The best family and kids movies on Hulu right now

Movie News

4 Jan, 2023

From hit anime to superhero movies.

While Hulu is certainly home to some adrenaline-pumping action flicks and a slew of innovative indie flicks, the streaming service also has a huge selection of home movies — if you know where to look. Luckily, we've combed through Hulu's library to pick out the best selection of movies for families and kids to watch, from cartoons to family-friendly blockbusters to offbeat options that could become your kids' new favourite. Peruse our selection of the best Hulu family movies below.

For more family-friendly recommendations, check out our lists of the best kids' movies on Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO, or browse our list of the best movies on Hulu.

Editor's Note: This list was updated in January 2023 to include Surf Madness, Guardian Legends: Gahuul's Owl, and Curious George.

Aquamarine (2006)

Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes | Genre: Teen Fantasy Romantic Comedy | Director: Elizabeth Ellen Rosenbaum

Cast: Emma Roberts, Jojo, Sarah Paxton, Jake McDormand During their (possibly final) summer together, they accidentally discover and befriend a mermaid. Directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum (Sneakerella), who is familiar with teen-oriented projects, and starring Sarah Paxton (Return to Halloween Town) as a magical aquatic creature, Aquamarine is a charming coming-of-age story, It mixes fantasy elements with beautiful messages about friendship and even a handsome lifeguard named Raymond (Jack McDormand). – Yael Tygiel

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Runtime: 1 hour 41 minutes | Genre: Romantic Comedy | Director: Andy Tennant

It Takes Two (1995)

Cast: Kirstie Alley, Steve Guttenberg, Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, Jane SibbettMary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen plays a pair of strangers who meet by chance in It Takes Two. One of the girls is orphaned, while the other lives with her charming and wealthy father (Steve Gutenberg), who is planning to marry a young gold digger named Clarice (Jane Sibet) . The girls swap places together, employing elements not too dissimilar from the plot of The Parent Trap, hoping to pair a wealthy father with an orphaned social worker, played by Kirstie Alley. It Takes Two is a delightfully entertaining film with an excellent cast of quality comedians. – Yael Tygiel

Watch on Hulu ^Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes |Genre: Animated Comedy|Directors: Ash Brannon, Chris Buck ^Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, Jeff Bridges ^Surf's Up is an adorable animated comedy set through a captivating documentary Style tells the latest up-and-coming Penguin Surfer, played by Shia LaBeouf (The Peanut Butter Falcon). Surf's Up reveals the history of the annual Penguin World Surfing Championships and Cody Maverick's (Labouf) journey from his home in Antarctica to Penguin Island for his first professional competition. In addition to stars Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder and Jeff Bridges, real surfers Kelly Slater and Rob Machado also guest-star as Penguins. Inspired by surf documentaries The Endless Summer and Riding Giants, Surf's Up mixes parody with heartwarming storytelling to make for a fun family movie. – Yael Tygiel

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Surf’s Up (2007)

Cast: Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving Ga'Hoole series of books. The film centers on a young owl who, after escaping from an army of evil owls, begins A journey with new friends. With Snyder's extraordinary eye and use of color, "The Legend of the Guardians: The Garhur Owl" is a film of breathtaking beauty. Featuring the voices of acclaimed British and Australian actors, including Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush, Jim Sturgess and Hugo Weaving, Guardians Saga: The Owl of Gahul builds on its strengths , better than a boring plot. – Yael Tygiel

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Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes | Genre: Animated Adventure | Director: Matthew O'Callaghan

Cast: Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, David G. Rose, Eugene Levy, Dick Van Dyke Will Ferrell (Spirited) voices George's janitor Ted, often referred to as The Man in the Yellow Hat. In addition to Ferrell, Curious George also starred in a number of big names, including Drew Barrymore, David Cross and Eugene Levy. As the origin story of Ted and George's friendship, this version of Curious George is a delightful addition to previous ones, especially as O'Callaghan balances quirky humor with a touching message. – Yael Tygiel

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)Run Time: 1 hr 37 min | Genre: Animated Adventure | Director: Zack Snyder

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Runtime: 1 hour 10 minutes | Genre: Animated adventure crime comedy | Directors: Jean-Loup Felicioli, Alain Gagnol

Cast: Steve Blum, Anjelica Huston, Matthew Modine, Marcia Gay Harden Lovely teenage girl Zoe and a thief's accomplice. When Zoe is kidnapped by murderous gangsters, Dino and his thief friend Nico must rescue her and bring her home. The Oscar-nominated animated series Cats in Paris was originally in French but was dubbed for American audiences and features Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family), Matthew Modine (Stranger Things) and Marcia Gaye Harden and other first-class actors. A Cat in Paris is a fun romp with a furry friend and a lot of heart. – Yael Tygiel

Curious George (2006)

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Runtime: 1 hr 34 min | Genre: Comedy | Director: Thor Freudenthal

Cast: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Chloë Grace Moretz

Based on Jeff Kinney's bestselling book series, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is the first in a franchise series starring Zachary Gordon. Director Thor Freudenthal (Carnival Row) embraces the awkwardness of middle school, honoring them by featuring the most cringe-worthy moments on screen. Filled with disturbing confrontations, bullying, and extramarital affairs, Diary of a Wimpy Kid leans into familiar but unpleasant moments of adolescence. The students who play alongside Gordon are mostly lesser-known young actors, but there are some better-known names in his family, such as Rachel Harris (Lucifer) and Steve Zane (White Lotus). – Yael Tygiel

A Cat in Paris (2010)

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Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes | Genre: Animated Comedy | Director: Raja Gosnell

Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, Tim Gunn

Based on the classic comic book series of the same name, The Smurfs Centers on our favorite blue friends as they are hunted down by the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria). Escaping to safety, they find themselves in New York City - more specifically, the apartment of Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace Winslow (Jemma Mays), the pair A young couple is expecting their first child. The family became friends, and the Smurfs ended up staying with the Winslows. When Gargamel arrives in the Big Apple too, Hijinks naturally follow, making everyone's lives even more chaotic. farce with it With bits of humor and silliness, The Smurfs are sure to please the young ones. – Taylor Gates

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)

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Runtime: 1 hr 34 min | Genre: Family Comedy | Director: Mark Waters

Cast: Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angelie Lansbury . Popper's Penguins is the perfect introduction to Carrey's manic energy to a younger crowd. Carrey stars in the title role as a divorced real estate employee and struggling father who is gifted with a group of endearing arctic creatures that force him to become a better human being. Carrey may have called a few times over the years, but he's at his best in this heartfelt story of love, family, and penguins — Liam Gaughan

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The Smurfs (2011)

Runtime: 1 hour 27 Minutes | Genre: Comedy | Director: Alan Metter

Cast: Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter White, Matt Winston, Yvonne Sciò

The first of many direct-to-video films by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on their overseas trip swept over Paris. Sent to spend their spring break with their estranged grandfather (Peter White), these 13-year-olds have fun by exploring the City of Lights with adorable French boys, trying local food, and, of course, shopping. The twins help their grandfather and his wise assistant (Matt Winston) unwind and have fun in Paris. Passport to Paris is fun for kids and nostalgic for adults, all included in a free trip to France from the comfort of your sofa. - Meredith Loftus

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Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011)

Runtime: 1 hr 25 min | Genre: Adventure Comedy | Director: David Steinberg

Cast: Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Kay Sy Greenwood, Eric Lutes, Keith Knight^ If you combine "Parent Trap" with "Kick and Scream", you get "Switching Goals". Chaos ensues when star soccer player Sam (Mary-Kate Olsen) comes up with a plan to swap soccer teams with her popular teenage twin sister, Emma (Ashlee Olsen). Along the way, the sisters learn from each other that winning isn't everything. Also, their father (Eric Lutes) learns to treat his daughters as equals, seeing the strengths in both of them and encouraging them to be the best they can be on the field. Switching Goals is a crowd-pleasing effortless watch for the whole family to watch. - Meredith Loftus

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Runtime: 1 hr 32 min | Genre: Musical | Director: Max Minghella

Passport to Paris (1999)

Cast: Elle Fanning, Rebecca Hall, Zlatko Burić

Teen Spirit is a Cinderella story for the post-American Idol generation. While the concept of music reality shows is nothing new, Max Minghella's directorial debut explores how such a show could change the life of a poor girl on the Isle of Wright. This is a very stylized project from a first-time filmmaker. Is Teen Spirit full of clichés and totally predictable? Absolutely. However, "Teen Spirit" transcends the "inspirational stardom" mark thanks to Elle Fanning's stellar performance. The determination, anxiety, and confusion a young girl feels in the spotlight are palpable thanks to Fanning's authenticity. - Liam Gaughan

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Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes | Genre: Animated musical adventure comedy | Director: Carlos Saldanha

Switching Goals (1999)

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Mann, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan Raised in Minnesota, he returned to Brazil to save his species from extinction. During their journey, Blu and his friends must work together to take on the evil exotic bird smuggler Marcel and his henchmen. With top-notch talent and stunning, colorful animation, Rio is a journey you'll want to go on again and again. - Taylor Gates

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Runtime: 1 hr 27 min | Genre: Comedy Romance | Director: Alan Metter

Cast: Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen ^Another A Mary-Kate and Ashley classic, the film sees two 12-year-old sisters, surfer Emily (Ashley Olsen) and diver Tess (Mary-Kate Olsen), as they try to make money for their widowed husband. When my father arranges a date. After several failed attempts, they convince their friend Cody (Rafael Rojas III) to help them paint a giant billboard advertising their dad as single. He eventually hits off with a woman named Brooke (Jessica Tucker), who has a nasty son named Ryan (Sam Saletta). However, when they realize their parents really like each other, they team up to save their relationship before someone tries to tear the two of them apart. – Taylor Gates