10 Kids Movies Adults Won’t Hate on Netflix (November 2024) (2024)

Being a parent can often mean sitting through a litany of fart jokes and physical comedy while you spend time watching movies with your beloved children. We get the struggle — some content is just made to appeal to a child’s love of color and sound without consideration for your needs for a solid plot and engaging characters. So we’ve gathered some of the best films that you can watch with your whole family, and everyone will be having a great time by the end. Here are kids' movies adults won’t hate on Netflix!

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best children and family movies on Netflix and the best movies and shows on the platform across all audiences and genres.

‘Matilda the Musical’ (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 7.0/10

Matilda the Musical

Musical

Adventure

Comedy

family

Release Date

October 5, 2022

Director

Matthew Warchus

Cast

Alisha Weir , Lashana Lynch , Stephen Graham , Andrea Riseborough , Emma Thompson

Runtime

118

Based on the stage play adapted from the Roald Dahl novel, Matilda the Musical is a rockin’ good time that hits the nostalgic notes of the original 1996 film while adding a new groove to the mix. Alisha Weir (Fia's Fairies) takes on the role of the neglected young Matilda as she transforms her love of reading and secret telekinetic abilities into a rebellion at the notoriously dreadful boarding school Crunchem Hall. Helping her along the journey through this whimsically musical adventure is a spectacular cast that includes Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), Emma Thompson (Cruella), and Sindhu Vee (That Christmas), who each bring their own flavors to this layered cake of fun for the whole family.

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‘Trolls’ (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes: 76% | IMDb: 6.4/10

Trolls

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Fantasy

See Also

The Tale of Desperaux (movie)The Tale of Despereaux | MovieWebThe Tale of Despereaux | Rotten Tomatoes

Release Date

October 13, 2016

Director

Mike Mitchell , Walt Dohrn

Cast

Anna Kendrick , justin timberlake , Gwen Stefani , James Corden , Kunal Nayyar , Ron Funches

Runtime

90

Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) and Justin Timberlake (Trolls Band Together) star in this jukebox musical that brings the long-haired, jewel-bellied Troll dolls to life. Trolls creates a fantastical world where the trolls live in a delightfully colorful village filled with glitter and harmonies, but everything changes when giants known as Bergens steal a bunch of trolls with the intention of gobbling them all up. Kendrick and Timberlake play an odd pair, one peppy and the other curmudgeonly, that team up to rescue their friends and unlock the music in the Bergens’ hearts. Beyond the eye-popping visual aesthetic and physical humor that will keep the kids glued to the screen, the pop hits throughout will have the parents moving their shoulders and bopping along with these bops.

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‘Sing’ (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes: 71% | IMDb: 7.1/10

Sing (2016)

Animation

Comedy

Documentary

Family

Musical

Release Date

November 23, 2016

Director

Garth Jennings

Cast

Taron Egerton , Scarlett Johansson , Matthew McConaughey , Reese Witherspoon , Seth MacFarlane , Nick Offerman

Runtime

110

Speaking of jukebox musicals, Illumination turns up the volume on this star-studded animated feature that takes place in a world of anthropomorphic animals. Sing mainly follows Matthew McConaughey (Deadpool & Wolverine) as an ambitious koala trying to save a local theater by holding a singing competition to raise funds before it gets shut down. Lending their voices to this menagerie of talents are film and television greats like Taron Egerton (Rocketman), Tori Kelly (Sing 2), Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), and Reese Witherspoon (A Wrinkle in Time). But the huge names and multi-genre jams aren’t the only draw — the film has great arcs for all the main characters in this ensemble, who each come from different backgrounds, social classes, and vocal ranges.

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‘Vivo’ (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 6.7/10

Vivo

Animation

Musical

Release Date

August 6, 2021

Director

Kirk DeMicco

Cast

Lin-Manuel Miranda , Juan de Marcos González , Zoe Saldana , Brian Tyree Henry , Nicole Byer , Gloria Estefan , Michael Rooker

Runtime

98 minutes

Featuring an original tracklist by award-winning near-EGOT Lin-Manuel Miranda (DuckTales), who also co-stars in the film, Vivo is a musical adventure surrounding Latin music and lost love set in Havana, Cuba. The story follows Miranda as the titular Vivo, a kinkajou monkey who learned music from his lifelong human friend Andrés (Juan de Marcos González), who vows to get the final song and declaration of love from his departed pal into the ears of his estranged old friend. As expected of a veteran of musicals like Miranda, who created Tony-award-winning shows like Hamilton and In the Heights, the film is full of catchy tunes and emotional ballads that span multiple genres across the Latin American diaspora that will be stuck in your head for days.

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‘Prince of Egypt’ (1998)

Rotten Tomatoes: 80% | IMDb: 7.2/10

The Prince of Egypt

Adventure

Animation

Drama

Family

Release Date

December 18, 1998

Director

Simon Wells , Brenda Chapman , Steve Hickner

Cast

Val Kilmer , Ralph Fiennes , Michelle Pfeiffer , Sandra Bullock , Jeff Goldblum , Danny Glover , Patrick Stewart , Helen Mirren , Steve Martin , Martin Short , Bobby Motown , Eden Riegel , Ofra Haza , James Avery , Aria Noelle Curzon , Stephanie Sawyer , Francesca Marie Smith

Runtime

99 Minutes

Yet another movie with a banging soundtrack, Prince of Egypt is a retelling of the story of Moses from the bible’s Book of Exodus featuring a biblically epic voice cast. Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Danny Glover all star in this all-star ensemble that brings the tale of freeing the slaves of Egypt to life with a mix of phenomenal acting and divine musical moments. Shoutout to the Broadway performers and classically trained singers lending their voices to the roles that elevate the emotional resonance of the songs. The animation style and scope broke ground in terms of what was possible with animation, and that risk has paid off — this has become a timeless classic. There’s a reason people still clip and remix it for TikTok sounds.

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‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 8.6/10

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Animation

Superhero

Action

Adventure

Release Date

June 2, 2023

Director

Joaquim Dos Santos , Kemp Powers , Justin K. Thompson

Cast

Shameik Moore , Hailee Steinfeld , Oscar Isaac , Jake Johnson

Runtime

140 minutes

Speaking of breaking ground, this amazing follow-up to the groundbreaking animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse continues the story of Miles Morales’ Spider-Man as he grows into his role as the friendly neighborhood protector of New York. However, this entry into Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s Spider-Verse franchise takes Miles beyond his Harlem borough and into the nexus of intersecting multiverses with Spider-People from all throughout comics history. Shameik Moore (The Get Down), Hailee Steinfeld (Arcane), and Jake Johnson (Minx) reprise their roles as Miles, Gwen, and Peter B. Parker, respectively, and they dominate this big swing that simultaneously establishes new lore for the series while diving into how maintaining the multiverse affects each character. Plus, fans of Gwen Stacy will really dig the trajectory of her arc. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a can't-miss.

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‘The Karate Kid’ (1984)

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% | IMDb: 7.3/10

The Karate Kid

Action

Documentary

Drama

Family

Sport

Release Date

June 22, 1984

Director

John G. Avildsen

Cast

Ralph Macchio , Pat Morita , Elisabeth Shue , Martin Kove , Randee Heller , William Zabka

Runtime

126

This classic martial arts coming-of-age drama that’s often imitated but never replicated is both a great film for the whole family and also a perfect example of great story structure. The Karate Kid encompasses the whole hero's journey as we watch Ralph Macchio (Cobra Kai) as Daniel LaRusso, a kid who moves to California and gets immediately bullied by the local kids who use their karate training to keep him down — that is until his unassuming handyman, played by the late, great Pat Morita (Mulan), teaches him not only how to defend himself but also how to be a responsible man. If you have seen any American martial arts film where a teacher uses misdirection and obfuscation to teach their pupil how to fight, just know they are probably cribbing from this movie.

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‘Kung Fu Panda’ (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes: 87% | IMDb: 7.6/10

Kung Fu Panda

Animation

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Release Date

June 4, 2008

Director

Mark Osborne , John Stevenson

Cast

Jack Black , Dustin Hoffman , Angelina Jolie , Ian McShane , Jackie Chan , Seth Rogen

Runtime

95 minutes

And on that note, Kung Fu Panda has a similar vibe as Karate Kid — just substitute the '80s aesthetic for a more traditional Chinese kung fu movie setting filled with anthropomorphic animals who kick major butt. Jack Black (Borderlands) flips into the lead as the titular panda, but this film is another animated feature with a wildly fantastic ensemble. Supporting Black on his journey of self-discovery are Dustin Hoffman (Kung Fu Panda 4), Angelina Jolie (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), and kung fu movie legend Jackie Chan (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem), just to name a few. The film pays homage to Hong Kong martial arts movies while also injecting it with an American sense of humor that the whole family can enjoy, no matter how familiar they are with the history of kung fu films.

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‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 7.6/10

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Animation

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Release Date

April 23, 2021

Director

Michael Rianda , Jeff Rowe

Runtime

1 hr 54 min

Co-directed by Mike Rianda (Gravity Falls) and Jeff Rowe (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem), The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a robot apocalypse that will bring the family closer together. The film follows the Mitchells, whose cross-country road trip to drop their oldest daughter off at college is interrupted by a sudden worldwide attack by robots kidnapping humans with the intent to shoot them into space. The visual style of the film, along with the imaginative way it illustrates the internal life of the eldest daughter, played by Abbi Jacobson (Disenchantment), are just a few of the reasons this movie is a stand-out feature. The emotional arc of the family and the organic humor they bring to the story feels deeply grounded and relatable, even when the stakes are astronomically high and the odds of success are fantastically low.

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‘Nimona’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% | IMDb: 7.5/10

Nimona

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

June 30, 2023

Director

Nick Bruno , Troy Quane

Cast

Chloe Grace Moretz , Riz Ahmed , Eugene Lee Yang , Frances Conroy

Runtime

101 minutes

Based on the ND Stevensongraphic novel, Nimona is a beautiful work of art, both visually and in terms of storytelling and worldbuilding. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz (The Addams Family) as the titular shapeshifter, the story takes place in a medieval-influenced technomonarchy in which elite knights are elevated to celebrity status, and the one commoner to join their ranks, voiced by Riz Ahmed (Venom), gets embroiled in a dark conspiracy to assassinate the queen. Moretz and Ahmed bounce off one another perfectly as a surrogate father-child duo, but a bigger accomplishment of the feature is the representation presented throughout. LGBTQ+ and disabled characters both get prominent, multi-dimensional roles in this film.

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