Moana

The final three on our list are widely considered to be the modern classics of Disney’s revival era, and I could easily see any of them in the top spot on any given day. But we can’t give them a three-way tie for first place (I mean, I don’t think we can), so I’ve gotta give Moana the third-place spot. Moana’s journey from a begrudging leader to a bold, trailblazing one takes her across oceans she’s only ever dreamed of, having been kept sequestered on her home island by her parents her whole life. But dreaming of something is one thing; reckoning with the reality of what you feel you’re capable of is much harder. Moana is a story of self-doubt and resilience, and knowing that the two feelings intermingle. Accomplishing anything means always finding your way back to the latter.

Thankfully, Moana leans less into Lin-Manuel Miranda’s more annoying bag of musical tricks than Encanto did, and Auliʻi Cravalho’s soaring vocals deliver empowering anthems that elevate the film’s most emotional beats. I’m curious to see if Moana 2 can live up to its predecessor with new songwriters at the helm.