Best Family Movies Of 2024 So Far

Let's be honest: Getting the family together for a movie is no easy task sometimes. When you're trying to find something that can appeal to your youngest without losing the interest of your teenager or vice versa, the entire process can often seem like a lost cause. Even when you only have one age group that you need to please, there's always yourself to consider — you might find a picture that appeals to young kids or teens, but that doesn't mean you're going to enjoy it. It's easy to just forget it and have another night where everyone does their own thing, but that's a real shame.

If you want a movie that will appeal to the whole family, you just have to know where to look. Sometimes it seems like Hollywood doesn't make family friendly films anymore, but that's not the case — in fact, there were a bunch of great family movies in 2023 alone, and 2024 has also started strongly. We've used a wide range of reviews and fan feedback to compile a list of the best family films of 2024 so far. This way, you don't have to waste time endlessly scrolling through streaming services or trying to decide which picture to see at the movies.

Cast: voices of Jack Black, Awkwafina, Dustin Hoffman, Viola Davis, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ke Huy Quan

Director: Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine

Rating: PG

Runtime: 94 minutes

Where to watch: Peacock, PVOD

The "Kung Fu Panda" franchise has managed to consistently tell entertaining stories for well over a decade at this point, and the latest installment is definitely worth a watch on your next family movie night. In the critically acclaimed "Kung Fu Panda 4," Jack Black returns as Po, who starts looking for someone to replace him as the Dragon Warrior when he becomes the leader of the Valley of Peace. While he's busy searching for his perfect successor, a sorcerer named Chameleon (Viola Davis) is trying to bring back all of his greatest adversaries.

"Kung Fu Panda 4" has all the charm viewers have come to expect from the franchise. Black and the rest of the all-star cast (which includes Awkwafina, Bryan Cranston, Ke Huy Quan, and many more) really bring their best to this one. You don't need to be entirely caught up on "Kung Fu Panda" lore to get invested in the story, but the fourth film does play a bit like a greatest hits album — and that's actually to its benefit. Considering that plenty of new parents were still pretty young themselves when this franchise got started, rewatching the other movies with the rest of your family is the perfect lead-in.

Cast: Angourie Rice, Auli'i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Reneé Rapp, Christopher Briney, Tina Fey, Jenna Fischer

Director: Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 112 minutes

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, MGM+, PVOD

Penned by Tina Fey (who reprises her role of math teacher Ms. Norbury from the 2004 film, which she also wrote), 2024's "Mean Girls" is a blast for older kids. It stars Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, who has just moved back to the United States with her family after spending years in Kenya. Now, Cady has to contend with life in an American public school. She's trying her best to find a place for herself and befriends Janis (Auli'i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), two kids who don't fit into any of the school's cliques. However, before Cady can really get settled in, she sets herself up for failure by falling for Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), a senior who used to date Regina George (Reneé Rapp), the most popular girl in school.

"Mean Girls" makes for an excellent movie night with your teens. It's an adaptation of the Broadway musical, so it's essentially a remake of a remake, but that doesn't make it any less fun. In fact, the musical aspect makes it even more suitable for the family. The new movie is a bit goofier and arguably even more entertaining, and all of its improvements to the source material are excellently translated. It can't take the place of experiencing "Mean Girls" on stage, of course, but it's still a great time. Parents need to be aware that there are some grown-up themes here, but, like the original film, "Mean Girls" has its heart in the right place.

Cast: Amelie Bea Smith, Lily Snowden-Fine, Richard Ridings, Morwenna Banks, Orlando Bloom

Director: Andrea Tran

Rating: not rated (content equivalent to G)

Runtime: 75 minutes

Where to watch: in theaters

This is the cinema event for baby cousins everywhere. "Peppa's Cinema Party" is the perfect go-to for the youngest members of your family. Anyone who's had little ones in the past couple of decades is probably quite family with Peppa Pig (Lily Snowden-Fine) and her adorable friends and family. Episodes of "Peppa Pig" tend to be slice-of-life shorts following Peppa and other animal characters going to the park, playing in the backyard, or visiting their grandparents for a relaxing afternoon.

"Peppa's Cinema Party" celebrates 20 years of the series by taking everything that makes the TV show work and packaging it into a movie theater experience that's still intensely engaging for young kids. Instead of shifting around the regular format, the movie keeps kids' attention by packing in multiple short stories that would otherwise make for standalone episodes and breaking them up with sing along segments. Your kids won't have to sit still for an entire hour because Peppa will get them up and moving for some fun dance numbers. It's a great idea, and parents are loving it — the film has an audience score of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing.

Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson

Director: Gil Kenan

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 115 minutes

Where to watch: PVOD

No new "Ghostbusters" movie is ever going to reach the heights of the original two films, but "Frozen Empire" is still a fun watch for everyone in your family, particularly those who won't have their judgment affected by nostalgia. This latest installment is a direct sequel to 2021's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." It picks up following the Spengler family shortly after they've made the decision to move to New York City. The Spenglers are living in the old firehouse that belonged to the original Ghostbusters, which is just as well, because a new ghostly entity is about to be unleashed on the city.

If you enjoyed "Afterlife," you're probably going to love "Frozen Empire." Stars Paul Rudd (playing Gary Grooberson), Carrie Coon (Callie Spengler), Finn Wolfhard (Trevor Spengler), and Mckenna Grace (Phoebe Spengler) are all back, and so are original Ghostbusters Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz), and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore), who are as entertaining together as ever. The movie sets up an intergenerational Ghostbusters team in a way that manages to be more than pandering.

"Frozen Empire" is a fun film, though parents should be aware that it definitely earns its PG-13 rating — while it's suitable for teens, it does contain some mild swearing and some potentially awkward innuendo-based jokes. The ghosts being busted are also pretty scary at times, so if you've got tweens who are prone to nightmares, maybe wait a few more years before introducing them to this one.

Cast: voices of Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser, Colin Hanks, Angela Bassett

Director: Sean Charmatz

Rating: TV-Y7

Runtime: 93 minutes

Where to watch: Netflix

Based on a children's book by Emma Yarlett, Netflix's "Orion and the Dark" is a truly special family movie that, despite widespread critical acclaim (it has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing) still hasn't gotten the attention it deserves. The story follows a boy named Orion (Jacob Tremblay) who's 11 years old and scared of just about everything. From the girls in his class to the dangers of the world around him, there's nothing that Orion won't hide from, but his greatest fear is the dark. That puts him in an uncomfortable position when the embodiment of Dark itself (Paul Walter Hauser) shows up in his bedroom. Dark wants to stop the children of the world from being afraid of him, and he takes Orion on an adventure that he hopes will cure all the boy's fears in a single night.

Charlie Kaufman's script for the film really brings the entire experience to a whole new level. It's got powerful lessons for young viewers, but even parents are going to get caught up in Orion's emotional struggle with fear. Netflix collaborated with DreamWorks for the movie, and that really shows in the animation. The character design for Dark (and his nocturnal buddies, such as Sweet Dreams) is phenomenal, and the tiny details in the background make every shot of the movie a treat. There's no shortage of family options on Netflix, but we recommend giving "Orion and the Dark" a shot on your next family movie night.

Cast: Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson

Director: Jon Gunn

Rating: PG

Runtime: 118 minutes

Where to watch: PVOD

"Ordinary Angels" is a faith-based film with a boatload of talent behind it. The movie is written by Meg Telly, who you may remember from her roles in "Body Snatchers" and the "Chucky" TV series, and Kelly Fremon Craig, who wrote the screenplay for the 2023 instantclassic "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." Directed by Jon Gunn ("The Case for Christ"), the film is inspired by the true story of a woman who worked hard to save the life of a local girl in need of an urgent liver transplant.

Sharon (Hilary Swank) is a Kentucky hairdresser trying to get sober and pull her life together, but it's a struggle. Then she meets Ed ("Reacher" star Alan Ritchson), a man who's trying to care for his severely ill daughter after losing his wife. Sharon is inspired by Ed's struggles, and she shows up at his door with money she's collected from the community. From there, she makes it her mission to make Ed and his daughter's lives easier.

As you might expect from the premise, "Ordinary Angels" is a tear-jerker, and everyone will want to have their tissues handy. The story is deeply moving and undeniably uplifting, and even though it wears its Christian influences on its sleeve, just about anyone could sink into the story and enjoy it. Critics have raved about it, and it has a near-perfect 99% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing.

Cast: voices of Henry Golding, Brandon Soo Hoo, Lucy Liu, Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh, Greta Lee, Bowen Yang

Director: Raman Hui, Yong Duk Jhun, and Paul Watling

Rating: PG

Runtime: 84 minutes

Where to watch: Paramount+

If half of your family has superhero fatigue but the other half still can't get enough of superpowered stories, then "The Tiger's Apprentice" is the perfect way for you to bridge the gap on movie night. It's based on a middle-grade fiction book from Newbery Honor-winning author Laurence Yep, and it perfectly captures what made the novel popular enough to spark a trilogy.

It follows a Chinese-American boy named Tom Lee (Brandon Soo Hoo), who just wants to fit in at his San Francisco High School. One day, Tom meets a man named Mr. Hu, who has the ability to transform into a tiger. Mr. Hu ("Crazy Rich Asians" star Henry Golding) reveals that Tom comes from a long line of Zodiac-powered beings called Guardians, and he wants to train Tom to use his own abilities to save the world.

"The Tiger's Apprentice" is a little bit of Marvel and a little bit of Harry Potter all wrapped up in a deeper cultural story. Does it bring a bunch of new elements to the table? No, but it does expertly combine ideas and themes that have worked in the past, and the visuals from Paramount Animation are gorgeous enough that you could watch the whole thing on mute and still have a great time.

Cast: Jack Griffo, Kira Kosarin, Addison Riecke, Diego Velazquez, Maya Le Clark, Chris Tallman, Rosa Blasi

Director: Trevor Kirschner

Rating: TV-G

Runtime: 70 minutes

Where to watch: Paramount+

"The Thundermans Return" is a blast from the past, bringing back an underrated Nickelodeon show for an entertaining encore. The original series played a bit like a Nickelodeon take on an "Incredibles" TV show: The titular family are super-powered heroes who spend most of their time trying (and failing) to live normal lives in the town of Hiddenville.

At the end of the series, the family joined a superhero team called the Z-Force, but this movie sees them return to Hiddenville after injuring a different super team called the V-Team during a mission. As the family once again tries to lead a normal life, twins Max (Jack Griffo) and Phoebe (Kira Kosarin) investigate the V-Team and make a shocking discovery about them.

"The Thundermans Return" is about as silly as superhero movies get. The jokes are eye-rollers, and the visual effects look like something from '00s-era "Doctor Who," but that's all part of the charm. If your family still watches Nickelodeon — or if old reruns make you all well up with nostalgia — then this 70-minute flick is a perfect way to get together for a laid back movie night.

Cast: Izabella Alvarez, Paulina Chávez, Sumalee Montano, Angélica Aragón

Director: Miguel Puga

Rating: TV-Y7

Runtime: 89 minutes

Where to watch: Netflix

For fans of present-day Nickelodeon, "The Casagrandes Movie" is a must-see movie. "The Casagrandes" TV series started in 2019 as a spin-off from "The Loud House" and it ran for three seasons before getting canceled in 2022, upsetting fans of the show. Luckily for anyone who loved this hilarious and brilliantly animated cartoon series, the movie picks up right where it left off and supplies a 90 minute adventure with all your favorite characters.

The story begins just as Ronnie Anne (Izabella Alvarez) is turning 12 and looking forward to spending a summer doing kickflips at Xtreme Eddie's Sick and Twisted 12 and Over Skate Park. Unfortunately, her dreams come crashing down when her family decides to spend the summer in Mexico, and Ronnie Anne accidentally awakens the evil Purépecha demigod Punguari (Paulina Chávez). Even though Ronnie Anne thinks her family ruined her summer, they end up being exactly who she needs beside her to get through an unexpected adventure. "The Casagrandes Movie" is a heartwarming experience that offers over the top fun for everyone in the family.

Cast: voices of Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Kensington Tallman

Director: Kelsey Mann

Rating: PG

Runtime: 96 minutes

Where to watch: in theaters

Pixar sequels have been a mixed bag in terms of quality, but they tend to do well at the box office. In the case of "Inside Out 2," the 2024 follow up to the acclaimed 2015 original," it not only blew everyone away at the box office but also had the critical praise to match — to the tune of over $1.2 billion grossed worldwide and a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score, respectively. Audiences are once again taken inside the mind of Riley (Kensington Tallman), who is now 13 years old and has a few more emotions to contend with that she didn't have last time around. Mainly, she now has to deal with a little thing called Anxiety (Maya Hawke).

While many animated sequels strain quite hard to justify their existence beyond just being a cash grab, it's a no-brainer to check in with Riley again now that she's venturing into her teenage years and to see all the new emotional struggles that come with that. Pixar has been doing some great work in recent years in dealing with kids navigating those challenging transitional years, and while this new film is not quite as creative or as daring as "Turning Red," "Inside Out 2" is another charming coming-of-age story from the beloved studio.

Cast: voices of Bentley Griffin, Alex Cazares, Piotr Michael, Brian Stepanek, Grey DeLisle, Khary Payton, Amy Sedaris, Dan Fogler

Director: Kyle Marshall

Rating: G

Runtime: 81 minutes

Where to watch: Paramount+

It isn't just a "Loud House" spin-off series that got an animated film this year. In addition to "The Casagrandes Movie," the anchor series also got its own 2024 feature in the form of "No Time to Spy: A Loud House Movie." It's the fourth "Loud House" movie overall, following 2021's "The Loud House Movie" and then two holiday-themed live-action films. 

As the title suggests, "No Time to Spy" takes the Loud clan on an espionage-themed adventure. The story chronicles the Loud family going to a resort and getting wrapped up in the spy past of "Gran-Gran" Myrtle (Alex Cazares taking over for Jennifer Coolidge). New voices along for the ride include Amy Sedaris and Dan Fogler. This is one of those movies based on an animated series that mostly just feels like an extended episode of the show in terms of scope, stakes, and budget — but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially when the movie lives up to the show's antics. Ultimately, any households that are still enjoying "The Loud House" should get a kick out of "No Time to Spy."

Cast: voices of Kokoro Terada, Issey Ogata, Sakura Ando

Director: Yoshiyuki Momose

Rating: PG

Runtime: 105 minutes

Where to watch: Netflix

Not to be confused with "Imaginary," the 2024 live-action horror movie that's currently housed on our worst-of-the-year list, "The Imaginary" is an anime film that was originally released in 2023 but didn't hit the States until this year when Netflix localized it. Though it's not a Studio Ghibli work, it has that Ghibli feel — which makes sense, given that it's a Studio Ponoc film directed by Ghibli veteran Yoshiyuki Momose, who served as a key animator for "Spirited Away" and "Porco Rosso," among other Ghibli classics.

"The Imaginary" takes place in a world where imaginary friends are real. At least, until the children who befriended them eventually forget about them. One such imaginary friend, Rudger (Kokoro Terada in the Japanese version and Louie Rudge-Buchanan in the English dub), is struggling with the knowledge of that sad fate while also trying to avoid being caught by imaginary friend hunter Mr. Bunting (Issey Ogata and Jeremy Swift). This beautiful and bittersweet tale will appeal to both current and former children, and is a much better film on the subject of imaginary friends than 2024's "IF" — which you won't find on this list, and for good reason.

Cast: Isla Fisher, Greg Kinnear, Easton Rocket Sweda

Director: Christian Ditter

Rating: not rated

Runtime: 86 minutes

Where to watch: PVOD

Ambitious without getting too carried away and family-focused without talking down to younger viewers, "The Present" is one of the year's most pleasant surprises. It also flew under most people's radars when it was released in June, right in the midst of the busy summer blockbuster season.

Telling the story of a young boy named Taylor (Easton Rocket Sweda), who is trying to save his parents' marriage via a grandfather clock that grants him time-traveling abilities, the movie doesn't take too many surprise turns but it's still an entertaining ride nonetheless. Sweda, whose only previous credit is a stint on "General Hospital," is a definite talent to watch. And actors Greg Kinnear and Isla Fisher, two of Hollywood's most underutilized players, are both wonderful here as the estranged parents.

Cast: voices of Melinée Leclerc, Clotilde Hesme, Laetitia Dosch

Director: Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach

Rating: not rated (content equivalent to PG)

Runtime: 73 minutes

Where to watch: Criterion Channel, PVOD

This delightfully charming co-production between Italy and France got raves when it screened at Cannes in summer 2023. Peter Debruge of Variety declared that it "gets mother-daughter bonds better than most live-action movies," which is high praise indeed. Distributor GKIDS finally brought "Chicken for Linda!" to North America in April 2024 for a limited theatrical run, and it was subsequently made available on various streaming services.

The aforementioned mother-daughter relationship is between widowed single mom Paulette (Clotilde Hesme) and her child, the titular Linda (Melinée Leclerc). The two reconnect over shopping for and preparing a chicken dish that was a favorite of Linda's late father. Since "Chicken for Linda!" is only available in French with English subtitles, the non-readers of the family will sadly have to sit this one out. Otherwise, "Chicken for Linda!" is a heartwarming story of mending bonds damaged by loss for all ages, presented in one of the most striking animation styles seen in years.

Cast: voices of Brittany Howard, Will Forte, Jemaine Clement, Jon Heder, Fred Armisen, Zach Galifianakis

Directors: Jared Hess and Lynn Wang

Rating: PG

Runtime: 93 minutes

Where to watch: Netflix

Filmmaker Jared Hess's first film, cult classic "Napoleon Dynamite," was very much a coming-of-age movie. But not since his sophomore effort, the Nickelodeon Movies-produced "Nacho Libre," has Hess made a specifically kid-focused feature. That is, until now, with his adaptation of the popular children's book series "Thelma the Unicorn." The 2024 Netflix original is also his first fully animated movie, co-directed with "Unikitty!" producer and director Lynn Wang.

Starring Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard in her acting debut, "Thelma the Unicorn" is a musical adventure about a farm pony who dreams of starting a famous band with her friends Otis (Will Forte) and Reggie (Jon Heder), a donkey and a llama, respectively. They go on a fairly by-the-numbers but still delightfully charming journey that sees them chasing their dreams and singing songs along the way — featuring a nice mix of fun originals as well as crowd-pleasing classics. Franchises like "Sing," "Trolls," et al might have made animated-creature jukebox musicals a rather crowded genre of late, but "Thelma the Unicorn" still has enough going for it to be worth a watch. 

Cast: Blake Cameron, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jurnee Smollett, Lil Rel Howery

Director: Minhal Baig

Rating: PG

Runtime: 93 minutes

Where to watch: PVOD

On her third feature film effort, writer-director Minhal Baig may have finally found her niche with "We Grown Now." One of the only movies on this list that doesn't coat its hard lessons with light comedy, it tells the story of a family living in Chicago's infamous Cabrini-Green projects in 1992. More specifically, it centers on pals Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) and Malik (Blake Cameron James), two young boys who spend their days trying to view their dangerous environment through a lens of imagination and hope.

Though largely grounded in reality, "We Grown Now" does occasionally indulge the boys' role playing by giving the movie subtle touches of fantasy. Still, the whole thing would've fallen apart if the leads didn't sell it — and boy, do they ever. As critic Joe Friar raved in his review for the Fort Worth Reporter, "their emotional maturity and chemistry on screen are so authentic that it feels like we're watching a documentary." It won't make for the lightest family movie night, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be one of the very next films you watch with your kids. 

Cast: voices of Ivan Labanda, Rafael Calvo, José García Tos

Director: Pablo Berger

Rating: not rated

Runtime: 102 minutes

Where to watch: coming soon to Apple TV

Besides noises like grunts, sighs, and robotic vocalizations, "Robot Dreams" is entirely dialogue-free, and that's only one of the reasons why it's one of the most imaginative movies in years — family-focused or otherwise. Its incredible 98% Rotten Tomatoes rating puts it in the overall top five highest-rated movies of 2024 so far, in all genres.

So what happens in a movie without dialogue? Plenty, actually. "Robot Dreams" sees a robot and a dog striking up a friendship as they wander various areas of New York City over the summer of 1984. Along the way, they have various misadventures as they encounter a number of other anthropomorphic animals with varying degrees of friendliness. The movie racked up numerous awards at many film festivals as it made the rounds throughout 2023, and you might have thought it was out already, since it was nominated for best animated feature at the Oscars. But its wide release was delayed, and it only hit U.S. theaters in May 2024. As of now, it isn't yet available to stream, but look for it on Apple TV soon.

Cast: voices of Yuki Yamada, Fumiyo Kohinata, Ayumi Tsunematsu, Fumihiko Tachiki

Director: Shannon Tindle

Rating: PG

Runtime: 117 minutes

Where to watch: Netflix

No other movie on this list is part of a franchise with a more storied legacy than "Ultraman: Rising." Originally a 1960s live-action Japanese television show, the "Ultraman" brand went on to become a multi-billion-dollar property in its native country and has been brought to just about every form of media imaginable. And while "Ultraman" products are typically kid-friendly, 2024's "Ultraman: Rising" is arguably the most direct attempt to tell a family-centric story within that universe to date.

This time, the titular superhero — Ken Santo (Yuki Yamada in the original Japanese, Christopher Sean in the English dub) — finds himself the unwitting father figure to a Gigantron baby who mistook Ken for her dad after he was present when she hatched. As the 83% "fresh" Rotten Tomatoes consensus explains, the movie "adds an interesting wrinkle of childrearing to the franchise's high-octane formula, making for a colorful romp fit for the whole family." Even if nobody in your household has even heard of Ultraman before, "Rising" will still imprint onto your clan. That said, there is also a lot for longtime "Ultraman" fans to appreciate as well.