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Best Animated Films of 2024

2024 was a very strong year for animation. A couple of movies turned out disappointing, but this was the year when foreign fare dominated over the American stuff, which even led to an out of left field Oscar win. European and stop-motion movies were a big thing this year as evidenced by most of this film being populated by both. Here are five best animated films of 2024 with some honorable mentions as well.

5. Kensuke’s Kingdom

The fifth spot goes to this underseen British flick. Kensuke’s Kingdom is a wonderful film that teaches children about the importance of respecting nature and the values of companionship and responsibility. It’s also a lovely watch for adults due to its gorgeously drawn backgrounds, elegant filmmaking and a subtle exploration of its themes. The movie’s story is a bit too simple and the characterization somewhat slight, but the ending was heartwarming and the island scenes were such a delight, making for an underrated animated gem.

4. Memoir of a Snail

Memoir of a Snail is only the second feature film from writer-director Adam Elliot after his last film that ranks among my favorite animated movies ever made. This one is similar in some aspects to that film and it was initially a bit too dark and depressing for me, but it ended in such an inspirational fashion with a beautiful message about the importance of hope and perseverance. It’s an existential, but still positive movie that is all about moving forward instead of dwelling on the past. It’s another winner for him and I am so glad that he finally got nominated by the Academy.

3. The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot is a wonderful animated film that is a treat for both adults and children. There is so much warmth in its characters and so much importance in its messaging that preaches the importance of community and friendship. The animation is a gorgeous mix of modern and traditional techniques and the voice acting is fantastic. This movie would have won the Oscar this year had it not been for my number one choice and it would have deserved it any other year as it’s that good. This is easily one of the best DreamWorks Animation movies to date and a terrific return to form for the struggling studio.

2. The Imaginary

The Imaginary is Studio Ponoc’s third feature and their best one so far. A story about the power and importance of imagination, the movie also deals with grief and loss in a very potent way. The art style mixes 2D and 3D technologies in such a unique way, making for a truly dazzling viewing experience. The score is also beautiful and the voice acting is top-notch. The story may become too ambitious and complicated for its own sake, but it’s consistently engaging and, well, imaginative. Above all else, this is a very touching tale, one that made me cry more than a couple of times. It’s such a wonderful flick that sadly never got the attention that it deserved.

1. Flow

The small movie that could, Flow ended up winning the Academy Award against all odds stacked against it. This Latvian masterpiece is entirely animal-centric and it has no spoken dialogue, but is deeper and more engaging than any mainstream animated fare out there. This diverse group of animal friends was easy to root for and the ending was so beautiful. Gints Zilbalodis wrote, directed and scored this film on his own, signaling a major talent arriving on the scene. Flow is a film like no other and one of the best animated movies of the decade so far and my personal favorite film of the entire year.

Honorable Mentions:

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – The newest Wallace and Gromit movie is nowhere near as clever or as inspired as its predecessor, but it’s still a wildly entertaining and genuinely funny flick that is also reliably charming in its character interactions and very well made overall. It doesn’t have the best plot, but Feathers is a delightful villain and the movie is so charming.

Transformers One – Transformers One almost made me a fan of this IP how damn good it was. An underrated gem, this flick is genuinely entertaining, so well animated and particularly well developed in the central relationship between the two main characters. It got great world building and very cool action scenes.

Look Back – Look Back did disappoint me a bit with its emotional manipulation, but this Japanese heartbreaker still impressed me with its beautiful animation, a moving yet simple story and an excellent score. It’s an elegantly made and very short flick that was still quite emotionally impactful.