Quarantining can get kind of boring, but it is definitely for the best. All of us here at KLM are sending our best wishes to everyone and hoping that our current pandemic state ends soon but safely. You may be finding yourself bored, lonely or perhaps even out of movies to watch. But fear not! Each day we will be presenting you with 10 different movies of a certain genre to keep your brain flowing and your letterboxd growing! (to read any of our previous lists, click here)
Here are our top 10 animated films to keep you company while in isolation! (Click each title to find out how you can stream our picks)
9. It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
Similar to Anomalisa, Don Hertzfeldt’s It’s Such a Beautiful Day is a complex film geared towards older audiences that explores the human condition in a challenging and sophisticated fashion. Hertzfeldt made a name for himself with his oddball and wildly entertaining shorts that helped establish his signature “stick-figure” animation style. With a running time of only 60 minutes, the film consists of a series of three segments that chronicle the life of a stick-person named Bob who struggles to piece together his shattering psyche. It’s a absurd, wildly original and thought provoking film that explores complex themes such as mental health and mortality.
Wes Anderson is one of the most creative and visually innovative filmmakers working today, so it is not surprising that his transition into stop-motion animation was so successful. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a faithful adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic children novel of the same name. While the novel is iconic in its own right and one of Dahl’s very best, Anderson elevates the source material through his precise visual style, quirky dialogue and biting satire. Aside from Anderson’s slick direction, the film features iconic voice performances from an incredible cast of legendary actors such as George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a visually innovative and consistently witty film that ranks among Wes Anderson’s greatest achievements.
Speaking of stop-motion, we wanted to include a film from Laika, which along with Aardman is the most prominent studio that specializes in that style of animation. While Laika has released a number of worthy films, Coraline remains their crowning achievement and is arguably one of the greatest stop-motion films of all time. Based on Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Henry Selick’s pitch perfect adaptation centres on an adventurous but lonely girl who journey’s through a mysterious portal in her new house, that leads to a seemingly more idealized version of her home life. Combining creepy animation with offbeat dialogue, Coraline is a thoroughly enjoyable dark-fantasy that is a perfect introduction to horror films for younger audiences.
6. The How To Train Your Dragon Trilogy (2010-2019)
While Dreamworks is one of the leading animation studios, they can often be hit or miss. For every Shrek or Madagascar, we get The Boss Baby or Trolls. Within in the past ten years, they have struggled to capture what made their early work so special. However, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders’ How to Train Your Dragon trilogy is not only incredibly consistent, but all three stand well above most of Dreamworks’ output. How to Train Your Dragon introduces us to the dynamic duo of Hiccup and Toothless; a viking and a dragon who form a bond at a time in which human’s and dragons were at war. The series is magical and has a level of emotional depth that we tend to receive more from Pixar than Dreamworks. Boasting an incredible score and stunning animation, the How to Train Your Dragon Trilogy is perfect for binge watching with the whole family.
5. Princess Mononoke (1997) also available on Crunchyroll and Funimation
It’s no secret that Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most important figures in the realm of animation. Not only did he direct some of the most acclaimed animated films of all time, but he influenced many fellow animators; many of which have films on this list. While My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away are arguably his most beloved films, we decided to include his 1997 masterpiece Princess Mononoke. With a running time of 2 hours and 15 minutes, the film is an epic tale that follows Ashitaka; a warrior who embarks on a journey to find a cure for a legendary curse, but finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and a mining colony. The film was cited as an influence for many American films such as James Cameron’s Avatar and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, this film is essential viewing.
4. Whisper of the Heart (1995) also available on Crunchyroll and Funimation
Studio Ghibli are primarily known to public for Hayao Miyazaki’s legendary output, which often heavily involve fantasy-based elements. However, Miyazaki is not the only talented filmmaker working at Ghibli. Yoshifumi KondÅ’s Whisper of the Heart is much more grounded than the majority of films from Studio Ghibli, but its easily one of their most magical and wholesome. The film follows a young aspiring writer who begins to form a relationship with an aspiring violin-maker after they frequently check out the exact same books at the library. Whisper of the Heart is an authentic, uplifting and inspiring ode to young love and discovering your passions. With an incredible soundtrack and just the right amount of fantasy-elements, Whisper of the Heart is the perfect film to watch if you are looking for something uplifting and positive in these difficult times.
- Wolf Children (2012) available on Crunchyroll and Funimation
Mamoru Hosoda is a name that does not receive enough attention outside of the anime community. Throughout the past two decades, Hosoda has created several fantastic animated films, but Wolf Children remains his crowning achievement. This wildly original fantasy-drama follows a woman who falls in love with and marries the world’s last remaining werewolf, but after an unexpected and tragic accident, she is tasked with raising their two children alone, while hiding their unique traits from the outside world. Despite its somewhat odd premise, Wolf Children is a grounded and human film that packs quite the emotional punch.
The critical praise surrounding our next selection is practically unanimous. It has only been four years since the release of Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name and it has already been deemed a classic, while also becoming the highest grossing film of all time in Japan. The film is difficult to describe due to the complexity of its concept, but it essentially follows two teenagers who live completely different lives that one day wake up to find that they have swapped bodies. Shinkai draws influence from films such as Freaky Friday, but he takes this concept to a new level by infusing mythology and a compelling romance storyline. If you haven’t gotten the opportunity to watch this masterpiece yet, seek it out as it is absolutely worth your time.
1. The Toy Story Franchise (1995-2019)
We wanted to avoid having Pixar dominate the list as many of you have probably already seen the majority of their films. However, we couldn’t make a list involving animated films without including the Toy Story franchise; consisting of arguably some of the greatest films ever made. Boasting an incredible cast of characters, revolutionary animation and genuine emotion depth that will resonate with anyone, Toy Story is hands down one of the best film franchises of all time. If you haven’t seen all four films or need to pay them a revisit, now is your chance!
On behalf of all of the KLM team, I wish you all the best in this situation we are in, but rest assured we will still provide you with all we can! Stay Safe!
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