Animation is the most creative medium, allowing the human mind to tap into vast and limitless creativity. Whether it’s creating a world that does not conform to our reality, or using the limits of ours to push storytelling, animated movies have captured the hearts of everybody for over a century.
Animation needn’t only be for kids, with many stories on this list appealing to everyone in need of a refreshing movie. From the Eastern lands of Japan to the western landscape of Hollywood, here are 20 of the best animated movies of all time, ranked by the quality of art, storytelling, and timeless cultural footprint.
20. Coraline (2009)
A haunting tale that blurs the line between kids’ dark fantasy and adult horror, Henry Selick’s Coraline is a classic fantasy story turned sinister. Based on Neil Gaiman’s novel, the film follows Coraline Jones, an 11-year-old who discovers a hidden portal that takes her to a perfect “Other” version of her life.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Coraline |
| Director | Henry Selick |
| Writer | Henry Selick (screenplay), Neil Gaiman (novel) |
| Studio | Laika and Pandemonium Films |
| Cast | Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Ian McShane |
| Release Date | February 6, 2009 (United States) |
| Setting | Present day, rural Oregon and an alternate “Other” world accessed from Coraline’s new home |
| IMDb Score | 7.8 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | 91% |
| Where to Stream (US) | Available to rent or buy digitally on major platforms |
The stop-motion and design are unsettling, with the colours feeling more and more like a surreal lucid dream you can’t wake up from. The story handles themes of parenting and childhood in an uncanny manner that feels like the polar opposite of a Disney movie, earning a spot in the best animated movies of the 21st century.
19. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
Isao Takahata’s final film is a reinvention of Japan’s oldest folktale, told through the delicate lens of artwork that comes alive. The story follows Kaguya’s life from wild child to noblewoman as she is caught between her own desires and the suffocating expectations of the court. Unfortunately, the movie flopped monetarily.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | The Tale of the Princess Kaguya |
| Director | Isao Takahata |
| Writer | Isao Takahata, Riko Sakaguchi (screenplay), based on the folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter |
| Studio | Studio Ghibli (Japan); GKIDS (North American distributor) |
| Cast | Aki Asakura, Kengo Kôra, Nobuko Miyamoto, Atsuko Takahata, Tomoko Tabata (Japanese); Chloë Grace Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu (English dub) |
| Release Date | November 23, 2013 (Japan); October 17, 2014 (US limited release) |
| Setting | Heian‑era Japan, from rural countryside to the capital’s aristocratic court |
| IMDb Score | 8.0 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | 100% |
| Where to Stream (US) | Netflix |
Takahata’s sketch never fails to mirror Kaguya’s emotional state, shifting between joyous colours and heavier compositions expertly. The film tackles themes of young women being repressed by patriarchal expectations.
18. Up (2009)
Up reveals its ambitions from the get-go by taking us through a powerful emotional journey in just the opening 10 minutes of the film. Setting the stage for the film’s protagonist, Carl, the film is a story of an old man who has known heartbreaking loss but comes out of his shell after he takes a dream trip to Paradise Falls with the Wilderness Explorer Russell.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Up |
| Director | Pete Docter (co-directed by Bob Peterson) |
| Writer | Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy |
| Studio | Pixar Animation Studios; distributed by Walt Disney Pictures |
| Cast | Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Elie Docter |
| Release Date | May 29, 2009 (United States) |
| Setting | Late 2000s; primarily in a U.S. city (Carl’s neighborhood) and the jungles/tepui region of South America near “Paradise Falls” |
| IMDb Score | 8.3 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | 98% |
| Where to Stream (US) | Disney+ |
Up is a pulpy adventure set in a strange jungle that acts as the backdrop for Carl’s grief and Russell’s sense of wonder. The two themes interweave for the protagonists to achieve catharsis in their own way, with literal and metaphorical symbols reflecting their journey.
17. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Loosely based on Diana Wynne Jones’ novel, Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle is an anti-war fairy tale where empathy is magic. Sophie, a young hat-maker cursed into the body of an old woman, is caught in the crosshairs of the wizard Howl for a journey across a kingdom.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Howl’s Moving Castle |
| Director | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Writer | Hayao Miyazaki (screenplay), based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones |
| Studio | Studio Ghibli; distributed internationally by Toho (Japan) and Walt Disney Pictures (US) |
| Cast | Chieko Baishô, Takuya Kimura, Akihiro Miwa, Tatsuya Gashûin, Ryûnosuke Kamiki (Japanese); Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Billy Crystal, Jean Simmons (English dub) |
| Release Date | November 20, 2004 (Japan); June 10, 2005 (United States) |
| Setting | A fictional European-inspired kingdom in an early 20th-century–style world on the brink of war; chiefly Sophie’s town, the moving castle, and various battlefront locales |
| IMDb Score | 8.2 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | 88% |
| Where to Stream (US) | HBO Max |
The film’s castle is the visual centrepiece for emotional conflicts. The romantic core of this film seals the deal while Sophie’s curse becomes a metaphor for self-image when ageing.
16. Pinocchio (1940)
Disney’s second animated feature set a high standard for hand-drawn animation and storytelling in this medium. A loose adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s story, the story of the wooden puppet whose nose grows every time he lies is a timeless classic. The film chronicles the journey of Pinocchio in a fantasy adventure that reflects every child’s coming of age.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Pinocchio (1940) |
| Director | Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske |
| Writer | Based on Carlo Collodi’s novel; screenplay by a team of Disney writers including Ted Sears, Otto Englander, Webb Smith, William Cottrell, Joseph Sabo, Erdman Penner, Aurelius Battaglia |
| Studio | Walt Disney Productions (distributed by RKO Radio Pictures) |
| Cast | Dickie Jones, Cliff Edwards, Christian Rub, Evelyn Venable, Walter Catlett, Charles Judels, Frankie Darro, Mel Blanc |
| Release date | February 7, 1940 (New York premiere, USA) |
| Setting | A coastal village in Italy and surrounding seas in the late 19th–early 20th century (fairy‑tale Europe) |
| IMDb score | 7.5/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 100% |
| Where to stream (US) | Disney+ |
With powerful allegories and memorable scenes, the movie isn’t afraid to go to dark places to tell its story. Pinocchio was a leap in animation while still retaining Disney’s mix of whimsy and music.
15. The Iron Giant (1999)
Brad Bird’s The Iron Giant was tragically ignored during its release but became a cult hit over time. This Cold War fable follows a lonely kid befriending a towering alien robot, while the government becomes convinced that the robot is a weapon against humanity.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | The Iron Giant (1999) |
| Director | Brad Bird |
| Writer | Screenplay by Tim McCanlies and Brad Bird; based on the novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes |
| Studio | Warner Bros. Feature Animation (released by Warner Bros. Pictures) |
| Cast | Eli Marienthal, Vin Diesel, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Christopher McDonald, John Mahoney, Cloris Leachman, M. Emmet Walsh |
| Release date | August 6, 1999 (United States) |
| Setting | The small town of Rockwell, Maine, during October 1957 at the height of the Cold War |
| IMDb score | 8.1/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 96% |
| Where to stream (US) | Available to rent or buy digitally on Amazon Video, Apple TV |
A parable for nuclear-age anxieties, the Giant’s nature as a weapon allows it the choice to choose between living the life it was created for or to carve its own path. The emotional beats of this film will leave you in tears, making it a rare, great non-Disney animated feature from Hollywood.
14. Flow (2024)
Flow is one of the most striking and beautiful additions to animated movies, with a near-silent, post-apocalyptic odyssey that follows a cat’s journey navigating a flooded world. Making friends along the way, the story is a powerful metaphor for climate change and its effect on nature.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Flow (2024) |
| Director | Gints Zilbalodis |
| Writer | Zilbalodis and Matīss Kaža |
| Studio | Latfilm, Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five (Latvian–French–Belgian co-production) |
| Cast | No dialogue; non-verbal animated film featuring animal characters (cat, capybara, lemur, bird, dog) |
| Release date | May 22, 2024 (world premiere – Cannes, Un Certain Regard); November 22, 2024 (US release) |
| Setting | A post-apocalyptic, largely flooded world where a cat and other animals travel by boat through submerged human ruins and wilderness |
| IMDb score | 7.9/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 97% |
| Where to stream (US) | HBO Max |
With no dialogue and only animal behaviour to decipher the meaning, Gints Zilbalodis’ film expertly conveys it all with ease. Flow is an example of the animation medium going beyond its limited budget to become pure cinema.
13. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Mamoru Oshii made one of the definitive cyberpunk anime movies in the ’90s that continues to shape the aesthetics of the genre today. Ghost in the Shell is set in a future where cybernetic augmentation is commonplace and follows a cyborg hunting an AI that became self-aware.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Ghost in the Shell (1995) |
| Director | Mamoru Oshii |
| Writer | Screenplay by Kazunori Itō; based on the manga by Masamune Shirow |
| Studio | Production I.G, Bandai Visual, Manga Entertainment (Japanese–British co-production) |
| Cast | Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ōtsuka, Iemasa Kayumi, Kōichi Yamadera, Yutaka Nakano, Tamio Ōki, Tesshō Genda |
| Release date | November 18, 1995 (Japan) |
| Setting | New Port City, Japan, in the year 2029, in a cyberpunk future where cybernetics and networked societies enable brain-hacking |
| IMDb score | 7.9/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 95% |
| Where to stream (US) | Prime Video |
The film’s themes on autonomy, identity and the soul are explored through a very existential lens against a neon-lit city that is reminiscent of Blade Runner. The tone of Ghost in the Shell moves between cool mystery and action spectacle while interrogating the digital future we’re all moving towards.
12. Finding Nemo (2003)
A simple premise on paper, a rollercoaster of a journey on screen, Finding Nemo is the heartwarming tale of a father journeying across the ocean to find his son. This film is one of Pixar’s tightest creations, with iconic sequences that still feel timeless for its animation and story.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Finding Nemo (2003) |
| Director | Andrew Stanton (co-director: Lee Unkrich) |
| Writer | Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, and David Reynolds |
| Studio | Pixar Animation Studios (released by Walt Disney Pictures) |
| Cast | Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Austin Pendleton, Stephen Root, Vicki Lewis, Barry Humphries, Eric Bana |
| Release date | May 30, 2003 (United States) |
| Setting | Primarily the Great Barrier Reef and the open ocean en route to Sydney Harbour, Australia, in a contemporary undersea world |
| IMDb score | 8.2/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 99% |
| Where to stream (US) | Disney+, Hulu |
There are terrifying scenes that show the ocean’s horrific side and also beautiful ones that remind us of how wondrous nature can be. All this serves to bolster Marlin and Nemo’s arc of father-son understanding, making this a powerful watch for children and parents.
11. Weathering With You (2019)
This list would be incomplete without one of Japan’s most powerful anime storytellers, Makoto Shinkai. Weathering With You is about a runaway teen in a perennially rainy Tokyo who meets a “sunshine girl” who is able to clear the skies briefly. The teen uses her skill for monetary reasons, but this takes a toll on her.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Weathering With You (2019) |
| Director | Makoto Shinkai |
| Writer | Makoto Shinkai |
| Studio | CoMix Wave Films, Story Inc. (distributed by Toho) |
| Cast | Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Tsubasa Honda, Sakura Kiryu, Shun Oguri, Chieko Baisho, Sei Hiraizumi, Yuki Kaji, Sumi Shimamoto |
| Release date | July 19, 2019 (Japan) |
| Setting | Contemporary Tokyo during an unusually rainy summer, with supernatural weather phenomena tied to a “sunshine girl” who can clear the skies |
| IMDb score | 7.5/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 92% |
| Where to stream (US) | HBO Max |
There isn’t a single frame in this movie that doesn’t stand out on its own, with its hyper-detailed cityscapes and shimmering puddles. Some of the best eye-candy moments are when we see light cut through dark clouds: a silver lining for everyone in need. The film’s themes of intimacy and moral messiness make this story much larger than its two protagonists.
10. The Incredibles (2004)
The Incredibles was released before the superhero boom and was already way ahead of the formula. Acting as both a superhero film and a satire on the genre, the film follows a family of superheroes living a normal life in hiding until a mysterious job lures the protagonist back.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | The Incredibles (2004) |
| Director | Brad Bird |
| Writer | Brad Bird |
| Studio | Pixar Animation Studios (released by Walt Disney Pictures) |
| Cast | Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox, Elizabeth Peña, Wallace Shawn, Brad Bird, Bud Luckey |
| Release date | November 5, 2004 (United States) |
| Setting | The retro-futuristic city of Metroville and surrounding locations, in a mid-century-inspired world where superheroes have been forced into suburban anonymity |
| IMDb score | 8.0/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 97% |
| Where to stream (US) | Disney+ |
The Incredibles’ animation is incredible, to say the least, and still holds up due to strong direction from Brad Bird. Despite being a kids’ film, it is not afraid to tackle adult themes of midlife crisis, marital strain and the ethics of sensationalism in the media.
9. Your Name (2016)
What begins as a body-swap comedy turns into a poignant tale of romance for the ages. A rural girl and a Tokyo boy wake up in each other’s bodies on random days and leave notes to each other when they switch back. What follows is a race against time to save a town from a looming catastrophe that is tied to a comet.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Your Name (2016) |
| Director | Makoto Shinkai |
| Writer | Makoto Shinkai |
| Studio | CoMix Wave Films (distributed by Toho) |
| Cast | Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryo Narita, Aoi Yuki, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Masami Nagasawa, Etsuko Ichihara |
| Release date | August 26, 2016 (Japan) |
| Setting | Split between rural Itomori in Gifu Prefecture and metropolitan Tokyo, with body-swapping and time shifts linking the characters’ lives |
| IMDb score | 8.4/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 98% |
| Where to stream (US) | HBO Max |
Makoto Shinkai helmed this project and created surreal, dream-like animation that tells a story non-linearly. Brace yourself for a tear-jerker, as Shinkai presents you with one of the most beautiful movies of all time.
8. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
A Grimm fairy tale adapted into a feature-length musical is a historic film that will forever be treasured for its characters. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs did animation like no other, with slapstick routines from the dwarfs and sinister sequences from the Evil Queen. Each is juxtaposed with the others to tell a well-rounded tale.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) |
| Director | Supervising director: David Hand; sequence directors: Wilfred Jackson, Ben Sharpsteen, William Cottrell, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce |
| Writer | Based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm; story adaptation and scenario by a team of Disney writers including Ted Sears, Otto Englander, Earl Hurd, Dorothy Ann Blank, Richard Creedon, Dick Rickard, Merrill De Maris, Webb Smith, and Del Connell |
| Studio | Walt Disney Productions (released by RKO Radio Pictures) |
| Cast | Adriana Caselotti, Lucille La Verne, Harry Stockwell, Roy Atwell, Pinto Colvig, Otis Harlan, Scotty Mattraw, Billy Gilbert, Moroni Olsen |
| Release date | December 21, 1937 |
| Setting | A fairy-tale kingdom centered on a royal castle, an enchanted forest, and the dwarfs’ woodland cottage in a vaguely European medieval world |
| IMDb score | 7.6/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 97% |
| Where to stream (US) | Disney+ |
The film pioneered the multi-plane camera technique with rich background painting that would come to define Disney’s aesthetic for all the classics we grew up loving. The princess-and-song DNA that modern films have owes fealty to this film.
7. Princess Mononoke (1997)
Miyazaki’s myth about Princess Mononoke tells a story of industry versus nature. Cursed by a demon boar, a young prince gets entangled in a war between forest gods and an iron-producing settlement.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Princess Mononoke (1997) |
| Director | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Writer | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Studio | Studio Ghibli (distributed by Toho) |
| Cast | Yoji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yuko Tanaka, Kaoru Kobayashi, Masahiko Nishimura, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Akihiro Miwa, Mitsuko Mori |
| Release date | July 12, 1997 (Japan) |
| Setting | Muromachi-period Japan, in and around the forest of the gods and the iron-producing settlement of Irontown, amid a conflict between industrial expansion and the natural world |
| IMDb score | 8.3/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 94% |
| Where to stream (US) | HBO Max |
The film’s scope is massive, the artwork is stunning, and the world feels well-lived-in when you walk into this experience. This is one of the best Studio Ghibli films and was a cultural milestone for the studio’s introduction to a global audience.
6. WALL‑E (2008)
Very few movies tell an emotionally resonant tale using just robots, and WALL-E does it with aplomb. The first half of the film is almost silent, showing us an Earth that became a wasteland in the future. The story follows WALL-E’s undying romance with another robot, EVE, while also being a satire of consumerism and environmental neglect.
Here are key details of the movie.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | WALL‑E (2008) |
| Director | Andrew Stanton |
| Writer | Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon |
| Studio | Pixar Animation Studios (released by Walt Disney Pictures) |
| Cast | Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver |
| Release date | June 27, 2008 (United States) |
| Setting | Far-future, trash-strewn Earth and the starliner Axiom in deep space, where humanity lives aboard a massive cruise-ship-like vessel after abandoning the planet |
| IMDb score | 8.4/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 95% |
| Where to stream (US) | Disney+ |
WALL-E is filled with heart, humour, and some of the best CG animation that Pixar has to offer. The satirical take on human society shows a screen-addicted future where humans live sedentary lifestyles.
5. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies is often described as one of the greatest anti‑war films ever made, animated or otherwise. The anime movie is set at the end of WWII, following a teenage boy and his younger sister struggling to survive amid bombings.
Here are key details of the film.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Grave of the Fireflies (1988) |
| Director | Isao Takahata |
| Writer | Isao Takahata |
| Studio | Studio Ghibli (produced for Shinchosha) |
| Cast | Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, Akemi Yamaguchi |
| Release date | April 16, 1988 (Japan) |
| Setting | Kobe and its surrounding areas in Japan during the final months of World War II, amid firebombing raids and postwar deprivation |
| IMDb score | 8.5/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 100% |
| Where to stream (US) | N/A |
The movie isn’t overtly political, letting the audience observe the effects of war on the underprivileged. The movie is not for the faint of heart, choosing to show you all the emotionally unbearable moments that children face during such times.
4. Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse (2018)
Into the Spider‑Verse came in hot and swinging, revitalizing the entire animation genre with its artwork. Centred on Miles Morales, the movie is a visual treat for audiences of all ages and feels like a comic book coming to life.
Here are key details of the movie.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse (2018) |
| Director | Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman |
| Writer | Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman |
| Studio | Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel Entertainment, Arad Productions, Lord Miller, Pascal Pictures (released by Sony Pictures Releasing) |
| Cast | Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Vélez, Zoë Kravitz, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn, Nicolas Cage, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schreiber, Chris Pine |
| Release date | December 14, 2018 (United States) |
| Setting | Contemporary New York City (Earth‑1610) and the wider Spider‑Verse of parallel dimensions converging on Brooklyn |
| IMDb score | 8.4/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 97% |
| Where to stream (US) | Netflix |
The film’s animation styles are mixed and matched with the many different Spider-Man characters from different universes, each carrying their own aesthetic. Into the Spider-Verse is a new standard for CG animation in the 21st century.
3. The Lion King (1994)
One of the greatest Shakespearean tragedies in animated history, The Lion King takes the story of a young cub losing his father, all the way to facing his destiny as a grown lion. A defining movie from the ’90s, the story is one of choices, betrayal, and friendship.
Here are key details of the movie.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | The Lion King (1994) |
| Director | Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff |
| Writer | Screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton |
| Studio | Walt Disney Feature Animation (released by Walt Disney Pictures) |
| Cast | Matthew Broderick, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, Robert Guillaume, Madge Sinclair |
| Release date | June 24, 1994 (United States) |
| Setting | The Pride Lands of Africa, an idealized savanna kingdom where lions rule over the “circle of life” from Pride Rock |
| IMDb score | 8.5/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 92% |
| Where to stream (US) | Disney+ |
Everyone who comes out of this movie is renewed with life after hearing the lush Hans Zimmer score, along with the musical numbers. The Lion King handles its themes of grief and guilt so well that this becomes a watch for both kids and adults.
2. Spirited Away (2001)
Miyazaki’s best anime movie, Spirited Away, is a coming-of-age tale wrapped in a dream-like tour through a spirit bathhouse. A ten-year-old girl stumbles into a parallel world where she must work under a witch to survive, all while trying to find her way back.
Here are key details of the movie.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Spirited Away (2001) |
| Director | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Writer | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Studio | Studio Ghibli (distributed by Toho) |
| Cast | Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naitō, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Takehiko Ono, Bunta Sugawara |
| Release date | July 20, 2001 (Japan) |
| Setting | A parallel spirit world centered on a grand bathhouse and its surrounding town, which a young girl enters after her parents are transformed into pigs |
| IMDb score | 8.6/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 96% |
| Where to stream (US) | HBO Max |
Spirited Away has moments that will make you weep, make you laugh, and also offer a tenderness to viewers. The movie became the first hand-drawn, non-English movie to win the Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.
1. Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story is the first fully computer-animated feature and still holds a high benchmark for the quality of art and storytelling. The story follows a toy that feels threatened by the arrival of another toy. An odyssey follows, where themes of jealousy and friendship are taken into question.
Here are key details of the movie.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Toy Story (1995) |
| Director | John Lasseter |
| Writer | Screenplay by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow; story by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft |
| Studio | Pixar Animation Studios (released by Walt Disney Pictures) |
| Cast | Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, John Morris, Erik von Detten, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey |
| Release date | November 22, 1995 (United States) |
| Setting | Primarily suburban locations in and around a young boy’s home, moving from his bedroom to Pizza Planet and a destructive neighbor’s house in mid-1990s America |
| IMDb score | 8.3/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes score | 100% |
| Where to stream (US) | Disney+, Hulu |
Not only does Toy Story remain the best animated film of all time, but it also proves how powerful the medium of animation can be when it comes to telling timeless stories. We see the protagonist toys go through their own crisis, whether it’s identity or status, something far beyond the scope of a kids’ film.
Here is a summary of the movies discussed.
| Rank | Film | Premise |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Coraline (2009) | Curious girl discovers a perfect “Other” world that hides sinister secrets. |
| 19 | The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) | Mystical girl found in bamboo struggles between freedom and courtly duty. |
| 18 | Up (2009) | Grieving widower flies his house to South America, gaining an unexpected companion. |
| 17 | Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) | Young woman cursed into old age finds home and love in a wandering wizard’s castle. |
| 16 | Pinocchio (1940) | Wooden puppet’s misadventures teach him honesty on his quest to become a real boy. |
| 15 | The Iron Giant (1999) | Lonely boy befriends a giant robot who must choose peace over being a weapon. |
| 14 | Flow (2024) | A cat journeys through a flooded world with other animals, surviving in silence. |
| 13 | Ghost in the Shell (1995) | Cyborg cop hunts a rogue AI while questioning what makes a human “self.” |
| 12 | Finding Nemo (2003) | Anxious clownfish crosses the ocean to rescue his captured son. |
| 11 | Weathering With You (2019) | Runaway boy exploits a girl’s power to stop the rain, at a heavy personal cost. |
| 10 | The Incredibles (2004) | Retired superhero family is forced back into action to stop a vengeful villain. |
| 9 | Your Name (2016) | Two teens swapping bodies across time race to prevent a looming disaster. |
| 8 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) | Exiled princess hides with dwarfs while a jealous queen plots her death. |
| 7 | Princess Mononoke (1997) | Cursed prince mediates a brutal conflict between forest gods and industry. |
| 6 | WALL‑E (2008) | Trash-compacting robot falls in love and inadvertently helps save humanity. |
| 5 | Grave of the Fireflies (1988) | Siblings struggle to survive as WWII bombings devastate their city. |
| 4 | Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse (2018) | Teen Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man and teams with heroes from other universes. |
| 3 | The Lion King (1994) | Lion cub must confront his guilt and reclaim his rightful throne. |
| 2 | Spirited Away (2001) | Young girl works in a spirit bathhouse to free her parents and herself. |
| 1 | Toy Story (1995) | Jealous cowboy doll clashes with a new space toy, forging an unlikely friendship. |
Animated movies will continue to tell powerful stories in the most creative ways humanly possible. Whether it’s for children or adults, the medium deserves to be treated like any other live-action movie.
What is your favourite animated movie? Let us know in the comments.
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