March is a big month for DreamWorks Animation movies on Netflix, with three different titles either returning or making their streaming premiere. The newest addition is Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, a film that’s making the kind of splash on Netflix that it failed to make in theaters. And just in time for Kung Fu Panda 4, Kung Fu Panda 3 is enjoying a resurgence in popularity on Netflix. Finally, Turbo is back on Netflix, and also back on Netflix’s most popular movie chart.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie remains extremely popular on Netflix four months after its release, and fans can still stream last year’s blockbuster hit, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,as well. So if you love the animation medium, there’s a lot to enjoy in our roundup of 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+.
-
Kung Fu Panda 32016 -
-
Turbo2013
Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) new
For the third installment of the franchise, Po (Jack Black) is called upon to become a teacher and follow in the footsteps of Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), even though he seems unsuitable for the role. Kung Fu Panda 3 also reunites Po with his biological father, Li Shan, voiced by Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston.
Po and Li Shan’s instant bond causes some jealousy from Po’s adopted father, Mr. Ping (James Hung). However, that trio soon discovers that they have much bigger problems, because a villain named Kai (J.K. Simmons) has escaped from the spirit realm. Po’s only hope to defeat Kai is for Li Shan to teach him how to channel chi, but Li Shan is keeping a secret that may drive a wedge between them.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) new
Life’s not a beach for the title character of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. In fact, Ruby (Lana Condor) isn’t even supposed to get in the water, due to a rule imposed by her strict mother, Agatha Gillman (Toni Collette). Ruby only discovers the reason why after she saves the life of a boy that she likes named Connor (Jaboukie Young-White). The ocean water triggers a transformation that turns Ruby into a giant kraken.
This is the legacy that Ruby has inherited from Grandmamah (Jane Fonda), and she also discovers that her people, the krakens, have a long-standing feud with mermaids. But the only mermaid that Ruby knows is Chelsea Van Der Zee (Annie Murphy), who is eager to be friends with her. However, there are secrets under the sea that Ruby doesn’t know yet, and they could prove to be devastating for her family and the world.
Turbo (2013) new
DreamWorks Animation’s Turbo features Ryan Reynolds in the leading role as Theo, an ordinary garden snail whose dreams are too big for the backyard. Inexplicably, Theo is obsessed with speed and a big fan of Indy 500 champion Guy Gagné (Bill Hader). Theo’s brother, Chet (The Holdovers‘ Paul Giamatti), doesn’t share his interests, but both siblings are torn from heir ordinary lives when Theo gets super speed from a freak accident.
After meeting and befriending some humans, Theo renames himself Turbo and demonstrates that he’s faster than almost any car. This earns Turbo a chance to directly compete against Guy, which will give Turbo the unfortunate lesson of why it’s not a good idea to meet your heroes.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022)
The viral Marcel the Shell with Shoes On videos headed to the big screen in 2022, with co-creators Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate collaborating on the script and starring in the film. Fleischer Camp’s character is also named Dean, and he’s one of the live-action people who exists alongside the animated Marcel (Slate), a childlike shell who lives with his grandmother, Nana Connie (Isabella Rossellini).
Dean quickly befriends Marcel and begins making short films following his daily life that become big hits online. In a case of art imitating life, Marcel suddenly becomes world famous. Yet, the only thing that Marcel really wants is to reunite with his lost family. That task seems impossible for such a small shell, but never bet against the size of Marcel’s heart.
Orion and the Dark (2024)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind screenwriter Charlie Kaufman may seem like an odd choice to adapt Emma Yarlett’s children’s novel Orion and the Dark, but Kaufman and director Sean Charmatz have delivered one of Netflix’s best original animated films to date. There’s also a very good chance that it could be a contender when next year’s Oscar season comes around.
The film follows Orion (Jacob Tremblay), a kid who is frightened out of his mind by just about everything, especially the dark. Over time, this becomes very annoying to Dark (Black Bird‘s Paul Walter Hauser), the literal embodiment of darkness. And in a conciliatory gesture, Dark not only reveals himself to Orion, he also offers to help him conquer his fears by taking him on an unforgettable adventure that may change both of their lives.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
Following the success of the first film, How To Train Your Dragon 2 begins with the Vikings of Berk living harmoniously with dragons in an era of peace. Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) helped bring about this new era, and he’s living the dream with his fiancée, Astrid Hofferson (Barbie’s America Ferrera), while his father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), grooms him to become the tribe’s new leader.
But not everyone wants to live in times of peace. The warlord Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou) wants to conquer the world with his dragon army, and he’s also got a way to bring Berk’s dragons under his control. While attempting to find Drago and reason with him, Hiccup discovers that his long lost mother, Valka Haddock (Cate Blanchett), is still alive. And Valka’s knowledge about dragons may be Berk’s only hope to survive the war with Drago’s forces.
Minions (2015)
All the Minions want to do is serve the most evil humans alive. Is that so wrong? Well, it is the way they do it! Minions is a Despicable Me spinoff that reveals just how lucky Gru has been over the years because almost all of his predecessors were killed by the incompetence of these little yellow nincompoops (all of whom are voiced by Pierre Coffin).
In 1968, three Minions — Kevin, Stuart, and Bob — go out and search for a new master to serve. They soon settle on Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock), the world’s first female supervillain. Regardless, the trio of Minions soon wreck things by making an enemy out of Scarlet herself, and she’s not the forgiving type.
Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild (2021)
Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild is a prequel to the Capcom video game Monster Hunter: World, and a primer for this universe where humanity and monsters co-exist, but not without conflict. The story follows a teenager named Aiden (Dante Basco), whose life is saved by a veteran Monster Hunter named Julius (Brando Eaton).
Julius also carries a warning for Aiden and his village that a massive Elder Dragon is heading their way, and it may destroy everything that they hold dear. Rather than retreat, Aiden rallies the village to battle the dragon as he and Julius look for additional allies to join the fight.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
2023’s biggest animated hit, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is making the leap to Netflix, at least for the next few months. In this reimagining of the titular brothers, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are struggling plumbers in Brooklyn who accidentally discover a pipe that takes them to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Luigi is separated from Mario and captured by the evil King Bowser (Jack Black). Fortunately for Mario, he partners up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) on a mission to rescue his brother and rally support for the Princess in the coming war against Bowser.
Leo (2023)
If you’re old enough to remember Adam Sandler’s animated film, Eight Crazy Nights, rest assured that Leo is a much better movie. Sandler stars as the voice of Leo, a tuatara who has lived as a fifth-grade classroom pet for 74 years. But when Leo learns that his life expectancy is only 75 years, he decides that he needs to be free for his last year.
What Leo doesn’t realize is that the students in his classroom really do care about him. And once Leo accidentally exposes the fact that he can talk and understand English, the students embrace him as a key part of their lives. Now, Leo can either embrace their love or escape as he originally planned to do.
Wish Dragon (2021)
If you think that Wish Dragon seems suspiciously like Aladdin, then you aren’t wrong. They share very similar stories, but they are not exact copies. The film is set in modern Shanghai, and follows Din Song (Jimmy Wong), a struggling college student who discovers an all-powerful wish dragon named Long (John Cho). And it turns out that as Long’s tenth and final master, Din can set him free by making three wishes.
All Din really wants is to reconnect with his childhood flame, Li Na Wang (Ahsoka’s Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and win her heart. Yet the temptation of three wishes means that some very bad men want to take Long away from Din, by any means necessary.
The Boxtrolls (2014)
The biggest advantage that The Boxtrolls has is that there’s not really anything else like it on Netflix. It takes place in an alternate version of Victorian Europe where creatures called Boxtrolls secretly turn humanity’s waste into useful objects. Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright) is a little big for a Boxtroll, but that’s because he’s actually a human who was adopted by Fish (Dee Bradley Baker) when he was a baby.
The Boxtrolls are so deeply vilified by the humans that Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) has been empowered to catch and exterminate them all. When Snatcher captures Fish, Eggs sets out to rescue his adoptive father and makes his first human friend, Winifred “Winnie” Portley-Rind (Elle Fanning). Eggs also discovers clues about who he really is and the identity of his biological father.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
In the highly-anticipated sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) find themselves at turning points in their lives that could have grave consequences for the entire multiverse. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse doesn’t just up the stakes, it also features the best superhero story of 2023.
Without meaning to, Miles has antagonized a would-be supervillain, The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), into becoming a genuine threat to the Spider-Men and Spider-Women from across all of the worlds. However, the most alarming revelation is that Miles faces a personal tragedy if he can’t prevent The Spot from fulfilling his destiny.
The Angry Birds Movie (2016)
After spawning a wildly successful video game series, the Angry Birds get cinematic in The Angry Birds Movie. This animated film acts as an origin story for Red (Ted Lasso‘s Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), and Bomb (Danny McBride), as their collective anger issues have left them as outcasts on Bird Island.
The birds’ quiet life on the island is interrupted by the arrival of Leonard Mudbeard (Bill Hader) a.k.a. King Pig. Despite Red’s warnings that Mudbeard and the pigs can’t be trusted, his predictions are ignored. And if you thought that Red was angry before, just wait until he learns what the pigs really want to do to Bird Island.
Storks (2016)
Have you ever wondered why storks don’t deliver babies anymore? The Storks animated movie answers that question, and the blame falls squarely on Junior (Andy Samberg), a stork who became too attached to a baby girl named Tulip and adopted her as his own child. Subsequently, the storks formed their own version of Amazon called Cornerstore and they got out of the baby delivery business.
As an adult, Tulip (Katie Crown) doesn’t fit in with the storks or at Cornerstore. She also accidentally creates a baby girl whom she calls Diamond Destiny. To hide her mistake, Tulip and Junior decide to find a human family to take care of Diamond. At the same time, Tulip hopes to reunite with her own biological family.
A Whisker Away (2020)
It should never be forgotten that many of the best animated movies in the world come from Japan. The anime film, A Whisker Away, was released in the U.S. as a Netflix original, and it really does stand out among the more family-oriented films on this list. In this movie, Miyo “Muge” Sasaki (Mirai Shida) is a young Japanese girl who is hopelessly in love with her classmate, Kento Hinode (Natsuki Hanae).
Miyo is heartbroken when Hindode doesn’t return her feelings, which is why she accepts a magic mask that transforms her into a cat named Tarō. As Tarō, Miyo finally receives the love and affection that she desires from Hinode. But if Miyo isn’t careful, she may be trapped as a cat for the rest of her life.
The Monkey King (2023)
Netflix never lets a summer go by without a few blockbusters of its own. The Monkey King is Netflix’s big animated movie of the season, and it takes a very famous Chinese novel and adds new life to it. Jimmy O. Yang stars as Monkey, the brash young monkey who defies the Dragon King (Fire Island‘s Bowen Yang) and steals a weapon from him in order to face a demon and win the adoration of his tribe.
After Monkey declares himself the Monkey King, a young girl named Lin (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) volunteers to work as his assistant. However, Lin has a dark secret and the Dragon King is out for revenge on Monkey for stealing from him. And if Monkey isn’t careful, he may find himself alone during the fight of his life.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Cats 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.
Nimona (2023)
Nimona 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.
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)
A 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.
a Jones” directors=”Sergio Pablos” movie_db_logo=”true” imdb_id=”tt4729430″ imdb_parsed_rating_score=”8.2″
Klaus (2019)
Netflix’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 hidden gems on Netflix right now
- The best romantic comedies on Netflix right now
- The best Hulu original series right now
- The best new shows to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Max (HBO), and more
- The 50 best movies on Netflix right now (March 2024)
