What makes a movie a cult film is its ability to keep a tight knit group of fans, mostly on sites like Tumblr, while having faded out of mainstream interest. Some of the biggest cult followings revolve around animated movies, and here are just a handful personal recommendations:
1. “Iron Giant”- Brad Bird can be best known for his work on “The Incredibles,” but prior to his work with Pixar, Bird had been the force behind one of the greatest animated films of all time. Being one of the first movies to have a fully CGI character is already a landmark, but “Iron Giant” goes far beyond just an effects fest. The film revolves around little Hogarth, a child whose only parent is his mother Annie; he is a lonely, since his mother works until night. All that changes with the arrival of an extraterrestrial giant robot, whom Hogarth teaches in the ways of human nature and in turn gives him a friend. Words can’t do this film justice; it must be seen to understand.
2. “Princess Mononoke”- Saying that this movie is one of the best pieces of art I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing would be a vast understatement. This is quite possibly the best of Hayao Miyazaki’s films out there, even better than “Spirited Away.” “Princess Mononke” is based in old Japan around the time of industrialization, and is themed around the sense of nature dying at the hands of the humans. I don’t want to speak too much of the narrative itself, but it should just be known that this film is breath-taking, at sometimes brutal and overall flat out astonishing. A film that must be experienced by at least once.
3. “The Road to El Dorado”- The epitome of a diamond in the rough, “El Dorado” is a relatively older movie created by DreamWorks before they turned to CGI animation. For DreamWorks, this has to be by far one of the most beautiful films from the company, and is more enjoyable with each watch. “El Dorado” is based around a team of swindlers, Tulio and Miguel who were stowed away on Cortes’ ship, ending up in El Dorado in the process. Elton John is the main musician on the film, and every song is as memorable as any from a Disney film. Big among the people of Tumblr, “The Road to El Dorado” is well worth the watch.
4. “The Secret of NIMH”- Visually, “The Secret of NIMH” is stunning for an animated film, which is expected of any film by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth. Eye candy can’t even begin to explain this movies majesty; it is something that must be experienced in full. Now off the subject of visuals, the story is by far the most confusing of any animated or regular film I’ve seen; I myself can’t explain past the story revolving around mice and super-brained mice that had been in a place called NIMH. A film that could definitely use multiple watches, and deserves the time of day.
5. “Cool World”- This film is a more curious piece out of the others; it has grown a large following as of late, yet the film itself isn’t the great. It’s basically like a more mature variation on “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” starring Brad Pitt. But where “Roger Rabbit” succeeded in a wonderful narrative with great actor and toon interaction, “Cool World” is more like an experiment. The animation itself, especially on Holli Would, is quite phenomenal, but actors like Brad Pitt don’t really act believably enough in the presence of toons, and that breaks the movies immersion. Also, the story itself is confusing; it’s so confusing I can’t even begin to go beyond saying that it deals with real people being dragged into the Toon World for some reason. “Cool World” is on Netflix at the moment, so it’s worth at least giving it a look, if only for the good animation.
