After years in the making, Pixar recently announced this summer that the project they’ve been working on (that’s set to release in 2023) is a fun, enlightening movie about the elements called Elemental.
While many assume Disney and Pixar movies are geared towards children, movies like the upcoming Elemental, Inside-Out, and Wall-E proved otherwise. Storytelling through animation has no age range when it comes to Pixar because the lessons and messages in each film can be applied to adult life as much as a child’s life. This fact has been defended countless times on Reddit as Redditors shared the best Pixar movies that adults would gravitate towards.
Ratatouille (2007)
Ratatouille was an adorable story about an upcoming chef named Linguini and a rat named Remy who had undeniable skills in the kitchen.
Although there’s a talking rat involved, PressFToHideSadness told Reddit that it’s an amazing movie to view as an adult. After loving the storylines as a child, they realized how important it is now that they’re an adult. “I now realize that Ratatouille is an incredible thing to view as an adult, and I recommend any of you guys to watch it as if you pay attention to some of the stuff in it, you realize it’s incredibly adult and heartwarming.” Knowing the adult nuances, it would be interesting to see Ratatouille as a live-action film.
Luca (2021)
Pixar’s Luca has incredible animation and visuals as the film took place on the Italian Riviera. The coming-of-age movie showed what life was like for Luca and his friend Alberto who were both sea monsters dreaming of what life was like on land. When Luca realized that his fins transformed into legs once he reached land, a whole new world opened up for him.
Compared to older Pixar films, Luca scored rather high on Rotten Tomatoes and is beloved by adults, as well as children. Redditor _MollyCaitlin wrote, “I really enjoyed Luca! Watched it after baby got here and was not prepared for how absolutely emotional it would make me. Hubs and I both loved it though!” Some Redditors started watching Pixar more intently after they had children and realized that some, including Luca, relayed differently for adults.
Coco (2017)
Coco was an incredible movie that showed the beauty of Mexican culture and how they celebrated loved ones who had crossed over. Miguel was a young boy who loved music and was confused when his household banned it. His love for music took him on a wild ride to the Land of the Dead where he learned more about his family. The film had dark elements but the messages were profound.
Lohype told Reddit, “Coco is SO GOOD! Such a great message, too. It discusses death in a way that isn’t sad or scary.” HDBaker009 agreed but mentioned it’s a Disney movie that can make viewers cry for how emotional it could come across.
Wall-E (2008)
Wall-E takes place in the future, following the last robot on earth, Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class — aka Wall-E. As the last remaining robot, he spent his days cleaning up the mounds of trash left behind by humans on a now barren planet. Wall-E didn’t communicate like other characters in Pixar movies but his facial expressions and few words spoke volumes.
Wall-E eventually fell for another robot and traveled to space to find her and express his love. It’s an emotional Disney/Pixar movie that viewers weren’t expecting. Wall-E has dark connotations but the message of how humans treat the planet was important. TastyMagic wrote why they loved the movie so much as an adult, “My kid is 4 now and still gets a little nervous when anyone is in danger. Wall-E is a favorite, because the 'bad guy' is like, a faceless corporate automaton instead of a scary monster.”
The Toy Story Franchise
The first Toy Story came out in 1995 and the world fell in love with the story of toys coming to life. The bond between Woody, Buzz, and their human, Andy, was relatable for viewers who were also attached to their childhood toys. The movie spiraled into three sequels, with the last being Toy Story 4.
Kmconda shed some light on why the Toy Story franchise was their favorite, even as an adult. “Give me ALL of the Toy Story movies! I was born in ’86 so a bit older than you but these are the first movies I plan to watch with my girl (she's only 6 weeks!). They are sweet and funny for adults too... and nothing too scary/no real ‘villain’ beside ya know... growing up.” Since the spinoff Lightyear came out this summer, there’s fan talk of other Toy Story side characters who deserve their spinoff too.
Soul (2020)
Soul had a profound message that DkootersMom called the “best movie by Pixar.” Soul was unlike any other movie because it dove into the hard concept of life before earth and life after death in the spirit realm. When a man named Joe accidentally got injured and almost died, his soul went up to the spirit realm where he met a soul named 22.
Together, Joe showed 22 that life on earth wasn’t so bad, while 22 taught Joe that life outside of Earth can be even better. The Redditor wrote, “This is a Pixar movie that really makes you think about the meaning of life and It teaches us to appreciate more what we have."
The Incredibles (2004)
The Incredibles is one of the more beloved family-friendly Disney/Pixar movies. The realism is mixed with a fictional life where superpowered humans roamed free. The Parr family were former superheroes who had to control their powers after the government mandated it. Without fighting crime and saving people, the Parrs lost their way — especially for the husband and wife duo Bob and Helen.
WhatzGood explained that The Incredibles was the ultimate adult Pixar movie for a variety of reasons. “Deaths on screen, depiction of a midlife crisis, depiction of the grief of a man that thinks he lost his entire family, and the depiction of a struggling marriage.” Despite the scary realities of real life, this Disney movie created an amazing superhero family that older viewers related with.
Turning Red (2022)
Turning Red is one of the more recent movies on the list and it had a bit of criticism when it was first released because of some of the storylines and metaphors used. The main character, Mei, was maturing and her mother assumed she had her period. As a doting mother, she prepared her daughter by giving her feminine products. As a teen, she butted heads with her mom, which was something adults related to.
As for why some Pixar fans loathed the movie, GinnTress explained: “It also has the message that parents aren’t always right and that part of growing up is going your own way and facing the pushback from your parents. Some parents are losing their minds because they don’t think kids should know that teenagers get periods. And some parents aren’t happy that the mother isn’t shown as perfect and the kid rebels against her.” For these reasons alone, the adult nuances made it an important one to watch.
Inside Out (2015)
Redditor Brodo__Fraggings explained why Inside Out was one of Pixar’s better movies and how great it is watching it as an adult. “The movie shows exactly how it feels like going to somewhere new against your will, the turmoil of emotions you feel and how traumatizing that kind of experience can be to someone so young.”
They continued saying that the message “it’s okay to be sad” was important for kids to hear. As adults, Inside Out is a great reminder of our emotions at play. It was an animated movie that tackled serious issues in an amazing way that related to viewers of all ages.
Monster’s University (2013)
Monster’s University was the sequel to Monster’s Inc. and while the first movie was a fun one for adults, the sequel was even better. Monster’s U. saw the characters when they met at college. PantsClock explained that Pixar did a great job of nailing the “college atmosphere” and showing that dreams can become a reality, which can be appreciated by older viewers.
They wrote, “Monsters University is a film about accepting the fact that some dreams are too unrealistic to ever achieve for some people. Things such as disabilities or traits that we're born with can keep us from achieving things. And that’s OK!" They continued saying, “It’s a very mature/realistic theme that I’ve yet to be seen discussed often.”