Best Animation Movies

These are the 60 best animation movies, ranked by the iRank Score — our composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb ratings, weighted by each source's reliability. No single-critic bias: the order reflects broad critical and audience consensus. Pick any title to see its full breakdown and similar recommendations.

Best animation movies: classics up to the 70s

  1. Pinocchio

    Pinocchio (1940)

    iRank86Hamilton LuskeAnimationFamilyFantasy

    Disney's 1940 animated landmark brings a wooden puppet to life on his perilous quest to become a real boy, learning hard lessons about honesty and courage. Dazzling in its hand-drawn artistry and surprisingly dark, it set a benchmark for animated storytelling. If its wonder and fairy-tale peril charmed you, seek out classic animated fables and family fantasies about innocence tested by a dangerous world.

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  2. Fantasia

    Fantasia (1940)

    iRank85Wilfred JacksonAnimationFamilyFantasy

    Disney's 1940 experiment sets eight pieces of classical music to dazzling animation, from dancing brooms to a primordial earth, with no dialogue at all. Bold, beautiful and unlike anything before or since, it's pure cinema as visual symphony. If its artistry and ambition enchanted you, seek out experimental and music-driven animation that lets image and sound do all the storytelling.

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  3. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

    The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

    iRank83John LounsberyAdventureAnimationFamily

    Whether we’re young or forever young at heart, the Hundred Acre Wood calls to that place in each of us that still believes in magic. Join pals Pooh, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit, Tigger and Christo

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  4. Dumbo

    Dumbo (1941)

    iRank83Ben SharpsteenAnimationFamily

    Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all ob

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Best animation movies: from the 80s and 90s

  1. Toy Story

    Toy Story (1995)

    iRank90John LasseterAdventureAnimationComedy

    The first fully computer-animated feature, Pixar's 1995 landmark imagines the secret lives of toys through Woody and Buzz Lightyear's rivalry-turned-friendship. Funny, inventive and surprisingly moving about loyalty and being replaced, it launched a new era of animation with heart to match its technology. If its warmth and wit charmed you, the rest of Pixar — Up, Toy Story 4 and beyond — and the great family animations share its blend of laughs and genuine feeling.

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  2. The Lion King

    The Lion King (1994)

    iRank87Roger AllersAnimationDramaFamily

    Disney's 1994 animated landmark follows the lion cub Simba from heir to exile to king, after his villainous uncle Scar engineers his father's death. With its Shakespearean shape, indelible songs and sweeping savanna grandeur, it became a defining film for a generation. If its emotional sweep and music swept you up, the Disney animated classics and grand coming-of-age adventures share its heart and spectacle.

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  3. Beauty and the Beast

    Beauty and the Beast (1991)

    iRank87Gary TrousdaleAnimationFamilyFantasy

    Disney's 1991 landmark — the first animated film nominated for Best Picture — follows bookish Belle, captive in the castle of a cursed beast who must learn to love. With its Broadway-grade songs and lush animation, it set a new standard for the form. If its romance, music and warmth charmed you, the Disney animated classics and grand musical fairy tales share its spectacle and heart.

    See movies like Beauty and the Beast →
  4. Toy Story 2

    Toy Story 2 (1999)

    iRank86John LasseterAnimationComedyFamily

    Pixar's 1999 sequel sends the gang on a rescue mission when Woody is stolen by a greedy collector, raising bittersweet questions about loyalty, time and what it means to be loved. Funnier and deeper than a sequel needed to be, it proved Pixar's magic was no fluke. If its blend of adventure and emotion charmed you, the Toy Story films and Pixar's best share its rare mix of laughs and real feeling.

    See movies like Toy Story 2 →
  5. My Neighbor Totoro

    My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ, 1988)

    iRank86Hayao MiyazakiAnimationFamilyFantasy

    Miyazaki's 1988 classic follows two young sisters who move to the countryside near their hospitalised mother and befriend gentle forest spirits, including the giant, downy Totoro. Warm, magical and almost plotless in the best way, it's a pure distillation of childhood wonder. If its gentle enchantment moved you, the films of Studio Ghibli share its reverence for nature, family and the small miracles of being a kid.

    See movies like My Neighbor Totoro →
  6. The Iron Giant

    The Iron Giant (1999)

    iRank86Brad BirdAnimationDramaFamily

    Brad Bird's 1999 animated gem befriends a small-town boy with a giant metal robot fallen from the sky, in Cold War America gripped by paranoia. Tender, thrilling and quietly devastating about choosing who you want to be, it's animation with a soul of steel. If its heart and wonder moved you, seek out heartfelt animated adventures about friendship, sacrifice and gentle giants.

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  7. Aladdin

    Aladdin (1992)

    iRank85John MuskerAdventureAnimationFamily

    Disney's 1992 animated hit sends street urchin Aladdin, a magic lamp and a wisecracking Genie on a whirlwind of wishes, romance and adventure in the city of Agrabah. Fast, funny and bursting with showstopping songs, it's peak Disney Renaissance. If its energy, romance and comedy charmed you, the Disney animated classics share its blend of spectacle, humour and big-hearted wish-fulfilment.

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  8. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion

    Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 Air/まごころを、君に, 1997)

    iRank85Hideaki AnnoAnimationDramaFantasy

    This 1997 film delivers an alternate, apocalyptic finale to Neon Genesis Evangelion, plunging into Instrumentality with shattering imagery and raw psychological extremity. Divisive, brilliant and overwhelming, it's one of anime's most ambitious and disturbing endings. If the series' blend of mecha spectacle and existential dread gripped you, seek out bold, cerebral anime that push apocalypse and the human mind to the breaking point.

    See movies like Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion →
  9. Princess Mononoke

    Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫, 1997)

    iRank85Hayao MiyazakiAdventureAnimationFantasy

    Miyazaki's 1997 epic sends a cursed young prince into a war between encroaching humans and the gods of the forest, refusing easy heroes or villains. Sweeping, violent and ecologically profound, it's Studio Ghibli at its most ambitious. If its grandeur and moral complexity gripped you, the films of Studio Ghibli and epic animated fantasies share its reverence for nature and its refusal of simple answers.

    See movies like Princess Mononoke →
  10. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

    Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ, 1984)

    iRank84Hayao MiyazakiAdventureAnimationFantasy

    After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the

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  11. Castle in the Sky

    Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ, 1986)

    iRank84Hayao MiyazakiActionAdventureAnimation

    A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.

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  12. The Nightmare Before Christmas

    The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

    iRank84Henry SelickAnimationFamilyFantasy

    Henry Selick's stop-motion fantasy follows Jack Skellington, the bored king of Halloween Town, who stumbles onto Christmas and decides to run it himself, swapping cheer for ghoulish gifts while his devoted rag-doll love Sally senses disaster. Its handcrafted animation, macabre-yet-tender design, and songbook give it a singular texture that sits between children's fantasy and gothic fable. The film suits viewers who like their whimsy dark and their holiday stories a little strange, and it plays equally well for families comfortable with spookiness and for older fans of Tim Burton's sensibility. A crafted, musical oddity that has earned its dual claim on Halloween and Christmas alike.

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  13. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

    Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

    iRank83Robert ZemeckisAnimationComedyCrime

    Robert Zemeckis blends hand-drawn animation with live action in a 1988 comedy-crime-fantasy that puts cartoon star Roger Rabbit at the center of a murder case. When Roger suspects his wife Jessica of straying, detective Eddie Valiant is hired to watch her; things escalate when Marvin Acme turns up dead and Roger becomes the prime suspect. It's a noir-flavored mystery filtered through slapstick, ideal for viewers who enjoy genre-mixing invention and the technical craft of characters sharing the frame across two mediums. Expect wit and momentum rather than realism. A good pick for fans of animation history and playful detective stories alike.

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  14. Ghost in the Shell

    Ghost in the Shell (GHOST IN THE SHELL, 1995)

    iRank83Mamoru OshiiActionAnimationScience Fiction

    In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker k

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  15. The Little Mermaid

    The Little Mermaid (1989)

    iRank82Ron ClementsAnimationFamilyFantasy

    Ron Clements's 1989 animated fantasy follows Ariel, an impetuous mermaid princess who falls for the human Prince Eric and risks everything for a chance to be with him, striking a fateful bargain with the villainous sea witch Ursula. A landmark of hand-drawn family animation, it pairs vivid undersea colour with a batch of memorable songs and characters that made it endlessly rewatchable for generations. The story leans into longing, rebellion and the pull between two worlds, staying bright enough for small children yet emotionally direct enough for adults. If you want warm, tuneful animation with a headstrong heroine and a gloriously theatrical villain, it remains a reliable pick.

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Best animation movies: from the 2000s and 2010s

  1. Spirited Away

    Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し, 2001)

    iRank91Hayao MiyazakiAnimationFamilyFantasy

    Miyazaki's Oscar-winning fantasy follows ten-year-old Chihiro into a bathhouse for spirits, where she must work, grow brave and rescue her transformed parents. Hand-drawn, strange and quietly profound, it's a coming-of-age tale with no true villains — only wonder and consequence. If its imagination enchanted you, the rest of Studio Ghibli awaits: My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Kiki's Delivery Service share its warmth, craft and reverence for the natural and the magical.

    See movies like Spirited Away →
  2. WALL·E

    WALL·E (2008)

    iRank89Andrew StantonAnimationFamilyScience Fiction

    Pixar's 2008 gem opens on an abandoned Earth where a lonely cleanup robot has spent centuries tidying our trash — until a sleek probe named EVE sparks both love and a journey into space. Its near-wordless first act is animation at its most daring; the rest is a gentle warning about consumption and complacency. If its blend of wonder, romance and quiet ecological worry charmed you, The Wild Robot and other thoughtful sci-fi animations share its heart and its imagination.

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  3. Toy Story 3

    Toy Story 3 (2010)

    iRank88Lee UnkrichAnimationComedyFamily

    Pixar's 2010 threequel finds Andy grown and college-bound, and his toys facing obsolescence — and a harrowing escape from a daycare run like a prison. Funny, thrilling and unexpectedly profound about letting go, it builds to one of animation's most quietly shattering farewells. If its mix of adventure and emotion moved you, the rest of the Toy Story films and Pixar's great tearjerkers like Up share its blend of laughs and heartbreak.

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  4. Ratatouille

    Ratatouille (2007)

    iRank88Brad BirdAnimationComedyFamily

    Brad Bird's 2007 Pixar charmer follows Remy, a rat with a gourmet's palate, who teams up with a clumsy kitchen boy to cook in a great Paris restaurant. Gorgeous, warm and quietly radical about who gets to make art, it turns "anyone can cook" into a genuine creed. If its wit and warmth delighted you, Pixar's best and other tender animated comedies share its craft and its belief in unlikely dreamers.

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  5. Finding Nemo

    Finding Nemo (2003)

    iRank88Andrew StantonAdventureAnimationFamily

    Pixar's 2003 favourite sends an anxious clownfish across the ocean to rescue his captured son, helped by a forgetful blue tang named Dory. Bright, funny and surprisingly moving about the courage of letting your child grow, it's a perfect family adventure. If its warmth and humour charmed you, the great Pixar films and buoyant animated adventures share its blend of laughs, beauty and real feeling.

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  6. Up

    Up (2009)

    iRank88Pete DocterAdventureAnimationComedy

    Pixar's 2009 gem launches a grieving 78-year-old and a stowaway boy scout into the sky on a house lifted by balloons, bound for a long-promised adventure. Its wordless opening montage is among cinema's most moving; what follows is funny, tender and full of wonder. If its blend of heartbreak and adventure moved you, Pixar's best and the great animated tearjerkers share its rare emotional honesty.

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  7. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya

    The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語, 2013)

    iRank87Isao TakahataAnimationDramaFantasy

    Isao Takahata's 2013 Ghibli masterpiece retells an ancient Japanese folktale: a tiny girl found in a bamboo stalk grows into a princess who can never quite belong to the world she's given. Rendered in breathtaking watercolour-like animation, it's a sublime, melancholy meditation on life's fleeting beauty. If its artistry and quiet sorrow moved you, the films of Studio Ghibli and lyrical animated dramas share its grace and depth.

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  8. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

    Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

    iRank87Jay OlivaActionAnimationScience Fiction

    This 2013 animated DC film sends the Flash into a war-torn alternate timeline he accidentally created, forcing him to team with darker versions of his fellow heroes to set things right. Fast, surprisingly brutal and emotionally driven, it's a high point of adult superhero animation. If its time-bending stakes and grit gripped you, seek out animated comic-book films and multiverse adventures that don't pull their punches.

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  9. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1

    Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)

    iRank86Jay OlivaActionAnimationMystery

    This 2012 animated film adapts Frank Miller's seminal comic: a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne dons the cape again to face a Gotham overrun by a new breed of criminal. Grim, weighty and faithful to its dark source, it's superhero storytelling for grown-ups. If its mature tone and moral heft gripped you, seek out adult animated comic-book films that treat heroes as scarred, complicated people.

    See movies like Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 →
  10. Monsters, Inc.

    Monsters, Inc. (2001)

    iRank84Pete DocterAnimationComedyFamily

    Pete Docter's 2001 Pixar comedy imagines Monstropolis, a city powered by the screams of children, where the lovable Sulley and his wisecracking partner Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at the Monsters, Inc. factory. When a small girl named Boo wanders through a closet door into their world, the monsters are the ones left terrified, and the duo must hide her and get her home. Blending animation, comedy, family adventure and fantasy, it pairs inventive world-building with genuine warmth and plenty of gags for grown-ups. Its heart lies in an unlikely friendship and gentle reversals of what scares whom. Ideal family viewing that rewards younger and older audiences alike.

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  11. How to Train Your Dragon

    How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

    iRank84Dean DeBloisAdventureAnimationFamily

    Dean DeBlois turns a Viking coming-of-age story into a warm animated fantasy about a boy who refuses the path expected of him. Hiccup, a slight teenager in a village where killing dragons proves your worth, downs a feared beast and finds he cannot finish the job; instead he befriends it and names it Toothless. The film balances soaring flight sequences with a genuinely tender friendship and quiet father-son friction. It suits families wanting adventure with real emotional stakes, and viewers who appreciate expressive animation and a hero defined by curiosity rather than muscle. A gentle, confidently made 2010 fantasy that rewards younger and older audiences alike.

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  12. Wolf Children

    Wolf Children (おおかみこどもの雨と雪, 2012)

    iRank84Mamoru HosodaAnimationDramaFamily

    After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be

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  13. Howl's Moving Castle

    Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城, 2004)

    iRank84Hayao MiyazakiAdventureAnimationFantasy

    Hayao Miyazaki's 2004 animated fantasy follows Sophie, a quiet young milliner who is transformed into an old woman by a witch that curses her in her shop. Seeking a way to break the spell, she crosses paths with the wizard Howl and is drawn into his resistance against fighting a war for the king. Rendered in Studio Ghibli's lush, hand-drawn detail, the film moves with dreamlike logic through a world of walking castles and shifting identities. Its themes of aging, self-worth and refusing violence give it real tenderness. Ideal for viewers who love imaginative, warm-hearted animation over tightly plotted adventure.

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  14. Fantastic Mr. Fox

    Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

    iRank83Wes AndersonAdventureAnimationComedy

    Wes Anderson's 2009 stop-motion adventure follows the Fantastic Mr. Fox, bored with domestic life, as he plans a heist against three local farmers. Tired of sharing their chickens with the sly fox, the farmers strike back, seeking revenge against him and his family. Anderson brings his precise symmetries, dry wit and melancholy warmth to handcrafted animation, turning a barnyard caper into a droll fable about restlessness, family and staying true to your wild nature. The storybook craft and deadpan humor give it broad appeal across ages. It's for viewers who enjoy meticulously composed comedy with heart, quirky ensembles and stories where mischief and domesticity gently pull against each other.

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  15. The Lego Movie

    The Lego Movie (2014)

    iRank83Phil LordAdventureAnimationComedy

    Phil Lord's 2014 animated adventure follows an utterly ordinary Lego mini-figure, mistaken for a legendary MasterBuilder, who gets swept into a quest to stop a tyrannical Lego overlord from conquering the universe. Bursting with rapid gags, pop-culture riffs and a bright, brick-built visual style, it works as both breakneck family entertainment and a sly commentary on conformity versus creativity. Beneath the frantic surface sits a surprisingly heartfelt idea about the value of imagination and being told you're special. It suits families and adults alike, rewarding attention with jokes pitched at every level. If you want animation that's clever, kinetic and genuinely funny, this is a joyful choice.

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  16. Ponyo

    Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ, 2008)

    iRank82Hayao MiyazakiAnimationFamilyFantasy

    When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who

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Best animation movies: recent

  1. Violet Evergarden: The Movie

    Violet Evergarden: The Movie (劇場版 ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン, 2020)

    iRank89Taichi IshidateAnimationDramaFantasy

    This 2020 anime film closes the Violet Evergarden story: a former child soldier turned letter-writer still longs for the officer she lost to war, even as a changing world moves on without him. Sumptuously animated and unashamedly emotional, it's a meditation on grief, language and learning to feel. If its tender melancholy and exquisite craft moved you, seek out heartfelt anime dramas and films about love, loss and the words we struggle to say.

    See movies like Violet Evergarden: The Movie →
  2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

    Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

    iRank88Bob PersichettiActionAdventureAnimation

    This 2018 animated breakthrough reinvents the superhero film through Miles Morales, a Brooklyn teen who gains spider powers and meets Spider-people from parallel dimensions. Its comic-book-come-to-life visual style is unlike anything before it, and its story of self-belief lands with real heart. If its dazzling art and emotional punch wowed you, its sequel Across the Spider-Verse continues the saga, and inventive animated adventures share its energy and craft.

    See movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse →
  3. Inside Out

    Inside Out (2015)

    iRank88Pete DocterAdventureAnimationComedy

    Pixar's 2015 marvel takes place inside the mind of an 11-year-old girl, where five personified emotions — Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust — steer her through a painful move. Inventive and quietly wise, it makes the radical case that sadness has its purpose too. If its imagination and emotional intelligence moved you, the great Pixar films and heartfelt animated dramas share its gift for turning big feelings into unforgettable stories.

    See movies like Inside Out →
  4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

    iRank88Kemp PowersActionAdventureAnimation

    The 2023 sequel pushes Miles Morales across the Multiverse and into conflict with a vast Spider-Society that disagrees with how he wants to be a hero. Even bolder and more beautiful than its predecessor, it fuses dizzying art styles with a story about destiny and defiance. If its visual ambition and emotional stakes wowed you, Into the Spider-Verse begins the story, and the most inventive animated films share its fearless craft.

    See movies like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse →
  5. Your Name.

    Your Name. (君の名は。, 2016)

    iRank87Makoto ShinkaiAnimationDramaRomance

    Makoto Shinkai's 2016 anime phenomenon follows two teenagers, a city boy and a country girl, who inexplicably begin swapping bodies — until a deeper, time-bending mystery binds their fates. Ravishingly animated and achingly romantic, it became a global sensation. If its blend of sweetness, longing and cosmic twist moved you, seek out heartfelt anime films about love, fate and distances that refuse to stay fixed.

    See movies like Your Name. →
  6. The Wild Robot

    The Wild Robot (2024)

    iRank87Chris SandersAdventureAnimationFamily

    Chris Sanders's 2024 animated gem strands an intelligent robot, Roz, on a wild island, where she learns to survive by bonding with the animals and raising an orphaned gosling. Painterly, tender and quietly profound about nature and nurture, it's modern animation at its most beautiful. If its warmth and visual splendour moved you, seek out heartfelt animated adventures — like WALL·E — about machines, kindness and what it means to belong.

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  7. Look Back

    Look Back (ルックバック, 2024)

    iRank87Kiyotaka OshiyamaAnimationDrama

    This 2024 anime film distils a story of two girls — one outgoing, one reclusive — bound by drawing manga together, into a brief, overwhelming meditation on creativity, friendship and loss. Spare, beautifully animated and emotionally enormous, it lands like a held breath. If its quiet power and ache moved you, seek out intimate anime films and dramas about artistry, regret and the people who shape who we become.

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  8. Wolfwalkers

    Wolfwalkers (2020)

    iRank87Tomm MooreAdventureAnimationFamily

    Cartoon Saloon's 2020 hand-drawn marvel follows a young hunter's daughter in 17th-century Ireland who befriends a wild girl able to turn into a wolf, upending everything she's been taught about nature and freedom. Gorgeously stylised and quietly radical, it's animation as folklore and protest. If its artistry and spirit moved you, seek out lyrical hand-drawn animation and fables about the wild, the tamed and the bonds between them.

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  9. Coco

    Coco (2017)

    iRank87Lee UnkrichAdventureAnimationFamily

    Pixar's 2017 triumph follows young Miguel into the dazzling Land of the Dead to uncover his family's musical secret on Día de los Muertos. Vibrant, joyous and quietly devastating about memory and family, it earns its tears honestly. If its colour, music and heart moved you, the great Pixar films and culturally rich animated adventures share its blend of spectacle and deep feeling about the people we carry with us.

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  10. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time

    Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版:||, 2021)

    iRank87Kazuya TsurumakiActionAnimationDrama

    The 2021 finale of the Rebuild of Evangelion films brings Hideaki Anno's saga to a startling, cathartic close, following a shattered Shinji through the wreckage of a near-ended world toward something like peace. Spectacular and deeply personal, it caps one of anime's defining works. If its apocalyptic scale and raw psychology gripped you, seek out ambitious mecha and existential anime that wrestle with trauma as much as with giant battles.

    See movies like Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time →
  11. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War

    Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)

    iRank86Matt PetersActionAdventureAnimation

    This 2020 animated film caps the DC animated universe with a grim, all-out war against the tyrant Darkseid after the heroes' first assault ends in catastrophe. Brutal, emotional and unafraid to break its characters, it's a bold, bloody finale to a long saga. If its dark stakes and scale gripped you, seek out mature animated comic-book films that treat their heroes' losses as seriously as their victories.

    See movies like Justice League Dark: Apokolips War →
  12. Flow

    Flow (Straume, 2024)

    iRank86Gints ZilbalodisAdventureAnimationFamily

    Gints Zilbalodis's 2024 dialogue-free animated wonder follows a solitary cat who, displaced by a great flood, must share a drifting boat with other animals and learn to cooperate to survive. Wordless, beautiful and quietly profound about fear and trust, it became an awards darling. If its serene wonder and emotional purity moved you, seek out dialogue-light animation and nature fables that speak entirely through image and feeling.

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  13. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish

    Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (ジョゼと虎と魚たち, 2020)

    iRank85Kotaro TamuraAnimationDramaRomance

    This tender 2020 anime film follows an aspiring diver who takes a job caring for Josee, a sharp, sheltered artist who uses a wheelchair, as the two push each other toward bigger dreams. Gentle, beautifully animated and quietly uplifting about independence and love, it's a small gem. If its sweetness and emotional honesty moved you, seek out heartfelt anime films about disability, dreams and the people who help us grow.

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  14. Soul

    Soul (2020)

    iRank85Pete DocterAnimationDramaFamily

    Pixar's 2020 film sends a jazz-loving music teacher's soul on a cosmic detour the moment his big break arrives, forcing him to ask what really makes a life worth living. Inventive, soulful and quietly profound, it's animation at its most philosophical. If its warmth and big questions moved you, the great Pixar films and thoughtful animated dramas share its gift for turning existential ideas into deep feeling.

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  15. Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc

    Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (劇場版 チェンソーマン レゼ篇, 2025)

    iRank85Tatsuya YoshiharaActionAnimationFantasy

    This 2025 anime film adapts one of Chainsaw Man's most beloved arcs, plunging Denji into a tender, dangerous romance shadowed by devil-hunting violence and betrayal. Expect the series' signature blend of brutal action, raw emotion and bold style on the big screen. If Chainsaw Man's mix of gore and aching longing hooked you, seek out dark action anime that pair extreme violence with bruised, lovesick hearts.

    See movies like Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc →
  16. Robot Dreams

    Robot Dreams (2023)

    iRank85Pablo BergerAnimationComedyDrama

    Pablo Berger's 2023 dialogue-free animated film follows a lonely dog in 1980s New York whose friendship with a build-it-yourself robot turns bittersweet after an unexpected separation. Tender, wordless and quietly profound about connection and loss, it charmed critics worldwide. If its gentle melancholy and warmth moved you, seek out dialogue-light animation and bittersweet fables about friendship and letting go.

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  17. Zootopia

    Zootopia (2016)

    iRank84Byron HowardAdventureAnimationComedy

    Byron Howard's 2016 animated adventure builds a bustling metropolis where predator and prey coexist, then sends its first rabbit police officer to prove herself on a knotty missing-persons case. To crack it she reluctantly teams with a smooth-talking con-artist fox, and their prickly partnership powers a buddy mystery that doubles as a sly parable about prejudice and assumptions. The world-building is inventive, the pace lively, and the message lands without smothering the fun. It suits families who want animation with something on its mind, plus viewers who enjoy a genuine whodunit wrapped in bright comedy. Kids get the chase and the gags; grown-ups catch the pointed social observation underneath.

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  18. Kubo and the Two Strings

    Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

    iRank84Travis KnightAdventureAnimationFamily

    Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to

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  19. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

    Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」無限城編 第一章 猗窩座再来, 2025)

    iRank83Haruo SotozakiActionAnimationFantasy

    The Demon Slayer Corps are drawn into the Infinity Castle, where Tanjiro, Nezuko, and the Hashira face terrifying Upper Rank demons in a desperate fight as the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji beg

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  20. Memoir of a Snail

    Memoir of a Snail (2024)

    iRank83Adam ElliotAnimationComedyDrama

    Forcibly separated from her twin brother when they are orphaned, a melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of misfortunes and everyday life.

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  21. Toy Story 4

    Toy Story 4 (2019)

    iRank83Josh CooleyAdventureAnimationComedy

    Josh Cooley's 2019 animated adventure returns to Woody, long secure in his purpose as a toy devoted to caring for his kid, first Andy and now Bonnie. When Bonnie fashions a reluctant new toy called Forky, a road trip alongside old and new friends upends everything Woody believes about loyalty, purpose and what it truly means to be a toy. Warm, funny and gently reflective, this family comedy pairs bright animation with real emotional stakes about letting go and finding meaning. It suits households of all ages and anyone attached to these characters. If you have followed Woody's journey, this chapter offers a heartfelt, thoughtful continuation.

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  22. My Hero Academia: Two Heroes

    My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ~2人の英雄~, 2018)

    iRank83Kenji NagasakiActionAdventureAnimation

    All Might and Deku accept an invitation to go abroad to a floating and mobile manmade city, called 'I-Island', where they research quirks as well as hero supplemental items at the special 'I-Expo' con

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  23. The Boy and the Heron

    The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか, 2023)

    iRank83Hayao MiyazakiAnimationDramaFantasy

    While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking

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  24. The Mitchells vs. the Machines

    The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

    iRank83Mike RiandaAdventureAnimationComedy

    A quirky, dysfunctional family's road trip is upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity's unlikeliest last hope.

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  25. Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl

    Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl (青春ブタ野郎はゆめみる少女の夢を見ない, 2019)

    iRank83Soichi MasuiAnimationDramaFantasy

    In Fujisawa, Sakuta Azusagawa is in his second year of high school. Blissful days with his girlfriend and upperclassman, Mai Sakurajima, are interrupted by the appearance of his first crush, Shoko Mak

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Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources