Ever since the release of movies from Studio Ghibli, the quality and expectations surrounding anime movies have gone up. In response, studios working on anime movies have stepped up a notch in the past few years and released many incredible movies that have broken many records in terms of viewership and reviews.
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Like with normal anime TV series, there are a lot of anime movies, but not every single one of them has enough quality to grab the attention of the viewers. For audiences who don’t have enough time to try every movie, going through the ratings onMyAnimeListis economical as it saves time. Here are the site’s top recommendations, and the scores it gives for each.
Updated on June 10, 2025, by Suzail Ahmad:Anime movies have become a lot more common over the last few years. Earlier the movies were not related to any seasonal anime, they were mainly written as standalone pieces. However, over time many famous anime started to release movies that were either linked to the story or were made just to provide more watching material to the fans. So, we have added more highly rated movies to the list.
15Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu (8.62)
The movie was released in 2010, and it is based on the fourth light novel. The novel has been written by Nagaru Tanigawa, and the novel has the same name as that of the movie. The movie takes place after the events ofThe Melancholy Haruhi Suzumiya. In the movie, Haruhi starts to make plans for a Christmas party, but she ends up vanishing completely. Only Kyon is aware of Haruhi’s disappearance.
14Seishun Buta Yarou wa Yumemiru Shoujo no Yume wo Minai (8.63)
The movie is based on the seventh and eighth light novel volumes. It was released in 2019. The story follows Mai Sakurajima and Sakuta Azusagawa. The two of them have been dating for a few months, but their relationship is disturbed by the appearance of Shoko Makinohara. Mai and Sakuta face a new challenge and one of them has to make a huge sacrifice that would change their lives forever.
13Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (8.65)
Released on July 14, 2025, this film is the final installment in theRebuildofEvangelionmovies series. The movie suffered from several delays, but it eventually managed to hit the theaters and gained a lot of critical acclaim.
At the beginning of the movie, not much had changed for Shinji, as he was still adamant about dying. However, after witnessing new things, he learns how to hope. The movie focuses on the Instrumentality Project as it is set in motion.
12Howl’s Moving Castle (8.66)
Howl’s Moving Castleis one of the best movies that has been produced by Studio Ghibli. The movie came out in 2004 and fair to say, it still remains an interesting movie to watch. It is set in a world that has both magic and science. Themain theme of the movie is anti-warand it manages to convey the message eloquently. The main characters of the movie are Howl and Sophie.
11Mononoke Hime (8.68)
MononokeHimeis a timeless classic, which has been directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The movie is set in Japan, where a prince named Ashitaka ends up being cursed by a demonic beast. In order to save himself from the curse, Ashitaka has to travel far to get his hands on a cure. On his journey, he meets San, and soon an epic story begins to unfold.
10Made in Abyss Movie 3: Fukaki Tamashii no Reimei (8.68)
It is the third movie in the series, and it is also the first movie that goes beyond the story of the first season of the anime. The movie sees the group of friends reaching the fifth layer of the Abyss. While exploring, they stumble across a mysterious character named Prushka. In the movie, the group continues to do a lot of exploring as they attempt to find a way to the sixth layer of the Abyss.
9Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (8.68)
With its outstanding first season,DemonSlayerburst onto the scene and it quickly became one of the most-watched anime series of its season. Due to its immense success, a movie for the series was quickly announced, which was titledDemonSlayer:MugenTrain.
The movie focuses onthe Flame Hashira, Rengoku, and the team of Nezuko, Zenitsu, Tanjiro, and Inosuke. They end up facing one of the Upper Moon members, Akaza. Rengoku and Akaza are involved in a thrilling fight, which keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
8Fate/stay Night Movie: Heaven’s Feel – III. Spring Song (8.72)
This movie is the final installment in theHeaven’sFeeltrilogy. It picks up from the events ofFate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel II. Lost Butterflyand continues to expand on it.
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The movie was released in Japan on July 26, 2025.Fate/stay night Movie: Heaven’s Feel – III. Spring Songwas well-received by audiences and became the ninth highest-grossing Japanese movie of 2020.
7Spirited Away (8.79)
Arguably themost famous Studio Ghibli movieof all time,Spirited Awaywas written and directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. The movie played a pivotal role in defining the future of the industry.Spirited Awayis an all-time classic and it is still enjoyed throughout the world.
The movie follows a 10-year-old girl, Chihiro Ogino, who is exposed to the world of spirits. Ogino’s parents are turned into pigs by a witch, and a confused Ogino is left with no choice but to work at the witch’s place to find a way to return her parents to their original form.
6Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen (8.81)
Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-henis the third and final part of theKizumonogatarimovie trilogy. The movie was released in 2017, and it garnered positive reviews from the fans of the series.
After finally restoring the Kiss-shot, Koyomi starts to believe that his older form will be returned, but things take a twist. When Koyomi returns from buying some food, he is mortified to see Kiss-shot consuming the corpse of Guillotine Cutter. After witnessing this gruesome moment, Koyomi thinks of killing himself.
