look like my neighbor Totoro.
27:06Ironically,
27:07Totoro and Fireflies
27:08were released in Japan
27:09as a double feature.
27:10Although both center
27:11on young siblings,
27:12one awakens your inner child,
27:13while the other
27:14forces the viewer to grow up.
27:15Papa and the little ones,
27:19the kids...
27:20Stop it!
27:21We...
27:21Don't you realize
27:23that there's a war going on?
27:25Sadly,
27:26Seta and Setsuko
27:27can't grow up.
27:28We're not giving too much away
27:29as the film is up front
27:30about where the story will end.
27:31That doesn't make the experience
27:32any less devastating.
27:34While there is a light
27:35at the end of the tunnel,
27:36you can only rewatch
27:37Isao Takahata's film
27:38so many times.
27:39Yet,
27:40it sticks with you forever.
27:41The whole fleet's been sent
27:42to the bottom of the sea.
27:43Not one left to float.
27:45What?
27:46Wasn't my dad's ship sunk too?
27:48Please tell me!
27:49Is that why he hasn't written?
27:50Number 3.
27:51Fritz the Cat
27:52To give you an idea
27:53of where animation
27:53was in the 70s,
27:55the decade kicked off
27:56with Disney's
27:56The Aristocats.
27:57Two years later,
27:58Ralph Bakshi
27:59gave us a very different film
28:00about another cat.
28:01And me,
28:02a writer!
28:03And a poet
28:04who should be
28:04having adventures
28:05and experience
28:06and all the diversities
28:07and paradoxes
28:08and ironies of life
28:10and passing over
28:11all the roads
28:11of the world!
28:13Fritz the Cat,
28:13based on cartoonist
28:14R. Crumb's creation.
28:16While the definition
28:16of adult animation
28:17has evolved over time,
28:19Fritz was a turning point,
28:20being the first
28:21American animated feature
28:22to be rated X.
28:23So even with a parent,
28:25no kid was getting
28:25in the theater.
28:26Although the film
28:27was remembered
28:27for an infamous
28:28bathtub scene,
28:29Fritz was perhaps
28:30even more influential
28:31with its topical commentary
28:32and how its dialogue
28:33captured youth culture
28:34at the time.
28:35Yeah.
28:37The love you give
28:38is equal to the love you get.
28:40It set a tone
28:41for everything that followed,
28:42including Bakshi's next feature,
28:44Heavy Traffic.
28:46Number 2.
28:47South Park,
28:47Bigger,
28:48Longer,
28:49and Uncut.
28:50Parents have been
28:50against South Park
28:51since its earliest episodes,
28:53which honestly feel tame
28:54compared to later ones.
28:55Art imitated life
28:56with this feature,
28:57which sees parents
28:58literally go to war
28:59over profanity
28:59while turning a blind eye
29:01to the bloodshed
29:01they're exposing
29:02their children to.
29:03You can do it,
29:04it's all up to you
29:05and kind.
29:07With a little plan,
29:08you can change
29:09your life today.
29:11Even more than 20 years
29:12after its release,
29:13Bigger,
29:13Longer,
29:14and Uncut
29:14still holds
29:15multiple milestones,
29:16including the Guinness World Record
29:18for most swearing
29:19in an animated movie.
29:20Like the show
29:20that inspired it,
29:21there's much more
29:22to the film
29:22than foul language.
29:23Trey Parker
29:24and Matt Stone
29:25take on censorship
29:26with their signature wit,
29:27infectious songs,
29:29and an attitude
29:29that doesn't care
29:30who gets offended.
29:31It's not suitable
29:32for children,
29:33but maybe they should
29:34sneak into the theater anyway.
29:35What a happy end!
29:37Americans and Canadians
29:39are friends again.
29:42So let's all join hands
29:43and not go press them down!
29:45Before we continue,
29:47be sure to subscribe
29:48to our channel
29:49and ring the bell
29:50to get notified
29:50about our latest videos.
29:52You have the option
29:53to be notified
29:53for occasional videos
29:55or all of them.
29:56If you're on your phone,
29:57make sure you go
29:57into your settings
29:58and switch on notifications.
30:001. Akira
30:03Akira wasn't the first
30:05adult animated feature.
30:06In North America,
30:07though,
30:07animation's perception
30:08can essentially be divided
30:10into two eras,
30:11before and after Akira.
30:13For many,
30:14Kasukira Otomo's
30:15magnum opus
30:16was an eye-opener,
30:17revealing just how gritty
30:18yet profound
30:19the medium can be.
30:20The imagery ranges
30:31from gorgeous
30:31to grotesque,
30:33and you'd be surprised
30:33by how often
30:34the two cross over.
30:35For years,
30:36when someone said
30:37adult animation,
30:38Akira was the film
30:39that immediately
30:40came to mind.
30:41The market is more
30:41saturated now,
30:42but no film has managed
30:43to top its cultural impact.
30:45Akira showed westerners
30:46a whole realm
30:47of animation
30:48waiting to be discovered
30:49and expanded upon.
30:50Just as Tetsuo
30:51transcends humanity,
30:52Akira took animation
30:53to the next step
30:55in evolution.
30:58Are there any other
31:00classics in adult animation
31:01that we missed?
31:02Let us know
31:03in the comments.
31:04Yeah, okay,
31:04I can do that,
31:05but this thing,
31:06boy, it's bite,
31:07okay?
31:08So it can't be,
31:08not to invalidate
31:09your intuition,
31:10but it's not possible.
Be the first to comment