Slashfilm.com's The 95 Best Family Movies Ever

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BY BRENDAN KNAPP/JULY 17, 2023 5:15 AM EST

In my home, family movie night is a weekly tradition. It's a shared experience that safely introduces my children to new ideas, places, cultures, people, and emotions. It reinforces qualities like humility, persistence, and kindness. And, of course, it's fun to snuggle up on a couch to laugh, cry, and scream together.

Movie night doesn't require conversation, though it might spark one after you watch a film that challenges viewers' perceptions of reality. And unlike in the theater, you can sit wherever you want, too, though a small couch will help keep young ones within a hug's reach during tense moments. Don't worry about snacks or bathroom breaks, either; both are only a quick pause and short walk away.

To help you find the best films for the event, I put together a list of the 95 best family films you can watch today. They will make family movie night (or morning, or afternoon) memorable for the entire clan, from the kindergarten-aged on up. Some films feature innovative artistic techniques, kicking open doors to new universes of creative discovery. Some films sneak in a moral lesson, the medicine the cinematic spoonful of sugar helps go down. Some may inspire impromptu dance parties, especially during the end credits. And all 95 of these movies are perfect for film-loving families, including mine.

{List is ordered alphabetically, and the four Toy Story films are counted as a single entry.}

...and the ones that didn't make the cut

When compiling this list, I wanted to make sure everyone in the family could enjoy every film, from kindergarten-age on up. However, young viewers, even those who can read, might struggle with captions. That means that incredible foreign films like "Summer 1993" and "Wadjda" won't work for most U.S. families, although animated films that are dubbed in English will be just fine.

Violence is another issue. I fell in love with "Raiders of the Lost Ark" after seeing it in the theater when I was four. That's two years after I saw my first horror movie (a miniseries, actually), "Salem's Lot." I could handle it. I know my five-year-old daughter cannot. Many parents don't want their children to see a Nazi's face melt or bald men get butchered by propeller blades — and that's okay. 

"Raiders" and other violent, scary classics I loved as a kid, like "Poltergeist," "Conan the Barbarian," and "Jurassic Park," can go on other family film lists, but not this one. With my picks, you may need to offer a few comforting snuggles or answer questions about violence and intolerance, but I want to make sure that everyone feels comfortable watching these films. That said, you know your kids best; if you think they're ready for slightly more mature fare, there's no better way to introduce it than by viewing the movies together.