Parent-Child Family backdrop

Parent-Child Family movies

Family stories focused on parent-child bonds: care, responsibility, trust, generational tension, and repair.

Descendants

1. Descendants

Family Adventure Fantasy TV Movie Music
6.3
20151h 52min

Overview

A present-day idyllic kingdom where the benevolent teenage son of King Adam and Queen Belle offers a chance of redemption for the troublemaking offspring of Disney's classic villains: Cruella De Vil (Carlos), Maleficent (Mal), the Evil Queen (Evie) and Jafar (Jay).

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Belonging and identity, Coming of age, Appearance versus self-worth, Peer pressure and popularity, Family legacy vs independence

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Family Comedy Parent-Child Family Awkward Comedy
6.2
20141h 21min

Overview

Alexander's day begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by more calamities. Though he finds little sympathy from his family and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him, his mom, dad, brother, and sister all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Themes

Job interview pressure, Family resilience under stress, Bad luck effect on family, Driver's test challenges, Embarrassment and social pressure, Sibling caregiving under strain

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Stand by Me Doraemon

3. Stand by Me Doraemon

Animation Adventure Science Fiction Drama Family
7.3
20141h 34min

Overview

Sewashi and Doraemon find themselves way back in time and meet Nobita. It is up to Doraemon to take care of Nobita or else he will not return to the present.

Themes

Trust vs deception, Peer rivalry, Future consequences, Guidance under pressure, Self-improvement drive, Identity formation

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Smurfs 2

4. The Smurfs 2

Fantasy Family Comedy Animation Parent-Child Family
5.3
20131h 45min

Overview

The evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants, and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world¹s greatest sorcerer. It's up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties Vexy and Hackus or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue?

Themes

Adventure under pressure, Child friendly humor, Family comedy, Fantasy magic, Interdimensional travel, Teamwork and resilience

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Despicable Me 2

5. Despicable Me 2

Animation Comedy Family Family Animation Parody
7.3
20131h 38min

Overview

Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal.

Themes

Nontraditional family formation, Trust through collaboration, Faked death and deception, Parental duty vs romance, Work-life balance under threat, Heroism through teamwork

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Croods

6. The Croods

Animation Adventure Family Comedy Family Animation
7.1
20131h 39min

Overview

The prehistoric Croods family live in a particularly dangerous moment in time. Patriarch Grug, his mate Ugga, teenage daughter Eep, son Thunk, and feisty Gran gather food by day and huddle together in a cave at night. When a more evolved caveman named Guy arrives on the scene, Grug is distrustful, but it soon becomes apparent that Guy is correct about the impending destruction of their world.

Themes

Intergenerational tension, Trust under threat, Leadership under strain, Change vs safety, Jealousy and cooperation, Innovation vs fear

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Peacock Premium
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Oz the Great and Powerful

7. Oz the Great and Powerful

Fantasy Adventure Family Epic Fantasy Adventure Epic
6.3
20132h 10min

Overview

Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus illusionist and con-artist, is whisked from Kansas to the Land of Oz where the inhabitants assume he's the great wizard of prophecy, there to save Oz from the clutches of evil.

Themes

Deception as strategy, Betrayal and alliance, Trust and deception, Illusion versus legitimacy, Social climbing through fame, Power through spectacle

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Thunderstruck

8. Thunderstruck

Comedy Family Parent-Child Family High-Concept Comedy
5.1
20121h 34min

Overview

After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.

Themes

Coaching and mentorship under change, Adolescent pressure and belonging, Identity through ability, Performance tracking and scrutiny, Competition and jealousy, Talent transfer dynamics, Team leadership under upheaval

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

ParaNorman

9. ParaNorman

Family Animation Adventure Comedy Family Animation
7.0
20121h 33min

Overview

In a town that mocks him for seeing the dead, Norman Babcock lives trapped between the living who hate him and ghosts who won’t leave him alone. When a centuries‑old curse erupts over Blithe Hollow, he races to break it before the rising dead turn his entire world into a nightmare he can’t escape.

Themes

Outsider vs community, Generational empathy, Memory and misjudgment, Ghosts as witnesses, Mob fear and blame, Rituals vs truth

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Brave

10. Brave

Animation Adventure Comedy Family Action
7.1
20121h 33min

Overview

In the mystical Scottish Highlands, Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Merida's quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom's three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin, the surly Lord Macintosh, and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall.

Themes

Intergenerational conflict, Transformation and identity, Gendered expectations, Family bonds under pressure, Autonomy vs obligation, Rebellion against tradition, Peace through cooperation

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.