Animation is generally associated with kids' entertainment; all sunny plots and cute characters.
However, the subgenre of animated thrillers is a rich one, jam-packed with classics.
From dark psychological mysteries to sci-fi dystopias and eerie fantasies, the following animated thrillers offer something uniquely captivating.
Image via Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan
The stump, which they name Otik, develops a craving for flesh, wreaking havoc on their community.
The parents know what needs to be done, but can’t bring themselves to destroy their wooden child.
It’s essentially a cinematic dark fairy tale.
Image via GKIDS
They include nightmare fuel like The Cat-Beast and The Seamstress.
DirectorShane Ackerclearly has an eye for the creepy.
It all adds up to one of the more underrated animated features of the 2000s.
Her investigation soon places her in grave danger.
The movie succeeds thanks to an entertaining dynamic between Tsunemore and the character Kogami (Tomokazu Seki).
The movie serves up a bevy of big ideas in a striking package of hand-drawn animation.
Image via Warner Bros.
Indeed,it crams an impressive amount into its lean 89-minute runtime.
The pace never lets up.
So many concepts are explored, including rogue AI, hacking, machine personhood, and robots' rights.
Critics praised the suspenseful plot, intricate world-building, and rich human-AI dynamics.
In this regard, it recalls Linklater’s similarly off-the-wallWaking Life.
“This classic follows a group of rabbits who flee their warren to escape an impending disaster.
Image Via Warner Bros
Led by the visionary Hazel, the rabbits encounter both natural and man-made dangers that threaten their survival.
The haunting visuals and mature themes set it apart from most ’70s animation.
4’Akira' (1988)
Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo
“I am Tetsuo!”
In the year 2019, the city of Neo-Tokyo is plagued by crime, corruption, and political unrest.
It also went a long way toward spawning the entire cyberpunk subgenre.
For all these reasons,Akirawas quickly canonized as a classic.
Image via Toho
Even today,Akira’s fusion of thriller elementswith a bold sci-fi vision still feels ambitious.
It’s visually creative too, boasting memorable creations like the spider-tank and the Puppet Master’s shell.
Thematically, the filmmakers touch on everything from cyborgs and memory alteration to self-aware computer programs.
In this regard, it was a massive influence on later movies likeThe MatrixandA.I.
1’Perfect Blue' (1997)
“Who are you… really?
Mima becomes entangled in a world of illusion and paranoia, and her sense of reality begins to fracture.
Image via Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan
Its complex plot keeps viewers questioning what is real and what is illusion, leading to a chilling conclusion.
In its own way,Perfect Blueis one of the scariest animated movies of all time.
It’s a masterful fusion of suspense and surrealism, psychological realism and fantastical visuals.
As withGhost in the Shell, this recipe was soon imitated by many other films.
NEXT:The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time, Ranked
Image via Rex Entertainment
