Cult classics aren’t just live-action movies. Even animated movies can be considered classics if you find the right ones. Cult classics are movies that might not have done well originally or pushed the boundary too much and, surprisingly, there is a lot of that in animation.
From animation styles before their time, to movies that should never have been aimed at kids, you may be interested in how many animated movies can be considered cult classics.
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22 The Black Cauldron
Often considered one of Disney’s darkest movies, The Black Cauldron isn’t one you might easily recognize. It was given an R rating because of many scenes that were later cut, and even has different animation styles from other Disney movies from the same period.
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Based on these facts alone, it is easy to see why this is a cult classic. Not only was it a later regret for the company, but it is a pretty big step away from their normal audience. However, for those that loved the film, it is a great and dark movie you don’t often find outside the 1977-1988 time period of movies.
21 Tales From Earthsea
Unfortunately, one of the reasons Tales From Earthsea didn’t do so well is that it ended up being a huge disappointment for fans of the books. The characters are done wrong, and the storyline isn’t very similar.
However, anyone that hasn’t read the books and is a fan of other Ghibli works and animated movies, might find themselves enjoying the movie. It’s got an intriguing plot line, fantastic voice actors, tons of little details, sprawling and gorgeous landscapes, and all the other things that make Ghibli an amazing studio.
20 The Last Unicorn
At first, The Last Unicorn may seem like a movie for kids, but it is actually a lot deeper than that. It talks about heartbreak, being the last of your kind or family, and delves deep into the story. While children may enjoy it, it definitely isn’t for them specifically.
The Last Unicorn manages to capture the attention of children and adults alike with an animation style that may even rival big companies like Disney and Dreamworks. It also has an amazing cast, with actors like Mia Farrow and Christopher Lee.
Technically, this is an anime, as it was made by a Japanese animation studio known as Topcraft. Some people may recognize the traditional Japanese animation style, but it is subtle enough to not dissuade anyone who isn’t a big fan of Japanese animation.
19 The Iron Giant
Those who have watched the film The Iron Giant may be surprised to find out that it was originally a failure at the box office. This is especially surprising considering that critics and fans often both agree that it was the best animated film of the 90s.
The main reason the movie failed was that the company, Warner Bros, was hesitant and a little unwilling to invest a lot of money into another animated movie. They had less than four months to market the movie, so only a few promotions like posters were made.
18 Who Framed Roger Rabbit
While not fully animated, Who Framed Roger Rabbit pushed the boundaries of animation in a whole new way. The movie did very well originally when it hit the box office, but it was difficult to get started. Many people didn’t want to direct it, and it caused Disney a lot of grief.
But actually what makes this movie unique is that it was cited as being the inspiration for Disney’s Renaissance. The animated style, enjoyed by adults and children, pushed Disney to finally release The Little Mermaid, which had been a storyboard since the 30s.
17 Yellow Submarine
As any fan of The Beatles might have guessed, Yellow Submarine is a tale about the four Beatles, John, Paul, Ringo, and George, as they go on an adventure.
It was made in the 60s, and you can really tell thanks to the unique animation style that has often been referred to as psychedelic. Some people find the colors and animation too much and get sick from watching it.
If you aren’t easily sick, it is well worth watching. Strangely, the band doesn’t use their own voices for most of the film, but they do appear in person near the end of the movie.
16 The Triplets of Belleville
This one is a unique take on a classic. The Triplets of Belleville, unlike many cult classics, started off pretty popular. It had two nominations for Academy Awards, and was fairly well-known internationally, despite getting started in France.
However, the success faded over time, and now it is pretty unknown. It is a movie that is best enjoyed without any expectation or pre-understanding of the movie, but it is focused on an old French woman and her tales as she goes on an adventure.
It’s full of unique stories, animation styles, and fun characters. It was thought to be a movie that brought the love of cartoons and animation back to life.
15 Rock & Rule
Full of 80s rock music and a story centered around a post-apocalyptic world, we doubt you’ve ever seen a film like it. Many fans praise Rock & Rule saying that the songs stay in your head long after the movie is over.
It features songs from some pretty interesting artists like Lou Reed, Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, and Earth, Wind, & Fire.
Despite being a cult classic now, the movie pretty much failed at the box office. However, people looking for a mix of rock music, a good post-apocalyptic storyline, and fun animation won’t be disappointed.
14 Treasure Planet
Many people talk about Treasure Planet and how it was one of their favorite movies when they were a kid. With all the talk about it, it is hard to imagine that this movie wasn’t insanely popular upon release. However, it’s true; it was a box office failure upon release.
It was full of big voice actors like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and beautiful animation at the time. So why exactly was it such a failure? Well, it is because a much more popular Ghibli movie known as Spirited Away was released at the same time. However, it also received very mixed reviews when first released, including getting a horrible score on Rotten Tomatoes. But it quickly grew more popular and soon earned its place as a cult classic.
13 The Thief and the Cobbler
This movie has a long history to it, which is one of the reasons it turned into a cult classic in the first place. The Thief and the Cobbler was originally in production in 1964, with the animator Richard Williams as the lead. However, it didn’t get released until 1995, and Richard Williams was completely left out after being fired from production. It was intended to be his masterpiece, but since he was left out, it didn’t do as well as the wanted.
The original cut in 1995 is often called the Miramax version and is the one that leaves out Richard Williams. However, there is another version, called the Recobbled Cut, which follows Richard Williams’s ideas and original story more closely. It isn’t an official release, and can only be found on places like YouTube and other sharing sites.
Fans say that the Miramax version isn’t worth watching at all, and the Recobbled Cut is the only true version, so it is worth checking it out even if you’ve seen the original.
12 Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal is a movie based on a magazine that focused on science fiction and fantasy. The magazine and the movie even share the name. Unfortunately, though this movie was interesting, it had a heavy focus on sex and violence, which has made it not as popular over time.
However, fans that don’t mind these themes find it interesting and well worth watching for the nostalgia factor. It is a dark movie for sure, and despite being animated, isn’t ideal for children. Heavy Metal provides a mix of bizarre and fantastical stories that are focused on eroticism, horror, and dark fantasy.
11 Akira
When first released, Akira wasn’t all that popular. Many people criticized the Japanese animation, as cartoons being for adults weren’t popular in the West. However, due to its amazing art style, science fiction story, and characters, that ideology quickly started to change.
Now, many artists and directors in both the East and the West use Akira as inspiration for their movies. It changed genres, added unique art styles and animations previously not seen, and showed that cartoons could still address adult topics.
10 Fantastic Planet
Cult classics become classics for many different reasons. Sometimes, they are just horribly done and are more funny stories than good works of art. Other times, they are before their time, or other movies came out at the same time that made them not as popular.
However, some movies push the boundaries of what is considered good and standard in the movie world. This is the case with Fantastic Planet. The movie is science fiction and is focused on humans being treated like animals by the aliens that live there. They are taken on walks, given snacks, and more.
Mixed with the animation style, the French background, and the music score, the plot puts it over the top for what most people would enjoy when they settle down for a movie. If you like brain-bending movies though, this one might be for you.
9 Time Masters
Time Masters is a movie relatively unheard of except by dedicated fans. It is another French animation that didn’t initially do well. It was the second feature film of Laloux and wasn’t given any screenings in America. In fact, it took about 20 years before an English translation was even provided.
The main reason it didn’t do so well is that, though the movie started with a great plot, it started to lose direction halfway through. It also took a lot of liberties with its mythology retellings and the book it was based on.
8 The Brave Little Toaster
The Brave Little Toaster sounds cute on the surface. You may expect something like Toy Story or Cars, but you’d be wrong. This movie is a lot scarier and darker than either of those.
One scene that sticks out in the mind of many people who watched is when the air conditioner goes absolutely insane and ends up blowing up itself, with no one caring about him at all. This is just one moment that makes you realize that this isn’t the little innocent kid’s movie you might think it to be.
But the movie doesn’t really start with that information, and the first few minutes of animation and the poster for the movie look cute and innocent, leading you to mistakenly believe that this movie is for everyone.
7 The Secret of NIMH
The Secret of NIMH is one that many people look back fondly on when thinking about their favorite childhood movies. The art style was unique and a little bit darker than the average art style at the time, especially for movies aimed at children.
What really makes this movie stand out though, was that the animation was done by a man known as Don Bluth. He started his career working on Sleeping Beauty by Disney and later came back to do other big works. However, he and a few other animators left when they felt that Disney’s works were declining.
To prove it, Don Bluth worked hard to prove his animation style could be better. He tried to work with Disney on the story, but he was turned down, so he fought, and ended up victorious at least for a while.
6 Atlantis: The Lost Empire
There are some arguments on whether Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a cult classic or not. Many just call it a lost gem, but others consider it a cult classic, or just a wasted opportunity.
It came out just as the Renaissance of Disney was coming to an end, and they weren’t sure where next to go. Atlantis was one of their tests to see where they should next direct their attention. And it is beautiful with amazing mixes of CGI and hand-drawn animation, as well as a fun story, and great villains.
However, it didn’t change the world or do amazing at the box office as expected. All the sequels and features in amusement parks quickly vanished as people were hesitant to try a Disney movie that pushed their norms.
5 Persepolis
Persepolis is a twist on the classic coming-of-age stories we often see from studios like Disney and is based on an autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi.
The gorgeous black and white animation, set at the time of the Iranian Revolution, was the combined effort of French and Iranian companies and yet the government of Iran and other Islamic countries condemned the movie for things like “disturbing public order”.
Even with public outcry, the movie had limited screenings in theaters throughout the world and some of the content was censored which hampered the movie’s success somewhat. Objections from parents in the United States also influenced some decisions on where the movie was aired, if at all, which is why the movie is seen as a cult classic today.
4 Wizards
Wizards is a beautiful movie with unique animation styles. Two different artists were separated when drawing scenes, giving the movie two distinct animation styles that intermingle throughout.
Many fans of traditional art styles before digital art became more popular find this to be one of the last great movies out there, and worth watching for nostalgia.
Fans also find that the story told by the filmmakers grows more and more important over time, and rings truer as they grow older and the world changes. Though the war and the magical wizards aren’t real, the underlying tale is.
3 Oliver & Company
Oliver & Company was a children’s and animal-based twist on the classic Oliver Twist. Though it initially received harsh and mixed reviews from critics, it still did pretty well at the box office, and later became a cult favorite for many viewers and fans of Disney.
Critics thought the movie was predictable and stiff, and didn’t think it would entertain children. They also thought it might be too complicated for children to follow, and they would easily grow bored. If anything, this movie just proved that critics don’t always know what they are talking about.
