There’s nothing quite like family movie night, and streaming is making it easier than ever to plan one. While you may think of Netflix as the home to high-quality original content like Stranger Things and Locke & Key, it’s also a repository for new and classic movies appropriate for the whole family. From Disney and Pixar to Laika animation and live-action classics, Netflix pulls from all sorts of genres and styles.
Whether you want to sit down with the kids and get sucked into a fun-filled adventure or spend the evening laughing, Netflix’s collection has something for everyone. Of course, nobody wants to spend the whole night browsing, so we’ve pulled together some of the best family movies on Netflix — grab the popcorn and take a seat.
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The Willoughbys (2020)
Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara, Terry Crews, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski, Sean Cullen, and Ricky Gervais lend their voices to this computer-animated film based on the book of the same name by Lois Lowry. It’s about the Willoughbys, two neglectful parents, and their unique children who try to survive on their own until a mysterious nanny arrives. Despite the presumably sad subject matter about orphaned children with bad parents, critics loved the film and lauded its silliness that is “anchored in genuine emotion.”
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Stars: Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara, Ricky Gervais
Director: Kris Pearn
Rating: PG
Runtime: 92 minutes
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
What do your pets actually do when you’re not home all day? In the original The Secret Life of Pets, we learned that they get into a whole lot of trouble. Now, after narrowly avoiding becoming a stray, Max the terrier (Patton Oswalt) is back and ready for a fun family jaunt to the countryside. But when he mistakenly gets lost, he’ll have to deal with angry cows, hostile foxes, one mean turkey, and his own neuroses if he’s going to get back home. Thankfully, he has a little help.
Rotten Tomatoes: 60%
Genre: Family, Comedy
Stars: Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Patton Oswalt
Director: Chris Renaud
Rating: PG
Runtime: 86 minutes
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
You can’t help but get up and sing and dance to the iconic songs from this film, like “A Spoonful of Sugar.” And while it can’t hold a candle to the 1964 original, which starred Julie Andrews as the title character, Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda do a great job of bringing new life and a reinvented story to the franchise, earning the reboot four Academy Award nominations in the process. In the musical fantasy film, the magical and mysterious nanny is back 25 years later to help the now grown-up Michael Banks and his children get through a tragic event.
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
Genre: Musical, Family
Stars: Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda
Director: Rob Marshall
Rating: PG
Runtime: 130 minutes
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (2019)
While it may not be the same Invader Zim millennials grew up watching, the Netflix-adapted Enter the Florpus will still get the entire family reeling. The story tracks Zim (Richard Steven Horvitz) after the events of the original TV series, seeing the little alien in the throes of an existential dilemma. As he’s fighting for a chance to make a difference and attempting to unlock his true purpose on Earth, Zim’s arch-nemesis plots his downfall in the shadows. Can the little alien gain the confidence he needs to overcome his human rival, or will he only be a memory? With a critics review score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, no family can go wrong with Invader Zim and his Florpus adventures.
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Genre: Animation, Sci-Fi, Comedy
Stars: Jhonen Vasquez, Richard Steven Horvitz
Directors: Hae Young Jung, Young Kyun Park, Jhonen Vasquez
Rating: TV-Y7
Runtime: 71 minutes
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
What’s that? Another sequel? Yes, another sequel. The follow-up to the delightfully inventive Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet expands the boundaries and the scope of the analog universe into the digital. The film centers on Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) and his pal Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), both of which have made it out of their respective games and must support one another as they traverse the World Wide Web. Packed full of memes and internet humor, Ralph Breaks the Internet feels strangely ahead of its time and like old news simultaneously. You know, like the Internet.
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Genre: Animation, Family
Stars: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer
Director: Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
Rating: PG
Runtime: 116 minutes
Hugo (2011)
Given the ample amount of time on everyone’s hands nowadays, Hugo is an unmissable family-friendly escape into a world that uniquely portrays this unstoppable temporal movement. Martin Scorsese’s steampunk adventure captures a 1931 Paris through the eyes of a 12-year-old, and has an emotional weight unlike any of his previous films. Hugo’s (Asa Butterfield) adventures in the railway station are where the narrative and themes are expressed most boisterously, depicting a world made vibrant by its art, yet inundated with controlled abandon. Hugo is a tale of spellbinding woe and familial hardship, proving the necessity of creativity to thrive. It’s not an award winner for nothing, after all.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Genre: Adventure, Mystery
Stars: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: PG
Runtime: 129 minutes
Despicable Me (2010)
Minions are the adorably cute stars of this animated film, which features the vocal talents of Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, and Julie Andrews. Carell is Gru, a supervillain with three adopted girls who tries to outdo Vector’s (Segel) plan for a massive heist. In the end, however, the love from his three girls helps him see what’s most important. It’s a predictable story, yet one worth watching, especially with young children. The film was so popular, it spawned two sequels and a prequel, the latter centered around the Minions, and an upcoming film called Minions: The Rise of Gru that’s scheduled for release in 2021.
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Genre: Animation, Family
Stars: Steve Carell, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig
Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Rating: PG
Runtime: 95 minutes
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Now a full series on Netflix, Lemony Snicket’s beloved, morbid children’s book series A Series of Unfortunate Events got the film treatment more than a decade earlier. Jim Carrey stars as Count Olaf, the nefarious, evil, out-of-work actor who is nonetheless the impossibly wealthy, recently-orphaned Baudelaire children’s closest living relative. A master of disguise and with a theater troupe of cronies at his disposal, Olaf will stop at nothing to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune, even if that means eliminating the three Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny.
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Genre: Family, Comedy, Action & Adventure
Stars: Jim Carrey, Emily Browning, Liam Aiken
Directors: Brad Silberling
Rating: PG
Runtime: 107 minutes
Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017)
For anime-enthusiast families and Studio Ghibli connoisseurs, here is an international Alice in Wonderland lookalike. Mary and the Witch’s Flower is as heartwarming as it is artistically expressive, namely due to the direction of Hiromasa Yonebayashi. This animated adventure is based on Mary Stewart’s The Little Broomstick. Mary (Hana Sugisaki) is a young girl with no friends, living in the northern English countryside with a deep-seated hunger for adventure. After chasing a cat into a forest, her whole life changes upon the discovery of a mysterious broom with enchanted abilities. Netflix may have an array of the best anime series, but it doesn’t often have the best selection of family-friendly animated movies. Mary and the Witch’s Flower is certainly a testament to its potential.
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Genre: Animation, Fantasy
Stars: Ruby Barnhill, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Rating: PG
Runtime: 103 minutes
The Addams Family (1991)
This 1991 adaptation introduced the famously gruesome TV family to a brand new generation, launching a trilogy that spanned the ’90s. When the family attorney and a greedy mother/son team conspire to steal the Addams’ family fortune, it’s all hands on deck to ensure their eccentric lifestyle isn’t derailed. With an all-star cast featuring Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, and a young Christina Ricci as the quintessential Wednesday Addams, The Addams Family is goofy, grotesque fun for the whole family.
Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
Genre: Family, Sci-Fi, Comedy, Horror
Stars: Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, Raul Julia
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 99 minutes
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
There may not be a better action-adventure film in the world, let alone one that can be enjoyed by the whole family. The first of an eventual massive franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark features all the iconic moments you can remember, from Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) being chased by a boulder to the closing scene, a pan out on a massive warehouse where mysteries seem to meet their bureaucratic death. The theatrics are taken up a notch by John Williams, who provides one of the most iconic soundtracks of all time.
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Genre: Action, Adventure
Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
Director: Steven Spielberg
Rating: PG
Runtime: 115 minutes
Jurassic Park (1993)
There should be a slight parental advisory notice on this one, as it can be a bit scary — then again, what kid doesn’t love dinosaurs? Jurassic Park is the defining dinosaur movie and ushered in a new era of special effects in film. Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning blockbuster is full of non-stop action and adventure fun that, despite a few grisly scenes, will keep kids raised on wild effects fully engaged and adults narratively satisfied. Plus, the two original sequels — The Lost World and Jurassic Park III — are also on Netflix.
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Genre: Action and Adventure, Science Fiction and Fantasy
Stars: Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern
Director: Steven Spielberg
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 126 minutes
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Bringing comic-book pages to the big screen like never before, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse does superhero animation right and has a killer soundtrack to boot. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is a young kid striving to be more than just the average hero. His two hardworking parents not only love him but feel for him in this time of angst and maturity, yet they are unaware of his secret identity. Morales is put to the test more so than ever before when Kingpin’s mishandling of complex technology tears through the fabric of reality. Thrust into his world, an assortment of Spider friends must band together if they have any chance of making it back to their own respective homes. And though they may not want his help, Miles is their only key to salvation.
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Genre: Animation, Action
Stars: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld
Directors: Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Bob Persichetti
Rating: PG
Runtime: 116 minutes
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001)
During the Golden Age of Nickelodeon, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius stood out for its unique premise and heavy focus on science. Jimmy Neutron is an 11-year-old boy whose intellect is matched by none. Of course, his brain results in the arrival of an alien species who want to kidnap and sacrifice Earth’s parents to Poultra, the species’s god, who is incidentally a three-headed chicken. Smart and humorous, the movie was the launching pad for the franchise, which brought two different television shows to Nickelodeon over the following decade.
Rotten Tomatoes: 74%
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Stars: Debi Derryberry, Rob Paulsen, Jeffrey Garcia
Director: John A. Davis
Rating: G
Runtime: 90 minutes
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
The classic duo of Mr. Peabody and Sherman get a modern update for a new generation in this 2014 animated hit. Mr. Peabody is the most accomplished dog in the world, and with his mischievous boy Sherman, they travel time and space together in their time machine, the WABAC. But when Sherman takes the WABAC out for a joyride to impress his friend Penny, they inadvertently tear a hole in the universe, wreaking havoc on history. Before past, present, and future are forever altered, Mr. Peabody must put everything back together again, simultaneously making the world right and becoming a parent.
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Genre: Animation, Family
Stars: Ty Burrell, Ariel Winter, Max Charles
Directors: Rob Minkoff
Rating: PG
Runtime: 92 minutes
Pokémon Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution (2019)
This Pokémon movie is a CGI remake of the massively popular 1998 Pokémon film, Pokémon: The First Movie. It doesn’t quite meet the hype of the original movie, which many of today’s parents probably went bananas for as kids, but it’s nonetheless a fun trip down nostalgia lane for adults and an action-packed ride for kids. Starring all the characters from the original Pokémon series, the movie follows Ash, Brock, and Misty as they discover the enormously powerful psychic Pokémon Mewtwo and realize he’s not the villain he’s made out to be.
Rotten Tomatoes: 44%
Genre: Animation, Family
Stars: Ikue Otani, Rica, Matsumoto
Directors: Kunihiko Yuyama, Tetsuo Yajima, Motonori Sakakibara
Rating: PG
Runtime: 98 minutes
The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Don’t worry parents, The NeverEnding Story does actually end. While today’s kids may only know The NeverEnding Story from Dustin and Suzie’s duet in season 3 of Stranger Things, the fantasy trilogy is iconic for children of the ’80s and ’90s. After his mother’s death, Bastian is struggling. His nagging father and bullies at school aren’t helping. When he plays hooky from school one day, Bastian winds up in a strange bookstore where he discovers a book called The Neverending Story. As he reads, Bastian is sucked into the story, following a warrior called Atreju’s quest to find a cure for his sick empress. As he explores the land, he discovers it is consumed with a plague called The Nothing, generated by blighted dreams and hopeless fantasies. When Bastian is catapulted physically into the novel, Atreju realizes that the only way to cure The Nothing is with the help of this strange earth boy. The second film in the franchise is also available on Netflix.
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Adventure
Stars: Barret Oliver, Noah Hathaway, Tami Stronach
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Rating: PG
Runtime: 94 minutes
The Little Prince (2015)
This original adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved book somehow manages to pay homage to the original story while expanding it to beautiful new heights. Directed by Mark Osborne, this visually stunning extension features a young girl (Mackenzie Foy) who strikes up a friendship with an old pilot (Jeff Bridges). As they get to know one another, the pilot regales the girl about a friend from his past: a Little Prince from another planet. Read the book with your kids, then watch the movie, and you’ll build a lasting memory.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Genre: Animation, Family
Stars: Mackenzie Foy, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd
Director: Mark Osborne
Rating: PG
Runtime: 110 minutes
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