TL;DR: The Short List for Heavy Hearts
If you’re looking for a quick recommendation to help a child process a recent loss, here are the heavy hitters that actually get it right without being "brain rot" or unnecessarily traumatizing:
- For the "Everything is Fine" Kid (Ages 5+): Inside Out — Teaches that sadness is a necessary part of healing.
- For Celebrating a Life (Ages 6+): Coco — The gold standard for remembrance and the "after" of grief.
- For Processing Sibling or Peer Loss (Ages 7+): Big Hero 6 — A rare look at how grief can manifest as anger or a need for justice.
- For the "Deep Thinker" (Ages 10+): A Monster Calls — A raw, honest look at the messy, complicated feelings of losing a parent.
- For the Pet Loss Milestone: Marley & Me (classic) or the "Copycat" episode of Bluey.
Ask our chatbot for a personalized movie list based on your child's age
Grief is the ultimate "Ohio" of parenting—it’s weird, it’s unpredictable, and sometimes it feels like it’s coming from a completely different dimension. One day your kid is totally fine, and the next they’re having a meltdown because their iPad died, which we all know is actually about the goldfish that passed away three weeks ago.
In the Screenwise community, we see the data: about 65% of parents of elementary-aged kids report using media as a "bridge" to talk about difficult emotional topics. But there’s a massive difference between a movie that helps a kid process loss and a movie that just makes them (and you) feel miserable for two hours. We’re looking for movies that offer a "scaffold" for their emotions, not just a trauma-dump in 4K.
Kids don’t have the vocabulary for grief. They might say they’re bored or act out in Roblox by being uncharacteristically "trolly," but underneath, they’re trying to figure out where the person (or pet) went and why their chest feels tight.
Movies provide a "safe distance." It’s much easier to talk about why Miguel misses his Mama Imelda in Coco than it is to talk about why Grandma’s chair is empty at Sunday dinner.
Inside Out & Inside Out 2 (Ages 5+)
While not strictly about death, these are the foundation for all grief work. Grief is often a "memory" problem—how do we hold onto the happy memories when they now make us feel blue? The first movie’s realization that Joy needs Sadness to help Riley heal is a core lesson in digital wellness and emotional intelligence. Inside Out 2 levels this up by showing how anxiety can complicate that process.
Coco (Ages 6+)
This is arguably the best film ever made about the cultural and personal importance of remembrance. It moves the conversation from "they are gone" to "how do we keep them with us?" It’s colorful, the music is top-tier, and it avoids the "scary" tropes of death in favor of a vibrant, connected afterlife. If your family is navigating the loss of a grandparent, this is your starting point.
The Wild Robot (Ages 7+)
Based on the The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, this film is a masterpiece in discussing the cycle of life and the "unnatural" nature of loss. It deals with the death of a family (the gosling's biological family) and the creation of a "found family." It’s visually stunning and doesn't pull its punches about the harshness of nature, which can be a helpful, less-personal way to discuss why things die.
Big Hero 6 (Ages 8+)
Most "grief movies" focus on sadness. Big Hero 6 focuses on the anger and the "it’s not fair" aspect of loss. Hiro’s journey through the loss of his brother Tadashi involves a lot of tech, robot-building, and a giant marshmallow-like healthcare companion named Baymax. It’s perfect for kids who find "emotional" movies a bit too "cringe" but love a good superhero origin story.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Ages 8+)
Don't let the Shrek-universe branding fool you. This movie is a surprisingly deep meditation on mortality. Puss is down to his last life and is literally being hunted by Death (who is genuinely terrifying—be warned). It’s a great way to talk about the "scary" side of death and the value of the time we actually have.
A Monster Calls (Ages 11+)
This one is heavy. It deals with a boy whose mother is terminally ill. It uses dark, beautiful animation to tell "stories within the story" that explain why there are no "good guys" or "bad guys" in grief—just messy humans. If your child is older and dealing with a long-term illness in the family, this is a profound, albeit intense, watch.
Check out our guide on the best books for grieving kids
Not every "sad" movie is helpful. Some are just manipulative or, frankly, outdated in how they handle trauma.
- Bambi: Guys, it’s 2025. We don’t need to traumatize a 4-year-old with the off-screen gunshot. There are better ways to talk about loss now that don't involve core-memory-unlocked nightmares.
- The Lion King (Live Action): The original is a classic for a reason, but the "realistic" CGI version makes the death of Mufasa feel weirdly clinical and yet more disturbing because the lions look like a National Geographic documentary. Stick to the 2D version if you’re going this route.
- Generic "Dead Dog" Movies: If a movie's only plot point is "the dog dies at the end to make you cry," skip it. That’s not helping a kid process grief; that’s just emotional hijacking.
Ages 3-5: Keep it concrete. At this age, kids struggle with the "permanence" of death. They might ask when the person is coming back. Use Bluey (the "Copycat" episode) to show that even when we do everything right, some things don't wake up.
Ages 6-9: This is the age of "the why." They want to know the mechanics of death and the "fairness" of it. Movies like Coco or The Wild Robot are perfect because they provide a framework for these questions.
Ages 10-13: Tweens are masters of the "I don't care" mask. They might prefer movies where grief is a subplot, like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (processing the loss of an uncle/mentor) or Soul. They want to see that life goes on, even if it looks different.
You don't need to pause the movie every ten minutes for a "check-in." That’s the fastest way to get a kid to check out and go play Fortnite.
- The "Parallel Play" Approach: Talk while doing something else after the movie—driving, folding laundry, or even while they’re building in Minecraft.
- Ask about the Character, not them: "Why do you think Miguel was so upset when the guitar broke?" is a much easier question for a kid to answer than "Are you sad about Grandpa?"
- Validate the "Weird" Feelings: If they laugh during a sad part, don't correct them. Grief is weird. If they want to watch the same sad scene ten times, let them. That’s how their brain "digests" the information.
Learn more about sibling dynamics and shared screen time during family stress
Movies aren't a replacement for therapy or a long talk, but they are an incredible "on-ramp." In a world where kids are inundated with "brain rot" content and 15-second TikToks, sitting down for a 90-minute story about something that actually matters is a win for digital wellness.
Don't be afraid of the tears—yours or theirs. Showing your kids that media can be a tool for feeling, not just for numbing out, is one of the best "intentional parent" moves you can make.
- Audit your watchlist: Add Coco or Inside Out to your family's "to-watch" list so they're ready when you need them.
- Check the Screenwise Survey: If your family is going through a transition, take the Screenwise habit survey to see how your digital boundaries might need to shift to allow for more "analog" connection time.
- Chat with us: If you're looking for a very specific type of movie (e.g., "movies about losing a sibling for a 10-year-old"), our chatbot is ready to help.
Ask our chatbot for more movies about navigating big life changes