Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is ultimately a triumph of both the animation craft and of storytelling, though, more than deserving of a place among the greats.
Song of the Sea
Anyone looking for an excellent coming-of-age tale that also has poignant themes and gorgeous animation will be hard pressed to find many films better than this one, cementing its place among the cinematic greats.
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast offers a familiar but fresh take on the timeless fairy tale, delivering production excellence and compelling character arcs that earn the film a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Son of the White Mare
Son of the White Mare offers a visually engaging and traditionally enriching exploration of folklore and the stories of the steppe peoples, earning a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time as it does so.
The Seventh Seal
Altogether, The Seventh Seal offers a rich examination of death, mortality, human relationships, and religion without doing too much to answer any of its posed questions, instead offering partial answers and stunning visuals to engage the audience and earn a place of greatness along the way.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs earns its spot among the greats thanks to its phenomenal feats of animation, iconic character designs, and classic music that all bolster the film’s watchability.
Demon Slayer: Mugen Train
Between its phenomenal scenes of combat, compelling worldbuilding, and beautiful animation style, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train offers itself as a film for anyone interested in dark fantasy, fast-paced action, and/or anime drama, earning itself a spot among the greats in the process.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
What could easily have been a cheap attempt at using nostalgia to build an audience ends up being the powerful denouement of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker’s hero’s journey, accentuated by strong performances, fun moments, and gripping action that make Spider-Man: No Way Home one of the Best Films of All Time.
Kubo and the Two Strings
Kubo and the Two Strings wins you over by combining familiar and engaging visuals with new and unexpected twists on the norms of children’s, animated, and fantasy storytelling to create a unique film about story, family, and memory worthy of a place among the greats.
Midnight in Paris
Midnight in Paris utilizes its nostalgia to remind its audience that the present has just as much to offer as the past if only we choose to pursue it, a worthy entry into the annals of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Sita Sings the Blues
Paley’s blend of animation styles go a long way in keeping the film engaging, but it’s really the actual retelling of the Ramayana that give Sita Sings the Blues the edge that it needs to earn a place among the greats.
Ernest & Celestine
While its animation and style would make for a great film on their own, Ernest & Celestine’s message of overcoming prejudices in order to forge bonds of friendship that lead to the cultivation of one another’s strengths makes it a film worthy of all-time great status.
My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro checks so many of the boxes for what makes a film good: from its animation and music to its story and themes, Miyazaki gives audiences a gloriously fun film that is sure to touch the hearts of anyone who watches it.
Petite Maman
With Petite Maman, Céline Sciamma tells a simple story full of profound truths about family and grief and loss that begs its audience to care for the humans around them with a sense of openness and understanding, earning itself a spot among the greats in the process.
The Spirit of the Beehive
Erice’s tactful breakdown of fascist ideals and culture in The Spirit of the Beehive takes this film from being just a charming, if tragic, coming-of-age tale and makes it into something great, an critique of a modern political regime against the backdrop of a charming, if tragic, coming-of-age tale.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
The film’s ability to portray truth in simplicity while giving its audience a heartfelt and moving story in the form of a silly mockumentary about a shell with shoes allows Marcel the Shell with Shoes On to rise above its premise and achieve film greatness.
