Entertainment - Movies

By: Terinah DoBa - at July 4, 2013

10 Darkest Animated Films Ever Made

As much as possible I prevented myself from putting in any spoilers to give you readers a chance to watch these 10 incredibly shuddering films without that sense of predictability running at the back of your minds. Some of the animated films on this list are not only dark but considered some of the greatest animated films ever made.

10)  ParaNorman
Paranorman tells us the story of Norman, who can see and talk to dead people. Nobody really believes Norman, not even his parents, but everything exponentially changes when his curse acquires a new purpose that will save the whole town. The animation is pretty great for a stop motion film, and it has every right to be ranked as one of the best full length stop motion features.

9)  The Secret of Nimh
The Secret of Nimh is one of the most underrated animated films out there. The secret of Nimh was directed by Don Bluth, and is a film that is loved by all ages. The story is one of the best experiences you’ll ever have with an animated film. It may not be Disney but the quality is just as great. So if it’s that great why is it in this list? It’s because of the dark elements the film possesses. This is not your average Disney film with talking animals, it has more fright and violence but is still appropriate for younger audiences.

8)  Frankenweenie & Nightmare before Christmas
I know what you’re thinking, but I just can’t decide between the two. I just thought both films gave the same feel of eeriness. The stop motion style of Tim Burton is just delightful to watch. Every scene captures that dark feeling which has been Tim’s signature for his films. Both films are surely on the list of greatest stop motion ever made out there.

Frankenweenie:

Nightmare Before Christmas:

7)  Coraline
Coraline is another stop motion film that gets creepier as the story progresses. By creepier I mean excitingly scary. I bet kids will hold on to their parents more after watching this film.

This movie is based on the book “Coraline” written by Neil Gaiman. The book is actually creepier than the movie. A lot of kids are attracted to the movie. However, critics say that it is not appropriate for kids. According to reviews, the movie portrays bad role models for children, including foul language and inappropriate sexuality.

- The Tao Of Badass -

6)  Akira
Besides the violence, bloody scenes, hot motorcycles and futuristic elements mixed with pseudo-science, Akira has a solid gold storyline. This Japanese anime is said to be one of the greatest and one of the most influential films. It is based on the manga series called “Akira”, which is written by Katsuhiro Otomo. He also directed the Akira movie which shows some very extreme scenes that are not really appropriate for kids. This just shows that they obviously targeted much older audiences when writing and developing Akira.

Because of its popularity, Marvel Comics published the Akira manga in English, making it the first ever manga to be translated over the entire complete series.

5)  Watership Down
Cute little bunnies and violence! Watership Down is based on a novel by Richard Adams. Right from the cinema poster, you can tell there’s something grim about the film. I have been reading comments by people saying that this film scared them when they were kids but when they got older, it became one of the best films they’ve watched despite the sloppy animation. While others find the movie depressing, some are moved by its story.

4)  The Plague Dogs
Another film based from Richard Adams’ work and is also directed by Martin Rosen. The animation is the same as Watership Down, but I can’t say the same about the feel of the story. The Plague Dogs starts out in an experimental lab in Lake District with two dogs (a Labrador and a terrier) as the main characters. They eventually escape and start trying their luck in finding a human that will take them in. They had some chances, but their misfortunes seem to prevail and this causes the two protagonists to be always on the run. This film just doesn’t give you a time to rest. It’s an hour and a half of a bunch of fast paced events with twists. The film will keep your eyes glued to the screen during the entirety of the film.

3)  Grave of the Fireflies
Grave of the Fireflies may not have shone during it’s time but it’s getting one of the best reviews now. Directed by the Studio Ghibli’s Isao Takahata, Grave of the Fireflies is a story of two youngsters who lost their mother during the war and because they have nowhere to go, they went to stay with their aunt. Eventually they left due to their aunt complaining that they don’t contribute anything to the shrinking rations. They go out to fend for themselves for the remainder of the war and the struggle to survive goes on from there.

2)  When the Wind Blows
This film has one of the saddest tales to tell. It is based on a novel written by Raymund Briggs. The movie came out in March 11, 1988.

When the Wind Blows is about two old couples trying to survive after a nuclear bomb was dropped near their area. Their lives relied on the instructions provided in the government pamphlet that outlines procedure and protocol for civilians following an nuclear attack. After the event, they went on to their regular lives just to experience the painful effects of the radiation.

1)  Felidae
Felidae in based on the successful novel of a German writer named Akif Pirincci. Today, the story is now a series which currently has 8 books. This story is definitely for adults because it portrays scenes such as cult activities, x-rated sex as well as gore and horror movie style nightmares.

Felidae is probably the most gruesome film out of all the other dark animated movies. It’s the third animated film that involves labs and animal experimentation on this list (Plague Dogs, and Secret of Nimh being the other two). The film shows some of the most horrid scenes in any animated features I have seen. I recommend not eating anything while this animated film is playing. Insides coming out, blood all over the place, I wouldn’t be surprised if you cover your eyes at some point.

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