Cinopsys
Animation is a medium, not a genre, and the films below make the point better than any argument could — a war film, a romance, a heist, a meditation on grief. Several rank among the most celebrated films in any medium.
A curated mix across studios and decades rather than a ranking, and deliberately not sorted by age rating — a few of these are firmly for adults.
Essential animated films to watch
Spirited Away2001Miyazaki's masterpiece, and the film that won animation its first non-English Oscar.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse2018A total reinvention of what mainstream animation can look like.
Toy Story1995The first fully computer-animated feature, and it still works perfectly.
WALL·E2008Forty near-silent minutes of some of Pixar's finest filmmaking.
My Neighbor Totoro1988Almost plotless, entirely wonderful. The gentlest film on this list.
Grave of the Fireflies1988A devastating wartime story, and one of the saddest films you will ever see.
Ratatouille2007A film about criticism, ambition and cooking, disguised as a cartoon about a rat.
Princess Mononoke1997Ghibli at its angriest — an ecological epic with no clean villains.
Coco2017Pixar on memory and family, with a final act that lands every time.
The Lion King1994The high point of the Disney Renaissance, and its most-quoted film.
Persepolis2007A black-and-white memoir of growing up during the Iranian revolution.
Klaus2019A hand-drawn Christmas origin story with astonishing lighting.
Akira1988The film that introduced most of the West to what anime could do.
Hoppers2026A girl swaps into a robotic beaver body to save the animals' pond in Pixar's original 2026 comedy.
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Frequently asked questions
Which animated movie should I watch first?
Spirited Away is a frequent first recommendation, with Toy Story, WALL·E and Into the Spider-Verse the usual alternatives.
Are these animated films suitable for children?
Most, but not all. Grave of the Fireflies, Akira and Persepolis are firmly adult films — worth checking ratings before a family night.
Where should I start with Studio Ghibli?
My Neighbor Totoro if you want the gentle end, Spirited Away if you want the masterpiece, and Princess Mononoke if you want the epic.