Look, we've all been there. It's Friday night, everyone's finally in the same room, and you spend 45 minutes scrolling through Netflix while your kids argue about whether to watch something "funny" or "with magic" and your partner just wants something that won't make them cringe. By the time you pick something, half the family has lost interest.
Netflix's "Family" section is supposed to help, but let's be real—it's a chaotic mix of genuine gems, dated cartoons, and content that makes you wonder what algorithm thought your family would enjoy this. Some picks are legitimately great for co-viewing. Others are just... there.
Here's the thing: the best family content on Netflix isn't just "kid-safe." It's stuff that actually entertains multiple age groups without being annoying, doesn't have those awkward moments that make you dive for the remote, and ideally leaves you with something to talk about afterward that isn't just "that was... fine."
Family screen time gets a bad rap, but co-viewing is actually one of the healthiest ways to engage with media. When you watch together, you're:
- Modeling media literacy ("Wait, why did that character make that choice?")
- Creating shared cultural touchstones (my friends still quote Avatar: The Last Airbender together)
- Actually enjoying downtime as a family instead of everyone on separate devices
The challenge is finding content that threads the needle between "entertaining for a 7-year-old" and "doesn't make adults want to fake a work emergency."
For Elementary Age (Ages 6-10)
Bluey - Yes, it's a show about cartoon dogs. Yes, adults are obsessed with it. The episodes are 7 minutes, the parenting is shockingly realistic, and it's genuinely funny. Fair warning: it might make you feel like you're not playing with your kids enough. (You're doing fine.)
The Mitchells vs. The Machines - An animated movie about a family road trip during a robot apocalypse. Sounds chaotic, is chaotic, but in the best way. The humor works for kids and adults, and the family dynamics are surprisingly real. Plus it has something to say about our relationship with technology without being preachy about it.
Encanto - You've probably already seen it seventeen times, but it holds up. The songs are catchy (sorry about "We Don't Talk About Bruno" living in your head rent-free), and it actually deals with family pressure and generational trauma in a way that sparks good conversations.
For Middle School (Ages 10-13)
Avatar: The Last Airbender - If your family hasn't watched this yet, this is your sign. It's an animated series that starts light but builds into genuinely complex storytelling about war, loss, and responsibility. Kids love the action and humor, adults appreciate the character development and themes. All three seasons are on Netflix.
The Sea Beast - A surprisingly good animated adventure about monster hunters. Great animation, solid story about questioning what you've been taught, and no annoying comic relief characters. Rare win.
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio - This is NOT the Disney version. It's darker, set during Mussolini's Italy, and deals with fascism and mortality. But it's stunning, and if your kids can handle some heavier themes, it's worth watching together so you can process it afterward.
For High School (Ages 13+)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse - Superhero movies that are actually about something. Gorgeous animation, great soundtracks, and themes about identity and responsibility that resonate with teens. Plus they're just genuinely excellent films.
The Adam Project - Time travel, Ryan Reynolds being Ryan Reynolds, and surprising emotional depth about dealing with grief and absent parents. Some language and violence, but nothing gratuitous.
Most Netflix Original Kids Movies - Real talk: Netflix cranks out a LOT of animated content, and much of it is... fine? Forgettable? Your kids might enjoy it, but you'll be on your phone. Not every family movie night needs to be cinema, but if you want something everyone will actually watch, be selective.
Teen Rom-Coms - The Kissing Booth, To All The Boys—these have their place, but "family viewing" they are not. Unless you want to field questions about high school relationship dynamics, save these for when teens watch with friends.
The best family picks on Netflix are the ones where nobody's just tolerating it for someone else's sake. That's harder to find than it should be, but when you land on something good, it's worth it.
A few rules of thumb:
- Animation isn't just for little kids - Some of the best family content is animated because it can tackle complex themes without being too intense
- Shorter is often better - A great 90-minute movie beats a mediocre 2-hour one every time
- Read the room - If your 8-year-old is sensitive to conflict, maybe skip the robot apocalypse movie for now
- It's okay to bail - If something isn't working 20 minutes in, cut your losses. Life's too short for hate-watching as a family.
Can't decide what to watch? Try this: each family member picks one option, you watch the trailers together, and vote. It takes 5 minutes and prevents the infinite scroll.
And if Netflix isn't cutting it, check out what's worth watching on Disney+ or explore alternatives to streaming altogether. Sometimes the best family screen time is playing Mario Kart together instead.