The best Max family movies: 15 great films to stream in May 2024

If you’re looking for the best Max family movies, this guide is for you. Below, you’ll find our selection of the top kid-friendly films to stream on Max right now, from the enchanting animation of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away to the fantasy epic The Hobbit. There’s magic, comedy and plenty of fun-filled adventures to delight viewers of all ages – it's easy to see why Max is one of the best streaming services.

Max has much more to offer. Look at our best Max movies list to see our ultimate selection of the top films on the streaming platform. But if you have children to consider, settle in and read our pick of the best Max family movies that promise to make your movie nights unforgettable.

Wonka

Director: Paul King
Runtime: 116 minutes
Age rating: PG (US, UK, Australia)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 82% (Critics), 91% (Audiences)

Wonka may have only hit theaters in 2023, but it's already on Max and a strong contender for the best new family movie to watch on the streaming platform. Starring Timothée Chalamet in the lead role, the movie tells the early story of Willy Wonka, exploring his origin story and explaining where his love for chocolate came from years before his antics in the Willy Wonky & The Chocolate Factory (1971) movie.

Although it's not technically been referred to as a sequel, director Paul King once described it as a "companion piece" to the original film, so the stories make sense together and you can expect familiar parts of the story we all know and love, like som of the music and the Oompa Loompas. If you're looking for a warm and watchable fantasy movie, then Wonka is a silly ride for the whole family with catchy music and eye-popping production design.

Monsters vs Aliens

Director: Conrad Vernon and Paul Letterman
Runtime: 94 minutes
Age rating: DLSV
Rotten Tomatoes score: 73% (Critics), 59% (Audiences)

Monsters vs Aliens is best described as a funny, animated sci-fi adventure. It follows the story of Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon), a woman who is hit by a meteor filled with a strange space goo that turns her into a giant. She joins other monsters in a US government facility, like a bug man called Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), but when a squid-like alien villain invades, she's sent with her new monster pals to save Earth.

Granted it's not the best animated movie out there. But if you're looking for something fun and colorful that's packed with special effects to wow smaller kids, this is it. Adults will also enjoy that some great actors and comedians make up the voice cast. Alongside Witherspoon and Laurie you'll find Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson and Paul Rudd.

Gulliver's Travels

Director: Rob Letterman
Runtime: 85 minutes
Age rating: PG
Rotten Tomatoes score: 20% (Critics), 27% (Audiences)

Gulliver's Travels is a fresh take on Jonathan Swift’s classic 1726 tale that reimagines the story in a way that's modern and more accessible for both children and adults. Jack Black stars as Lemuel Gulliver, a mailroom clerk who manages to stumble into the role of a ship's captain and finds himself in the mystical land of Lilliput, where he becomes an oversized hero among tiny people.

Now this isn't the best family movie you'll ever see, but we're adding it to our guide because we think it's a fun, light-hearted and, at times, heart-warming story that's packed with positive messages. And if you're a fan of Jack Black's laugh-out-loud blend of comedy and silliness, it's definitely going to be a winner.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

Director: Malcolm D Lee
Runtime: 115 minutes
Age rating: PG
Rotten Tomatoes score: 25% (Critics), 79% (Audiences)

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
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91% (Critics), 83% (Audiences)

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.

The Hobbit

Director: Peter Jackson
Runtime: 228 minutes, 215 minutes, 263 minutes
Age rating: 12A
Rotten Tomatoes score: 64% (Critics), 83% (Audiences)

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.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Director: Tim Hill
Runtime: 87 minutes
Age rating: U
Rotten Tomatoes score: 29% (Critics), 64% (Audiences)

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.

Spirited Away

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Runtime: 125 minutes
Age rating: PG
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96% (Critics), 96% (Audiences)

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
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% (Critics), 94% (Audiences)

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
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98% (Critics), 89% (Audiences)

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.

DC League of Super-Pets

Director: Jared Stern
Runtime: 105 minutes
Age rating: PG
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72% (Critics), 88% (Audiences)

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
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% (Critics), 82% (Audiences)

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) 
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81% (Critics), 82% (Audiences) (1), 82% (Critics), 80% (Audiences) (2), 90% (Critics), 86% (Audiences) (3), 88% (Critics), 74% (Audiences) (4), 78% (Critics), 81% (Audiences) (5), 84% (Critics), 78% (Audiences) (6), 77% (Critics), 85% (Audiences) (7), 96% (Critics), 89% (Audiences) (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.

Time Bandits

Director: Terry Gilliam
Runtime: 113 minutes
Age rating: PG
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91% (Critics), 77% (Audiences)

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
Rotten Tomatoes score: 48% (Critics), 53% (Audiences)

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.