Summary
- Horror anime explores madness and disturbing themes with terror-inducing visuals.
- Seoul Station delves into social issues with themes of homelessness and prostitution.
- Horror classics like Mad God offer unique and twisted stop-motion nightmares.
Animated movies have long been a regular fixture for film fans around the world, from the stop-motion charm of Aardman, Disney’s timeless classics, and Studio Ghibli’s exceptional catalog. Before advances in CGI, animation allowed artists to dream big, taking viewers to incredible worlds that were otherwise impossible to create.
Best Horror Anime
Horror and anime do not go together often, but when they do, we get some of the scariest stories ever.
While adventure, romance, and action are regular genres explored in animation, horror has mainly been left to live-action productions. However, when done right, these movies can disturb their audiences with terrifying visions of madness, monsters, and death. While some of these films are controversial classics, others have pushed the boundaries of the form with evocative storytelling, nightmarish imagery, and disturbing themes.
9 Seoul Station
Prequel to the Modern Zombie Classic
Seoul Station
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- August 17, 2016
- Runtime
- 92 Minutes
- Director
- Yeon Sang-ho
- Main Genre
- Horror
This action-packed prequel to the international horror hit Train to Busan (2016) follows the story of three characters attempting to survive the initial zombie outbreak in the nation's capital.
Seoul Station is a perfect companion piece to the live-action zombie classic. It expands on the lore, and the film explores the first stages of the outbreak. The film is more than just an action horror piece, though, as its themes touch on different social issues in South Korea. With characters living on the margins of society, the film deals with themes of homelessness and prostitution. This is a must-watch film for fans of the original movie and horror anime as a whole.
8 Dead Space: Downfall
A Prequel to the Hit Horror Game
Dead Space: Downfall
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 27, 2008
- Runtime
- 74 minutes
- Director
- Chuck Patton
The survival action-horror game Dead Space was a critically acclaimed horror epic. The game follows the story of Isaac Clarke, an engineer who finds himself on the cursed ship Ishimura, where the crew have become horrific monsters known as Necromorphs.
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Dead Space: Downfall is an prequel animated movie that follows the events of the Ishimura after the strange monolith known as the Marker is brought on board. Downfall continues in the same vein as the games, with buckets of gore and terrifying monsters. The film is a must-watch for fans of the series, as it delves deeper into the lore and backstory of the doomed spaceship.
7 Wicked City
A Stylish Horror Classic
- Directed: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Released: 1987
- Runtime: 1h 22m
This classic neo-noir horror movie is set in a world where humans and demons co-exist in an uneasy alliance. The film follows Renzaburō Taki, a member of the Black Guard, who teams up with the beautiful demon woman Makie to protect Giuseppe Mayart, an ancient mystic whose life is vital for the ongoing alliance.
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Wicked City is a no-holds-barred action horror that is certainly not made for children. The film oozes style as the two heroes battle various monstrous demons attempting to break the fragile alliance. Its director would go on to make the classics Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) and Ninja Scroll (1993).
6 Mad God
A Dark and Disturbing Stop-Motion Epic
Mad God
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- Release Date
- June 16, 2022
- Runtime
- 84 Minutes
- Director
- Phil Tippett
Produced over 30 years by visual effects pioneer Phil Tippet, Mad God is a true achievement in stop-motion animation. The film revolves around an assassin who descends into a hellish underworld with a map and suitcase. Along the way, he encounters terrible monsters and ruined cities.
Mad God is a twisted stop-motion nightmare that is unlike anything else put to screen. Initially started after Tippet was working on Robocop 2, the film would be shelved for 20 years. Finally completing the film with the help of numerous volunteers, Mad God would receive critical acclaim on its release. This darkly surreal work is a must-watch for horror fans looking for something truly unique.
5 Watership Down
Traumatized An Entire Generation
Watership Down
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- November 1, 1978
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 91 Minutes
- Director
- Martin Rosen, John Hubley
- Main Genre
- Animation
Based on the novel by Richard Adams, Watership Down follows the story of a group of rabbits as they leave the safety of their threatened warren and seek a new home. This emotional film deals with themes of courage, mortality, and survival.
While Watership Down was not designed as a horror feature, its dark and disturbing depiction of nature has terrified audiences since its release. Its grim, often graphic portrayal of death, cruelty, and genocide has made this one of the most horrific children's movies of all time. While the film has regularly garnered controversy around its suitability for children, it remains an important landmark animation.
4 Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
A Classic Gothic Horror Anime
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
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- August 25, 2000
One of the most renowned gothic series in the genre, this satisfying horror anime is based on the third novel in the Vampire Hunter D manga series. In the film, the legendary Dhampir, known as D, is tasked by a wealthy family to rescue their daughter from a local vampire nobleman.
From the same animators as the classics Ninja Scroll (1993) and Wicked City (1987), Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is one of the best adult animated movies of all time. With its engaging story, stunning animation, and a blend of gothic horror, romance, and science fiction, this is a must-watch for all anime fans.
3 When the Wind Blows
A Harrowing Tale of Survival
When the Wind Blows
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 24, 1986
- Runtime
- 81 minutes
- Director
- Jimmy T. Murakami
While this isn’t billed as a horror animation, few productions in film and television history have touched on the fears of its audience as much as When the Wind Blows. Much like the live-action drama, Threads (1984) depicted the harrowing results of a nuclear attack on Sheffield, When the Wind Blows is equally affecting.
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The film follows an elderly couple living a simple life in rural Britain when nuclear war upends their world. After surviving the initial attack, the couple must live through the subsequent nuclear fallout and breakdown of society. When the Wind Blows is an emotional story of normal people whose lives are ruined by outside forces. The film is a reminder of the horrors humanity can inflict on itself, the resilience of everyday people, and the vulnerability of our society.
2 Coraline
A Beautifully Crafted Gothic Fairy Tale
Coraline
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- February 5, 2009
- Runtime
- 100 minutes
- Director
- Henry Selick
- Cast
- Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman
- Writers
- Henry Selick, Neil Gaiman
This classic stop-motion gothic horror by the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is a beautifully realized dark fairy tale. The film is based on the dark fantasy novella by Neil Gaiman.
The film follows Coraline, who, after moving to a new home, discovers a door to an alternate universe. In this other world, she meets strange button-eyed doppelgängers of her parents, who at first lavish her with attention. However, Coraline soon discovers this world has a sinister side. Coraline is a cult classic that is beloved by many. Its creepy atmosphere and story stay with the viewer long after the credits roll. It would go on to win several awards and be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the year's Oscars.
1 Perfect Blue
A Psychological Nightmare
Perfect Blue
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- February 28, 1998
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 82 minutes
- Director
- Satoshi Kon
From the creator of Paprika (2006), Perfect Blue follows the disturbing story of Mima Kirigoe. As a singer in an up-and-coming J-pop group, Mima unexpectedly decides to leave and become a full-time actress but is soon plagued by an obsessive stalker with a strange inside knowledge of her life. As brutal murders start happening around Mima, her grip on reality begins to fail.
Perfect Blue is considered one of the greatest anime movies ever and is a landmark release in adult-focused animation. Its tense horror fills every frame as paranoia grips the lead character. The film delves into themes around fame, identity, and reality and holds the viewers' attention from start to finish.
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