Stop-motion movies have been impressing audiences for decades with their painstakingly crafted scenery and characters. The art form itself is nearly as old as the film industry altogether. Whileclassic 2-D animationlargely dominated the earlier days of animation andcomputer-generated films like Pixartook over since then, stop-motion animation has been given its own small corner of the animated world. This small corner has produced some of the best-animated films of all time.
Given the rise of CGI in animated films, stop-motion movies have almost become their own special event. Of course, creating a stop-motion animated film is already an arduous task to begin with, so when one is made, directors tend to do their best to craft a story to fit the medium of stop-motion. Each one of the films in this list was a special treat, one that is not given as often as one would like.
Through the use of puppets, clay, or even dolls, these stop-motion animated films captured the imagination of audiences and left their own indelible mark on the film industry. With the recent release of the buzzed-about sequel toChicken Runhitting Netflix at the end of 2023, let’s look at the best stop-motion animated films of feature length.
Updated August 04, 2025: If you love stop-motion animated movies, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve updated this article with new entries.
17Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
Shaun the Sheep
For the realists out there who live relentlessly in the real world, the idea of a Sheep that is incapable of talking is a refreshing reprieve from movies that contain all-singing, all-dancing animals. Unfortunately, suspension of belief is required thereafter, when Shaun drives himself to the city along with his equally laconic flock in search of their amnesiac farmer.
An Homage to Silent Films
An endearing title, with a sweet tale at its core,Shaun the Sheep Movieis an appreciative nod to the silent era of the ’20s and ’30s, and is a spin-off of theWallace and GromitfilmA Close Shaveand children’s series of the same name. The endearing flick earned praise upon its release at the Sundance Film Festival, garnering both a Golden Globe and Oscar nod while winning the Special Achievement Award at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards. A sequel,Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, was released in 2019.Stream onPeacock
16The Boxtrolls (2014)
The Boxtrolls
Set in the fictional Cheesebridge during the Victorian era where an orphaned boy is raised by garbage-collecting trolls, the 2014 fantasy comedyThe Boxtrollsis loosely based on the novelHere Be Monsters!and follows 11-year-old Eggs as he tries to protect his peculiar family from the ruthless exterminator Archibald Penelope Snatcher, who wants to eradicate the peaceful creatures from the town.
Sensational Voice Performances
With an excellent ensemble voice cast including Ben Kingsley, Elle Fanning, and Toni Collette,The Boxtrollswas a hit with both critics and moviegoers, with the offbeat flick entertaining audiences old and young and delighting them with its quirky humor and heart. It competed for Best Animated Feature Film at the Academy Awards but ultimately lost to fellow competitorBig Hero 6.Rent/Buy onPrime Video
15Corpse Bride (2005)
Corpse Bride
Believe it or not,Corpse Bridewas the first stop-motion animated feature film directed by Tim Burton. A common misconception is that he directedThe Nightmare Before Christmas, but that was actuallyHenry Selick adapting Burton’s story. Burton finally took the reins of a full length stop-motion feature in 2005 when he co-directed this alongside Mike Johnson.
Related:Tim Burton’s Career Ranked By Decade
Hollywood’s Dynamic Duo Reunite
The film starred familiar Burton collaborator Johnny Depp and former wife Helena Bonham Carter as the titular characters. The dark fantasy followed Victor (Depp) as he is unexpectedly betrothed to a dead woman named Emily (Bonham Carter) and whisked away to the land of the dead. Burton’s usual flare for the dark and gloomy was brilliantly utilized in this film, which led to an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.Rent/Buy onPrime Video
14Isle of Dogs (2018)
Isle of Dogs
By no means the first Wes Anderson entry on this list, and no prizes forguessing its esteemed company.The Darjeeling Limitedmaker stated that the name for his 2018 stop-motion animation flick was inspired by spending time in London, and driving past signposting for “The Isle of Dogs”. Low-and-behold, this idiosyncratically colorful charm was born.
Anderson Dazzles Yet Again
Isle of Dogsdemonstrates the cruel world in which man’s best friend is essentially no more, as tyrannical mayor Kobayashi rids the metropolis of Megasaki of canine-flu-infected dogs, discarding them on Trash Island. When the little pilot, twelve-year-old Atari, crashes on the island in search of his banished dog, he enlists the help of a disorganized rabble of dogs, including Rex (Edward Norton), Boss (Bill Murray), and Chief (Bryan Cranston).Stream onDisney+
13Frankenweenie (2012)
Frankenweenie
Gothic filmextraordinaire Tim Burtonboth honored and parodied the horror classicFrankensteinwhen he directed 2012’sFrankenweenie, which takes place in 1957 Pennsylvania and centers on the ambitious young scientist Victor Frankenstein as he brings his beloved Bull Terrier Sparky back from the dead and inadvertently caused chaos in the town when his fellow residents want to resurrect their own deceased animals.
Burton’s Captivating Creation
Burton opted to produce the animated spectacle in black-and-white, and many of the creative minds who worked on his previous stop-motion film,The Corpse Bride,contributed toFrankenweenie. Around 18 different puppet versions of Victor were created, and roughly 200 puppets (with human hair) were made for the finished product.Frankenweeniewas a critical and commercial triumph and it not only garnered Oscar and Golden Globe nods but also won Best Animated Film at the Saturn Awards.Stream onDisney+
12James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Henry Selick’s second feature,James and The Giant Peachwas an adaptation of the classic children’s bookwritten by Roald Dahl.It follows the wondrous adventures the eponymous orphan boy experiences after he eats through a colossal peach and meets some colorful anthropomorphic invertebrates, including Mr. Centipede (Richard Dreyfuss) and Miss Spider (Susan Sarandon).
A Tough Adaptation to Sell
The book had been sought out by different studios and directors prior to Selick and Disney finally gaining the rights to produce the adaptation. One of the main issues was the bizarre story that made it difficult to produce on screen. However, Selick managed to create a compelling story that was largely animated via stop-motion while book-ended by a live-action setting. EvenDahl’s widow believedher husband “would have been delighted with what they did withJames. It is a wonderful film.“Stream onDisney+
11Chicken Run (2000)
Chicken Run
Another product of the innovative Aardman Animations was 2000’s unforgettable hitChicken Run. One imagines, if humans found out their owners were plotting to kill them to satisfy their own gluttonous desires, they’d also do a runner. In the comedic adventure saga, Rocky the Rooster (Mel Gibson) and Ginger (Julia Swalha) a Chicken opt for the farm’s exit when it comes to pass that the resident farmers, Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy have designs on their lives.
A Groundbreaking Cinematic Feat
The popular picture is likeThe Great Escape, but with feathered, flightless birds. Eighty animators and 30 sets were used during production, and just one minute of film was completed each week, with principal photography lasting nearly a year and a half for the animated classic.Chicken Runwent on to gross over $220 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film in cinematic history, a title it still holds to this day. A buzzed-about and well-received sequel,Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, was released in 2023.Stream onNetflix
10Anomalisa (2015)
Director Charlie Kaufmanbrought his unique brand of story telling toAnomalisaalongside co-director Duke Johnson. The 2015 film was Kaufman’s first feature animated film, and it was an instant success.Anomalisawent on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the first R-rated animated film to receive that honor.
A Stunning Spectacle
Kaufman and Johnson told a thought-provoking story about a disillusioned motivational speaker who finds himself enamored with the one woman who brings him joy. The main roles were voicedbrilliantly by David Thewlisand Jennifer Jason Leigh, while the wonderful Tom Noonan literally voices every other character.Anomalisawas a visual achievement in animation using puppets created through 3-D printing that brought the performances of Thewlis and Leigh to life in this adult stop-motion film.Rent/Buy onPrime Video
9Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
Wallace and Gromit
Few stop-motion characters are as enduring asWallace & Gromit. The British stop-motion series was created by Oscar nominee, Nick Park. The franchise has produced several specials and the critically acclaimed feature filmWallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.Their first feature movie followed the duo as they attempted to solve their town’s rabbit problem before facing off against the titular Were-Rabbit.
Trailblazing at the Oscars
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbitwent on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, making it only the second non-American film to do so afterSpirited Away. Audiences all across the world were blown away by the wonderfully quirky dynamic duo, playful humor, and of course its spellbinding visuals; a sequel to the hit comedy is currentlyin the works at Netflix.Stream onPeacock
8ParaNorman (2012)
ParaNorman
Sam Fell and Chris Butler brilliantly combined horror and humor when they created the 2012underrated stop-motion wonderParaNorman, which focuses on the psychic 11-year-old boy Norman Babcock as he communicates with spirits and must find a way to end a centuries-old curse placed upon his Massachusetts town by a young girl who was accused of witchcraft in the 1700s.
Revolutionary Filmmaking
ParaNormanwas the first stop-motion movie to utilize a 3-D color printer that could create the faces of the characters, and Butler came up with the idea for the film as a way for kids to feel understood when it comes to the hardships of growing up. The director appreciated how zombie movies often provided some social commentary, and he toldDen of Geek:” The movies I remember from my childhood had that emotional core. They had that heart that really makes it stick with you. It wasn’t just some flight of whimsy; it has something to say that you remember. We liked that time of filmmaking, and wanted to go back to it.“Stream onStarz
