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Whether you’re in need of something to entertain the inter-generational crew that descended on your doorstep for baked meats and pumpkin pie, are looking to share a cinematic moment with your young ones, or just happen to be in the mood for an all-ages alone time, there are a ton of great family-friendly movies streaming right now.
Instead of scrolling endlessly through that plague of choices (especially if you’ve got a frustrated tot threatening to shred your couch), use this as a shortcut to picking something everyone will love. Here are 15 of the best family-friendly movies that are just a few clicks away (and where to find them).
1. COCO (2017)
Pixar magic refined by familial connections across generations and defined by millions of eye-popping colors, aspiring musician Miguel’s adventure into the underworld on Día de Muertos seems to have been built around the goal of making as many people cry for as long as possible. It’s a toe-tapping Kleenex commercial about what we owe to family—and what we owe to ourselves.
Where to watch it: Netflix
2. THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984)
Here’s a fun fact: the kid in The NeverEnding Story’s full name is Bastian Balthazar Bux. Weird, right? All he gets to do is read a book in an attic while Atreyu sets forth on an epic quest to battle The Nothing, ride a Luckdragon, and save Fantasia. And we get to watch Bastian read the book about the adventure. So it’s pretty meta when you think about it. It’s also pretty awesome—and a powerful dose of nostalgia for Gen Xers and Millennials alike.
Where to watch it: Netflix
3. HUGO (2011)
Paris. 1930s. A young orphan living in a train station runs afoul of a toy store owner, but after connecting with the man’s goddaughter and taking her to the cinema, they realize that the toy store owner was once a famous director. Cementing their friendship, the young boy and girl hatch a plan to reignite her godfather’s dreams. Martin Scorsese directed this wondrous, movie-obsessed melodrama starring Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, and Sacha Baron Cohen.
Where to watch it: Apple TV
4. AN AMERICAN TAIL (1986)
For yet another powerful dose of nostalgia, there’s nothing quite as powerful as the sweet, somber, harrowing journey of the plucky Ukrainian mouse named Fievel. It’s about holding onto hope even when the person you love is so, so far away. It’s about immigrating to a new place that can be both welcoming and hostile. It’s about building a new, loving home when hate has destroyed your old one.
Where to watch it: Netflix
5. CORALINE (2009)
In 2009, the newly-formed Laika Studios announced themselves in a big, ambitious way with painstaking stop-motion craftsmanship and a wondrous story based on Neil Gaiman's novel, Coraline. Written and directed by Henry Selick (who also made The Nightmare Before Christmasbe sure to bet money with your friends who think it was Tim Burton), the movie features a girl who moves into a new home in Oregon with strange new neighbors and an enticing fantasy land with loving parents, tasty food, and endless fun … if you’re willing to sew buttons where your eyes should be. Extras about how they built the movie frame-by-frame will also drop your jaw right to the floor.
Where to watch it: Netflix
6. CHARLOTTE’S WEB (1973)
Just as fun and vibrant as you remember, E.B. White’s classic tale about a pig saved from becoming bacon by a literate spider really sang in this animated adaptation. The musical is a delight, the lessons about friendship are powerful, and Paul Lynde voices a sassy rat named Templeton. That’ll do pig. That’ll do.
Where to watch it: Apple TV
7. MULAN (1998)
It’s highly likely that your whole crew has seen Moana and Kung Fu Panda about a trillion times, so if you’re looking for an escape, there’s always 1990s Disney to the rescue. The saga of a brave young woman seizing her destiny despite the sexism of her empire will have everyone cutting off their ponytails and adopting a pet dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy. Plus, it’ll get you prepped for the live-action version set for 2020.
Where to watch it: Netflix
8. A LITTLE PRINCESS (1995)
If you’re looking for a deep cut to impress the crowd, check out one of Alfonso Cuarón’s early gems—a remake of a 1939 Shirley Temple movie that features an imaginative young girl stowed away in a horrible boarding school because she thinks her father has been killed during WWI. Hijinks and the magic of youth collide with stunning production design and gorgeous visuals. It’s a cult favorite for a reason.
Where to watch it: Netflix
9. THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE (2000)
David Spade voices the spoiled, Incan ruler who is turned into a llama by his scheming advisor Yzma (voiced to purr-fection by Eartha Kitt). Teaming up with a kind villager (whose house the emperor wants to destroy to make way for a waterslide), the sarcastic llama attempts to get his human body and his throne back with some cartoon slapstick along the way.
Where to watch it: Netflix
10. THE IRON GIANT (1999)
An all-timer (and another movie that should come with its own tissues), Brad Bird’s animated, Cold War-set masterpiece is a bit like E.T. —but with a giant robot instead of an alien. It takes a different angle from the 1950s B-movies by making the thing that “came from outer space!” the misunderstood, kind-hearted hero and a friend to a special young boy. Bring Superman capes for everyone you’re watching it with.
Where to stream it: Netflix
11. JANE (2017)
Who says family films have to be fiction? This award-winning documentary charts Jane Goodall’s decades of research into chimpanzees as she lived among them in Tanzania and tried to raise a family of her own. She has lived an extraordinary life, and this film does the enormity of her boundary-pushing success justice with personal footage and a ton of information about the animals she spent so much of her time getting to know.
Where to watch it: Hulu
12. THE HALLOWEEN TREE (1993)
Either you already know it and love it, or you’re about to. Back in the early 1990s, Hanna-Barbera took a stab at adapting a Ray Bradbury fantasy novel and cast Ray Bradbury and Leonard Nimoy in the adult roles. The story features a group of pre-teens held captive by a neighborhood crank with a magical jack o’ lantern tree who takes them on a time-bending scavenger hunt to learn about the origins of their costumes: a mummy, a witch, a demon, and a skeleton.
Where to watch it: Hulu
13. MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER (2017)
You’re a witch, Mary! The big Studio Ghibli movies aren’t available to stream (many of them have been making their way back into theaters for limited engagements), but this animated adventure about a young woman who sneaks into a witching college by using a plant called “fly-by-night” is the next best thing. Spirited and beautifully crafted, it’s also a great argument for exploring your world and learning about cool plants.
Where to watch it: Netflix
14. GALAXY QUEST (1999)
For the PG crowd with sci-fi fans in the mix, Dean Parisot’s film walks the balance beam between spoof and love letter with technical flourish. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and more star as washed-up actors from a Star Trek-esque TV show who are kidnapped by aliens who think their show was real. It’s a bigger ego boost than autographing headshots, and it takes fandom and sci-fi know-how to save the day.
Where to watch it: Apple TV
15. A MISER BROTHERS’ CHRISTMAS (2008)
Recalling the classic Rankin-Bass stop-motion holiday specials of the 1970s, this spin-off saw Mickey Rooney returning to his role as Santa Claus in a story about Heat Miser and Snow Miser running the toy factory as another fantastical family member tries to sabotage Christmas without getting the blame.
Where to watch it: Hulu