When kids reach the tween years, finding good films to watch for family film night can be a challenge. They may scoff at animated movies aimed at younger audiences, but they aren’t quite ready for more grown-up films that feature lots of swearing, scary violence or risqué romantic situations. So, what are some good films for 9–12-year-olds?
There are actually a surprising number of tween-friendly movies, spanning all the way from ’80s classics like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial to modern hits like The Adam Project. These films have more complex storylines and characters, but they’re still enjoyable for the whole family. Best of all, you don’t have to waste a whole Friday night searching for tween films on Netflix in order to find them. Here are 19 great family film night ideas from all decades and genres that are worth streaming with your tween.
1. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret
This film adaptation of a classic Judy Blume novel follows 11-year-old Margaret as she navigates moving house from New York City to the suburbs, making new friends and the tumultuous days of early puberty. Though the story is set in the ’70s, the accurate portrayal of life as a tween resonates across generations.
Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
Release date: 28 April 2023
Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Watch: Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret on Prime Video (rent or buy)
2. National Treasure
Historian Benjamin Franklin Gates searches for a rumoured treasure that dates back to the origins of the United States. The quest leads him on an action-packed adventure while still keeping the violence and scariness to a minimum. If this beginner action film is a hit with your tween, check out the sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Release date: 19 November 2004
Running time: 2 hours, 11 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: National Treasure on Disney Plus
3. Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite is an awkward kid from Idaho who decides to help his best friend, Pedro, run for class president. Along the way, he makes new friends, has plenty of silly misadventures and finds new ways to thrive on his own terms.
Director: Jared Hess
Release date: 11 June 2004
Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: Napoleon Dynamite on Prime Video (rent or buy)
4. The Sandlot
When Scottie Smalls moves to a new town, he befriends the local kids who play baseball at the nearby sandlot (an empty space for kids to play games). Trouble arrives when Scottie borrows his stepdad’s prized collector’s baseball and the kids hit it over a fence. Getting the ball back from the legendary “beast” (aka the neighbour’s dog) on the other side might just be the adventure of a lifetime.
Director: David Mickey Evans
Release date: 7 April 1993
Running time: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: The Sandlot on Prime Video (rent or buy)
5. Akeelah and The Bee
Akeelah is an 11-year-old girl living in Los Angeles who discovers that she has an exceptional talent for spelling. Despite dozens of obstacles and her mum’s objections, she sets a goal to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Director: Doug Atchison
Release date: 28 April 2006
Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: Akeelah and The Bee on Prime Video (rent or buy)
6. Little Women
While she’s best known for the Barbie film, director Greta Gerwig also put her unique stamp on this 2019 film based on the classic Louisa May Alcott novel. The film follows Josephine “Jo” March and her beloved sisters as they make their way in the world as vibrant, forward-thinking women living in the 1860s.
Director: Greta Gerwig
Release date: 25 December 2019
Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: Little Women on Netflix
7. The Princess Diaries
Mia Thermopolis is a shy, awkward teenager from San Francisco — until her grandmother shows up one day with a startling secret: Mia is actually a princess. From there, Mia begins a hilarious journey of self-discovery, including princess training, important lessons about friendship and the agony of having a first crush.
Director: Garry Marshall
Release date: 18 December 2001
Running time: 1 hour, 51 minutes
Rating: G
Watch: The Princess Diaries on Disney Plus
8. School of Rock
What do you get when you combine Jack Black, classic rock songs and a classroom full of precocious and hilarious kids? School of Rock: a charming, tween-friendly comedy about a down-and-out musician who takes a gig as a substitute teacher and forms the world’s greatest all-kid rock band.
Director: Richard Linklater
Release date: 24 September 2003
Running time: 1 hour, 49 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: School of Rock on Prime Video (rent or buy) or Paramount Plus
9. The Princess Bride
Join a swashbuckling farmhand named Westley as he rescues his true love, Princess Buttercup, from the repugnant Prince Humperdinck. This film is not only a tween-friendly love story, but also a hilarious comedy that is just as funny today as it was in 1987.
Director: Rob Reiner
Release date: 9 October 1987
Running time: 1 hour, 38 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: The Princess Bride on Prime Video (rent or buy)
10. Freaky Friday
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan play a hilarious mother-daughter duo who accidentally switch personalities in this modern remake of Freaky Friday. The film deals with relatable tween drama, like first crushes, friend trouble and pressure at school, while staying true to its PG rating.
Director: Mark Waters
Release date: 6 August 2003
Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: Freaky Friday on Disney Plus
11. The Adam Project
In this sci-fi Netflix hit, a kid named Adam Reed meets an older version of himself from the future, who has travelled back in time to stop an evil dictator. They join forces and go on a time-hopping quest to save Adam’s family — and the entire world — from chaos and destruction.
Director: Shawn Levy
Release date: 28 February 2022
Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Watch: The Adam Project on Netflix
12. The Goonies
A group of charming misfit kids is on the verge of losing their homes to a wealthy developer, but then they find an old pirate’s map hidden in an attic. Together, they follow the route to an underground cavern in search of adventure, danger and a long-buried secret treasure that just might be enough to save their neighbourhood.
Director: Richard Donner
Release date: 7 June 1985
Running time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: The Goonies on Prime Video (rent or buy)
13. The House with a Clock in Its Walls
For a tween-friendly horror film, try this one about a 10-year-old named Lewis who is sent to live with his oddball uncle in a creepy old house. Lewis discovers that his uncle is a warlock and then accidentally uses magic to awaken the dead. Only an enchanted clock hidden somewhere in his uncle’s house can stop the curse and stave off the end of the world.
Director: Eli Roth
Release date: 21 September 2018
Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: The House with a Clock in Its Walls on Prime Video (rent or buy)
14. Enola Holmes
Enola Holmes is Sherlock Holmes’ tween sister, and when she discovers that her mother is missing, she outwits her superstar brother to solve the case. Along the way, she unravels a dangerous mystery that could change the course of history. Parents of younger tweens should note that this one does have some violence, earning it a PG-13 rating.
Director: Harry Bradbeer
Release date: 23 September 2020
Running time: 2 hours, 3 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Watch: Enola Holmes on Netflix
15. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Many adults will fondly remember this film about a boy named Elliott who befriends an alien stranded on earth. He decides to keep all this a secret, but then the alien falls ill and the federal government discovers his secret. Can Elliott find a way to get E.T. back home before it’s too late?
Director: Steven Spielberg
Release date: 11 June 1982
Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on Prime Video (rent or buy)
16. Yes Day
Two parents are frustrated by always having to say “no” to their three kids. So, they decide to say “yes” instead, agreeing to anything their kids request for an entire day. The result is a hilarious series of misadventures involving pillow fights, water balloons and even a (comical) bird attack. Ultimately, they all learn important lessons about compromise and growing up.
Director: Miguel Arteta
Release date: 12 March 2021
Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: Yes Day on Netflix
17. A Wrinkle in Time
Based on a novel by Madeleine L’Engle, this film follows Meg Murry as she searches for her missing father, a scientist who studies time travel. To find him, she and her brother must go on a stunning adventure through space and time, confronting dark forces and dangerous diversions along the way.
Director: Ava DuVernay
Release date: 26 February 2018
Running time: 2 hours
Rating: PG
Watch: A Wrinkle in Time on Disney Plus
18. My Girl
Eleven-year-old Vada Sultenfuss feels like her world is turning upside down. Her widowed father is falling in love with someone new, no-one seems to understand her except for her best friend, Thomas J., and she’s got an awkward crush on one of her teachers. Life changes when an unexpected tragedy takes place, forcing Vada to confront her fears, be honest with people she loves and learn important lessons about life’s uncertainties.
Director: Howard Zieff
Release date: 27 November 1991
Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: My Girl on Prime Video (rent or buy)
19. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
A quirky inventor finally gets his incredible shrink ray machine to work. The only problem is that the machine accidentally shrinks his kids! Now, he and his wife must search for their Polly Pocket-sized children, who are lost in the vast and dangerous jungle of their back garden.
Director: Joe Johnson
Release date: 23 June 1989
Running time: 1 hour, 33 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on Disney Plus