Akira (1988)

A motorcycle gang member in post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo develops telekinetic powers and the city pays for it. The animation was hand-drawn at a level of detail that still embarrasses most modern studios. The plot compresses an entire manga's worth of political intrigue, body horror, and government conspiracy into two hours, which means it occasionally feels like being thrown down a flight of stairs. But the stairs are gorgeous. The motorcycle slide alone influenced thirty years of animation. It's overwhelming, violent, and not interested in holding your hand through its mythology.