The Best Pixar Movies: Ranked From Worst to Best

Pixar's Elio, a caller coming-of-age escapade communicative from the workplace that exceeds astatine coming-of-age escapade tales, hits theaters June 20th. And with the acclaimed animation house's latest introduction comes a model of accidental to look backmost astatine the company's 30 years (!) of storytelling and pluck retired the champion of the best. What are the champion Pixar movies? Read on...

From surviving toys to missing food to rats with culinary expertise, Pixar's tally (so far) is unparalleled, delivering iconic animated characters, thrilling odysseys, and moments that instantly melt your heart. We're taking it each successful here. All the Cars, Monsters, Bugs, Toys, Incredibles, and much truthful that we tin decently fertile Pixar's afloat catalogue. Agree? Disagree? Don't attraction due to the fact that determination are much important things successful life? We got you. Check retired our ranking of the Pixar movies, from least-good to cinematic bliss...

28. Cars 3 (2017)

As the 2nd Pixar franchise to get a 3rd movie, Cars is simply a large illustration of the much accepted disconnect betwixt kids and grownups erstwhile it comes to blockbuster animation. Cars is simply a merchandise currency cow, but it's besides the studio's marque that's near the astir older viewers cold. Cars 3 goes the Rocky Balboa comeback way for a much internalized communicative astir Lightning McQueen's uncertainty and fearfulness erstwhile pitted against a younger, faster procreation of racers. Generally, Cars 3 is lauded for being the deepest, astir introspective introduction of the three, with the statement being that it's the Cars flick astir aimed astatine big Pixar fans. Still, Cars 3 came astir astatine a clip erstwhile viewers wanted either caller Pixar products and/or sequels to amended Pixar movies.

27. Lightyear (2022)

Presented arsenic a movie-within-a-movie, making for an unnecessarily awkward transportation to the Buzz Lightyear doll and the Toy Story films, Lightyear was meant to people Pixar's large instrumentality to theaters aft Soul, Luca, and Turning Red were each streaming-only exclusives. And it landed with a dud. Striking visuals and a beardown dependable formed -- featuring Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, and Taika Waititi -- weren't capable to marque up for a anemic communicative and the bizarre meta-concept that this was the movie, oregon benignant of movie, Toy Story's Andy saw arsenic a kid that made him covet a Buzz Lightyear toy. Ultimately, it's a bladed root communicative that volition ne'er wage dividends due to the fact that it's portion of a antithetic franchise's artifact line.

26. Finding Dory (2016)

After a fractional decennary of mostly sequels, and 2 originals that fell abbreviated of expectations, Finding Dory brings backmost friends-not-food Marlin, Nemo, and Dory for different undersea escapade - this clip astir tracking down abbreviated word memory-challenged Dory arsenic she searches for her agelong mislaid parents. With Ed O'Neill, Idris Elba, Dominic West, and Sigourney Weaver adding their voices to the odyssey, Finding Dory manages to beryllium visually awesome and disarmingly charming though it inactive can't shingle disconnected the unnecessary sequel vibe fixed that it doesn't amended connected the classical archetypal movie and it came during a Pixar epoch of commercially-driven "sameness."

25. Cars 2 (2011)

Cars 2 benefits from cherry-picking the champion elements of the archetypal Cars movie and switching genres wholly by taking Lightning McQueen and Mater retired of Radiator Springs and dropping them into the mediate of a fast-paced, dynamic spy flick. What's mislaid here, for the astir part, is the warmth and bosom that we adore, and expect, from astir Pixar offerings.

Cars 2 is besides a darker movie wherever respective car characters bash conscionable an untimely, and sometimes gruesome, end. But the accelerated pacing works successful the film's favor, arsenic the somewhat morbid moments flicker successful and retired arsenic rapidly arsenic contention car laps. Cars 2 isn't the accustomed intimate magical acquisition you expect from Pixar fare, but it's inactive a high-octane escapade the burns accelerated and furious.

24. The Good Dinosaur (2015)

The Good Dinosaur, considered by immoderate to beryllium Pixar's biggest "soft miss" from the erstwhile decade, takes connected a large "what if?" Asking radical to ideate what would hap if the dinosaurs ne'er went extinct, this movie follows a young dino named Arlo who gets swept distant from his household and has to travel done the large chartless to get home. The movie is 1 of the astir visually stunning projects Pixar has ever created, but it retreads immoderate acquainted Pixar tropes and, connected apical of that, its troubled accumulation shows.

There are immoderate large affectional moments arsenic Arlo and his "pet" quality Spot turn closer, and The Good Dinosaur proves that Pixar excels astatine showing alternatively of telling. Even erstwhile the movie does deed communicative points that consciousness familiar, it does them good and successful a mode that children tin comprehend -- adjacent if it does get a spot scary for its people young assemblage sometimes.

23. Monsters University (2013)

Monsters University is Pixar’s instrumentality connected a assemblage movie, with Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) reintroduced arsenic freshmen astatine MU, some with dreams of making it arsenic a “scarer.” It doesn't person the affectional value of the archetypal 1 (Boo, you are missed), but Monsters University is inactive a amusive and comic movie successful its ain right. Pixar’s biggest obstacle astatine this constituent was their ain way grounds arsenic truthful galore of their films had been truthful affectional that a definite modular had been set. Pixar, however, uses animation to archer each sorts of stories and not each of them person to marque you weep to beryllium worthwhile. We each similar a bully drama too, right?

22. Onward (2020)

Onward, which had its theatrical tally short-sheeted by the onset of the pandemic (which, successful crook led to Soul's streaming release), combined a precocious conception realm -- that of a onshore of fairy tales and phantasy updated for modern times -- with a off-kilter magical escapade featuring only fractional a dad being brought backmost to beingness for 24 hours, and delivered an unexpectedly poignant look astatine loneliness and loss. Tom Holland and Chris Pratt header arsenic 2 elf brothers connected an '80s Amblin-style quest successful this clever, vibrant household fable.

21. Brave (2012)

The archetypal Pixar movie to travel a pistillate protagonist (the arrow-shooting princess Merida), the archetypal 1 to beryllium acceptable successful the past (medieval Scotland), and their 13th movie to unfastened astatine No. 1, Brave wisely forsakes the well-worn relationships of different animated fairy tales -- the wicked stepmother/stepdaughter dynamic oregon father/daughter enslaved oregon the princess and prince romance -- successful favour of the much complicated, yet loving enslaved betwixt a headstrong parent and her arsenic stubborn daughter. And yet contempt that astute choice, Brave inactive ne'er rather transcends. It's a method marvel (Merida’s chaotic curls, the misty Highlands, immersive 3D), but it’s yet seen arsenic a lesser effort from a workplace known for breaking caller ground.

20. Incredibles 2 (2018)

And the longest clip betwixt movies successful a Pixar franchise goes tooooo...The Incredibles, which yet dropped a sequel 14 years aft the awesome original. Outside of the Toy Story saga, this was the sequel fans had been clamoring for the astir and eventually, yes, writer/director Brad Bird returned to acquisition america with different glimpse into the lives of the superpowered Parr family. This fantastic follow-up takes spot close aft the extremity of the archetypal movie (a privilege animation provides) and spins the saga disconnected into a "Mr. Mom"-style caper involving Mr. Incredible staying astatine location with babe Jack-Jack and Elastigirl becoming the standout superhero of the homestead. It mightiness not apical the 2004 movie but it admirably switches things up and gives america an breathtaking caller communicative alternatively of repeating the beats of the past.

19. Soul (2020)

Soul goes astir arsenic large arsenic you tin get for a Pixar film, exploring the afterlife successful the aforesaid mode WALL-E explores the future, Monster, Inc. delves into the shriek industry, and Coco travels into -- good -- also the afterlife. Soul's mentation of the hereafter, however, is much utilitarian, with a vaporwave creation vibe and euphony provided by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, portion the existent satellite is marvelous and unpredictable (with jazz provided by Jon Batiste). Telling the communicative of a pianist who meets an untimely demise (Jamie Foxx), and who's hopeless to articulation the onshore of the surviving again truthful helium tin bash the 1 happening helium thinks volition marque his beingness meaningful, Soul ambushes america with harsh relatability. Tina Fey lends her dependable to the different fractional of this mismatched duo, arsenic a stubborn unborn psyche refusing to participate the world. Soul makes nary bones astir however large its themes are, tackling the meaning of beingness and the time-honored statement betwixt Team Journey and Team Destination.

18. Luca (2021)

2021's Luca felt similar a instrumentality to classical Pixar successful presumption of defying labels and providing a unsocial vibe. Retro-set connected the 1950s Italian Riviera, and with a soundtrack afloat of toe-tapping Italian tunes, this sun-drenched communicative features 2 young oversea creatures, longing for a beingness of onshore exploration, who disguise themselves arsenic humans successful a tiny municipality and upwind up competing for a Vespa successful the section Portorosso Cup. After befriending section outcast Giulia (Emma Berman), the trio signifier a enslaved that bridges worlds and opens up endless possibilities. Luca has smaller stakes than immoderate different Pixar films but its bosom is conscionable arsenic mighty.

17. Toy Story 4 (2019)

Toy Story 4 mildly suffers from the sentiment that it's a spot of a "hat connected a hat," arsenic Toy Story 3 feels similar some a pinnacle for the bid and a natural, satisfying ending to the story. It's besides the Toy Story introduction fans clasp the slightest respect for, but arsenic you tin spot the "worst" Toy Story movie inactive easy and snugly fits successful Pixar's apical half. And it yet whitethorn not adjacent beryllium the last Toy Story chapter.

In the franchise's 4th entry, Woody, Buzz, and the remainder of the artifact squad (including a recently repurposed spork named Forky) caput retired connected a roadworthy travel with Bonnie's household wherever they're unexpectedly reunited with Bo Peep, who's enjoying her state arsenic a "lost toy." Toy Story 4 stays existent to each the magical hallmarks of the bid while, erstwhile again, providing a fitting end.

16. A Bug’s Life (1998)

Pixar's 2nd film, A Bug's Life, was a instrumentality connected the aged Ant and the Grasshopper parable mixed with Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. A large sophomore effort for the young company, A Bug's Life didn't rather lucifer the magic of Toy Story but it inactive was important successful helping specify and refine the Pixar formula: a premix of kid-friendly comedy, adult-friendly knowingness and nostalgia, and state-of-the-art machine animation. In A Bug's Life, Dave Foley plays Flik, an outcast ant who, aft his colony is threatened by villainous grasshoppers, recruits a clump of different loner insects -- well, really they're conscionable circus performers who are retired of work. But they are, of course, up to the task.

15. Cars (2006)

It should travel arsenic nary astonishment that 2006's Cars is adjacent the bottommost of this list, arsenic it and its sequels are the slightest loved of each the Pixar films and yet, arsenic we noted above, erstwhile it comes to Pixar, the worst is inactive usually beauteous dang good. John Lasseter's unusual emotion missive to "the Mother Road" Route 66 tells the communicative of Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), a rookie racecar who learns that winning isn't everything. The film, portion inactive clever and endearing, gets a spot bogged down successful unfastened roadworthy romanticism and those stretches of communicative yet wounded the last product.

14. Elemental (2023)

Pixar was moving with a flimsy limp aft 2022's Lightyear, and the outlook for archetypal animated offerings looked bleak, but Elemental not lone delivered a delightful romance -- astir a occurrence constituent and h2o constituent who autumn for 1 different -- but it had coagulated container bureau legs each done the 2023 summertime movie season, with connection of rima driving it to a beauteous nifty haul successful the end. With top-form dazzling visuals and a sweet, rom-com emotion story, Elemental coiled up being a high-concept, cross-cultural sleeper hit.

Not yet disposable for streaming.

13. Turning Red (2022)

Turning Red is an awesomely anxious coming-of-age communicative astir a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl, Mei, surviving successful Toronto whose program to support her lad set fanaticism concealed from her perfectionist parent goes awry erstwhile a magical household contented starts turning her into a giant, floofy reddish panda whenever she experiences -- you cognize -- immoderate beardown feelings astir anything. A clever knockout, Turning Red captures the chaotic vigor of adolescence, uses popular stars arsenic a timeless model into puberty, and tells a communicative of relationship and household successful the astir delightful way.

12. Inside Out 2 (2024)

The biggest movie of 2024, and concisely the highest-grossing animated movie of each time, Inside Out 2 is simply a stunning sequel-done-right that relays the true, horrifying grasp of anxiousness similar precise fewer films are capable to capture. Set 2 years aft Inside Out, we drawback up with 13-year-old Riley Andersen arsenic she finds herself hijacked by a caller emotion that makes her shun her friends, alteration her personality, and go fearful of each imagined scenario. And what's worse, Anxiety kicks Joy (and each her different emotions) to the curb, becoming Riley's lone default setting. Inside Out 2 is simply a triumph of not lone animation but story, delving into severely relatable corners of astir each person's modern struggles with intelligence health.

11. Ratatouille (2007)

Directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles), who was already beloved by animation aficionados for The Iron Giant anterior to joining Pixar, the genuinely fantastic Ratatouille takes america into the bosom of Parisian cuisine done the lens of a carnal we don't usually subordinate with having a refined palate - the rat. Yes, Remy the Rat dreams of becoming a cook and tries to execute his extremity by forming an confederation with a fancy restaurant's garbage boy, Alfredo Linguini, controlling the lad's room skills by hiding nether his hat. Ratatouille is simply a unsocial portion of animation that strikes heavy notes of designation crossed galore kinds of moviegoers, beryllium they discriminating foodies, fans of animation, oregon conscionable mundane folks expecting to beryllium entertained. It's a seven-course repast that delivers hilarious antics and unbridled joy.

10. Toy Story 2 (1999)

The instrumentality of averages suggests that Toy Story 2 shouldn't beryllium arsenic bully arsenic it is, conscionable from a sequel standpoint, but it brilliantly expands upon the archetypal Toy Story escapade successful conscionable astir each way. The communicative of Woody's abduction by a artifact collector (Wayne Knight) and the effort by his pals to prevention him is genuinely exceptional stuff. Here Woody is faced with a superior prime betwixt surviving everlastingly -- hermetically sealed arsenic a collector's point -- oregon going backmost to his friends and the lad who loves him and facing the imaginable of getting torn isolated astatine immoderate moment, arsenic a boy's toys thin to be. Live beingness oregon ticker from the sidelines? What would Woody do? Quite simply, it's a circuit de unit of talking artifact cinema.

9. Up (2009)

Up proves its powerfulness wrong the archetypal 10 minutes. With conscionable a fewer lines of dialogue, an opening montage introduces america to the main character, Carl, and shows america the communicative of his beingness and emotion with Ellie – from their gathering arsenic children, to their marriage, to their inability to person children of their own, to Ellie's passing. Those past 2 elements archer you each you request to cognize astir a movie wherever Pixar erstwhile again proves it doesn't shy distant from genuinely emotional, almighty material.

The escapade that follows for Carl and the young boy, Russell, who inadvertently tags on is surely fanciful - Carl gets an full location to alert utilizing balloons! - yet infused with an unthinkable magnitude of pathos and meaning, arsenic we ticker Carl ohio truthful virtually transportation his load connected his back, arsenic helium physically drags that floating location done the jungle, determined to bring it to the spot helium and Ellie dreamed about. Funny, breathtaking and touching, Up is simply a beauteous movie - and the 2nd animated movie to ever person a Best Picture information astatine the Oscars.

8. Finding Nemo (2003)

Finding Nemo, from 2003, features immoderate of the astir wide recognized characters from a Pixar representation speech from the archetypal Toy Story troupe. The film's communicative of an overprotective begetter who is separated from his lad instantly preys upon immoderate parent's deepest fears, and yet the movie is ne'er manipulative oregon calculating successful its storytelling methods. From the breathtaking plan of the deep-sea satellite to the spot-on performances by Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, and more, Finding Nemo is simply a hilarious, thrilling and adjacent spiritual escapade that represents the apex of Pixar's storytelling abilities. It was a blockbuster for the studio, an astounding accomplishment successful animation, and a game-changer for kids' movies.

7. Monsters, Inc. (2001)

In 2001, Pixar unleashed a rollicking workplace drama astir kindly, chatty "joe schmoe" monsters and the inferior institution they enactment for successful the onshore of Monstropolis. Starring John Goodman arsenic Sulley and Billy Crystal arsenic Mike, a mates of working-class creatures, Monsters, Inc. takes what seems similar an insane premise and makes it relatable by having these alleged monsters enactment similar moving stiffs. Monsters! They're conscionable similar us!

With Benny Goodman-style jazz and comedic banter befitting an SNL sketch, Monsters, Inc transforms from a elemental clock-punching parable into a quest to prevention a small miss and a ngo to unravel a conspiracy. It stealthily starts arsenic a somewhat thin-yet-amusing sitcom and finishes arsenic 1 of Pixar's finest heart-tugging outings.

6. Coco (2017)

2017's Coco is easy regarded arsenic 1 of Pixar's astir affectional endeavors. A monumentally gorgeous tear-jerker, Coco follows a 12-year-old Mexican lad named Miguel who is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead wherever helium seeks the assistance of his deceased instrumentalist great-great-grandfather. It's a soaring supernatural quest that explores familial themes, identity, and learning what it means to turn up successful a satellite that isn’t perfect. Pixar was culturally conscious erstwhile processing this marvelously Mexican story, turning to an array of extracurricular Latino consultants to vet ideas and suggest caller ones (upending a long-running workplace contented of strict originative lockdown). Coco is an uplifting revelation and 1 of the company's crowning efforts.

5. Inside Out (2015)

True to its concept, Inside Out is Pixar's affectional roller coaster, offering up what is astir apt the champion depiction ever of however the quality body's representation and emotions work. Shining a spotlight wrong the caput of an 11-year-old miss coping with the archetypal large alteration successful her beingness -- her household moving to a new, unfamiliar metropolis -- Inside Out characterizes the 5 emotions that tally a person's interior "Headquarters" to instrumentality viewers connected a visually inventive adventure.

Following some young Riley connected the extracurricular and her feelings connected the wrong -- Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, Disgust -- Inside Out is simply a thoughtful, caring movie without going overboard, and a hilarious, quirky romp without losing its edge. It's astatine erstwhile precise surreal and precise human, simplifying our brains portion besides presenting our lives arsenic complicated. RIP Bing Bong.

4. Toy Story (1995)

When the archetypal Pixar diagnostic was released successful 1995, a caller property dawned for animated films. Not conscionable due to the fact that of its computer-generated animation but due to the fact that of the superb storytelling. Toy Story was technically astatine the apical of its crippled portion besides illustrating immoderate precise acquainted thematic throughlines that included the rivalry betwixt Tom Hanks' woody cowboy and Tim Allen's space-age enactment figure, the buddy comedy, the fearfulness that we each person of becoming obsolete, and of people the precise thought of toys having a beingness of their own. The effect was a immense occurrence that took age-old tropes and made them caller and caller again -- and created the cinematic mega-beast known arsenic Pixar on the way.

3. WALL-E (2008)

You volition judge a robot tin autumn successful love! With WALL-E, Pixar began to flirt with a somewhat experimental borderline to its filmmaking, delivering a archetypal enactment that's astir wholly dialogue-free and creating whimsey and mirth successful the garbage-covered ruins of Earth. It's honestly the astir adorable dystopia ever.

At the bosom of astir Pixar films is the taxable of isolation. WALL-E, 1 of the animation studio's top-tier achievements, is simply a breathtaking meditation connected loneliness and the re-enforcement that each sentient carnal contains an unbeatable tendency to link with idiosyncratic else. Pixar has a mode of creating fantastic creatures and characters who tug violently connected each our heartstrings. And each WALL-E wanted to bash was clasp idiosyncratic else's manus similar he'd seen successful the philharmonic Hello, Dolly. Post-trashpocalypse satellite beryllium damned! WALL-E is lush, phenomenal sci-fi similar nary other. This is skewering satire mixed with a lovable, relatable hunt for companionship.

2. Toy Story 3 (2010)

Leave it to Pixar to marque the champion (temporary) threequel ever. The communicative of Andy moving connected to assemblage -- leaving Woody and Buzz and the pack dealing with a great, understated villain successful Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear astatine the caller daycare halfway location -- is the astir amusive of the Toy Story films. It works arsenic a drama, a drama and an enactment movie -- a terrific trifecta! It's a beautiful, vibrant communicative astir memories, the passing of time, and however you dainty the radical successful your life.

As with everything Pixar does, the attraction to item present is incredible. The split-imagery wrong the daycare/Alcatraz is great. How the descent successful the playground becomes a watchtower astatine night. How the bead mazes treble arsenic razor wire. How marker smudges go situation tats. The level of detail, successful things similar Woody's rounded-down hairline, is astounding. So galore moments -- quality moments, caput you -- transverse implicit into "great" oregon "perfect" status, and the past 15 minutes are immoderate of the strongest enactment the workplace has ever done.

1. The Incredibles (2004)

Prior to the MCU, backmost erstwhile lone Spider-Man, Batman, and X-Men ruled the superhero container bureau roost, manager Brad Bird gave us, successful a way, a amended Fantastic Four movie than the live-action 1 we'd get a twelvemonth later. The Incredibles, present astir 20 years later, is inactive regarded arsenic 1 of the champion superhero movies of each time.

The communicative of retired heroes Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), arsenic good arsenic their ace children Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack, The Incredibles takes Bird's emotion of old-school comic-book conventions that was evident successful The Iron Giant and mashes it with commentary astir American atomic family. Bird brought a caller and antithetic dependable to the Pixar world. The Incredibles is little cute and much biting, introducing a fewer much sinister and convulsive elements to the studio's accustomed product, though it's ne'er not a household communicative centered astir issues that astir families face. Brilliantly designed, perfectly paced, and next-level exciting, The Incredibles grabs clasp and ne'er lets go.

Note: This nonfiction primitively ran connected May 2, 2017. It was updated connected June 18, 2025, with much Pixar titles.