75 Fun Family Movies for Tweens and Teens (Ages 12 to 16)

Family movie night is one of my favorite ways to connect with our kids. Grab the popcorn, pile onto the couch, put the phones in a basket, and laugh (or cry) together. No lectures. Just time together.

But finding a movie your 12-year-old and your 16-year-old will both like, that you’re comfortable with too? That’s the hard part. So we did the homework for you. We checked every movie on this list with Common Sense Media, took out the R-rated picks, and added a short heads-up on anything you’ll want to know first.

In this post:

• How to pick a movie your tween and teen will both like
• 75 fun family movies, by category
• How to make it a family movie night
• Why watching together matters
• Questions moms ask

How to Pick a Movie Your Tween and Teen Will Both Like

Every family is different. A movie that’s fine for one 13-year-old might be too much for another. You know your kids best. Two free resources I love:

• Common Sense Media gives every movie an age rating and breaks down exactly what’s in it: violence, language, sex, drinking and more. It also shows what other parents and kids say the right age is, which is so helpful.
• Plugged In, from Focus on the Family, gives a detailed, scene-by-scene look at content from a Christian perspective. If you want to know exactly how many swear words are in a movie, Plugged In has counted them.

A few more tips: watch the trailer together, let your kids take turns picking from a short list you’re comfortable with, and remember you can always pause, skip or turn it off. That’s a lesson too.

75 Fun Family Movies for Tweens and Teens

Each movie shows its MPAA rating and the age Common Sense Media recommends. Ratings were checked in November 2026.

Action and Adventure Movies

• 1. The Princess Bride (1987), PG, Common Sense: 9+. Sword fights, true love, a six-fingered villain and lines your family will quote for years. Inconceivable! Heads-up: sword fights and a few mild swear words.
• 2. Back to the Future (1985), PG, Common Sense: 10+. Marty McFly accidentally lands in 1955 and has to get his parents to fall in love. Pure fun. Heads-up: some language and a few crude jokes.
• 3. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), PG, Common Sense: 11+. Indiana Jones, a rolling boulder and one very famous fear of snakes. Heads-up: a scary, gory ending; preview it for younger tweens.
• 4. The Goonies (1985), PG, Common Sense: 10+. A ragtag group of friends hunts for pirate treasure to save their neighborhood. Heads-up: more swearing than you’d expect for a PG movie.
• 5. Jumanji (1995), PG, Common Sense: 10+. A board game comes to life, and the only way out is to finish playing. Heads-up: scary animal attacks and peril.
• 6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), PG-13, Common Sense: 12+. Captain Jack Sparrow, cursed skeleton pirates and swashbuckling chaos. Heads-up: action violence and spooky skeletons.
• 7. Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope (1977), PG, Common Sense: 8+. Where it all began. If your kids haven’t seen it, this is your sign. Heads-up: space battles, mild violence.
• 8. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), PG-13, Common Sense: 12+. An epic adventure about courage, friendship and doing the right thing when it’s hard. Plan a long night. Heads-up: intense battles and scary creatures.
• 9. Black Panther (2018), PG-13, Common Sense: 12+. A king, a hidden nation and big questions about leadership and loyalty. Heads-up: lots of action violence.
• 10. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), PG-13, Common Sense: 12+. A team of misfits saves the galaxy to an awesome ’70s soundtrack. Heads-up: action violence, some language and innuendo.
• 11. Labyrinth (1986), PG, Common Sense: 8+. A teen girl races through a magical maze to rescue her baby brother from the Goblin King. Heads-up: some creepy creatures.

Funny Movies the Whole Family Will Laugh At

• 12. Napoleon Dynamite (2004), PG, Common Sense: 11+. So awkward, so quotable. Your teen will be saying “Gosh!” for a week. Heads-up: mild language and bullying.
• 13. The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021), PG, Common Sense: 8+. A family road trip gets interrupted by a robot uprising. Every family will see itself in this one. Heads-up: cartoon action.
• 14. Galaxy Quest (1999), PG, Common Sense: 10+. Actors from an old sci-fi TV show get pulled into a real space war. Heads-up: mild language and sci-fi peril.
• 15. School of Rock (2003), PG-13, Common Sense: 10+. A fake substitute teacher turns his class into a rock band. Heads-up: some rude humor and mild language.
• 16. Groundhog Day (1993), PG, Common Sense: 11+. A grumpy weatherman relives the same day until he learns to become a better person. Heads-up: some drinking and innuendo.
• 17. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), PG-13, Common Sense: 12+. The ultimate skip day in Chicago. Great for talking about honesty after. Heads-up: language and skipping school.
• 18. Clueless (1995), PG-13, Common Sense: 13+. A Beverly Hills teen plays matchmaker and learns a few things about kindness. Heads-up: teen partying, language and sexual references.
• 19. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), PG, Common Sense: 13+. King Arthur and the silliest quest ever filmed. ‘Tis but a scratch! Heads-up: cartoonish violence and some crude humor.
• 20. Home Alone (1990), PG, Common Sense: 10+. Kevin defends his house from burglars with booby traps. Perfect for the holidays. Heads-up: slapstick violence and some language.
• 21. Nacho Libre (2006), PG, Common Sense: 11+. A monastery cook secretly becomes a luchador to help the orphans he loves. Heads-up: crude humor and wrestling violence.
• 22. 13 Going on 30 (2004), PG-13, Common Sense: 11+. A 13-year-old wakes up as a 30-year-old and finds out what really matters. Heads-up: some sexual references and language.
• 23. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), PG, Common Sense: 10+. Two lovable goofballs time-travel to pass their history report. Be excellent to each other! Heads-up: mild language.

Animated and Fantasy Movies (Not Just for Little Kids)

• 24. How to Train Your Dragon (2010), PG, Common Sense: 6+. A Viking teen befriends the dragon he was supposed to fight. Gorgeous and heartfelt. Heads-up: dragon battles.
• 25. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), PG, Common Sense: 9+. Miles Morales learns anyone can wear the mask. The animation is stunning. Heads-up: action violence and a sad loss.
• 26. Spirited Away (2002), PG, Common Sense: 9+. A girl gets trapped in a magical spirit world and has to find her courage. Heads-up: some scary, strange images.
• 27. Coco (2017), PG, Common Sense: 7+. A boy who loves music journeys to the Land of the Dead to learn his family’s story. Bring tissues. Heads-up: themes of death and loss.
• 28. WALL-E (2008), G, Common Sense: 5+. A lonely robot, a love story and a lot to talk about with teens afterward. Heads-up: very little.
• 29. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), PG, Common Sense: 9+. A boy with a magical instrument goes on a quest to discover his family’s past. Heads-up: scary villains and peril.
• 30. The Iron Giant (1999), PG, Common Sense: 6+. A boy befriends a giant robot from space. A beautiful story about choosing who you want to be. Heads-up: some peril and mild language.
• 31. Howl’s Moving Castle (2005), PG, Common Sense: 8+. A young woman cursed into old age finds adventure in a walking castle. Heads-up: some scary war images.
• 32. Moana (2016), PG, Common Sense: 6+. A brave girl sails across the ocean to save her island. You’ll be singing all week. Heads-up: a few scary monster scenes.
• 33. Encanto (2021), PG, Common Sense: 6+. A magical family learns that every member matters, gift or no gift. Heads-up: very little; great for talking about family pressure.
• 34. Inside Out 2 (2024), PG, Common Sense: 6+. Riley turns 13 and Anxiety moves in. A must for any family with a tween or teen. Heads-up: mild peril.
• 35. Turning Red (2022), PG, Common Sense: 10+. A 13-year-old turns into a giant red panda whenever her emotions get big. Sound familiar? Heads-up: puberty talk and some rude humor.
• 36. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023), PG, Common Sense: 8+. The turtles finally act like real teenagers. Funny, loud and full of heart. Heads-up: cartoon action and some language.
• 37. Big Hero 6 (2014), PG, Common Sense: 7+. A teen genius and his huggable robot Baymax form a superhero team. Heads-up: action and the loss of a family member.

Sports and Inspiring True Stories

• 38. Rudy (1993), PG, Common Sense: 11+. An undersized kid refuses to give up on his dream of playing for Notre Dame. Effort wins. Heads-up: some language.
• 39. Miracle (2004), PG, Common Sense: 8+. The true story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. Teamwork at its best. Heads-up: a little language.
• 40. Remember the Titans (2000), PG, Common Sense: 10+. A newly integrated high school football team learns to become a family. Heads-up: racial slurs in context and some language.
• 41. The Sandlot (1993), PG, Common Sense: 9+. A summer of baseball, friendship and The Beast. You’re killin’ me, Smalls! Heads-up: some language and chewing tobacco.
• 42. Cool Runnings (1993), PG, Common Sense: 8+. Jamaica’s first bobsled team takes on the Winter Olympics. Feel-good fun. Heads-up: mild language.
• 43. Invincible (2006), PG, Common Sense: 10+. A 30-year-old bartender tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles. A true underdog story. Heads-up: football hits and some language.
• 44. The Rookie (2002), G, Common Sense: 7+. A high school teacher and coach gets a second shot at the major leagues. Heads-up: very little.
• 45. Akeelah and the Bee (2006), PG, Common Sense: 8+. A girl from South Los Angeles fights her way to the National Spelling Bee. Heads-up: some language and family stress.
• 46. Woodlawn (2015), PG, Common Sense: 10+. A faith-filled true story of a 1970s Alabama football team coming together. Heads-up: racial violence in context.
• 47. The Blind Side (2009), PG-13, Common Sense: 11+. A family takes in a teen who needs a home, and everyone’s life changes. Heads-up: racial slurs, some violence.
• 48. Bend It Like Beckham (2003), PG-13, Common Sense: 13+. A teen girl secretly plays soccer against her family’s wishes. Heads-up: language and some romance.
• 49. The Karate Kid (1984), PG, Common Sense: 10+. Wax on, wax off. A bullied teen learns patience, discipline and self-respect from Mr. Miyagi. Heads-up: fighting, language and a brief marijuana scene.

Sci-Fi and Mystery Movies

• 50. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), PG, Common Sense: 7+. A boy hides a lost alien and helps him phone home. A classic for a reason. Heads-up: a few scary moments and mild language.
• 51. Jurassic Park (1993), PG-13, Common Sense: 11+. Dinosaurs are back, and they are not happy about it. Heads-up: intense dinosaur attacks, some swearing.
• 52. The Martian (2015), PG-13, Common Sense: 12+. An astronaut stranded on Mars uses science and humor to survive. Great for problem-solvers. Heads-up: language and an injury scene.
• 53. Star Wars: Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), PG, Common Sense: 9+. The one with the twist. Need we say more? Heads-up: lightsaber violence.
• 54. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), PG-13, Common Sense: 10+. A new generation joins the fight against the Dark Side. Heads-up: action violence and a sad death.
• 55. Holes (2003), PG, Common Sense: 10+. A boy sent to a desert camp uncovers a mystery generations in the making. Heads-up: some peril and mild violence.
• 56. Contact (1997), PG, Common Sense: 10+. A scientist picks up a signal from space. A great conversation starter about faith and science. Heads-up: mature themes and mild language.
• 57. Ready Player One (2018), PG-13, Common Sense: 12+. A teen gamer races to find a hidden prize inside a giant virtual world. Heads-up: violence, language and some suggestive content.
• 58. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), PG, Common Sense: 8+. Ordinary people are drawn to a mysterious meeting with visitors from space. Heads-up: some intense, eerie scenes.
• 59. Captain Marvel (2019), PG-13, Common Sense: 10+. A pilot discovers her powers and her past. Great for talking about getting back up. Heads-up: action violence.
• 60. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), PG, Common Sense: 10+. Kirk and Spock face their greatest enemy. A sci-fi classic about friendship and sacrifice. Heads-up: space battles and some scary moments.

Coming-of-Age Movies for Teens

• 61. Dead Poets Society (1989), PG, Common Sense: 13+. An inspiring teacher tells his students to seize the day. Carpe diem! Heads-up: a suicide in the story; watch together and talk.
• 62. Sing Street (2016), PG-13, Common Sense: 13+. A boy in 1980s Dublin starts a band to impress a girl and finds himself. Heads-up: language, family conflict and some smoking.
• 63. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), PG-13, Common Sense: 13+. Shakespeare goes to high school in this funny, sweet rom-com. Heads-up: teen partying, language and innuendo.
• 64. Pitch Perfect (2012), PG-13, Common Sense: 13+. A college freshman joins an a cappella group. Aca-awesome. Heads-up: crude humor and sexual references.
• 65. The Way, Way Back (2013), PG-13, Common Sense: 13+. A shy teen finds his place working at a water park one summer. Heads-up: language and adult drinking.
• 66. Blinded by the Light (2019), PG-13, Common Sense: 13+. A Pakistani-British teen finds his voice through Bruce Springsteen’s music. Heads-up: racism in context and some language.
• 67. The Hate U Give (2018), PG-13, Common Sense: 13+. A teen girl finds her voice after witnessing a police shooting. Powerful and important. Heads-up: violence, language and mature themes.
• 68. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018), NR (Netflix), Common Sense: 13+. A teen’s secret love letters get mailed out. Sweet, funny and romantic. Heads-up: kissing, sexual talk and some teen drinking.
• 69. Edward Scissorhands (1990), PG-13, Common Sense: 13+. A gentle outsider with scissors for hands tries to fit into a pastel suburb. Heads-up: some violence and innuendo.

For Older Teens (14+): Preview These First

• 70. The Fault in Our Stars (2014), PG-13, Common Sense: 14+. Two teens with cancer fall in love. Beautiful and heartbreaking. Heads-up: sexual content and heavy themes of illness and death.
• 71. The Outsiders (1983), PG-13, Common Sense: 14+. Greasers, Socs and the bonds of brotherhood. Stay gold. Heads-up: violence, drinking and smoking.
• 72. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), PG-13, Common Sense: 15+. A shy freshman finds his people. A tender story about friendship and healing. Heads-up: drinking, drugs, sexual content and a past abuse storyline.

Bonus Classics

• 73. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), PG, Common Sense: 7+. Halloween or Christmas movie? Watch it and let your family debate. Heads-up: some spooky images.
• 74. Hugo (2011), PG, Common Sense: 8+. An orphan living in a Paris train station unlocks a mystery about a forgotten filmmaker. A love letter to the movies. Heads-up: some peril.
• 75. The Truman Show (1998), PG, Common Sense: 10+. A man slowly realizes his whole life is a TV show. A great one for talking about screens and what’s real. Heads-up: mature themes and some language.

Looking for holiday picks? Here are 50 holiday movies to watch with your tweens and teens. And if you’d rather binge a show, try these best sitcoms to watch with your tweens and teens.

How to Make It a Family Movie Night (Not Just Another Night of Screens)

1. Put the phones away. A phone basket by the couch works wonders, for us moms too.
2. Let them choose. Give your tween or teen two or three options you’re okay with and let them pick. Kids show up for what they chose.
3. Make the snacks part of it. Popcorn bar, candy from the dollar store, pizza on the floor. Little traditions stick.
4. Talk about it after, without a lecture. A good movie starts great conversations on its own.

Try asking:

• With a tween: “Who was your favorite character? Why?” or “What would you have done if you were them?”
• With a teen: “Did the ending feel right to you?” or “Do you think that’s what high school (or friendship, or family) is really like?”
• With either one: “What’s one line we’ll be quoting all week?”

Want more ways to have fun together? Try these 50 fun family activities your tween or teen will actually enjoy or a family game night with 18 hilarious family games.

Does Watching Movies Together Really Help?

It does. When our kids are tweens and teens, it can feel like they don’t want to do anything with us. But shared screen time can be real connection time.

• A Brigham Young University study of 453 teens (average age 14) and their parents found that watching TV and movies together was linked to stronger family connection. (Family Relations, 2012)
• A follow-up study of 633 teens and their parents found that positive media time together went along with more parent involvement, and boys shared more with their parents. (Journal of Adolescent Research, 2014)

These studies show a link, not proof that movies cause closeness. But it makes sense. Laughing at the same joke and talking about a story afterward builds the kind of easy connection our kids need.

Questions Moms Ask About Family Movies for Teens

What is a good family movie for a 12-year-old and a 16-year-old?

Pick something with action, humor or heart that doesn’t feel “babyish,” like Back to the Future, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Princess Bride or Remember the Titans. Most of the movies on this list work for the whole 12 to 16 range.

Are PG-13 movies okay for my tween?

It depends on the movie and your kid. PG-13 can mean a little mild language or a lot of violence. Check Common Sense Media or Plugged In to see exactly what’s in it, and preview it if you’re unsure.

How do I find out what’s in a movie before we watch it?

Look it up on Common Sense Media for an age rating and content breakdown, or Plugged In for a detailed, faith-based review. Watching the trailer together helps too.

How do I get my teen to join family movie night?

Let them pick (from a short list you’re okay with), make the snacks special, keep phones in a basket and don’t force a big talk afterward. Consistency matters more than perfection.

Mama, you don’t need a perfect plan to connect with your tween or teen. Sometimes all it takes is a bowl of popcorn and a couch. Those simple nights add up to something beautiful, and I’m so thankful for every one of them God gives us.

xo Sheryl

Sheryl Gould is the founder of Moms of Tweens and Teens, a Parent and Relationship Coach with 18 years of experience, a mom of three, the author of SOS! The Technology Guidebook for Parents of Tweens and Teens, and the host of the Moms of Tweens and Teens podcast.