Rainy days, hot days, or just those afternoons when everyone needs to slow down together — a good family movie always saves the day. Whether you’re in the middle of the school holidays or just looking for a cosy night in, popping some popcorn and settling onto the sofa with the kids is one of the easiest wins going.
We’ve pulled together 20 fun family movies to enjoy on Netflix, mixing much-loved classics with newer favourites, so there’s something for every age and mood on your list.
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Beethoven’s 2nd
Our favourite St Bernard dog is back and the Newtons are in for another adventure when their dog, Beethoven, falls in love with fellow canine Missy and makes a family of his own. But instead of one big happy family, Missy’s owner Regina wants to sell off the puppies for a profit. The Newton kids spring into action to rescue the little dogs before Regina can make her deal — though she’s determined to get them back.
Rating: U
Enola Holmes
When Enola Holmes, Sherlock’s teen sister, discovers her mother missing, she sets off to find her. Using her own super-sleuth skills, she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord.
Rating: 12+
Yes Day
A mum and dad who usually say no decide to say yes to their kids’ wildest requests, with a few ground rules, on a whirlwind day of fun and adventure.
Rating: PG
Benji
A dog comes to the rescue and helps heal a broken family when a boy and his sister stumble into serious danger.
Rating: PG
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Pachamama
Pachamama is an award-winning animated film that tells the tale of a 10-year-old boy who dreams of becoming his village’s shaman. When a sacred statue is taken from his Andean village, the boy, along with his best friend and her smart-talking llama, goes on a mission to get it back.
Rating: PG
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
A live-action retelling of the classic story: human child Mowgli is raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle under the tutelage of a bear named Baloo and a panther named Bagheera, Mowgli is accepted as one of the pack — but the fearsome tiger Shere Khan doesn’t take a liking to him, and greater dangers lie ahead as Mowgli confronts his human origins.
Rating: 12+
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Gnome Alone
A teenage girl moves into a new house in a new town and discovers her home is under attack by underground beasts. She finds that she and the house gnomes are the only ones who can protect the town.
Rating: PG
The Little Prince
An animated version of the classic children’s book. The Aviator introduces a young girl to a world where she rediscovers her childhood and learns that it’s human connections that matter most — that it is only with heart that one can see rightly, and what is essential is invisible to the eye.
Rating: PG
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The Lorax
Another film adaptation of a Dr Seuss classic. Twelve-year-old Ted lives in Thneedville, a town devoid of nature — no flowers or trees grow there. Hoping to win the heart of Audrey, the girl of his dreams, Ted must find what she wants most: a Truffula tree. To get it, he uncovers the story of the Lorax, once the gruff guardian of the forest, and the Once-ler, who let greed overtake his respect for nature.
Rating: U
Little Women
The beloved story of the March sisters — four young women each determined to live life on her own terms — is both timeless and timely. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen as Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth, with Timothée Chalamet as their neighbour Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March.
Rating: U
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Looking for more ideas to work through as a family? Take a browse through our best family movies checklist and see how many you’ve already ticked off together.
Ballerina
Best friends Félicie and Victor hatch a plan to escape their rural orphanage in 19th-century France. Félicie dreams of becoming a ballerina, while Victor wants to use his brainpower to invent things. After busting out, Félicie makes her way to the Paris Opera, where she joins a class of highly trained dancers auditioning for the lead in a production of “The Nutcracker.”
Rating: PG
My Neighbour Totoro
Two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, move with their father to a new house in the countryside while their mother recovers from illness in a nearby hospital. They discover they share their home with some unusual creatures, including a large forest guardian the girls call Totoro. When trouble occurs, their new friends help them rediscover hope.
Rating: U
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Matilda
The film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda tells the story of a gifted girl forced to put up with a crude, distant father and mother. Worse, Agatha Trunchbull, the evil principal at Matilda’s school, is a terrifyingly strict bully. When Matilda realises she has the power of telekinesis, she begins to defend her friends from Trunchbull’s wrath and fight back against her unkind parents.
Rating: PG
Kung Fu Panda
Enthusiastic, a little clumsy, and the biggest fan of kung fu around, Po works every day in his family’s noodle shop — until he’s unexpectedly chosen to fulfil an ancient prophecy. Po joins the legendary Furious Five under the guidance of Master Shifu, but the vengeful snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the threat.
Rating: PG
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The Bee Movie
Fresh out of college, Barry the Bee finds the prospect of working with honey uninspiring. He flies outside the hive for the first time and talks to a human, breaking a cardinal rule of his species. When Barry learns that humans have been stealing and eating honey for centuries, he decides his true calling is obtaining justice for his kind.
Rating: U
The BFG
In a modern adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic, a little orphan meets a kind giant who’s supposed to eat her but instead protects her from some truly horrible giants who terrorise them both.
Rating: PG
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Annie
An orphan in a facility run by the mean Miss Hannigan, Annie believes her parents left her there by mistake. When a rich man named Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks decides to let an orphan live at his home to promote his image, Annie is selected. While she gets used to living in Warbucks’ mansion, she still longs to meet her real parents, so Warbucks announces a search — and a reward, which brings out plenty of frauds.
Rating: PG
Fly Away Home
The soaring adventure of a 13-year-old girl and her estranged father, who learn what family is all about when they adopt an orphaned flock of geese and teach them to fly. Starring Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin and Dana Delaney.
Rating: U
Hook
When Captain James Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit to challenge his old enemy.
Rating: U
Paddington
Paddington tells the story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear who travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realise that city life isn’t quite what he imagined — until he meets the kindly Brown family, who read the label around his neck that says “Please look after this bear. Thank you,” and offer him a temporary home. All seems well, until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist.
Rating: PG
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are these movies suitable for young children?
Ratings vary across the list, from U to 12+, so it’s worth checking the rating noted under each film against your own child’s age and sensitivity before pressing play.
Does Netflix’s family movie selection change often?
Yes — streaming libraries change regularly as licensing agreements come and go, so it’s a good idea to check that a title is still available on Netflix before settling in to watch it.
What if one of these movies is no longer on Netflix?
If a title has moved on, most of these family favourites tend to resurface on other streaming services or are available to rent or buy, so they’re still worth keeping on your family watchlist.
What age group is this list aimed at?
The list spans gentle U-rated stories for younger children through to 12+ titles better suited to tweens, so there’s a good spread for mixed-age families.
Related Articles
- 50 of the Best Family Movies of All Time
- 101 Terrific Tween Movies The Whole Family Will Enjoy
- 18 Family Halloween Movies on Netflix for a Fun Fright Night
- 10 Brilliant Studio Ghibli Films to Watch with the Kids
- An A to Z of Fun Family Films
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