Hayao Miyazaki supposedly "retired" again, only to return with a Studio Ghibli masterpiece. This film is weird, philosophical, and deeply personal. Don’t go in expecting Spirited Away 2.0. Go in expecting a dreamlike meditation on grief, legacy, and fantasy worlds. It won the Oscar for a reason: it’s a reminder that animation can be serious literature.

If you only watch one: Spider-Verse . If you want to cry: The Boy and the Heron or Robot Dreams . If you need a laugh with the family: Mutant Mayhem .

Love it or hate it, you couldn't escape it. The Super Mario Bros. Movie became a juggernaut, proving that Illumination knows exactly how to push our childhood buttons. Critics were mixed (the plot is paper-thin), but audiences packed theaters for the "Peaches" song and Chris Pratt’s surprisingly fine Mario. It wasn't high art, but it was a celebration of video game iconography that worked exactly as intended.