Good Animated Horror Movies

Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 11:34 am

For the cinephile who’s searching for something a little different, I proudly present this list of good animated horror movies. The genre is still growing, so the choices at the moment are pretty slim. Luckily, there are ten selections worth their salt, and they prove every bit as capable of generating chills and excitement as any CGI blockbuster. From gory zombie uprisings to Hitchcockian thrillers, the animated movies on this list should provide both an artistic experience and a reason to leave on the lights.

To experience all the good animated horror movies I’m about to gush over, be sure to become a member of Netflix. The leading online rental service in the United States, Netflix never charges late fees, delivers right to your door, and offers a vast library of titles that is constantly growing. But don’t take my word for it. Click on the link and see for yourself.

Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008) – Part of the successful Resident Evil franchise, this CG animated movie serves as a prequel to the 2009 video game Resident Evil 5. The heroes this time around are Claire Redfield (Alyson Court) and Leon S. Kennedy (Paul Mercier), and they must brave an undead outbreak at a crowded airport, mutants caused by the new G-virus, and shadowy government cover ups. Fans of zombie movies will be treated to plenty of gore, and keep an eye out for a sequel coming sometime in 2012.

Monster House (2006) – Utilizing performance capture technology, this animated horror/comedy (executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis) follows the adventures of DJ Walters (Mitchel Musso), a curious tween who realizes that his neighbor’s spooky old house is swallowing people. Along with his best friend (Sam Lerner) and a local girl (Spencer Locke), DJ must try to stop the evil and restore a little normality to his neighborhood. Also featuring voice-over work from Maggie Gyllenhaal, Steve Buscemi, Kevin James, and Jason Lee. While it may be too spooky for younger kids, the 10-and-up crowd should love it.

Perfect Blue (1997) – Mima Kirigoe, the star of a J-pop group, decides to strike out on her on and become an actress, but this decision doesn’t sit well with everyone, especially the deranged stalker who monitors her every move. To make matters worse, someone is keeping an online journal that details the more private aspects of her life in great detail. And then people linked to her start showing up dead. Is Mima losing her mind, or is someone trying to utterly destroy her life? Find out in this animated thriller that bears a passing resemblance to the works of Alfred Hitchcock.

Dead Space: Downfall (2008) – Taking place just prior to the events of the Dead Space video game, Downfall is set aboard the spaceship Ishimura and chronicles the efforts of Security Chief Alyssa Vincent and others to survive a wave of death and destruction following the discovery of a strange space artifact. Featuring the voice talents of Bruce Boxleitner and Kellu Hu.

Hellsing Ultimate: Vol. 2 (2006) – Adapting and expanding episodes of the original television anime series, the Hellsing Ultimate movies also more closely follow the manga stories from creator Kouta Hirano. Each tale centers on Britain’s mysterious Hellsing Organization, a paranormal agency dedicated to combating all the bloodthirsty creatures of the night. Led by the iron-willed Integra Hellsing and supported by her powerful vampire ally Alucard (that’s Dracula spelled backwards), the group also includes a lethal manservant nicknamed the “Angel of Death” and a young vampire, Seras Victoria, who used to be a member of the London Metropolitan Police. In this installment, the Hellsing Organization is attacked by vampiric brothers Luke and Jan Valentine, and their army of well-armed ghouls. Watch this weird vampire movie and then go back and catch the whole excellent series.

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Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) – The year is 1966, and America is only months away from the beginning of the Vietnam War. Tensions run high at a U.S. military base in Japan, but the real menace in already inside. I’m talking about vampires, more specifically giant bloodsucking bats known as Chiroptera. Luckily for all the potential victims with crewcuts, there’s a secret organization dedicated to eradicating the supernatural. Known as Red Shield, their primary agent is a katana-wielding vampire girl named Saya who’s far older than she looks. Hugely popular, the film spawned a series of novels and manga, a two-volume video game, anime series, and live-action movie. (For more on fictional bloodsuckers, see our list of top 10 vampire television series.)

City of Rott (2006) – A bleak 2D animated comedy that claims to be “Land of the Dead Meets South Park.” The limited animation style is similar to the latter, although there’s lots more gore and very few smartass kids. The zombie-like infection was caused by Rot Worms, a nasty species that lives in the water supply and drives their host mad with hunger. The protagonist is Fred, an elderly man who wanders through an undead urban landscape looking for a new pair of shoes. More than a little mad himself, Fred talks to his walker, then his shoes, and later musters up the courage to help a fellow old-timer who constantly swigs prune juice. A twisted one-man-show from the mind of Frank Sudol, and one of the more inventive zombie movies in recent memory.

Dead Fury (2008) – Filled with black comedy and plenty of gore, Frank Sudol returns to poke fun at and pay tribute to films like Evil Dead and The Hills Have Eyes. When a group of hunters head into the forest and encounter demonic creatures, it turns into an all-out battle for survival. Watch blood get spilled by the gallon, and keep an eye out for Frank, the elderly hero of Sudol’s 2006 animated movie, City of Rott. A true labor of love, Sudol spent a whole year bringing his vision to gorehounds across the globe.

Fear(s) of the Dark (2007) – This creepy French movie tells a number of stories, each done in a different style of animation. Fear is the primary subject, and each episode deals with someone being consumed by what they’re most afraid of. In one case, a samurai ghost takes possession of a young girl. In another, a praying mantis scares the hell out of an unlucky fellow. A crazed Brit and his evil dogs serve as a linking device between the narratives, and we’re also treated to the soothing voice of a Frenchwoman relaying her deepest anxieties. If you prefer atmosphere over gore, be sure to give this moody piece of animation a try.

Vampire Hunter D (1985) – Set in the year 12,090 A.D., Vampire Hunter D remains a cult favorite among anime fans due to its status as one of the first animated films released outside of Japan. Vampires and other monsters roam the Earth, and 17-year-old Doris Lang falls prey to the bite of legendary vampire Count Magnus Lee. Not wanting to become a member of the undead, the daughter of a now-dead werewolf hunter hires a mysterious stranger named D to protect her. A series of battles and intrigues follow, and D is forced to reveal more and more of his history and power. Even though it’s 25 years old, Vampire Hunter D still offers up an exciting story, excellent voice-acting, and the kind of craziness you’d expect from a Japanese horror movie.

The next time you’re in the mood for some good animated horror movies, be sure to head over to Netflix and browse their selection. You’ll find all the films listed above, plus a DVD and Blu-ray library numbering over 100,000. We do get a small commission when you become a Netflix member, but it helps us stay in business and doesn’t alter your price one bit.

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 30th, 2010 at 11:34 am and is filed under Good Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Good Animated Horror Movies”

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May 3, 2011

Leeanna Mcelreath

Hello! I’ve been following your blog for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Porter Tx!

May 3, 2011

Shane

Hello to all our friends out there in Porter, Texas! Thanks for dropping us a line, Leeanna, and be sure to let us know if we can provide any specific articles for our friends from the Lone Star State.

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