The best stop motion animated films bring something purely imagined to vivid life in a way that other animation techniques can’t. While stop-motion animation is regarded as the easiest way into this medium, the films on my list elevate animation to an art form.
Stop-motion films utilise the technique of physically manipulating objects, or puppets or clay, between individually captured frames, creating the illusion of independent movement. As I detail in my guide, 'Stop-motion: everything you need to know' this animation style is prevalent in children's films, evoking what Guillermo del Toro calls “a toy world made alive”. The medium’s slightly surreal quality also lends itself well to darker narratives, as seen in the 2015 comedy-drama Anomalisa.
