Recommendations

Family Films

(Older Kids 7+)

There’s so much vying for children’s attention that it can be difficult to get them to sit and engage with movie night. These are films that our kids have loved, one’s they’ve returned to and have sparked an interested, drawn them in or just made them laugh the most. We’ve got a mix of films for different moods and from different mediums, although as always with modern kids films animation is probably over represented. A few of these we’ve seen countless times and if we’re still willing to recommend them you know they’re good.

The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

Director: Joe Cornish

Writer: Joe Cornish

Starring: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Denise Gough, Angus Imrie, Rebecca Ferguson, Patrick Stewart

Run Time: 2h

UK Certificate: PG

image: 20th Century Fox

Joe Cornish wrote and directed his version of the King Arthur Legendary tale. Reimagining Arthur as a modern day 12 year old school boy who needs to rally his peers to defeat the evil forces who seek to corrupt the world. This is Cornish’s second film after the brilliant but largely underappreciated Attack the Block (2011), its a shame that his films haven’t been financially successful because he is a great story teller. I hope to see more of his films in the future as he has a distinct style amongst British directors. Our 9 year daughter counts this as one of her favourite films and consequently we have seen it countless times.

The Cat Returns (2002)

Director: Hiroyuki Morita

Writer: Reiko Yoshida

Starring (English dub 2005): Cary Elwes, Ann Hathaway, Peter Boyle, Tim Curry

Run Time: 1h 15m

UK Certificate: U

image: Studio Ghibli/Toho

After rescuing a cat, teenage Haru finds herself betrothed to the Prince of the Cat Kingdom. Before being whisked away to this magical realm she manages to recruit help from the feline Baron (returning from Studio Ghibli’s earlier Whisper of the Heart) and his companion Muta to save her before she becomes a transformed into a cat herself. We have always watched the English dub of this Studio Ghibli staple, nothing against the original cast, but Cary Elwes has an amazing voice for animation, I cannot imagine the Baron not sounding like him. It’s a lithe, energetic film with beautiful animation and a fantastic funny script.

The Goonies (1985)

Director: Richard Donner

Writer: Chris Columbus

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan

Run Time: 1h 54m

UK Certificate: 12A

This quintessential 80’s film has a group of friends embark on an adventure to find the “rich stuff” and save their family homes from a golf course being built there. Boasting booby traps, riddles and peril at every corner, the film is an Indiana Jones adventure aimed at a younger audience. Richard Donner does well directing the ensemble the child stars and Chris Columbus’ script is endlessly quotable. Be warned Cindy Lauper’s theme song ‘Goonies Are Good Enough’ will get stuck in your head for weeks.

The Princess Bride (1987)

Director: Rob Reiner

Writer: William Goldman

Starring: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon, Andre The Giant

Run Time: 1h 38m

UK Certificate: PG

“Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles.” Rob Reiner’s classic film delivers all this and more. William Goldman’s screenplay based on his own classic novel from 1973 perfectly captures the magic of his modern fairy tale. It is a film in which every piece of dialogue feels endlessly quotable and even throwaway lines feel hilarious in context (“Have fun storming the castle”). No role feels small especially with the calibre of some of the actors with only one scene (Peter Cook’s priest especially) and with many actors deliver career defining performances. The Princess Bride has remained a family classic for good reason.

Wolfwalkers (2020)

Directors: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart

Writer: Will Collins

Starring: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean, Simon McBurney

Runtime: 1h 43m

UK Certificate: PG

Beautifully hand drawn animation from Cartoon Saloon, Wolfwalkers is the culmination of their Irish Folklore Trilogy, which also includes Song of the Sea (2014) and The Secret of Kells (2009). The story tells of an English girl sent to Ireland with her father during the Interregnum, there she befriends a girl in the forest, who has the ability to shape shift into a wolf at night. What follows is a tale about colonisation and prejudice but told in a way that doesn’t remove any of the spellbinding magic from it’s narrative. It’s a stunning film with some excellent voice work from the central cast, Simon McBurney’s Lord Protector is especially menacing in his dogma.

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Writer: Hayao Miyazaki

Starring: (English Dub 2005) Christian Bale, Emily Mortimer, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, Billy Crystal

Run Time: 1h 59m

UK Certificate: U

Adapted from Diana Wynne Jones’ 1986 book of the same name, Hayao Miyazaki adds his iconic Studio Ghibli Style to this brilliant animated fantasy. Prematurely aged and whisked away by a mysterious wizard, Sophie must navigate her new magical surroundings for the survival of herself and her new companions. Overshadowed by Studio Ghibli’s own Spirited Away (2001), Howl’s Moving Castle is amongst their very best with a fully realised magical world and a stacked voice cast.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

Director: Mike Rianda

Writers: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

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

Run Time: 1h 54m

UK Certificate: U

With their daughter heading off to college to pursue her dream of filmmaking, the Mitchell family embark on a cross country road trip to see her to her destination. The Dad (played brilliantly by Danny Mcbride) hopes to use the journey to mend their fractured relationship but these plans are scuppered by a rogue AI robot uprising. Mike Rianda used his own childhood as an inspiration for the film (hopefully minus the threat of a technological terror) and the complicated family dynamics feel real and genuine even when they’re chased by maniacal Furbies. Another example of a Sony not having enough faith in the animation (see the huge success of K Pop Demon Hunters) the film missed out on a cinema release and premiered onto Netflix despite its potential in cinemas. Still it’s an incredibly funny and genuinely touching story of finding yourself as part of a family.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein

Writers: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, Michael Gilio

Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriquez, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Rege-Jean Page, Hugh Grant

Run Time: 2h 14m

UK Certificate: 12A

With John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein dungeon mastering this campaign is a joyous, energetic adventure featuring enough Easter Eggs to delight die hard Dungeons & Dragons fans but also remaining welcoming those unfamiliar with twelve sided die. The party comprises some relatedly flawed characters set against the gloriously scene stealing Hugh Grant. The party quickly becomes a found family of misfits, criminals and outcasts as they’re forced to head to the big city to stop an apocalyptic threat. It uses the tropes and familiar beats of a heist movie to stop the lore of D&D overwhelming the audience. It’s shocking we haven’t yet had a sequel and it quickly became a movie night favourite in our house.

Published 9th July 2026