Ever since the German The Adventures of Prince Achmed in 1926, animated movies have changed cinema for the better. Animation is a medium unlike any other, capable of expanding the limits of artists’ imagination by granting them a space to push visual boundaries. The creativity and freedom allowed by animation hold a strong connection with fantasy, a genre that’s all about making magic feel believable.

As a medium tailor-made for its demands, fantasy has often recurred to animation to tell its stories. The genres often achieve their greatest iterations together, from timeless classics like Disney’s Pinocchio to modern masterpieces like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; from beautifully hand-drawn movies to fully CG-animated efforts; from the simple and subtle to the sprawlingly epic. These are the best fantasy movies from animation, stunning triumphs of thought and execution.

‘The Secret of Kells’

Director: Tomm Moore

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Nowadays, the Irish Cartoon Saloon is well known as an outstanding animation studio celebrating Irish culture and folklore through excellent films. Back in 2009, they were an up-and-coming new studio with a debut that took the world by storm. The Secret of Kells follows a young boy from a Medieval town beckoned to adventure when a master illuminator arrives with an ancient book, one brimming with secret wisdom and powers.

Tomm Moore’s beautiful The Secret of Kells is nothing short of one of the best Irish films of all time. The almost fully hand-drawn animation, while deceptively simple, is absolutely gorgeous; its depiction of Irish mythology makes it compelling for international audiences of all ages, and its love for the source material is nearly palpable in every scene

‘Mad God’ (2021)

Director: Phil Tippett

Simply looking at stills from Mad God is an unsettling experience, but even that isn’t enough preparation for the unforgettable journey that is actually watching the film. A surrealist horror fantasy film following an assassin’s trip through a hellscape of tortured souls and wretched monstrosities, the movie is constantly one-upping itself in testing how much grotesque imagery viewers will be able to take

Written and directed by Phil Tippet, a master puppeteer and VFX specialist involved in films of the caliber of Jurassic Park and RoboCop, Mad God is a genuinely terrifying fantasy extravaganza with some of the most immersive stop-motion animation of the 21st century. For those with the stomach for it, it’s an absolute must-see.

Mad God

Release Date 2022-06-16

Cast Harper Taylor, Satish Ratakonda, Niketa Roman, Alex Cox

Rating Not Rated

Runtime 83 minutes

‘Coco’ (2017)

Director: Lee Unkrich

In preparation for Coco, the dedicated team of artists behind the movie reportedly did extensive research to get Día de Muertos, one of the traditions that define Mexican culture, right. The result is one of Pixar’s best films, about a kid dreaming of becoming a musician who’s transported to the Land of the Dead, where he intends to look for his mysterious great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.

Coco is a beautiful celebration of family love, traditions, and Mexican culture. The Land of the Dead is a beautifully complex, realized fantasy world both visually and in terms of its mechanics, making for the perfect location for this story to take place in. Tender, funny, and just the right amount of heartbreaking, Coco is yet another masterpiece from Pixar.

Coco

Release Date 2017-10-27

Cast Benjamin Bratt, Edward James Olmos, Jaime Camil, Alanna Ubach, Gael Garca Bernal, Gabriel Iglesias

Rating PG

Runtime 105 minutes

Watch on Disney+

‘Son of the White Mare’ (1981)

Director: Marcell Jankovics

Over the years, but particularly in the 20th century, Hungarian animation has built up a reputation for incomparable excellence, and yet, it’s a criminally underrated industry by most movie fans. Perhaps the most famous Hungarian animated feature is Son of the White Mare, a dreamlike adventure about three powerful brothers who set out into the Underworld in an effort to save three princesses to reclaim their ancestors’ lost kingdom.

Based on an ancient Hungarian folk myth, Marcell Jankovics‘ masterpiece has unique experimental animation and an engrossing aesthetic, which really make the entertaining story pop. It may be one of the weirdest animated movies ever made, but that’s precisely one of the main sources of its charm since it makes its richly intricate story much more exciting to absorb and analyze.

‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ (1989)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Since the late ’70s, Hayao Miyazaki started steadily building up his name as the undisputed master of anime cinema, a title which he undoubtedly holds today. Most particularly, he’s interested in exploring the magic of fantasy through the endless possibilities of animation. Kiki’s Delivery Service, one of his best works ever, holds such an exploration. It’s the story of Kiki, a young witch trying to fit into a new community during her mandatory year of independent life.

Kiki is a delightful protagonist to follow. Resourceful and creative but also headstrong and a bit rough around the edges, she’s one of the most charming, funniest, and relatable characters in Studio Ghibli’s library. Kiki’s Delivery Service is a beautifully heartwarming depiction of teens’ search for identity, told through the enchanting allegory of a young witch trying to find her place in a world of magic.

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Release Date 2014-03-01

Cast Ryohei Hirota, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Michitaka Tsutsui, Rie Miyazawa, Machiko Ono, Fka Koshiba

Rating G

Runtime 108

‘Sleeping Beauty’ (1959)

Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wolfgang Reitherman, Eric Larson, Les Clark

One of Walt Disney‘s most magical classics, Sleeping Beauty is about a princess cursed by a malevolent fairy; only a prince can break the spell with the help of three good fairies. Directed by a dedicated team of four, it’s the kind of classical tale of magic and heroism that only old Walt Disney Productions could have been able to deliver.

Maleficent is arguably the most intimidating animated Disney villain; Aurora is one of the most beloved Disney princesses; and all the side characters are every bit as memorable. Elegant colors populate the screen, aggrandizing both the thrilling action scenes and the moving moments of emotion. All in all, Sleeping Beauty is a deeply endearing reminder that fairy tales can win over the hearts of any audience member, no matter their age.

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Release Date 1959-01-29

Cast Eleanor Audley, Bill Shirley, Mary Costa

Rating G

Runtime 75

‘Fantasia’ (1940)

Directors: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen

Music is one of the most essential parts of any movie. When it comes to animation and fantasy, even more so, it is essential to make their highly imaginative worlds come alive. That’s where Fantasia, made by a staggering team of twelve directors, stands out among all other animated movies in Disney’s filmography. Divided into eight segments, the film takes classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski and accompanies it with charming scenes of fantasy and magic.

Although it was one of Disney’s most tragic box office bombs, that’s not how history remembers this revolutionary movie. Instead, fans remember Fantasia as a timeless extravaganza of sight and sound, a masterfully made classic comprised of eight endlessly fun segments that never fail to be entertaining. For all those who like music, animation, and fantasy, this wonderful film is an experience like no other.

Fantasia

Release Date 1940-11-13

Cast James MacDonald, Julietta Novis, Deems Taylor, Leopold Stokowski, Corey Burton, Walt Disney

Rating G

Runtime 120

Watch on Disney+

‘Aladdin’ (1992)

Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements

During the ’90s, Disney was at the height of their acclaimed Disney Renaissance era, producing some of the most iconic and memorable masterpieces in their whole filmography. One such classic was Ron Clements and John Musker‘s Aladdin, based on the Arabic folktale of the same name from the One Thousand and One Nights. It follows a street urchin and a power-hungry villain vying for a magic lamp with the power to make one’s deepest wishes come true.

With terrific animation, compelling characters, and Oscar-winner Robin Williams delivering one of the best voice performances in any animated film, what’s not to love? Aladdin is animated fantasy at its most ambitious, dazzling, and delightful, effortlessly mixing comedy, heart, and magic in ways that should satisfy all viewers, young or old.

Aladdin (1992)

Release Date 1992-11-25

Cast Jonathan Freeman, Linda Larkin, Scott Weinger, Gilbert Gottfried, Robin Williams, Frank Welker

Rating G

Runtime 90

‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ (2022)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Best known for dark fantasy classics like Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro has come to embody his own formula for making the genre always feel universally enjoyable. He had never, however, made a family-friendly film until he took everyone by surprise with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, his mature and complex take on Carlo Collodi’s classic. The film centers on Geppetto, a carpenter whose wish of bringing a wooden boy to life comes true, allowing him to care for the puppet as his son.

Del Toro’s grasp of the fantastical element of the story is downright perfect, but what really makes his adaptation a modern classic is his deep understanding of its thematic and deeply human dimensions. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio is a love letter to fatherhood and love itself, but also a nuanced critique of authoritarianism and blind obedience. Who better to give a delightful yet thought-provoking cinematic experience than del Toro?

Guillermo del Toros Pinocchio

Release Date 2022-12-09

Cast Gregory Mann, Ron Perlman, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Burn Gorman

Rating PG

Runtime 117 minutes

‘Coraline’ (2009)

Director: Henry Selick

Today, LAIKA is often lauded as one of the best stop-motion animation studios to ever work in the industry. In order to get there, though, they had to start somewhere. That somewhere was Henry Selick‘s Coraline, based on Neil Gaiman‘s quintessential children’s fantasy book about an adventurous girl who finds herself in a parallel world, a strangely idealized version of her home but with sinister secrets.

Coraline was a stunning debut, and the studio could only go up from there. When it comes to outstanding spooky stop-motion movies, it rarely gets better than this inspired and unique-looking movie. A fresh and unique take on the coming-of-age genre, as well as a perfect gateway to introduce the little ones to horror, Coraline is an empowering tale about courage and appreciating what one has.

Coraline

Release Date 2009-02-06

Cast Teri Hatcher, Keith David, Dawn French, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders, Dakota Fanning

Rating PG

Runtime 100 minutes

‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ (2004)

Hayao Miyazaki’s Adaptation of a British Classic

Entering the turn of the century, Miyazaki adapting a classic ’80s British novel was probably not on many people’s bingo card, but that’s precisely what happened in 2004 with Howl’s Moving Castle. The ever-masterful Miyazaki directed and wrote this fantasy adventure about Sophie, a young woman cursed with an old body who has to rely on a handsome young wizard and his companions to break the spell.

One of the best high fantasy movies ever made, Howl’s Moving Castle crafts an intricate parallel world of gorgeous vistas, walking buildings, and talking fireplaces. It truly feels like anything is possible in Sophie’s world, yet Miyazaki manages to make the story feel tight and focused at all times, allowing every fantastical element to empower the narrative beautifully without going overboard. Couple that with some of Studio Ghibli’s most gorgeous animation and you get a true animated fantasy masterwork.

Howl’s Moving Castle

Release Date 2004-11-19

Cast Mitsunori Isaki, Akihiro Miwa, Chieko Baisho, Rynosuke Kamiki, Tatsuya Gashin, Takuya Kimura

Rating PG

Runtime 118

‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (2022)

Director: Joel Crawford

No one would have expected the sequel to the safe but unremarkable Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots to be anything much better than its predecessor. Alas, Joel Crawford‘s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish turned out to be one of the most pleasant surprises DreamWorks Animation has ever delivered, a shockingly smart, mature, vibrant, and fun family adventure. The plot sees the swashbuckling protagonist traveling to find the mythical Last Wish, wanting to recover the eight lives that he’s lost before losing his last.

An existentialist masterpiece about destiny, connections, and appreciating the small details in life, The Last Wish has a surprising amount of depth and complexity for adult viewers, as well as bright, innovative animation and amusing comedy to keep children entertained. With one of the scariest animated villains ever, an outstanding script, and a bunch of exciting moments, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish lives up to the best DreamWorks outings effortlessly.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Release Date 2022-09-23

Cast Chris Miller, Antonio Banderas

Rating PG

Runtime 102

Watch on Netflix

‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)

Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

The first animated movie to be nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award, Beauty and the Beast is the very definition of a magical movie. Adapted from Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s eponymous fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast follows a prince cursed to spend his days as a monster who sets out to regain his humanity by earning a smart young woman’s love.

Packing delightful visuals, great characters, and hauntingly beautiful and outright iconic Oscar-winning music, Beauty and the Beast is a magnum opus and one of Disney Animation’s best works ever. It’s an enchanting tale of love and acceptance that has aged like fine wine, with its moving romantic scenes and sweeping musical numbers living on as some of animation’s most extraordinary moments.

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Release Date 1991-11-22

Cast Jerry Orbach, Richard White, Robby Benson, Paige O’Hara

Rating G

Runtime 84

‘Millennium Actress’ (2001)

Director: Satoshi Kon

The late Satoshi Kon, one of the greatest filmmakers that have ever graced the anime industry, was a master of making mind-bending surrealist animation capable of conveying profound and thoughtful themes through some of the most stunning visuals in foreign cinema. Millennium Actress is one of his best works, about an interviewer and his cameraman traveling through a former actress’s memories.

Millennium Actress flows like a dreamlike bending of reality and fiction, traveling through the mind of a fascinating character with care, humor, and just the right amount of magic. Exploring themes of subjectivity, identity, and artistic obsession, Kon made a truly enrapturing character study that’s next to impossible to take one’s eyes off of. Millennium Actress is a must-see animated movie, a truly touching, meaningful, and powerful viewing experience and further confirmation that Japanese animation is in a league of its own.

‘Shrek’ (2001)

Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson

The story behind the making of Shrek is as famous and entertaining as the movie itself and certainly much more complicated and debated. What’s a fact is that Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson‘s comedy about an ogre rescuing a princess to take back his land from the king is one of the most influential animated movies of the 21st century, with a sense of humor that Western animation had never seen before. Shrek was the first movie to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar, and deservedly so.

In 2001, no one had ever seen a film quite like Shrek. It was a surprising box office smash hit, as audiences wanted to see its satirical mockery of traditional fairy tale tropes, with a healthy dose of making fun of Disney. It’s not just simple giggles, though: Romantic and moving just as much as it is hilarious, Shrek is a fresh spin on the genre, proving that even an ogre can be a hero, find love, and not have to turn into a handsome prince by the end of his adventure.

Shrek

Release Date 2001-05-18

Cast Peter Dennis, Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Vincent Cassel, John Lithgow

Rating PG

Runtime 90 minutes

‘Alice in Wonderland’ (1951)

Directors: Ben Sharpsteen, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

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Directed by four talented men, Alice in Wonderland was a passion project of Walt Disney, a movie that he spent years trying to make. The result of this effort is an outstanding adaptation of Lewis Carroll‘s beautiful stories. Strange yet extremely easy to be immersed in, it’s about a girl who stumbles into a fantastical world of wonders. She wants to get home, but she won’t if the evil Queen of Hearts has her way.

Many consider Alice in Wonderland to be among the best fantasy movies of all time, and for good reason. With mind-bending magical concepts, strange characters, and moments that are as puzzling and eerie for adults as they are terrifying for children, it’s certainly one of the most unique entries in early Disney’s portfolio. Even now, over seventy years after its release, Alice in Wonderland remains as refreshingly inventive and psychedelic as it was when it first came out.

‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Miyazaki has made some of the most endearing classics that animated fantasy has ever seen. More often than not, they’re complex works of art with mature plots and intricately constructed worlds. My Neighbor Totoro, however, just feels like a warm hug after a tough day. That’s not to say that it isn’t complex because there’s a surprising amount of depth lurking under the simple and charming concept of this story about two girls meeting a group of forest spirits while living in the country. Still, its main strengths come from being a delightful hangout movie populated by fun characters and cute creatures.

Although it’s definitely one of Miyazaki’s most kid-friendly projects, that doesn’t make it any less thematically rich or enjoyable for people of all ages. Its depiction of topics like family and childhood fears is phenomenal, and its richly colorful animation is eye-popping. Taking the best elements of both fantasy and animation, My Neighbor Totoro is a timeless family classic unlike any other.

My Neighbor Totoro

Release Date 1988-04-16

Cast Hitoshi Takagi, Tanie Kitabayashi, Sumi Shimamoto, Shigesato Itoi, Chika Sakamoto, Noriko Hidaka

Rating PG

Runtime 86

‘WolfWalkers’ (2020)

Director: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart

Cartoon Saloon is still in the process of building up its name, but if there’s a film that has cemented it with general audiences as a studio to look out for, that has to be the wonderful Wolfwalkers. The film follows the life of a young apprentice wolf-hunter which changes after she befriends a girl from a tribe who transforms into wolves at night.

Movies like Wolfwalkers prove that animation has never been better than it is nowadays. With beautiful music, charming characters, and alluring visuals, Wolfwalkers is a touching tale of friendship that transports audiences to an excellently crafted Medieval Ireland, capturing all the most magic elements of traditional Irish folktales. With charm to spare and a sweet, profoundly moving plot, Wolfwalkers is nothing short of a cinematic triumph.

Wolfwalkers

Release Date 2020-10-26

Cast Tommy Tiernan, Eva Whittaker, Honor Kneafsey, Sean Bean, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Simon McBurney

Rating PG

Runtime 103

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2010)

Director: Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois

Movies based on books aren’t often better than the source material, but a select few improve upon everything the book did right. That’s undeniably the case of How to Train Your Dragon, the origin of what might be DreamWorks Animation’s best trilogy—and what an origin it is. The film tells the story of Hiccup, a hapless young Viking who aspires to hunt dragons like everyone else in his village; his plans change when he finds in a small black dragon an unlikely friend.

A story about friendship, questioning traditions, and fitting in by embracing one’s true self, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders‘s first incursion into the animated fantasy genre proves the wonders that such projects can achieve. Hiccup and Toothless have one of the most endearing friendships in the history of animation, with How to Train Your Dragon boldly injecting genuine dramatic heft into its seemingly simple and sweet story.

How to Train Your Dragon

Release Date 2010-03-26

Cast Gerard Butler, Jay Baruchel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera

Rating PG

Runtime 98 minutes

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’ (2013)

Director: Isao Takahata

High fantasy, where magic is taken to a parallel world, is an undeniably enchanting genre to watch, but there’s something unique about low fantasy, where magic is brought to the real world, that makes it every bit as fascinating. In The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli’s second most famous director after Miyazaki, made one of the best low fantasy movies of all time. It centers on a bamboo cutter who finds a girl inside a bamboo stalk, raising her with his wife as their own as the girl rapidly grows.

Set in 10th-century Japan and based on a classic Japanese folk tale, The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a melancholy character study, employing an enrapturing watercolor animation style that can’t be found anywhere else. It’s a stunning way to tell this gorgeous story of womanhood and identity, which has an air of poignancy hanging over it that makes it all the more unforgettable.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Release Date 2013-11-23

Cast Takaya Kamikawa, Hikaru Ijin, Isao Hashizume, Takeo Chii, Yukiji Asaoka, Aki Asakura

Rating PG

Runtime 137