Netflix's Top 20 Family Movies: From 'Chicken Run' to 'Matilda'
Wesley Stenzel's list for EW brings together 20 Netflix movies that both children and adults can watch: 'Rango', 'Galaxy Quest', 'Nimona', and more.
Entertainment Weekly writer Wesley Stenzel has selected Netflix's top 20 family movies. A diverse list ranging from Aardman's clay animations to contemporary animated hits, and classic comedies.
Animation classics
Chicken Run (2000) — Aardman's escape-themed stop-motion masterpiece. Rango (2011) — Gore Verbinski's Oscar-winning western animation starring Johnny Depp. Klaus (2019) — Netflix's own original animation, a hand-drawn Christmas story.
Next-gen favorites
Nimona (2023) — Adapted from ND Stevenson's graphic novel, Netflix's queer-themed medieval fantasy animation. The Sea Beast (2022) — Oscar-nominated production about sea monster hunters.
Live-action classics
Matilda (1996) — Roald Dahl adaptation, directed by Danny DeVito. Galaxy Quest (1999) — The gold standard of sci-fi parody; a perfect introduction for both kids and adults. The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005) — Robert Rodriguez's children's fantasy film, now with cult status.
World cinema
A Cat in Paris (2010) — French-made Oscar-nominated animation. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022) — Adapted from Charlie Mackesy's illustrated book, BAFTA and Oscar winner.
Why is this list important?
According to Stenzel, the "family movie" label should not be reduced to a children's film; the best examples are multifaceted productions where different age groups can read different layers simultaneously. These 20 films perfectly hit this formula.
Source: Entertainment Weekly — "The 20 best family movies on Netflix".