MomSkoop
Disney gets a lot of love, but plenty of other studios make animated films that are just as magical. Some are funny, some are spooky, and some will make you cry happy tears.
Here is a list of movies from around the world that deserve a spot on your screen. Grab a snack and get ready to find your next favorite.
1. The Iron Giant (1999)
A boy, a giant robot, and a small town full of worry make for one unforgettable story.
Hogarth, a curious nine-year-old, finds a huge metal visitor who has fallen from space and chews on metal for snacks.
Set in 1957, the film mixes cozy small-town charm with real fears about the Cold War.
Vin Diesel voices the robot, and his few simple words hit hard.
The story asks a big question: are you what you were built to be, or what you choose to be?
Keep tissues close, because the ending is a real tearjerker.
Families, movie nights, and robot fans will all find something to love here.
2. Anastasia (1997)
Hum along if you like, because the songs in this film stick in your head for days.
Anya is a teen with no memory of her past, and she sets off for Paris hoping to find her family.
Two clever con men help her, planning to pass her off as the lost Russian princess.
Along the way, real friendship grows between the three travelers.
Fun fact: the movie was made by Fox Animation Studios, not Disney, though many people mix them up.
With a spooky villain named Rasputin and a bat sidekick, it gives you adventure, romance, and mystery in one sparkling package.
3. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Few cartoons dare to part the Red Sea on screen, yet this one does it with jaw-dropping style.
DreamWorks took the story of Moses and turned it into a grand musical about two brothers pulled apart by fate.
Hundreds of artists worked on the film, mixing hand-drawn art with early computer effects.
The huge stone statues and rolling desert scenes look like moving paintings.
Songs like When You Believe won an Academy Award and still give people goosebumps.
Thoughtful and serious, the story gives older kids and grown-ups plenty to talk about afterward.
4. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Hiccup is small, clumsy, and nothing like his strong, loud Viking dad.
After he catches a rare dragon called Toothless, he cannot bring himself to hurt it.
Instead, he learns its secrets, and a beautiful friendship takes off.
The flying scenes feel like a roller coaster, with swooping clouds and glowing sunsets.
Composer John Powell wrote a soaring score that makes every flight feel huge.
Underneath the action is a lesson about listening before judging, which is a good one for everybody.
5. Coraline (2009)
Buttons for eyes.
Just thinking about it gives some people the shivers.
Coraline moves to a gloomy new house and finds a tiny door that leads to a world where her Other Mother seems perfect.
Of course, nothing is as sweet as it looks.
The film is made with stop-motion puppets, and each tiny set was built by hand, which gives it a handmade glow.
Based on a book by Neil Gaiman, it is creepy but never gross.
Brave kids and grown-ups who love a good chill will enjoy it.
Watch it with the lights on, just in case.
6. The Secret of Kells (2009)
Open this film and it feels like stepping inside an old storybook.
Brendan lives in an abbey behind tall walls, safe from raiders, until a master illuminator arrives with a precious unfinished book.
Soon, the boy wanders into a forest where danger and wonder hide behind every tree.
A mischievous fairy named Aisling becomes his guide.
The art is flat, bold, and covered in swirling Celtic patterns, like a living manuscript.
It was nominated for an Oscar, and it is easy to see why.
Quiet and strange in the best way, it proves that art itself can be an adventure.
7. Song of the Sea (2014)
Some stories feel like a lullaby, and this is one of them.
Ben and his little sister Saoirse live in a lighthouse, and Saoirse has never spoken a word.
Then they learn she is a selkie, a seal who can become a human.
A magical trip begins as the pair race to save Irish spirits from a stony spell.
The watercolor look is soft and dreamy, with circles and spirals everywhere.
Music is a big part of the plot, and the singing is gorgeous.
It treats sadness gently, teaching that grief can be shared and healed together.
8. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Origami that comes alive is reason enough to press play.
Kubo plays a magical instrument, and when he strums it, folded paper dances into heroes and monsters.
Hunted by his spooky relatives, he teams up with a stern monkey and a goofy beetle samurai.
Together they hunt for a legendary suit of armor.
Behind the scenes, the studio Laika spent years building this stop-motion world, including a giant skeleton puppet that stood over sixteen feet tall.
The film blends humor, danger, and heart without rushing any of them.
It is also a beautiful tale about memory and family.
9. Spirited Away (2001)
“Don’t look back” might be the best advice in movie history.
Chihiro is sulking in the back seat when her parents take a wrong turn and find an empty town that comes alive at night.
After her parents turn into pigs, she must work in a bathhouse for spirits to save them.
Every room hides something odd, from stink spirits to a quiet, masked ghost called No-Face.
Hayao Miyazaki directed it, and it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
It is full of wonder, yet it is also about growing braver step by step.
Expect to spot new details every time.
10. The Road to El Dorado (2000)
Two buddies, one lucky dice roll, and a map to a city made of gold: what could possibly go wrong?
Miguel and Tulio are fast-talking scammers who sneak onto a ship and end up in a hidden land.
The locals think the pair are gods, which is a nice problem to have until it gets complicated.
Their friendship is tested as the lie grows bigger.
Elton John wrote the songs, and they give the film a breezy, toe-tapping feel.
Some jokes are cheeky, so it fits best for older kids and teens.
Pack your sense of humor and enjoy a goofy treasure hunt.
11. Wolfwalkers (2020)
Every frame looks like it was sketched with colored pencils and a lot of love.
Robyn, a young hunter in 1600s Ireland, wants to help her father kill the wolves in the forest.
Then she meets Mebh, a free-spirited girl who turns into a wolf when she sleeps.
Their friendship pulls Robyn away from the walled town and toward the wild.
The film comes from Cartoon Saloon, the same team behind Song of the Sea.
Tight town scenes look straight and boxy, while the woods swirl with curves.
That clever contrast shows how different freedom and control can feel.
12. The Book of Life (2014)
Marigolds, guitars, and skeletons that know how to party fill this bright adventure.
Manolo loves music but his family wants him to be a bullfighter, and he is stuck between two dreams.
When a bet between two godlike rulers sends him through the afterlife, he has to fight for his friends and his village.
His rivals are his childhood pals, Maria and Joaquin.
Everything looks like carved wooden toys, painted in shiny colors.
The soundtrack mixes pop songs with Latin flavor in a fun surprise.
Guillermo del Toro helped produce it, and his love for Day of the Dead shows in every scene.
13. ParaNorman (2012)
Norman sees dead people, and honestly, they are usually chatty and harmless.
His living neighbors, though, think he is just weird.
When an old curse threatens the town of Blithe Hollow, only Norman can stop it.
Zombies rise, grown-ups panic, and a ragtag team of kids tags along.
It is funny and spooky, with a surprising twist that is kind and sad.
The film also contains a heartfelt message about treating others with understanding instead of fear.
Laika used 3D printed faces to give the puppets thousands of expressions.
Look closely, and you will catch many horror movie jokes tucked in.
14. The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
Road trips are messy, and this one has robots.
Katie Mitchell is a filmmaker who is heading off to college, and her dad wants one last family trip to bring everyone closer.
Then technology goes rogue, and the Mitchells become the last hope for humankind.
Their secret weapons are weirdness, love, and a very confused pug named Monchi.
The animation is wild, with doodles, memes, and sparkles popping up on screen.
Jokes fly at lightning speed, so you might want to rewatch it.
Underneath the silliness is a warm story about how families can be different and still understand each other.
15. Nimona (2023)
Ever wish you could turn into a gorilla or a shark whenever you wanted?
Nimona can, and she does it with a big grin.
She barges into the life of Ballister, a knight who has been framed for a terrible crime.
Together, the odd pair try to clear his name and expose the truth about their kingdom.
The setting mixes castles with glowing screens and flying machines, which makes it look unlike anything else.
It began as a webcomic by ND Stevenson, and fans cheered when it found a home on Netflix.
Funny, wild, and emotional, it has a message about being proud of who you are.
16. Klaus (2019)
What if Santa began as a grumpy woodcarver in a frozen, feuding town?
That is the fun idea here.
Jesper, a spoiled postman, is sent to a gloomy island to prove himself.
He finds that the two clans hate each other so much that nobody writes letters.
His plan to deliver toys to kids changes everything, bit by bit.
The hand-drawn art uses special lighting that makes characters look sculpted, almost like a pop-up book.
Snowy scenes glow in warm tones.
By the end, small acts of kindness grow into something huge.
It is a holiday film worth watching even when it is not December.
17. The Wild Robot (2024)
Rozzum unit 7134, or Roz, wakes up on a wild island with no instructions.
She is built to help, so she studies the animals to learn how.
When she accidentally ends up caring for an orphaned gosling named Brightbill, her programming starts to feel a lot like love.
Lupita Nyong’o gives Roz a voice that is calm and warm.
The scenery looks like a moving oil painting, with misty mornings and glowing leaves.
Based on the book by Peter Brown, the story covers survival, belonging, and what it means to be a parent.
It is exciting and moving, and it earned lots of praise from critics and families alike.