The 2020s have already been a monumental and incredible decade for groundbreaking and revolutionary animated films that have been released. From massive budgeted studio releases to smaller and more personal independent releases, there has been no shortage of masterfully crafted and mesmerizing animated stories in recent years. The decade will surely continue to grace audiences with even more unforgettable stories, as even the beginning years of this decade have made this one of the best decades for animation.
The 2020s in animation have been defined by an increase in more stylized and experimental animation on even the highest scales. As 3D animated films reached levels of stagnation and familiarity in the 2010s, the 2020s have seen more and more animated movies taking a more stylistic and singular approach to their animation style to help stand out among the crowd. This has resulted in one of the most varied and dynamic decades when it comes to feature-length animation, witha great variety of different animation styles and types of stories being told at every level.
20 'The House' (2022)
The House is a collection of three different short stories that span across different eras, yet all take place in a singular house as it haunts and terrifies its owners from across time. From a poor and struggling family to an anxious land developer to a fed-up landlady, the mysterious house continues to find ways to inflict pain and nightmares upon its hosts. The film, however, is as much a dark comedy as it is a horror film, so the preceding events are as strangely hilarious in their execution as they are terrifying and dark in nature and conception.
The House is easily one of the most unique and singular films to be released during the decade, being a dark comedy horror anthology film animated in beautiful stop-motion animation. The film's biggest strengths are its surreal and otherworldly animation style,but the witty writing and engaging characters still make the film work effectively as a standalone dark comedy. The anthology design of the film also makes it incredibly easy and digestible to watch, which works in combination with the film's more abstract themes, storyline, and endings.
19 'Encanto' (2021)
While Walt Disney Animation Studios has had a largely shaky time in the 2020s with failures likeStrange World andWish, their undeniable greatest hit of the decade has been the musical sensation,Encanto. Taking more inspiration from their classic musicals,Encanto is a vibrant and flourishing experience that follows Mirabel, the only member of her extended family who wasn't granted a superpower-styled gift. However, when a mysterious looming disaster threatens to upend the entire family, Mirabel may just be the only one who can save the family.
Encanto amplifies the strengths of the classic Disney musical style, combined with the songwriting strengths ofLin-Manuel Miranda, to createan instantly iconic and deeply memorable animated musical experience. Even outsideEncanto's extremely catchy songs like "Under Pressure" and "We Don't Talk About Bruno," the core story at the center and its themes of generational trauma are deeply effective and amplify the entire experience. Especially when compared to the array of underwhelming sequels that the studio has been releasing, Encanto stands out as their most iconic original film in a long time.
18 'KPop Demon Hunters' (2025)
While a lot of the conversation surrounding the film has been about itshattering records and becoming a widespread global phenomenon,KPop Demon Hunters could only have achieved this high level of success by being a genuinely engaging, well-made animated movie. Its array of catchy songs, engaging characters, and stylized animation has helped it becomea highly approachable crowd-pleaser with mass global appeal. The songs in the film have ironically attained legacies of their own, standing as some of the most beloved songs to come from a modern animated musical.
It fully embraces the culture and energy surrounding KPop, mixing it with fantasy elements to create an experience that has a lot to offer for both die-hard KPop fans and those entirely unfamiliar with the genre.KPop Demon Hunters will only continue to be one of the defining animated success stories of the decade, further charged by its recently announced sequel and seemingly inevitable Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
17 'The Mitchells vs. The Machines' (2021)
The Mitchells vs. The Machines follows the story of the quirky, dysfunctional family of The Mitchells, who find themselves at the center of a robot uprising in the middle of their family road trip. The family soon ends up being the only humans that haven't been captured in the robot apocalypse, and they must put aside their differences and struggles if they want to have a chance at saving humanity.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines is defined by its highly stylized and energetic animation style, which combines a flurry of 2D sketches and doodles by the main character Katie Mitchell to emphasize action and other setpieces. On top of giving the film a highly unique and individual animation style, it also gives the animation a more intimate relationship with the story and themes at the center, directly connecting it with the characters and their struggles. The film is a love letter to not just those interested in filmmaking, but anyone with a desire and vision to create.
16 'Soul' (2020)
One of thebest modern movies from Pixar,Soul follows the story of middle school music teacher Joe Gardner, who has high aspirations of being a great jazz musician, but after finally making a breakthrough, he gets into an accident and falls into a sewer hole. With his soul now separated from his body, Joe goes on a spiritual journey while accompanied by soul-in-training 22, to return to his body and get back to Earth. While on his journey, Joe gains a greater appreciation and understanding of the intricacies and beauty of life, with its many ups and downs.
While Pixar's output has been far from its near-perfect legacy from its early years in recent memory, Soul is proof that the studio is still capable of creating powerful and emotionally resonant works of art. As is the case with every Pixar movie,Soul moves the needle when it comes to the possibilities and technology of animation on display, creating a perfect animated recreation of New York City.Soul also accomplishes what Pixar does best and sticks with its audience thanks to its timeless and emotional messages and themes that affect adults as much as they affect children.
15 'Mars Express' (2024)
While not as instantly recognizable as many other animated films, adult French animated filmMars Express is unmatched with its strikingly grounded worldbuilding, beautiful 2D animation, and sleek messaging on Android autonomy and free will. It, at times, almost feels like a gritty, mysterious sci-fi film likeBlade Runner was brought into the world of animation, utilizing the limitless creative possibilities for an array of engaging action sequences and sci-fi concepts. There's a sense of realism and care for its characters and world that elevates the experience as a whole, respecting the intelligence of the audience as it weaves its dynamic robot mystery.
While it's easy to see its inspiration from classic sci-fi stories, the film goes to great lengths to create its own distinct style and world that feels refreshing to watch, especially in the medium of 2D animation. It isn't afraid to delve into some highly disturbing and psychological concepts, whether it be people being paid to have their brains used as computers, to people's consciousnesses being uploaded to android bodies after they die. The film isa must-watch for sci-fi fans as it's easily among the most underrated films of the 2020s.
14 'Nimona' (2023)
Originally having been canceled as a part of the closure of Blue Sky Studios,Nimona found an unexpected second life at Netflix and managed to fully deliver on all the hype and potential of its source material. The film follows Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), who is framed for the murder of a kingdom's glorious queen, leaving him to escape in his lonesome to come up with a plot to prove his innocence. He ends up fostering an unexpected friendship with another outsider, a shapeshifter named Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), as the duo forge a plot to create chaos and clear Ballister's name.
Nimona features all the charm and wit of the original graphic novel without diminishing or downplaying any of the groundbreaking queer themes and messaging that made it such a fan favorite in the first place. The film also hasa stylish and electrifying animation style that serves to make the action sequences that much more enthralling and the character designs that much more likable. It easily stands out as one of the biggest highlights of animation to come out of Netflix and streaming service originals as a whole.
13 'Flee' (2021)
Flee is an animated Danish documentary that tells the story of Amin, a man who arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Denmark as a refugee from Afghanistan, experiencing a great deal of life-changing events on his journey. Now a 36-year-old man, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his long-time boyfriend, but has been hiding his refugee past for nearly his entire life. For the first time, Amin plans to share the truths behind his painful past with his partner, threatening his livelihood and his entire life in the process.
It's rare for a documentary to be presented in the form of an animated film, yet the style and execution done byFlee makes an argument for all documentaries of this style to be done in this format from now on.The film uses animation in order to create a powerful visual of Amin's heartbreaking story in real-time, creating an even closer and more intimate retelling of his emotionally heartbreaking story. Even audiences that aren't as experienced with documentaries should check outFlee, as it's one of the most groundbreaking and memorable documentaries in recent memory.
12 'Mad God' (2021)
A meticulously crafted labor of love that took over 40 years to fully complete,Mad God is a stop-motion masterpiece of consistently striking and mesmerizing visuals. It's unlike any other stop-motion animated film out there, with an overall sense of grime and darkness seeping from each new creature and nightmare of the hellscape that it presents. The story is relatively lax and understated, focusing more on the overall energy and tonal feeling that its cacophony of shocking visuals provides.
Even if the film's gross creature designs and uncomfortable horror elements turn away many general audience members, the film's visual brillianceearns a level of respect that is incomparable to traditional animated films. The massive effort put into making this labor of love is felt in every precise movement and striking design, creating an experience that cuts to the core and leaves a discernible impact as a fully singular work of art.
11 'Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon a Time' (2021)
Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time acts as the true finale to one of the most recognizable and iconic anime series of all time,Neon Genesis Evangelion. The film is a modern retelling and reimagining of the iconic final act of the series, better known asEnd of Evangelion, from the series' original creator,Hideaki Anno. Especially for an anime finale so iconic and celebrated by audiences worldwide,Thrice Upon a Time was able to fully deliver and bring closure to the series in a way that had never truly been seen before.
Thrice Upon a Time accomplishes one of the most difficult feats in filmmaking and was able to deliver on decades' worth of buildup and hype in a way that did its original story justice while still telling the story in its own impactful way. The film balances a lot of the same powerful themes and symbolism that the original story did, while at the same time, it is able to reflect and comment on more modern and timeless themes with the hindsight of the original series in mind. Especially for fans ofEvangelion as a whole,Thrice Upon a Time is about as perfect a finale as one can get.
