Every year, a few movies come out of nowhere to become box office juggernauts — and in 2024, The Wild Robot was that film. Written and directed by animation legend Chris Sanders, the man behind Lilo & Stitch, the movie quietly arrived in theatres before taking flight in a big way, grossing over $330 million worldwide. After a successful run on Peacock, it’s now found a brand-new audience on Netflix — where it’s already cracked the Top 10 just days after debuting on Saturday, May 24.

Critics and audiences were nearly unanimous in their praise when The Wild Robot hit theatres. The film currently holds a 96% critics score and 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best-reviewed animated movies of the decade so far. It’s not hard to see why: the story is heartfelt, gorgeously animated, and surprisingly deep.

What Is ‘The Wild Robot’ About?

The movie follows Roz, a high-tech robot who washes ashore on a remote island after a shipwreck. Finding herself alone and disoriented, she’s forced to learn how to survive in the wild. Soon, Roz begins forging bonds with the island’s animal residents and becomes a surrogate mother to a baby goose she adopts. Very quickly, Roz begins to learn empathy and what it means precisely to be alive as she becomes a parent. Roz is voiced by Lupita Nyong’o bringing a soulful presence to the metallic hero of the story. The supporting cast is stacked, too: Pedro Pascal, hot off his turns in The Last of Us and The Mandalorian brings that trademark warmth as Fink the fox, Kit Connor (from Heartstopper) voices Brightbill the gosling, and Mark Hamill, Ving Rhames, and Catherine O’Hara round out the impressive voice ensemble.

And then there’s Chris Sanders, whose signature warmth and visual style shine through every frame. Best known for creating Lilo & Stitch — and voicing Stitch himself in both the animated film and its box office juggernaut live-action reboot in theaters now — and co-directing How to Train Your Dragon, Sanders knows how to tap into emotional storytelling without losing the sense of wonder that defines great family animation. The Wild Robot might be his most emotionally mature film to date — and judging by its staying power, audiences agree.

The Wild Robot is now streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for the latest updates on all your favorite movies and television series.