This year is quickly coming to an end, but before we jump into the 2026 movie calendar, I wanted to take a look back at the past 12 months to see what I’ve enjoyed and what I’ll remember about this era of entertainment. It’s funny how certain trends can become clear when viewed in hindsight, and that’s what happened to me when going through the 100 new releases I watched in 2025. Of all of the different genres I ingested, I was surprised at how many animated movies were amongst my favorites.
I wouldn’t even count myself as a huge fan of animation. My children are in the pre-teen/teen stages, and if I never see another Minion, it’ll be too soon. Of course, I’m not against any movie — children’s or otherwise — that is smart and entertaining, but I was still pretty shocked that two of my absolute favorite flicks this year were animated — KPop Demon Hunters and Love Me. Let’s discuss those and what I think were some of the other best animated movies of 2025.
