Animation films don’t merely have to appeal to children. Some production companies/ studios like Pixar and Laika have proven this.
However, some animated films have gone one step further. These films show that animation can sometimes be produced with an adult audience in mind.
There are also movies explicitly made for a specific age group in the incredibly diverse, intricate, and extraordinary universe of anime, where Miyazaki is lord, and there are many admirers.
Several films are created specifically for adults, which is for good reason only because these people don’t hold back on gore, eroticism, and outright aggression.
At the same time, many other movies are oriented toward both children and adults. Here are a few top-rated anime films for only adults that you must watch at least once.
Your Name (2016)
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Where to watch: Netflix.
The latest project from director Makoto Shinkai is a stunning work of art about time, the string of fate, and the hearts of two young souls.
When the stars dropped, two lives were forever altered. Mitsuha and Taki, two high school students, are strangers with different lifestyles.
However, they unexpectedly trade places one evening. Taki and Mitsuha both awaken in their respective bodies. The two must rearrange their Life to accommodate one another as this strange incident keeps occurring at random.
Yet somehow, it succeeds. They establish a relationship and communicate by leaving behind messages, notes, and, more importantly, an imprint.
Something changes as a brilliant comet appears in the night sky, and they start to look for each other eagerly.
Akira (1988)
Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo
Where to watch: Vudu Tv.
Thirty-one years after the end of World War III, Tokyo (now known as “Neo-Tokyo”) has been restored and is a prosperous city. A biker gang led by Shotaro Kaneda.
After being hurt in an accident, his pal Tetsuo is transported to a top-secret public agency. He has telekinetic abilities but uses them evilly rather than for good.
He possesses the same abilities as Akira, the power that obliterated Tokyo in 1988, and it now seems like the same thing will happen again.
Anomalisa (2015)
Director: Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Michael Stone is a customer service expert author who struggles to have meaningful interactions with others. On his terms, he led a monotonous life because of his low sensibility to thrill and lack of interest.
However, while on a work trip, he encountered a stranger—an unusual stranger—who eventually helped him overcome his pessimistic outlook on Life and may have even changed the course of his everyday existence.
Chico and Rita (2010)
Director: Tono Errando, Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba.
Where to watch: Netflix
Young pianist Chico has high ambitions. Rita is a stunning singer with a remarkable voice. They are brought together by music, love, and passion, but their journey—in the style of the Latin song, the bolero—brings pain and suffering.
Two passionate people fight against impossible odds to come together in music and love from Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood, and Las Vegas.
Titan AE (2000)
Director: Don Bluth and Gary Goldman.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Vudu Tv, Apple TV.
Aliens destroyed Earth 1000 years ago out of concern for the Titan project. Some people flee, becoming devastated by Migration and settling in impoverished areas. Also escaping is the enigmatic Titan spaceship, whose creator had hidden it before passing away.
The young son of the deceased scientist, Cale, is sought out by the spacecraft’s captain and pilot, two humans named Korso and Akima, who explains that the Titan is where they must go to find a device that will unify and save humanity. Although Cale protests, the arrival of the homicidal aliens convinces him to join Korso.
Can he escape his pursuers, distinguish between friends and enemies, locate the Titan, and accept the mankind he has previously hated?
Shrek (2001)
Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson.
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV.
When a green monster named Shrek learns that the cunning Lord Farquaad has “swamped” his swamp with various fairytale creatures, Shrek goes out with a very loud donkey to try and convince Farquaad to return Shrek’s swamp.
A contract is formed in its place. Princess Fiona is hiding out in a tower under the protection of a fire-breathing dragon while waiting for her true love, and Farquaad, who wishes to become King, sends Shrek to rescue her.
However, once they return with Fiona, it becomes clear that not only is the beautiful princess falling for the ugly ogre Shrek, but Fiona is also keeping a very big secret.
Flee (2021)
Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Where to watch: Zee5
An animated film based on a true account of a guy who must face his past to really have a future. Amin traveled alone as a minor from Afghanistan to Denmark.
He is currently a successful scholar and engaged to his longtime partner at the age of 36. The Life he has created for himself is in danger due to a secret he has kept for over 20 years. He will tell his close friend his story for the first time.
Sausage Party (2016)
Director: Greg Tiernan
Where to watch: Zee 5
When it comes time for the goods at Shopwell’s Grocery Store to go from the comfort of the store and enter the wide beyond, they are convinced that there is a code that enables them to live happy lives.
Frank, however, goes to tremendous lengths to get back to his parcel and make another voyage to the extreme beyond after a mishandled excursion leaves him, and his friend Bun stuck.
However, as Frank’s journey takes him from one end of the grocery store to the other, his search for the reality of his destiny as a sausage takes a very grim turn.
Can he convince his fellow items to revolt against their human rulers by speaking the truth to the others in the supermarket?
Perfect Blue (1997)
Director: Satoshi Kon
Where to watch: Roku channel, Vudu Tv, Prime Video, Apple Tv.
The lead vocalist of the popular J-Pop group “CHAM!” and teen idol Mima Kirigoe decided to leave her bubblegum trio to pursue a career as an actor in the television drama opera “Double Bind,” supported by her manager Rumi.
The young band’s male fans are not pleased with her brave decision, particularly the unidentified ardent supporter who begins posting sinister threats and unsettlingly personal details about Mima’s lifestyle on her blog—entries Mima swears are not hers.
All the people who persuaded Mima to adopt her “bad girl” reputation are brutally killed, and a scary doppelgänger stalks Mima.
Is Mima being stalked by a vicious killer, or is this weird and scary situation only a perceptible illusion?
I Lost My Body (2019)
Director: Jérémy Clapin
Where to watch: Netflix
A severed hand escapes its unfortunate fate in a laboratory in Paris and sets out to reunite with its body. The extremity goes on a nerve-wracking adventure across the city, fighting off mice and pigeons alike to find pizza delivery lad Naoufel.
Its recollections of Naoufel and his ardor for bookish Gabrielle may hold the key to understanding what led to the hand’s separation and serve as a lyrical setting for a future reunion of the three. Based on the book “Happy Hand” by Guillaume Laurant.
Belladonna of Sadness (1973)
Director: Eiichi Yamamoto
Where to watch: Kanopy, Vudu Tv.
In middle-aged France, Jeanne, a young peasant, is fascinated with the lovely villager, Jean, who is also plagued with the priceless but terrible gift of beauty.
Just on the couple’s wedding night, the evil feudal lord of the town exercises his “Droit du Seigneur” or “Right of the First Night,” but Jeanne will finally make a terrible Faustian pact with the Dark Prince after a desperate descent into a realm of unsettling hallucinations.
Jeanne will eventually become a powerful and deadly vessel of seduction as she satisfies her thirst for power and delicious retribution by combining her newly discovered abilities with the darkest of witchcraft. Is Jeanne’s hatred unrelenting?
In This Corner of the World (2016)
Director: Sunao Katabuchi
Where to watch: Netflix
Suzu, a young woman of 18 from Hiroshima, Japan, married by arrangement and relocates to Kure city, where the Japanese navy developed a significant naval base during World War II.
Even though the battle situation worsens, she still manages to maintain everyday Life for her new family. She gets lost one day trying to find her way home and meets Rin, a girl her age, in a red-light area by chance.
Suzu and Rin have now become friends, although Suzu is concerned about some of Rin’s secrets. Additionally, they are not permitted as is due to the war.
To Your Last Death (2019)
Director: Jason Axinn
Where to watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime video.
As the surviving member of her father’s bizarre fantasy, a woman is approached by a supernatural entity with an offer to travel back in time and try again. To save her siblings from impending death, she must now repeat the darkest night of her Life.
To save her siblings, a young woman fights with her dad and the most powerful entity known as Gamemaster, who generally traps humans in several evil schemes while her species bets on the results.
The Girl Without Hands (2016)
Director: Sébastien Laudenbach
Where to watch: Mubi, Ovid, Mubi Amazon channel.
A struggling miller finally offers his daughter to the Devil. Somehow she manages to escape while being guarded by her purity, but she loses her hands.
As she leaves her home, she comes upon the water goddess, a kind gardener, and the prince in his castle. Here starts an extended journey toward the light.
Colorful (2010)
Director: Keiichi Hara
Where to watch: Netflix, Hayu.
On the opposite side of death, there is a railway station, but not everyone who steps onto the station will be considered ready to travel. There will be both a challenge and a second chance for one unprepared soul.
Instead of reincarnating, this soul will awaken inside the body of 14-year-old suicidal Makoto Kobayashi, where it will have to solve two mysteries and figure out how to fit into Makoto’s Life.
Why did Makoto commit suicide, and what is the mystery of the terrible sin it did in its own former Life?
While some people may think that the truth is as obvious as black and white, “Makoto” quickly discovers that the real world is layered with so many different shades and hues that the most evident “facts” are not always what they seem to be.
All of Life’s mysteries have answers, but time is running out for the soul to be in Makoto’s body.
Gandahar (1987)
Director: René Laloux
Where to watch: Netflix.
The ideal planet of Gandahar, the product of vast genetic research and mutation, is one of exceptional beauty and serenity.
However, this exquisite tranquility is invaded by an unknown evil entity that emits petrifying rays that turn individuals into stone, shattering the perfect harmony.
After holding court, the Cabinet of Women decides to dispatch Sylvain, the son of Royal Ambidextra, on an attack expedition against the adversary.
The antagonist Sylvain eventually encounters is the biggest failure of Gandaharian experimental research, along with the attractive and courageous Arielle.
It is a massive mind called the Metamorphic that has built an unstoppable army of metal soldiers to obliterate Gandahar. However, Sylvain won’t have to face the Metamorphosis for a thousand years.
Waking Life (2001)
Director: Richard Linklater
Where to watch: Hulu.
Does dream mean escape or reality itself? Waking One man’s dream(s) are followed throughout Life as he searches for and attempts to understand the true distinction between the real world and his dreams.
He encounters many people while attempting to figure out how to wake up; some offer one-sentence asides on Life, while others delve extensively into existential issues and the mysteries of Life.
We take up the role of the lead. It becomes our dream, and all of our queries are addressed.
Can we influence our dreams? What do they have to say about Life? regarding death? About who we are, our origins, and where we’re going? None of these questions are addressed in the movie. Instead, it motivates us to find the true answers.
Heavy Metal (1981)
Director: Gerald Potterton, John Bruno, and John Halas.
Where to watch: Tubi, Prime Video, Redbox, Apple TV.
A complex story of cosmic revenge that goes far beyond the limitations of our existence when a glowing green sphere from deep space makes its way into the Earth.
Nobody is sure where the floating crystal sphere came from. Still, everyone who has come into contact with the mystical Loc-Nar, the strange green crystal—men and women from different galaxies and dimensions has lost completely against its destructive power.
The question remains as the parasitic intergalactic force’s tentacles surround time and space. Who is that much strong enough to prevent this pure evil? Will a brave protector notice the cry and support humanity?
The Animatrix (2003)
Director: Peter Chung
Where to watch: HBO Max, Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, Redbox.
This revolutionary format is a collection of nine original short films created by The Matrix creators and mega-producer Joel Silver.
The Animatrix, a collection of seven prominent directors’ feature-caliber short films, combines cutting-edge CG animation with Japanese anime in a way that is inspired by the bold action and inventive narrative of the Matrix trilogy.
Explore the core of The Matrix throughout aesthetically breathtaking and emotionally stirring tales that reveal fresh information, such as the conflict between humans and machines that gave rise to the Matrix.
This movie is the 2003 Annie Award recipient for Exceptional Performance in a Home Entertainment Animation Production.
Cryptozoo (2021)
Director: Dash Shaw
Where to watch: Hulu, Amazon prime video.
Lauren Gray, a cryptozoologist, and her mentor Joan, a conservationist, have worked hard to preserve cryptids, exotic animals whose presence is unproven.
Together, they have put together a collection of these mythical animals from various parts of the world.
Unsavory rivals have put their focus on capturing the unusual beings to exploit their abilities for military use, as Lauren sets off on a desperate journey to find the dream-eating Baku. Will Lauren be able to locate the unique Baku before it ends up in the wrong hands?
The Suicide Shop (2012)
Director: Patrice Leconte
Where to watch: Prime video, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV, Paramount.
Alain is born into a Tuvache family, who, in the middle of horrible circumstances, runs a shop selling suicide equipment and guides the customers on its usage, and he almost immediately starts to resist its gloomy perspective.
Other children in the family include an obese sister named Marilyn, who hates her existence, and an anorexic oldest brother named Vincent, who developed the hardware used in the store to commit suicide.
Mishima, Vincent, and Marilyn make repeated attempts but cannot alter Alain’s independent and upbeat attitude toward Life.
As time passes, the exuberant sibling and offspring of first Vincent and Marilyn, then Mishima, are subverted by the Suicide Shop’s original macabre and melancholy orientation. Eventually, the Suicide Shop transforms into a novelty shop.
Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008)
Director: Makoto Kamiya
Where to watch: Apple TV, Google Play movies.
Chaos breaks out at Harvardville Airport after a zombie onslaught. Seven years after the Raccoon City tragedy, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, who defeated the evil Umbrella Corporation, are returned.
They are prepared to fight a renegade warrior who is out for revenge since his family was murdered in Raccoon City in rising Resident Evil fashion. A new mutant creature is on the rampage when the dangerous G-Virus is released.
Loving Vincent (2017)
Director: Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman
Where to watch: Amazon prime video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Tv.
Nearly a year after the master painter Vincent van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk) passed away mysteriously in the summer of 1891 in France, Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth), the young son of the local postman (Chris O’Dowd), is reluctantly assigned the task with delivering one of the artist’s last letters to his brother Theo in Paris.
However, when Armand learns that Theo also perished, he sets off on a mission to look into Vincent’s tragic passing from the picturesque town of Auvers-Sur-Oise.
Has Van Gogh been killed, or did he commit suicide? There is more to this mystery than first appears as Armand continues to look for evidence.
When the Wind Blows (1986)
Director: Jimmy T. Murakami
Where to watch: Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, Tubi.
The movie is based on the book by Raymond Briggs. Jim and Hilda an elderly British couple who reside in the countryside, think that the government will always be aware of what it is doing.
However, a third world war between the United States and the Soviet Union is rapidly approaching. Jim builds a shelter using government brochures as part of his preparations.
Both of them, however, continue to think that the conflict would be fought similarly to World War II, and they are unable to completely comprehend that the conflict will be conducted with nuclear weapons.
War breaks out all too soon, but Jim and Hilda manage to escape a nuclear explosion.
Waltz with Bashir (2008)
Director: Ari Folman
Where to watch: Criterion Channel, Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV.
Director Ari learns about an old friend’s reoccurring dream in which he has been hunted by 26 aggressive dogs while they are out at a pub.
The same amount of animals each night. The two soldiers draw the conclusion that their Israeli Army assignment during the first Lebanon War in the early 1980s had some significance. Ari is shocked because he no longer remembers anything about that time in his Life.
He proceeds to meet and interview former friends and allies all around the world after being intrigued by this riddle. He must find the truth about a certain timeframe and about himself; as Ari looks more deeply into the mystery, strange visions from his past start to appear.
A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Director: Richard Linklater
Where to watch: Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox, Apple TV.
An undercover police officer named Bob Arctor (Reeves) is on a mission to look into an organization selling the dangerous narcotic substance D.
In the meantime, he develops a drug addiction of his own and starts to become lost in himself.
Based on the Philip K. Dick novel, the movie uses the same ‘VFX’ graphics technique (live-action video edited frame by frame with animation) as Richard Linklater’s 2001 film Waking Life to complement its delirious tale.
Beowulf (2007)
Director: Jimmy T. Murakami
Where to watch: Apple TV
This is the tale of the last hero, set against the rise of Christianity. In the year 507, a horrific troll causes carnage in Danish King Hrothgar’s mead hall (Sir Anthony Hopkins).
Beowulf (Ray Winstone), a mighty and conceited Geat warrior, shows up with his thanks after promising rewards for the slaying of Grendel (Crispin Glover). Beowulf puts his armor aside and waits for the beast.
After a bloody battle, Beowulf finally makes it inside the aquatic lair of Grendel’s Mother, where a demon’s deal is waiting.
Here’s the fortress where Beowulf returns and ascends to the throne. Years later, Beowulf and his empire are punished for the misdeeds of the father. The hero must confront his frailty in order to regain his heroism. Is the era of the demons over?
Cheatin (2013)
Director: Bill Plympton
Where to watch: Roku Tv, Amazon Prime video.
The most devoted pair in romantic history, Jake and Ella, met in a fateful bumper-to-bumper accident. However, insecurity and loathing foretell an early end when a cunning “other” lady digs a pit of envy into their ideal courtship.
Ella assumes the appearance of Jake’s various lovers, desperately battling through dysfunction and dishonesty as they attempt to recapture their destiny with only the assistance of a discredited magician and his dangerous “soul machine.”
Renaissance (2006)
Director: Christian Volckman
Where to watch: Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV, Paramount.
Paris, in 2054, is a shadowy, right-angle-filled, motion-captured reality. Brilliant young scientist Ilona Tasuiev has been abducted, and her employer, the huge health and beauty company Avalon, wants to find her.
A gloomy police captain named Karas is tasked with finding her quickly. He asks her sister, Bislane, for assistance, and they soon discover identity fraud, missing data, and some clues that something from 2006 may help to explain what is happening.
The mentor of Ilona, the vice president of Avalon, a Japanese researcher, a crime leader, and Bislane’s drug link are all involved.
The same goes for the attraction between Bislane and Karas. What is the cause of the kidnapping? The victim is who?
Have a Nice Day (2017)
Director: Jian Liu
Where to watch: Tubi Tv, Vudu, Mubi Amazon channel.
Have a Nice Day is a stone-cold gangster drama with intentional violence that is intellectual and casually nasty.
This cleverly animated film from the Chinese writer and director Liu Jian begins with a quote from Leo Tolstoy’s final and most depressing book, “Resurrection,” and uses a common follow-the-money story to make a Darwinian critique of viciously contemporary materialism.
This movie story is basically based on a city in southern China where a large bag of a million yuan tempts a group of people from various backgrounds and with various personal motives into a brutal war.
Featured Image Source: IMDb