Nimona (2023)
Kids who love fantasy and D&D-esque worlds will be taken in by Nimona, a story of a shape-shifting teen who decides to protect a knight framed for a terrible crime. But is the knight more villainous than he seems? This is based on a graphic novel by ND Stevenson, who created the excellent She-Ra and the Princesses of Power series, which is also on Netflix.
The Karate Kid (1984)
It’s the best…around! This is a true underdog-sports story about a bullied high schooler who learns karate for self-defense, then takes on his rivals from the fancier dojo. After they watch the original, kids can continue with The Karate Kid II, The Karate Kid III, the remake and the Cobra Kai series, which are all on Netflix.
Despicable Me (2010)
Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie (2023)
If the kids think Miraculous is simply the best, they’ll enjoy this feature-length movie, which re-tells the origin story of Ladybug and Cat Noir — in musical form!
Jumanji (1995)
If you want the Jumaji series that stars Jack Black and the Rock, you’ll have to head to Hulu. But if you want the ’90s version, with an entertaining Robin Williams performance, Netflix has you covered. Both series are about what happens when a game causes havoc in the real world, though the 1995 version hews closer to the book by The Polar Express‘s Chris Van Allsburg.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022)
Based on the children’s books by Bernard Waber, this film follows a family who moves into a house in the New York City, only to find that it already has a resident — a singing crocodile! Shawn Mendes provides the voice of Lyle, and songs are by Dear Evan Hansen‘s Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Hook (1991)
Director Steven Spielberg heads to Neverland, telling a story about what happens when Peter Pan (Robin Williams again) grows up and forgets about his swashbuckling adventures. Dustin Hoffman plays a perfect Captain Hook, a foil for Pan’s antics.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Poor Puss in Boots. He only has nine lives, and he’s already used up eight of them. Fearing his mortality, he teams up with an unlikely band to catch a wishing star and wish for more lives. This is the sequel to the 2011 Puss in Boots (which itself is a spin-off of Shrek), but the original is sadly not on Netflix.
Paddington (2014)
Based on the beloved children’s book series by Michael Bond, Paddington follows the adventure of a bear who grew up in the jungles of Peru but finds himself settling into city life in London. While there’s some peril, this is an extremely gentle movie even the youngest film fans can enjoy. And while it’s not on Netflix, some like Paddington 2 (not on Netflix) even more.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
Katie Mitchell, a budding filmmaker, is headed off to school, and her family decides to drive her for one last road trip family vacation. The only problem? A robot apocalypse breaks out on the way, and the Mitchells are the only ones who can stop it. This movie comes from some of the same creative team as The Lego Movie, and has a similar zany energy.
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)
An alien (that looks more like a puppy than anything you’d see on The X-Files) gets separated from her parents, and it’s up to Shaun and the rest of his farm friends to reunite them. From the makers of Wallace and Gromit, every Shaun the Sheep adventure is pretty gentle and appropriate for younger film fans.
Roald Dahl’ Matilda: The Musical (2022)
If the kids didn’t get a chance to see Matilda on Broadway, now’s the chance. The music comes courtesy of Tim Minchin, who also adapted Groundhog Day for the stage, and it stars Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough and Emma Thompson, among others. (Looking for the 1996 non-musical version of Matilda with Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman? Netflix has that one, too.)
Wendell and Wild (2022)
Two cinema giants come together for this stop-motion spectacular: It’s directed by Henry Selick, who made The Nightmare before Christmas, and co-written by Jordan Peele, master of horror movies like Get Out and Nope. (Peele also does a voice.) It’s about a girl who blames herself for past tragedy, and considers teaming up with two demons to help set things right. But are they trustworthy?
The Sea Beast (2022)
This Netflix adventure takes to the high seas in a time when the oceans were ruled by monsters. The film follows two heroes: a young girl named Maisie Brumble who longs for adventure and stows away on a ship, and the famed monster-hunter Jacob Holland who begrudgingly becomes her partner.
The Willoughbys (2020)
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
Based on a true story, this follows a boy living in Africa who teaches himself engineering. When his village suffers a drought, he has big plans to create a turbine that can power a water pump.
My Father’s Dragon (2022)
A Whisker Away (2020)
Another one for anime fans, this Japanese film follows a young girl named Miyo who pines after a boy named Hinode. One day, she buys a cat mask from a mysterious seller, and it transforms her into a cat named Tarō — and Tarō can get closer to Hinode than Miyo can. And while Miyo gets caught up in magical antics, there is a message in there about the way adolescents process difficult emotions.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
Surprisingly, two different Pinocchio remakes came out in 2022. Netflix’s was made by Guillermo del Toro, acclaimed director of The Shape of Water, and it goes in unexpected directions. (Watch out for themes of fascism, since they might require some explanations for younger kids.) Ewan McGregor is the voice of the cricket narrator.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman (2014)
In this movie, Mr. Peabody, the dog, and Sherman, the 7-year-old boy, skip around through different adventures in time — while Mr. Peabody comes to terms with Mr. Sherman’s growing up in the present. If your kids enjoy it, you can show them old Rocky and Bullwinkle episodes to they can see where the characters came from.
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