Coraline (2009) is a dark fantasy-horror film that uses stop-motion animation. It was based on a novella of the same name by Neil Gaiman. By the end of Coraline's run in theaters, it became the third highest-grossing stop-motion film after Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit (2005) and Chicken Run (2000). Coraline also won a number of awards including Best Character Design in an Animated Feature Production, Best Music in Animated Feature Production, and Best Animated Female (for the character of Coraline).
With that much critical acclaim, Coraline has gained a reputation as a well crafted dark children's film. It balances between the wondrous and the disturbing in a way that is suitable for family audiences. Believe it or not, though, it is not the only film to be successful for that balance of creepiness and whimsy. There are plenty of others, and many are also known for their stop-motion animation style.
Corpse Bride (2005)
Tim Burton's signature style combines whimsical stories with dark atmospheres. When audiences saw Coraline, it reminded them of Tim Burton films like Corpse Bride.
Corpse Bride is actually Burton's third stop-motion animated film It follows the narrative of a young groom who mistakenly weds a girl from beyond the grave. Like Coraline, the characters are quite imaginative, and there is just enough comedy to give the audience enjoyment without taking away from the dark setting. It is also a musical, adding another layer to the movie's surreal balance between levity and horror.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Yet another film by Tim Burton, this time in live-action, Beetlejuice tells a story from the perspective of a couple who dies and has to haunt their house as ghosts in an attempt to keep their way of life. Despite not being animated, the film is still full of whimsy and never gets too creepy for a family motion picture. In fact, it is a little heavier on comedy than Coraline. The film is quite creative, exploring what it could be like to live as a happy ghost couple.
James And The Giant Peach (1996)
This movie was actually directed by the same man who directed Coraline, Henry Selick. The story is based on the 1961 novel of the same name. It focuses on a boy who has shrunk down to the size of an insect and adventures with small creatures in a flying peach.
What truly separates this film from other stop-motion animations is that the beginning and end are live-action. The stop-motion bits are just for the more fantasy-oriented parts, which take place on the giant peach with the insect characters. While not as critically acclaimed as Coraline, James and the Giant Peach did win numerous Best Animated Feature Film awards.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Edward Scissorhands sits next to Beetlejuice as one of Tim Burton's live-action dark fantasy films. However, the comedy of Beetlejuice is replaced by romance in Edward Scissorhands, though there are still some pretty funny moments to enjoy. While Edward's character design may be scary for a young kid, Edward is a sweetheart and has an innocent outlook on the world.
Monster House (2006)
Neither stop-motion nor live-action, Monster House is a computer-animated film. It is both comedy and horror, telling the tale of a neighborhood that is terrorized by a haunted house during Halloween. While often compared to a Tim Burton film, it was directed by Gil Kenan. Monster House has actually been often compared to Goonies (1985) in terms of its adventurous heart but with a spooky twist.
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
This is a film adaptation of the first three books of A Series of Unfortunate Events. It is a gothic black comedy telling the story of some very unfortunate orphans and their struggle under their new and cruel guardian, Count Olaf. The film won an academy award for Best Make-up and was directed by Brad Silberling.
Jim Carrey as Count Olaf pretty much steals the show in this movie, as he does a great job at being funny. It was hoped that the film would grow into a film series, but that idea never took flight. Instead, fans got a Netflix series in 2014.
9 (2009)
This computer-animated science fiction film was directed by Shane Acker and was actually based on a short film of the same name by the same director. The story is in an alternate version of the 1930s where humanity has been wiped out by a soulless robot. The scientist who made the robot in the first place uses alchemy and pieces of his own soul to make nine rag-doll like creatures.
Despite its creativity and beautiful design, the film ultimately got mixed reviews from critics for its less substantial narrative. However, its world and lore are compared to the great works of Hayao Miyazaki.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Another stop-motion picture by Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas, is incredibly well-known, as it does the genius idea of being a holiday movie for two different holidays at once. The story follows the Halloween king, Jack, in his discovery of Christmas. He decides he wants to take over Christmas and tries to be Santa, which ultimately causes a ton of chaos for his world, the Christmas world, and the human world.
Due to its fame, most who have not seen this film yet do so by choice and not lack of opportunity or knowledge.
Frankenweenie (2012)
This stop-motion animated horror-comedy is another work of Tim Burton. Like 9, this is actually based on a short film of the same name that was previously made by the director. The story follows a boy who resurrects his deceased bull terrier, Sparky. Upon this success, he gets blackmailed into sharing how he reanimated his dog. This results in mayhem.
As the title shows, the story is a parody of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, though it parodies the 1931 film more than the book itself.
ParaNorman
Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, this stop-motion comedy horror film follows the story of an 11-year-old boy, Norman, who can speak to dead people. Due to his supernatural ability, he begins to uncover a dark part of the town's history in terms of witch hunts.
The movie won numerous awards such as Best Animated Film and Character Animation in a Feature Production. The movie has been commended for how it deals with an issue as heavy has death.