This past year wasn’t necessarily an all-timer year when it came to the field of feature animation; Pixar wasn’t on their A-game, DreamWorks didn’t step in to fill that void, and Disney rang in their centennial with yet another misfire. But there are always gems to be found outside the mainstream Hollywood studios (and, more impressively, gems to be found within those rigid confines), and 2023 certainly had its share of films continuing to prove that animation is a storytelling medium just as worthy of respect as any other. There were, of course, certain animated films that slipped our grasp before the making of this post (Robot Dreams, premiering back at May’s Cannes Film Festival, continues to be just out of reach, teasing us with what would probably be an easy spot in this ranking), but regardless, five animated films stood out proudly from the rest. Here is our countdown of the top 5 animated films of 2023.
5. Nimona
If Netflix is good at anything, it’s rescuing promising animated films from the verge of death. Just two years after they scooped up the distribution rights for The Mitchells vs The Machines from a pandemic-wary Sony, the streaming giant once again stepped in to reanimate (pun intended) the sci-fi fantasy film Nimona when Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox left original animator Blue Sky Studios on the chopping block. Boasting creative, bubbly colourization to match the film’s genre mishmash of medieval futurism, the film offers a good-natured reflection on friendship, love and false impressions; it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but the film’s vibrant punk rock attitude gives these familiar themes a refreshing spin.
4. The Peasants
Two directors. Four depicted seasons. Five years of production. One hundred oil painters. A film whose animation style is even more impressive because it’s the second attempt at it, Polish period piece The Peasants (review coming soon; stay tuned) finds DK and Hugh Welchman following up their hand-painted marvel Loving Vincent with yet another painstakingly rendered art piece, courtesy of 100 oil painters working out of four countries (including a war-ridden Ukraine). Every other film here can boast an appeal that transcends children to appeal to viewers of all ages; The Peasants is the only film part of this countdown that aimed squarely at adults, with its hardy take on mob mentality and farm life in the late-19th century turning family and friends against one another at every turn, all in the name of lust and property. Or who knows, maybe that is fun for the whole family!
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Does anything even need to be said? Have enough words not been written, spoken and shouted from the rooftops praising the sequel to the surprise critical smash Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse? All that being said, some may still wonder the reason behind why the film shows up so “low” on this countdown—its shameless existence as only half a film, or the very idea of “canon events” feeling somewhat undermining to organic character development in previous films, or the absolutely god-awful “Hey, it’s a multiverse movie, so we can bring everything to a grinding halt and make reference to the live-action stuff here!” mentality. But at the end of the day, all statements of Across the Spider-Verse being an absolutely riveting action film with a genuine interest in developing the stories of its leads ring entirely true. That the films’ overworked animators somehow managed to top their previous effort where the writers failed to do so only serves as a testament to the sort of dedication that makes film (and animation specifically) such a multi-faceted medium, with so many moving parts given so much care.
2. The First Slam Dunk
An underdog story whose success is almost as inspiring as the fact that it swerved Spider-Verse for a higher spot on this countdown, The First Slam Dunk immediately stakes its claim as an elite sports drama, with the added benefit of its dynamic hand-drawn animation making every visceral play all the more engaging. Based on his own manga of the same name, Takehino Inoue’s film condenses seven years of reading material into a single two-hour film focused primarily on a single basketball game. And yet, the drama is so tight and palpable that audiences feel every relation between these teen players as if they have been watching them their entire lives, as every flashback is a layup hitting with an emotional tenacity, and the fluidly sketched visuals make every minute of the game an absolute nail-biter.
1. The Boy and the Heron
Show of hands: who’s surprised? Hayao Miyazaki’s latest bid at retirement may not be his best (hello, The Wind Rises), but in the grand scheme of the anime guru’s career, it’s sure to go down as the most effective possible treatise on the troubled artist’s legacy. With the same warmth as any one of Studio Ghibli’s most acclaimed efforts, The Boy and the Heron (or, as its title should definitely have remained in North America, How Do You Live?) gives Miyazaki the space to explore all the themes that have spent eight decades swirling in his head and pouring out in his art. (Not to mention, the English dub is actually far better than any dub has the right to be!) A passionate and sensitive journey into the soul of a man coming to terms with how his treatment of the past will undoubtedly shape a cracking future, The Boy and the Heron deserves every ounce of praise it has received, and will definitely continue to receive long after Miyazaki has finally put down the pencil for the final time.
That concludes our countdown of the top 5 animated films of 2023. As always, animation is a medium that continues to be pushed and innovated as more artists continue to find themselves affected by the films of their own past, so preserving the entirely human art of animation (piss off, AI!) feels more important than it ever has. Be sure to check out our other upcoming 2023 countdowns as they come, and until then, keep an eye out for the goodies this year looks to bring to the table!
still courtesy of GKIDS
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