From Mars Express to Perfect Blue, 5 classic neo-noir animated films to watch ahead of Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn

Neo-noir films take the moral ambiguity, shadowy intrigue, and fatalistic tone of classic film noir and give them a fresh spin for modern or speculative worlds. They keep the cynical protagonists, corrupt systems, and blurred lines between right and wrong, often mixing in psychological tension or sharp societal critique. In animation, the genre really shines.


The medium’s freedom lets creators warp reality, blend the mechanical with the organic, and turn inner turmoil into something visually poetic, things live-action rarely pulls off as effectively. These films build atmosphere through stylised lighting, fluid hallucinations, and oppressive cityscapes, favouring thematic depth and slippery perceptions over straightforward realism.

This tradition feels especially timely with Brad Bird’s upcoming Ray Gunn this year. The project points to a renewed appetite for sophisticated, adult-oriented animated storytelling on big platforms. Animation fans and those who enjoy thoughtful genre fare have every reason to revisit its predecessors.

In Metropia, a sprawling retro-futuristic metropolis viewed through a 1939 lens of tomorrow, private eye Raymond Gunn (voiced by Sam Rockwell) operates as one of the last human detectives in a world increasingly run by machines. Drawn into a complex case involving aliens, murder, and multimedia star Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson), Gunn confronts crime, scandal, and deeper existential questions. Tom Waits voices Eyera, with music by Michael Giacchino. Brad Bird directs from his original story, co-written with Matthew Robbins, for Skydance Animation.


The film, long in development since the 1990s and once eyed for Apple TV+ before moving to Netflix, boasts a substantial budget reportedly exceeding $150 million. It blends hard-boiled detective tropes with sci-fi elements like jetpacks and alien intrigue, promising moral grey areas and visual flair. A 2026 Netflix release is confirmed, with the film expected later this year and positioning it as a major entry in Bird’s filmography after The Incredibles 2.

Satoshi Kon’s debut feature, released in Japan in 1997 (with wider international distribution following), follows Mima Kirigoe, a J-pop idol who retires from her group to pursue acting. As she takes on darker roles, an obsessive fan stalks her, murders target her circle, and her sense of self begins to unravel amid media saturation and hallucinations.

Kon, who also contributed to the screenplay, crafts a psychological thriller that exploits animation to blur lines between reality, performance, and delusion. The film’s exploration of parasocial obsession and the commodification of identity feels remarkably current. It runs about 81 minutes and is available on platforms like Hulu, Disney+, and Max, as well as physical editions from GKIDS.


Mamoru Oshii directed this landmark 1995 adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s manga. In a near-future 2029, cyborg Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team hunt the elusive Puppet Master hacker amid themes of consciousness, memory, and what constitutes humanity in a world of widespread cybernetic enhancement.

Released in Japan in November 1995, the film’s atmospheric cityscapes and philosophical depth influenced global sci-fi, including The Matrix. Its tech-noir blend of action and introspection exemplifies animation’s strength in visualising abstract ideas. It is widely available on streaming services and Blu-ray.

Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 epic, adapted from his manga, is set in Neo-Tokyo 2019. Biker gang leader Kaneda watches his friend Tetsuo gain destructive psychic powers after a military experiment, triggering chaos involving government secrets and apocalyptic potential.

Directed and co-written by Otomo, the film was released in Japan in July 1988. Its kinetic animation, detailed world-building, and themes of unchecked power and youth rebellion cemented its status as a cyberpunk cornerstone with noir undertones of inevitable downfall. Stream it on Crunchyroll or purchase physical copies.


Jérémie Périn’s 2023 French feature follows private investigator Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera on Mars in 2200. Tasked with cases involving hackers, missing students, and corporate conspiracies, they uncover deeper threats related to robot sentience and brain farms.

Périn’s directorial debut draws from classic noir like Chinatown while embracing sci-fi. Released theatrically in France and later in the US via GKIDS (May 2024), it is available on Blu-ray, on demand (including Apple TV), and other platforms. Its sleek 2D style and tight plotting make it a strong recent entry.

Hiroyuki Okiura directed this 1999 film from a screenplay by Mamoru Oshii. In an alternate postwar Japan under authoritarian rule, Kerberos unit member Kazuki Fuse grapples with trauma after a mission involving a young suicide bomber. His entanglement with the bomber’s sister draws him into political machinations and questions of loyalty.

Released in Japan in 2000 (premiered earlier in France), the film’s deliberate pacing and moral complexity layer noir fatalism onto a dieselpunk-tinged world. It is available on various streaming services and physical media.


These five films showcase animation’s enduring suitability for neo-noir. They deliver detective narratives while interrogating truth, power and selfhood in stylised and unforgettable ways- making them all timeless classics.