6. Mary and Max
Claymation is hardly the most alluring genre and indeed, Mary and Max has hardly the most enjoyable sounding plot. It is the story of two lonely individuals, one a young girl from Australia and the other an obese New Yorker with Asberger Syndrome, who become unlikely pen pals and who correspond for the better part of twenty years. It might not sound great but Mary and Max is an extraordinary display of filmmaking prowess, starting with the gorgeous animation, continuing with wonderful voice acting from its cast, and most importantly it has a story that is simple, sincere, and profoundly emotional. Mary and Max runs the whole gamut of emotions, being in turns funny, depressing, joyful, and melancholy. It deals with a variety of relatable ideas including loneliness, and anxiety, and also confronts more complicated issues such as depression and mental disorders. The sum of the parts ends up making Mary and Max one of those rare movies that truly has something for everyone. Although Mary and Max earned rave reviews after its release in 2009 and features on IMDB's top 250, it still is criminally underseen by most movie fans.