The 10 Greatest R-Rated Animated Movie Masterpieces of All Time, Ranked

The late Satoshi Kon was undoubtedly one of the all-time masters when it came to creating mature, well-crafted R-rated experiences for the medium of animation. While any one of his masterpieces could have earned a spot on this list, Perfect Blue is the type of masterful achievement in filmmaking that goes beyond simply being the best R-rated animated film and could easily be considered one of the greatest animated movies of all time.

The powerful and commanding psychological thirller does a greater job of building tension and creating a suspenseful, dread-fueled mystery better than most actual thrillers of the 90s. Its characters are layed and filled with ingenious complexities, while its messaging and reflection on toxic fan culture has only grown more powerful and relevant in the decades since its release. It's difficult to imagine another R-rated animated film coming close to the levels of sheer cinematic perfection that Kon accomplished within Perfect Blue.

Similarly to that of the work of Linklater, Charlie Kaufman is a filmmaker who had never taken the plunge into feature-length animation before Anomalisa, yet his distinct style of abstract, otherworldly storytelling fits the tone and stop-motion visuals perfectly. It's miraculous that the visuals fit the story so well, as Anomalisa's origins trace back to a 2005 audio play that didn't have any visual components whatsoever. However, it now seems like heresy to ever consider going back to the original audio play when the breathtaking stop-motion adds to the masterful screenplay so effectively.

The film follows customer service expert Michael Stone (David Thewlis), who has lived a mundane existence haunted by the fact that he perceives everyone as the same underwhelming identical person (Tom Noonan). However, his drab look on life begins to find unexpected levity when he meets Lisa Hesselman (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the first person he's met that he doesn't view as the exact same person as everyone else. It's unlike any other animated film out there, being more in line with an artsy romantic drama than an animated film, but perfectly goes to show the lengths and possibilities of animation as a medium.

While there were certainly a wide array of R-rated and mature anime films in the years before, Akira proved to be one of the first adult-oriented anime movies that felt widely approachable to general audiences while not limiting itself in terms of its shocking R-rated content. From its mesmerizing animation style that still holds up wonders to this day to its explosive, body-horror-fueled final act, Akira does a lot to leave a massive impression upon the audience from the very first scene till its final moments.

The film has this uncanny ability to stick with the audience well after the film has ended, with its imagery and compelling messaging paving the way for many great anime and sci-fi films to follow in its footsteps. Even now, decades after its initial release, the film is still considered by many to be one of the all-time greatest anime movies and the definitive example of R-rated sci-fi animation.

Often considered to be one of the most influential sci-fi anime of all time and an icon of mature, anime storytelling in the 90s, Ghost in the Shell's overwhelming influence not just on R-rated animation, but the sci-fi genre as a whole is undeniable. From its sleek visual style and worldbuilding to its exceptional story of hackers and autonomy in a world of unrestrained control and power over our brains, Ghost in the Shell's sheer scope and craft has made it an icon for over 30 years now.

While its influence is often felt in many more approachable blockbuster experiences, Ghost in the Shell more expertly utilizes a unflinching, mature tone as easily one of the darkest anime movies ever made. It doesn't shy away from any of the harsh, philosophical realities that come with its premise and characters, drenched in layers of symbolism and depth as its sleek execution almost makes the film feel like an otherworldly dreamscape of nightmares and personal experience alike.

While director Richard Linklater is more often recognized for his widely acclaimed live-action films like Dazed and Confused, Boyhood, and the Before Trilogy, he also lends his hand to one of the most striking and underrated sci-fi films of the 2000s, A Scanner Darkly. The rotoscoped film follows an undercover cop (Keanu Reeves) in a not-too-distant future, involved with the crackdown of a dangerous new drug that messes with people's perception of reality. As he gets deeper and deeper into the case, he begins to lose his own sense of identity and questions everyone and everything around him.

The rotoscoped style of the film provides the best of both worlds as far as implementing Linklater's directorial style into the world of animation is considered. It still utilizes his exceptional framing and live-action filmmaking chops in a style that is overwhelming with personality and creativity from an animation point of view. This isn't even getting into the film's exceptionally layered story, which not only ties into its themes and concepts as a rotoscope film, but makes exceptional use of the medium to amplify the thematic weight of its messaging.

As far as cinematic adult animation of the 70s and 80s of America are concerned, Ralph Bakshi's distinct style has stood as the defining example of what animated movies for adults could be for many audiences of the era. Bakshi's absolute best and most acclaimed work, American Pop, exemplifies everything that makes his style so compelling without feeling so overwhelming and dated to the time period. The film combines Bakshi's distinct style with a genuinely compelling story of the American dream and immigrant experience soothed by music.

The film follows the sprawling story of the Belinskys family, an immigrant family of musicians whose careers parallel the history of American popular music throughout the 20th century. The film takes a journey across the history of the Belinskys family as well as musical culture from the previous 75 years, following different generations of Belinskys and their experiences with their own flavor of what was then popular music.

An animated prelude to two distinctly impactful live-action political thrillers from Japan, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade amplifies the compelling visual storytelling of these previous tales to make for what is easily the best film in this unlikely action thriller trilogy. One would easily expect a sci-fi dystopian story about a tyrannical government and ruthless police forces battling against each other and stopping young renegade freedom fighters to be wild and high-flying with action.

However, The Wolf Brigade instead finds strength in staying slow and simmering in the dread and pain of its world, allowing its visuals and political messaging to paint the grim reality of such a dystopia. Through a near-perfect execution of its visual style and technical filmmaking, The Wolf Brigade makes a substantial impact on the audience and stands out as easily one of the most distinct and singular anime experiences from Japan, even among harsher, R-rated offerings from the country.

What often ends up being the case for these R-rated animated films is that they often feel muted and grounded compared to the zany, no-nonsense approach of classic children's animation, a side effect of telling more mature and layered stories. This facet simply does not apply to I Married a Strange Person!, a wild, no-nonsense onslaught of manic visuals and over-the-top absurdity that absolutely makes the most of its R-rating for its content and sense of humor.

The exceptional art style of Bill Plympton adds a sense of charm and grace to every zany and wacky moment, from a man's dead body being used as a skateboard to two military-grade tanks having sex. While other R-rated animated movies that feel over-the-top in their raunchy content serve to make it the entire appeal of their existence, the inherent raunchiness of I Married a Strange Person serves to only amplify the animated greatness and comedy of the film.

Adam Elliot had already made a name for himself as a striking and exceptional artistic visionary in the world of animation with his unrated debut film, Mary and Max. His latest work, Memoir of a Snail, only further delivers on the distinct flavor of unfiltered raunchiness mixed with genuinely compelling emotions and mature themes that makes his writing style so engaging. The claymation visual style is also endlessly beautiful and full of personality, amplifying both the comedy and emotional strengths of the film as a whole.

The film follows melancholic misfit Grace (Sarah Snook) as she looks back on her difficult life of death and family separation and grows to learn how to be confident in herself amidst the clutter and difficulties of her daily life. It's the type of simple yet relatable story of everyday occurrences and difficulties that is made all the more effective by its writing and endless sense of charm. Even when the film delves into its wildest moments and cartoonish attributes, it never loses that sense of realism and grounded nature of its characters that makes the film so compelling.

South Park was already one of the biggest and most controversial adult animated series of all time during its initial seasons, with its shocking satirical content and raunchy humor making it the face of TV animation that isn't suitable for children. Its popularity made it all but inevitable that a theatrical film would be released, with South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut seeing South Park at its absolute best and amplifying everything that made the show such a cultural cornerstone of the 90s.

It certainly doesn't let up in terms of the wild, raunchy stature of the original show, at times even feeling like an unshackled version of the show with the overwhelming usage of the F-bomb. However, the inherent strength and staying power of the movie come from its exceptional theming and execution, parodying animated films of the era by being a wild musical, as well as telling a story about the difficulties of cinematic censorship.