15 Movies To Watch if You Love 'Ratatouille'

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Ratatouille, showing Remy the rat leaping through the air while holding a piece of cheese

Updated Jan 29, 2026, 6:36 PM EST

Born with Autism (formerly classified as Asperger syndrome), Tyler B. Searle has been obsessed with storytelling since he was old enough to speak. He gravitated towards fairy tales, mythology, the fantasy genre, and animated movies and shows aimed at family audiences. When not writing, Tyler enjoys watching more cartoons and reading fantasy books in his home in Ontario, Canada.

Ratatouille is one of Pixar's most underrated films (at least compared to its massive hits). Directed by Brad Bird—who also helmed The Incredibles—it follows a culinary-obsessed rat named Remy (Patton Oswalt) as he befriends a human named Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano) to become a great chef and restore the prestige of the restaurant of Remy's deceased idol, Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garrett). Along the way, they contend with Gusteau's greedy successor, Skinner (Sir Ian Holm), a notoriously picky food critic named Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole), and the prejudices that exist between humans and rats.

Those who have seen the film love it for Remy and Linguini's friendship, its delicious-looking food, and its powerful themes regarding overcoming preconceptions and that great talent can often come from the most unlikely of places. Given how universal these qualities are, quite a few animated and live-action films can scratch a similar itch.

15 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' (2009)

Flint Lockwood holds his hand up to catch falling food

Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) is a brilliant but ostracized inventor from Swallow Falls, an island town that sustains itself entirely on sardines. To help the town, Flint invents a device that can turn water into food, which launches into the stratosphere and creates food-themed weather patterns. This makes Flint the most loved man in town, now renamed Chewandswallow, and brings a new tourism business.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is one of the best films by Sony Pictures Animation, thanks to its expressive animation and lovable characters. Beneath the film's bright colors and silly humor, the story centers around Flint's attempts to reconnect with his technophobic and emotionally distant father, Tim (James Caan). The two men obviously love one another, but their contrasting personalities make it hard for them to support each other, though, as seen during the climax, Tim is willing to try.

14 'Luca' (2021)

Luca - Alberto and Luca swimming undersea

Luca (Jacob Tremblay) is a young sea monster who lives off the coast of the Italian town of Portorosso, who, alongside his friend Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer), dreams of traveling the world with a Vespa. When his parents discover Luca's fascination with the surface world, they try to send him to live with his uncle in the deep sea, so Luca flees into Portorosso disguised as a human. He and Alberto befriend a local girl named Giulia (Emma Berman), who convinces them to join her in the town's triathlon so they can use the prize money to get their Vespa.

Luca is one of Pixar's more down-to-earth stories, which works to its benefit. It's a charming coming-of-age story that addresses the difficulties of maintaining friendships when conflict of interest arises and discovering one's identity by embracing the new. The use of the sea monsters is such that it can be applied to anyone who feels out of place, such as immigrants who must assimilate into a new way of life lest they be treated as an "other."

13 'The Bad Guys' (2022)

The characters from The Bad Guys stand together and look shocked and cringing.

In a world where humans live alongside anthropomorphic animals, no team of thieves is as loathed as the Bad Guys, consisting of Wolf (Sam Rockwell), the leader and pickpocket, Snake (Marc Maron), the safe-cracker, Shark (Craig Robinson), the master of disguise, Tarantula (Awkwafina), the hacker, and Piranha (Anthony Ramos), the short-tempered muscle. After being called out by Governor Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz), the Bad Guys try to steal the Golden Dolphin award, but are captured. The award's recipient, Professor Rupert Marmalade IV (Richard Ayoade), offers to try and rehabilitate the Bad Guys, and Wolf convinces the gang to go along so they can get another shot at the dolphin.

The Bad Guys is based on the books of the same name by Aaron Blabey, and quickly established itself as another iconic franchise from DreamWorks. It has a lovable cast of characters who play well off one another, while combining every beloved heist cliché with fast-paced animation, which leads to plenty of hilarity. As for its story, it's a sincere look at whether or not it's possible for someone to change their ways.

12 'The Princess and the Frog' (2009)

tiana as a child with her dad from princess and the frog

Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a hard-working woman in 1920s New Orleans who desperately wants to open her own restaurant to the point that she is willing to wish on a star. She then meets a talking frog who claims to be Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), cursed by a voodoo witch doctor named Dr. Facilier (Keith David). She tries to kiss him to break the spell, but this turns her into a frog as well before the two are lost in the bayou.

The Princess and the Frog is an underrated gem from perhaps Disney's best directing duo, John Musker and Ron Clements. Not only does it update the fairy tale in fun and creative ways, but it has an important message regarding dreams. While it's important to never lose sight of your dreams, it's also important to focus on what you have in your immediate life and not to become so focused that you miss out on life's joys.

11 'Julie & Julia' (2009)

Meryl Streep as Julia Child, laughing in the kitchen in Julie & Julia

Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is depressed and overwhelmed by her job at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which involves speaking to the family members of those who died in the September 11 attacks. Desperately in need of something else to focus on, she decides to start a blog where she works her way through the famous cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Meanwhile, the film cuts to another story, following one of the book's authors, Julia Child (Meryl Streep), and how she discovered her love for French cooking.

Julie & Julia uses its two storylines to explore themes of inspiration, how history repeats itself, and finding passion in one's life. Both women discover a new side of themselves through cooking, and by sharing their experiences, they inspire others to do the same. That said, Julia's sections far outweigh Julie's in terms of investment, thanks in no small part to Meryl Streep's phenomenal performance.

10 'Chef' (2014)

Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) is a chef who is unhappy working at a restaurant that restricts his creativity. While serving food critic Ramsey Michel (Oliver Platt), Carl is told at the last minute to go with a safe option, leading to an unfavorable review. After accidentally making a public tweet calling out Ramsey, Carl decides to quit his job and operate a food truck with his family.

Chef blends its comedic storytelling with a story about rediscovering one's passion and the importance of family. Carl's relationship with his son, Percy (Emjay Anthony), and his ex-wife, Inez (Sofía Vergara), is the emotional crux. While operating the food truck, he strengthens their bonds while re-discovering his passion for cooking, which has led to some fans praising Favreau's depiction of fatherhood. The film also shows the importance of social media and how one review or public outburst can make or break someone's career.

9 'Babe' (1995)

Babe as a young piglet being carried in a box in Babe.

A piglet named Babe (Christine Cavanaugh) is won by farmer Arthur Hoggett (James Cromwell) at an agricultural show, and taken back to his farm. He is taken in by Fly (Miriam Margolyes), Hoggett's sheepdog Border Collie—much to the frustration of her mate, Rex (Hugo Weaving)—and befriends a duck named Ferdinand (Danny Mann), who is scared that he might one day be eaten. Hoggett initially planned to eat Babe, but after he displays unique sorting abilities, he decides to train the pig to herd sheep.

Babe is a charming animal story that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and remains a classic thanks to its universal message. Thanks to his kindness and patience, Babe is able to show himself and the other animals that they can break away from societal expectations and forge their own destiny, even in the darkest of moments. The relationship between Babe and Arthur Hoggett is also very sweet, thanks in no small part to Cromwell's fantastic performance, best scene when he cheers up a sad Babe by singing "If I Had Words."

8 'Wreck-It Ralph' (2012)

After being excluded by the other characters of Fix-It Felix, Jr. from a party celebrating the game's 30th anniversary, Wreck-It Ralph (Joh C. Reilly) decides to prove that he is not a villain by winning a medal. He does this by sneaking into the violent first-person shooter Hero's Duty, but accidentally launches himself and one of the game's enemies, called Cy-Bugs, into the racing game Sugar Rush, where he loses his medal. To get it back, Ralph teams up with a glitch named Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) to help her win the next race, while the Cy-Bug begins breeding an army that could threaten all games in the arcade.

Wreck-It Ralph is a love letter to video game culture and a harrowing story about outcasts finding their place. Ralph feels under-appreciated due to being a villain and longs for a better life, but he's not able to find it by winning his medal. Instead, he needs to accept that even if he was made to be a villain, that doesn't make him a bad person.

7 'Zootopia' (2016)

Judy and Nick share a moment in an air lift in Zootopia

Judy Hops (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a young rabbit who has become the first of her species to be accepted into the police force of Zootopia, a megacity where animals of all kinds live together. She isn't taken seriously by her fellow officers, who assign her to parking duty, so she jumps at the opportunity to search for Mr. Otterton, one of several predators who have recently gone missing. She recruits a street-savvy con artist fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to help her, but the more clues they follow, the deeper they find themselves in a plot that could tear Zootopia apart.

Zootopia is one of the best animated films of the 2010s thanks to its creative worldbuilding and fantastic storytelling. It's one of the best films that tackles prejudice aimed at families, thanks to how it looks at the issue from multiple angles. Nick and Judy also have a very believable friendship, with their personalities perfectly complementing one another, and leading to strong development as they both tackle their own prejudices, even if they didn't know they carried them.

6 'Kung Fu Panda' (2008)

Po getting some of Monkey's almond cookies in Kung Fu Panda.

When the fallen snow leopard kung fu master, Tai Lung (Ian McShane), is prophesied to escape from his prison, Master Oogway (Randall Duck Kim) decides it is time to select who will become the Dragon Warrior. To everyone's shock, Oogway chooses Po (Jack Black), a kung fu enthusiast panda with no training. Oogway's friend and former pupil, Master Shi Fu (Dustin Hoffman), tries to get Po to quit with harsh training, but Po sticks around, and Oogway encourages Shi Fu to have faith.

Kung Fu Panda surprised audiences with its beautiful depiction of Chinese culture, memorable quotes, and heartfelt story. Po's journey isn't just to save the valley, but also to accept that he has greater qualities than he thinks. Everyone is trying to shape Po into what they believe the Dragon Warrior should be, but the truth is that his unique qualities as a person, such as his kindness and his unbreakable spirit, are what makes him worthy of the title.

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