Every year the Academy Awards celebrates the craft and creativity behind animated cinema, and the winner of Best Animated Feature often goes on to become a defining work of its era. The 2018 Oscar race brought together well-known studio tentpoles and smaller, artistically ambitious productions. Pixar, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky Studios competed alongside independent and international entries, creating a diverse field that showcased different animation styles, storytelling approaches, and cultural perspectives. Below is an overview of the animation nominees from that year, what sets each film apart, and why they earned recognition from the Academy.
Coco
Directed By: Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina
Coco, from Disney Pixar, stands out for its vivid visual palette, rich musical heart, and heartfelt family story. The film follows Miguel, a young aspiring musician who defies his family’s long-held ban on music and finds himself in the Land of the Dead, searching for his great-great-grandfather whom he believes to be a famous singer. Visually, the film is a spectacle: colors, character design, and production design work together to evoke the traditions and atmosphere of Día de los Muertos in a respectful, celebratory way. Beyond the eye-catching animation, Coco explores themes of memory, identity, and the importance of family legacy. Its emotional beats, memorable songs, and meticulous cultural detail helped the film connect with broad audiences and critics alike, earning its place as a leading contender in that year’s awards season.
The Breadwinner
Directed By: Nora Twomey
The Breadwinner is a more intimate and serious animated entry, produced by Cartoon Saloon with executive producer Angelina Jolie. Based on Deborah Ellis’s novel, the film tells the story of Parvana, an 11-year-old girl living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan who disguises herself as a boy to support her family after her father is taken from their home. Unlike mainstream family animations, this film confronts harsh realities and complex social issues, using a distinctive animation style that combines hand-drawn aesthetics with evocative color and movement. The narrative balances harsh circumstance with resilience, hope, and imagination, as Parvana’s inner storytelling and courage become central to the film’s emotional power. Its nomination recognized a maturity in subject matter and a commitment to storytelling that broadens the scope of contemporary animated features.
Ferdinand
Directed By: Carlos Saldanha
From Blue Sky Studios, Ferdinand adapts a classic children’s tale into a modern animated family film with a gentle, humorous touch. The story follows Ferdinand, a massive but good-natured bull who is mistaken for a dangerous beast and separated from his home. Voiced by John Cena, Ferdinand’s journey—supported by a cast of colorful misfits—becomes a warm adventure about identity, nonviolence, and the bonds of friendship. While the film leans into family-friendly comedy and visual gags, it also offers a subtle critique of bullfighting and the social expectations placed on individuals. Technically polished and entertaining for younger audiences, Ferdinand was recognized for its heart and accessible message, even as it competed with more visually experimental and culturally specific nominations.
Loving Vincent
Directed By: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman
Loving Vincent occupies a unique place in the field as the first fully oil-painted animated feature made in the style of Vincent van Gogh. The film’s narrative follows a young man who travels to the final hometown of Van Gogh to deliver one of the artist’s last letters and becomes absorbed by the painter’s story, personality, and mysterious death. The painting-based animation brings Van Gogh’s textures, brushwork, and color schemes to life frame by frame, creating a living canvas that merges biography with visual innovation. This formal ambition and the film’s contemplative tone made it a standout among nominees—an art-house experiment that widened perceptions of what animated storytelling can look and feel like.
Boss Baby
Directed By: Tom McGrath
Boss Baby is DreamWorks Animation’s comedic entry that blends absurd premise with broad family humor. The film centers on Tim, a seven-year-old who must adapt when his parents bring home a talking, briefcase-carrying infant who behaves like a high-powered corporate executive. Widely noted for Alec Baldwin’s vocal performance—channeling his sharp comedic timing—the film quickly became a crowd-pleaser for its energetic pacing, visual gags, and sibling rivalry themes turned on their head. While lighter in emotional tone than other nominees, Boss Baby offered a commercially successful, laugh-forward approach to animation that appealed to family audiences.
Together, these five films illustrate the range of animated cinema in the year’s awards: from large-studio musical epics and family comedies to intimate dramas and painterly experiments. Each nominee brought its own strengths—strong character work, cultural specificity, visual innovation, or sharp comedy—demonstrating that animation continues to be a fertile medium for stories across genres and audiences. Which film resonates most will depend on whether you favor emotional depth, visual experimentation, social relevance, or pure entertainment. The 2018 Best Animated Feature lineup remains a useful snapshot of the medium’s diversity and creative ambitions.