Animation as a film genre has undergone significant evolution over the years. The medium is no longer solely intended for children. Pop culture has given us some of the best animated movies for adults that focus on themes that are sophisticated, serious and sometimes side-splittingly funny.
While the forever favourite classics from Disney, such as The Lion King (1994) and Up (2009) have helped shape the emotional sensibilities of children, adult animated films like Waking Life (2001) and Mary and Max (2009) have delved into subversive subjects and impacted the psyche and perspective of young adults’ view on love, life and friendship.
That said, most animated movies resonate with viewers of all ages, allowing even parents to relish the exciting narratives alongside their children. Much like popular adult animated series like The Boys: Diabolical and Rick and Morty, many films also challenge these stereotypes by offering exceptional animated features designed specifically for an adult demographic.
This often entails the inclusion of elements of violence, nudity, disturbing imagery, and profane language, leading them to be PG-13 or R-rated. But it also allows for the exploration of more profound and sophisticated narratives that are not meant for younger audiences, providing adult viewers with unique storytelling experiences that animation can uniquely convey.
So join us as we take a look at some of the best animated movies for adults based on IMDb ratings.
Here are the best animated movies for adults, according to IMDb ratings
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- Anomalisa (2015)
- The Wolf House (2018)
- Waking Life (2001)
- Mind Game (2004)
- Loving Vincent (2017)
- Isle of Dogs (2018)
- Mary and Max (2009)
- Persepolis (2007)
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
1 /10
Anomalisa (2015)
Directed by: Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman
Voice cast: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan
Language: English-Japanese
IMDb rating: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Synopsis: A puppet, Michael Stone (Thewlis), burdened by the monotony of his existence, finds the biggest adventure of his life when he encounters Lisa Hesselman (Jason Leigh). Stone is a customer service expert who views everyone around him as identical until he meets the woman who captures his attention and heart.
About the movie: Anomalisa marked director-writer Charlie Kaufman’s foray into animation. He adapted the film from a play he authored under the pseudonym Francis Fregoli. The first R-rated adult animated film to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, it is a standout choice for adults seeking a serious yet subtle character study. The film also made history as the first animated feature to win the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival.
2 /10
The Wolf House (2018)
Directed by: Joaquín Cociña, Cristóbal León
Voice cast: Amalia Kassai, Rainer Krause, Karina Hyland, Carlos Cociña
Language: Chilean
IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Synopsis: A young woman Maria Wehrle (Kassai) is on the run from a sinister cult in a German colony. She hides out in a house in southern Chile where two pigs keep her company. As the abandoned household begins to run out of food, Ana (Kassai) and Pedro (Kassai) – the pigs – become increasingly hostile and secretive toward María. The risk of being caught by the Wolf hangs on Maria while she tries to find a way back home.
About the movie: The Wolf House is a haunting and unsettling animated horror movie that draws inspiration from the real-life events surrounding Colonia Dignidad. However, its narrative is crafted as a fairytale-themed stop-motion animation contributing to its memorability and discomfort. The film premiered globally at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival in the Forum section on 22 February 2018.
This film is a dark masterpiece that will affect most adults, making it one of the last films one would consider appropriate for children.
3 /10
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
Directed by: Trey Parker
Voice cast: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, Isaac Hayes
Language: English
IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
Synopsis: Stan Marsh (Parker), Kyle Broflovski (Stone), Eric Cartman (Parker), and Kenny McCormick (Stone) clandestinely enter an R-rated film titled Asses of Fire, featuring the Canadian comedic duo Terrance and Phillip. Following this experience, the boys begin to use profanity. The resulting moral outrage escalates to the point where the United States declares war on Canada. In response, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman resolve to rescue Terrance and Phillip from execution, while Kenny endeavours to thwart a prophecy involving Satan and Saddam Hussein’s ambitions for world domination.
About the movie: South Park serves as a delightful reminder for those who cherish the comedic style of the 1990s. Notably, Parker and Stone received an Oscar nomination for the song “Blame Canada,” although it ultimately lost to a Phil Collins track from the Disney film Tarzan. This film held the record as the highest-grossing R-rated animated movie for 17 years, until it was surpassed by Sausage Party (2016). Initially, the film was on the verge of receiving an NC-17 rating, but Parker and Stone managed to avoid this by limiting their use of cuss words to fewer than 400, specifically using 399.
4 /10
Waking Life (2001)
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Voice Cast: Ethan Hawke, Trevor Jack Brooks, Lorelei Linklater
Language: English
IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
Synopsis: An unnamed young man navigates through a dreamscape, encountering various individuals with whom he engages in profound discussions about the meanings and purposes of the universe.
About the movie: Waking Life delves into an extensive array of philosophical themes, such as the essence of reality, the nature of dreams and lucid dreaming, consciousness, the significance of life, free will, and existential thought. The entire film employs digital rotoscoping techniques. It draws several connections to Richard Linklater’s earlier work, Slacker (1991). In one scene, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy reprise their roles from the 1995 film Before Sunrise. The adult animated film made its debut at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival and was released in October of the same year. Although it garnered critical acclaim, it did not perform well at the box office, yet it maintains a solid rating of 7.7/10 on IMDb.
5 /10
Mind Game (2004)
Directed by: Masaaki Yuasa, Kôji Morimoto
Voice cast: Kôji Imada, Sayaka Maeda, Takashi Fujii, Jôji Shimaki
Language: Japanese
IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Synopsis: Nishi (Imada), lacking the courage to rescue his childhood love, Myon (Maeda), from gangsters, is shot in the rear by a soccer-playing maniac, sending him into the afterlife. In this state of limbo, God – depicted through a series of rapidly shifting personas – instructs him to move toward the light. However, Nishi flees in the opposite direction and returns to Earth transformed, determined to embrace life to the fullest.
About the movie: Mind Game is a Japanese animated film that takes audiences on an exhilarating adventure from beginning to end. Throughout the experience, the animation continuously evolves and distorts, with the narrative presenting unexpected plot twists and visual surprises almost every minute. It is an unrelenting journey, yet it remains enthralling for those who can appreciate its chaotic nature.
6 /10
Loving Vincent (2017)
Directed by: DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman
Voice cast: Douglas Booth, Jerome Flynn, Robert Gulaczyk, Robin Hodges, Holly Earl
Language: English
IMDb rating: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%
Synopsis: Armand Roulin (Booth) travels to the final hometown of the renowned painter Vincent van Gogh. His mission is to deliver the troubled artist’s last letter, which leads him to investigate the circumstances surrounding van Gogh’s final days. Having passed away a year earlier, van Gogh’s life and death become the focal point of Armand’s journey as he seeks to uncover the truth behind the impressionist painter’s demise.
About the movie: Recognised as the first fully painted feature film, Loving Vincent serves as a heartfelt biography of Vincent van Gogh, presented through the medium of painting. This film is categorised as an adult animated movie due to its biographical nature, which may not appeal to younger audiences. A collective of 125 artists from various countries contributed to the film’s artistic vision, painting each frame in a style that emulates the beloved painter’s technique. The result is a remarkable tribute to one of art history’s most cherished figures. The film bagged the Best Animated Feature Film Award at the 30th European Film Awards in Berlin and received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 90th Academy Awards.
7 /10
Isle of Dogs (2018)
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Voice Cast: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Kunichi Nomura
Language: Japanese
IMDb rating: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Synopsis: An epidemic of canine flu spreads across the city of Megasaki, Japan, prompting Mayor Kobayashi (Nomura) to order the relocation of all dogs to Trash Island. On this island, a young boy named Atari (Rankin) embarks on a quest to locate his missing dog, Spots, aided by five other dogs, while facing several challenges throughout his journey.
About the movie: Touted as one of the best animated movies to date, Isle of Dogs draws inspiration from the animated films The Plague Dogs (1982) and Disney’s 101 Dalmatians (1996). The film opened the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, where director Wes Anderson was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director. The film also received Best Animated Feature nomination at the 91st Academy Awards.
8 /10
Mary and Max (2009)
Directed by: Adam Elliot
Voice cast: Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana, Christopher Massey, Adam Elliot, Patrick McCabe, Bernie Clifford
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Synopsis: In 1976 Melbourne, a lonely 8-year-old girl strikes up a correspondence with an unlikely pen pal: a severely obese 44-year-old New Yorker with Asperger’s syndrome. The story of two very different people and their friendship through many years is told through the letters they send back and forth to each other.
About the movie: This animated movie is inspired by director Adam Elliot’s relationship with his “pen-friend” in New York whom he has been writing to for over 20 years. The stop-motion animation can be a little unsettling with some confronting themes. It’s one movie that shows that characters being animated doesn’t necessarily mean they’re automatically harder to connect or relate to. The film, which premiered on the opening night of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, won the Annecy Cristal in June 2009 from the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Best Animated Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in November 2009.
9 /10
Persepolis (2007)
Directed by: Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi
Cast: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Gena Rowlands, Simon Abkarian, Gabrielle Lopes Benites
Language: French
IMDb rating: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Synopsis: In 1970s Iran, Marjane ‘Marji’ Satrapi (Benites and Mastroianni) observes the Iranian Revolution through the lens of her youth and the aspirations of her idealistic family, who celebrate the long-awaited defeat of the despised Shah. As Marji matures, she experiences firsthand the transformation of Iran under Islamic fundamentalist rule, which has devolved into a repressive regime. In her courageous stand against this injustice, her parents make the difficult decision to send her to Vienna for a better education and life. Upon her return, Marji discovers that both she and her homeland have undergone significant changes, prompting her and her devoted family to confront where her true sense of belonging lies.
About the movie: The film truly encapsulates the essence of adult animated movies as it’s been made on mature thematic material including violent images, sexual references, language and brief drug content. While the film was being released, Iran’s government sent a letter to the French embassy in Tehran to protest against the movie and pressured the organisers of the 2007 Bangkok Film Festival to drop it from the lineup.
Directed by: Isao Takahata
Cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi, Yoshiko Shinohara, Kôzô Hashida
Language: Japanese
IMDb rating: 8.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Synopsis: A young boy, Seita (Tatsumi) and his little sister Setsuko (Shiraishi) struggle to survive in Japan during World War II after a bomb separates them from their parents.
About the movie: This heartwrenching World War II tale by Studio Ghibli is based on the 1967 semi-autobiographical short story of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka. Its valuable lessons about humanity make it a must-watch. Considered one of the greatest war films and best-animated movies for adults to have ever been made, it was universally hailed by critics upon its release and has a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What kind of animated movies are aimed at adults?
Adult animation movies are animated movies that are targeted at of-age audience and often have mature themes and situations.
What is considered the best animated film of all time?
According to various rankings and critics: 'Spirited Away' (2001), 'The Lion King' (1994), 'Finding Nemo' (2003), 'Toy Story' (1995) and 'Akira' (1988) are considered some of the best animated movies of all time.
What is R-rated animation?
R-rated or Restricted animation means it is not for audiences under 17. It contains some adult material and requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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Animated movies Rotten Tomatoes IMDB Ratings Best Animated Movies