I created this Venn diagram to explain the best animated films of the year

Polygon’s list of the best animated films of 2024 is packed with the best animated films from around the world, ranging from surreal French films to Pixar sequels. My top three personal favorites were The wild robot, CurrentAnd Robot dreams. All three are stylistically vastly different, which certainly appealed to me. But there was something else that I think tied the three together in my mind, making them a perfect trifecta of not only three good films, but three thematically harmonious films.

I’ve broken it down into this handy Venn diagram:

Robot dreams And Current are both silent films, with a lot of emphasis on the physicality of the characters and how they express themselves without words. Survival adventure Current is very based on how real animals move, to the point where even the more unrealistic actions resemble them could would happen if the cat was really damn smart. Robot dreamsHowever, it is set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, so the expression is more cartoonish, both in the characters’ movements and the expressions on their faces.

Both films masterfully convey their subtle themes without any dialogue, delivering the messages of survival and camaraderie Current and life-changing friendships and drifting apart Robot dreams just hit it all the harder.

In case it wasn’t super clear, both Robot dreams And The wild robot involve… robots! But more importantly, both robots involve life-changing friendships with animals.

The great thing is that they approach these friendships in different ways. In The wild robotthe animals are – you guessed it – wild and animalistic. Roz, the lead robot, is more of a stereotypical robot, programmed to behave one way and follow orders. Roz’s friendships with the animals change her to her core, especially the relationship between Roz and the young gosling Brightbill. In turn, the animals slowly begin to accept Roz as one of their own and learn lessons from her. There is a nice give and take between all parties.

In the meantime, Robot dreamsAnimals are essentially people, and the robots aren’t really specifically programmed to do anything other than vibrate. Yet the friendship between Robot and Dog is deep and transformative. It is more detailed and specifically focused on the couple. The film really explores how poignant and powerful a friendship can be, especially when life takes those friends in different directions.

Animals in a sci-fi wilderness without humans providing no explanation, but the environmental stories are strong

Current And The wild robot both take place in worlds with traces of humanity, but little to no human presence. In both cases there are clues to what may have happened to the people. It’s a little clearer The wild robotas Roz herself was crafted by humans. Yet in both films, there are no clear answers about the state of humanity and why it is so separated from the wilderness. Current, meanwhile, is set in a strange flooded landscape that humans have clearly left behind.

It’s rich world-building that doesn’t overpower the story, but instead gently enhances it by simply remaining unmistakably in the background. Both films are about a certain amount of coming together after isolation, and surviving through kindness, and all of that is emphasized when humanity is just a footprint rather than an overarching threat or presence.

The common thread that all three films share: they made me tear up!

Okay, that’s the easy answer. The real answer is that it’s all about unlikely connections and how they fundamentally change who you are, and what that means going forward; about how kindness and compassion are strengths, not weaknesses; and about how it’s better to open yourself up to friendship instead of being alone, even when being vulnerable might be scary.

And because animation is a brilliant medium that allows the most fantastic things to come to life in rich and evocative ways, all of these grounded themes can be communicated in stories about robots and animals in lush, unique worlds.