The 20 best kids' movies on Netflix

The Angry Birds Movie (2016)

Blasting out of the popular phone app, The Angry Birds Movie features Jason Sudeikis as the voice of Red, a bad-tempered bird who struggles to fit in with his placid island community. When a crew of pigs arrives determined to steal the colony's eggs, Red has to organize an avian resistance movement to combat the porcine threat. EW's critic promises that the movie "delivers a mildly diverting mix of winky meta-jokes and moral lessons, cannily aimed at both the next generation of tiny consumers and their more sophisticated parents." —Danny Horn

Where to watch The Angry Birds Movie: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Directors: Clay Kaytis, Fergal Reilly

Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)

Mischief-making fourth-graders George (Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middleditch) don't want to be split into separate classes, so they distract their disapproving principal (Ed Helms) by hypnotizing him into adopting the superhero identity of Captain Underpants. This ruse comes in handy when the school's malevolent science teacher, Professor Pee-Pee Diarrheastein Poopypants Esq. (Nick Kroll), hatches a plot to eliminate all laughter from the school. EW's critic says that Captain Underpants works "because it never tries to be more or less than what it is: A breezily surreal story about two best friends who love pranks and tree houses and drawing superheroes who wear their Underoos on the outside." —D.H.

Where to watch Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: David Soren

Cast: Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Thomas Middleditch, Nick Kroll

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)

Feathered fighters escaped from Mrs. Tweedy's farm in 2000's claymation hit Chicken Run, but their carefree lives on a peaceful island sanctuary can't last forever. In this tasty sequel, a high-tech factory farm is built nearby, and Rocky (Zachary Levi) and Ginger's (Thandiwe Newton) headstrong daughter Molly (Bella Ramsey) is lured into the complex. Determined to retrieve her, the chickens and rats team up for a search-and-rescue mission in a witty spoof of Mission: Impossible and James Bond thrillers. Fans of the original film will find much to enjoy in this fast-paced second outing. —D.H.

Where to watch Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget: Netflix

Director: Sam Fell

Cast: Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Bella Ramsey, Miranda Richardson

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

It's got a cricket, a woodcarver, and a little wooden puppet that comes to life, but Guillermo del Toro's stop-motion animated version of Pinocchio transforms the familiar tale into something entirely new. Set in Italy during Mussolini's fascist regime, the Oscar-winning film casts Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) as an inspiring spirit of civic disobedience. Ewan McGregor voices the cricket, tasked with guiding the impulsive boy through a series of adventures in the circus, the army, and the depths of the sea. It's a darker film than the Disney version, but it pulses with a deep appreciation for the miraculous gift of life. —D.H.

Where to watch Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Netflix

Directors: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson

Cast: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Christoph Waltz

The Karate Kid (1984)

The lessons of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) have endured for 40 years. This family-friendly classic tells the inspirational story of bullied 17-year-old Daniel (Ralph Macchio) as he learns how to defend himself by practicing karate under the tutelage of Miyagi, a local handyman. As Daniel learns lessons about maintaining balance and having the patience to develop one's skills through muscle memory and confidence, so do viewers, who have turned The Karate Kid into a franchise over the past four decades with sequels and spinoff TV shows such as Cobra Kai. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch The Karate Kid: Netflix

Director: John G. Avildsen

Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka, Martin Kove

Klaus (2019)

This Oscar-nominated Netflix original provides a fun alternate history of Santa Claus. Set in 19th-century Norway, the film centers on Jesper Johansen (Jason Schwartzman), who struggles to live up to his Postmaster General father's expectations when he's tasked with posting 6,000 letters by year's end. He teams up with a toymaker, Klaus (J.K. Simmons), and inspires kids to pen letters in exchange for special presents, and, thus, a new tradition is born. Boasting lively vocal performances and visually striking animation, Klaus may be a new Christmas favorite but it can be enjoyed all year long. —K.J.

Where to watch Klaus: Netflix

Director: Sergio Pablos

Cast: Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Neda Margrethe Labba, Sergio Pablos, Norm Macdonald, Joan Cusack

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Kung Fu Panda may have a gimmicky title, but the sincerity of its storytelling is as effective as any DreamWorks animation released to date. Giant panda Po (Jack Black) is a humble restauranteur living in Ancient China who idolizes a quintet of kung fu masters known as the Furious Five. His dreams become a rude awakening when he stumbles his way into becoming the prophesized Dragon Warrior, and is tasked with fighting off a vengeful snow leopard who wishes to obtain the all-powerful Dragon Scroll. Featuring vibrant animation and colorful voice performances from Black, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, and more, Kung Fu Panda delights in slapstick comedy while also delivering its timeless message in unique fashion. —K.J.

Where to watch Kung Fu Panda: Netflix through Dec. 31

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Directors: John Stevenson, Mark Osborne

Cast: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, Jackie Chan

Leo (2023)

In this charming musical comedy, Leo features Adam Sandler as a 74-year-old reptile who realizes he's wasted his life sitting in a tank as a fifth-grade class pet. He dreams of escaping to the Everglades but only gets as far as the bedroom of whichever student takes him home for the weekend. On one trip, he accidentally reveals that he can talk, and ends up offering a girl advice on how to become more popular. Soon, every kid in class is confiding in Leo, as he shares the benefits of his many years observing young humans. —D.H.

Where to watch Leo: Netflix

Directors: Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel, David Wachtenheim

Cast: Adam Sandler, Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

The Mitchells — Rick and Linda, with their daughter Katie and young son Aaron — take an impromptu cross-country road trip to bring Katie to film school. Rick and Katie have a hard time getting along, but when a disgruntled high-tech AI assistant programs an army of home robots to capture all humans, father and daughter must work together to shut the bots down and free humanity. A high-energy comedy adventure, The Mitchells vs. the Machines combines a well-observed portrayal of dysfunctional family dynamics with apocalyptic themes and biting satire about our tech-obsessed culture. —D.H.

Where to watch The Mitchells vs. the Machines: Netflix

Directors: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

Cast: Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda

Nimona (2023)

In this science-fiction/fantasy epic, Nimona stars Chloë Grace Moretz as a rebellious young shapeshifter looking for a cause to fight for — preferably a messy, chaotic one. Hearing about a knight (Riz Ahmed) unfairly accused of killing the queen, Nimona appoints herself his new sidekick. Her ability to turn into any kind of animal — cycling between ostrich, squirrel, wolf, and whale, among others — gives her a special kind of freedom, even if other people consider her a monster. EW’s critic observes, "The story admiringly delves into how such monsters are in fact created by a society that refuses to accept their differences." —D.H.

Where to watch Nimona: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Directors: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane

Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy

Orion and the Dark (2024)

People say you should face your fears, but what happens when they face you? One night, Orion (Jacob Tremblay), an overly anxious 11-year-old, is confronted with his worst nightmare when the spirit of Dark (Paul Walter Hauser) appears in his bedroom, introduces himself, and says he wants to be friends. Dark introduces him to the other night entities — Quiet, Sleep, Sweet Dreams, and Unexplained Noises — but Orion is more interested in the cocky, self-involved Light (Ike Barinholtz). Ultimately, it's up to an adult Orion's (Colin Hanks) young daughter Hypatia (Mia Akemi Brown) to restore the balance of nature in this thoughtful, multi-generational fable. —D.H.

Where to watch Orion and the Dark: Netflix

Director: Sean Charmatz

Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Colin Hanks, Ike Barinholtz, Mia Akemi Brown

Over the Moon (2020)

Chinese mythology meets space-age imagination in this musical fantasy, which sends 15-year-old Fei Fei in a homemade fireworks-powered rocket to the moon. Traveling with her white rabbit and an obnoxious stowaway stepbrother, Fei Fei meets the pop star moon goddess Chang'e, who demands a gift that will bring back her lost love. Lunaria, the moon city, is a luscious riot of color and song, all neon energy and inspired visual flourishes. There's a high-stakes rap battle ping-pong competition, a touching moon-rabbit love story, and a gentle examination of loss and grief experienced by humans, mythological figures, and fantasy creatures alike. —D.H.

Where to watch Over the Moon: Netflix

Director: Glen Keane

Cast: Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, Robert G. Chiu

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical (2022)

Matilda Wormwood (Alisha Weir) is smart, independent, and entirely unappreciated by her lowbrow parents who send her to Crunchem Hall, a boarding school designed to bring troublemakers into line. This spirited adaptation of the Roald Dahl book and West End musical features Emma Thompson as the tyrannical headmistress of the Hall and Lashana Lynch as a teacher who recognizes Matilda's special gifts. The film's high point is the showstopping "Revolting Children" number, a rousing anthem about the powerless seizing their moment to shine. —D.H.

Where to watch Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical: Netflix

Director: Matthew Warchus

Cast: Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham

The Sea Beast (2022)

Jacob Holland (Karl Urban) is tasked with hunting down the beasts in a kingdom threatened by enormous sea monsters. But when an orphan girl named Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator) stows away on his voyage to kill the legendary Red Bluster, she helps Jacob discover that the creatures may be misunderstood. The Sea Beast was Netflix's most-watched original animated film, thanks to its exciting sea battles, the mismatched heroes' odd-couple chemistry, and the imaginatively rendered aquatic behemoths that range from cuddly to terrifying. —D.H.

Where to watch The Sea Beast: Netflix

Director: Chris Williams

Cast: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris

A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)

In this treat from Aardman Animations, a flying saucer brings a new friend to Shaun the Sheep's tranquil farm: Lu-La, a lavender dog-alien with tentacles, levitation powers, and a ravenous sweet tooth. The creature turns out to be a child trying to find her way home, and she's being pursued by pleasantly bumbling agents from the Ministry of Alien Detection. The plot may be a familiar retread of E.T. and Close Encounters, but the story is presented in the charming Aardman house style, with their trademark visual ingenuity and clockwork comic timing. —D.H.

Where to watch A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon: Netflix

Directors: Richard Phelan, Will Becher

Cast: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Amalia Vitale, Kate Harbour

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

Released when everyone came down with a bad case of superhero fatigue, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was the standout exception: a costumed crime-fighter movie that captured audiences' attention with its strong storyline, richly-defined character arcs, and knockout visuals. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a teenage Spider-Man, joins Spider-Woman Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) on a journey into the multiverse, where he meets a dizzying array of alternate Spider-People and discovers that they're not all on the same side. EW’s critic writes that the movie "totally exceeds expectations when it comes to visual aesthetic and character development." —D.H.

Where to watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson

Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Jake Johnson

Vivo (2021)

Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda composed the songs and voices the title character in Vivo. It’s the story of a singing kinkajou tasked with granting an old man's final wish: to deliver a romantic song to the man's lost love, all the way from Havana to Miami. Along the way, Vivo befriends an impulsive oddball, 10-year-old Gabi (Ynairaly Simo), whose passion for music far exceeds her actual talent. The pair travel by bike, bus, and boat to the journey's end, accompanied by Miranda's tunes. EW's critic observed that the movie "delivers as an energetic caper, moving from one colorful locale to another." —D.H.

Where to watch Vivo: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Directors: Kirk DeMicco, Brandon Jeffords

Cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ynairaly Simo, Zoe Saldaña, Juan de Marcos, Gloria Estefan

A Whisker Away (2020)

Lovestruck eighth-grader Miyo can't connect with her crush Hinode, until a mysterious mask seller gives her a Noh mask that allows her to transform into a little white cat. While Hinode rejects her as a human, he grows to love her as a pet, and she relishes the time they spend together. Things go sour when she confesses her love in a letter, causing her to lose her human face, which the playful mask vendor offers to a cat who wants to take her place. This sweet and suspenseful coming-of-age anime explores the challenges of expressing difficult feelings at an awkward stage of life. —D.H.

Where to watch A Whisker Away: Netflix

Directors: Junichi Sato, Tomotaka Shibayama

Cast: Cherami Leigh, Johnny Yong Bosch, Robert Buchholz, Keith Silverstein

Yes Day (2021)

Realizing that they say "no" so often that their family never has any fun, parents Allison (Jennifer Garner) and Carlos (Edgar Ramirez) agree to a "yes day": 24 hours when they have to say yes to everything their three kids suggest. The challenge starts with a silly makeover for both parents, an enormous ice cream sundae, and a ride through the car wash with the windows down — but an anarchic trip to the amusement park ends with both parents arrested. Jenna Ortega steals the show as the eye-rolling eldest daughter in this cheerful, breezy comedy. —D.H.

Where to watch Yes Day: Netflix

Director: Miguel Arteta

Cast: Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez, Jenna Ortega, Julian Lerner

Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)

In this sci-fi action adventure, a pair of young siblings discover a supernatural board game and find themselves in danger when elements of the real world and the game combine. Sound like Jumanji? That's because Zathura is technically a standalone spinoff of the beloved '90s classic, starring Josh Hutcherson and Jonah Bobo as squabbling brothers who play a board game called Zathura that launches them into outer space, where they are unable to return to Earth unless they set aside their differences to complete the game.

"From a Hollywood that often settles for less in the family department, Zathura is a rarity," writes EW's critic, "a stellar fantasy that faces down childhood anxieties with feet-on-the-ground maturity." —K.J.

Where to watch Zathura: A Space Adventure: Netflix

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, Tim Robbins