Julián review: Julián Is a Mermaid is now a wonderful movie

I think I have just seen my favorite animated movie of 2026.

And it's Julián, based on Jessica Love's bestselling children’s book, Julián Is a Mermaid.

This year, cinemas have seen sequels for beloved IP like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie , Toy Story 5 , Minions & Monsters, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender , and PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie.

There have also been original animal-centered adventures like GOAT, Hoppers , and Swapped.

Plus, coming up are Shaun The Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, Forgotten Island, Wildwood, The Cat in the Hat, Steps, Ray Gunn, and Hexed.

So, what makes me so certain that Julián will be my favorite of the year? Well, for starters, it's a deeply charming story about a child fighting for his individuality, a message that speaks to me.

Created by Cartoon Saloon, which produced The Secret of Kells, Wolfwalkers, and The Breadwinner , it is absolutely beautiful.

But most of all, over the course of 85 minutes, this magical movie's style reminded me of some of my favorite animated movies and shows, including Steven Universe, Spirited Away, Craig of the Creek, and Luca.

Yet at no point did Julián have me wishing I was watching those instead.

SEE ALSO: Fall movie preview: All the 2026 films you need to know about Julián thrives on comparison, not by being better than these rightly beloved films and series, but by being a solid stone in the path of the cathedral they collectively build to the glory of animation as an art form.

Julián is a summer-set story of LGBTQ+ youth and identity.

Named for its protagonist, Julián follows a little boy over a summer spent with his Dominican American abuela (Milcania Diaz-Rojas) in Brooklyn.

He (Knyght Darius Jack) is a cheerful child with a vivid imagination, a love of the ocean, and little awareness of the mess he makes while playing.

In the opening scene, his dad Javi (Anthony Sardinha) shows an appreciation for all of this, as Julián excitedly colors a picture, and splashes about glitter on the drive to New York.