FADE IN: A storm-swept night in Hillsboro, Oregon. In 2005, amid the constant rain of the Pacific Northwest, a new stop-motion studio launched and took its name from the first ill-fated dog in space: Laika.
Since then, Laika has captivated and unsettled audiences of all ages with a distinct collection of five stop-motion feature films. Each movie explores fantastical worlds while remaining grounded in genuine emotion and human themes.
Below is a ranked rundown of Laika’s five feature films — some of the most imaginative and affecting animated movies produced in the United States.
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5. Missing Link (2019)
Even at its most modest, Laika sets a high bar. Missing Link is the studio’s lightest entry: a breezy Victorian-era adventure in which Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman), an earnest explorer, tracks down the famed Sasquatch — only to discover he’s found the last of his kind. Teaming up with the gentle, good-hearted creature Susan (Zach Galifianakis), Lionel embarks on a transcontinental journey toward the Himalayas to reconnect Susan with her kin.
Compared with Laika’s darker fare, Missing Link opts for a softer tone and broader comedy. Some jokes land, others feel familiar, and the film’s adult-targeted cast and themes skew less sharp than those in the studio’s more unsettling works. Younger viewers will enjoy the physical comedy and the lovable chaos Susan brings, though adults may find fewer layered laughs.
Where the film shines is its visual craft: every set, prop and creature is a handcrafted marvel. The stop-motion animation is rich in texture and detail, creating environments so tangible you can almost step into them. If the film succeeds commercially, it has potential for sequels — the opening teases a tussle with the Loch Ness Monster that hints at further rollicking adventures for Sir Lionel and Susan.
4. The Boxtrolls (2014)
The Boxtrolls showcases Laika’s penchant for the grotesque in the most imaginative sense. Beneath a complacent town that thrives on cheese and indulgence, a colony of box-wearing creatures quietly raises a human child, Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright). When a sinister figure known as the Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) plots to eradicate the trolls, Eggs and an intrepid girl named Winnie (Elle Fanning) must expose the truth and rally both communities.
The character designs are wildly distinctive: exaggerated Regency-style faces, satirical caricatures of the corrupt and indulgent, and a cast of grotesque but sympathetic creatures. The film’s satire of social complacency grows increasingly pointed as the story unfolds, critiquing how fear, ignorance and convenience enable cruelty. The Boxtrolls is less about mortality than about belonging and the moral cost of apathy — a darker parable wrapped in inventive visuals.
3. ParaNorman (2012)
ParaNorman is a bold blend of horror and heart. The story follows Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a boy who can see and speak with the dead. When a centuries-old witch’s curse resurrects the dead and threatens his New England town, Norman must convince his skeptical peers to confront the truth and make amends.
Constructed with a clear love for classic horror and B-movie tropes, ParaNorman delivers sharp references and wickedly funny beats, while also offering genuinely unnerving imagery and deeper thematic layers. The film explores prejudice, misunderstanding and how communities handle trauma, all while balancing warmth, humor and scares. Its cast of young characters feels sincere and endearing, giving the film both emotional heft and adventurous spirit.
2. Coraline (2009)
Coraline is a chilling modern fairy tale about longing, gratitude and the perils of wish-fulfillment. Bored and lonely after moving to a new town, Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) discovers a parallel world that initially seems perfect: attentive parents, delightful treats and endless affection. But the Other Mother (Teri Hatcher) has a terrible cost in mind — buttons for eyes and a sinister plan to keep Coraline there forever.
Director Henry Selick — known for his darkly whimsical vision — brings Neil Gaiman’s story to life with a masterful command of color and atmosphere. The film’s palette shifts from drab, muted tones in the real world to a warm, carnival-like brightness in the Other World, before dissolving into sickly, oppressive hues as danger reveals itself. Coraline’s slow realization that her desires have been weaponized creates an escalating sense of dread that lingers long after the credits roll. Teri Hatcher’s vocal performance as the Other Mother is chillingly precise, imbuing the role with controlled menace.
1. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Mature, soulful and visually breathtaking, Kubo and the Two Strings stands as Laika’s crowning achievement. The film centers on Kubo (Art Parkinson), a young storyteller who uses a magical three-stringed shamisen to weave tales and control paper origami. Forced from his home, Kubo embarks on a quest to find his father’s armor and uncover the truth about his family, learning courage and acceptance along the way.
Kubo’s world draws inspiration from Japanese aesthetic and cultural motifs — ritual, respect and cyclical storytelling — and converts them into an original cinematic fable. Music and repeated visual motifs play a central role: the shamisen’s strings, the rhythmic pluck of a bachi, and recurring thematic echoes all deepen the film’s emotional resonance. Kubo’s companions, Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), function as both allies and mirrors of his inner life, reflecting strengths, flaws and the work required to grow.
The film is an emotional road movie in miniature: the journey reshapes the protagonist, and every encounter peels back layers of grief and identity. Director Travis Knight’s ability to impart profound feeling to non-traditional characters — whether animal, armored warrior or supernatural entity — is unmatched, and Kubo remains a powerful testament to what stop-motion animation can achieve.
Recommended for you: Stop Motion Animated Feature Oscar Nominees Ranked
Do you agree with this ranking? Disagree? Which Laika film is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Written by Sam Sewell-Peterson
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