Film

The Secret Life of Pets

Name: The Secret Life of Pets
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family, Adventure
Released: 2016
Cast: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper

Comedy
Light-hearted

A zippy animated comedy about Manhattan dogs who live secret lives when their owners leave for work. Max the terrier's cushy existence fractures when a rescue mutt moves in, sparking a buddy-comedy adventure through the city's underbelly. Bright, silly, and aimed squarely at kids, though adults will find enough jokes to coast through its brisk 86 minutes.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy busy, gag-packed animation where the jokes land fast and the animals' little worlds are funny in their own right, the way a good cartoon about household chaos should be.

Skip it if you want animation with emotional depth or a slower build; this one runs on quick jokes and bright set pieces, and the sentiment stays fairly light throughout.

What it asks of you: Eighty-six minutes of brisk, colourful scenes that keep moving, asking you to laugh easily and let the frantic energy carry you along without much quiet time.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Toy Story1995

The original secret-life-of-objects film that invented this whole playground of ideas. Witty, imaginative, and deeply felt about friendship and belonging. A masterpiece that holds up.

But If you've seen it a dozen times already—and most have—there's no surprise left, only comfort viewing.

Zootopia2016

Another Illumination-adjacent animal comedy with real wit layered underneath. A buddy cop premise with genuine laughs and surprisingly smart satire about prejudice. Visually inventive and surprisingly moving.

But The message can feel a touch heavy-handed, and the mystery plot sometimes takes a back seat to the bigger themes.

Finding Nemo2003

A parent-and-child adventure that works because it genuinely cares about its characters. Funny, gorgeous, and emotionally honest. Pixar at the peak of knowing how to break your heart while making you laugh.

But It's been imitated so many times that the structure now feels familiar. And yes, it's a bit of a tear-jerker if you're not prepared for it.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Secret Life of Pets

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Babe1995

Both films are built on the lives animals lead when humans aren't paying attention, but Babe asks you to care about the inner life, while Secret Life just wants the laugh.

A talking-animal film that takes itself seriously—a pig raised by sheep who dreams of herding cattle. It's genuinely moving about otherness and self-determination, told with a fairytale's grace. Also funny in ways that land deeper.

But It's far slower and quieter than you'd expect from a kids' film, with real darkness underneath the charm. Not a comedy romp; a fable.

Madagascar2005

DreamWorks' chaotic animal comedy that prioritizes gags over logic. Kevin Hart does his Kevin Hart thing as a deranged rabbit, and somehow it works. Fast, loud, and unapologetically ridiculous.

But The plot barely exists—it's a string of set pieces. If you want narrative coherence, you'll be frustrated.

Sing2016

A joyful ensemble karaoke movie with surprising emotional depth about second chances and self-belief. Sing-alongs are genuinely fun, and the voice cast is clearly having a ball.

But It's saccharine by design, and the animal characters don't get as much personality as they probably should given the large cast.

Bolt2008

A Disney film about a TV dog who thinks he has real superpowers. Sharper and sweeter than it has any right to be, with genuine warmth about what animals mean to their humans.

But It sags a bit in the middle when the emotional stakes haven't yet landed, and some of the jokes feel dated now.

Rio2011

A candy-colored musical adventure about a domesticated macaw discovering the wild. The songs are earworms, the animation is lush, and it doesn't pretend to be anything but a feel-good romp.

But The plot is thin as paper, and the environmental message feels tacked on. Character development takes a back seat to spectacle.

The Lego Movie2014

An absurdist comedy disguised as a toy commercial. Relentlessly inventive, quotable, and funny for both kids and adults. The voice work is impeccable and the gags come at you constantly.

But The frantic pacing and wall-to-wall jokes can be exhausting. Some may find the meta-commentary more clever than genuinely moving.

Sing 22021

The sequel leans into the ensemble fun and adds more karaoke numbers. If you liked the first, this doubles down on everything that worked—the optimism, the songs, the weird charm.

But It's repetitive if you didn't love the first film. The formula becomes more obvious on the second go-round.

Watership Down1978

A film about animals in their own world, but it commits to stakes and mortality. Secret Life is pure escapism; this asks you to genuinely invest in their survival.

An animated film about rabbits on an epic journey that treats its characters with absolute seriousness. Visually stunning, occasionally terrifying, and structured like an actual adventure novel. Profoundly unpatronizing to its young audience.

But It's genuinely dark and violent in ways modern kids' films shy away from. Some sequences are nightmare fuel. Also from 1978, so the animation won't be what you expect.

Fantastic Mr. Fox2009

Both are animal ensemble comedies, but this one is a statement about style, craft, and the artist's ego. Secret Life is pure entertainment; this is an auteur's vision.

Wes Anderson's stop-motion animal fable about a fox who can't stop scheming. Formally beautiful, genuinely funny, and oddly moving about masculinity and family. A masterwork of controlled chaos dressed in tweed and sophistication.

But Anderson's style is polarizing—the artifice and whimsy will either charm you or make you roll your eyes. Also very much a Wes Anderson film if that's not your speed.