The Best Family Movies of All Time, According to Critics
BASED ON THEIR METACRITIC SCORES, THESE ARE THE GREATEST FAMILY FILMS EVER MADE.
Whether you have kids or not, watching a beloved family movie can be one of the best ways to put your mind at ease. And in turbulent times like these, that's probably exactly what you need. Picking a favorite family film is obviously subjective, and has a lot to do with the movies you grew up with. Were you raised on Disney, or black-and-white classics? To determine the best family movies ever made, we decided to turn to the critics. These are the greatest of all time, at least based on the reviews.
For this ranking, we focused on the scores from review aggregator site Metacritic. We narrowed things down to movies that the whole family can enjoy—though there might be some tears and scares along the way. Did your favorite make the cut? Read on to find out. And to see what the critics thought about more of your childhood faves, check out our Ranking of Every Disney Animated Movie, From Worst Reviewed to Best.
50
Shrek (2001)
DreamWorks Pictures
Metascore: 84
And for more movies the critics loved, These Are the Top-Rated Movies on Rotten Tomatoes.
49
Lassie (2006)
Roadside Attractions
Metascore: 84
48
Old Yeller (1957)
Buena Vista Distribution
Metascore: 84
47
The Bad News Bears (1976)
Paramount Pictures
Metascore: 84
And to see how less family-friendly comedies stacked up, these are The Best Comedies of All Time, According to Critics.
46
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Focus Features
Metascore: 84
45
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 84
And if you're a Pixar fan, you'll enjoy our Ranking of Every Pixar Movie, From Worst Reviewed to Best.
44
The Black Stallion (1979)
United Artists
Metascore: 84
43
The Iron Giant (1999)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Metascore: 85
42
The Three Caballeros (1945)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 85
And for even more Disney rankings, here's our Ranking of Every Disney Live-Action Remake, From Worst Reviewed to Best.
41
Cinderella (1950)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 85
40
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 85
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39
Song of the Sea (2014)
Universal Pictures
Metascore: 85
38
Ernest & Celestine (2014)
Cinedigm
Metascore: 86
37
Ponyo (2009)
Studio Ghibli
Metascore: 86
36
Aladdin (1992)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 86
35
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Studio Ghibli
Metascore: 86
34
The King and the Mockingbird (2014)
StudioCanal
Metascore: 87
33
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Sony Pictures Releasing
Metascore: 87
32
The Incredible Journey (1963)
Buena Vista Distribution
Metascore: 87
31
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
DreamWorks Pictures
Metascore: 87
30
Little Women (1994)
AA Film Archive / Alamy Stock Photo
Metascore: 87
29
Mary Poppins (1964)
Buena Vista Distribution
Metascore: 88
28
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 88
27
Up (2009)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 88
26
Chicken Run (2000)
DreamWorks Animation
Metascore: 88
25
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Allstar Picture Library Ltd. / Alamy Stock Photo
Metascore: 88
24
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 88
23
Paddington 2 (2018)
StudioCanal
Metascore: 88
22
The Lion King (1994)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 88
21
It's a Wonderful Life (1947)
Paramount Pictures
Metascore: 89
20
The Yearling (1947)
MGM
Metascore: 89
19
Treasure Island (1950)
Collection Christophel / Alamy Stock Photo
Metascore: 89
18
The Incredibles (2004)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 90
17
Finding Nemo (2003)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 90
16
Bambi (1942)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 91
15
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Universal Pictures
Metascore: 91
14
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 92
13
Little Women (1933)
Allstar Picture Library Ltd. / Alamy Stock Photo
Metascore: 92
12
Inside Out (2015)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 94
11
WALL-E (2008)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 95
10
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 95
9
My Fair Lady (1964)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Metascore: 95
8
Toy Story (1995)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 95
7
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 95
6
Spirited Away (2002)
Studio Ghibli
Metascore: 96
5
Fantasia (1940)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 96
4
Ratatouille (2007)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 96
3
Dumbo (1941)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 96
2
Pinocchio (1940)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Metascore: 99
1
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo
Metascore: 100