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)

still from shrek
DreamWorks Pictures

Metascore: 84

And for more movies the critics loved, These Are the Top-Rated Movies on Rotten Tomatoes.

49
Lassie (2006)

still from lassie
Roadside Attractions

Metascore: 84

48
Old Yeller (1957)

old yeller
Buena Vista Distribution

Metascore: 84

47
The Bad News Bears (1976)

the bad news bears
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)

kubo and the two strings
Focus Features

Metascore: 84

45
Toy Story 4 (2019)

forky and woody in toy story 4
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)

the black stallion
United Artists

Metascore: 84

43
The Iron Giant (1999)

Iron Giant
Warner Bros. Pictures

Metascore: 85

42
The Three Caballeros (1945)

the three caballeros
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)

cinderella
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 85

40
Sleeping Beauty (1959)

sleeping beauty
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 85

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39
Song of the Sea (2014)

song of the sea
Universal Pictures

Metascore: 85

38
Ernest & Celestine (2014)

ernest and celestine
Cinedigm

Metascore: 86

37
Ponyo (2009)

still from ponyo
Studio Ghibli

Metascore: 86

36
Aladdin (1992)

still from aladdin
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 86

35
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

my neighbor totoro
Studio Ghibli

Metascore: 86

34
The King and the Mockingbird (2014)

the king and the mockingbird
StudioCanal

Metascore: 87

33
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

spider-man into the spider-verse
Sony Pictures Releasing

Metascore: 87

32
The Incredible Journey (1963)

the incredible journey
Buena Vista Distribution

Metascore: 87

31
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

wallace and gromit the curse of the were-rabbit
DreamWorks Pictures

Metascore: 87

30
Little Women (1994)

little women
AA Film Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Metascore: 87

29
Mary Poppins (1964)

mary poppins
Buena Vista Distribution

Metascore: 88

28
Toy Story 2 (1999)

toy story 2
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 88

27
Up (2009)

still from up
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 88

26
Chicken Run (2000)

still from chicken run
DreamWorks Animation

Metascore: 88

25
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

miracle on 34th street
Allstar Picture Library Ltd. / Alamy Stock Photo

Metascore: 88

24
The Little Mermaid (1989)

the little mermaid
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 88

23
Paddington 2 (2018)

paddington 2
StudioCanal

Metascore: 88

22
The Lion King (1994)

the lion king
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 88

21
It's a Wonderful Life (1947)

it's a wonderful life
Paramount Pictures

Metascore: 89

20
The Yearling (1947)

the yearling
MGM

Metascore: 89

19
Treasure Island (1950)

treasure island
Collection Christophel / Alamy Stock Photo

Metascore: 89

18
The Incredibles (2004)

the incredibles
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 90

17
Finding Nemo (2003)

finding nemo
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 90

16
Bambi (1942)

bambi
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 91

15
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

et the extra terrestrial
Universal Pictures

Metascore: 91

14
Toy Story 3 (2010)

toy story 3
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 92

13
Little Women (1933)

little women 1933
Allstar Picture Library Ltd. / Alamy Stock Photo

Metascore: 92

12
Inside Out (2015)

inside out rotten tomatoes highest ratings
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 94

11
WALL-E (2008)

wall-e
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 95

10
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938)

snow white and the seven dwarfs
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 95

9
My Fair Lady (1964)

my fair lady
Warner Bros. Pictures

Metascore: 95

8
Toy Story (1995)

toy story
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 95

7
Beauty and the Beast (1991)

beauty and the beast
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 95

6
Spirited Away (2002)

spirited away
Studio Ghibli

Metascore: 96

5
Fantasia (1940)

the sorcerer's apprentice in fantasia
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 96

4
Ratatouille (2007)

still from ratatouille
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 96

3
Dumbo (1941)

dumbo
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 96

2
Pinocchio (1940)

pinocchio
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Metascore: 99

1
The Wizard of Oz (1939)

the wizard of oz
World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Metascore: 100

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