The 7 Best Family Films On Hulu Right Now
There’s nothing quite like gathering in the middle of your living room with a big bowl of popcorn, an ice-cold soda, and your absolute closest loved ones in order to watch a movie together.
A well-loved family tradition in households the world over, movie nights have the power to bring families closer together, encouraging them to laugh, cry, and, in some cases, cringe in nervous excitement at the narratives unfolding on the screen in front of them.
Like its sister streaming service Disney+, Hulu currently has an impressive assortment of child-friendly films we’d heartily recommend checking out. From Pixar-produced superhero epics to hilarious fantasy adventure films, here are seven fantastic movies well worth queueing up for your next family movie night.
The Incredibles (2004)
At the risk of this becoming a list of the best Pixar films, we decided to keep the company’s contributions to the children’s genre as limited as possible. However, it’s impossible not to recognize Pixar’s past films when considering extraordinary family films worthy of your time and attention, starting with 2004’s beloved superhero film, The Incredibles. Predating the heights of the MCU by half a decade, The Incredibles delivers a comic book-inspired story of startling originality. Introducing audiences to entirely new superhero creations like Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, and the effortlessly cool Frozone, it’s a breathtaking action film every bit as memorable as the numerous Marvel movies that followed in its wake.
Big (1988)
Big may not have been the first successful film Tom Hanks starred in, but it is the movie that cemented the actor as a leading man to watch out for by the late 1980s. In a performance that earned Hanks the first of many Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Big afforded Hanks a chance to prove his unrivaled comedic potential, allowing him to waltz across the screen as a doe-eyed 13-year-old trapped in an adult man’s body. In any other actors’ hands, Big might have been a cringe-worthy disaster, but with Hanks in the driver’s seat, this 1988 comedy appears among the very best films of its era, achieving a well-deserved iconic reputation in the four decades since its release.
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)
Just as its television counterpart Teen Titans Go! won positive reviews from fans and critics alike, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies has earned a glistening reception for its zany humor, vibrant animation, and its parodic exploration of pop culture’s current obsession with superheroes. Expanding the Titans universe in new and exciting ways, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies also continues the series’ overarching emphasis on its lead characters, most especially when it comes to the Titans’ disenchanted team leader, Robin. A superb addition to its TV predecessor, it’s a superhero film that’s clever, light-hearted, and ceaselessly funny from start to finish, appealing to every prospective member of its audience.
Inside Out (2015)
What if our emotions had individual personalities, allowing them to dictate every little thought and action we make in our respective lives? Taking that simple premise and exploring it to its fullest narrative possibilities, Inside Out offers a stunning look at how our emotional growth changes with each passing year. Led by a phenomenal voice cast that includes the likes of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, and Mindy Kaling, Inside Out ensures another captivating outing for Pixar Studios, ushering in a film every bit as inspired as Toy Story, WALL-E, Up, or Ratatouille before it.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Is there anyone who has ever disliked the cult classic fantasy comedy, The Princess Bride? Delighting audiences from one generation to the next since its release in 1987, The Princess Bride is that rare film capable of delighting every viewer who makes the wise decision to see it. A comedy-laden adventure film unlike any other, it’s the quintessential fairy tale movie brought to life, weaving together such disparate fable elements as masked pirates, vengeful swordsmen, gentle giants, and conniving princes in its fast-moving hour and a half runtime.
The Sound of Music (1965)
Among the most famous family films of all time, The Sound of Music remains a timeless classic within the realm of pop culture, achieving as iconic a status today as The Wizard of Oz or Mary Poppins in the years prior. Eloquently dramatizing the von Trapp family’s eventful escape from fascist-controlled Austria, The Sound of Music brings the grandeur and spectacle of the Rodgers-Hammerstein musical to the big screen. Led by an angelic performance from Julie Andrews, it’s a masterful musical the entire family will enjoy seeing, boasting an incredible soundtrack that will leave you humming “The Sound of Music” and “Do-Re-Mi” for days on end.
Finding Nemo (2003)
As most older members of the audience are likely to attest, there are no limits to what a parent might do for the sake of their child’s well-being. Putting themselves in physical and emotional harm’s way to ensure their little ones’ safety, parents will literally go to insurmountable lengths to secure their childrens’ future. Drawing on that heartfelt dedication for its central premise, Finding Nemo shows the extraordinarily hardships almost every parent will put themselves through in order to protect their family, even if it means traversing 1,500 miles over open ocean and encountering all manner of strange and dangerous wildlife, including vegetarian sharks, hostile anglerfish, and curiously absent-minded seagulls.
