Do you still believe in the idea that animation is only restricted to kids with something like a cat and mouse chase where the cat can just pop back in its normal shape like a jelly even after a car drives over it? Something that doesn’t make sense but enough for a laugh, right? However, there’s, of course, much more to it. There’s a deep story and plethora of emotions that makes the experience of watching animated movies or series more wholesome. If there’s a faction which just doesn’t get animated stuff, there is the one that goes crazy over it.
No matter if you belong to the ‘animation-crazy’ faction or the ones who haven’t watched any of it and want to give it a shot, here’s a list of the best animated movies available on Netflix:
Spirited Away
Written by: Hayao Miyazaki
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi
Spirited Away chronicles the journey of Chihiro who unknowingly entered the world of Kami (spirits) along with her family. Her parents ended up transforming into pigs by witch Yubaba, after they ate the food there without anybody’s permission. In order to to make them normal again and go back to the human world, Chihiro takes up work in Yubaba’s bathhouse to find a way out. Spirited Away was made in the time when animation was solely based for a very young audience and with this movie, Miyazaki tried to break that very barrier. If you are new to this genre, then nothing can be a better start than Spirited Away.
Klaus
Written by: Sergio Pablos
Directed by: Sergio Pablos
Cast: Jason Schwartzman, J. K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso
The film is a twist on the origins of Santa Claus set in 19th century and follows a postman working in an island town in the North who is friends with a reclusive toymaker (Klaus). The film stood out due to its animation style and the way it used background and settings to display the emotions behind the scenes. The movie gradually moved from ‘cold and barren’ to ‘warm and vibrant’ and that transition is just impeccable.
In This Corner of the World
Written by: Sunao Katabuchi, Chie Uratani
Directed by: Sunao Katabuchi
Cast: Rena Nonen, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Mayumi Shintani
The film follows Suzu, an easily distracted girl who is very passionate about drawing and painting, set in 1930s to 1940s but majorly in 1943-44. In 1944, she moves to the city of Kure in order to move in with her in-laws. Everything felt stable and nice till the point the war between the US and Japan became more intense than ever and the US chose to drop an atomic bomb over the place.
My Neighbor Totoro
Written by: Hayao Miyazaki
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, and Hitoshi Takagi
The story revolves around a professor’s two young daughters, Satsuki and Mei, and their friends who just happened to be spirits. Oh, not the scary and creepy ones but the adorable spirits from the woods. The film was released in 1988 and has been known to be one of the most heartwarming and pleasing animated movies of the time. It has made itself a following that comprises both children and adults. And again if you are someone who hasn’t explored animation yet, My Neighbor Totoro can be a good start.
Hotel Transylvania
Written by: Peter Baynham and Robert Smigel
Directed by: Genndy Tartakovsky
Cast: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi,
The film is based in and around Hotel Transylvania, a hotel owned by Count Dracula who’s inviting all his friends to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter, Mavis. The hotel is basically for the monsters kind but once a human named Jonathan just shows up uninvited, and everything goes haywire. And a shocker, Makis, a vampire, falls for Jonathan, a normal human being.