Our team compiled the best kids movies on Netflix and here is what they came up with
Netflix caters as much to kids as it does to adults. It may surprise the youthful crowd or their parents that the kid category and profiles that there are more present beyond preschool diversions. There’s a surprising amount of quality films to appease the little ones who want to enjoy the streaming service for themselves. For the kids out there, here are ten best kids movies on Netflix.
Here are the 12 best kids movies on Netflix to check out on the streaming service.
1. Best Kids Movies on Netflix – The Mitchells versus The Machines
The Mitchells versus The Machines is an astoundingly hilarious animated adventure nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture. When a sentient smartphone application takes control of an army of robots, humanity could be jettisoned from Earth. The only hope for the planet is the Mitchells, a dysfunctional family struggling with their eldest daughter heading off to college. They’ll need to learn to work together as they defeat legions of robots, including a terrifying giant Furby. This comedy animated adventure features some groundbreaking animation styles from director Michael Rianda with a voice cast that includes Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Eric André, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Charlyne Yi, Blake Griffin, Conan O’Brien, and Doug the Pug.
2. Paddington
The iconic bear in a trenchcoat makes his way out of the pages of books and into this lovely live-action comedy. The bear travels from the jungle to London to explore the modern world of humans. He is taken in by the kindly Brown family, who tries to show some patience for the bear’s many silly moments of accidental slapstick. The Browns will soon band together to protect Paddington when he becomes the target of a devilish hunter seeking revenge. The film is an absolute delight for featuring amusing setpieces and childish charm, thanks to the stellar direction by Paul King. The cast includes Ben Whishaw as Paddington, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, and Peter Capaldi.
3. Labyrinth
For the kids who love the creatures of the Jim Henson studio but are tired of Muppets and Sesame Street, Labyrinth is a dazzling fantasy of strange worlds and colorful characters. Sarah Williams is a teenager longing for something more than mere babysitting. She gets just that when a wish goes wrong, leading to her baby brother being kidnapped by the Goblin King. She’ll have to traverse a puzzling labyrinth of great danger and unlikely allies to save him. The film is a must-watch for the astounding musical numbers by David Bowie as the Goblin King, the relatable acting of Jennifer Connelly, and the puppetry of Dave Goelz, Frank Oz, Steve Whitmire, and Kevin Clash.
4. Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday
The eccentric Pee-Wee returns for another absurd adventure, entertaining a new generation with his wild and weird comedy. In this film, Pee-Wee finds himself stuck in a rut when realizing he hasn’t experienced much of the world outside his idealistic small town that seems perpetually stuck in the 1950s. He soon befriends the celebrity Joe Manganiello who invites him to a birthday party in New York. This leads to a wacky road trip where Pee-Wee runs across a trio of thieves, a volatile farmer, and an eccentric Amish community. The film features Paul Reubens reprising the titular role of his popular 1980s comedic character.
5. The Bad Guys
Based on the children’s book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey, The Bad Guys follows a band of misfit thieves. The anthropomorphic gang of predators has only known a life of crime. But when their leader, Mr. Wolf, experiences the joys of doing good, he finds his priorities changing. He desires to do good, but another cunning thief may take advantage of his kindness. Directed by Pierre Perifel (animator on various Dreamworks movies), this animated heist comedy is a fast-paced and stylish caper with eye-popping visuals and exciting car chases. The voice cast includes Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, and Lilly Singh.
6. Goosebumps
Based on the legendary horror books for kids, Goosebumps takes a comical approach to parody the life of the author, R.L. Stine. Stine is portrayed in the film as a secluded man in suburbia who tries to keep his classic stories locked in a magical book. When the book is opened by local teenagers, the monsters come to life and turn a small town upside down during Halloween. Directed by Rob Letterman (Pokémon Detective Pikachu), this horror-comedy fit for kids stars Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Amy Ryan, Ryan Lee, Jillian Bell, and a cameo by R.L. Stine himself.
7. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Based on the book by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett, food becomes a giant source of fun in this over-the-stop animated slapstick fest of a comedy movie. Flint Lockwood is an eccentric inventor who dreams of creating something big for his sleepy island town. He revives the town’s tourism when developing a device that can make all sorts of food rain down from the skies. But what starts as a unique way to prove his worth soon becomes an out-of-control adventure of oversized food flooding the town. The film is packed with a mile-a-minute comedy thanks to the snappy direction by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The cast features the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Lauren Graham, and Will Forte.
8. Pinocchio
Not to be confused with Disney’s live-action remake, this stop-motion animated interpretation of the classic story comes from director Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim). Pinocchio is established as an unfinished puppet built by the grieving Geppetto to replace his dead son. Growing up in fascist Italy, Pinocchio soon learns all the joys and terrors of what it means to live and die in this brilliant satire of capitalism and fascism amid stunning animation. The voice cast includes the talents of Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, and Tilda Swinton.
9. We Can Be Heroes
Existing in the same universe as Shark Boy and Lava Girl, this soft sequel focuses on the next generation of superheroes. The kids of superheroes are all assembled by a secret society to protect them from potential threats. But when aliens attack Earth and the adult superheroes are captured, it’s up to the kids to save the day as they learn to master their powers. Packed with action and charm, We Can Be Heroes lets kids take charge of the crowded superhero genre. Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, this sci-fi adventure stars YaYa Gosselin, Lyon Daniels, Andy Walken, Hala Finley, Lotus Blossom, Dylan Henry Lau, Andrew Diaz, Isaiah Russel-Bailey, Akira Akbar, Nathan Blair, Vivien Lyra Blair, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
10. Best Kids Movies on Netflix – Storks
Within the low-fantasy world of Storks, babies don’t come from humans but from a magical factory in the sky. Tasked with delivering babies are the many storks of the operation. But when the operation loses interest, the storks now deliver commercial goods. Seeking to do more with this delivery service, the hotshot stork Junior and the human orphan Tulip fulfill the wishes of a married couple to deliver a baby. But their adventure will be hindered by a greedy stork and a band of vicious wolves. Snappily directed by Nicholas Stoller and Doug Sweetland, this CGI-animated adventure features the voices of Andy Samberg, Katie Crown, Kelsey Grammer, Jennifer Aniston, Ty Burrell, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Stephen Kramer Glickman, and Danny Trejo.