Coraline

Henry Selick’s 2009 stop-motion fantasy follows Coraline Jones, an inquisitive eleven-year-old frustrated by her distracted parents and isolated in a strange new home. A sealed doorway leads her into an alternate version of her life, where food is richer, attention is constant and familiar neighbors become dazzling performers. The apparent perfection has a price: everyone in this Other World has buttons instead of eyes, and the Other Mother wants Coraline to stay permanently on her terms. Coraline must recognize how temptation has been tailored to her loneliness, then rely on observation, courage and help from a watchful black cat to protect both her family and other trapped children. Dakota Fanning voices Coraline, with Teri Hatcher as her mother and the Other Mother. Adapted by Selick from Neil Gaiman’s novel, the film uses handcrafted sets, replacement-animation faces and stereoscopic depth to make its parallel worlds feel tactile, seductive and increasingly threatening.

Where to watch (checked October 7, 2026): The official U.S. Movies Anywhere page directs users to participating digital retailers. Storefront access, prices, audio languages and available formats vary by country, so check the local listing before purchasing or renting.

Key facts

• Henry Selick wrote and directed the screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel.
• Coraline was the first animated feature released by LAIKA.
• It was the first stop-motion feature conceived and photographed in stereoscopic 3D.
• Henry Selick received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.

Official sources: LAIKA production archive; Academy Awards.