Movies are mostly enjoyed with real-life actors in live-action productions, but animation has become a leading medium in film and television, with projects such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Invincible becoming mainstream media. However, among animations exists a sub-genre or medium called claymation and stop-motion, which painstakingly creates a film using clay or miniature figures one movement at a time.

These films have always had their charm, but they are getting more recognition after the release of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. That is why this list will rank the 10 best claymation/stop-motion films based on writing, critical acclaim, fan opinion, animation, figures, popularity, and how iconic they are. (Even though the list technically says ‘claymation,’ it will include both claymation and stop-motion pictures.)

10

‘Isle of Dogs’ (2018)

Wes Anderson is an iconic director with a distinct style that imbues every film of his with a certain charm that fans can’t help but adore. However, he also has a couple of renowned stop-motion films, including Isle of Dogs. When dogs bring a disease into the human world, they are all sent to a remote trash island, where one young boy travels to in hopes of finding his pet and, in turn, finds a cure.

Whether fans like its unique sense of style, its gorgeous animation, or its funny and engaging plot, Isle of Dogs is a fantastic movie that utilizes the best of stop-motion. With remarkable worldbuilding and set design, fans feel like they are in this strange trash island that has molded these eccentric and endearing characters, which drive the plot forward.

9

‘Chicken Run’ (2000)

Aardman is by far the most renowned studio for delivering claymation projects, and one of their best projects is the classic film Chicken Run. A group of chickens lives a doomed life inside a chicken coop, waiting to be turned into chicken pie. But when a brave American rooster shows up, they are inspired to take action and break out of this nightmarish location.

Fans can be sure that any Aardman project will be a good one, but Chicken Run is one of their best, featuring a classic story and timeless animation that has made it a staple of the genre. It is fun, hilarious, captivating, wholesome, and iconic, delivering a standout film that has become one of the best prison break movies ever. The sequel follows up with great success, but it doesn’t match the brilliance of the first one.

8

‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ (2022)

Classic stories can be told over and over again with new iterations and still seem fresh, and Guillermo del Toro is a master of this, as fans can’t wait for his version of Frankenstein. However, he also dipped his toes into claymation, creating Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. It follows the classic tale with its original dark tone, as Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) and his father seek a safe haven in fascist Italy.

While most renditions of this film opt for a more family-friendly approach, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio doesn’t hold back, featuring everything dark from the original to create a depressing movie. The political story is a significant focus and addresses the heavy topics of the original, but the film’s visually stunning set pieces and clay creations are by far the standout elements, creating a stellar masterpiece that is beautiful to look at.

7

‘Corpse Bride’ (2005)

Claymation and stop-motion are ingrained in Halloween and spooky plots thanks to Tim Burton, and one of the best that features these aspects is Corpse Bride. While practicing his vows in a cemetery, Victor (Johnny Depp) accidentally ends up in the land of the dead and commits to a dead bride (Helena Bonham Carter). He must now escape the land of the dead before his other wife marries an evil man.

Fans have become obsessed with Burton’s style of films, as his claymation and stop-motion pictures are a staple of his career and the genre. Corpse Bride is spooky, dark, funny, silly, and completely engrossing, telling an incredible story with expressive animations and gorgeous figures. As Corpse Bride celebrates its 20th anniversary, now is the perfect time to rewatch this enchanting masterpiece.

6

‘Mad God’ (2022)

Most of the films on this list are well-known, but Mad God is perhaps the least popular of the bunch, and it proves to be one of the best and most original. A mysterious figure known only as the Assassin wears a trench coat and a gas mask, delving into a dark and decrepit pit full of monsters, unimaginable horrors, and cruel fates.

Mad God took around 30 years to make, proving the unmatched dedication of Phil Tippett and his crew to deliver a long-awaited masterpiece. Utilizing a mix of animation techniques, this film stands out from other stop-motion projects, presenting a visual feast through live-action sequences, magnificent sets, remarkable characters, and intricate animation, with materials such as slime and mulch to create its bleak atmosphere.

5

‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ (2016)

Kubo and the Two Strings follows the titular protagonist as he goes on a journey with his companions, Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), after accidentally summoning a past spirit. He must battle gods and monsters in order to save his captured family while uncovering a hidden legacy that involves him, his destiny, and his family history.

Like most of the films on this list, Kubo and the Two Strings is a gorgeous piece of fiction, but it stands out among even the greatest, arguably being the most visually appealing stop-motion film. The cinematography, figures, sets, and filming process are outstanding, creating a cinematic experience through these figures. Kubo and the Two Strings is also emotional, vibrant, and charming, resulting in an unforgettable stop-motion movie.

4

‘Coraline’ (2009)

Now that this list has made the top four, each entry will be a critically acclaimed masterpiece that fans know very well, starting off with the iconic Coraline. Moving into a new, spooky home, the eponymous protagonist discovers a peculiar portal that leads her into a parallel dimension that closely resembles her own. However, when her alternate family tries to keep her there, she must find a way to escape.

Not enough praise can be sung about Coraline, which is a cult classic and one of the most popular claymation films. Its haunting atmosphere traumatized and captivated children at the same time, drawing them into this creepy world with plenty of detail and theories to be explored. This engrossing film pushed the bounds of claymation and hooked a generation of fans in the meantime.

3

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)

Following one Henry Selick masterpiece is another Henry Selick masterpiece, this time with The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) is growing tired of his annual Halloween shtick, but once he discovers a doorway to other holidays, he decides he should be the one spreading Christmas cheer around the world, only to realize it isn’t so simple.

As a claymation movie, musical, Christmas movie, and Halloween movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas excels in almost every category, becoming a staple of each genre, which is what made it one of the most impressive and essential claymation projects. It popularized the genre and established the connection between claymation and Halloween, creating one of the best dark animated films of all time.

2

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ (2009)

Wes Anderson earns another entry on this list with arguably his best film, Fantastic Mr. Fox. After living in luxury for 12 years, Mr. Fox (George Clooney) gives in to his animal instincts, causing danger for his family after the farmers force him out and into the underground. Now, he must use his natural craftiness to survive the harsh new landscape and quell his animalistic urges.

Anderson’s diaroma-esque shots perfectly translate to stop-motion, and his quaint style is felt through the subtle cinematography and miniature figures. The result is a fantastic movie nominated for multiple Academy Awards, proving that stop-motion can be critically acclaimed and award-winning. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a charming expression of stop-motion that propels the genre forward.

1

‘Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’ (2005)

As previously mentioned, Aardman is a legendary studio whose next work will be a Pokémon claymation film. While that has potential, their best project is easily Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. With the harvest festival soon approaching, the duo creates an invention to stop those pesky rabbits from eating everyone’s prized vegetables. However, a more sinister creature emerges that may ruin everything.

Claymation can deliver profound stories with significant meaning, but the genre is also ingrained in family fun, featuring funny characters, wholesome moments, and endearing animation. That is precisely what The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is. This film is a definitive claymation experience, perfect for any age due to its timeless animation and classic plot, making it the best Wallace & Gromit project ever.

Horror is a staple on nearly every streaming service, but what if you’ve seen all the important classics and are looking to venture a little further afield? One way to keep mainlining your favorite villains and settings is to dive into sequel territory. Not all horror sequels are created equal, but for every misguided cash grab, there’s a cult classic waiting to be rediscovered. Head to Peacock, home of next year’s Crystal Lake prequel series, to check out these 10 horror sequels.

Halloween II

We’ve had Halloween II on the brain thanks to the upcoming Strangers: Chapter 2, which imperils the Final Girl anew as she’s trying to recover from the first film’s horrific attack. That’s not unlike Laurie Strode’s ordeal in 1981’s Halloween II, which shows us what happens once she checks into Haddonfield’s local hospital—a facility with a horny staff and not many existing patients, where Michael Myers easily tracks down that troublesome babysitter and continues his stalking rampage. Watch on Peacock.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

The only film in the Halloween series not to feature Michael Myers as the killer—he does get a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, though—Halloween III is a wonderfully bonkers tale involving a witchy plot to massacre scores of children using cursed Halloween masks powered by Stonehenge-adjacent witchcraft and activated by an irritatingly catchy commercial jingle. It also features one of the least likely horror-movie heroes ever, as well as one of the booziest. Watch on Peacock.

The Exorcist III

The first Exorcist is an influential masterpiece. The second Exorcist teeters between “so bad it’s good” and “no, seriously, what were they thinking?” But The Exorcist III, written and directed by Exorcist book author William Peter Blatty (and, as pop culture will have us believe, beloved by Jeffrey Dahmer), is a deeply distressing tale that both picks up the threads of William Friedkin’s original film and creates its own specific nightmare. It also has one of the greatest jump scares in cinematic history, so searing that even if you know it’s coming, you’ll still flinch. Watch on Peacock.

Day of the Dead

Make sure you click on the 1985 version from George A. Romero; Peacock also has the forgettable 2008 remake. Zombies are still roaming the earth in this third entry in Romero’s classic trilogy, but in this military-focused entry, you can definitely see why it’s time for humankind to consider bowing out. Wonderful gore further elevates the story, as does the endearing undead dude Bub, an eternal fan favorite. Watch on Peacock.

Terrifier 2 and 3

The saga of Sienna the warrior angel versus the maniacal Art the Clown takes shape in Damien Leone’s second and third Terrifier movies, which back-to-back equal some four and a half hours of circus-tinged mayhem and cruel brutality. The kill scenes are always the main attraction, but part three in particular introduces some intriguing Art lore that Leone has said he’ll further explore in the upcoming fourth film. Watch on Peacock: Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3.

Son of Frankenstein

Most horror fans have watched the classic Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. But as we await Guillermo del Toro’s fresh take on Mary Shelley’s literary creation, why not watch the third film in that original series? Released in 1939, Son of Frankenstein stars Boris Karloff as the revived Monster, Bela Lugosi as the diabolical Ygor, and Basil Rathbone as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein. As the title suggests, he’s Henry Frankenstein’s son, and he ill-advisedly decides it’s his job to restore the family reputation. Watch on Peacock.

Child’s Play 2

Chucky may have been burned to a crisp at the end of 1988’s Child’s Play, but you can’t keep a killer doll down—especially one hellbent on claiming a human body by any means necessary. The sequel brings back kid actor Alex Vincent as Andy Barclay, giving him a tough foster sister (Christine Elise) and cementing one of horror’s best sibling duos. It also takes on the corporate jerks behind the Good Guy doll line, which gives the film reason to skewer big business and build to an inspired climax in a Chucky-filled toy factory. Watch on Peacock.

Amityville II: The Possession

There are now over 50 movies purporting to be part of the Amityville film series, including several parodies and in-name-only entries. But back in 1982, just a few years after The Amityville Horror “true story” book, Amityville II did its best to continue the success of the first film by offering a prequel of sorts to its events. While the famous haunting was later debunked as a hoax, there was a real-life tragedy behind the ghost story, and Amityville II digs into the family massacre—with the expected sensational supernatural twist, of course.  Watch on Peacock.

Phantasm: Ravager

The final Phantasm film was released in 2016 and reunited original stars A. Michael Baldwin (Mike Pearson), Reggie Bannister (Reggie), and Angus Scrimm (the Tall Man)—the latter sadly passing away before the film hit theaters. While the original Phantasm will always be the best entry, not to mention one of the purely weirdest horror movies ever made, this farewell entry offers a blend of “one last time” nostalgia as well as its own extremely freaky dream-world adventures. Watch on Peacock.

Scream 4

Wes Craven’s Scream 4 is sort of the odd man out of his Scream series. It was released in 2011, 11 years after Scream 3 and 11 years before the series’ revival with Scream in 2022. It follows Sidney Prescott, self-help author, as she returns to Woodsboro, where Ghostface launches a fresh series of attacks, with Sidney’s teenage cousin at the center. Scream 4 is not unaware of its odd place in the continuity, poking fun at excessive sequels with glimpses of the in-universe Stab series having reached parts six and seven—and it’s well worthy of rediscovery. Watch on Peacock.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.