Best Animated Movies on Netflix

24 Breathtaking Animated Movies on Netflix That Adults Will Love

Aug 14 2018 by Kathryn Mayer

Sure, Netflix has its share of gritty movies and TV shows tailor-made for binge watching, but sometimes even grownups just want to escape into fantastical worlds where animals can talk and the rules of physics don't seem to apply.

Start searching Netflix's vast selection of animated titles and you're sure to come across a large helping of kid stuff — barnyard animals teaching life lessons or teddy bears solving mysteries — but the world of animation holds plenty of delights for adults as well. From thought-provoking science fiction and experimental documentaries to kid-targeted comedies that offer a whole other level of smarts for adult viewers, here are 24 titles that animation-loving adults should add to their queues.

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1. 9

In this stunning postapocalyptic tale produced by Tim Burton, a group of burlap-bodied survivors rise up against their robot overlords. The impressive voice cast includes Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, and Christopher Plummer.

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2. The Adventures of Tintin

Director Steven Spielberg translates the spirit of adventure behind his Indiana Jones movies to animation in his 2011 adaptation of the long-running Belgian comic strip. An innovative mix of CGI and motion-capture technology makes for a tale as visually stunning as it is genuinely exciting.

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3. Antz

Woody Allen as the voice of a neurotic worker ant who falls in love with a princess? It works even better than it sounds, thanks to Dreamworks' Toy Story-inspired animation and a talented voice cast that also includes Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, and Sylvester Stallone.

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4. April and the Extraordinary World

Adapted from an acclaimed graphic novel, this French steampunk adventure (dubbed in English on Netflix) takes place in an alternate 1941 where most of modern science never happened and the world still relies on coal. April is a scientist working on a secret family experiment. The movie was nominated for a Cesar Award (aka the French Oscars) for best animated film.

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5. Atlantis: The Lost Empire

High on the list of underrated Disney gems, this foray into pure adventure stars Michael J. Fox as part of a team of adventurers who journey to the fabled city under the sea. Also available on Netflix is the (not as good) sequel, Atlantis: Milo's Return.

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6. Bee Movie

Oddly similar to 1998's Antz, this Dreamworks feature stars Jerry Seinfeld as the voice of a worker bee who sues the humans when he finds out that honey is being sold in grocery stores. The jokes come fast and furious courtesy of Seinfeld and his castmates, who include Chris Rock, Matthew Broderick, and Renee Zellweger.

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7. The Breadwinner

Nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe in the best animated film category, The Breadwinner is from the team behind the critically acclaimed The Secret of Kells. In charming, old-school 2D animation, it tells the story of a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and a young girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family.

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8. Chicken Run

Anyone who enjoyed 2018's Early Man will find a lot to like about this film from the same director, Nick Park — also the mastermind behind Wallace & Gromit. In Park's trademark goofy animation style, Chicken Run stars Mel Gibson as the voice of a rebellious chicken leading an escape attempt from the henhouse. It was nominated for a Golden Globe for best comedy.

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9. Coco

The 2017 Pixar film is a stunning masterpiece, both in terms of its creative and cultured storyline and its visual beauty. Viewers will be transported into a colourful world of the dead — along with protagonist Miguel — so touching and heartwarming, that it will be hard to come back to life . . . er, reality.

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10. Coraline

Join Coraline on her journey into another realm in this classic styled after Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Ignored by her parents, Coraline (Dakota Fanning) finds a welcoming, wonderful world on the other side of a hidden door in her family's new house.

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11. In This Corner of the World

A film-festival favourite that was praised for its evocative animation style, In This Corner of the World is set in Hiroshima during World War II. It tells the story of a newly married couple adjusting to life during wartime. Refreshingly, it appears on Netflix in the original Japanese, with subtitles.

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12. The Iron Giant

Before helming Pixar classics like The Incredibles and Ratatouille, director Brad Bird made his debut with this critically acclaimed film set during the Cold War. Featuring the voice talents of Jennifer Aniston and Harry Connick Jr., The Iron Giant tells the story of a young boy who befriends a giant robot from outer space.

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13. Kubo and the Two Strings

Nominated for two Oscars (as well as AARP's "Best Movie for Grownups Who Refuse to Grow Up" award), this stop-motion stunner follows a young boy in ancient Japan. Armed with a magical musical instrument and pursued by an evil spirit, he sets off in search of an enchanted suit of armor once worn by his father.

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14. The Little Prince

This 3D fantasy film — which premiered on Netflix in 2016 — is a sweet adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic 1943 novel. Featuring the voices of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, and Albert Brooks, the film is a great reminder for adults not to forget the dreams they had as a kid.

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15. Meet the Robinsons

Another entry on the list of Disney movies you probably forgot about, Meet the Robinsons is the heartwarming tale of an orphaned young scientist who journeys to the future in search of family. Danny Elfman's score helps propel the visual artistry and overall sense of wacky fun.

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16. Moana

A Disney movie that swaps a princess's love for a prince for her love of the sea and adventure? Yeah, this one's a modern classic for both adults and kids. It's made even better by fantastic (and karaoke-worthy) music and a hilarious performance by The Rock (what can I say except you're welcome?).

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17. My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea

This crudely drawn, experimental piece of animation would be right at home on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. With the voices of Jason Schwartzman, Lena Dunham, and Reggie Watts, it concerns a group of teenagers struggling to survive after an earthquake plunges their titular high school into the titular sea.

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18. Nerdland

Patton Oswalt and Paul Rudd are among the voice actors in this dark comedy about a fame-obsessed duo on the streets of Los Angeles. Full of pop culture references and jabs at a consumer-obsessed culture, the film also features Mike Judge and Hannibal Buress.

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19. Phantom Boy

With its unique minimalist art style and a voice cast that includes Fred Armisen and Jared Padalecki (dubbing over the original French version), this French film was a festival favourite. Set in a stylized New York City, it follows the adventures of a hospitalized young boy who uses his magical abilities to help a wheelchair-bound policeman catch a master criminal.

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20. Sausage Party

How can you have a list of animated movies for adults that doesn't include Sausage Party? Crude and rude as you would expect, the film stars Seth Rogen and his usual gang of collaborators — James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, etc. — in a raunchy comedy about talking foodstuffs trying to escape the grocery store shelves.

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21. Song of the Sea

A New York Times' Critics Pick, this 2014 selection from Irish animator Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells, The Breadwinner) was also nominated for an Oscar for best animated film. Based on an Irish folktale, it's the story of a brother and sister — the last of a magical race of seals that become human on dry land — making their return to the sea.

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22. Tower

Did you know that documentaries can be animated, too? Using the same rotoscoping technique that gave Richard Linklater's Waking Life its unique look, Tower transforms interview and archival footage to recount the 1966 mass shooting at the University of Texas.

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23. Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection

The heartwarming and funny story of a dog's relationship with its owner, tracked through the diet of the canine (Feast)? A black-and-white romance tied together through lost papers (Paperman)? The story of Olaf, Elsa, Anna and the gang from Frozen throwing a birthday party (Frozen Fever)? You'll get to see all these and more when you stream Disney's collection of recent short films. You won't regret it.

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24. Wrinkles

Definitely an animated flick geared toward adults, this Spanish import (dubbed in English) tells the tale of nursing home residents and their plan to avoid ending up on the feared top floor of the care home, also known as the lost cause. It's not as sad as you think: the film is filled with adventure, humour, and sweetness.

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