Stop-motion animationis one of the most tedious, delicate, and time-consuming art forms in existence. The amount of dedication it takes to execute well makes it one of the most impressive forms of animation out there, and when done right, it can make for some visually captivating experiences. However, its aesthetic can be inherently off-putting for some, as watching objects (that aren’t meant to move) in motion can create a strong uncanny valley effect among viewers. There’s something about the unnatural movement, the weird textures, and the odd character designs that can create an uncomfortable vibe. When put that way, it can seem like a negative, but it’s that uncanniness that makes stop-motion unique, and makes it a natural fit for thehorrorgenre. Especially over traditional forms of animation, where the goal is often to be as pleasing to the eye as possible.
Over the years, there have been many artists who acknowledge the inherent creepiness of stop-motion imagery, and choose to take advantage of that aspect of the medium instead of shying away from it. This has resulted in some fantastic pieces of horror animation throughout the years, varying from classically spooky to the absolutely terrifying. With that in mind, let’s go over some of the best movies and TV shows, and explore just how scary they are, ranking them from kind of spooky down to the most terrifying of nightmare fuel.
10Corpse Bride (2005)
Corpse Bride
Fromdirector Tim Burton,Corpse Bridefollows the story of Victor, a timid man, who unintentionally marries a corpse after practicing his wedding vows on a dead hand. He’s then taken to the underworld by his new bride, leaving his actual fiancé waiting for him.
What Makes It Great
Burton’s iconic art direction gives the film a surreal atmosphere that’s a perfect fit for stop-motion, making a film that’s appropriately spooky for the season, while still being accessible for non horror fans. What it lacks in character depth, it makes up for with its incredible visual aesthetic. It’s a delightfully fun film whose brisk pacing keeps it from overstaying it welcome, serving its purpose as a spooky fairytale for all ages.
Stream on Max
9The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmasis a timeless classic, and is arguably the most popular stop-motion film ever made. It follows the story of Jack Skellington, a skeleton from Halloweentown, who discovers the joy of Christmas and decides that he wants to give it a shot himself, tainting the holiday with horror aesthetics, and terrifying the world in the process.
Tim Burton’s creepy yet charming character designs, Henry Selick’s stellar animation, Danny Elfman’s masterful soundtrack, and the voice cast’s performances makeNightmare Before Christmassome of the most fun you can have during Halloween season. It’s filled with enough creepy imagery to please horror fans and unsettle young audiences, but not enough to be outright terrifying. It’s the perfect creepy movie for any level of horror enjoyment.
Stream on Disney +
8Wendell and Wild (2022)
Wendell & Wild
At a time when Tim Burton is making comments aboutdiversity not fitting his aesthetic, using it as an excuse to not put people of color in his films, the real master of stop-motion spookiness proved him wrong with the release ofWendell and Wild. Henry Selick, who often doesn’t get the credit he deserves for being the real director behindThe Nightmare Before Christmas, teamed up with Jordan Peele to reclaim the aesthetic that rightly belonged more to him in the first place. The story follows a girl named Kat who is enlisted by a pair of demons to summon them to the land of the living in return for a favor, which results in a series of bizarre and chaotic events.
The result is admittedly messy from a narrative perspective, overstuffed with so many ideas that the film can feel unfocused at times. However, it’s dripping with Selick’s iconic spooky style from head to toe, while associating it with something so unapologetically Black, and pushing the aesthetic in refreshing new directions. It’s also the darkest of his films to date, with a PG-13 rating that allows for some disturbing imagery and themes not found in his more kid-friendly works.
Stream on Netflix
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7Coraline (2009)
Adapted from the book by the great Neil Gaiman,Coralineis another Henry Selick joint filled with an iconic spooky atmosphere. The story follows a young girl named Coraline, who finds a portal in her house that takes her to an alternate world, where everything is a better version of itself. A disturbing twist eventually proves that the other world is too good to be true, and that staying there will likely cost Coraline her life.
Coralinereleased at a time whenhorror for kidswas fading away, and brought it back in a big way, with stellar spooky visuals and a morbidly creepy story. It remains one of the scariest children’s movies of the modern era, with a creepy fairytale narrative about appreciating what you have. Furthermore, it’s a film that isn’t afraid to scare kids with its morbid concept and creepy artstyle, and is a good introduction to the horror genre for people who aren’t quite ready for something truly disturbing.
9 Underrated Stop Motion Animated Movies Worth Checking Out
What’s not to love about cooky movies and bizarre characters? Stop-motion animation takes the obscure to a whole new level.
6Alice (1988)
Alicemarks the point on this list where these films go from spooky, but fun, to genuinely creepy and unnerving. It’s a surreal nightmare version ofAlice in Wonderlandthat leaves all the major story beats intact, but with some of the most grotesque stop-motion animation of its time.
The film utilizes creepy dolls and dead taxidermied animals for its character models, giving the film a strong uncanny vibe. It’s crude animation, minimal dialogue, and lack of music only add to its uncanniness in a way that feels designed to trigger a fear response in those who watch it.Alicetaps into the primal and disturbing undercurrent of the original classic in a way that previous adaptations hadn’t, and will likely be too disturbing for younger audiences.
Stream on Fandor
Junk Headis pretty monumental achievement in stop-motion animation. The film is the work of a single man, Takehide Hori, who wrote, directed, animated, composed, and voice-acted the entire feature film over the course of seven years (perPolygon). The results look more impressive than some stop-motion features that have whole animation studios behind them. It has some great art direction and character designs that are as impressive as they are creepy to look at.
Junk Headis full of all kinds of disturbing creatures, who hunt and attack the characters in horrifying ways that will likely give any child nightmares. What it lacks in strong narrative, it makes up for in impressive visuals and a haunting atmosphere. The film is worth checking out for anyone who can handle its creepy stop-motion imagery. It deserves a much larger audience than it currently has.
Rent on Prime Video
4The House (2022)
The Houseis a stop-motion anthology film that tells thre short stories chronicling the different residents of a mysterious house. The first two have the atmosphere and tone of a modern horror movie, with some genuinely unnerving moments on par with an Ari Aster orRobert Eggers film. Each short explores themes of wealth and greed in very unique ways, as the nature of the house consumes all who reside within its walls.
The first two stories are genuinely disturbing, both in their art direction and narratives, while the third brings the themes of the anthology home in a surprisingly pleasant and uplifting way. Compared to the other entries on the list,The Housefeels much closer in tone and direction to a traditional horror movie, and should be a must-watch for fans of the overall genre.
3The Shivering Truth (2018)
From the creators ofXavier Renegade AngelandWonder Shozen,The Shivering Truthis an anthology horror series with some of the most disturbing imagery of the entire medium. Its surreal brand of horror comedy feels meticulously designed to get under your skin. It’s as if the entire goal of the series is to make you feel as confused and uncomfortable as possible.
The show is often pretty funny with how bizarre the situations are, but will then mentally scar you when you least expect it with something horribly graphic. It’s a surreal Lynchian nightmare poorly disguised as a comedy sketch show, and is wholly unique in the animation landscape.
Best Stop-Motion Animated Movies, Ranked
Stop-motion animation is a carefully crafted art form. From Aardman to Nightmare Before Christmas, these are the best movies in the medium.
2The Wolf House (2018)
The Wolf Houseis one of the most unique and disturbing animated films ever made, made even more upsetting when you understand the real-life history behind its fairytale mask. The film follows a girl in German-occupied Colonia Dignidad, Chile, who flees from a torture camp run by real-life tyranical ruler and child predator Paul Schafer. After escaping into the woods, she’s pursued by a wolf, but manages to hide in a house occupied by two lone pigs. Over the course of her time there, the girl’s sanity starts to slip away, as the walls of the house warp, and she begins to imagine the two pigs as her human children. Meanwhile, the wolf stalks outside the home waiting for them to come out, as the pigs-turned children begin to consider eating their mother to stay alive.
The Wolf Houseis an incredible achievement in animation that utilizes a real-life house, paired with 2D wall paintings, and human-sized 3D models to create a physical space that feels like you’re slowly losing your mind. It’s a film that uses metaphors and disturbing visual imagery to create a nightmare fairytale based on the real world atrocities of Colonia Dignidad. It’s a genuinely disturbing experience that’s not for the faint of heart.
Stream on Roku
Created by special effects master Phil Tippett over the course of 30 painstaking years,Mad Godis a crowning achievement in stop-motion animation. Tippett is a master of his craft, whose worked on everything fromStar WarsandJurassic Parkto theTwilightfilms, meanwhile utilizing everything he’s learned throughout his decorated career to slowly craft his magnum opus.Mad Godis an 83-minute journey through hell that to this day may be the most disturbing stop-motion film ever made. Its hellish landscape is so vivid, and thoughtfully presented that it makes for a captivating experience from beginning to end.
The film’s narrative is difficult to clearly define, as it’s more about spectating an entire living world rather than following a single character, leaving the interpretation of its story and themes up to the viewer. The sheer amount of creepy environments and horrifying monsters create a world completely alien and frightening to the eye, while the overwhelming quality of its stop-motion makes it difficult to look away. It simultaneously may be the scariest and best looking stop-motion animated film ever made.
