Welcome to your ultimate guide on the best Max family movies. In the list below, you'll find the kid-friendly films to stream, from the enchanting animation of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away to the timeless adventure of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Indeed, our selection is designed to captivate audiences of all ages. Whether you're in the mood for something nostalgic, adventurous, or downright magical, we've got something for everyone. Based on our choices, it's easy to see why Max is one of the best streaming services around.
If you want to know what else has to offer, take a look at our best Max movies list. For now, settle in and let us guide you through the best Max family movies that promise to make your movie nights unforgettable.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Director: Malcolm D Lee
Runtime: 115 minutes
Age rating: PG
Space Jam: A New Legacy, also known as Space Jam 2, offers a fresh take on the beloved classic Space Jam. Like the original movie, the sequel merges both live action and animation, and the result is a visually entertaining adventure that delivers a lot of fun for the whole family.
Space Jam: A New Legacy follows the story of real-life basketball superstar LeBron James, who must team up with the iconic Looney Tunes gang in a high-stakes digital universe in order to rescue his son from a rogue AI's clutches.
Except plenty of silly fun, humor and action here. But there's also an engaging story and some heart-warming lessons about teamwork and family along the way.
Ponyo
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Runtime: 101 minutes
Age rating: PG
If you're a fan of Studio Ghibli movies, there are several available to stream now on Max, including Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. But a slightly lesser-known Ghibli classic is Ponyo. This charming The Little Mermaid-esque story is about a goldfish princess called Ponyo who forms an unlikely bond with a boy called Sōsuke.
Directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, we think this enchanting film is a great watch for the whole family, exploring themes of friendship and the magic of childhood innocence. As you might expect, the visuals in Ponyo are stunning, showcasing Ghibli's signature hand-drawn animation that brings to life the beauty of the underwater world Ponyo comes from.
Speed Racer
Director: The Wachowskis
Runtime: 135 minutes
Age rating: PG
Speed Racer is a fast-paced and visually-stunning racing movie directed by the Wachowskis (The Matrix, V For Vendetta) and based on a manga series of the same name.
It follows the journey of Speed Racer (played Emile Hirsch), an 18-year-old natural-born racer who, driven by the memory of his brother, aspires to win a cross-country car racing rally.
The film is packed with vibrant visuals, special effects to recreate the manga's dynamic aesthetic and, as you might expect, lots of heart-pounding races. But there are also some good family-friendly themes here too about family, integrity, and the spirit of competition that make it an enjoyable watch for all ages.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Director: Mel Stuart
Runtime: 96 minutes
Age rating: U
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a classic 1971 children's movie about the weird and wonderful goings-on at the Wonka Chocolate Factory. It follows the story of a boy called Charlie Bucket who wins a Golden Ticket to visit the factory run by the eccentric owner, Willy Wonka (played by Gene Wilder).
What follows is a colorful and bizarre adventure, featuring a chocolate river, Oompa-Loompas, flowers made of candies, and many trials and tests involving sweet things and weird science.
This classic film has spawned several remakes and reimaginings, including the 2005 version of the movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp as the eccentric founder of the Wonka Chocolate Factory. As well as the recently-released 2023 film Wonka, out now in theaters, which stars Timothée Chalamet as Wonka in his early life before his chocolate factory days.
Evan Almighty
Director: Tom Shadyac
Runtime: 96 minutes
Age rating: PG
The 2007 comedy Evan Almighty is a follow-up to the popular 2003 film Bruce Almighty, originally starring Jim Carrey. Steve Carrell returns as Evan Baxter and Morgan Freeman plays God. This is essentially a modern retelling of the story of Noah's Ark, in which God commands Noah to build an Ark before a huge flood arrives – the twist in this story is Evan/Noah is trying to hold down a new career in government as he enacts this monumental task.
Evan Almighty isn't one of the best or classic family movies on the list, but it's a fun watch and Steve Carrell brings his usual laugh-out-loud comedy and charm to the film. He's also joined by Lauren Graham, who plays his wife Joan Baxter, and John Goodman, who plays Congressman Chuck Long, Evan's boss.
The Hobbit
Director: Peter Jackson
Runtime: 228 minutes, 215 minutes, 263 minutes
Age rating: 12A
If you’re ready to get cosy and indulge in an epic movie marathon, you’ll find all three of The Hobbit films are available to watch on Max. This trilogy of truly epic fantasy adventures is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit.
Set before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit follows the story of Frodo’s cousin (although he calls him “uncle”), Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, who is convinced by the wise wizard Gandalf, played by Ian McKellen, to accompany thirteen dwarves on a quest to reclaim their homeland, The Lonely Mountain, from a greedy dragon called Smaug. Along the way they encounter elves and trolls and orcs and all sorts of other magical creatures and tense challenges.
You’ll need a whole day to watch all three, or spread them out over a few nights. But they’re some of the best Max family movies available right now. And however you choose to enjoy them, The Hobbit saga is a delightful story filled with adventure, high stakes and truly stunning special effects.
Horton Hears a Who!
Director: Jimmy Hayward
Runtime: 83 minutes
Age rating: U
Horton Hears a Who follows the story of Horton the elephant (played by Jim Carrey) who discovers a whole city, called Whoville, on a tiny dust speck on top of a pink clover. That's where The Whos live, led by Major Ned McDodd (played by Steve Carell). They begin to experience weird happenings as Horton carries the clover, and their entire existence is soon threatened.
Based on a Dr. Seuss story of the same name, Horton Hears a Who is one of the best Max family movies, especially for little kids who know and love Dr. Seuss books and are going to be blown away by the colors and characters.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Director: Tim Hill
Runtime: 87 minutes
Age rating: U
You might already be familiar with the Alvin and the Chipmunks animation, but this 2007 movie takes the same characters and puts them in a whole new adventure. It follows the story of the Chipmunks: Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. They move in with a songwriter called Dave who realizes their talent and tries to trick them into sharing their profits with him.
It's one of the best Max family movies and a fun watch – especially if you were a fan of the original TV show – and you'll enjoy listening to the voices of some great actors, including David Cross, Jason Lee and Justin Long who plays Alvin.
Fantastic Mr Fox
Director: Wes Anderson
Runtime: 83 minutes
Age rating: PG
If your children (or even you) grew up reading Roald Dahl, you'll all love this stop-motion animation from director Wes Anderson, who takes the classic story of Fantastic Mr Fox and adapts it in the witty, warm and whimsical style that's become his hallmark.
This is one of the best Max family movies because there really is something for everyone here: smaller kids will enjoy the lovable animals characters, while grown-ups will appreciate the excellent voice acting from a star-studded cast that includes George Clooney as Mr Fox and Meryl Streep as Mrs Felicity Fox. There's also an adult-centric vein of humor lurking just below the surface. And we guarantee all ages will love the heist capers and tense scenes, even those who know the book backwards. If you love this movie and want more from the director, take a look at our every Wes Anderson movie rated from worst to best guide.
Spirited Away
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Runtime: 125 minutes
Age rating: PG
2001 Japanese fantasy film Spirited Away has a dreamy and timeless quality. That's likely because of its story about a young girl named Chihiro, who unknowingly enters a spirit realm and must survive there while finding her way back to the human world. It's a tale about childhood, growing up, and connection, with strong influences from Japanese folklore.
The animation and story are as compelling and beautiful as you'd expect from Studio Ghibli, and we have a feeling this is one of those movies parents will thoroughly enjoy introducing to their kids. If you're a fan, you'll be happy to know that several other Studio Ghibli classics are also available on Max now, like My Neighbor Totoro, which we've also included in this guide. And be sure to read our best anime article, too, which offers even more recommendations in the genre.
My Neighbor Totoro
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Runtime: 86 minutes
Age rating: U
A selection of Studio Ghibli classics has long been included among the best HBO Max family movies, and that tradition continues on Max. Smash hit My Neighbor Totoro is widely adored for its stunning animation and close study of childhood – and the English dubbed version is now available on Max. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), it follows schoolgirl Satsuki (Dakota Fanning in the English language dub) and her younger sister Mei (Elle Fanning), whose mother is taken into hospital with an illness. The pair are taken to live in an old country house by their father (Tim Daly), and they spend their time befriending the playful spirits that live there.
The Japanese-language version was the winner of multiple awards. The film has also been adapted into a series of four books, a stage play, and has an anime short sequel (Mei and the Kittenbus). In short, it's a classic that should be on every child's watchlist. If you're in the mood for more Studio Ghibli classics after watching this movie, then take a look at our definitive list of anime Ghibli films.
The Wizard of Oz
Director: Victor Fleming
Runtime: 101 minutes
Age rating: G
Not just one of the best Max family movies, The Wizard of Oz is one of the best movies ever created.
An adaptation of L. Frank Baum genre-bending novel, The Wizard of Oz follows Judy Garland's Dorothy, who is whisked away from Kansas by a tornado to Munchkin City, where she accidentally squashes the Wicked Witch of the East. Her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West vows revenge, leaving Dorothy in a race against time to get home. She sets off on that legendary yellow brick road to see the Wizard of Oz, hoping he can tell her how to get home, making friends and enemies along the way.
It's an iconic, tender, and truly timeless classic, and one that the whole family can enjoy. It's a bit dated these days but you'll laugh, cry, and cheer as Dorothy and company bravely face the odds stacked against them. It's also a worthy inclusion in our best Max movies list.
The Lego Movie
Director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Runtime: 101 minutes
Age rating: PG
When Warner Bros announced it was developing a movie around Lego's iconic toy range, people were not optimistic. It looked like a marketing exercise and one long piece of product placement but, as it turned out, the end result is a truly fantastic film.
Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (whose other Hollywood credits include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) brought together Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman for the voice cast, and built a bright, energetic, and hugely fun adventure.
So, what's it about? The Lego Movie focuses on Pratt's Emmet, an ordinary Lego minifigure who finds himself part of a resistance movement to stop a tyrannical businessman from gluing everything in the Lego world into his vision of perfection. It's incredibly well animated and, without spoiling much, there's a twist around two-thirds of the way through that make this a much more emotionally investing film than it ought to be. One to catch if you're yet to see it and act fast, because it's one of several must-watch movies leaving Max in December.
DC League of Super-Pets
Director: Jared Stern
Runtime: 105 minutes
Age rating: PG
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is undergoing a radical reset right now, with co-studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran effectively rebooting Warner Bros' superhero movie slate – read our guide to what they have in store for the new-look DCU.
While DC's movie output has always been a mixed bag, Warner's DC League of Super-Pets is one of its few cinematic offerings that's both ripe for kids/families, and also actually half-decent.
The movie begins with Krypto, Superman's pooch, enjoying time with his owner. However, the duo's recreational time is rudely interrupted when Superman is kidnapped by Lex Luthor. To get him back, Krypto unites a rag-tag group of household pets and sets out to free the Justice League.
A-listers such as Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Keanu Reeves, plus Andor's Diego Luna, Russian Doll's Natasha Lyonne and Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Ben Schwartz, lend their voices to an impressively stacked cast. Kids will love the humor, animation fans will appreciate the, well, animation, and parents will get around 100 minutes of peace.
Shazam!
Director: David F. Sandberg
Runtime: 132 minutes
Age rating: PG-13
Effectively Big in spandex and a cape, Shazam! is childhood wish fulfillment in the form of a DC superhero movie and one of the best Max family movies to watch right now if you love superheroes. Teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is granted Superman-like abilities when a wizard gifts him the power of the gods, and all he has to do to transform into his grown-up, musclebound alter-ego (played by Chuck's Zachary Levi) is say his magic word. Conveniently, it's also the name of the movie.
While the plot is by-the-numbers stuff – embittered Dr Sivana (Mark Strong) wants Billy's powers for himself – Shazam! has heart and charm in spades, particularly when Billy's interacting with his foster family. Unfortunately, 2023 sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods struggled to recapture the same magic, but you can also check it out now on Max.
Want to know how Shazam! fits into the DC continuity? Read our guide to watching the DC movies in order.
The Harry Potter saga
Director: Chris Columbus (1–2), Alfonso Cuarón (3), Mike Newell (4), David Yates (5–8)
Runtime: 150 minutes (1), 164 minutes (2), 132 minutes (3), 150 minutes (4), 132 minutes (5), 143 minutes (6), 136 minutes (7), 130 minutes (8)
Age rating: PG (1-3, 6), PG-13 (4-5, 7-8)
Warner Bros is so enamored with the magical world of Harry Potter that it's announced a new TV show based on the phenomenally successful book series. The eight films were often a big part of the best HBO Max family movies roster and that continues to be the case now the service has morphed into Max – making this the ideal place to enjoy the phenomenally successful saga again and again and again.
Faithful almost to a fault, the eight movies capture the magic of the novels with the help of blockbuster visual effects, and a stellar cast of top British acting talent. Like the books, the adaptations vary massively in quality, but with the entire series available on Max – along with all three Fantastic Beasts movies – a trip to Hogwarts is never far away. Not sure which of the saga is worth your time? Read our guide to the Harry Potter movies, ranked from worst to best.
Coraline
Director: Henry Selick
Runtime: 100 minutes
Age rating: PG
Henry Selick, director of The Nightmare Before Christmas (one of TechRadar's best Christmas movies), takes stop-motion animation to a whole new level with this wonderful adaptation of Neil Gaiman's twisted fairytale. When disillusioned 11-year-old Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) finds her way into a magical dimension, she meets freaky "Other" versions of her parents with buttons for eyes, and gradually realises there really is no place like home.
Despite being too weird and scary for younger kids, Coraline tempers its darker edges with some surprisingly sweet moments. The real star, however, is the beautiful animation – on every level, this is a magnificent technical achievement.
Time Bandits
Director: Terry Gilliam
Runtime: 113 minutes
Age rating: PG
You wouldn't expect Monty Python veteran Terry Gilliam to make a conventional family movie, and Time Bandits is anything but. Bankrolled by Beatle George Harrison (who also stepped into finance Monty Python's Life of Brian), this deliciously weird tale centers on an 11-year-old boy who winds up on a time-hopping adventure with a gang of dwarfs with grand larceny on their minds.
While the this and inventive family movie features plenty of the director's trademark flights of fantasy, it's also anchored to a more solid and engaging story than many of his subsequent films. Gilliam also managed to rope in a few major stars to cameo as famous figures from history, including Sean Connery as King Agamemnon and his old Python sidekick John Cleese as Robin Hood.
Scoob!
Director: Tony Cervone
Runtime: 94 minutes
Age rating: PG
The beloved cartoon with the cowardly dog and his gang of spook-hunting friends was given a new lick of paint in 2020 with Will Forte, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Gina Rodriguez, Zac Efron and Amanda Seyfried among the voice cast.
A classic slapstick caper, Scoob! tracks the Mystery Machine gang as they stumble upon a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world, and somehow find themselves racing to stop this dogpocalypse.
It's brilliant fun, quite silly, and probably a good fit for the whole family. Clocking in at just 93 minutes, it's also on the short side form a runtime perspective. If you've got kids whose attentions starts to wane after a while, this should be short enough to keep them engrossed.
For more Max-based coverage, check out our best Max shows and new Max movies articles, or read our guides on The Last of Us season 2 and House of the Dragon season 2.
