10 Great Stop-Motion Horror Movies

The best stop-motion Horror movies show that the unique animation style isn’t only suited for comedies or kids’ films. The visual style that stop-motion creates can’t really be imitated by any other medium. It also lends itself incredibly, incredibly well to horror movies. When done well, there’s something unique and uncanny valley-like that makes stop-motion animation unnerving. Directors have been using stop-motion to create scary films since the very dawn of cinema with titles like J. Stuart Blackton’s The Haunted Hotel in 1907, and the tradition continues to this day.

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One of the great things about stop-motion horror movies is that utilizing animation has also led to some great scary movies for kids. It allows directors to portray the spooky and the sinister in a way that won’t traumatize younger viewers. However, at the other end of the scale, there have been some incredibly disturbing stop-motion horror films that are definitely unsuitable for anyone but adults. Looking through the absolute best stop-motion horror movies shows just why the niche animation style suits the genre so incredibly well.

Related 10 Stunning Stop Motion Animation Movies (That Aren’t Horror)

Stop-motion is an underrated and gorgeous medium of animation, and though many of its films fall in the horror genre, plenty transcend it as well.

10 Alice (1988)

Directed By Jan Švankmajer

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Alice Not RatedAnimationFantasyAdventure

Release Date August 3, 1988 Cast Kristýna Kohoutová Character(s) Alice Runtime 86 minutes YouTube Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVOmGJzj5LM
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There have been many adaptations of Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the 1988 interpretation, simply titled Alice, stands out as one of the best stop-motion horror movies ever made. Czech director Jan Švankmajer is a master of blending live action with stop-motion characters and scenarios. In Alice, he decided to use this talent to reimagine one of the most popular children’s tales of all time, and the results are as incredible as they are unnerving.

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Keeping the base of the story and most of the peculiar characters such as the White Rabbit, the Hatter, and the March Hare, Švankmajer uses stop-motion techniques to deliver a much darker approach to the story. The result is one of the best Alice in Wonderland adaptations, with hints of horror used to great creative effect. Critics praised Alice for its ability to explore the more sinister undertones of Lewis Carroll’s story in a way that few other adaptations have managed, and despite releasing almost four decades ago, the animation is still phenomenal.

9 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Directed By Henry Selick

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9/10 10 8.9/10 The Nightmare Before Christmas PG

Henry Selick directs The Nightmare Before Christmas, a stop-motion fairytale from the mind of Tim Burton. Jack Skellington is the king of Halloween and one of Halloweentown’s most beloved citizens, but he longs for something more. When he stumbles across a magical door that leads him to discover Christmas, he makes it his mission to replace Santa Claus and bring festive cheer to his perpetually spooky hamlet.

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*Availability in US Director Henry Selick Release Date October 29, 1993 Cast Catherine O’Hara , Glenn Shadix , Ken Page , William Hickey , Chris Sarandon , Paul Reubens , Danny Elfman Runtime 76 minutes

One of the best movies to watch during the Christmas season, The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of Disney’s most innovative musicals, making use of gothic scenarios and scary characters to deliver an important message about love. However, the animation and character design of The Nightmare Before Christmas is more memorable than the plot in many ways, and it’s a career-highlight for director Henry Selick and the creative mind behind the story and unique aesthetic, Tim Burton.

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Jack Skellington is a fascinating character, alternating between the role of a villain and a passionate spirit. Tired of the same Halloween tricks every October 31, Skellington kidnaps Santa Claus and carries out a wicked plan to reshape Christmas. The animated film is as frightening as it is adorable, a welcoming combination that compels both younger and older audiences and serves as the perfect example of how stop-motion horror movies can bring the genre to a wider age range.

8 The Wolf House (2018)

Directed By Cristobal Leon And Joaquin Cocina

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The Wolf House HorrorDramaAnimation

Director Cristóbal León , Joaquín Cociña Release Date November 1, 2018 Writers Cristóbal León , Joaquín Cociña , Alejandra Moffat Cast Amalia Kassai , Rainer Krause , Karina Hyland , Carlos Cociña , Natalia Geisse , Javiera Ramirez Character(s) María / Ana / Pedro , Wolf , Introduction Actor Runtime 75 Minutes Main Genre Horror Expand

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When it comes to the best stop-motion horror movies, few can boast a visual style quite as memorably disturbing as the 2018 Chilean movie The Wolf House from directors Cristobal Leon and Joaquin Cocina. The Wolf House is a chilling stop-motion movie that blends horror and fantasy beautifully. The film tells the story of Maria, a young woman living under a terrifying German colony who decides to run away and seek refuge in a mysterious house in the woods.

Addressing the horrors of history in ways that resemble Pan’s Labyrinth, The Wolf House has a very distinctive storytelling style and some truly visually stunning sequences that are guaranteed to give viewers nightmares. The Wolf House currently sits with a 96% critical score and 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, highlighting just how much of a global success it’s been – thanks in no small part to its unique and unforgettable animation.

7 Paranorman (2012)

Directed By Sam Fell And Christ Butler

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9/10 ParaNorman pg

ParaNorman is a stop-motion animated movie about a young boy who uses his ability to see and communicate with the dead to save his town from an ancient witch’s curse. The voice cast includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jodelle Ferland, Bernard Hill, Tucker Albrizzi, and John Goodman.

Director Sam Fell Cast Anna Kendrick , Kodi Smit-McPhee Runtime 93minutes
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While not as widely known as the likes of The Nightmare Before Christmas or Coraline, 2012’s Paranorman still stands as one of the best stop-motion horror movies when it comes to introducing younger viewers to scary films. Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, Paranorman tells the story of the misunderstood Norman, a young boy capable of talking with the dead in charge of a dangerous ritual he must perform to protect his town from deadly forces from beyond.

The amount of work and dedication that Paranorman demanded from everyone involved in the production is evident in every frame of the movie, and it pays off incredibly, since the simple story would hardly be so compelling to follow if it wasn’t for the film’s hypnotizing art production, combining the frightening spirits and entities with breathtaking cinematography.

6 Frankenweenie (2012)

Directed By Tim Burton

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8/10 8/10 Frankenweenie PG-13

Frankenweenie is a 2012 stop-motion animated remake of Tim Burton’s eponymous 1984 short film. It tells the story of young scientist Victor Frankenstein, who brings his dog Sparky back to life and tries to stop his experiment from wreaking havoc across his town.

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*Availability in US Director Tim Burton Release Date October 5, 2012 Cast Charlie Tahan , Winona Ryder , Martin Short , James Hiroyuki Liao , Catherine O’Hara , Martin Landau , Atticus Shaffer Runtime 87 Minutes
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Few directors have managed to make their mark on stop-motion animation quite like Tim Burton, and 2012’s Frankenweenie represents his creative mind at its most macabre. Tim Burton returned to stop-motion after nearly a decade with Frankenweenie, by which point his reputation allowed him to have full creative freedom. The result is that Frankenweenie, which was based on a 1984 short film Burton created for Disney, offers pretty much everything that made the director so famous.

Frankenweenie is filled to the brim with Tim Burton’s trademark gothic aesthetic, weird-looking characters, and creepy storylines that could easily be attributed to some hardcore horror films. The movie is a new take on the popular Frankenstein story, this time following a young boy attempting to bring his beloved pet dog back to life. Considered a not-so-lighthearted version of Pet Sematary, Frankenweenie truly pushed its G/PG rating to the limit.

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5 The House (2022)

Directed By Emma de Swaef, Mar James Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Johannes Nyholm, and Paloma Baeza

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The House R

The House (2022) is an anthology film exploring three unsettling stories set within a single, ever-changing house. Directed by Emma De Swaef, Marc James Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, and Paloma Baeza, the stop-motion animation features a variety of characters from different timelines, encountering bizarre and eerie events.

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*Availability in US Director Marc James Roels , Emma De Swaef , Niki Lindroth von Bahr , Paloma Baeza Release Date January 14, 2022 Cast Mia Goth , Matthew Goode , Claudie Blakley , Eleanor De Swaef-Roels , Mark Heap , Stephanie Cole , Miranda Richardson , David Peacock Runtime 97 Minutes

When it released in 2022, The House generated some early-year buzz but stayed mostly under the radar, which is a shame considering the film’s many strengths and creative stop-motion. However, in the years since, this anthology stop-motion horror has gradually gained the recognition it deserves. This is both because of its collection of unsettling stories, and the bizarre and unforgettable examples of stop-motion animation that carries each of them (and ties the collection of tales together).

Each story segment of the movie takes place throughout different eras, following different families and characters tied to a mysterious old house. The House feels like three movies in one, with each segment offering something wicked and new for viewers to chew on. Using both human and animal characters, the movie plays with the concept of reality in a darkly funny tone and a distinctive eeriness that surrounds the “house”.

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4 Mad God (2022)

Directed By Phil Tippet

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Mad God Not Rated

Mad God is a stop-motion animated horror film directed by Phil Tippett. Set in a nightmarish, dystopian world, it follows an assassin venturing through a labyrinthine landscape filled with grotesque creatures and desolate ruins. The film showcases Tippett’s dark, inventive imagination and creates a visual experience of chaos and despair, highlighting the haunting power of meticulous animation.

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*Availability in US Director Phil Tippett Release Date June 16, 2022 Cast Alex Cox , Niketa Roman , Satish Ratakonda , Harper Taylor , Arne Hain , Jake Freytag Runtime 84 Minutes

Created and directed by Star Wars VFX artist Phil Tippet, Mad God took nearly 30 years to be made, showing how much passion Tippet had for the project. The stop-motion is meticulously crafted to cause discomfort and frighten viewers with every frame as the film’s protagonist, known as “The Assassin”, travels around a decaying world of monsters, abandoned bunkers, and tormented souls.

Mad God barely has any plot whatsoever, but the hellscape scenario and jaw-dropping creature designs are mesmerizing, keeping the viewer’s attention throughout 85 minutes of the nightmarish adventure that could easily go on forever. Of all the best stop-motion horror movies, it’s perhaps Mad God that leans the most into horror with its visuals. The 2022 movie is undisputedly nightmare fuel, and the three decades it took to produce more than paid off, since there are more-or-less no films in the genre that are quite as unforgettably disturbing.

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3 Corpse Bride (2005)

Directed By Tim Burton And Mike Johnson

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7/10 9/10 Corpse Bride PG

Directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton, Corpse Bride is a stop-motion fantasy-horror musical released in 2005. Set in the Victorian Era in England, a groom named Victor accidentally weds Emily, a skeletal woman, while practicing his vows alone in a forest. Whisked away to the Land of the Dead, Victor attempts to help Emily with the circumstances surrounding her fate while trying to escape his new temporary undead home.

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*Availability in US Director Mike Johnson , Tim Burton Release Date September 23, 2005 Cast Johnny Depp , Helena Bonham Carter , Emily Watson , Tracey Ullman , Paul Whitehouse , Joanna Lumley , Albert Finney , Richard E. Grant , Christopher Lee Runtime 77 Minutes

Yet another stop-motion horror movie from director Tim Burton, Corpse Bride is one of the most financially successful and culturally impactful films in the genre, second only to perhaps The Nightmare Before Christmas or Coraline. In Corpse Bride, a shy young groom is swept up to the underworld of ghosts and wed to a deceased woman, embarking on a terrifying journey that puts him between life and death as his real bride waits for him in the land of the living.

Corpse Bride remains one of the most influential animations of the 2000s, standing out as a great stop-motion dealing with plenty of morbid themes and horrifying characters in the sweetest way possible. The film was certainly a turning point in Tim Burton’s career, showcasing his best work yet in terms of attention to detail and original style.

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2 Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires (2018)

Directed By Michael Mort

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Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires

Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires is an action-comedy film following maverick cop Chuck Steel in 1986 Los Angeles. Faced with a series of disappearances linked to a vampire-tramp hybrid known as Trampires, Steel teams up with the eccentric Abraham Van Rental to tackle the supernatural threat.

Director Michael Mort Release Date October 13, 2018 Cast Paul Whitehouse , Samantha Coughlan , Lauren Harris , Michael Mort , Jennifer Saunders Rating Runtime 89 minutes

Directed by Michael Mort, 2018’s Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires manages to celebrate both the rich history of stop-motion animation movies and the string of B-Movies that have dominated the wider horror genre for decades. As funny as it is scary, the plot revolves around the titular Chuck Steel. Chuck Steel is the best cop in town, and he’s more than ready to take down the hordes of “trampires” that descend upon LA, violent hybrids of vampire and tramp.

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Often hilariously and counting on over-the-top violence throughout, the film is one of the best-animated surprises of recent years. Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires is the perfect movie for those looking for an action-filled, ultraviolent stop-motion horror. Shying away from any clichés of the horror genre, Chuck Steel starts off as a gripping investigative thriller until it gives way to a bloody mess of apocalyptic proportions.

1 Coraline (2009)

Directed By Henry Selick

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10/10 8.3/10 Coraline PG

Based on Neil Gaiman’s novella, Coraline follows Coraline Jones, a lonely young girl who, after moving to a new house with her inattentive parents, discovers a portal to another, more sinister alternate reality behind one of the house’s many doors. Written and directed by Henry Selick, the film uses stop-motion animation and stars Dakota Fanning as Coraline. 

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*Availability in US Director Henry Selick Release Date February 5, 2009 Cast Dakota Fanning , Teri Hatcher , Jennifer Saunders , Dawn French , Keith David , John Hodgman Runtime 100 minutes

While many mistakenly believe Coraline was directed by Tim Burton, the 2009 movie was actually helmed by Henry Selick, who also brought Burton’s vision to life in The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s one of the most beloved examples of the best stop-motion horror movies, and continues to create conversations to this day. Based on a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman, the titular heroine, Coraline, is a young girl who’s just moved to a new place; an ancient house that harbors a dark secret.

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Killing time with her eccentric neighbors and a curious cat, she discovers a fantastic new world that opens for her when the night falls, but she might end up getting more than she ever bargained for. No other children’s movie managed to capture the beauty of growing up with such a terrifying setup as Coraline did. Coraline has a unique production design even among the best stop-motion horror movies, which adds up to the chilling, mysterious atmosphere the film establishes from the get-go.

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