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Picking a movie for the entire family to enjoy can be tricky. There’s never a lack of kids’ movies to choose from, but most of the time those tend to only cater to the young ones, leaving little to entertain adults. And then there’s the risk of a PG-13 movie being a little too much for the little kids to handle. Thankfully, Netflix offers an especially wide selection of movies for any age to enjoy, both animated and live-action.
We’ve scrubbed through the streaming service to find 13 of the very best family-friendly movies, including everything from action-packed adventures to catchy musicals and uplifting emotional dramas to animated wonders. Now no one has to compromise.
1. The Half of It (2020)
Credit: KC Bailey / Netflix
Rated: PG-13
At a high school in the small Washington town of Squahamish, Ellie Chu is the go-to kid for any student trying to get out of writing an essay. A shy Chinese-American teen, Ellie ghostwrites her classmates’ homework to make some extra cash and help her widowed father pay the bills. That makes her the perfect person for what Paul, the sweet football jock who lives next door, needs: Ellie to write a love letter to his crush. The only problem is, Ellie also secretly has a crush on the same girl.
Alice Wu’s sweet coming-of-age film The Half of It is a modern teen take on the classic play “Cyrano de Bergerac,” but with a queer YA twist. As Ellie pens love letters from Paul to beautiful cool-girl Aster, she also grows closer to Aster in real life. The love triangle turns messy as lies, heightened teen emotions, and miscommunication pile up. The Half of It is a heartwarming and charming teen movie that tenderly explores topics of queer identity, religion, and friendship, and would be a great watch for both teens and queer adults who never got a queer high school romance movie in their youth.
How to watch: The Half of It is now streaming on Netflix.
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Rated: PG
In the sequel to Into the Spider-Verse, a year has passed since Miles Morales and his Spidey friends saved New York City from Kingpin. Now Miles is older, acting much more like a moody teenager, and struggling to get along with his parents. The fate of the multiverse soon becomes Miles’ top priority when he meets a new, even worse supervillain named The Spot (Jason Schwartzman). Miles and Gwen Stacy reunite and meet a handful of new Spider-People to try and stop The Spot from destroying the entire multiverse. Our latest team of web-slingers includes Issa Rae’s pregnant Spider-Woman, Daniel Kaluuya as the spikey-haired Brit Spider-Punk, Karan Soni as Spider-Man India, and Oscar Issac as Spider-Man 2099. Somehow the sequel is bursting with even more stunning visuals, humor, and high-stakes action — including one the coolest and most suspenseful chase scenes yet with more Spider-People than you can count.
How to watch: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now streaming on Netflix.
3. Enola Holmes (2020)
Credit: Legendary © 2020
Rated: PG-13
Millie Bobby Brown swaps superpowers for sleuthing in Enola Holmes, Harry Bradbeer’s movie about the 16-year-old sister of the famed Sherlock Holmes. In this detective tale, it’s Enola who gets the spotlight and the chance to solve a mystery. When her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) goes missing, Enola sets out to find her but soon discovers a series of hidden clues her mother’s left behind that reveal a much bigger story at play.
Enola Holmes has the classic intrigue of a Holmes tale, full of clever clues and quizzical riddles — and yes, Sherlock himself does appear, played by Henry Cavill — but brings a youthful and feminist spin to the old detective genre. Parents who’ve watched Amazon’s Fleabag will also find something unique to enjoy here as well — Bradbeer, who directed the Phoebe Waller-Bridge comedy series, brings that same cheeky, breaking-the-fourth-wall character commentary to Enola Holmes. It adds a fresh, winking sense of humor to what’s already a fun family adventure full of mystery and romance.
How to watch: Enola Holmes is now streaming on Netflix.
4. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Rated: PG
Easily one of the most gorgeous and imaginative stop-motion films of the past decade, Kubo and the Two Strings tells the story of a young Japanese boy who sets out on a mythical quest. While caring for his ill mother, Kubo is suddenly attacked by the vengeful spirits of his mother’s sisters (both voiced by Rooney Mara). He now must find his father’s magical suit of armor and outrun his evil ancestors with the help of a magical shamisen instrument, a talking snow monkey (voiced by Charlize Theron), and a cursed samurai trapped in a beetle’s body (Matthew McConaughey). Not only is Kubo a feast to look at — made by the same studio behind Coraline and ParaNorman — but also, it tells a touching emotional story.
How to watch: Kubo and the Two Strings is now streaming on Netflix.
5. Nimona (2023)
Credit: Netflix
Rated: PG
Set in a medieval futuristic world, Nimona blends high-tech sci-fi (think Fifth Element with flying cars and skyscrapers) and high-stakes action in a classic hero’s journey. In this story though, our heroes and villains aren’t exactly who they appear to be at first. Based on the graphic novel by nonbinary, transmasculine cartoonist ND Stevenson, Nimona also tells a powerful and unabashedly queer story about discrimination and acceptance.
The story follows the titular Nimona (voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz) as a mysterious shapeshifting teen who recruits an outlaw knight named Ballister (Riz Ahmed) as her sidekick. Nimona, who can transform from a punk teenage girl into creatures like a rhinoceros, a mouse, or a gorilla, tag teams with Ballister to help clear his name after a shocking incident derails his life and future. Not only is Nimona full of emotional depth and some surprising plot twists, but its imaginative animation and visual world make it a rare treat of a family movie that’s bursting with originality.
How to watch: Nimona is now streaming on Netflix.
6. Spider-Man (2002)
Rated: PG-13
Before the world-ending stakes of today’s Marvel movies and the brooding darkness of DC heroes, there was 2002’s Spider-Man, a superhero movie that’s bursting with goofiness and kid-like spirit. It may not be the best Spider-Man movie, but the first Sam Raimi Spidey film is a must-see for any kid who loves the web slinger, and anyone who enjoys the silliness of comic book heroes.
This Peter Parker origin story, the first of many on the big screen, is downright silly in the best way. There’s a campy villain (Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, who looks like he’s jumped right off the comic page with his Power Rangers-like suit), a gloriously sappy romance — with, mind you, one of the most iconic movie kisses of all time — and a very dopey sense of humor. I mean, Spider-Man fights in a wrestling cage match! What more do you want, Peter testing out his powers by shouting “Up, up, and away web!”? You got it.
How to watch: Spider-Man is now streaming on Netflix.
7. The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
Credit: ©2021 SPAI. All Rights Reserved.
Rated: PG
In the world of The Mitchells vs. The Machines, everyone is addicted to their phones, a mega tech corporation launches a fancy new software, and kids are endlessly annoyed by their parents. Sounds familiar, huh? The animated Sony/Netflix movie is pretty obviously a reflection of our current moment with technology and how it can disrupt our daily lives, making it perfectly relatable across many ages. It’s also super hilarious and wickedly entertaining. That’s far from surprising given that it’s produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the filmmakers behind the beloved LEGO Movie.
In The Mitchells vs. The Machines, an AI voice software (think Siri or Alexa) decides to take over humanity, and it’s up to the titular Mitchell family to save the planet from the robot apocalypse. There’s Katie, a queer teen and aspiring filmmaker (Abbi Jacobson), her dinosaur-obsessed little brother Aaron, their parents Rick (Danny McBride) and Linda (Maya Rudolph), and their dog Monchi (noises voiced by none other than Doug the Pug). What follows is a series of big and dazzling action sequences reminiscent of The Incredibles — while there’s no super powers here, there is an incredible fight scene against giant Furbys.
How to watch: The Mitchells vs. The Machines is now streaming on Netflix.
8. The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
Rated: PG
There are dozens of kids’ movies about talking cats and dogs, but The Secret Life of Pets is one of the most charming and adorable. It follows a giddy terrier named Max (Louis C.K.) who loves his life with his sweet owner Katie (Ellie Kemper) — that is, until she brings home a shaggy dog named Duke (Eric Stonestreet). But the two pups must find a way to get along when they accidentally get captured by Animal Control. A whole cast of animals help rescue the two dogs, including a Pomeranian (Jenny Slate) who has a crush on Max, a rabbit named Snowball (Kevin Hart) who leads a crew of animals who’ve been abandoned by their owners, a grumpy red-tailed hawk (Albert Brooks), an old Basset Hound (Dana Carvey), and a mini dachshund named Buddy (Hannibal Buress). If you’re looking for cute animals, a familiar and fun voice cast, and a plot full of silly shenanigans, you can’t go wrong with The Secret Life of Pets.
How to watch: The Secret Life of Pets is now streaming on Netflix.
9. All the Bright Places (2020)
Credit: Michele K. Short
Rated: TV-MA
All the Bright Places is an emotional teen drama that doesn’t shy away from addressing the very heavy topics of death, suicide, abuse, and self-harm, and just how unbearably immense those can be for young folks to navigate. Elle Fanning plays Violet, a lonely teen who can’t escape the guilt she feels after surviving the car crash that killed her sister nine months ago. She meets Finch (Justice Smith) while standing atop the bridge where her sister died. After he talks her down, the two quickly become close, taking fun day trips around their small town together and slowly opening up about the pain they’re both suffering from.
The romance drama, based on the book by Jennifer Niven, might be a heavy watch, but it’s admirable for the way it takes teens’ emotional worlds so seriously. Worry not, there are still moments of lightness, humor, and yes, love throughout the film as Violet and Finch begin to heal through their connection to one another.
How to watch: All the Bright Places is now streaming on Netflix.
10. Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (2016)
Rated: PG
While nothing can come close to the zany, classic Pee-wee movies, the most recent sequel is still a joyful ride. Paul Reubens returned to his iconic character for the first time in decades in the 2015 movie, which follows Pee-wee on an adventure across the country.
One day, Pee-wee meets a traveling stranger in the form of Joe Manganiello, literally playing himself. The hulking Magic Mike star encourages Pee-wee to leave his small town for the first time to take a vacation and visit Joe in New York City. Pee-wee soon sets out on a road trip that takes him on a series of wacky misadventures. He finds himself crossing paths with a trio of bank robbers, a farmer who tries to get Pee-wee to marry one of his daughters, a creepy salesman, and so much more. But the real heart of Big Holiday is the bond between Pee-wee and his new friend Joe, two guys who very obviously share more than a platonic connection. With the recent news of Reubens coming out as gay in a new posthumous documentary, it seems that Big Holiday may have been the actor’s way of winking at his sexuality all along.
How to watch: Pee-wee’s Big Holiday is now streaming on Netflix.
11. Vivo (2021)
Credit: © 2021 SPAI. All Rights Reserved.
Rated: PG
Vivo has all the makings of a beloved animated musical you and your kids can’t help but fall in love with. There’s a singing kinkajou who wears a tiny fedora, infectiously catchy musical numbers composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and his Hamilton and In the Heights collaborator Alex Lacamoire, bright animation popping with radiant color, and an emotional love story at the center. (Oscar-winner Roger Deakins served as a visual consultant, and it shows.)
Set in Havana, Cuba, the movie follows the titular kinkajou (voiced by Miranda) who spends his days playing music with Andrés (Juan de Marcos González) in a local city square. When Andrés gets a letter from his long-lost love, famous musician Marta (Gloria Estefan), inviting him to her final show, Vivo sets out to meet her and deliver a song Andrés wrote for her. Plenty of hijinks follow, along with an assortment of songs any Hamilton fan will be singing along to for days.
How to watch: Vivo is now streaming on Netflix.
12. The Willoughbys (2020)
Rated: PG
Lois Lowry’s novel The Willoughbys comes to life in this playful animated film with a stacked voice cast and a silly sense of humor. The Willoughby children were unfortunately cursed with a pair of terrible, neglectful parents (voiced by Martin Short and Jane Krakowski). One day Tim (Will Forte), the eldest; Jane (Alessia Cara), the middle child; and their twin brothers (Seán Cullen) come up with a plan to send their evil parents away on a trip in hopes of finding a new mom and dad. While that may sound bleak, The Willoughbys is actually a lighthearted adventure thanks to its goofy humor and giddy energy. After all, the story is narrated by a talking cat (Ricky Gervais) and involves a gravity-defying baby and a kooky candymaker voiced by Terry Crews.
How to watch: The Willoughbys is now streaming on Netflix.
13. Over the Moon (2020)
Credit: Netflix
Rated: PG
It’s been four years since Fei Fei’s mother died, and now her dad (voiced by John Cho) is bringing a new girlfriend home. The 13-year-old girl isn’t happy with the idea of potentially getting a new mom (even if she’s voiced by Sandra Oh) and stepbrother. Upset and missing her mother, Fei Fei pours her attention into a mythical legend her mom used to tell her about — the story of Chang’e (Phillipa Soo), a moon goddess waiting for her lost love to return. Fei Fei is convinced that if she can prove Chang’e is real, maybe her father will also focus on his lost love instead of getting remarried.
In the imaginative film directed by Disney animation legend Glen Keane (known for everything from The Little Mermaid to Aladdin to Beauty and the Beast), Fei Fei builds herself a rocket ship to fly to the moon. With its colorful animation and bubbly characters inspired by the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, Over the Moon is a visual delight with catchy musical numbers and a tender story about dealing with grief as a young kid.
How to watch: Over the Moon is now streaming on Netflix.
UPDATE: Jan. 31, 2025, 5:27 p.m. EST This article has been updated to reflect the latest streaming options.
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“Spider-Man,” “Vivo,” “Enola Holmes,” and other kid-friendly fare streams on Netflix.
