Netflix is leaning hard into the Sandler-verse again this week with a new teen musical, but before you let the algorithm auto-play the #1 movie in the country, know that it is a brutal survival thriller that will definitely ruin a Tuesday night for anyone under 16.
TL;DR: The big draw this week is the upcoming Sunny Sandler musical Don't Say Good Luck, which is set to drop this Friday and looks like a safe, theater-kid-friendly bet. For something you can watch right now, skip the gory #1 thriller The Alpine and head for The Sea Beast or Nimona. For more deep dives, check out our best movies for kids list.
From the trailer and the early production notes, this looks like the natural evolution of the Happy Madison "family business" model. Sunny Sandler is front and center here, playing a high school junior navigating the high-stakes world of a competitive drama department.
It is set to release this Friday, and the buzz suggests a mix of High School Musical energy and the self-aware humor Sandler’s company has been leaning into lately. Based on the preview clips, the songs are catchy, the stakes are "will the play go on?" levels of low-stress, and the vibe is squarely aimed at the middle school crowd. If your kid liked Leo, they will probably find this one hits the same sweet spot of being funny without being mean-spirited.
Do not let the "Top 10 in the U.S. Today" badge fool you into thinking this is a survival adventure for the whole family. The Alpine is currently sitting at #1, and it is a relentless, R-rated endurance test.
The plot involves a group of hikers trapped during a blizzard, and the movie goes out of its way to show every frostbitten limb and desperate choice in graphic detail. It is a well-made thriller for adults who enjoy high-tension cinema, but the level of visceral gore and psychological distress makes it a total non-starter for a family movie night. If your kid sees the thumbnail and asks about it, tell them it’s the "people freezing and being miserable" movie and pivot to something with actual monsters.
If you need a win tonight and don't want to wait for the Friday drop, these three are sitting in the catalog right now and actually earn their runtime.
This is essentially a high-seas kaiju movie with the heart of a Ghibli film. It follows a legendary monster hunter and a young stowaway who discover that the "beasts" they’ve been taught to fear might not be the villains of the story. The animation is top-tier—the water physics alone are incredible—and the action is intense without being traumatizing. It is a masterclass in world-building that respects a kid's intelligence.
If your kid has a bit of a rebellious streak or just loves a chaotic protagonist, Nimona is the move. It’s a futuristic-medieval mashup about a shapeshifter who teams up with a disgraced knight. It’s fast-paced, funny, and has a very distinct punk-rock energy. It handles themes of identity and "villainy" with a lot of nuance, making it a great conversation starter for older elementary kids and tweens.
Since we’re talking about the Sandler-verse, it’s worth revisiting this one if you missed it. Adam Sandler voices a 74-year-old class lizard who discovers he only has a year to live and decides to help the 5th graders with their anxieties. It is surprisingly sweet and captures the specific, weird stress of being ten years old better than almost any live-action show. The musical numbers are actually funny, and the message about listening to kids instead of just talking at them is one that parents usually appreciate too.
When you're watching The Sea Beast or Nimona, the best thing you can do is talk about the "villains." Both movies do a great job of showing that the people in charge aren't always right, and that "monsters" are often just things we don't understand yet.
Ask your kid: "Who was the real bad guy in that movie?" Usually, it’s not the giant creature or the shapeshifter; it’s the system or the person who refuses to change their mind. It’s a low-key way to build critical thinking while you’re eating popcorn.
The biggest friction point on Netflix right now is the "Auto-Play" feature on the home screen. It often defaults to the #1 movie, which—as we saw with The Alpine—can be pretty intense. If you haven't already, go into your profile settings and turn off "Autoplay previews while browsing." It saves you from having to explain a R-rated trailer to a seven-year-old just because you paused for a second to look at the menu.
Q: Is Don't Say Good Luck okay for 10-year-olds?
Based on the trailer and the Happy Madison track record, yes. It is expected to be a PG or PG-13 teen musical with standard high school drama—crushes, stage fright, and mild snark. It’s a safe bet for the 10-to-14 crowd.
Q: Why is The Alpine rated R?
It earns the R rating through intense sequences of peril, graphic injuries related to extreme cold, and some heavy language. It is designed to be a stressful, "adult" survival experience, not a fun adventure.
Q: What is the best Netflix movie for a family night right now?
If you want action and scale, go with The Sea Beast. If you want something shorter and more character-driven for a younger crowd, Leo is the winner.
Netflix’s "Top 10" list is a reflection of what's popular, not what's appropriate. This week, the popular stuff is for the grown-ups, but the upcoming Don't Say Good Luck looks like a solid win for the weekend. Until then, stick to the proven hits like Nimona and keep the survival thrillers for after the kids are in bed.
