Chloe's Not Scared

A few weeks ago, I spoke to fellow library worker and bookstagrammer Julia Cristales about the film Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, chatting about the gorgeous animation style in Bloodlust and its many genres (fantasy, horror, Western, action, adventure). From seeking out strange European stop-motion films at the library to watching anime and other cartoons on tv, I fell in love with animation at a young age, as many of us do. After watching (and loving) Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, I started thinking about what other animated films could be considered in the horror genre. Here are ten animated horror films in no particular order, ranging from gateway horror to truly terrifying stuff of nightmares.

The Wolf House (2018)- dir. Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña

La casa lobo or The Wolf House (2018) is a Chilean stop motion film by debut directors Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña. The animation used in this film is a mixture of drawn and stop motion, in the style of the Brothers Quay. The Wolf House follows a young girl named Maria who is attacked and flees to a house with two pigs, Ana and Pedro. Taking inspiration from fairy tales like The Three Little Pigs and the real life Colonia Dignidad, The Wolf House is truly uncanny and was called “the darkest animated film ever made” by Indie Wire.

Perfect Blue (1997)- dir. Satoshi Kon

Perfect Blue (1997) is one of my favorite horror thrillers, perhaps because I saw its twin Black Swan at a formative time in my life. Perfect Blue did it first and best, though, by renowned filmmaker Satoshi Kon. Mimi decides to leave her J-pop group to be a full time actress, but she is being stalked and people close to her keep ending up dead. Is it her committing the murders? Made by Madhouse (the same studio who produced Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust), this anime is dark as hell and gorgeously shot, gaining a well-deserved cult status. Seek it out, if you haven’t yet seen it.

Mad God (2021)- dir. Phil Tippett

American animator Phil Tippett has been working on Mad God for over 30 years, when it was finally released on Shudder in 2021. In this stop-motion hellscape, a man in a gas mask travels through the underworld with a map and a suitcase. Like some of the movies on this list, this avant-garde surrealist film is best enjoyed as a showcase of animation talent rather than a straightforward beginning-middle-end narrative. Tippett, who worked as an animator and visual effects artist on films such as Jurassic Park and Starship Troopers, is truly the master of his craft.

Felidae (1994)- dir. Michael Schaack

Felidae (1994) is a grisly German detective story about a housecat named Francis who is investigating a series of murders in his neighborhood. Directed by Michael Schaack and based on a novel by Akif Pirinçci, the film is apparently the most expensive German animated film ever produced. Felidae was recently mentioned on my podcast from Genre Grinder’s Gabe Powers (it was released as a BluRay in early 2025). This movie is like a Don Bluth film with a gritty gruesome noir at its core– truly unlike anything you’ll ever see.

Seoul Station (2016)- dir. Yeon Sang-ho

As another installment in the Train to Busan series, Seoul Station (2016) directed by Yeon Sang-ho is a prequel to the 2016 live-action Korean film. The movie features Hye-Sun, a woman who runs away from her life at a brothel and gets wrapped up in a zombie apocalypse. An animated zombie movie is quite rare, especially when the original film was live-action, but Seoul Station does not disappoint.

The House (2022)- dir. Emma de Swaef, Marc James Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Paloma Baeza

I’ve been seeing advertisements for this next movie and thought “that can’t be a horror movie, can it?” The House (2022) is a British stop-motion anthology horror series on Netflix, all stories within the same house featuring various critters and creatures. The first story follows humans, the second follows rodents and the third follows cats in a post-apocalyptic landscape. With voice acting from Mia Goth, Jarvis Cocker and Miranda Richardson (amongst others), The House is a creepy little gem inspired in part by the graphic novel Here by Richard McGuire (now it’s own feature film).

Fear(s) of the Dark (2007)- dir. Christian “Blutch” Hincker, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, Richard McGuire

Fear(s) of the Dark (2007), is a French anthology film animated in various styles, drawn animation, and both 2D and 3D computer animation, all in black and white. Ranging from nightmares to dog attacks to possessions, this 5-part anthology film has diversely imagined tales of terror. Speaking of Richard McGuire, comic book artists direct these segments including McGuire himself, and Charles Burns of Black Hole (also talked about on this blog). If you’re at all squeamish about animal stuff (violence against animals, metamorphosing into insects), steer clear. For everyone else, check this one out!

Spirited Away (2001)- dir. Hayao Miyazaki

Spirited Away (2001) is one of my favorite horror movies, one of my favorite Studio Ghibli movies, one of my favorite Hayao Miyazaki movies… I could go on. When moving to the countryside, Chihiro and her family make a pit-stop at an abandoned resort. Her parents get greedy and thusly, are turned into pigs. In order to save them, Chihiro must get a job at a bathhouse in the spirit world. While this movie features a cast of mainly ghosts and other supernatural kami, it’s not a scary movie (despite a few scary scenes).

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)- dir. Henry Selick

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is a classic must-see Halloween/Christmas mashup. Many people refer to this as a Tim Burton film, but it was directed by Henry Selick, produced by Burton with many creative efforts from Burton’s other films such as writer Michael McDowell, composer Danny Elfman, and actor Catherine O’Hara. The film follows Jack Skellington of Halloweentown as he discovers Christmastown and tries to reconcile the two cultures. While the film is a Gothic comedy, there are very scary moments (remember when horror for kids used to be actually scary?).

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)- dir. Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi

Okay… The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949) is more of a short, but it has some unforgettable shots of the Headless Horseman and it’s a classic Disney flick so I’m counting it. Originally billed alongside The Wind in the Willows as “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad,” this short film is narrated by Bing Crosby and based on the horror story by Washington Irving. Icabod Crane is a superstitious schoolmaster who is caught up in a scheme to impress a woman, Katrina. It’s classic gateway horror that you can watch with your kids or on your lunch break.

There’s just something magical about an animated film, whether you’re old or young, and horror animation is no different. What is your favorite animated horror movie?