The Best Pixar Short Films, All 18 Ranked

For years Pixar has enchanted us with their emotional storytelling and stellar animation. One of the best parts about the studio is their tradition of running a short film before each feature film. Some of these are heartfelt and emotional, while others are comedic. We’ll only be covering original Pixar short films, so things like Mike’s New Car that are based on Pixar films will be out.

This short animation dates all the way back to 1984, as one of Pixars very first works. This one may not have ever showed before a full moviem but was finally released to fans when Pixar shorts made their way to DVD. It’s a  quirky short that shows a fight between Andre and Wally B, who’s trying to sting him.

Knick Knack showed before Finding Nemo in theaters, and has a more Tom and Jerry-like style than others. A lone snownman sits in a snowglobe on a shelf, while the other Knick Knacks sit out in the open air next to him, happy and partying. Deciding he wants to join them, he starts trying a bunch of different ways to escape his watery prison.

Boundin is a bit different from most Pixar short, as it’s a bit of a musical. This short that showed before The Incredibles, is about a sheep that has been sheared and lost his confidence as other animals make fun of him. A freindly Jackalope comes along and helps restore the sheeps confidence through song, reminding us to always believe in ourselves.

Tin Toy is very much the precursor to Toy Story, focusing on a small tin  one man band named Tinny. A baby enters the room and Tinny is delighted at the chance to be played with until he finds out how destructive the baby is.

This love story takes place in a rainy city, where the items in the streets take on faces and personalities of their own. The human milling around all have umrellas most of which appear black, except for two, a blue one and a red one. As their owners stop at a store the two meet and become smitten. As their owners part ways the items of the city start acting to reunite them, ultimately uniting their owners as well. It’s a charming short about love.

Geri’s Game is certainly a charming short, but one that’s also a bit heartbreaking. Geri is an elderly man sitting alone at a chess table, who begins to play. After taking a turn he gets up and moves to the other side, taking on an entirely new, and darker persona. Both versions of Geri go back and forth on turns with some really fun interactions mixed in. Eventually the good Geri triumphs winning a set of dentures as the prize. He laughs quietly as the camera pans out showing him still alone at the table.

Day and Night is one gorgeous piece of animation. Two beings representing day and night run into each other, both thinking they’re better than the other. As they start showing each other the wonderful things that happen during each of them, the two bond over it. It’s a gorgeous blend of 2D and 3D animation, and has a message of acceptance and understanding, showing the best that Pixar can be.