Ever since the 1990s, there has been a surge in high-quality animated films. Thanks to things like the Disney Renaissance and the emergence of CGI companies like Pixar and DreamWorks, animated films became more commonplace, especially as more companies, such as Sony and Warner Bros., began creating in-house animation studios. Most films are produced with computers, but occasionally, a hand-drawn or stop-motion movie pops up to showcase how animation can bring fantastic worlds to life.

The last few years have been hit-and-miss when it comes to animated movies. While technology has continued to improve, the writing quality varies. Fortunately, several animated films managed to exceed all expectations and receive critical and audience acclaim. These are the best and most enjoyable animated movies of the last 5 years, bringing some much-needed entertainment during particularly troubling times.

10 ‘Soul’ (2020)

Directed by Pete Docter

Just as it seemed like jazz enthusiast Joe Gardner’s (Jamie Foxx) life was turning out how he wanted it, he falls down an open manhole and dies. Rather than pass on, Joe’s soul escapes into “The Great Before,” where he meets 22 (Tina Fey), a cynical soul who doesn’t see the appeal of life on Earth. While trying to return Joe to his body, they both end up on Earth, with 22 in Joe’s body and Joe inside a therapy cat.

Soul is by far Pixar’s most mature film due to tackling high concepts like pre-life, passion, and purpose. It explores the idea that each person creates purpose in their life through the small moments they craft every day and that trying to find purpose through a single topic or experience will only lead to disappointment. Joe and 22 also have one of the strongest dynamics in any Pixar film, often flipping back and forth between who is the teacher and who is the student, which helps them both find a new appreciation for life.

9 ‘Missing Link’ (2019)

Directed by Chris Buttler

Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) is an explorer who specializes in cataloging mystical creatures while longing to be part of the “Society of Great Men.” As he prepares to travel to North America to find evidence of the Sasquatch, he makes a bet with the leader of the Society that will allow him to join if he brings back proof. When Lionel meets the Sasquatch, he discovers that not only can he speak (Zach Galifianakis), but he wishes for Lionel to escort him to the Himalayan Mountains to find the Yeti.

Missing Link is one of the best-looking films by the stellar stop-motion company Laika and is full of impressive action sequences that push the limit of what can be accomplished with clay and wires. The story may not be as dark or mature as previous films like Coraline or ParaNorman, but it is a beautiful love letter to 19th-century adventure stories, with plenty of discovery, swashbuckling, and British wit. The friendship between Lionel and Mr. Link is the film’s highlight, thanks to their shared desire for acceptance and the wonderful chemistry between Jackman and Galifianakis.

8 ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ (2021)

Directed by Michael Rianda

Desperate for a chance to patch things up with his filmmaker daughter, Katie (Abbi Jacobson), technophobic and nature-loving Rick Mitchell (Danny McBride) arranges a cross-country road trip for the family as they send Katie to college. At the same time, a smartphone named PAL (Olivia Colman) learns that she is to be replaced by advanced robots, so she takes control of them and rounds up humanity to be launched into space. Soon, the Mitchells are the only free humans left on the planet and must overcome their differences to save the world.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines is one of the most visually impressive films from Sony Pictures Animation, combining elements of 2D and 3D animation to create something new. This is reflective of the film’s primary message, which stresses the importance of combining old and new methods to solve problems and live complete lives. There’s also a solid cautionary tale about the dangers of letting technology control people’s lives, peppered with lots of visual gags and funny jokes.

7 ‘Encanto’ (2021)

Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard

Within the mountains of Columbia lies Encanto, a secluded mountain paradise created by Alma Madrigal (María Cecilia Botero) from the grief she felt at losing her husband. Fifty years later, a community has sprung up led by the Madrigals, each of whom has a magical gift that ranges from superhuman strength to healing and shapeshifting. The one exception is Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), who was passed over for unknown reasons but still commits herself to helping her family, especially when the magic of Encanto begins to fade.

Encanto is perhaps Disney’s best-received animated film in recent years, winning audiences over for its wide range of characters, catchy songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and strong emotional themes. Each member of the Madrigal family is well characterized, even if some have little screentime, which helps the family feel more genuine. Encanto is also perhaps Disney’s best example of a generational trauma story, taking time to show how even good intentions can have disastrous consequences on the next generation.

6 ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ (2023)

Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson

Six months after becoming Spider-Man, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) encounters a new villain, the Spot (Jason Schwartzman), who wants revenge on Spider-Man since he was created when the Alchemax collider was destroyed. Possessing the power to travel between dimensions, the Spot begins hopping through the multiverse to find more colliders and increase his powers. To stop him, Miles teams up with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and an entire secret society of Spider-Men led by Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac).

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is even better than 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, thanks to even more impressive animation and a stronger story. The animators do a wonderful job making the multiverse come to life by switching up the art style for each dimension, with the most creative being a Renaissance-era Vulture (Jorma Taccone), who is animated like pencil sketches and blueprints. While Mile’s story is engaging as always, the real star is Spider-Gwen, who has a phenomenal story about revealing her secret identity to her father.

5 ‘Klaus’ (2019)

Directed by Sergio Pablos

Frustrated with the lazy and spoiled behavior of his son, Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), the Postmaster General (Sam McMurray) assigns him to collect 6000 letters from the island community of Smeerensburg within one year or lose his inheritance. At first, this seems impossible because the inhabitants of Smeerensburg are locked in a deadly clan feud. However, Jesper makes headway when he joins forces with a woodsman named Klaus (J. K. Simmons) to distribute toys to children based on letters containing their requests.

Klausis a gorgeous film that blends 2D animation with 3D shading, resulting in a wholly unique visual experience. It offers one of the best Santa Claus stories because it demystifies the mythology, instead showing how simple acts of kindness can grow into something magical thanks to the imagination of children. The friendship between Jesper and Klaus is also very solid; Klaus helps ground Jesper and realize what is truly important in life, while Jesper helps Klaus break through his barriers and remember how to socialize.

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4 ‘Wolfwalkers’ (2020)

Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart

Robyn Goodfellow (Honor Kneafsey) and her father, Bill (Sean Bean), are summoned to the town of Kilkenny to exterminate the local wolf population. While trying to help her father, Robyn learns that the wolves are actually wolfwakers, humans whose souls leave their bodies and materialize as wolves when they sleep. Soon, Robyn befriends and is bitten by a girl named Mebh (Eva Whittaker), making her a wolfwaker as well.

Wolfwalkers is the final of director Tommy Moore’s Irish Folklore Trilogy, and while not quite as emotionally gripping as Song of the Sea, it’s still a wonderful example of Irish animation. The art style proves the viability of 2D animation in today’s 3D-dominated atmosphere, with creative character designs and breathtaking backgrounds that help immerse audiences into the beauty of nature and the contrasting expanse of civilization. The wolfwalkers themselves are also a fresh take on werewolves while introducing audiences to their mythological roots that have been forgotten due to the modern popular culture take on the monster.

3 ‘The Boy and the Heron’ (2023)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Following the death of his mother during the American bombing of Japan in World War II, Mahito (Luca Padovan) moves to the countryside when his father re-marries his late wife’s sister, Natsuko (Gemma Chan). Mahito has a difficult time adjusting to this change and even injures himself after a school fight. Over time, Mahito crosses paths with a talking Grey Heron (Robert Pattinson), who eventually lures him into an abandoned tower that transports him to a mysterious fantasy world.

The Boy and the Heron is the latest film by the great Hayao Miyazaki and has the potential to become another classic thanks to its boundless creativity and powerful themes. Along with fantastical elements like a heron who turns into a little man and fascist parakeets, the story delves into concepts like legacy, processing grief, and the pursuit of perfection. The English voice cast is made up of veterans of Studio Ghibli dubbing, but the best performances come from Pattinson, who sounds unrecognizable as the heron, and Dave Bautista, who steals the show in his limited appearance as the Parakeet King.

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2 ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (2’22)

Directed by Joel Crawford

Vigilante feline hero Puss in Boots (Antonia Banderas) is disheartened to learn that he is down to his last life and, after nearly being killed by a wolf (Wagner Moura), is forced into retirement. However, Puss regains his spirit when he learns of a map that leads to a fallen star that can grant a wish. Teaming up with his old flame, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault), and a small dog (Harvey Guillén), Puss delves into the Dark Forest to find the star. Along the way, he must avoid the wolf and others who want the star, like Goldylocks (Florence Pugh) and Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney).

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish blew all the expectations for a spin-off film to become one of DreamWorks’ best films. It contains mature themes of mortality, legacy, and determining what truly matters in life but also leans into its fairy tale aesthetic, presenting its story through colorful visuals and hilarious exchanges between the characters. Speaking of the characters, each is memorable and has a plethora of quotable dialogue, especially the devious and ever-entertaining Big Jack Horner.

1 ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ (2022)

Directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson

In a drunken despair, woodcarver Geppetto (David Bradley) cuts down the tree that marks his son’s grave and carves it into a puppet. When he passes out, a Wood Spirit (Tilda Swinton) decides to bring the puppet to life, naming him Pinocchio (Gregory Mann), and assigns a cricket named Sebastian (Ewan McGregor) as his conscience. As Pinocchio tries to make sense of this new world he finds himself in, many folks seek to exploit his unique abilities, such as con artist Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz) and the Podestà (Ron Perlman), who hopes to use Pinocchio as an immortal soldier loyal to Benito Mussolini (Tom Kenny).

This version of Pinocchio by the legendary dark-fantasy director Guillermo del Toro is the second stop-motion film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It stays true to the story’s origins as a cautionary tale about life’s difficulties while also delving into more complex ideas like mortality, fascism, grief, and self-sacrifice. Of all the actors, Bradley is by far the standout performance of the film, especially when Geppetto is overcome with grief and despair, leading to some of the film’s most heart-wrenching moments.

NEXT: The 22 Best Animated Movies of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb