Non-children's cartoons: 25 animated films for adults (26 photos)
The idea that cartoons and animation in general are exclusively children's play has long been outdated, and these 25 projects for adults are definitely proof of that. 
1. Heavy Metal (1981) 
Straight from the pages of Heavy Metal magazine, the 1981 film Heavy Metal was a sci-fi action anthology that featured plenty of violence, blood, and even more cleavage. As you might expect from the title, it's also full of heavy metal and rock music, including bands like Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult, and the characters are voiced by famous comedians including John Candy and Eugene Levy.
2. Parallel world (1992) 
“Parallel World,” apparently, was supposed to be someone’s answer to “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” He combined real actors and cartoon characters in a kind of noir comedy in which a cartoon femme fatale comes to life. Since much of the plot revolves around sex between humans and toons, it is clearly not intended for children.
3. Completely weak (2016) 
In 2016, Seth Rogen's Totally Sausage pushed the boundaries of what "adult" meant in "adult cartoons," at least as far as mainstream films were concerned. The film is riddled with profanity, sex and as much low-brow humor as you can imagine - but what else would you expect from a film originally called Sausage Party?
4. Ninja Scroll (1993) 
One of the most dynamic anime films of the 90s, Ninja Scroll is also considered one of the most important and iconic adult anime of all time. It looks like a traditional feudal martial arts film, but the animation allows for over-the-top violence and gore, and the filmmakers didn't hold back at all in that department.
5. Akira (1987) 
Few animated films aimed at adult audiences have achieved such fame as Akira, the film that introduced anime to many viewers in the West. Released in 1987, it is still considered one of the most iconic films of the genre and, essentially, the introduction to Japanese cyberpunk. Studios have been working on a live-action remake for over 20 years.
6. Waltz with Bashir (2006) 
This 2008 animated film is part drama, part war film, and part documentary. The director uses Waltz with Bashir as a vehicle to reflect on his own experiences in the 1982 Lebanese War. It also features interviews with other soldiers and attempts to clarify the director's own memories of the events. Because the film is openly about war, it contains depictions of violence and sex.
7. Waking Life (2001) 
Richard Linklater's animated film Waking Life was released in 2001 and offers a philosophical look at life, dreams and existence itself. The point is not that the film contains scenes that are inappropriate for children, but rather that a child will find such "adult" themes boring to watch.
8. D: Bloodlust (2001) 
An early example of pre-modern sci-fi horror anime from Japan, the Bloodlust universe is still popular today, but it was the first such film in 1985. As you'd expect from a dystopian future monster hunt, the film is full of blood and violence.
9. The Wall (1982) 
Pink Floyd released "The Wall", a partially animated drama film-video based on their album of the same name. It is very surreal in nature and the imagery can be quite intense. The film features strange, metaphorical animated sex, sexual violence, and general violence.
10. The Haunted World of El Superbisto (2009) 
If Rob Zombie takes on the animation, it’s immediately clear that the cartoon will not be for children. The Haunted World of El Superbisto is a superhero horror movie of sorts, based on a comic book by Zombie himself, with an incredible cast. The cartoon contains explicit scenes of sex and violence, but you wouldn't expect anything less from Rob Zombie.
11. Crazy people behind glass (2004 - 2007) 
The animated series was positioned as an animated reality show similar to Big Brother, featuring various cartoon characters, including Superman and SpongeBob. The series followed the lead of the original reality show and included a lot of sex, nudity, violence and just plain weird perversions that, to my shame, it's hard not to laugh at.
12. Fast Food Team (2007) 
There is a lot going on in the cartoon - the story of how the gang came to be, a lot of obscene jokes and, perhaps, some of the most absurdly explicit scenes of cartoon violence. This is an almost surreal journey of trash, dark humor and stupid jokes that will delight all fans of this genre.
13. Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) 
Of all the films on this list, this one seems to be the most kid-friendly. It's Batman! Kids love Batman! But this is no ordinary Batman - the cartoon is based on Alan Moore's The Killing Joke and is incredibly brutal. It features the sadistic torture of Commissioner Gordon, the paralyzed Batgirl by the Joker, and, of course, some sex involving Man-Bat.
14. House of the Wolf (2018) 
If you've never seen stop-motion horror films, The Wolf House is a great introduction to the genre. It will become clear pretty quickly why this film is not for children. He just looks creepy, even before you realize what's going on. Everything on screen is filled with an unsettling darkness, as if you're watching someone else's nightmare unfold.
15. Paprika (2006) 
“Paprika” is a mixture of Nolan’s “Inception” and a detective thriller. The cartoon actively features dreams and a device that allows people to enter other people's dreams and do vile things. The cartoon contains plenty of surreal imagery involving sex and violence that most children would probably rather not see.
16. Escape (2021) 
"Escape" is purely a documentary, which is quite rare for animation. It tells the story of a man living a secret life who, for the first time, tells the true story of how he fled Afghanistan to start a new life in Denmark.
17. South Park: Big, Long, Uncut (1999) 
In 1999, Trey Parker and Matt Stone brought South Park to the big screen with the subtitle "Big, Long, Uncut." Apart from becoming the highest-grossing animated film at the time, it also managed to break into the Guinness Book of World Records with a whopping record of 399 swear words in an animated film.
18. A Scanner Darkly (2006) 
An unconventional animated film, A Scanner Darkly was filmed with actors and then rotoscoped, a technique that turns them into animated characters. It's a noir thriller by Philip K. Dick, the same writer who wrote Blade Runner, so it has similar futuristic themes. While sex and violence are present in the film, they are not as explicit as others on this list, but the widespread drug use is definitely not intended for children to watch.
19. Ghost in the Shell (1995) 
Some viewers may only know Ghost in the Shell as the film that inexplicably starred Scarlett Johansson, but many years ago it was a famous cyberpunk anime thriller that clearly inspired later films like The Matrix.
20. Anomalisa (2015) 
"Anomalisa" uses stop-motion animation to tell the story of a man who one day meets "the only woman in the world." This is an unusual film, directed by Charlie Kaufman, that is funny at times, touching at others, but also quite surreal and whimsical. Despite the fact that it has received a number of honorary awards, it is better not to offer it to children.
21. Persepolis (2007) 
The 2007 French film Persepolis is based on a graphic novel, but definitely not in the same vein as the Marvel comic book films. This is a powerful biographical drama about a girl growing up during the Iranian revolution. You won't find slapstick comedy or funny animals here, just the human condition, struggles, growth and loss.
22. Animal Farm (1954) 
These days, George Orwell is remembered through words, especially on the Internet, but usually in relation to the dystopian film 1984. But his other famous novel, Animal Farm, is also well known and was made into a full-length animated film in 1954. At first glance, it may seem like a children's film, but it is clearly aimed at adults, dealing with complex political topics.
23. True Sadness (1998) 
In 1997, Japan gave us a great psychological thriller about a famous singer who is stalked by a crazed fan. It uses many of the familiar techniques from other similar thrillers, with the only difference being that this one is fully animated. There is a lot of violence in the film and a very awkward sexual assault scene.
24. The Hard Way (1973) 
In 1973, this animated film had to be edited down to an R rating. These days, directors usually edit R films down to PG-13, so this is a real rarity. However, the editing did not work, and the film was given an X rating, although these days it is, in fact, still the same R. The film is about an underground cartoonist and the people who inspire him. It also has a lot of cartoon nudity, violence, ethnic slurs and enough swearing to make South Park jealous.
25. The Adventures of Fritz the Cat (1972) 
Perhaps one of the most "adult" cartoons in history, Fritz the Cat was released in 1972, and a sequel followed in 1974. It's part political satire, part shock comedy, and has more than its share of weird, graphic anthropomorphic sex, race riots, and every swear word you can imagine. And Adolf Hitler even appeared in the sequel.
