There’s a reason you keep coming back to animated movies. It’s not just the colors, the talking animals, or the catchy songs. It’s the way these films make you feel things you didn’t think animation could carry - grief, wonder, courage, hope. Some of the most powerful stories ever told have come from hand-drawn frames or digital pixels. And if you haven’t seen these 140 films yet, you’re missing out on a century of art, innovation, and heart.
Why These 140 Films Matter
This isn’t a list made by one critic or one streaming service. It’s built from the consensus of thousands of critics, animators, and viewers across IMDb, Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes, and the British Film Institute. Films like Toy Story (1995) show up everywhere because they changed everything. Before it, animation was seen as kids’ stuff. After it? Suddenly, studios realized animation could handle loss, identity, and growing up - with the same weight as any live-action drama. The top 10 on this list includes classics like Pinocchio (1940), which still holds a 99 Metascore - higher than any other animated film ever made. Critics call it perfect. Roger Ebert called it the greatest animated film of all time. And it’s not just old films. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) cracked the top 15 because it didn’t just use animation - it reinvented it. Every frame looks like a different comic book style. It’s not just a movie. It’s a visual symphony.The Disney Golden Age (1937-1942)
These five films didn’t just start Disney. They defined animation as an art form.- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - The first full-length animated feature. It made studios believe audiences would sit through 83 minutes of cartoons.
- Pinocchio (1940) - Still the gold standard. The puppet’s journey from wooden boy to real boy? That’s the story of every child trying to be good.
- Fantasia (1940) - No dialogue. Just music, color, and movement. It’s the only animated film ever nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score.
- Dumbo (1941) - Less than 70 minutes, but it packs more emotion than most two-hour films. The circus elephants, the pink elephants on parade - unforgettable.
- Bambi (1942) - The forest fire scene still haunts people. Leonard Maltin called it the pinnacle of hand-drawn artistry. And he’s right.
Pixar’s Revolution (1995-2015)
Pixar didn’t just make great movies. They proved animation could be emotionally intelligent.- Toy Story (1995) - The first CGI feature. It’s not just about toys coming to life. It’s about jealousy, loyalty, and being replaced.
- Wall-E (2008) - 40 minutes of silence. No dialogue. Just a lonely robot and a planet covered in trash. It’s a silent film for the 21st century.
- Up (2009) - The opening montage. Seven minutes. No words. You cry. Then you laugh. Then you cry again.
- Inside Out (2015) - Emotions as characters. Anger, Fear, Disgust, Sadness, Joy. It taught kids how to name their feelings. Parents cried. Teachers used it in classrooms.
- Toy Story 3 (2010) - Ed Catmull said it was about letting go. The fire scene? That’s not a kids’ movie. That’s a meditation on mortality.
Studio Ghibli and the World Beyond Hollywood
Japan’s Studio Ghibli changed how the world sees animation. Their films aren’t made for children. They’re made for anyone who still believes in magic.- Spirited Away (2001) - The highest-rated animated film on Letterboxd. 4.4 out of 5 from over a million users. A girl enters a spirit world. She learns courage. She finds her name. It won the Oscar. It’s the only non-English film to ever top IMDb’s animated list.
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - Two girls meet forest spirits. No villains. No war. Just quiet wonder. It’s the most comforting film ever made.
- Princess Mononoke (1997) - A war between humans and nature. No heroes. No villains. Just consequences. It’s darker than most live-action epics.
- The Secret of Kells (2009) - Irish hand-drawn art. Celtic patterns come alive. It’s not CGI. It’s ink, watercolor, and patience. Reddit fans call it the most underrated film on any essential list.
- Persepolis (2007) - A girl grows up during the Iranian Revolution. Black and white. Simple lines. Powerful truth. It’s animation as memoir.
Modern Masterpieces (2016-2025)
The last decade brought wild innovation. Animation isn’t just CGI or hand-drawn anymore. It’s collage. It’s painting. It’s glitch art.- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - A new visual language. Comic book halftones. Motion blur. Bold outlines. It won the Oscar. And it changed how every studio thinks about animation.
- Wolfwalkers (2020) - Irish animation from Cartoon Saloon. The animation looks like charcoal sketches come to life. It’s haunting. It’s beautiful.
- Encanto (2021) - A Colombian family with magical powers. The songs are catchy. The story? About pressure, silence, and being the “normal” one.
- Ne Zha II (2024) - The first non-American film to break into the top 10 of Rotten Tomatoes’ computer-animated list. 94% Tomatometer. It’s a Chinese myth retold with fire, fury, and family.
- The Wild Robot (2024) - A robot learns to live on a wild island. It’s quiet. It’s thoughtful. It’s about belonging. And it’s already on every critic’s best-of list.
What’s Missing? The Controversies
Not everyone agrees. And that’s the point. The Lion King (2019) is the highest-grossing animated film ever - $1.6 billion. But it’s not animation. It’s photorealistic CGI. Critics gave it a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans argue: “Is this really animation?” Then there’s Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022). It’s live-action. But it uses animation in key scenes. Should it be on this list? Some say yes. Others say no. That’s the new frontier. And what about WALL-E not being on Disney+? Or The Secret of Kells only available on DVD? Streaming isn’t perfect. You’ll have to hunt. But it’s worth it.How to Watch Them All
You don’t need to binge them all at once. Start here:- Begin with the classics: Pinocchio, Bambi, Spirited Away.
- Then try Pixar: Toy Story, Up, Inside Out.
- Explore international: My Neighbor Totoro, Persepolis, The Secret of Kells.
- Finish with modern: Spider-Verse, The Wild Robot, Ne Zha II.
Why Animation Isn’t Just for Kids
The biggest myth? That animation is for children. Look at the data: 42% of animated film viewers are now between 18 and 34. That’s not a coincidence. Animation lets filmmakers say things live-action can’t. It can show grief as falling snow. It can turn fear into a shadow creature. It can make a robot’s loneliness feel real. Animation isn’t a genre. It’s a language. And these 140 films? They’re the dictionary.Are all these films available on streaming services?
Not all of them. Disney+ has 18 of the top 25, including most Pixar and classic Disney films. But Studio Ghibli titles like Spirited Away are on HBO Max. Independent films like The Secret of Kells and Wolfwalkers are only available through digital rental or physical copies. You’ll need multiple services - or a DVD collection - to see them all.
Why is Pinocchio ranked higher than Snow White?
Critics give Pinocchio a 99 Metascore - the highest ever for any animated film. It’s not just the animation. It’s the emotional depth. The puppet’s desire to be real, the consequences of lying, the sacrifice of Geppetto - it’s all handled with a maturity that even today’s films struggle to match. Snow White is important as the first, but Pinocchio is the masterpiece.
Should I watch the live-action remakes like The Lion King (2019)?
Only if you’re curious about the technology. The 2019 version is photorealistic CGI - not animation in the traditional sense. It lacks the artistry, the exaggeration, the soul of the original. Critics gave it a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. The 1994 version? 94%. Watch the original. Save the remake for a tech demo.
What’s the best animated film for someone who hates cartoons?
Try WALL-E. It has almost no dialogue. No songs. Just visuals and emotion. Or Persepolis - it’s black and white, based on a true story, and feels more like a graphic novel than a cartoon. Both prove animation can be quiet, serious, and deeply human.
Is animation getting better, or are we just nostalgic?
It’s both. The technology is better - but so are the stories. Films like Spider-Verse and The Wild Robot use animation to explore identity, grief, and belonging in ways older films couldn’t. Nostalgia plays a role, but the new wave isn’t just copying the past. It’s pushing boundaries. Animation isn’t just surviving. It’s evolving.