While it is a popular belief that animated movies are mostly made for children, there are plenty that are just as well-suited to adults. Some are eventargeted at adults, and when they aren’t, they can still be charming! Streaming services like Netflix have allowed people to instantly pull up movies for whatever mood they are in.
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Flavors of Youth(2018)
A slice-of-life film following three storylines of youth in China,Flavors of Youthis a great, heartwarming story of nostalgia and reunion, and how the little things in life–a bowl of noodles, a red dress given as a gift from a sister, or a set of cassette tapes–are what matter most, often leading to the formation of beautiful relationships.
Flavors of Youthcreates a three-way story of realism and love that will leave viewers feeling comforted and ready to spend quality time with their loved ones.
How To Train Your Dragon(2010)
Many people are familiar with this classic animated film by now: Hiccup, a teenager living in a world of dragon-slayers, insists on helping a Night Fury dragon recover from a wound instead of killing it. In the process, Hiccup and the dragon he names Toothless become friends, and the result changes the relationship between humans and dragons forever.
Hiccup and Toothless’ friendship is explored in the rest of theHow to Train Your Dragonfranchise, which includes both books and movies. The first film, however, is great even as a standalone, with great animation, great action scenes, and a unique friendship.
Okko’s Inn(2018)
Okko’s Innhas a simple plot: a girl whose parents died in a car crash goes to live with two innkeepers. The twist is that she discovers she can see ghosts, which causes tension at school and within herself.
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The movie is slow-moving and its focus on a young girl gives the world a different viewpoint, showing how she copes with grief for the first time and becomes closer with the people who have taken her in–and the ghosts she can converse with. Emphasis on the small things in life is the show’s real message.
Violet Evergarden: the Movie(2020)
Following the anime show,Violet Evergarden, the movie offers some further closure for fans invested in Violet’s quest to discover andunderstand human emotions. While the movie is best watched with knowledge of the show’s events and characters, the show isn’t long, and it’s also worth the time it takes to watch.
Like the show it is based on,Violet Evergarden: the Moviesends Violet off to write letters for someone who has asked for her, only to re-introduce a character long thought dead. What follows is a heartwarming reunion, a few philosophical and moral questions, and a beautifully animated story.
Klaus(2019)
This uplifting Christmas movie about a small town and the stranger that comes to be their postman might be the perfect thing to watch as the weather becomes warmer and summer approaches.
When a selfish nobleman is given an ultimatum–become a good postman or lose his fortune–and is assigned to a cold out-of-the-way town, he immediately starts scheming his way out. However, that changes when he befriends the town toymaker and learns there’s friendship and joy to be found in the position of postman. It’s simple, but the movie earned multipleAcademy Award nominations, and it’s worth checking out!
Canvas(2020)
Despite only being 9 minutes long (7 without credits),Canvasdeserves an entry of its own. This short film somehow manages to convey a full story and an emotional character arc even without a second of dialogue; it is silent save for ambient noise and background music. Following an artist as he deals with his grief for his late wife, the film emphasizes the meaning art can have to people as well as the importance of family.
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In addition, the short length means it’s to check out on a lunch break or commuting home.
Modest Heroes(2018)
It’s sometimes the short stories that stick with you the most, andModest Heroeshas three. This movie is an anthology of three short films by three different creators, and all portray a unique storyline about how people are heroes in normal life.
The third story in the anthology is perhaps the best—a man feels so invisible in his everyday life that he actually becomes invisible…until a stranger notices him, and he helps save a baby. While much of the story is sad and bleak, the sun comes out at the end and new hope is seen.
Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop(2020)
There are times for tense, tragic romances, and there are times for sweet, heart-melting romances.Words Bubble Up Like Soda Popis the latter. When a boy so shy he always wears headphones and expresses himself mostly through haiku meets a bubbly online influencer who wears a mask to hide her braces, they confront their own fears through their relationship with each other.
Even the subplots are sweet, involving a firework festival and helping an elderly man find a song recorded by his late wife.
A Whisker Away(2020)
It’s an absurd premise–who knew a story about a girl turning into a cat to get close to the boy she likes could turn into a commentary on what makes us human? That’s exactly whatA Whisker Awaydoes. Like many Japanese movies do, it looks at the emotional effects and questions that its fantasy premise brings up: is having the ability to turn into a cat worth the human life you’d be giving up? Is it better to run away from your fears? Who is around you to help you out in the hard times?
Beautifully animated, the odd setting of this movie adds to its charm and allows it to go deeper into what it wants to explore.
Corpse Bride(2005)
When Victor Van Dort accidentally recites his wedding vows to the ghost of a woman named Emily, he finds himself in the land of the dead, married to her. He tries to find a way back to the woman he loves and is meant to marry in the living world, but other suitors, the dead, and his inadvertent vows to Emily get in the way.
While less overtly heartwarming story than the others,Corpse Brideis aclassic Tim Burton film,with his signature animation style and eerie fairy-tale-inspired story. A happy ending is in store, so viewers don’t have to worry.
