8 Greatest R-Rated Animated Masterpieces of the 21st Century, Ranked

It's hard to associate animation with anything other than colorful, fantastical thrills and family-friendly adventures, but the 21st century has proven that the medium is capable of so much more. In recent decades, there has been a tidal wave of animated films that not only stun with their impeccable storytelling, but are also ambitiously bold, adult-oriented films that aren’t afraid to take chances. Ranging from pure brutality and gory action to nudity and trauma-filled storylines, there exist quite a few epic animated movie watches that have an R rating and can be called absolute peak fiction.

Films like the absurdly provocative satire Sausage Party, and the beautifully depicted and excellently haunting war documentary Waltz with Bashir, are just two high-ranking gems the adult animated world of the 21st century has to offer. The animated movies featured on this list are boundary-pushing and redefining masterpieces of 21st-century R-rated animation that deserve all the recognition they’ve received.

8 'It's Such a Beautiful Day' (2012)

This independent film is a deeply personal work of fiction that transforms dread into devastating art. Don Hertzfeldt’s It’s Such a Beautiful Day strings together three short chapters to chronicle the life of Bill (Don Hertzfeldt), a stick-figure every-day man who is grappling with hallucinations and fragmented thoughts.

While wielding a deceptively simple animation style, It's Such a Beautiful Day’s story also happens to be insanely profound. The movie is widely regarded as one of the best animated films of the 21st century, with near-universal acclaim for its incredible emotional impact. Even with It's Such a Beautiful Day’s simplicity, the film tackles existential themes with devastating clarity and humor, offering audiences something moving enough to bring them to tears, marking their souls as the film stays with them forever. It’s Such a Beautiful Day conveys human truths with an innovative blend of poetic narration and animation techniques, solidifying it as a groundbreaking masterpiece for independent animation.

7 'The Wolf House' (2018)

The Wolf House is a Chilean stop-motion animated fantasy film that feels like a living, breathing hallucination. The nightmarish animated fairy tale introduces the “story” of a young girl who escapes a cult settlement and takes refuge in an isolated house in the woods, Maria (Amalia Kassai).

The Wolf House is as hypnotic as it is genuinely unsettling. It's been frequently hailed as “a stunning outpouring of creativity,” lauded as one of the greatest animated films of the decade. The Wolf House delivers a mesmerizing tale that features unsettling beauty that is truly bold. Its R-rating stems not from any kind of gore, but from the sheer psychological intensity, so rarely seen and explored in the animated field. Viewers have grown obsessed with the deeply disturbing film, especially for its references to Chile’s dark history and Grimm fairy tales. The Wolf House is no easy ride, but it’s a true testament to the power of animation as high art, as it delivers a brilliant viewing experience unlike any other.

6 'Sausage Party' (2016)

This 2016 raunchy animated comedy is something that definitely should not be viewed with children nearby, despite its colorful animation. Sausage Party is set in the world of anthropomorphic grocery store products, and centers on the hot dog sausage, Frank (Seth Rogen), whose biggest challenge was once getting the hot dog bun he’s in love with to notice him—until another grocery product returns to the store with news that changes everything.

The outrageous animated comedy may be rife with vulgar humor, but beneath that is the masterful satirization of consumerism and religion, gleefully wrapped in a Pixar-style animation. Sausage Party also holds the distinction of being the first CGI-animated film with an R rating to see mainstream success during its theatrical release. Audiences have praised the film’s hilarious R-rated raunch, obsessed with the jaw-dropping sexual gags, endless stream of puns, and absurd eye-popping mesh of violence. Sausage Party is a true comedic animated masterpiece that stands as a bold, boundary-pushing phenomenon that changed adult animation forever.

5 'Predator: Killer of Killers' (2025)

Predator: Killer of Killers is a recent-animated film that thrillingly expands the Predator universe in a vision of brutal sci-fi action. The R-rated animated film centers on multiple human warriors across different eras—ranging from elite modern-day soldiers to ninjas in feudal Japan and more, as they face off with the galaxy’s most fearsome hunter.

With a hyper-detailed animation-style that brings across truly visceral visuals, Predator: Killer of Killers delivers a fantastically ambitious cinematic film. The movie has no trouble at all embracing its franchise’s R-rated roots with unapologetic ferocity. In comparison to its live-action counterparts, Predator: Killer of Killer, as an animated film, reaches new heights, leading it to stand out in a flurry of sci-fi spectacle. With its exploration of different cultures and time periods, all the while wielding relentless tension and graphic combat moments, Predator: Killer of Killers stands as a blood-soaked triumph that is nothing short of a modern animated masterpiece.

4 'Justice League Dark: Apokolips War' (2020)

This apocalyptic DC animated film isn’t the first R-rated work of art the beloved, legendary comic-book empire has produced, but it definitely stands as one of the most surprising. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War follows Earth’s finest heroes after they failed in a preemptive strike on Darkseid’s (Tony Todd) world, Apokolips.

The superhero animation does what most in the genre do not—portray failure with a brutality so shocking that it leaves its viewers absolutely stunned. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War has often been lauded as one of DC’s boldest animated films, with a unprecedented 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. All of the praise the film has received is definitely well-deserved as the standout animation dared to go beyond the norm, dishing out mature themes of failure, guilt, and sacrifice, while depicting shockingly graphic deaths of audiences’ favorites. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is a fantastic superhero tragedy wrapped up in R-rated content, which cements it as one of the greatest animated masterpieces of the 21st century.

3 'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' (2013)

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a two-part animated film that stands as one of the finest and grimmest of superhero storytelling. Adapted from Frank Miller’s seminal graphic novel, the film sees an older Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman (Peter Weller), coming out of retirement in a dystopian Gotham City, and facing off with former allies and enemies alike.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is notably one of the greatest comic-to-screen adaptations that fully realizes the graphic novel’s uncompromising vision. Its R rating comes from its much darker than usual themes and insanely violent scenes. Viewers are given a far more brutal version of their favorite hero, with dynamic action and fantastically mature storytelling that ranks the film highly among adult-oriented superhero animation. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is often hailed as an impeccable benchmark for animated superhero films aimed at grown-up audiences, as it delivers a masterful work of fiction.

2 'Waltz with Bashir' (2008)

This autobiographical animated war documentary masterfully confronts trauma with such poetic brutality that it transcends devastation into pure art. Waltz with Bashir, unfolding as a series of surreal, dreamlike recollections, follows Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman (Ari Folman), who is haunted by a gap in his memory regarding his service in the 1982 Lebanon War, and sets out to interview old friends and fellow veterans in hopes of reconstructing his memories of a dark time.

Waltz with Bashir is well-loved by fans and has garnered global acclaim for its brilliance. The film is a groundbreaking masterpiece and an ideal example of animation used in documentary form. Waltz with Bashir is uniquely stunning—both incredibly innovative and terribly devastating. The animated film doesn’t hold back when it comes to the darkness of war, depicting disturbing images of the atrocities faced during such a time, making it clear why it received its R rating. While Waltz with Bashir was well-regarded as one of the best in 2008 and received an Academy Award nomination, the film still remains one of the truest cinematic adult animated knockouts of the 21st century.

1 'Perfect Blue' (1997)

Perfect Blue is one of the finest blueprints for modern psychological thrillers—a masterpiece that transcends its animated status and truly stuns its audience. The psychological horror follows former pop idol Mima Kirigoe (Junko Iwao), who, after deciding to leave her bubblegum girl group, pursues a career in acting. As she tries for change, she is hindered by an obsessive stalker and her own mental health’s decline.

Being one of the world’s most influential animated thrillers is no easy feat to come by. Perfect Blue’s age does nothing to lessen its impact on the animated world, or on the psychological horror-thriller genre. In fact, the film’s exploration of obsession, celebrity exploitation, and a fractured identity feels even more prophetic today than at the time of its release. With its disturbing imagery and mature themes, it's only right that the film stands as an R-rated animation. Perfect Blue has become a cherished cult classic that is a notable blueprint for its genre, making it the perfect addition to this list of the greatest R-rated animated masterpieces of the 21st century.