Summary
The bestfamily moviesof 2024 are now available for streaming and there are plenty of options for every kind of family.2024 has seen some fantastic movieson the release slate, and while horror and high fantasy have been a major part of that with movies likeDune: Part 2andA Quiet Place: Day One, there have also been plenty of films for the whole family. Animated movies, remakes of classic stories, new entries in beloved franchises, and relatable coming-of-age dramas fill the ranks of the best films that the whole family can enjoy.
The best family moviesare not always necessarily the best kids' movies. Family movies can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and are best watched together,with everyone getting something different out of them, which is why Pixar and Christmas films often make lists of the best family movies. There’s something for everyone in them. Over the halfway point in 2024, there are not many Christmas or Pixar movies available for streaming, but there are still plenty of great options for young families, families with teens, and every other variety to enjoy.
10 Best Fantasy TV Shows Of 2024
2024 has been a great year for TV, and the best fantasy shows demonstrate how explosive the genre has become in storytelling, action, & character.
The Garfield Movie
Cast
The Garfield Movie, released in 2024, follows Garfield, the lasagna-loving cat, as he embarks on an outdoor adventure with his canine companion Odie. The journey begins when Garfield is unexpectedly reunited with his long-lost father, Vic, leading them to join a comedic, high-stakes heist.
The Garfield Movieis the latest in theGarfieldmovie franchise sinceGarfield: A Tail of Two Kittiesin 2006. The lasagna-loving cat is now voiced by Chris Pratt instead of Bill Murray and in this film, he’s reunited with his long-lost father, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), who ropes him into a big adventure. All the classic characters from the comic return, including Jon Arbuckle (Nicholas Hoult), Odie (Harvey Guillén), and Liz) Dev Joshi).
Garfield is a classic family-friendly character. Whether he’s in the Sunday comic strips, on television, or in one of his movies,his sarcastic and laze-about attitude is enjoyable for everyone. The film only has a 36% onRotten Tomatoes, but it earned over $225 million at the box office (viaBox Office Mojo), indicating people are still in love with the orange tabby. It may be a different sort of Garfield than fans are used to but he still goes on an enjoyable ride.
The Tiger’s Apprentice
Based on the novel by Laurence Yep, The Tiger’s Apprentice is a 2024 animation action-adventure film. When Tom Lee discovers that his family has been protectors of a mysterious Phoenix Egg for centuries, he must learn from a new mentor named Mr. Hu, a tiger, to live up to his family’s legacy and save the world from a new threat.
Based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Laurence Yep,The Tiger’s Apprenticeis an animated movie that follows Tom Lee (Brandon Soo Hoo), a Hong Kong-born 15-year-old who inadvertently becomes the guardian of the Twelve Zodiac signs, warriors that he is supposed to lead to fight evil. As he trains to control his newfound power, an evil sorceress, Penny Loo (Michelle Yeoh), seeks to capture the power for herself. It’s a fantastical adventure story with themes about identity and immigration that make for a deeper tale.
The story itself is not particularly original, but the setting and characters are unique enough that it has a flavor all its own.
The Tiger’s ApprenticecombinesHollywood and the zodiac signsfora gorgeously animated movie with a cast of characters not often depicted on screen. The story itself is not particularly original, but the setting and characters are unique enough that it has a flavor all its own. Anyone with an interest in the Chinese zodiac symbols will enjoy their representations on screen.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues the story of a new generation of ghost hunters composed of Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Podcast (Logan Kim), who received help from the original team in the previous movie. Paul Rudd returns as Gary Grooberson and franchise co-creator Ivan Reitman returns to write and produce.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empireis set three years afterGhostbusters: Afterlife, making it the fourth film in the series andthe fifthGhostbustersmovie overall. After the events of the previous film, the new Ghostbusters relocate to New York City to help Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) and Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) establish their Ghostbusters business. There they encounter an ancient demonic god, Garraka, who threatens to freeze the entire world.
TheGhostbustersmovies have always been great family filmsand the most recent ones offer a little bit of new and old for all viewers. Parents and older family members will enjoy the callbacks to the ’80s movies, while younger viewers will appreciate seeing some of their favorite stars like Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace taking up the mantle of ghost exterminators. Then there’s Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon for those who just want to watch great actors in action.
Little Wing
Kaitlyn, a 13-year-old girl, navigates the turmoil of her parents' divorce and the imminent loss of her home. She finds solace in the unexpected world of pigeon racing. With her best friend, she devises a plan to help her mother, but instead, forms a life-changing bond with the pigeon’s owner, leading to newfound hope and resilience.
Little Wingstars Brooklynn Prince as Kaitlyn McKay, a Portland, Oregon teenager whose parents have recently divorced. When a family friend gives Kaitlyn two racing pigeons to care for, she puts her time and energy into learning everything she can about the birds and the sport. She comes to learn that a reclusive trainer, Jaan Vari (Brian Cox), lives nearby and goes to find him, hoping to learn even more. WhileLittle Wingisnota traditional family sports movie, it has all the hallmarks that make it enjoyable for all ages.
Cox and McKay have great chemistry together, and it’s a mentor/mentee relationship that everyone in a family can relate to on one side or the other.
Cox and McKay have great chemistry together, and it’s a mentor/mentee relationship that everyone in a family can relate to on one side or the other. It’s a bit of a more mature family movie, however, with some themes about suicide and depression carefully inserted. None of it’s shocking, but very young viewers may have trouble understanding some of the deeper messages of the film.
Mean Girls (2024)
Mean Girls is a reimagining of the 2004 classic comedy film as a musical, directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. When Cady Heron and her family move from Africa to the United States; she experiences a culture shock when she enters the public school system for the first time. While trying to fit in, she is roped into the popular but superficial and cruel clique, the Plastics.
Directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. with a screenplay from the 2004 film’s writer, Tina Fey,Mean Girls(2024) is a remake of the smash-hit high school comedy, based on the stage musical that began making the rounds in 2017. The plot follows the original movie though now, of course, with musical numbers.There are 17 songs inMean Girlsand each is as funny as they are catchy. Families who sit down to watch it will have to beware that the tunes will be hummed in the house for the next couple of days.
Tina Fey and Tim Meadows reprise their roles as Ms. Norbury and Mr. Duvall, respectively.
Like the originalMean Girls, the 2024 musical has plenty of risqué moments that are probably better suited for families of young teens and older, but everyone should be able to enjoy the songs. Nothing more than the tunes is added to the original story, and while that may make the film feel like a retread,it also means that fans of the 2004 movie and those who have never seen it, will both enjoy this version.
Unfrosted
Unfrosted is a 2024 biographical comedy directed, written, and starring Jerry Seinfeld. The film takes place in 1963 Battle Creek, Michigan, where Kellogg’s and Post are fighting to create a new world-changing breakfast pastry.
Biopics about innocuous histories are often great films for families. They learn a little something, there are low stakes, and they’re often well-acted.Unfrostedmay not be the best of them, but thanks to Jerry Seinfeld’s comic styling and confident directing, it’s a good way to spend an hour and a half.Unfrostedtells the story of the invention of Pop-Tart toaster pastries. Bob Cabana (Seinfeld) is a Kellogg’s employee who comes up with an idea for the Pop-Tart after finding out that Post is making something similar.
Bob Cabana is loosely based on the real-life William Post who is credited with inventing the Pop-Tart.
Unfrostedis packed with a castof the biggest names in comedy, including Melissa McCarthy, Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Dan Levy, Kyle Mooney, and more. It hasall the veteran Hollywood stars that parents will enjoy seeing, but Seinfeld has an animated sense of filmmaking, meaning young viewers will not get bored.
Argylle
Argylle is an action thriller by director Matthew Vaughn. The movie centers on an introverted novelist who is thrown into the real world of espionage after the plot of her most recent spy thriller parrels the crimes of an underground syndicate. Argylle has a star-studded cast, including Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Dua Lipa, and Samuel L. Jackson, among others.
The plot ofArgylleis a bit hard to explain, particularly when spoilers want to be avoided, but it’s best explained as a meta spy adventure starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Henry Cavill, and other notable actors. Elly Conway (Howard) is a reclusive author who is suddenly dragged into a world of spies and espionage. Things get really strange when Elly realizes the events she’s participating in are things she has written about before.
The humor’s not too crass, the violence not too outrageous, and the story not so complex that it will have people asking too many questions.
Argylleisan action-packed and comedic film that the family can enjoy for one part or another.The humor’s not too crass, nor the violence not too outrageous. As a spinoff ofThe Kingsmanfranchise,Argylleis director Matthew Vaughn’s family version of those hyper-violent spy films and a chance for everyone, even younger viewers (to a point), to enjoy Vaughn’s colorful filmmaking.
IF
IF, originally titled Imaginary Friends, is a comedic fantasy film written and directed by John Krasinski. A young girl who experiences a tragic moment early in her life discovers she can see the imaginary friends of others who leave them behind as they grow older.
John Krasinski may not be able to stay away from monster movies, but withIF, he has moved away from more adult fare, entering the family-friendly market.IF, short for “imaginary friend”, is about a young girl, Bea (Cailey Fleming), who moves into her grandmother’s apartment when herfather, played by Krasinski, has to go to the hospital for an operation. While at her grandmother’s, Bea encounters the world of imaginary friends and helps them to reunite with their lost human friends.
IFis a family movie through and through, with colorful and creative monster designs for children, as well as a mature story about loss and grief that older audiences will relate to, but younger audiences can safely ignore if it’s too much for them. It’s a magical film that sometimes gets lost in its own plot, butthere’s an old-fashioned kind of storytelling that makes for a nostalgic watch.
Thelma the Unicorn
Thelma the Unicorn is an animated adventure film based on Aaron Blabey’s popular children’s book. The story follows Thelma, an ordinary pony who dreams of becoming a unicorn. With a twist of fate and a magical accident, she is transformed into a celebrity overnight. But despite her getting everything she thought she ever wanted, she soon realizes the cost of fame is higher than she had thought.
Thelma the Unicornis an animated musical film starring Alabama Shakes lead vocalist Brittany Howard as the titular unicorn. However, Thelma is not a unicorn. She’s a pony who’s the lead singer of an overlooked barnyard band. When a glitter accident results in fans thinking Thelma is an actual unicorn, she takes advantage of her newfound attention and fame to popularize her music, though ends up doing so at the expense of her authenticity and friends.
Thelma the Unicornis in a long line of colorfully animated movies likeTrollsandSing, though perhaps with better animation and art. While the ideas fromThelma the Unicornare nothing new,the wacky side characters and occasional acid-dipped humor, as well as its modern views on internet fame make this a children’s movie that the whole family will enjoy.
Arthur the King
Arthur the King follows a sports race organizer who forms an unexpected bond with a stray dog named Arthur during a grueling 400-mile race through the Ecuadorian jungle. As they face challenging terrains together, the story highlights themes of resilience, companionship, and the unbreakable bond between humans and animals.
Based on the true story that was made into a 2016 memoir,Arthur - The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Homeby Mikael Lindnord,Arthur the Kingstars Mark Wahlberg as Michael Light, the Lindnord stand-in. Michael is a long-distance adventure racer who, in 2018, decides to do one last race in the Dominican Republic. There, he and his four-person team encounter a stray dog, whom they dub Arthur the King and immediately bond with, putting their success on the line to ensure their new friend survives.
Mikael Lindnord is Swedish, as was his racing team at the time, butArthur the Kingmakes the characters American.
A quintessential family movie,Arthur the Kingis a heartwarming and inspiring tale about friendship and putting safety and love over winning. Likethe best dog movies,Arthur the Kingmakes Arthur, played by a dog actor named Ukai, the center of the film, and his bond with Wahlberg feels very real. It’s a classic family tale and one that can be enjoyed for the scenes of adventure racing and for the dog moments.
