10 Best Sony Animated Movies, Ranked (KPop Demon Hunters Isn’t Even Top 3)

Sony Pictures Animation has become a major force in the animation world, consistently releasing popular and impactful films. They’re the studio behind big franchises like Hotel Transylvania, KPop Demon Hunters, and the Spider-Verse series, and are now competing with established leaders like Disney and DreamWorks. Here’s a ranking of the 10 best Sony Pictures Animation movies, from number 10 to number 1.

Sony Pictures Animation began its journey in 2006 with the release of Open Season, their first animated film and the launch of a successful franchise. In its early years, the studio produced movies like Surf’s Up, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and the live-action The Smurfs. However, the 2010s saw a downturn in their critical reception with films like Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania, Smurfs: The Lost Village, and The Emoji Movie. Thankfully, Sony Pictures Animation experienced a significant turnaround in the late 2010s and 2020s, transforming from a studio known for its missteps into one of the most highly regarded animation studios today.

10) Arthur Christmas

The 2011 film Arthur Christmas was a partnership between Sony Pictures Animation and Aardman, the studio known for the stop-motion classics Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. Despite Aardman’s history with stop-motion, Arthur Christmas was entirely computer-animated. While their previous venture into computer animation, Flushed Away, tried to capture Aardman’s distinctive look, Arthur Christmas didn’t resemble stop-motion at all, and this difference led to criticism when the film first came out.

After Arthur Christmas, Aardman Animations went back to making films using stop-motion animation, which relieved concerns that this technique might disappear. Looking at Arthur Christmas again, it’s a truly enjoyable film if you put aside the debate surrounding its animation style. The movie presents a fresh, military-style take on the traditional Santa Claus story – a tale that’s been told many times before. And the story of Arthur’s mission to deliver a forgotten gift is a sweet and focused narrative within the vast world of the North Pole.

9) Hotel Transylvania

The 2012 animated film Hotel Transylvania launched a very successful series for Sony Pictures Animation, and many fans still consider it the strongest entry. Directed by renowned animator Genndy Tartakovsky – known for shows like Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack – the movie showcases his signature dynamic character designs, inventive staging, and quick-paced comedy. It’s a wonderfully funny film that lovingly celebrates classic movie monsters, making it enjoyable for both children and adults.

8) The Pirates: Band of Misfits

Aardman’s 2012 film, The Pirates: Band of Misfits (also called The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!), marked a welcome return to their classic stop-motion animation and comedic style after Arthur Christmas. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable pirate adventure with all the expected tropes, and stands out as one of Sony Pictures Animation’s funniest movies.

7) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

I still have so much love for 2009’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! It was the first feature film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller – the same guys who’ve gone on to do amazing things in Hollywood. And what a debut it was! They really came out swinging with a ridiculously funny story packed with clever food puns. Honestly, it’s pretty much pure comedy, and doesn’t try to be overly serious or emotional, but it’s a super-fast, incredibly entertaining ride, and Bill Hader is just brilliant in it – one of his funniest roles, I think.

6) Goat

When Goat was first announced for 2026, many worried it would be a bad movie. The title felt like a silly pun, and the focus on Stephen Curry made it seem like a simple basketball story borrowing heavily from Zootopia. Fortunately, those concerns were unfounded. The film’s animation is truly excellent, especially the creative animal character designs. It also tells a classic underdog story effectively, and the voice acting from its famous cast is surprisingly good.

5) Surf’s Up

Released in 2007, Surf’s Up is Sony Pictures Animation’s oldest film on this list and is widely considered one of their best early works. What makes Surf’s Up special is its unusual combination of traditional animation with the style of a mockumentary—it’s presented as a documentary crew following a penguin who travels from Antarctica to compete in a surfing contest. This unique approach was a bold move for the studio at that time, and it really sets the film apart.

Despite being released around the same time as popular penguin movies like Happy Feet and Madagascar, Surf’s Up distinguished itself with its original character designs. The animation still looks impressive today, especially considering how much water is featured in the film. While not flawless, it was the studio’s strongest film in years and remains an enjoyable watch.

4) KPop Demon Hunters

When KPop Demon Hunters came out in 2025, it quickly became a huge success. While many expected a K-Pop animated film to do well, this movie exceeded all expectations and is considered one of the most impactful animated films of the decade. It’s packed with exciting action, impressive animation, and a well-developed world, but the standout feature is definitely the amazing soundtrack. The story is fairly straightforward, which allows the movie’s vibrant style and energy to really shine through – and that’s what makes KPop Demon Hunters so enjoyable.

3) The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Everyone was impressed when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse demonstrated Sony Pictures Animation’s potential, but some wondered if it was a one-time success. Thankfully, the 2021 film The Mitchells vs. the Machines showed that Sony was consistently creating high-quality animated movies.

This movie is beautifully animated and genuinely funny. It’s a fast-moving, family-friendly story that’s both a blast to watch and surprisingly touching. The heartwarming relationship between a father and daughter remains the focus, even with all the exciting action and, yes, giant Furbys! Many consider The Mitchells vs. the Machines to be Netflix’s best animated film, and that’s a testament to the talented team at Sony Pictures Animation.

2) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

It’s rare for a sequel to be better than the original, but Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse definitely exceeded expectations. Not only did it improve on the already stunning animation of the first film, but it also featured another fantastic soundtrack by Daniel Pemberton. This movie tells a much bigger story than the first one, though the conclusion won’t arrive until the next installment is released. It’s hard to say which Spider-Verse film is better – the only slight drawback to Across is that it doesn’t fully resolve the story.

1) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Sony Pictures Animation has created many films, but 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is widely considered their best. It arrived after a period of less successful movies for the studio, so people weren’t expecting much. However, being based on such a famous superhero also meant the film was almost guaranteed to be popular with audiences.

Thankfully, Into the Spider-Verse is a truly amazing film. Its stunning and completely original animation style has already inspired other movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and even KPop Demon Hunters. The story of Miles Morales becoming Spider-Man is both complex and deeply moving, and the music by Daniel Pemberton is incredible. Many consider Into the Spider-Verse to be the best movie from Sony Pictures Animation, the best Spider-Man film ever made, and one of the greatest animated movies of all time.

2026-06-05 00:16