While Nimona has been the big Netflix original animated film of the summer, it’s far from the only addition to the lineup. Netflix is making sure that animation fans are well served in August with the first two Despicable Me movies, Bee Movie, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. However, Netflix’s biggest recent addition is one of 2022’s biggest animated hits: DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Netflix’s deals with Sony Pictures Animation, DreamWorks Animation, and Universal Pictures have given it a powerhouse library of animated films. And that’s before we even get into Netflix’s impressive originals like The Sea Beast. To help you keep track of what’s new and what you can stream right now, we’ve updated our list of the best animated movies on Netflix.
Whether you want to tap into your inner kid, find something for the kids, or be visually amazed, we’ve gone ahead and searched Netflix’s library to pull together the best animated movies on Netflix right now.
Looking for something else? We’ve also rounded up the best movies on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime, and the best shows on Disney+.
-
-
Bee Movie2007
-
-
Despicable Me2010
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
73%
7.9/10Cats are supposed to have nine lives, and Puss in Boots has put that theory to the test across the Shrek movies and in his own spinoff films. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish begins with Puss facing an existential crisis as he discovers that he is down to his last life. And his initial response is to run away from who he is.
Puss’ last hope to reclaim his life of adventure is to find the legendary Wishing Star and reclaim the extra lives that he needs. However, many others want the Wishing Star as well, including some who may need it more than Puss himself.
Bee Movie (2007)
54%
6.1/10DreamWorks Animation recruited Jerry Seinfeld to headline Bee Movie as a literal bee, Barry B. Benson. Barry has the ability to speak to humans, and he breaks bee law by making friends with Vanessa Bloome (Renée Zellweger), which only angers Vanessa’s boyfriend, Ken (Patrick Warburton).
Barry’s time among humans leads him to the horrifying revelation that humanity has been exploiting bees for centuries. With Vanessa’s help, Barry challenges the status quo in court. Yet, even Barry isn’t ready for the consequences of his actions.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)
54%
6.1/10Bill Hader reprises his role as inventor Flint Lockwood in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. After getting to work for his idol, Chester V (Will Forte), Flint discovers that his malfunctioning food replicator is apparently still working and creating sentient food on the island.
Although Chester tells Flint to take care of the problem on his own, he brings his girlfriend, Sam Sparks (Anna Faris); his monkey, Steve (Neil Patrick Harris); and their friends “Chicken” Brent McHale (Andy Samberg), Manny (Benjamin Bratt), and Earl Devereaux (Terry Crews). However, it appears that Chester V has his own sinister agenda for the food replicator and its creations.
Despicable Me (2010)
72%
7.6/10As a supervillain, Gru (The Office‘s Steve Carell) has it all: Minions (Pierre Coffin) to do his bidding, a mad scientist named Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand) at his side, and grand plans to become the top bad guy in the world. In the original Despicable Me, Gru decides that the key to his life’s ambition is stealing the moon. But first, he needs to get past his rival, Vector (Jason Segel).
Part of Gru’s plan involves the unwitting assistance of three orphan sisters, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Elsie Fisher). To get their help, Gru even adopts the girls. He just didn’t count on genuinely caring for the sisters, even when his growing love for them threatens his ambitions.
Nimona (2023)
75%
7.7/10Nimona is an animated film that escaped cancellation in the wake of the Disney and Fox merger. It’s widely believed that the movie’s LGBT themes made Disney reluctant to go forward with the movie after the merger. However, Netflix had no problem with a leading man, Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), who is in love with another man, or a non-conforming heroine like Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz).
In a futuristic medieval world, Ballister is framed for murdering Queen Valerin (Lorraine Toussaint). While forced to go on the run, Ballister is befriended by Nimona. She may be Ballister’s last ally in the kingdom, but Nimona is more than she seems. And her secret could destroy her newfound friendship with Ballister.
Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
56%
6.5/10Although Gru (The Office‘s Steve Carell) was largely redeemed in the first Despicable Me movie, it’s fun to see his villainous side reemerge in the prequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru. And yet Gru still comes off as a lot better than Belle Bottom (Taraji P. Henson) and her group, the Vicious 6.
As a child in the ‘70s, Gru attempts to earn his way into the Vicious 6. Unfortunately for Gru and his loyal Minions (Pierre Coffin), he quickly alienates the Vicious 6. With those dangerous criminals now after his head, Gru’s only hope lies with Wild Knuckles (the late Alan Arkin), the man who used to lead the Vicious 6.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
59%
6.8/10Spinning out of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends TV series, Mr. Peabody and Sherman received their own movie, which was appropriately titled Mr. Peabody & Sherman. In this modernized version of the characters, Sherman (Max Charles) is the adoptive son of a super-intelligent dog, Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell). They even have time-travel adventures together.
While a Children’s Services agent, Edwina Grunion (Allison Janney), plots to take Sherman away from Peabody, the duo’s time travel adventure with Sherman’s classmate, Penny Peterson (Ariel Winter), has some very serious consequences in the present which threaten the entire world.
The Magician's Elephant (2023)
The Summit of the Gods (2021)
This gorgeously animated French-language film from director Patrick Imbert chronicles a Japanese photojournalist’s quest for the truth regarding a mysterious mountain climber and his connection to one of the first teams to attempt to climb Mount Everest.
A Cannes Film Festival darling praised for its beautiful visual achievement and compelling story, The Summit of the Gods is the rare adaptation of a Japanese manga series that does right by its source material — which was itself based on a 1998 novel by Baku Yumemakura. Fascinating and emotional, the film makes it tough not to be pulled along on the characters’ epic journey.
The Sea Beast (2022)
Chris Williams, the co-director of Disney’s Big Hero 6 and Moana, takes the helm on this animated high-seas adventure about a young girl who stows away on a famous monster-hunting ship, only to discover that everything she thought she knew about monsters and hunters might be wrong.
Zaris-Angel Hator portrays aspiring monster-hunter (and stowaway) Maisie, while Karl Urban voices legendary hunter Jacob Holland in this all-ages feature that’s exciting, funny, and much deeper than its premise suggests.
Bubble (2022)
This animated feature from Attack on Titan director Tetsuro Araki is set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo where a mysterious event has affected the laws of gravity, leaving strange bubbles and urban debris floating throughout the city. Skilled racers compete in parkour-like competitions for food and supplies, and when one gifted young man encounters a strange girl while exploring the epicenter of the gravity-twisting “bubble event,” their relationship changes the lives of everyone around them.
A gorgeous spectacle of sights and sounds, Bubble begs to be seen on a high-end entertainment system, as it delivers remarkably detailed scenes of the characters traversing the city and a powerful score that accentuates its most thrilling — and quietest — moments.
The Willoughbys (2020)
68%
6.4/10A family tale made for those who wish they could get away from their family, The Willoughbys is a Netflix original that has gone somewhat under the radar.
When the four Willoughby children are abandoned by their selfish parents, they must adapt to the contemporary world. Their old family was very old-fashioned, and now they have one mission in life: Become the ultimate modern family.
Klaus (2019)
65%
8.2/10Netflix’s first original animated feature film, Klaus is an alternative and entertaining Santa Claus origin story. When a selfish young postman is assigned to a remote Scandinavian town, his unlikely friendship with a recluse leads to the accidental creation of an incredible (and familiar) toymaker.
Klaus features the voice talent of Jason Schwartzman (who really carries the film), J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Norm MacDonald, and Joan Cusack. The film earned a 2020 Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.
Editors' Recommendations
- The best family movies on Netflix right now
- The best action movies on Netflix right now
- Best new movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max (HBO), and more
- The best shows on Hulu right now (August 2023)
- The best new shows to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Max (HBO), and more
