Saagar Kote
‘The Twits’ follows the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Twit, a couple who have strange ways of looking at life. Driven by chaotic energy and a love-hate relationship, the two go around town causing mayhem and destruction. They also run a dangerous amusement park known as “Twitlandia.” Their paths cross with two orphans named Beesha and Bubsy, who face the danger of being overwhelmed by the might of the couple. In order to save the town from the tyranny of the Twits and to ensure their own survival, the orphans must team up with magical creatures, who are also looking for their place in the world. Loosely based on Roald Dahl’s eponymous children’s novel, the animated musical comedy film directed by Phil Johnston delves into ideas of friendship, survival, youth, and family. If the complex themes, quirky characters, stunning visuals, and the story of the film impressed you, these animated films, similar to ‘The Twits,’ will entertain you.
11. Chicken Run (2000)
Directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park, ‘Chicken Run’ is a story of survival, liberty, and friendship narrated through the experiences of unique characters. The animated adventure comedy film follows the lives of Ginger, Bunty, Babs, and Fowler, a group of chickens on a farm. They are constantly harassed by the owners, Mr. and Ms. Tweedy, who seek to control their lives and force them to produce eggs. When the owners threaten to take their lives for failing to produce eggs, they become hopeless.
However, their lives take an unexpected turn when an American rooster named Rocky somehow ends up on the farm. Seeing that the rooster can actually fly, the chickens begin to realize that the only way they can escape their owners and stay alive is by learning the art of flying. On the lines of ‘The Twits,’ it deals with the idea of saving oneself and loved ones from a dangerous couple by uniting with unlikely characters.
10. Frankenweenie (2012)
‘Frankenweenie’ is an animated horror comedy film that follows the life of a boy named Victor Frankenstein, who lives a life obsessed with creating short movies with his dog Sparky. Things take a turn for the boy when his beloved canine friend is struck by a car, causing his death. Overwhelmed by the tragedy, the boy makes up his mind to bring his dog back to life by engaging in a dangerous and powerful science experiment. However, when he seemingly succeeds in resurrecting his friend, it leads to a series of unexpected, chaotic, and dangerous events that may decide the boy’s fate. Directed by Tim Burton and a remake of his eponymous film, the narrative is spiritually connected to ‘The Twits.’ The movies deal with the idea of saving friends’ lives and the consequences related to it. Both stories look at the idea of friendship in all its complexities.
9. Wendell & Wild (2022)
‘Wendell & Wild,’ based on the eponymous book by Henry Selick and Clay McLeod Chapman, follows the lives of two notoriously dangerous demon brothers named Wendell and Wild, who live in a realm away from Earth. One of their primary goals in life is to enter the land of the living by any means necessary. To help them achieve this, they seek the help of a teenager named Kat Elliott, whose image they see in a vision. As Kat and the brothers cross paths, it leads to unexpected events and chaos. With others showing concern about Kat’s state of mind, supernatural events unfold in mysterious ways. The animated Gothic comedy horror film helmed by Henry Selick deals with themes of friendship and youth. Akin to ‘The Twits,’ it explores the ideas of survival and unlikely team-ups in complex settings. The main characters in both films deal with threats and dangers from powerful characters.
8. Corpse Bride (2005)
Directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson, ‘Corpse Bride’ is an animated fantasy musical film that follows the life of a man named Victor Van Dort, who is engaged to a woman named Victoria Everglot. Being the son of humble fish merchants, Victor, along with his family members, aspires to become a member of high society. In an unusual moment, before his wedding, Victor goes to the forest to practice his marital vows, which leads to unexpected chaos.
Due to his correct recital of the vows, he is mistaken for a husband by the corpse of a woman named Emily. She takes him to the realm of the dead, where she wishes to stay with him as his wife. This puts Victor in a complex scenario, where he has to choose between the corpse and his living fiancée. Based on the characters created by the aforementioned director and Carlos Grangel, the film shares thematic similarities with ‘The Twits.’ Both stories feature the navigation of complex topics such as life and death through the experiences of the characters.
7. The Addams Family (2019)
‘The Addams Family’ revolves around the lives of Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, and Wednesday, the members of the spooky and occult-obsessed Addams family. When the family moves to an isolated and dilapidated region near the mountains, which is also engulfed by fog and a marshland, they assume that they are well hidden from the rest of the world. As they continue to live with strange traditions and tastes, their existence is exposed due to the draining of the marsh.
Driven away from secrecy, the family is targeted by a reality TV host named Margaux Needler, who wishes to end their legacy. Based on characters created by Charles Addams, the animated supernatural comedy film deals with the dangers of the supernatural. Directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, it explores the ideas of family, loyalty, and survival, which establishes a thematic and spiritual connection with ‘The Twits’ and its quirky characters.
6. ParaNorman (2012)
In ‘ParaNorman,’ Norman Babcock, an outcast able to communicate with the dead, is tasked with protecting the scary town of Blithe Hollow from an ancient witch’s curse. He is entrusted with the mission by his strangely behaved uncle, Mr. Prenderghast. After his uncle’s death, Norman retrieves a book and heads to the witch’s grave for a ritual. However, due to interference from a bully during the ritual, the dead rise and invade the town.
Norman discovers that the witch, Agatha, was executed hundreds of years ago for possessing special abilities. He must convince her to abandon her revenge and save the lives of the town’s members. Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, the animated comedy horror film closely resembles the theme of saving the world that is present in ‘The Twits.’ The main characters in the movies try to save their community from dangerous forces, while risking their lives.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
In ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ or ‘Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ Jack Skellington, Halloween Town’s Pumpkin King, yearns for new experiences in his life, which seems to be overwhelmed by mundanity. Discovering Christmas Town, he’s captivated by its festive spirit, believing his town is missing out on the fun. His attempts to bring Christmas to Halloween, however, lead to disastrous results for him and his town, which is not used to the happy festival.
This leads to a scenario of chaos and confusion that may alter the meaning of life for the protagonist and his fellow people of the town. Helmed by Henry Selick and based on Tim Burton’s characters, the animated musical fantasy film deals with cultural change. On the lines of ‘The Twits,’ it deals with the idea of community and the meaning of life, although from a different perspective. The problems faced by communities when external forces get involved are at the core of the stories.
4. The Boxtrolls (2014)
Based on the novel ‘Here Be Monsters!’ by Alan Snow, ’The Boxtrolls’ chronicles the events happening in a strange place called Cheesebridge. It is a town known for its obsession with cheese, where the gentle, underground creatures called Boxtrolls are wrongly accused of stealing children. This false rumor is worsened by their adoption of an orphan boy named Eggs. This misconception allows Archibald Snatcher, a ruthless exterminator, to pursue their eradication from the world due to his own feelings of hate and insecurity.
After a few years, an older Eggs returns and teams up with Winnie, the town lord’s daughter. Together, they must clear the Boxtrolls’ name and save them from a bad fate. Directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi, the animated fantasy comedy film deals with friendship and family in ways similar to ‘The Twits.’ The element of saving innocent souls from dangerous characters establishes a spiritual connection between the two stories.
3. Coraline (2009)
‘Coraline’ is an animated fantasy horror film that follows the life of a girl named Coraline. When she moves to an old building with her family, she experiences isolation and a sense of abandonment by her parents. Due to her mental health and sadness, she finds it challenging to find meaning in life. However, things change for her when she discovers a secret passage hidden behind a door in her house. When she walks through the passage, she shockingly enters another dimension where her dreams can be achieved and her parents care for her happiness.
In the Henry Selick-directed film based on Neil Gaiman’s eponymous novella, the protagonist is pushed to the limits. She realizes that the alternate dimension represents evil and is fooling her into trapping her soul forever. She must wage a battle against the odds to not only save herself, but also her real parents. Due to its exploration of the meaning of life, the importance of family, and the complexities of survival, the narrative is thematically connected to the world of ‘The Twits’ and its complex characters.
2. James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name, ‘James and the Giant Peach’ chronicles the life of a young boy named James Henry Trotter. His happy life ends when his parents are killed by a falling rhino. This upends his life and leads him towards an existence of struggle under the care of his aunts, who don’t seem to care for his happiness. In this sad reality of his life, he discovers a giant peach inhabited by friendly insects who also want to escape. This inspires the boy to team up with the creatures to achieve liberation and live a life without sadness or isolation. The musical fantasy film helmed by Henry Selick, akin to ‘The Twits,’ navigates the idea of liberation and meaning through the experiences of the main characters. The aspects of fear, survival, and friendship find a poignant representation in the narratives.
1. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Directed by Wes Anderson, the animated comedy film ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ follows the adventures of the titular character as he explores his wild side. He stays up late at night and engages in petty rebellious activities, including stealing, drinking, and causing chaos in the area where he lives. When he becomes a family man and assumes the responsibility of caring for his children, he turns away from his rebellious past. However, his temptations get the better of him, and he ends up planning a last raid on the farms of three evil farmers in the neighborhood.
This leads to chaos and confusion when the farmers find out that the main character is responsible for their losses. With the vengeful farmers out to take revenge, Fox must save his family and himself by pushing beyond his limits. Based on Roald Dahl’s eponymous novel, the narrative looks at the idea of family. The film shares similarities with the world of ‘The Twits’ and its characters due to its portrayal of survival and rebellion in the face of aggression from larger and more menacing beings. The films also have similar visual styles that establish a spiritual connection.
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