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The 15 Best Movies for Kids on Hulu

Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu. Photo: Warner Bros.
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This post is updated regularly to reflect the latest movies to leave and enter Hulu. *New additions are indicated with an asterisk.

The truth is that Hulu doesn’t particularly value the family audience in the same way that companies like Netflix or Disney+ do, perhaps realizing that the latter have a monopoly on that demographic. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to rally the entire clan around when you’re looking for something to watch on Hulu. Their eclectic mix of family films include recent blockbuster hits, dramas from the ‘00s and ‘10s, and movies you won’t find anywhere else.

The Amazing Maurice

Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director: Toby Genkel

Terry Pratchett wrote a beloved series of books called Discworld, but this is an adaptation of a novel called The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. It’s the animated tale of a cat named Maurice (Hugh Laurie) who gets entangled in a village with a crazy secret. Laurie is joined by Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis, Gemma Arterton and many more in a film that actually made some decent money worldwide, but barely got a U.S. release. So your kids probably haven’t seen it yet!

The Amazing Maurice

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Year: 2013
Runtime: 1h 30m
Director: Cody Cameron, Kris Pearn

A rare animated sequel that’s just about as funny as the first film, this 2013 sequel built on the visual wit and sharp characters from the 2009 movie. Bill Hader and Anna Faris lead a stellar voice work as Flint Lockwood are forced to return to Swallow Falls to save the day. It’s inventive and very fun.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Eight Crazy Nights

Year: 2002
Runtime: 1h 16m
Director: Seth Kearsley

There aren’t enough family films on any streaming service for Hannukah, so make a note that Adam Sandler’s goofy animated comedy for the holiday is on Hulu. Told like an old-fashioned TV holiday special, Eight Crazy Nights merges Sandler’s man-child comedic persona with elements of the holiday. One wishes it was better, but it’s still better than nothing if your family is looking for a Hannukah movie this year.

Eight Crazy Nights

Father of the Bride

Year: 1991
Runtime: 1h 45m
Director: Charles Shyer

One of the biggest hits of Steve Martin’s career came in this 1991 remake of the 1950 classic comedy of the same name. He plays George Banks, an ordinary guy who panics in the run-up to the wedding of his daughter, played by Kimberly Williams. Diane Keaton and Martin Short co-star in a film that got a hit sequel, also on Hulu.

Father of the Bride

*Goosebumps

Year: 2015
Runtime: 1h 30m
Director: Rob Letterman

The series of books by R.L. Stine remain massive hits on the YA market, and are as popular as ever thanks to the recent Disney+ series. However, that wasn’t the first adaptation. Go back to the mid-‘10s to this theatrical release starring Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, and Amy Ryan. It’s a goofy family comedy with horror themes, a great introduction to the genre for young viewers. Just like the books.

Goosebumps

Gnomeo and Juliet

Year: 2011
Runtime: 1h 24m
Director: Kelly Asbury

Every year, there are a few animated theatrical releases that don’t quite have the sheen of DreamWorks or Disney. For example, this was released by Entertainment One, and yet still went on to make almost $200 million. It’s a goofy time-killer that repurposes the Shakespeare classic for a couple of garden gnomes who fall in love. James McAvoy and Emily Blunt do fun voice work in the title roles.

Gnomeo and Juliet

Hook

Year: 1991
Runtime: 2h 22m
Director: Steven Spielberg

One of Spielberg’s most divisive movies, it feels like people who love this version of the legend of Peter Pan the most are the ones who were exactly the right age when it came out. Say what you will about it overall, it definitely features some fun performances, especially from Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman.

Hook

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Year: 2012
Runtime: 1h 28m
Director: Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier

Hulu gets so random with their family choices, choosing different films in this franchise on about a quarterly basis. They’ve gone back to the 2012 fourth film in the series as of this writing. Watch this and remember a time when Manny, Sid, and Diego led one of the biggest franchises in the world. Continental Drift made almost a billion dollars worldwide, which is almost hard to believe. So while nearly every kid on Earth has probably seen it, there’s no reason they can’t watch it again.

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Year: 2017
Runtime: 1h 59m
Director: Jake Kasdan

This massive blockbuster actually isn’t on streaming services that often, so take this chance while you can on Hulu. Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan star as the avatar versions of four teens who end up transported into a video game. A massive hit when it was released, it’s already produced one sequel, with another in development. It’s a lot of fun.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

The Last Unicorn

Year: 1982
Runtime: 1h 32m
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. 

Remember when they made animated fantasies for kids that could be dark and intense too? The Last Unicorn is a thrilling adventure film based on the beloved novel of the same name by Peter S. Beagle. Featuring the voices of Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, and more, it’s the story of its title: A unicorn searching for what happened to her kind.

The Last Unicorn

*Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Year: 2019
Runtime: 1h 45m
Director: Rob Letterman

Video game movies are having a moment with the success of Super Mario Bros. Movie but they used to be poison to Hollywood. This was actually the first live-action video game adaptation since the first SMB movie in 1993. And it’s not bad! Ryan Reynolds voices Pikachu, who partners with Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) to figure out what happened to his missing father. It’s largely for Pokemon fans only, but they were pretty happy with it.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

*Shark Tale

Year: 2004
Runtime: 1h 30m
Directors: Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson, Rob Letterman

Remember when every month seemed to produce a new CGI-animated film with a major voice talent at its center in the ‘00s? This one from 2004 is just old enough to know to maybe have some nostalgic fans out there who want to revisit when they fell in love with a fish named Oscar, voiced by Will Smith.

Shark Tale

*The Sound of Music

Year: 1965
Runtime: 2h 54m
Director: Robert Wise

The hills are alive in this beloved musical drama adapted from the play of the same name. Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer star in the story of the Von Trapps, a family who use music to push away the horrors of the world around them. Even with its three-hour running time, this is a film that generation after generation embraces for a reason.

The Sound of Music

Stuart Little

Year: 1999
Runtime: 1h 32m
Director: Rob Minkoff

Michael J. Fox playfully voices the title character in this adaptation of the beloved children’s book by E.B. White. The tale of a talking mouse adopted by a new family and adjusting to life in the big city has something for any kid who ever felt like he wasn’t quite like everyone else. It’s a sweet flick that made an absolute fortune at the box office, leading to two sequels and even a TV series.

Stuart Little

We Bare Bears: The Movie

Year: 2020
Runtime: 1h 10m
Director: Daniel Chong

If you haven’t heard of We Bare Bears, you probably don’t have kids. The show ran from 2015 to 2019, producing over 140 episodes about Grizz, Panda, and Ice Bear, a trio of bears who try to live in a human world. It’s a cute charmer and the creators closed it out with a movie in 2020 that’s totally worth a look for fans of the show.

We Bare Bears: The Movie

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The 15 Best Movies for Kids on Hulu