1993 · Henry Selick · 76 min · Animation
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a visual and musical triumph that turned a quirky stop-motion experiment into one of the most beloved animated films ever made. Jack Skellington's identity crisis resonates across generations, and Danny Elfman's songs are permanently lodged in popular culture.
2016 · Travis Knight · 101 min · Animation
Kubo and the Two Strings is Laika's most visually ambitious and emotionally profound film, a stop-motion epic that treats its young audience with extraordinary respect. The storytelling is bravely melancholy, the animation sets records, and the themes of memory, loss, and storytelling itself give it a depth that few animated films achieve.
2009 · Henry Selick · 100 min · Animation
Coraline is stop-motion animation at its most ambitious and unsettling, a dark fairy tale that respects its young audience enough to genuinely frighten them. Henry Selick and Laika crafted a visual masterpiece that improves with every viewing and has aged into one of the greatest animated films of the century.
2009 · Wes Anderson · 87 min · Animation, Comedy, Adventure
Fantastic Mr. Fox is Wes Anderson's most purely enjoyable film, a stop-motion heist comedy that translates Roald Dahl's anarchic energy into Anderson's meticulously crafted visual world.
2005 · 3 Seasons · Adult Swim · Animated Dark Comedy / Drama
Moral Orel begins as a sharp religious satire and transforms into one of the most emotionally devastating animated series ever made. The third season's pivot from comedy to bleak character study is a creative gamble that completely pays off, revealing the hollow core beneath Moralton's pious surface. Its cancellation cut the story shorter than intended, but what exists is a uniquely powerful piece of television that rewards patience and emotional fortitude.
2012 · Sam Fell · 92 min · Animation
ParaNorman is a spooky, funny, and surprisingly moving stop-motion film that uses its zombie movie exterior to tell a story about tolerance, bullying, and the danger of mob mentality. It's a gateway horror film for kids that treats its young audience with more respect than most live-action horror treats adults.
2018 · Wes Anderson · 101 min · Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Isle of Dogs is a visually magnificent stop-motion film whose meticulous craft and dry humor are somewhat undermined by its handling of Japanese culture and a narrative that prioritizes style over substance.
2014 · Graham Annable · 96 min · Animation
The Boxtrolls is Laika's most visually charming and least narratively compelling film, a beautifully animated adventure that delights with its handcrafted world and inventive creature design but can't quite find the emotional depth that defines the studio's best work.
2019 · Chris Butler · 93 min · Animation
Missing Link is Laika's most lighthearted and accessible film, a globe-trotting buddy comedy with stunning animation and genuine warmth. It doesn't reach the emotional depths of the studio's best work, but its visual beauty and gentle humor make it a pleasant adventure that earned its Golden Globe.
2005 · Tim Burton · 77 min · Animation
Corpse Bride is a visually gorgeous stop-motion fairy tale with a bittersweet heart. It lives in the shadow of The Nightmare Before Christmas, but its shorter runtime and emotional directness give it a charm that's entirely its own.