Since Disney revolutionized animation in 1937 with the release of the world’s first animated feature film,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, studios have continually been using the medium of animation to address real-world issues and convey important messages. As time has moved on, we’ve seen a significant societal shift toward understanding and addressing our mental well-being. It’s not surprising, then, that animated movies have been increasingly incorporating themes of mental health into their stories.
Below, we look at 10 animated movies that explore issues surrounding mental health. The ways the issues are tackled range from child-friendly metaphors to dark, unflinching explorations of the consequences of depression. What they all have in common, though, is that they highlight the importance of mental health and aim to reduce the stigma that remains around the topic, to this day.
10 Frozen (2013)
Frozen
- Release Date
- November 20, 2013
- Runtime
- 108
Grossing nearly £1.3 billion, Frozen is one of the best-known and most successful animated movies of all time. Set in the fictional fairytale land of Arendelle, princess Elsa’s magical ice powers plunge their kingdom into eternal winter and its up to her sister, Anna, to save her and undo the damage.
Frozen Subtly Explores Mental Health Issues Through Elsa’s Story
On the surface, Frozen is a cute fairy tale story, but delve a bit deeper, and it can be viewed as an exploration of mental health issues through Elsa who grapples with self-isolation, anxiety, and depression due to her uncontrollable magical powers. Her struggle to gain control of her abilities can be seen as symbolic of the fear and shame associated with mental health issues, leading her to isolate.
The movie chooses to discard the typical ‘knight in white armor’ saviour trope and focuses on her journey of self-acceptance and reconnection with her sister.
9 It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
It’s Such a Beautiful Day is an experimental animated film directed, written, animated, photographed, produced, and narrated by Don Hertzfeldt. Through a combination of offbeat humor and surrealism, the movie follows the life of Bill and his struggles with multiple psychological and mental health issues including hallucinations, memory loss, and other symptoms related to a degenerative neurological disorder.
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The movie was universally applauded for its tactful take on mental health issues, its quirky humor and its experimental art style which combined stick figures with footage from the real world, often presented in ‘split screen’. As a result, it found itself in multiple ‘best of’ movie lists including the top spot on IGN’s CineFlex Top 10 Animated Films of All Time and The Wraps ‘Best Animated Film of the 2010s’.
8 My Life as a Zucchini (2016)
Ma vie de Courgette, or My Life as a Zucchini,as it’s known in the States, is a moving movie about a young boy named Zucchini who finds himself living in a foster home after the death of his mother. In this vastly different environment, he is forced to confront a host of new emotional challenges that have a profound effect on his mental health.
My Life as a Zucchini Addresses Challenging Subjects in an Accessible Way
Clocking in at under 70 minutes and brimming with cute, vibrant animation, the movie is perfectly set up to be easily accessible for all ages. With this in mind, it certainly doesn’t skimp on addressing very real issues around mental health, as audiences witness Zucchini navigate difficult emotions. By portraying these emotional struggles in a relatable and empathetic manner, it can, in turn, help younger audience members better understand their own feelings.
Stream on the Criterion Channel
7 Anomalisa (2015)
Anomalisa
- Release Date
- December 30, 2015
- Runtime
- 90
Charlie Kaufman’s stop-motion Anomalisa, is about a man who is unable to distinguish between people’s physical appearance and perceives them to all be identical. This all changes, however, when he meets a woman at a hotel who he is able to see as different to everyone else.
Anomalisa Is Believed to Be an Exploration of Fregoli Delusion
Fregoli Delusion is a psychological condition where a person may believe that different people are, in fact, the same person. The fact that Michael, in the movie, perceives everyone to have the same face and voice has led many to believe he has the condition. The movie examines the feelings and emotions associated with his condition which include isolation, paranoia, and detachment.
Stream on Prime Video
6 Rocks in My Pocket (2014)
Beautiful, moving, funny, and empowering, Rocks in My Pocket features a series of interweaving stories about the lives of five women and their struggles with depression. Adopting a stop-motion technique, the movie combines elements of both 2D and 3D animation and was a critical success, receiving universal acclaim.
Rock in My Pocket Adopts an Unflinching Approach to Mental Health Issues
The movie was praised for its stark and unflinching approach to depression, suicide, trauma, and the associated stigma. Unlike many movies on this list, its dark themes and complex narrative mean it is squarely aimed at a more mature audience. It’s unique approach to tackling important issues earned it multiple awards and accolades and it has since been described as "essential."
Stream on Kanopy
5 Finding Dory (2016)
The follow-up to Disney Pixar’s highly successful Finding Nemois a masterclass in providing children with positive messages around mental health through an engaging and moving story and stunning animation. It follows the story of the forgetful fish Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) as she battles her memory loss to track down her long-lost parents.
Finding Dory Provides Key Insights on Overcoming Obstacles in Spite of Physical Disability, Anxiety and Even Depression
Many of the characters found in Pixar’s shimmering underwater world have their own personal challenges to overcome. Nemo has a physical disability with his malformed fin, Nemo’s father struggles with anxiety and Dory, of course, struggles with short-term memory loss.
Dory’s enduring feel-good attitude and positive mantra of "just keep swimming" best sums up the movie’s message. That’s not to say, though, that it tries to overly simplify the complex emotions each of these characters are feeling or tries to ‘water-down’ the struggles involved. It sensitively tackles these issues with a level of maturity and nuance rarely seen in family animated movies.
4 Mary and Max (2009)
Mary and Max
- Release Date
- February 9, 2009
- Director
- Adam Elliot
- Runtime
- 80
Mary and Max is a poignant tale of two unlikely pen-pals; Mary, a lonely Australian girl, and Max, an overweight American man with Asperger's syndrome, which takes viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions. The movie scored an impressive score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the voice acting skills of Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Toni Collette standing out as particular highlights.
Mary and Max Highlights the Importance of Connection and Understanding
The movie sensitively explores a plethora of complex emotions and mental health issues, including themes of loneliness, depression, and social isolation. The pair gradually learn to overcome their respective mental health challenges through a shared connection and mutual support and understanding.
Stream on AMC+
3 Soul (2020)
Soul
- Release Date
- December 25, 2020
- Runtime
- 90
This wildly imaginative Pixar flick takes viewers on a trip into the afterlife after jazz musician Joe falls into a coma after an accident. Here he attempts to reconnect his soul with his body. Starring the voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, and Richard Ayoade, the movie was a huge success with critics scoring a near-perfect 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Soul Explores Themes of Purpose and Self-Worth
During Joe’s time in a coma, he is given time to reflect on life’s meaning and his purpose on Earth. It deals with the concept of societal pressures and finding contentment (or ‘spark’) beyond career success. Through clever metaphors and an inventive plotline, it helps destigmatize conversations around feelings of inadequacy and mental health and gently encourages viewers to appreciate the importance of inner-fulfillment.
Stream on Disney+
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2 Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
From Studio Ghibli, Kiki’s Delivery Service is a beautifully animated tale of whimsical adventure as viewers bear witness to a young girl’s journey of self-discovery. Kiki is a 13-year-old witch in training who, according to tradition, must live independently for a year. Accompanied only by her talking cat Jiji, Tiki learns to navigate a complex web of emotions brought about by her radical change in circumstances.
Kiki’s Delivery Service Is a Metaphor for Depression
Kiki’s initial overwhelming optimism is quickly thwarted as she is confronted with feelings of self-doubt and even despair. These depression-related emotions manifest themselves into her real-world surroundings in her inability to fly or communicate with her cat.
We’ve previously written about how the whole movie could, in fact, be interpreted as a metaphor for depression. Kiki’s journey of overcoming these hurdles through self-reflection and the power of friendship mirrors the process of recovering from depression.
Stream on Max
1 Inside Out (2015)
With the sequel currently lighting up the box office, we take a look back to the groundbreaking 2015 original. The movie introduces us to 11-year-old Riley who is struggling with a plethora of difficult new emotions she’s experiencing while adjusting to life in a new town and school.
The vast majority of Inside Out takes place inside Riley’s mind. It focuses on her personified key emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust - who are each brought to life into their own unique characters, giving a visual representation into the inner workings of her mind.
Inside Out Has Been Used by Therapists to Help Children Gain Greater Understanding of Their Emotions
The movie cleverly explores how Riley’s different emotions interact and struggle for control. Through beautiful, vivid animations and a combination of Pixar’s trademark humor and heart, Inside Out manages to convey the complexity and importance of emotional balance in childhood development. Layered and sophisticated, it has something for all ages.
What is the appropriate age to show a kid Inside Out?
With Inside Out 2 hitting theaters, families are likely rushing out to see the latest Pixar film. Yet this has opened up discussion on what age parents should show their kids the first Inside Out. Despite being a bright, colorful film that explains emotionally complex concepts in a way kids can understand, is it too much for a young kid? Or can even a three-year-old enjoy it as a fun animated adventure like previous kids did Toy Story or Finding Nemo? What do you think is the right age to show a kid Inside Out?
With a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%, the film was praised across the board for its animation, voicework, story, and exploration of mental health, with many therapists going as far as to use it as a reference in their own work with children.
Stream on Disney+
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