Animation has the unique ability to provide creators with limitless creative potential. Anything that can be imagined can be drawn and brought to life on screen.
Animation has created some of the most stunning landscapes and visuals in the history of film. Animation has become a genre enjoyed by people of all ages as a result of the combination of gorgeous artwork and exceptional storytelling. According to IMDb, these are some of the finest animated films.
The Top 10 Animated Films of All Time
While scores aren’t perfect, it’s always interesting to see how hundreds of thousands of IMDb users feel about a movie, and this list has been updated to include ten animated films that have not only been critical successes but have also left their mark on storytelling as a whole.
10. ‘Princess Mononoke’ (1997)
IMDb score: 8.3/10
Hayao Miyazaki is a brilliant storyteller who has created some of the most gorgeously animated and intricate worlds over the course of several decades, and Princess Mononoke is one of his best. When a young villager seeks a cure for a dreadful curse, he becomes embroiled in a battle between the forest gods and a greedy mining colony.
9. ‘Up’ (2009)
IMDb score: 8.3/10
Up tells the moving story of Carl Fredricksen, an old widower who embarks on an odyssey across the South American jungle to fulfill a promise he made to his late wife, Ellie. Russell, an overzealous Wilderness Explorer, and Dug, a talking dog, go along for the ride on Carl’s house, which is lifted through the sky by hundreds of balloons.
8. ‘Toy Story’ (1995)
Rating on IMDb: 8.3/10
Toy Story, a pioneering Pixar movie that showcased the finest the genre had to offer at the time, revolutionized the world of animation. The main character is Woody, a cowboy doll who likes being Andy’s favorite toy. Buzz Lightyear, a flamboyant newcomer, threatens Woody’s status, causing pandemonium that takes the two of them far from their house.
Toy Story, released in 1995, is a timeless classic that has been adored by many generations and is still one of Pixar’s greatest animated films with a high replay value.
7. ‘WALL-E’ (2008)
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
The film WALL-E is set in a dystopian future where Earth has become a massive refuse dump and follows the titular automaton as he cleans up the trash. Being the only functional robot in this desolation, WALL-E leads a lonely existence until he encounters EVE, a pristine robot from outer space with whom he falls in love immediately.
6. ‘Coco’ (2017)
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Miguel, a young aspiring musician, desires nothing more than to perform the instrument, but his family’s ancestral ban on music forces him to conceal his talent. Miguel, desperate to become a musician like his inspiration, his great-great-grandfather Ernesto de la Cruz, finds himself in the vibrant and tumultuous Land of the Dead.
5. ‘Your Name’ (2016)
IMDb score: 8.4/10
Taki, a high school kid in Tokyo, and Mitshua, a 17-year-old girl from the countryside, are strangely bonded to one another and begin exchanging bodies in this gorgeously produced anime film. Both are unhappy with their lifestyles and want to make a change.
4. ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
IMDb score: 8.4/10
In a dramatic premiere for Miles Morales’ first on-screen appearance as Spider-Man, he must make sense of his new powers in a world overrun with spider-people. Warped into Miles’ realm, a cast of otherworldly Spideys assist the young wall-crawler in coming into his own while attempting to find their way home.
3. ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ (1988)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Grave of the Fireflies is another animated film that demonstrates animation is not just for children. Its tragic motifs and story of survival in Japan during the final months of World War II are devastating. The tale follows two siblings, Seita and Setsuko, as they desperately attempt to endure the conclusion of the war in Kobe, Japan.
2. ‘The Lion King’ (1994)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
The Lion King by Disney is one of the greatest animated films of all time. The Lion King is based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It tells the story of a juvenile cub, Simba, who longs to be a powerful king like his father, Mufasa. However, his evil uncle, Scar, wants the throne for himself and will do anything to obtain it.
1. ‘Spirited Away’ (2001).
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Studio Ghibli is renowned for its awe-inspiring artwork and exquisitely rendered landscapes that completely immerse viewers in its fantastical worlds. Spirited Away follows Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl, and her family as they relocate to the countryside.
After her mother and father are transformed into pigs, the glum young girl is plunged into a mystical world of spirits and gods. The masterwork of Hayao Miyazaki is an enchanting fairy tale filled with breathtaking imagery and numerous intriguing characters.