The best animated movies for kids are the ones that still hold up after the kids are in bed and it is just you left on the couch.
That is my whole test. If a film only works because a five year old is entertained, fine. If it lands for the five year old AND floors the adult sitting next to them, it earns a spot on this list.
I have been watching this stuff my entire life, and I have opinions. Some of these picks are safe ones you already know. A few are the kind of thing nobody recommends until you have burned through the obvious ones.
I split the list into four buckets so you can jump straight to what you need: family films for the whole room, the funniest animated movies for a low effort night, the best stop-motion for when you want something handmade, and a short set of best animated movies for adults that are not for the kids at all.
Best Animated Movies for Kids and the Whole Family
This is the core of the list. Every film here works for a young kid and rewards the grown-up in the room, which is exactly what I want from a family movie night.
If you only read one section, read this one.
Moana (2016)
A modern classic, and one of Disney’s best in the last decade. The ocean animation still looks unreal, the songs are stuck in my head to this day, and Dwayne Johnson is weirdly great as Maui. My only nitpick is a small pacing dip at the start of the third act. It recovers fast. This is a film for children of all ages, and I mean that.
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
I have watched this five times and the charm never wears off. It is one of DreamWorks’ finest, and the flying scenes still feel like a rollercoaster. What sells it is the bond between Hiccup and Toothless, which carries real weight without a single line of dialogue in the best moments. If your kid is into a cartoon dragon, start here.
The Incredibles (2004)
Two decades on and it has not aged a day. It is my favorite Pixar film and I doubt that changes. Sharp dialogue, a real story about a family under strain, and action that still holds up against live-action superhero films. If you want more where this came from, I have a whole rundown of animated superhero shows and a piece on Mr. Incredible himself.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
The hair detail on Sulley was a technical flex in 2001, but the reason it lasts is the warmth. Goodman and Crystal have the comic chemistry of an old comedy duo. It is one of the coziest films Pixar has ever made, and the ending still gets me.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Pixar rarely misses, and the third Toy Story might be the most emotionally complete of the run. It blends adventure, comedy, and a nerve-shredding final act into one clean package. Fair warning for younger kids: the incinerator scene is intense. It is also the point where the whole room goes quiet.
Ratatouille (2007)
A rat who wants to cook in a Paris kitchen should not work as a premise. It absolutely does. This might be Pixar’s most original film, and the food critic’s final monologue is one of the best pieces of writing in any animated movie. Anyone who has ever made something and hoped it was good will feel it.
Up (2009)
The opening ten minutes are the most quietly devastating stretch of film Pixar has ever made, and the rest earns that emotional credit back with humor and heart. Every character grows, even the villain. Here is what I keep coming back to:
- It respects kids enough to open with real grief.
- It balances the sad stuff with talking dogs, which is the correct move.
- Carl’s arc is a full character study in under two hours.
Inside Out (2015)
For years Toy Story was my top Pixar film. Inside Out took the crown the first time I watched it. The idea of emotions running a control room is not new, but no film has done it this well. It quietly teaches kids that sadness has a job to do, and that lesson hits adults just as hard. One of the best Pixar leads ever, too.
The Lion King (1994)
For a lot of people this is the peak of hand-drawn Disney, and I get it. Humor, heartbreak, a stacked soundtrack, and Rafiki dropping the best line in the film: you can run from the past or learn from it. Mufasa is the template every animated dad gets measured against. Younger kids should know the stampede scene is rough.
The Iron Giant (1999)
An underseen gem. A giant robot crash lands on Earth and befriends a young boy, and the whole thing has a heart as big as its lead.
It is only 87 minutes and it does not waste one of them. Brad Bird made this before The Incredibles, and you can feel the same care. If you have never seen it, fix that.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
No villain, no forced moral, no big plot machine. Just two sisters, a magical forest spirit, and a mood you can sink into.
It is the gentlest film on this list and the one I put on when the room needs to slow down. My youngest viewers follow it fine even without reading subtitles. Pure comfort.
Spirited Away (2001)
The best film Studio Ghibli has made, and one of the best animated movies ever, full stop.
Chihiro’s coming-of-age journey through a spirit bathhouse is packed with imagination you will not see anywhere else. It leans a little older because some imagery is eerie, so I put it around age eight and up.
WALL-E (2008)
The first act is nearly wordless, and it is still one of the most captivating romances Pixar has pulled off. WALL-E and Eve say barely more than each other’s names, yet you feel everything.
Gorgeous visuals, a beautiful score, and a message that never gets preachy. Andrew Stanton nailed it.
Turning Red (2022)
A giant red panda stands in for the chaos of growing up, and the metaphor is not subtle, which is the point.
This one leans toward tween audiences and it is unapologetically over the top. The characters are so well written and funny that it works even if you are nowhere near the target age. Ride the wave and enjoy it.
The Sea Beast (2022)
An underrated Netflix pick that flew past a lot of people. The seafaring setting is gorgeous, the physics of the water are stunning, and the message about who really writes history is smarter than it needs to be.
The characters pop and the dialogue never overstays. A proper adventure.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Yes, another Spider-Man movie. Trust me. Spider-Verse looks like a comic book come to life, and the animation broke new ground the whole industry has been chasing since. Miles Morales is a fantastic lead, and the film knows exactly how tired we all are of the multiverse while making the freshest version of it.
A real game changer for the medium.
Funniest Animated Movies (Comedy That Holds Up)
When you want a low effort night and a full room laughing, these are my go-to animated comedies. No homework required.
Shrek (2001)
Still original, still funny, still quotable. The animation was ahead of its time and the fairytale send-up gags land better than most comedies aimed at adults.
Mike Myers gives the ogre real depth, but Eddie Murphy’s Donkey steals every scene he is in. The Dragon escape sequence has one of my favorite scores in any animated film.
Despicable Me (2010)
The film that launched the Minions empire, and the first one still holds up as the best of the bunch. Steve Carell’s Gru going soft after adopting three girls is a simple hook done well.
It is silly, warm, and packed with more laughs than it gets credit for. This is the one that started a mega-franchise, and you can see why.
The Lego Movie (2014)
A feature-length toy commercial had no business being this good. It is a razor-sharp satire of the chosen one trope, it is stuffed with jokes, and it hides a surprisingly moving twist about a kid and his dad.
The animation mimics DIY stop-motion with blockbuster polish, and everything on screen is a real Lego piece. The Kragle reveal is comic genius.
The Bad Guys (2022)
Style for days. It borrows a little from Zootopia, and a couple of twists are easy to call, but the crew is so well written that you stop caring and just want to see them pull the job off. The heist energy and the slick art direction make it one of the most rewatchable recent picks on this list.
Best Stop-Motion Animated Movies
Stop-motion is the most patient craft in animation, and it shows in every frame.
If you want something handmade and a little strange, these are the best stop-motion movies to start with. You can read more about how the technique works from the stop-motion pros.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
I watched this as a kid and found it more imaginative than scary, which is the whole magic of it.
Henry Selick directed, Tim Burton dreamed it up, and together they built Halloween Town and Christmas Town with a care you can feel in every puppet. It plays as a holiday film for both October and December, which is a neat trick.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Wes Anderson’s first animated film, adapted from the Roald Dahl book, and it is exactly as quirky as that sounds.
The dry humor and the symmetrical framing give it an edge few kids films even attempt. It works for children who like something a little offbeat and for adults who want a real filmmaker’s fingerprints all over an animated movie.
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Laika made Coraline and ParaNorman, but Kubo is their masterpiece.
The origami magic, the folklore, and the sheer scale of the puppet work left me stunned. It leans darker and a touch scary, so I put it at nine and up. In a sea of sequels and remakes, this one felt truly new, and that is rare.
Wendell and Wild (2022)
For the older crowd who like their animation with teeth. Henry Selick’s stop-motion craft meets Jordan Peele’s horror instincts, and the mix is stranger and darker than most family fare. Two demons scheme to trick a grieving girl into helping them cross back to the living.
It is a teens and up pick, and a bold one.
Best Animated Movies for Adults (Anime and Mature Picks)
Not everything great in animation is for kids, and pretending otherwise sells the medium short. These are the best animated movies for adults on my list. Save them for after bedtime. If you want a deeper dive, my full anime hub has more.
Your Name (2016)
One of my favorite animated films of the last decade, and I do not say that lightly. The body-swap premise turns into something far more emotional than it first appears. The animation is exquisite, the color work is gorgeous, and the soundtrack does half the heavy lifting.
It sits comfortably next to Miyazaki’s best, which is the highest praise I can give. Teens and up.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Miyazaki’s most mature work, and one of his most personal. It sets ancient forest gods against a growing human industry and refuses to make either side a simple villain.
It is violent and heavy in places, which is why I keep it in the adult column, but the themes about nature and progress land harder every year. A masterpiece for teens and up.
Akira (1988)
The film that put anime on the map for a generation of Western viewers. Its influence on cinema is enormous, and the hand-drawn detail of Neo-Tokyo still looks like nothing else. This is a mature, violent piece of work, firmly for adults, and it earns every bit of its reputation.
If you care about animation history, it is required viewing.
What Makes an Animated Movie Worth Watching
After watching this many, I have a rough checklist for what separates a good animated film from a forgettable one. Here is what I look for:
- A story that respects the audience. The best animated movies for kids never talk down to them, which is why adults keep watching too.
- Characters you care about. Great animation is nothing without someone to root for. Up and Inside Out live or die on this.
- Visual craft. Whether it is Spider-Verse’s comic panels or Kubo’s puppets, the look should serve the story, not just show off.
- Sound that sticks. A single theme can carry a film for decades. Ask The Lion King.
- Humor and heart in the same breath. The films that balance a laugh with a lump in your throat are the ones that last.
- Something new. A fresh idea, or an old idea done better than anyone has before. That is the whole reason Ratatouille beats a dozen safer films.
Where to Watch These Animated Movies
Here is every pick above at a glance, with a rough age guide and where it streams in the US. Streaming homes rotate constantly, so if something has moved since I published this, a quick check on JustWatch will sort you out. Accurate as of July 2026.
| Movie | Best for | Where to watch (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Moana (2016) | All ages | Disney+ |
| How to Train Your Dragon (2010) | Ages 6+ | Peacock |
| The Incredibles (2004) | All ages | Disney+ |
| Monsters, Inc. (2001) | All ages | Disney+ |
| Toy Story 3 (2010) | Ages 5+ | Disney+ |
| Ratatouille (2007) | All ages | Disney+ |
| Up (2009) | Ages 6+ | Disney+ |
| Inside Out (2015) | All ages | Disney+ |
| The Lion King (1994) | Ages 6+ | Disney+ |
| The Iron Giant (1999) | Ages 7+ | Max |
| My Neighbor Totoro (1988) | All ages | Max |
| Spirited Away (2001) | Ages 8+ | Max |
| WALL-E (2008) | All ages | Disney+ |
| Turning Red (2022) | Ages 8+ | Disney+ |
| The Sea Beast (2022) | Ages 7+ | Netflix |
| Into the Spider-Verse (2018) | Ages 8+ | Netflix |
| Shrek (2001) | Ages 6+ | Peacock |
| Despicable Me (2010) | All ages | Peacock |
| The Lego Movie (2014) | All ages | Max |
| The Bad Guys (2022) | Ages 6+ | Peacock |
| The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) | Ages 8+ | Disney+ |
| Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) | Ages 7+ | Disney+ |
| Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) | Ages 9+ | Netflix |
| Wendell and Wild (2022) | Teens 13+ | Netflix |
| Your Name (2016) | Teens 13+ | Max |
| Princess Mononoke (1997) | Teens 13+ | Max |
| Akira (1988) | Adults 17+ | Crunchyroll |
That is my working list of the best animated movies for kids and adults alike. Every one is a must-watch, and every one holds up on a rewatch, which to me is the real mark of a great animated film.
Start at the top of whichever section fits your night, and you will not go wrong.
Another good animated movie, thats is suitable for kids would be Arco, just came out in 2026. It takes place In 2075, a 10-year-old girl, Iris, sees a mysterious boy wearing a rainbow jumpsuit falling from the sky. It’s Arco. He comes from a distant, idyllic future where time travel is possible. Iris takes him in and will do whatever it takes to help him return home.
If you’re looking for a newer animated movie to watch, check out I Am Frankelda! Directed by Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz. It’s a magically dark musical, so it might not be for everyone, but its good.