Top 10 Pixar Movies

Direct Answer

The Best Overall Pixar film is Toy Story (1995), directed by John Lasseter, the first fully computer-animated feature film and the movie that launched the studio, the franchise, and an entire era of animation. The Best Value pick — the most rewatchable, family-friendliest gem that streams on Disney+ — is The Incredibles (2004), Brad Bird's superhero romp that plays as a four-quadrant crowd-pleaser the whole household will replay.

This list is built for families and animation fans who want Pixar's best across adventure, comedy, sci-fi, and tearjerker drama, whether you're watching with kids or revisiting the films that grew up with you. Every pick below is a real Pixar release with real directors, years, runtimes, and voice cast.

How We Ranked the Top 10

We weighted each film against what makes a Pixar movie endure, drawing on Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, IMDb, Letterboxd, box-office results, and Academy Awards (Pixar has won the Best Animated Feature Oscar many times). The weighting:

• Story & screenplay — 25%
• Animation & craft — 20%
• Voice performances & characters — 20%
• Rewatchability — 15%
• Cultural impact — 10%
• Where-to-watch access — 10%

A film that looks gorgeous but forgets the heart drops fast; Pixar's best pair technical leaps with stories that land for kids and adults alike. The studio's "what if [X] had feelings?" formula runs through nearly every entry.

1. Toy Story (1995) 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Director: John Lasseter | Year: 1995 | Runtime: 81 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

The film that started it all, Toy Story was the first feature-length film animated entirely with computers, and it remains a perfect piece of storytelling. Cowboy doll Woody (Tom Hanks) is threatened by flashy new space-ranger toy Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and their rivalry-turned-friendship anchors a witty, warm adventure about jealousy and loyalty.

It holds a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, earned a Special Achievement Oscar for pioneering its art form, and launched the most consistent franchise in animation. Nearly three decades on, nothing about it feels dated.

Pros:

• The first fully computer-animated feature film ever made
• Tom Hanks and Tim Allen's perfect vocal chemistry
• A flawless, timeless story of friendship and jealousy
• A rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes score

Cons:

• The 1995 visuals look basic next to modern Pixar
• A short 81-minute runtime leaves you wanting more

Verdict: The film that built Pixar — still the most important and one of the most perfect.

2. Up (2009)

Director: Pete Docter | Year: 2009 | Runtime: 96 min | Rated: PG | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

Pete Docter's adventure opens with a wordless four-minute montage of Carl and Ellie's marriage that is among the most moving sequences in film. Widowed Carl (Ed Asner) ties thousands of balloons to his house and floats toward South America, accidentally bringing along eager young Russell (Jordan Nagai).

Funny, soaring, and quietly profound, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and a rare Best Picture nomination, and holds a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Pros:

• One of the most moving opening montages ever filmed
• Best Animated Feature Oscar and Best Picture nominee
• A touching story about grief and second adventures
• Lovable characters in Carl, Russell, and Dug the dog

Cons:

• The emotional open is hard on young kids
• The talking-dogs plot is sillier than the setup

Verdict: Pixar's most heartfelt adventure — a tearjerker that earns every emotion.

3. WALL-E (2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton | Year: 2008 | Runtime: 98 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

Andrew Stanton's sci-fi romance follows a lonely trash-compacting robot, WALL-E, left to clean an abandoned Earth, who falls for a sleek probe named EVE. Its near-dialogue-free first act is a daring, Chaplin-esque marvel, while the later space-station satire skewers consumerism and complacency.

It won the Best Animated Feature Oscar, holds a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score, and is regularly named one of the best sci-fi films of its century.

Pros:

• A bold, nearly silent first act of pure visual storytelling
• Best Animated Feature Oscar winner
• A charming robot love story with real stakes
• Sharp, prescient environmental satire

Cons:

• The human-on-the-ship second half is weaker
• Its message can feel heavy-handed

Verdict: Pixar's most ambitious film — a gorgeous, daring sci-fi romance.

4. The Incredibles (2004) 💎 BEST VALUE

Director: Brad Bird | Year: 2004 | Runtime: 115 min | Rated: PG | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

Brad Bird's superhero saga follows the Parr family — strongman dad Bob (Craig T. Nelson), stretchy mom Helen (Holly Hunter), and their powered kids — forced into hiding until a new threat pulls them back into action. Equal parts spy thriller, family comedy, and superhero spectacle, it won the Best Animated Feature Oscar and holds a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score.

As a four-quadrant, endlessly rewatchable, Disney+-streaming crowd-pleaser, it is the best value on this list.

Pros:

• A four-quadrant crowd-pleaser the whole family loves
• Best Animated Feature Oscar winner
• Thrilling action with genuine family heart
• Endlessly rewatchable and always on Disney+

Cons:

• The longest runtime here at 115 minutes
• Mild peril may startle very young kids

Verdict: The best value on the list — a thrilling, rewatchable hit for every age in the room.

5. Ratatouille (2007)

Director: Brad Bird | Year: 2007 | Runtime: 111 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

Brad Bird's Parisian charmer follows Remy (Patton Oswalt), a rat with a gourmet palate who guides hapless kitchen boy Linguini (Lou Romano) to culinary stardom. Lushly animated and warm-hearted, it celebrates artistry and the idea that "anyone can cook," capped by food critic Anton Ego's unforgettable review monologue.

It won the Best Animated Feature Oscar and holds a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it has only grown more beloved over time.

Pros:

• Gorgeous, mouth-watering animation of Paris and food
• Best Animated Feature Oscar winner
• A heartfelt ode to passion and artistry
• Anton Ego's all-time-great review speech

Cons:

• Rats in a kitchen squicks some viewers
• The slower middle act lags for kids

Verdict: Pixar's most delicious film — a warm, beautiful celebration of doing what you love.

6. Inside Out (2015)

Director: Pete Docter | Year: 2015 | Runtime: 95 min | Rated: PG | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

Pete Docter's inventive concept literalizes the emotions inside the head of 11-year-old Riley — Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear, Anger, and Disgust — as she struggles with a cross-country move. Clever, funny, and quietly wise about why sadness matters, it won the Best Animated Feature Oscar, holds a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score, and gave parents a tool for talking to kids about feelings.

Pros:

• A brilliant, original concept executed with care
• Best Animated Feature Oscar winner
• A genuinely wise lesson about emotions
• Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith's terrific voice work

Cons:

• The abstract-thought detours confuse young kids
• Bing Bong's farewell is a notorious tearjerker

Verdict: Pixar's smartest film — an emotionally intelligent gem that helps kids and adults alike.

7. Coco (2017)

Director: Lee Unkrich | Year: 2017 | Runtime: 105 min | Rated: PG | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

Lee Unkrich's vibrant celebration of Mexican culture follows young Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), who dreams of being a musician and journeys into the Land of the Dead on Día de los Muertos to uncover a family secret. Visually dazzling and deeply moving, its theme of remembering loved ones — anchored by the song "Remember Me" — lands hard.

It won two Oscars (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song) and holds a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Pros:

• Stunning, color-saturated Land of the Dead animation
• Won two Oscars, including Best Original Song
• A moving, respectful celebration of family and heritage
• The unforgettable "Remember Me" theme

Cons:

• The mystery's twist is easy to predict
• The emotional climax is a guaranteed cry

Verdict: Pixar's most beautiful film — a vibrant, heartfelt ode to family and memory.

8. Finding Nemo (2003)

Director: Andrew Stanton | Year: 2003 | Runtime: 100 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

Andrew Stanton's underwater adventure sends overprotective clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) across the ocean to find his captured son Nemo, aided by forgetful blue tang Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). Funny, gorgeous, and full of heart, it was a massive box-office hit, won the Best Animated Feature Oscar, and holds a 99% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Dory became one of Pixar's most beloved characters and earned her own sequel.

Pros:

• Groundbreaking, beautiful underwater animation
• Best Animated Feature Oscar winner
• Ellen DeGeneres's scene-stealing Dory
• A funny, touching father-son journey

Cons:

• The opening is unexpectedly traumatic
• Marlin's worrying can grate over a rewatch

Verdict: Pixar's most beloved family hit — a funny, gorgeous, four-quadrant classic.

9. Toy Story 3 (2010)

Director: Lee Unkrich | Year: 2010 | Runtime: 103 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

Lee Unkrich's trilogy-capper finds Woody, Buzz, and the gang facing abandonment as their owner Andy leaves for college, landing them in a daycare ruled by the sinister teddy bear Lotso. Funny, suspenseful, and emotionally shattering — its incinerator scene and final farewell are legendary — it won the Best Animated Feature Oscar, earned a Best Picture nomination, and holds a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score.

It is one of the rare third films widely called the best in its series.

Pros:

• A perfect, gut-punch trilogy conclusion
• Best Animated Feature Oscar and Best Picture nominee
• Genuine suspense in the incinerator climax
• A farewell that wrecks audiences of every age

Cons:

• The emotional ending is brutal for fans
• Lotso's daycare prison turns dark

Verdict: Pixar's most devastating sequel — a near-perfect goodbye to a beloved gang.

10. Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Director: Pete Docter | Year: 2001 | Runtime: 92 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+, rent/buy on Apple TV

Pete Docter's imaginative comedy reveals that the monsters in your closet are workers harvesting children's screams to power their city — until furry Sulley (John Goodman) and one-eyed Mike (Billy Crystal) befriend a human toddler nicknamed Boo. Funny, inventive, and surprisingly tender, it holds a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score and remains one of Pixar's most charming and rewatchable films, anchored by Goodman and Crystal's buddy chemistry.

Pros:

• A clever, original premise executed with charm
• John Goodman and Billy Crystal's perfect buddy pairing
• Adorable, scene-stealing toddler Boo
• Inventive door-chase action and warm comedy

Cons:

• The corporate-conspiracy plot is thin
• It lacks the emotional weight of later Pixar

Verdict: Pixar's most charming comedy — an inventive, funny buddy film with real heart.

Which One Should You Watch Tonight?

What Makes a Great Pixar Movie

• A story for both kids and adults — Pixar's best layer kid-friendly fun over adult themes like grief, aging, and identity, so the whole room is engaged.
• An emotional gut-punch — From Up's montage to Toy Story 3's ending, the studio earns its tears through character, not cheap manipulation.
• An inventive "what if?" premise — Toys, emotions, monsters, and rats all get inner lives, turning simple hooks into rich worlds.
• Technical leaps in animation — Each landmark film pushed the craft forward, from the first CG feature to lifelike water, fur, and light.
• Characters you remember — Woody, Buzz, Dory, Remy, and Joy endure because they're written as people first, spectacle second.

What matters less than the hype: flashy sequels and franchise count don't equal quality — Pixar's reputation rests on its original, character-first storytelling, not on how many follow-ups it can produce.

FAQ

What is the best Pixar movie? Toy Story (1995) tops our list as the first fully computer-animated feature and a flawless story, though Up, WALL-E, and The Incredibles are all in the conversation.

How many Oscars has Pixar won for Best Animated Feature? Pixar has won the Best Animated Feature Academy Award many times, including for Up, WALL-E, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Inside Out, Coco, Finding Nemo, and Toy Story 3.

Which Pixar movies were nominated for Best Picture? Up (2009) and Toy Story 3 (2010) both earned rare Best Picture nominations at the Academy Awards.

Where can I stream Pixar movies? Nearly every Pixar film streams on Disney+, and most are also available to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Which Pixar movie makes you cry the most? Up (its opening montage), Toy Story 3 (its finale), and Coco (the "Remember Me" climax) are the most reliable tearjerkers.

What was Pixar's first movie? Toy Story (1995), directed by John Lasseter, was Pixar's first feature and the first feature film animated entirely with computers.

Bottom Line

For Pixar's catalog, Toy Story (1995) is our Best Overall — the studio-defining first computer-animated feature and a perfect story that hasn't aged a day. The Incredibles (2004) is our Best Value, a four-quadrant, always-on-Disney+ crowd-pleaser the whole family will replay.

If you want a good cry, a brainy night, or a younger-kid pick instead, use the decision tree above to route yourself to Up, Inside Out, or Monsters, Inc. Pixar's best put character first, and that's why they still hold up.

Sources

• IMDb — Pixar films database
• Rotten Tomatoes — Pixar movie ratings
• Metacritic — Pixar reviews and scores
• Letterboxd — Pixar studio page
• RogerEbert.com — Pixar film reviews
• Variety — Pixar coverage and box office
• Pixar — official site
• Disney+ — Pixar collection
• Academy Awards — Best Animated Feature winners

*Pixar movies review — best Pixar films, rankings, ratings, where to stream, and a review of the top Pixar picks.*