The best animated movies for adults prove there is no reason to view the medium as just for children. Since the early days of cinema, animation has been a big draw, especially for families — with Disney's animated projects (as well as their various competitors) bringing wondrous fairy tales to life even before the first color film. While the best-animated movies often appeal to all ages, with parents enjoying the thrilling stories as much as their children, there's often been a misconception that cartoons were only made for younger audiences.

Luckily, as with animated adult comedies on television, films fight against those perceptions and deliver brilliant animated movies tailored to an adult audience. While this sometimes means they include violence and sexuality seen in live-action R-rated movies, it also means there are deeper and more mature stories that might not appeal to kids but could take adult audiences on a journey that can only be told in animated form. As more animated movies for adults have arrived with ever-increasing budgets throughout the years, the best cartoons that aren't for kids include some classic films.

35 Monster House (2006)

The Horror-Comedy Thats Defies The Age Of Its Target Audience

2006's Monster House has become something of a cult gem over the decades since it hit theaters, though it was somewhat overlooked during its initial box-office run. However, the reason for this is also what makes it a great movie for adults - it is, genuinely, quite scary in many places. When it comes to the best animated movies for adults, the majority are clearly not made for younger viewers. However, there is also of course some overlap, with movies that were intended to be family-friendly actually appealing less to kids than they do to grown-ups, and Monster House sits comfortably in this category.

Monster House focuses on a trio of kids who, after investigating disappearances in their neighborhood, discover that the creepy haunted house on their block isn't actually haunted in the traditional sense, but is in fact a house-shaped monster possessed by a vengeful spirit. The movie is peppered with jokes that go over younger viewers' heads, and the horror aspects of the dark animated film are done so well that many adult horror fans cite it as a valid example of how well the horror genre can work in animation (even with no gore to be found).

34 The Simpsons Movie (2007)

The Feaure-Length Outing Of The Hit Animated Sitcom

While it's rated as a PG-13, The Simpsons Movie still stands as one of the best animated movies for adults for many of the same reasons the show appeals to older viewers. The 2007 feature-film takes everything that makes The Simpsons so great and perfectly packages it for a longer runtime. What's more, the creative team make full use of the opportunity to include jokes that would never be allowed on the small screen due to the stricter regulations around broadcast television.

Moments like Bart skateboarding naked through Springfield make The Simpsons Movie stand out from the show itself. However, even if viewers aren't Simpsons superfans, The Simpsons Movie works as a great animated movie for adults in its own right. The plot is incredibly coherent and doesn't require much knowledge of the show, meaning that both established fans and newcomers alike will find plenty to enjoy from the biting humor that definitely isn't suitable for children.

33 Ronal The Barbarian (2011)

The Adult Animated Fantasy Parody

There are many great international adult animated movies, with many territories outside the U.S. exploring themes that aren't suitable for kids in the medium many mistakenly believe only appeals to younger viewers. A great example is the 2011 Danish movie Ronal the Barbarian from directors Kresten Vestbjerg Andersen, Thorbjørn Christoffersen, and Philip Einstein Lipski.

Ronal the Barbarian is a parody of fantasy movies, animated or otherwise, and much of the humor comes from its satirical elements as much as it does its adult themes. The more adult humor also stems from the movie's various nods to traditional heavy metal, a genre of music that went hand-in-hand during the peak of its popularity. There's plenty for adult fans of animation to enjoy with Ronal the Barbarian, both in of its many jokes that definitely aren't suitable for kids, and its surprisingly deep fantasy plot.

32 Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

The Roald Dahl Adaptation With Surprisingly Adult Themes

Much like Monster House, 2009's Fantastic Mr. Fox is an animated movie many adults will enjoy that was, perhaps mistakenly, marketed toward younger viewers. While there aren't really any jokes in the quirky Wes Andersen adaptation of a Roald Dahl story that are inappropriate for younger viewers, many of the themes are definitely so nuanced that only an adult audience could truly appreciate them.

Much of the plot is driven by themes like trying to relive the carefree attitude of young adulthood, and fears around leaving a lasting legacy as old age approaches - ideas that younger viewers will struggle to understand. What's more, the subtle humor really shines during moments like the titular Mr. Fox (George Clooney) arguing with his ant, a struggle younger viewers won't fully be able to relate to, but adults will find hilarious. All in all, while Fantastic Mr. Fox works as a family movie, it's arguably much more suited to older viewers.

31 Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

The Definitive Adult Batman Cartoon

There are many animated DC movies that fall into the category of being for adults only, despite being focused on superheroes. However, if there was to be one that stood out for being inarguably for adult viewers only, the 2016 adaptation of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke is inargubaly the one most worth considering for fans of animated movies aimed at older age demographics. Batman: The Killing Joke is a dark and gritty Batman tale that pits him against his arch-nemesis, The Joker, but is a harrowingly realistic interpretation of both characters.

The Joker in The Killing Joke is the kind of maniacal villain he would be in real life, kidnapping Barbara Gordon and subjecting her to a host of tortures, including implied sexual assault. The Killing Joke definitely isn't a superhero story for children, and as far as the animated movie goes, both the quality of the animation itself and the vocal performances of Kevin Conry as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker make it worth watching even if viewers aren't necessarily Batman fans.

30 When The Wind Blows (1986)

The Animated Movie That Goes From Quaint To Harrowing In A Single Scene

When it comes to absolutely harrowing depictions of nuclear armageddon, few would guess that one of the most bleakly unforgettable is a movie set in the British countryside which focuses on an elderly couple called Mr. and Mrs. Bloggs, and is animated by the mind behind the charming Christmas tale The Snowman. However, the adult animated movie When the Wind Blows from writer Raymond Briggs and director Jimmy T. Murakami is exactly that, and remains one of the most unflinching depictions of life after a nuclear war put to film.

An incredibly tragic tale, especially since the couple attempt to remain optimistic even as their bodies are ravaged by radiation poisoning, and it becomes clear the government's advice on surviving life after the bomb is completely useless.

When the Wind Blows has a relatively simple premise - Jim and Hilda Bloggs live in their cottage in the British countryside when the Cold War becomes scorching hot. Britain comes under nuclear attack, from which point Jim and Hilda attempt to cling to their sense of normalcy during the harshness of a nuclear winter. It's an incredibly tragic tale, especially since the couple attempt to remain optimistic even as their bodies are ravaged by radiation poisoning, and it becomes clear the government's advice on surviving life after the bomb is completely useless.

29 9 (2009)

The Quirky Animated Post-Apocalyptic Movie With An All-Star Cast

The 2009 animated movie 9, by director Shane Acker, fell short when it was released due to the marketing mistakenly presenting it as a movie targeted at younger viewers thanks to the appearance of the central characters. While the group of inch-high self-aware automatons that make up the only speaking roles in 9 do indeed somewhat resemble characters usually found in kids' movies, 9 is certainly not an animated movie for children. While it features little that's directly adult (aside from the odd corpse or two in the background), its central themes and story are far too complex for younger viewers.

9 stars Elijah Wood as "9", a mechanical ragdoll-like robot who awakens after a nuclear war between humanity and an A.I. created by a corrupt human dictator. 9 finds the world he's woken into is incredibly dangerous, with the only inhabitants being ravenous red-eyed machines. However, while he initially fears he's alone, 9 soon meets his siblings (numbers 1 through 8), and discovers that his existence is no mere accident. The tone and visuals of 9 are incredibly dark, and there are few animated movies out there like it.

28 The House (2022)

The Complex Stop-Motion Anthology Movie With Plenty Of Thematic Depth

The anthology format has always gone hand-in-hand with animated movies, and one of the best modern examples is Netflix's The House, from directors Emma de Swaef, Marc James Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, and Paloma Baeza. The House contains three tales, each with a dark premise, twist, and animation to match. The tales take place in different timelines and even worlds, though all use the same house as a set. It's an anthology with an incredible amount of thematic depth, touching on subjects like insanity, the effects of wealth, and the nature of true fulfillment and happiness.

The cast of The House includes the likes of Mia Goth, Miranca Richardson, and Helena Bonham Carter, among others. It was received incredibly well by critics, and even secured a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for animator Kecy Salangad. Each of the three tales in The House feels truly unique and yet, at the same time, intrinsically linked to the others, and it's an incredibly endearing movie both for fans of animation and viewers who simply enjoy a bizzare, surreal film.

27 The Spine Of Night (2021)

The Dark Modern Homage To The Adult Animated Movies Of The 1970s And 80s

Dark, hand-drawn animated fantasy movies were a staple of the 1970s and 1980s, though the subgenre fell out of fashion for a while. However, the format has always had its fans, and in 2021, directors Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King paid homage to the unique era of animation with The Spine of Night. The movie was animated using the rotoscope technique, meaning the cels were hand-drawn over live-action footage, giving The Spine of Night a unique feel.

The plot is a suitable homage to its spiritual ancestors too, as it tells a dark tale of swords and sorcery that would feel right at home decades earlier when the films it's carrying on the legacy of were popular. The Spine of Night focuses on the journey of a magical plant across several centuries, known as the Bloom. The cast features the likes of Richard E. Grant as The Guardian, Lucy Lawless as Tzod, and Patton Oswalt as Lord Pyrantin. Whether viewers are a fan of animated adult-fantasy movies of decades gone by or not, The Spine of Night certainly makes for a unique and action-packed watch.

26 A Scanner Darkly (2006)

A Surreal Animated Tale Of Addiction And Identity

Another rotoscoped movie like The Spine of Night is 2006's A Scanner Darkly, the surreal sci-fi set in the near future (2013 to be specific, which was the near future when the movie released) and based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick. A Scanner Darkly focuses on an America in the midst of a narcotics epidemic of unrivaled proportions, with over a quarter of the population addicted to the mysterious Substance D. To combat this rise in addiction, the government makes use of undercover officers with their identities hidden by "scramble suits", so their true names and faces are a mystery even to one-another.

Keanu Reeves stars as Bob Arctor, one such undercover officer, whose life begins to unravel when his police identity, "Fred", is tasked with keeping tabs on his civilian one. Arctor's sense of self slowly unravels, and his slip into insanity isn't helped by his addiction to Substance D. Reeves gives a highly underrated performance, as do co-stars Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Winona Ryder. The animation of A Scanner Darkly lends itself perfectly to the plot, and the twist at the end will have viewers thinking for weeks after viewing.