15. Coraline
Release Year: 2009
Directed By: Henry Selick
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr., Ian McShane
Coraline was one of the best animated films from the past decade. The stop-motion dark fantasy also serves a horror. The story was based on Neil Gaiman’s 2002 novel of the same name. The movie was notably directed by Henry Selick who is also known for directing A Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach.
The animated film follows Coraline Jones (Fanning), a young girl who moves with parents to the Pink Palace Apartments. Coraline is alone a lot but she gets to know some of her new neighbors. One neighbor gives Coraline a button-eyed rag doll and she later finds a hidden room in the apartment with a lock that needs a button-shaped key. Upon entering the door, Coraline is introduced to the “Other World,” a universe like hers but better.
Selick’s adaptation of Coraline was a hit with viewers and critics. Anyone who missed it during its initial debut should definitely add it to the watch-list. The tone is like a dark fairy tale, similar to the vibe of A Nightmare Before Christmas. The film also won a number of awards and was nominated for various Golden Globes and Oscars.