10 kids movies on Amazon Prime that the whole family can agree on (yes, really)
10 kids movies on Amazon Prime that the whole family can agree on (yes, really)
Ilana Gordon, Debby WolfinsohnTue, March 17, 2026 at 9:00 PM UTC
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Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers in 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'; Robin Williams as Peter Pan in 'Hook'; Shrek (voice: Mike Myers) in 'Shrek'Credit: Lacey Terrell/Sony; TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection; DreamWorks
You don't need to leave the house to go on a family trip. Take a walk through television history with A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) or travel to Australia to help fairies save the Earth with FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992). Whether you're visiting a fantasy world (Hook, 1991) or getting a cruel introduction to the real one (Uptown Girls, 2003), the films needed to start your journey are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Entertainment Weekly made sure films from all generations and genres are represented on our list of the 10 best kids and family movies to watch on the platform. These picks are rated G or PG, except for one PG-13 movie (which we've noted), and all are rated F for family-approved.
01 of 10
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers in 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'Credit: Lacey Terrell/Sony
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was essential to so many childhoods, and in Marielle Heller’s biographical drama, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, audiences are reminded of why. The film is loosely adapted from a 1998 Esquire profile on Fred Rogers; Matthew Rhys plays Lloyd Vogel, a fictional character inspired by the journalist who wrote it.
Lloyd arrives for his first interview with Rogers (Tom Hanks) in a state of mental and physical disrepair. But the more time Lloyd and Rogers spend together, the more Lloyd’s mindset shifts. As EW’s critic writes in their review, Hanks plays Rogers as “a sort of secular Buddha in a red knit cardigan whose gently probing questions and Zen proclamations work as a slow dissolving agent on Lloyd’s resistance.” —Ilana Gordon
Where to watch A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: B+
Director: Marielle Heller
Cast: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper
02 of 10
The 'Burbs (1989)
Bruce Dern as Mark Rumsfield, Tom Hanks as Ray Peterson, and Rick Ducommun as Art Weingartner in 'The 'Burbs'Credit: Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
All Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) wants is to enjoy a week-long staycation at his house in the suburbs. But when his neighbors, the Klopeks, start acting strangely, Ray and his fellow homeowners on the block conclude they must be part of a murderous Satanic cult.
A dark comedy about how the uniformity of the suburbs masks the most perverse behavior, The 'Burbs is a cult classic from the late ‘80s that was beloved enough to inspire a remake. (The TV adaptation of the film starring KeKe Palmer premiered on Peacock in February) Hanks is in his prime as a bored suburban dad who finds purpose in inciting neighborhood drama, and Bruce Dern is a scene-stealing standout as Vietnam War veteran Mark Rumsfield. —I.G.
Where to watch The 'Burbs: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Corey Feldman, Rick Ducommun
03 of 10
FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
Zak (voice: Jonathan Ward) and Crysta (voice: Samantha Mathis) in 'FernGully: The Last Rainforest'Credit: 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Before there was Avatar (2009), there was FernGully: The Last Rainforest. An animated musical fantasy set in the Australian rainforest and filled with warnings about the effects of environmental destruction, FernGully follows a fairy named Crysta (voiced by Samantha Mathis) as she strives to protect her rainforest home from loggers who want to cut down the trees, and an evil spirit named Hexxus (Tim Curry) that seeks to destroy it all. Robin Williams voices a hyperactive bat named Batty Koda, and gives audiences a preview of the voice-acting master class he would put on in Aladdin, released seven months later. —I.G.
Where to watch FernGully: The Last Rainforest: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Bill Kroyer
Cast: Tim Curry, Samantha Mathis, Christian Slater, Jonathan Ward, Robin Williams
04 of 10
Hook (1991)
Robin Williams as Peter Pan (center) in 'Hook'Credit: TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Peter Pan is all grown up in Steven Spielberg’s Hook — and he’s forgotten his Neverland origin story. Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is a corporate lawyer and absentee father who is forced to confront the adult he’s evolved into after Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps his children and holds them hostage on his pirate ship. A fantasy action comedy about fatherhood and accessing your inner child, Hoffman is particularly delectable as the film’s title villain.
EW’s critic writes, “His Captain Hook is crafty, exuberant, cock-of-the-walk, a villain who drinks in the pleasure of his own nastiness. And yet — for this is Hoffman’s genius — he’s not a monster.” A favorite from many a millennial childhood, Hook also offers standout performances from the late Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins, and includes a number of uncredited A-list cameos as well as a memorably soaring score from John Williams. —I.G.
Where to watch Hook: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith
05 of 10
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
Jack Black as Steve, Jason Momoa as Garett Garrison, and Sebastian Eugene Hansen as Henry in 'A Minecraft Movie'Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
The children yearn for the mines, and in 2025, they helped make a movie based on Minecraft one of the top-grossing releases of the year. The freeform computer game makes the jump to film thanks to the talents of Jason Momoa and Jack Black, who lead the story about four outcasts who are transported to a world made of cubes, and must find their way back home to Idaho.
Directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, 2004) the film offers enough inside jokes to make gamers happy, while still keeping the story and comedy general enough to appeal to first timers. EW’s critic gives much of the credit for the film’s success to Momoa’s comedic chops, writing “He’s doing extremely good work here, seriously. Broad comedy is not easy." —I.G.
Where to watch A Minecraft Movie: Amazon Prime Video
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EW grade: B
Director: Jared Hess
Cast: Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Hansen
06 of 10
Shrek (2001)
Donkey (voice: Eddie Murphy) and Shrek (voice: Mike Myers) in 'Shrek'Credit: DreamWorks
The first year the Oscars included the category of Best Animated Feature was 2001, and the inaugural winner was DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek. A parody of both Disney movies and fairy tales, Shrek tells the story of the titular green antisocial ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) who accidentally befriends a donkey (Eddie Murphy in another one of his fast-talking, animal best friend roles).
After Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) promises to empty Shrek’s swamp of displaced creatures if he can rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from captivity, Shrek and Donkey set out on a journey riddled with fantastical characters, jokes, and a fair share of heart. EW’s critic gives the film an A, writing that Shrek is “a kind of palace coup, a shout of defiance, and a coming-of-age for DreamWorks.” —I.G.
Where to watch Shrek: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: A
Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Vincent Cassel
07 of 10
Troop Zero (2019)
Jim Gaffigan as Ramsey Flint in 'Troop Zero'Credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/Amazon
The best little indie you've never heard of is a charming underdog story, complete with a perfectly dogeared 1970s Southern setting and a gold-star cast (um, Viola Davis and Allison Janney?). Discovering Troop Zero on Prime will feel like a win for families in search of something solidly PG and yet a little…different, because this baby wears its quirk status proudly. (Mckenna Grace plays a girl named Christmas, and that's just the beginning.) Not to worry — the film is also immersive, good-natured, and a helluva fun watch. Plus, there's a NASA theme and a Bowie-heavy soundtrack to boot. Not to sound all algorithm-y, but if you liked Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), or Moonrise Kingdom (2012), you'll want to join scrappy lil' Troop Zero, too. —Debby Wolfinsohn
Where to watch Troop Zero: Amazon Prime Video
Directors: Amber Templemore-Finlayson, Katie Ellwood
Cast: Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Mckenna Grace, Mike Epps
08 of 10
Uptown Girls (2003)
Brittany Murphy as Molly Gunn and Dakota Fanning as Ray in 'Uptown Girls'Credit: K.C. Bailey/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Uptown Girls was panned by critics when it premiered in 2003, but time and Brittany Murphy’s death in 2009 led audiences to view the film with fresh eyes, and earned it the distinction of cult classic. Murphy stars as Molly Gunn, the orphaned daughter of a rock star, who loses her inheritance and has to find a job. She ends up as a nanny for Ray (Dakota Fanning), a type A 8-year-old, and the conflict between Ray’s need for control and Molly’s preference for chaos drives most of the film’s comedy. Murphy acted across from some big talents during her too-short career, but she has a special chemistry with Fanning, and the duo’s arc together imbues the film with its heart. This film is PG-13, so proceed accordingly. —I.G.
Where to watch Uptown Girls: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Boaz Yakin
Cast: Brittany Murphy, Dakota Fanning, Marley Shelton, Donald Faison, Heather Locklear
09 of 10
Where the Red Fern Grows (1974)
Jack Ging as Father, Stewart Petersen as Billy, and James Whitmore as Grandpa in 'Where the Red Fern Grows'Credit: Everett Collection
Weeper warning — it's no joke, folks! This classic film is Sad with a capital "S," perhaps too sad for the young animal lovers in your house (and, truth be told, this reviewer). But if you can handle it, this well-made, sensitively-acted drama really is worth it. Set in the Ozarks during the Great Depression, the story of a boy and his pair of loyal hound dogs is based on the excellent (and perhaps even more heart-wrenching) book by Wilson Rawls, which was inspired by his own childhood. The fact that this film is such a tearjerker and yet so beloved tells you something — it's a special work of art, and watching this has been a childhood milestone since 1974. Lights, camera…sobbing! —D.W.
Where to watch Where the Red Fern Grows: Amazon Prime Video
Director: Norman Tokar
Cast: James Whitmore, Beverly Garland
10 of 10
Wicked (2024)
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande as Glinda Upland in 'Wicked'Credit: Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
The fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history got a two-part movie adaptation — and the first movie is free to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Wicked is a musical take on The Wizard of Oz, but told from the Wicked Witch’s point of view. Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba Thropp, a gifted green girl who enrolls in Shiz University and excels academically, but finds herself shunned by her peers.
Erivo has incredible chemistry with Ariana Grande, who plays Galinda Upland (who later goes by Glinda in a selfless, but still selfish, act), Elphaba’s roommate and rival. Under Jon M. Chu’s direction, the film’s music, choreography, and costuming are luscious, expanding on the stage show in the most Ozmopolitan way. —I.G.
Where to watch Wicked: Amazon Prime Video
EW grade: B
Director: Jon M. Chu
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang
on Entertainment Weekly
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