Film

Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms

A taut, gorgeously drawn animated adventure that transplants Hellboy into Japanese folklore territory. It's lean and focused—77 minutes of demon-hunting, samurai curses, and genuine creepiness, with voice acting that makes you forget you're watching animation. For fans of the comics or Mike Mignola's aesthetic: strange, atmospheric, beautifully grotesque.

TMDb rating3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy brisk, cheeky monster-hunting adventures with a gruff hero who cracks jokes while kicking demons around, and you don't mind that it's a stripped-down animated spin-off rather than a full-blooded blockbuster.

Skip it if you want a slow build or a grounded, moody atmosphere; this one moves quickly, leans on broad comic beats, and feels more like a Saturday-morning romp than the darker live-action films.

What it asks of you: Little of your time: about seventy-seven minutes, with plenty of quick action and quips, asking you to go along with its cartoon energy rather than to invest in deep character study.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm1993

A theatrical animated feature that proved superhero animation could be noir, melancholic, and genuinely moving. Masterful pacing and Bruce Timm's art direction create something that surpasses most live-action adaptations.

But If you need constant action, the mystery-box plot might feel slow. Some find the DCAU's earnestness dated now.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm poster

Superman: Doomsday2007

Proves animated DC films could be stylish, brutal, and consequential. Sharp direction and a willingness to let big things actually matter. Came out the same era as Hellboy Animated with similar ambition.

But The animation is flatter than Hellboy's. Second half pivots toward territory some find hokey.

Superman: Doomsday poster

Justice League Dark2017

Supernatural weirdness at the heart of a superhero story. Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman—it's occult-tinged and genuinely unsettling in places. Same spirit of monsters-and-magic-in-the-shadows.

But CGI animation instead of traditional; some characters are undercooked. Feels rushed in the final third.

Justice League Dark poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Return of Jafar1994

Both are 90s/early-2000s animation constrained by budget and made better for it—the limitation forcing style and mood rather than spectacle.

A direct-to-video Disney sequel that's darker, cheaper, and somehow stranger than the theatrical film—hand-drawn animation that feels claustrophobic and genuinely threatening. Jafar is more monstrous here. The craftsmanship of limited budgets creating mood.

But Looks cheap because it was. Animation shortcuts are visible. Second-rate compared to the original, and it knows it.

The Return of Jafar poster
More like this (7)

Castlevania2017

Anime-inflected action, real blood, and a Mignola-esque gothic sensibility. Four seasons of vampire lore, demon anatomy, and animation that swings for the fences. Adult animation that earns it.

But First season is slow and talky. Pacing uneven. Some arcs outstay their welcome.

Castlevania poster

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse2018

Animated superhero action that's visually inventive and emotionally intelligent. Proves animation can be as dynamic and surprising as any live-action blockbuster. Pure craft and joy.

But The rap-heavy soundtrack isn't for everyone. Multiverse plot can feel overstuffed on a rewatch.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse poster

Arcane: League of Legends2021

Stunning animation, character-driven storytelling, and a fantasy setting that feels lived-in and consequential. Nine episodes of animation that makes you forget you're watching a show based on a video game.

But Slower than you'd expect. Second act sags. Some plot threads feel abandoned.

Arcane: League of Legends poster

X-Men '972024

Continuation of the beloved 90s animated series with modern animation budget and sensibility. Deep lore, excellent voice acting, genuine emotional stakes. Nostalgia that earns it.

But Requires familiarity with the original series. Some plots feel overly reverential. Anime-adjacent animation not for purists.

X-Men '97 poster

Adventure Time: Distant Lands2020

A cartoon that grows darker, weirder, and more philosophical across ten seasons. Post-apocalyptic fairy tale that's as much about loss and consequence as whimsy. Genuinely strange.

But Uneven early seasons. Will test patience if you hate childish humor. Later seasons are dense and often bleak.

Adventure Time: Distant Lands poster

Hellbound: Hellraiser II1988

Same DNA: horror as architecture, monsters with design language, suffering made strange and beautiful. Hellboy's aesthetic owes Barker an enormous debt.

Clive Barker doubling down on body horror and architectural nightmare logic. Dense with practical effects and genuine weirdness. The Lament Configuration as geometry, hell as topology. Mignola loved this.

But Very 80s, very British—the pacing is glacial. Genuinely disgusting; not shock value but genuine sustained unease. Rape and torture are central themes.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II poster

Pan's Labyrinth2006

Both marry folklore and darkness without apology; both treat monsters and humans with equal visual care; both understand that animation/fantasy is perfect for processing historical and spiritual trauma.

Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece—Spanish Civil War as backdrop for a fantasy nightmare of exquisite design and genuine dread. Every frame is composed like a painting. Released the same year as Hellboy Animated with similar production philosophy.

But Bleak and violent. Violence against children is depicted directly. In Spanish; subtitles required. No happy ending, only necessary ones.

Pan's Labyrinth poster

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