The Best Animations of 2024

For Polish animation, however, it was a completely different story, as Diplodocus came out, and for us, it represents a huge step forward in the development of feature-length animated films. Below, you will find the best animations of all, among which is this one – Polish. What’s more, compared to the rest, it seems to be one of the better ones, and that is already a brilliant achievement. It is, above all, not formulaic, while the rest still comfortably rely on tried and tested genre templates. Of course, they do this masterfully, but it is always a form of imitation, not trailblazing.

Diplodocus, dir. Wojtek Wawszczyk

I feel surprised and moved by the screening. I also have the sense that it doesn’t matter whether I praise the script, the electro-style music, the animation, the personality of Hokus Pokus, the live-action cinematography by Piotr Sobociński Jr., the voice acting of Mikołaj Wachowski, Borys Szyc, Małgorzata Kożuchowska, and Arkadiusz Jakubik, the idea behind the resolution of Biała, the greedy moth, the lost mouse in the comic, the editing of the live-action parts with the animated ones, and I could keep listing for a long time. Tadeusz Baranowski can be proud of himself for having drawn such wonderful comics, and Wojciech Wawszczyk can be proud that he got the chance to direct this animation based on them.

The Wild Robot, dir. Chris Sanders

At first, I thought, at least after seeing the teaser, that this would be another sentimental story about a robot trying to simulate human emotions at all costs. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Wild Robot is a wise parable teaching respect for the environment, and the robotic form of the main character is just a device to make it easier for the viewer to enter a world of more complex, psychologically intricate storytelling. It turned out brilliantly, and aesthetically – even better.

Inside Out 2, directed by Kelsey Mann

I admit I didn’t think that introducing new emotions would add so much to this story. For today’s generation of children, who sometimes struggle with waves of anxiety and depression, but also with new feelings coming from their changing bodies, this is a clever solution. The film is funny, empathetic, and quite clever in portraying teenage feelings of shyness, jealousy, low self-esteem, and the clash between expectations and reality. I would therefore recommend it to every parent as a great guide to talking about emotions.

Flow, directed by Gints Zilbalodis

So, the world came to an end, and only pets survived. The main character is a black cat, who struggles to keep from drowning. Eventually, it finds shelter with a dog in a boat led by… a capybara. As they drift through the endless post-apocalyptic world, they make friends with someone else, of course, in animal form. Zilbalodis’s film is entirely devoid of dialogue, which made space for expressive drawings. Danger is everywhere in the fallen world, and sometimes even on the boat. The viewer, even without words, feels the tension, unable to look away from the screen, even though there are no humans in it.

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, directed by Liza Johnson

The title will certainly be important for every SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs fan. It keeps the vibe of the old stories, when the cartoon was just a regular animated show. Now, it has become 3D animation, so for some older viewers, it has lost its soul. Fortunately, not for everyone. This time, SpongeBob has to go to wild Texas to save his city. It will be a peculiar journey, seasoned with the characteristic humor of the whole series. It also does not appeal to everyone.

Orion and the Dark, directed by Sean Charmatz

This story is about how to overcome fear. Many of us are unable to conquer childhood fears, even though we are almost fifty years old. So it’s hard to blame Orion. Adults catalyze his fears. Because of them, he is afraid of radiation, phones, bees, and, above all, real life. Darkness then haunts him to help him understand the difference between imagined fear and what can actually harm him. To stop being afraid, one must accept what is unfathomable.

Transformers One, directed by Josh Cooley

It’s strange, really strange. While the live-action franchise has more or less eaten its own tail, suddenly an animated film appears, returning to the origins of the saga to restore the story’s former glory. And it does this in an amazing way. Perhaps it’s because of the animation? Its stylization camouflages the imperfections and naiveté that were too visible in the live-action versions? In one sentence: highly recommended animation.