15 Best Animated Movies of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb

The art form of animated movies has captured the hearts and minds of many in the past hundred years. Steadily rising in popularity over the past several decades as technology continues to improve. Animation has become an established genre in filmmaking and isn’t just for children anymore.

Animation has the unique ability to give the creator’s imagination limitless possibilities. If it can be thought of, it can be drawn and brought to life on screen. Animation has provided some of the most breathtaking worlds and visuals in all of cinema. Mixing beautiful artwork with incredible storytelling has broadened animation’s audience, making it a genre for all ages to enjoy. These are some of the greatest animations according to IMDb.

Updated on March 6, 2023 by Hannah Saab:

With fans eagerly waiting for upcoming animated movies like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2, 2023), it’s easy to see that interest in the evolving genre isn’t waning. This is why it’s not surprising that the entries listed in IMDb’s top 10 animated movies of all time are constantly changing, as more viewers use the platform to chime in and rate their favorite films.

15 ‘Klaus’ (2019)

IMDb Rating: 8.2/10

The highest-rated Netflix original movie of all time, Klaus is a Christmas comedy film unlike any other. Serving as Sergio Pablos‘ directorial debut and immediately recognizable among the streaming giant’s selection of cartoon movies, Klaus follows the heartwarming tale of the initially spoiled and entitled Jesper (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), who’s sent to a remote Arctic island where the lack of Christmas cheer makes his job difficult. When he meets the titular reclusive toymaker (voiced by J. K. Simmons), the two team up to change their community.

With its strikingly beautiful visuals and animation style perfectly complementing its heartfelt story, it’s easy to see why this film has become a Christmastime favorite. It’s a fantastic movie that highlights the joy of giving and the magic of the holiday season.

Watch on Netflix

14 ‘Finding Nemo’ (2003)

IMDb Rating: 8.2/10

A Pixar classic that needs no introduction, Finding Nemo is centered on the epic adventure that a cynical clownfish named Marlin (Albert Brooks) embarks on after his son Nemo (Alexander Gould) is captured by humans and taken to Sydney. Along the way, Marlin meets zany characters like Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), some peculiar sharks, friendly sea turtles, and more.

Its relatable and often funny characters help make its family-focused story more engrossing, making it among the most rewatchable Pixar films ever made. The animated film has something to offer viewers of all ages, as more mature audiences who are re-watching this movie years down the line may appreciate a fresh look at Marlin’s perspective (and surprisingly tragic backstory).

Watch on Disney+

13 ‘Inside Out’ (2015)

IMDb Rating: 8.2/10

Diving deep into the inner workings of the mind, Inside Out is a Pixar film that introduces audiences to 11-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) and the emotions that drive her – Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling). When Riley’s family moves to a new city, her emotions go haywire.

The premise itself makes the movie worth watching, and it pulls off its representation of emotions so well. As fans have come to expect from Pixar movies, there’s a level of emotional depth that adds complexity to the main characters (especially the emotions). The animated film is an accurate depiction of mental health and the way it can shift during major changes or in the process of growing up.

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12 ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ (2004)

IMDb Rating: 8.2/10

A fan-favorite Studio Ghibli movie, Howl’s Moving Castle tells the story of Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), a young hatmaker who is transformed into an old lady after an encounter with a wicked witch. To be able to break the curse, Sophie looks for the elusive wizard known as Howl (voiced by Christian Bale) and his mystical moving castle.

Introducing iconic characters like Calcifer (voiced by Billy Crystal), Howl’s Moving Castle weaves a fantastical tale of magic, romance, and war. It all comes together to deliver a strong anti-war message, while also highlighting feminist themes around embracing old age and empowerment.

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11 ‘Toy Story 3’ (2010)

IMDb Rating: 8.3/10

There’s a snake in my boot! The third installment to the beloved Toy Story franchise sees the toy’s owner, Andy (John Morris), all grown up and ready to head off to college. With no one to play with them, the toys, wallow away in isolation until they are accidentally donated to a daycare center and forced to be played with by toddlers.

Toy Story 3 brings the whole gang back with Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) at the forefront, having to deal with all the toys’ future. As funny as it is surprisingly melancholic and emotional, this silly animated movie about plastic toys turns out to be a deeply effective film that explores the themes of loss, love and moving on.

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10 ‘Up’ (2009)

IMDb Rating: 8.3/10

Upfollows the touching story of the elderly widower Carl Fredricksen, who goes on an adventure across the South American wilderness to fulfill a promise he made to his late wife, Ellie. Overeager Wilderness Explorer Russell and a talking dog, Dug, tag along for the ride on Carl’s house, which is carried through the sky by hundreds of balloons.

Humorous, visually stunning, and occasionally tear-jerking, the film has all the hallmarks of what makes Pixar movies so successful. It has held up incredibly well and is worth rewatching with family and friends, as young audiences will be entertained by the wild trip and mature audiences will appreciate its message about how it’s never too late to go on an adventure.

Watch on Disney+

9 ‘Toy Story’ (1995)

IMDb Rating: 8.3/10

A Pixar film that forever changed the world of animation, Toy Story is a groundbreaking movie that featured the best the genre had to offer at that time. It’s centered on a cowboy doll called Woody who enjoys being Andy’s favorite toy. When a flashy new arrival, Buzz Lightyear, threatens Woody’s position, chaos ensues that lands the duo far from home.

A timeless classic beloved by numerous generations, 1995’s Toy Story is still one of Pixar’s best animated movies with a high rewatch value. It’s also the award-winning film that spawned a massively successful franchise that’s still active today, with beloved characters returning to fans’ screens in the highly-anticipated Toy Story 5.

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8 ‘Princess Mononoke’ (1997)

IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

Hayao Miyazaki is a master storyteller who has brought some of the most beautifully animated and deeply complex worlds to life over several decades, and Princess Mononoke is one of his best. When a young boy from a village seeks out a cure for a terrible curse, he is thrust into a war between the forest gods and a greedy mining colony.

Filled with fantastical elements, Princess Mononoke is an epic tale about nature and human’s wicked desire to control and ultimately destroy it. It is a wonderfully drawn film with incredible visuals and is filled with interesting, fully-realized characters.

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7 ‘WALL-E’ (2008)

IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

WALL-E is set in the distant future where Earth is nothing more than a massive garbage heap and follows the eponymous robot as he cleans up the waste. Being the only robot that is still functional in this wasteland, WALL-E leads a lonely existence, until one day he meets EVE, a pristine robot from space who he quickly falls in love with.

WALL-E is one of the heaviest and best films Pixar has made due to its themes of consumerism, corporate greed, and the destruction of our planet. As dark as the future is presented in the film, WALL-E in the end still remains hopeful and optimistic. Being as poignant with its social critiques as it is heartwarming with its tale of love.

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6 ‘Your Name’ (2016)

IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

This beautifully animated anime film follows two teenagers, Taki, a high school boy in Tokyo, and Mitshua, a 17-year-old girl from the countryside, as they become mysteriously linked to one another and began switching their bodies. Both are dissatisfied with their lives and wish for a change.

The film is an emotional, magical, romantic tale that expertly blends fantasy and realism. With its stunning animation and themes of love, youth, and destiny, Your Name delivers a fresh, thought-provoking tale of two star-crossed individuals growing up.

5 ‘Coco’ (2017)

IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

Aspiring young musician Miguel wants nothing more than to play the guitar, but due to his family’s ancestral ban on music, he is forced to hide his secret talent. Desperate to become a musician like his idol, his great-great-grandfather, Ernesto de la Cruz, Miguel winds up in the colorful, chaotic world of the Land of the Dead.

Miguel, along with his trusty companion Dante, traverses the magical afterworld in search of his idol and wind up uncovering a terrible secret about Miguel’s family. Coco is a fun, colorful, animated film filled with humor and wonderful music for the whole family to enjoy.

Watch on Disney+

4 ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)

IMDb Rating: 8.4/10

In a spectacular debut for the first on-screen appearance of Miles Morales as Spider-Man, he must make sense of his new powers in a world with too many spider-people. Warped into Miles’ universe, a cast of otherworldly spider-men help the young wall-crawler come into his own while trying to find their way back home.

Into the Spider-Verse‘s animation is outstanding. It plays like a living comic book, bringing some of the most stunning animation ever seen before on the big screen. Mixed with an awesome soundtrack and plenty of lovable spider-powered characters, Into the Spider-Verse is a perfect addition to the Spider-Man universe.

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3 ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ (1988)

IMDb Rating: 8.5/10

Grave of the Fireflies is another film that proves animation isn’t just for kids. Its heavy themes and tale of survival during the final months of World War II in Japan are heartbreaking. Set in Kobe, Japan, the story follows two siblings, Seita and Setsuko, as they desperately try to survive the end of the war.

Filled with the atrocities of war and personal tragedies Grave of the Fireflies is an eye-opening tale of love, loss, and perseverance. It does not shy away from the effects of war and does nothing to glamorize it, instead focusing on the repercussions of such large-scale attacks between groups of humans and society’s failure to protect its own people in such tragedy.

2 ‘The Lion King’ (1994)

IMDb Rating: 8.5/10

Disney’s The Lion King is one of the best animated movies of all time. Based on Shakespeare‘s Hamlet, The Lion King follows young cub, Simba, who just can’t wait to be a great King like his father, Mufasa, but his evil uncle, Scar, has ambitions of his own for the coveted throne and will do anything to take it.

Filled with a colorful cast of iconic characters, a memorable Disney soundtrack and musical numbers, and themes taken right from Shakespeare, The Lion King is Disney at its best. Creating a beautiful world of destiny, betrayal, and responsibility, this animated masterpiece is one of the best.

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1 ‘Spirited Away’ (2001)

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

Studio Ghibli is known for its breathtaking art and beautifully drawn landscapes that completely emerges its audience into its fantastical worlds. Spirited Away follows ten-year-old, Chihiro, as she and her family move to the countryside. The sullen young girl is then thrust into a magical world of spirits and gods after her mother and father are turned into pigs.

Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece is an enchanting fairy tale that is filled with stunning imagery and plenty of interesting characters. It’s among those animated movies that stays in the recesses of your mind long after watching, making you yearn for a fantastical trip into the realm of spirits and magic.

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