10 Terrifying Animated Horror Movies
Animation isn't all-singing animals, as these horror films prove.
Animated films today are primarily aimed at children. Singing anthropomorphised animals (that definitely won’t awaken anything in any children anywhere by the time they become teenagers…) are familiar faces in the summer blockbuster scene. Even iconic horror characters such as Dracula and the Addams Family have been given this treatment; polished to be squeaky clean for their young audiences.
However some filmmakers have recognised the seemingly endless possibilities that can occur when you combine animation and pure horror. You can literally do anything with the field of animation, resulting in some unique and fantastical horror films. From stop-motion to traditional hand-drawn 2D animation, horror cinema has given life to all sorts of beautifully crafted – and of course, bloody terrifying – animated movies.
Most of the films on this list will be little indie gems that sorely deserve more attention, but there are some that have rightly received recognition for their artistry and scares.
10. To Your Last Death
With a unique visual style not dissimilar to the artwork of Telltale games and the Borderlands games, To Your Last Death follows the story of a woman named Miriam who survives the sick game of her father which kills the rest of her family. Perhaps understandably, nobody believes her. However, with the help of a mysterious figure, she is able to go back in time to try and undo the past.
The film is like a bloody graphic novel sprung to life, taking inspiration from Cube to The Long Halloween. But it is entirely its own beast despite these homages. With fast-paced action, thrilling twists and turns and some genuinely horrific gore, To Your Last Death can go toe-to-toe with any conventionally made action horror.
The voice cast are also a wonderful collection of genre favourites. Firefly and Deadpool’s Morenna Baccarin exudes ice-cold charm as Gamemaster, and horror legend Bill Mosely brings an unpredictably zany menace to the character of Pavel. To top it all off, you’ve got the dulcet tones of William bloody Shatner tying up this gory little gem with a big (blood-splattered) bow.