Animation is often thought of when the mention of animated films is brought up, and while the likes of Disney and Pixar do tend to lead the way, animation as an art form and medium is much more diverse and wide-ranging than that. There is more to the world of animation than the fairy tales and the toys come back to life genre, and this diverse range of animated films from across the spectrum was not just entertaining; they helped redefine the world of animation altogether. Let’s take a look at the top ten animated films from across this diverse spectrum, from recent to all-time greats.
10. Flow (2024)
What I also found amazing is that it makes it clear that dialogue is not necessary if the storytelling is as strong as it is here. As a cat alone in the world, sharing an ecosystem devastated by an apocalypse, it is made by director Gints Zilbalodis. This movie communicates mood, action, and feeling without using any dialogue. Its smoothly handled 3D animation lets you witness it as a whispered, haunting survival.
9. Rango (2011)
It isn’t your typical animated cartoon, as Rango is just plain weird, and it knows it, embracing the weirdness with the best of them. Johnny Depp provides the voice for a chameleon who finds, by happenstance, the role of hero in a small, dry town, and this sets the stage for what feels like an animated Western as only the weird and wacky animations of films like Rango can provide.
8. Coraline (2009)
Laika’s stop-motion masterpiece is both fascinating and terrifying in equal measure. Coraline marks the story of a young girl who discovers a new world that’s just perfect, until things go awry. Even the titles haven’t rolled off the screen when the chilling atmosphere begins, and this remains one of the few animations that truly frightens audiences without speaking down to them.
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Wes Anderson’s animated film debut proves as charming and carefully crafted as one would imagine. Taking on the Roald Dahl adaptation, Fantastic Mr. Fox combines the dry wit, homey aesthetic, and artistic use of stop-motion techniques into something rather magical. This film’s unusual voice casting and warm storytelling make it endlessly revisit-worthy and remind one that animated films can also be smart and fun.
6. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
And so DreamWorks got it right with this high-flying fantasy about a young Viking and his impossible friendship with a dragon. The flying scenes are stunning, the score is unshakeable, and the emotional core packs a wallop. For all its swashbuckling adventure trappings, it is at its centre a film about empathy and understanding messages which feel just as potent today as they did upon release.
5. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
This feature-length adventure pits Aardman’s beloved claymation characters loose in a monster-movie-inspired romp. Each joke has been carefully animated, every beat of every scene teeming with personality. This is comedy that has been cleverly crafted, filled with all the charm that only stop-motion animation can provide.
4. The Iron Giant (1999)
Few animated films have the same emotional impact as The Iron Giant. At once small in its focus and large in its scope, the Cold War-era tale of friendship for a giant robot has earned its place in the canon of the greatest animated films ever made for the depth of its animation and its profoundly human themes.
3. Spirited Away (2001)
The magnum opus by Hayao Miyazaki is definitely one of the most ingenious endeavors in any realm of storytelling, be it any other area. Spirited Away lands the viewer in this realm of spirits as children learn how to learn to be individuals in life. There isn’t a single second in Spirited Away that doesn’t feel as if it’s alive in every single manner, nor can the intensity of its emotions allow it to mesh with other cultures without any boundaries.
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Not because this movie set a new precedent with regard to animation and the superhero genre, but because it destroyed the benchmark. The comic book style, plenty of colors, and smooth animations make Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse an attempt at redefining the art of animation. Mix it with the topic about identity and legacy, and the movie has an altogether revolutionary impact.
1. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
However, at the top, there is one of the most terrifying animations ever produced. The Grave of the Fireflies tells the story of two siblings’ struggle to survive during World War II, and it does this to devastatingly honest and poignant effect. Although this is certainly difficult to view, it is essential to watch. This movie proves once and for all that animation can deal with the most extreme and tragic subjects with devastating effect.
These movies remind us that animation is not a genre; it is a medium that is endless. More importantly, these non-Disney and non-Pixar animation films that are full of happiness, terror, or great tragedies not only broke boundaries, but they also tore them to shreds.