Animation has proven to be one of the most versatile and widely beloved types of artistic expression in feature-length filmmaking and a staple of the cinematic experience for countless decades. Between all-time classics likePinocchio,The Lion King, andAkiraand modern hits likeSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,Your Name, andThe Wild Robot, countless exceptional animated films have become landmark titles and achieved perfection.
However, perfection is a feat that animation finds itself frequently achieving even outside the largest and most popular examples. Especially for a medium that has been expanding and evolving for over a century, there is a wide array of great feats of animated mastery that simply haven’t received the recognition and widespread notoriety they so rightfully deserve. From exceptional international films that simply haven’t made waves to worldwide audiences to underappreciated gems that were taken for granted, these filmsachieve near perfection despite being massively underrated.
10’Surf’s Up' (2007)
Directed by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck
It’s easy to take a look atSurf’s Upand write it off as a formulaic riff on the Academy Award-winningHappy Feet, being yet another high-profile animated film about talking penguins, yet adding the seemingly jarring twist of surfing. However,it’s all in the execution and style that helpsSurf’s Upbecome one of the most effective, one-of-a-kind animated movies of its era. The film acts as a direct parody of sports documentaries and reality television, with a stylized approach to cinematography and visuals that are unlike any other animated film out there.
Surf’s Uptakes a wildly popular concept in live-action, sports comedy, and translates it to animation with brilliant precision and love for its clear inspiration. The film’s visuals and texturing still look great over 15 years after its release, being filled with beautiful beach setpieces and intricate details that manage to ground a wildly absurd premise visually. The film also features top-notch comedy with exceptional vocal performances across the board and a simple yet effective message of going with the flow.
9’Ernest & Celestine' (2012)
Directed by Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner
A French animated film with a visual style that makes the film feel like it was plucked directly from the pages of a children’s storybook,Ernest & Celestineis the cutest story about high-stakes robbery and criminal partnership. The film follows the unexpected friendship and bond between the little mouse Celestine and the large bear Ernest, whose friendship actively spits in the face of both of their respective societal norms. Initially hesitant of one another, the duo find themselves fostering a simple yet effective life in hiding after they stage various heists together.
The inherent charm and beauty ofErnest & Celestinedoesn’t stop at its visual style, as nearlyevery sequence and moment in the film is brimming with a similar sense of infectious joy and whimsy. Its delightful visuals and simple plot of prejudice and misconceptions go a long way in making the film a deeply impacting and memorable experience, easily standing out as one of thebest animated movies to come from France.
Ernest & Célestine
Watch on Tubi
Directed by Gisaburō Sugii
Based on the classic Japanese fantasy novel,Night on the Galactic Railroadis an abstract journey across time and space that serves to ponder various questions about life, growth, and acceptance. The film follows the story of Giovanni, a young cat boy who is frequently mocked by his peers and has a difficult home life. During the night of a local festival, Giovanni finds himself boarding a spiritual train across the cosmos while accompanied by one of his only friends, Campanella, with the journey proving to teach both of them valuable life lessons.
Being released in the earlier eras of Japanese animation,Night on the Galactic Railroadhasa distinct approach to storytelling that makes its tone and alluring nature all the more impactful and defining in a modern context. The film is less concerned with telling a standard and traditional story and instead finds more strength in balancing various intersecting stories, themes, and symbolic iconography that allow audiences to have their own takeaways.
Night on the Galactic Railroad
Watch on Amazon Prime
7’A Town Called Panic' (2009)
Directed by Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar
A stop-motion French-Belgian film that fully embraces its style of overly absurd and chaotic humor,A Town Called Panicis one of the mostunderrated stop-motion animated movies. The film follows a trio of friends; Cowboy, Indian, and Mr. Horse, who find themselves on a wild adventure across the world after their home is destroyed in an accident. They find themselves exploring various environments and meeting a variety of quirky characters on their quest back home.
A Town Called Panicmakes the most of the medium of stop-motion animation to create a wild and hilarious absurdist comedy, constantly one-upping itself in terms of possibilities and creative setpieces. The film employs a style of fully embracing the strangest and most chaotic ideas possible, from talking animals that receive piano lessons to accidentally ordering billions of bricks for online delivery. It’s hard not to have a smile on one’s face while watchingA Town Called Panic, asit delights and enchants at every possible opportunity.
A Town Called Panic
Watch on Kanopy
6’Promare' (2019)
Directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi
One of the greatest inherent strengths that modern anime series and films can attribute themselves to is a tendency to create the flashiest and most exciting action sequences possible, withPromarebeing one of the most underrated modern examples. The film takes place in a world where half of humanity has evolved to have chaotic pyrokinetic powers brought about by rage, with these members of society being largely persecuted and ostracized as a result. A renegade group of revolutionaries known as BURNISH find themselves facing off against a local fire department, setting into motion a series of events that will change their world forever.
Promarehas an instantly engaging hook thanks to its worldbuilding and concept that transitions perfectly into top-notch stylized action amplified by a beautiful combination of 2D and 3D animation. Studio Trigger has always been widely acclaimed for its high animation quality, yetPromaretakes the cake as their most depth-defying and high-octane animated work yet,featuring some of the best action in modern anime. The film also balances this top-notch visual style with a simple yet engaging story of prejudice and revolution.
Watch on Max
Directed by Phil Tippett
A meticulously crafted work of art thattook over 30 years to complete,Mad Godis a brilliant labor of love that brings the medium of stop-motion animation to its absolute limits. The film follows a nameless assassin as he embarks on a journey deep into the horrifying depths below him, bearing witness to a cacophony of abhorrent monsters and living nightmares around every corner. As he delves deeper and deeper into the darkness, the chances of survival grow slimmer and slimmer.
Mad Godplaces minimal focus on its story and character development, instead acting as a jumping-off point for an array of top-notch practical effects byPhil Tippett, a certified master in the world of film. Each abomination manages to be more disturbing than the last, with some of the most visceral yet undeniably compelling horror that feature-length animation has ever seen. The film is easily one of thegreatest animated horror moviesto have been released, creatinga disturbing and otherworldly experience that can only be sufficiently described as a work of art.
4’Millennium Actress' (2001)
Directed by Satoshi Kon
The late greatSatoshi Konlent his hand to several masterfully crafted animated films, including the likes ofPerfect BlueandPaprika, yet one of his most overlooked and underappreciated works isMillennium Actress. The film follows a documentary filmmaker who has managed to track down a legendary actress who mysteriously vanished at the height of her career. In this exclusive interview, she finally gives her side of what happened and how she lived her life, revealing long-held secrets that the documentarian also happens to be connected to.
While it isn’t as flashy as Kon’s other films in terms of premise, the film makes use of a nonchronological approach to storytelling to get maximum impact out of its story and themes.The film makes a powerful statement about the fluidity and unpredictability of life, with the passion of the human soul being a powerful beacon that will consistently find a way to persevere. These themes are further amplified by its top-notch score and pitch-perfect pacing.
Millennium Actress
3’The Tale of the Fox' (1937)
Directed by Irene Starewicz and Wladyslaw Starewicz
A French stop-motion animated film that wasreleased eight months before Walt Disney’sSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs,The Tale of the Foxis one of the first feature-length animated films ever created. Finding inspiration from classic fairy tale stories, the film follows a vast kingdom of animals having to deal with the frequent pranks and tricks being committed by the conniving fox, Reynard. His antics manage to get so out of hand that the ruler of the kingdom, the King Lion, is called on to do something about the Fox to protect the kingdom.
Despite being one of the first forays into feature-length stop-motion animation,the film’s brilliant animation still holds up under a modern contextwith deeply expressive models and a timeless fairy tale aesthetic. WhileSnow Whiteis still largely lauded as an icon of animation,The Tale of the Foxhas sadly been largely lost to time and overwhelmingly forgotten in terms of notoriety. However, its impact on not just stop-motion animation, but animation as a whole is undeniable, with the film being a miraculous feat of filmmaking prowess, especially for the era it was released.
The Tale of the Fox
Buy on Amazon
2’Barber Westchester' (2021)
Directed by Jonni Peppers
The digital era and rise of social media have allowed for a gargantuan number of independent animators to show off their work to the masses with their distinct creative visions, although this normally comes in the form of animated shorts. One of the effective and thematically resonating animated feature films to come from this modern era of independent cinema isBarber Westchester, a dark comedy coming-of-age story created and solely animated byJonni Peppers. The film follows the young Barber, who, after seemingly achieving all of their dreams by getting an internship at NASA, has their entire worldview destroyed upon learning that space is fake on their first day.
Barber Westchesteristhe type of striking, deeply compelling work of art that could only be created through a singular vision that true independent cinema provides, filled with personality and charm in every frame of animation. The film tackles realistic themes of isolation and disappointment that are not only deeply compelling in the context of the story, but are intrinsically relevant to issues of the modern era. The film is one of the mostunderrated animated movies of the 2020s so far, and proves that even the smallest of creators are capable of creating genuine masterpieces.
Barber Westchester
1’Mind Game' (2004)
Directed by Masaaki Yuasa
A psychedelic fever dream that constantly changes animation styles in its wild journey across the heavens,Mind Gameis one of the most visually compelling animated films of the 21st century. The film follows the story of Nishi, a deadbeat who finds himself repeatedly dealing with his sorrows as he shamefully hides from his true self and continued childhood crush. However, an unexpected encounter with the Japanese mafia has him lose his life, sending him on a wild journey to heaven and back as he learns to take life by the horns and live with passion for his true self.
Even in simple sequences of characters simply talking to one another,it’s impossible to look away from the extreme visual explosion of creativity present withinMind Game. The film has a new standout moment with each passing minute, evolving upon its absurdity while at the same time having a poignant message about the intersection of stories and the infinite nature of life itself. There is no other movie, animated or otherwise, that comes close to the beauty and range present within Mind Game, creating a perfect cinematic experience that has continued to enchant audiences even 20 years later.
