12 Best Stop-Motion Animated Movies Of All Time, Ranked

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Stop motion holds a special place in cinematic history, having been around for over a century. The amount of work that goes into shooting a single second of film is mind-boggling, but talented animators have been doing it for decades. Depending on when you grew up, you might think of stop motion or claymation shows like "Gumby" or "Celebrity Deathmatch" — there are many to choose from, and each generation has its own to identify with. For feature-length movies, there are many made for children, while others appeal to wider audiences.

Looking through the history of stop motion in film, there aren't as many mainstream feature-length movies as one might imagine. This is largely due to the cost of time and resources involved, but that hasn't stopped talented filmmakers from bringing stories to life via this medium. Of the dozens of excellent examples, these 12 stop motion movies are the best ever made, and they appeal to large swathes of the population. They're ranked based on an aggregate of their IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic scores.

Director Tim Burton's name has been stamped on several stop motion films, but he didn't take the helm until 2005's "Corpse Bride." The film is similar to "The Nightmare Before Christmas," with much of its style stemming from that project. Of course, anything with Burton's name tends to carry his inimitable style, and "Corpse Bride" is no exception. The film tells the story of Victor (Johnny Depp) and his pending arranged marriage to Victoria (Emily Watson).

Things go awry when a run-through of Victor's vows in the woods results in the reanimation of and subsequent betrothal to Emily (Helena Bonham Carter). What follows is a series of interactions between the living and dead as Victor attempts to extricate himself from his situation. Like "The Nightmare Before Christmas," "Corpse Bride" is a musical, and Danny Elfman composed the soundtrack.

The film received many accolades, including a nomination for best animated feature at the Academy Awards. "Corpse Bride" used 23 animators, a puppet workshop, an art department, and more to create its highly detailed and stunning visuals. It was also the first feature-length stop motion film shot digitally, shortening the time needed for editing and allowing for more refined camera movements.

• Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson

• Director: Tim Burton, Mike Johnson

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 77 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, YouTube

"Coraline" is based on Neil Gaiman's 2002 novella of the same name, and includes additional content. Written and directed by Henry Selick, the film centers on Coraline (Dakota Fanning), an 11-year-old girl forced to move with her parents who resents her situation.

She finds a strange tunnel inside her home that leads to the "Other World," where she meets doppelgängers of her parents, though their eyes are buttons. Everything seems better in the Other World than the real one, but it soon becomes clear that things aren't what they seem. The film's story and overall color palette mirror that of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Alice in Wonderland," giving a great deal of emphasis to how the world is perceived.

While the film utilized traditional stop motion techniques, it's the first to integrate 3D printing for the production of rapid prototyping, while also integrating visual effects shots. Additionally, it's the first of its kind to be photographed in Stereoscopic 3D. This required two images per frame; one for the left eye, and another for the right, giving the movie greater depth than any stop motion film before.

• Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman

• Director: Henry Selick

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 100 minutes

• Where to watch: Pluto TV, Prime Video, YouTube

Director Wes Anderson has a unique way of exploring stories that has resulted in many spectacular films, including 2018's "Isle of Dogs." The movie is about a Japanese city that has banned all dogs as a precautionary measure following a canine influenza outbreak, moving them to the distant Trash Island.

The Mayor's nephew, Atari (Koyu Rankin), sets out on an adventure to find his missing dog, Spots, and he's aided along the way by a group of dogs led by Chief (Bryan Cranston). "Isle of Dogs" is Anderson's second stop-motion film, and it embodies his style quite well despite the different manner of filmmaking. The movie features 950 VFX shots that enhance the movie's visuals, adding weather and other natural phenomena to make the world of "Isle of Dogs" appear more realistic.

"Isle of Dogs" features effects work in every scene, making the film a visual standout. This elevates the film's storytelling capacity, and it does so with aplomb. The result is a movie that struck a perfect balance between digital and practical to enhance its hand-crafted sensibilities.

• Cast: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton

• Director: Wes Anderson

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 101 minutes

• Where to watch: Disney+

The story of "Pinocchio" has been told countless times, often through a similar lens, leaving the public tired of new adaptations. Then, director Guillermo del Toro came along and turned his longtime passion project into reality. The result is a gorgeous interpretation of the classic story told through the visual medium of stop motion. Del Toro updated the story, moving it to Italy in the 1930s, adding a darker tone that aligns with the director's style.

It's a fantastic interpretation of an otherwise tired tale, coming out the same year as Disney's uninspired live-action adaptation that few knew existed and fewer enjoyed. Unfortunately, "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which altered the manner of its production.

While the vast majority of the movie is shot via stop motion, certain props and set pieces were constructed with CGI due to supply limitations. Despite this, the final product comes together to deliver what is, in essence, a hand-crafted work of art. It received widespread praise and holds the distinction of being the first animated film to premiere on a streaming service that won the Academy Award for best animated feature.

• Cast: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann

• Director: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 117 minutes

• Where to watch: Netflix

Unlike most stop motion films, "Shaun the Sheep Movie" wasn't a one-and-done; it launched a franchise. The movie is based on the British TV series "Shaun the Sheep," a spin-off of the 1995 "Wallace & Gromit" short "A Close Shave" from Aardman Animations.

The film is about Shaun (Justin Fletcher), a sheep who leads his flock into the city to save their farmer (John Sparkes) while being chased by an animal control worker (Omid Djalili). The movie was a smash success at the box office, raking in more than four times its budget. The success of "Shaun the Sheep Movie" led to the release of a 2019 sequel, "A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon." A third film, "Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom," carries on the adventure in 2026.

The look of the movies mirrors that of the television series, and is comparatively simple when looking at films like "Isle of Dogs." Despite its apparent simplicity, a lot of artistic effort went into bringing Shaun and company to life on the silver screen. Sculptors in the Aardman workshops designed models built around aluminum skeletons called armatures, which support the puppets and allow them to be articulated. 

• Cast: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili

• Director: Mark Burton, Richard Starzak

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 85 minutes

• Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video

While the vast majority of feature-length stop motion movies are made with children in mind, 2015's "Anomalisa" is decidedly not. The psychological drama is reminiscent of co-director Charlie Kaufman's live-action works like "Adaptation" and "Being John Malkovich." "Anomalisa" is centered around Michael Stone (David Thewlis), a motivational speaker who cannot differentiate one person from another ... except for Lisa Hesselman (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

They meet in a hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they're attending the same convention. Enthralled by the woman with a unique face and voice, Michael dubs Lisa "Anomalisa," as she's an anomaly in his life, and the situation devolves as Michael's inability to discern identities rears its ugly head. It's an incredibly cerebral film made all the more poignant through its use of stop motion.

The characters feel more real despite their artificiality. The film's puppets were made using 3D printers, making them appear more realistic and somewhat disturbing. "Anomalisa" was a box office failure and a critical darling, earning numerous accolades, including an Academy Award nomination. Unfortunately, "Anomalisa" is emblematic of what appeals to critics not always appealing to broader audiences.

• Cast: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan

• Director: Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video, YouTube

Wes Anderson's first foray into stop motion came via 2009's "Fantastic Mr. Fox," which was adapted from Roald Dahl's novel of the same name. The film adds a new beginning and end to the story while keeping the book's second act. It tells the story of the titular Mr. Fox (George Clooney), who's instincts lead to his family and community being hunted down by several farmers.

The movie's look is rather unique, as every shot incorporates the color orange one way or another. This is due to Anderson's desire to present an autumnal mood, which permeates the narrative. For the film's animation, several techniques were used to bring the characters and their environments to life, though stop motion puppetry was the primary method.

Each of the puppets was covered in real fur, giving them a more lifelike appearance despite the deliberate choice to leave fingerprints in the finished project. The result is a charming tale made with real elements that are all miniaturized and painstakingly animated, one frame at a time. It took a staff of 140 artisans, working with 126 sets and thousands of props to finish "Fantastic Mr. Fox."

• Cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray

• Director: Wes Anderson

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 87 minutes

• Where to watch: Disney+

Of all the movies that bear Tim Burton's name, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is the one most misattributed to the director. The film was actually directed by Henry Selick and based on Burton's 1982 poem of the same name. Burton produced the movie, which bears many of his iconic visual tropes and overall Gothic tone. It's all about Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon), the King of Halloween Town, who stumbles upon Christmas Town and becomes obsessed with the holiday.

Elfman scored the movie, wrote the songs, and provided Jack's singing voice. Upon release, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" quickly cemented itself as a holiday classic that people re-watch annually. It developed a cult following and has permeated popular culture in ways that few stop motion movies have. The film is also the first animated movie to receive an Academy Award nomination for best visual effects.

Production was an arduous task, involving a crew consisting of more than 120 artists. They used 20 different sound stages to create the film's 230 unique sets and animate the more than 227 puppets making up "The Nightmare Before Christmas'" cast of characters. When completed, the animators shot more than 109,440 frames, and the result speaks for itself.

• Cast: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara

• Director: Henry Selick

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 76 minutes

• Where to watch: Disney+

"Chicken Run" is Aardman Animations' first feature-length film, and was a massive success. The movie is about a group of English chickens who become enthralled with an American rooster named Rocky Rhodes (Mel Gibson). He presents their only chance of escape, as it's made clear that the farmers plan to turn all of the chickens into delicious chicken pies.

The film's premise is reminiscent to that of "The Great Escape," which isn't accidental, as the concept evolved from a joke about spoofing the 1963 film but with chickens. The movie was a hit, grossing $228 million off a $45 million budget. A sequel seemed like a foregone conclusion, but that didn't happen for a long time. The reason was both tragic and relatable, as a 2005 fire destroyed many of the sets, models, and puppets. As a result, "Chicken Run" didn't see a sequel until Netflix's "Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget" hit the streaming service in December 2023. Fortunately, "Chicken Run" lives on and is one of Aardman's best works, holding the record for the highest-grossing stop-motion film to this day. 

• Cast: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Phil Daniels

• Director: Peter Lord, Nick Park

• Rating: G

• Runtime: 84 minutes

• Where to watch: Prime Video

"Kubo and the Two Strings" is an original fantasy set in Feudal Japan, focusing on the titular Kubo (Art Parkinson), a young boy with a magical musical instrument. His left eye was stolen when he was a baby, and he sets out on a journey to find and defeat his mother's twin sisters and grandfather, the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes), who took his eye. The film is the directorial debut of Laika's CEO, Travis Knight, and its artistic style takes inspiration from ink wash paintings.

From its original story to its new directing talent, "Kubo" was a major gamble that sadly didn't pay off at the box office. The film's failure was the result of several factors, including a minuscule advertising budget, no tie-in products, and being an original IP, all of which hurt its performance. But despite bombing at the box office, "Kubo and the Two Strings" is a fantasy film worth watching. 

The film is a master class in stop-motion animation, original storytelling, and beautiful artistic design. Critics absolutely loved it, praising the movie's musical score and many other elements. "Kubo and the Two Strings" was nominated for two Academy Awards, and while it didn't win, it took home many other accolades including the BAFTA Award for best animated feature.

• Cast: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey

• Director: Travis Knight

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 101 minutes

• Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video

Nick Park gained fame with his first "Wallace & Gromit" short "A Grand Day Out" and its Oscar-winning followups "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave." After the massive success of "Chicken Run," Aardman Animations produced "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" as its second feature-length movie. The film parodies classic monster movies, only instead of a werewolf, we get a were-rabbit.

The film sees its titular duo launch a pest control business and attempt to rescue the town from a horde of rabbits before the Giant Vegetable competition. Instead of a small bunny, their foe is a massive were-rabbit eating all of the town's crops. Like "Chicken Run," the movie made a lot of money, managing to pull in over $192 million on a budget of $30 million. It also received numerous accolades, including becoming the first stop motion movie to win the Academy Award for best animated feature.

It took five years and 30 animators who completed only ten seconds of animation each day. While that may not seem like a lot, ten seconds of animation requires 240 frames, meaning each shot had to be photographed 240 separate times to complete a day's work.

• Cast: Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes

• Director: Steve Box, Nick Park

• Rating: G

• Runtime: 85 minutes

• Where to watch: Netflix, YouTube

Gilles Paris' 2002 novel "Autobiographie d'une Courgette" was adapted into the 2016 Swiss stop motion movie titled "My Life as a Zucchini" in the States. The film features an unusual style that separates it from most stop motion movies while adhering to the long-used practice of manipulating articulated puppets one frame at a time. It tells the story of Icare (Gaspard Schlatter/Edick Abbate), who accidentally kills his abusive mother and is placed in foster care.

Icare bonds with the policeman who helps him, and winds up with a foster mother who is in it only for the money provided by the state. He abandons his birth name, preferring Zucchini (Courgette in the French version), and forms an attachment to a newly orphaned girl while navigating his life and surroundings. Despite centering on children, the film isn't necessarily marketed to kids, as it deals with some heavy issues.

Despite making almost no money at the box office, the film captivated critics around the world. It won numerous trophies and was nominated for best animated feature at the Academy Awards. "My Life as a Zucchini" is as brilliant as it is unusual, making it one of the best stop motion movies ever made.

• Cast: Gaspard Schlatter, Sixtine Murat, Paulin Jaccoud

• Director: Claude Barras

• Rating: PG-13

• Runtime: 70 minutes

• Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video