Eight animated films that redefined modern animation

Animation has a long history, but the medium is at a peak of global popularity. This selection highlights eight animated films that reshaped what modern animation can be, chosen for their style, influence, originality, popularity, critical acclaim, and overall quality.

Klaus brought a stylized look and dynamic lighting that influenced subsequent films. Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox embraced a rough, tactile, handmade stop-motion aesthetic and transplanted the director’s signature cinematography to animation. Akira helped change perceptions of anime with a dark, complex story, gorgeous hand-drawn art and a lasting cyberpunk influence.

Loving Vincent pushed the art form further by composing an entire feature from oil paintings—over 65,000 frames based on 94 of Van Gogh’s works. The Nightmare Before Christmas revived interest in stop-motion and popularized a spooky, gothic tone that reinvigorated the genre.

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