Summary
Processing mental health issues can be a deeply abstract idea, and the realm of animation allowed for these concepts to be addressed better than in almost any other medium. From lighthearted children’s animated features to deeply mature and probing psychological examinations, animated movies have consistently delved into the depths of existential questions of mental health struggles. In the process, these narratives have delivered some of the greatest animated movies in recent years.
Thebest-animated moviesall address something vital about human experience, and at the heart of existence lies mental health and the need to process life’s trials and tribulations. From a childhood fear of the dark to truly disassociated mental health disorders, animated movies provide the opportunity to depict aspects of psychology rarely represented in live-action media. With so many fascinating and varied movies to choose from,animation boasts some of the greatest films ever about processing mental health.
Orion and the Dark
Cast
Orion and the Dark is an animated family comedy film by director Sean Charmatz, released in 2024, based on the book by Emma Yarlett. Orion, a boy with a powerful imagination, is thrown into a gauntlet of all his fears when he is dragged along by his greatest fear, the Dark, to discover that his fears of the night may be unfounded.
After already probing into the depths of human consciousness with movies likeBeing John Malkovich,Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, andSynecdoche, New York,screenwriter Charlie Kaufmanturned his attention to kids' animation withOrion and the Dark. This insightful fantasy followed Orion, an anxious 11-year-old with an irrational fear of the dark who’s taken on an exciting adventure with the living embodiment of his greatest fear. Never has the old saying about facing fears been more true than whenOrion was forced to reckon with the nature of his anxiety in this uniquely existential kids’ film.
Through creative animation and a talented voice cast including Jacob Tremblay, Angela Bassett, and Paul Walter Hauser,Orion and the Darkwas a touching and layered film that portrayed the Dark as a gentle giant with his own fears and doubts. This humanization of the child’s fearfulness allowedOrion and the Darkto delve into the ways that younger viewers processed their own mental health struggles. This insightful film was full of depth and can be enjoyed equally by adults and kids alike as they encounter other entities of the night like Sleep, Insomnia, Sweet Dreams, Quiet, and Unexplained Noises.
Soul
Pixar’s Soul follows Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a pianist, who is killed in an accident just before his big opportunity to finally succeed in the world of jazz music. Joe’s soul gets stuck in the “Great Before”, a purgatory which gives him the idea of reuniting his body and soul. Alongside Foxx, Soul features the voices of Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, and Angela Bassett.
Pixar movies have been known to tackle deeply emotional narratives under the guise of kid-friendly stories, andSoulwas no different as it devolved into the heart of ambition, human creativity, and depression. As the jazz pianist and music teacher Joe Gardner falls into a coma, he’s sent to the afterlife and seeks to reunite his body and soul to return to Earth in time for his big break as a musician. This journey leads Joe to reckon with his very nature and the value he’s assigned to achieve what he feels is his life’s purpose.
Soulwas one of thebest Pixar moviesas it dealt with adult and mature mental health anxieties in a way that could be understood by viewers of all ages. AsSoultouches on the overbearing anxieties of meeting one’s own potential, it also addresses the important mentorship roles to fill these gaps in achievement and how humans can carve out new meaning through failures.Soulbrought up many interesting questions regarding how mental health can be processed and showcased there are many ways to quantify what success truly means.
It’s Such A Beautiful Day
It’s Such A Beautiful Day (2012) is a film by Don Hertzfeldt that follows the protagonist, Bill, through his struggles with memory loss and surreal experiences of his life. Combining hand-drawn animation with experimental visual techniques, the film offers a poignant exploration of existential themes.
As a truly moving look at identity, memory, and the meaning of existence,It’s Such a Beautiful Daywas a unique animated film that consisted of stick figures who appeared alongside real-life imagery in a split-screen style. This highly idiosyncratic film used an experimental storytelling style to tella surreal narrative about a man named Bill struggling with an unknown neurological problem. While experiencing memory loss and surreal visions, Bill’s daily routines and perceptions showcased the depths of his mental health struggles.
Over the course of three chapters,It’s Such a Beautiful Dayused dark philosophical humor to tackle fears around Bill’s fear of genetically inherited mental illness. Themes such as humans' lack of control over their own destiny, the heartbreak of unexpected death, and the unstoppable nature of time were keenly felt throughout. The darkly existential nature ofIt’s Such a Beautiful Daymay not be for everyone, but those who connect with this film will do so deeply.
Mary and Max
Mary and Max is a stop-motion animated film directed by Adam Elliot. The story follows an unlikely friendship between Mary, a lonely young girl in Australia, and Max, an older man with Asperger’s Syndrome living in New York. Through their letters, they share their struggles, forging a bond that transcends their differences and distances. The film explores themes of loneliness, connection, and the human experience with poignant depth.
An unlikely friendship was forged as two lonely people became pen pals in the adult animated comedy-dramaMary and Max. With Toni Collette and Philip Seymour-Hoffman in the title roles, this poignant and unusual story involved an overweight American man with Asperger’s syndrome in connection with a neglected eight-year-old girl in Australia. As a child to a distant father and alcoholic, kleptomaniac mother, Mary found a parental figure in Max, and Max found his only friend in Mary.
The psychological probing ofMary and Maxmeant it addressed a whole host of deeply relevant mental health issues. Through the characters’s interactions with one another,Mary and Maxtouched on autism, childhood neglect, depression, obesity, suicide, and more. With inventive animation and a unique sense of humor,Mary and Maxfelt wonderfully authentic as it showcased how two disparate people can find connectionthrough hardship and sharing their emotions.
Waltz with Bashir
Waltz with Bashir is an animated documentary directed by Ari Folman. The film explores Folman’s search for lost memories of his experiences as a soldier in the 1982 Lebanon War. Combining animation with actual interviews, it delves into themes of memory, trauma, and the impact of war on the human psyche. The film was highly acclaimed for its unique storytelling technique and emotional depth.
Through a combination of flash, classic, and 3D animation,Waltz with Bashirtoldthe true story of a soldier during the 1982 Lebanon War and the Sabra and Shatila massacrein a war docudrama style. This unique way of presenting the devastating experience of Ari Folman gave a personal account of war and the mental anguish it causes for those who experience it. With themes of mortality and responsibility, this deeply effective film utilized a comic book style to paint its realistic narrative.
Waltz With Bashiracted as both a showcase of the shocking mental health consequences for those in conflict and as a vital history lesson on the cyclical violence continually seen in the Middle East. Through one man’s story, viewers can see the struggles of entire populations who have lived in fear for their lives for far too long. As a painfully honest anti-war film that gets to the heart of bloodshed’s effect on mental health,Waltz with Bashirwas a stunning success.
My Life as a Zucchini
My Life as a Zucchini is an animated feature directed by Claude Barras. The film follows a young boy named Courgette, nicknamed Zucchini, who is sent to an orphanage after his mother’s death. At the orphanage, he navigates friendship, love, and the challenges of a new life. The film is based on the novel Autobiographie d’une Courgette by Gilles Paris and has received acclaim for its heartfelt storytelling and unique visual style.
With a unique visual style, incredible emotional depth, and deeply sympathetic characters,My Life as a Zucchiniwas a powerful mediation on childhood trauma and neglect. As aSwiss-French Academy Award-nominated film, this highly acclaimed comedy-drama followed a young boy named Zucchini, who was put into an orphanage after being abandoned by his family. From here, Zucchini began to learn the meaning of trust as he connected with others like him at the Icare home.
My Life as a Zucchiniwas a poignant look at the heartbreaking consequences of childhood abandonment and the difficulties children face in making meaning out of their unfortunate circumstances. The beautiful animation style of the film only added to the deeply moving messaging at the heart of its story.My Life as a Zucchiniwas full of wonderful visuals and maintained a childlike sense of play throughout, all while telling a deeply mature and nuanced story.
Song of the Sea
Song of the Sea (2014) is an animated fantasy film directed by Tomm Moore. The story follows a young boy named Ben and his mute sister Saoirse, who discover that she is a Selkie – a mythical creature from Irish folklore. As they embark on a journey to free supernatural beings from an ancient curse, the siblings reconnect with their heritage and gain a deeper understanding of their family dynamic.
Irish filmmaker Tom Moore followed up his excellent debut,The Secret of Kells, with yet another extraordinary animated feature influenced by Irish folklore calledSong of the Sea. This story, set in 1981, used magical ideas from Irish mythology to tell a deeply psychological story about a family in turmoil and their connection to the spirit world. With a mute sister and selkie mother,Song of the Seaused its fascinating folklore to tell a deeply rich tale of acceptance and grief.
In Irish mythology, selkies are creatures who can shapeshift between seal and human form by removing or putting on their skin.
With a combination of traditional and 3D animation,Song of the Seahad an awe-inspiring visual style that often utilized a watercolor aesthetic. Propped by the talented voices of Irish performers, including Brendan Gleeson, Lisa Hannigan, and Pat Shortt, this story maintained its deeply Irish roots as it told a universal tale of grief. With an almost-timeless quality,Song of the Seagoes to the very heart of human experience and mental processes.
Persepolis
Persepolis is an animated biographical film directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. Based on Satrapi’s graphic novel of the same name, the film chronicles her youth in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution. It explores themes of resistance, identity, and cultural upheaval through the eyes of a young girl navigating the complexities of political and personal transformation.
Persepoliswas a deeplymoving coming-of-age storyset against the backdrop of the Iranian revolution. Through the story of Marjane, viewers were taken on a journey of a girl who at first couldn’t understand the context of the chaos around her and later grew into a woman of strong moral resilience and intense political fortitude. Marjane’s experience mimicked the adolescence of many around the world as she rebelled against her parents and found new meaning with friends, although the very real context of war loomed in the background of every aspect of her life.
Focusing on processing the mental health challenges of political and social instability,Persepolishighlighted the overarching experiences of that city’s population through one girl’s story. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel of the same name, this faithful adaptation gained widespread critical acclaim for its bold and uncompromising depiction of war. Both harrowing and uplifting,Persepoliscaptured the hardship at the core of those whose lives have been defined by conflict.
Anomalisa
Anomalisa is a stop-motion animated film directed by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, based on Kaufman’s play. The story centers on Michael Stone, a self-help author grappling with a profound sense of monotony and disconnection in his life. During a business trip to Cincinnati, he encounters a woman named Lisa, who might offer a break from his emotional desolation. The film explores themes of isolation and the search for human connection.
Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson directed a highly unusual animated movie dealing with Fregoli delusion calledAnomalisa. This rare disorder relates to the delusion belief that different people are, in fact, one person who change their appearance, which inAnomalisawas represented by a man named Michael Stone who experienced everyone he met as identical, except for one woman named Lisa Hesselman. InAnomalisa, the similarity between the many characters Michael encountered were represented by them all being voiced by the same actor.
With David Thewlis as Michael Stone, Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lisa Hesselman, and Tom Noonan as everyone else,Anomalisawas a deeply psychological filmabout how one person can help another break out of their lackluster mental state. In typical Kaufman fashion,Anomalisagot to the very heart of human experience as it tackled themes of loneliness and life’s fragility.Anomalisawas an introspective film that captured the hardships and isolation of modernity.
Inside Out
Inside Out is an animated film by Pixar Animation Studios, released in 2015. It centers on 11-year-old Riley, whose move to a new city causes emotional upheaval. Her Emotions, embodied by Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness, collaborate to navigate the challenges of her new environment.
Pixar delved into the inner workings of a child’s mind in the incredible, heartfelt animated filmInside Out. Through the story of Riley, a young girl adapting to her family’s move from Minnesota to San Francisco for her father’s new job,Inside Outhighlighted how her basic emotions influenced her behavior. With Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness personified,Inside Outexplored how core memories can define later life as the conflicting needs of Riley’s emotional regulation were spun out of wack due to the whirlwind challenges of life changes and adolescence.
Inside Outwas one of Pixar’s most emotional and vulnerable filmsand was powerfully followed up in the sequelInside Out 2. The second installment saw Riley dealing with new, more mature emotions like Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy as teenage angst began to take hold and Riley grew older. TheInside Outseries stood as a powerful representation of how mental health can be processed and was a unique and digestible way to present psychology to younger viewers.
