Animated films are dominating Netflix UK and here is why
Sometimes, all you want is a film that feels like candy. Something loud and silly that does not make you think too much or feel too deeply. And somehow, right now, Netflix UK seems to understand that better than ever.
Look at the most popular films trending this week. Sitting right at the top is Happy Gilmore 2, and not far behind is K-Pop Demon Hunters. Then there’s Flushed Away, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Super Mario Bros, and Minions. That is five out of ten movies that are all animated and thriving.
It is not just a fluke; it is a full cartoon invasion.
And it makes sense. These films offer the one thing that is becoming harder to find in the drudgery of life, and that’s just plain, wild, unapologetic fun. They are loud and bright and full of movement, and they make you feel alive. And you do not need to “get” anything to enjoy them; you just click play.
You do not have to remember who betrayed whom, track timelines, or make mental notes. There’s no foreshadowing from earlier seasons finding fruition, and no rewatching required before you can jump into something new. Just watch a plumber stomp a turtle and call it a day.
What helps is that they move fast. Every scene has colour or music, or mayhem. If you tune out for five seconds, someone is probably flying through a wall, or screaming in a high-pitched voice, or straight up turning into a raccoon.
Even the newer entries in the list do not try to be clever. Happy Gilmore 2 takes the wildness of the original and throws it into cartoon form. K-Pop Demon Hunters is a glittering fever dream with pop stars fighting actual demons. Flushed Away is still as odd and slippery as you remember. PAW Patrol gives you flying puppies with capes. And Minions? They do not need a plot. They just show up, fall over, and somehow keep topping the charts.
With these films leading the gamut, one thing certainly becomes clear: it is not just kids watching. This is adult-approved nonsense. It is teenagers looking for something quick and funny, parents finally giving in and then realising they are actually enjoying it, too, and 20-somethings who do not want to cry through another prestige drama about loneliness.
Animated films are short, and that matters. Most of them wrap up in 90 minutes, with no lasting emotional aftermath, apart from joy. There are no exhausting twists, and honestly, they are reliable. You know what you are getting. You are not going to get betrayed in the final act or be forced to reflect on your entire life after a dramatic monologue. No one drowns metaphorically, only literally, and bounces back from it, too. It is just jokes, noise, and vibes.
This moment on Netflix says something clearly. People do not always want to feel things. Sometimes they want to laugh at a banana joke, or watch an animated Adam Sandler hit someone with a golf club, or see sewer rats act like gentlemen. The animated takeover is not childish. It is smart comfort, it is rejuvenating, it is a shot of serotonin with a side of slapstick. And for now, it is exactly what people want.
Let the cartoons have their moment. They and we deserve it.
Check out the films dominating Netflix UK
- Happy Gilmore 2
- KPop Demon Hunters (Animated)
- Happy Gilmore
- Trainwreck: PI Moms
- Flushed Away (Animated)
- PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (Animated)
- Trainwreck: Balloon Boy
- Red Riding Trilogy: Part 1: 1974
- The Super Mario Bros Movie (Animated)
- Minions (Animated)