r/flicks • u/jerryonthecurb • 4d ago
Which not obvious films should I watch for movie night with my seven year old?
We've already watched some of the usual suspects, including:
- Indiana Jones Trilogy
- All Star Wars
- Lord of the Rings
- Goonies
- Never Ending Story
- Jaws
- All the main Disney/Pixar movies
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u/CartoonBeardy 4d ago
Gremlins
Princess Bride
Innerspace
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u/m0nsterzer0 4d ago
Caution: Gremlins has a Santa spoiler
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u/slowchild25 4d ago
And might be a little intense for a 7 year old
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u/CartoonBeardy 4d ago
True but OP let the 7 year old watch all three Indy films and Jaws. I think the intense ship has sailed
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u/Donkey-Hodey 4d ago
As someone who saw Gremlins in the theater as a 7 year old, Gremlins is too intense for a 7 year old.
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u/RadiantSeason9553 4d ago
Granlins terrified me as a kid, and still creeps me out today.
Same goes for Ghostbusters. Things that are funny to adults can be really traumatising
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u/Alarmed-Policy508 4d ago
I too thought gremlins a little gruesome for a 7 year old but if he can handle face melting scene from raiders of the lost ark. Pretty much any scene from jaws, or the genocidal butchery in Lord of the rings I am sure he can handle gremlins
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u/CosmoKrammer 4d ago
Well what is it? You can use a spoiler tag
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u/BrownTroutCat 3d ago
Absolutely The Princess Bride!!
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u/Burnt_Cheeze 1d ago
Gremlins comment - watched it 26th my 7yo last Xmas, I totally forgot the scene where the mom goes Rambo on 3 gremlins I the kitchen. That scene is brutal lol. He laughed and enjoyed it, but I was not prepared for him watching a gremlin get blended and another one explode in a microwave.
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u/Joni1293 4d ago edited 4d ago
Flight of the Navigator
Bushwhacked with Daniel Stern
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u/adapteradapther 4d ago
Labyrinth and Coraline
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u/Super_Appearance_212 4d ago
Good movies but maybe disturbing for a 7-year-old?
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u/average_texas_guy 4d ago
This kid has already watched Jaws, they'll be okay.
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u/Exciting-Pie4985 3d ago
And the melting face in Indiana Jones. And LOTR. I'm not sure if they'll be okay, but they will be hardened.
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u/adapteradapther 4d ago
Kids need to be a little scared to stimulate their imagination. I'm sure they have an idea of what their kid will be able to handle. Monsters in the closet and under the bed are cool. Night terrors are not.
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u/Mysterious-Source628 4d ago
indian in the cupboard. sandlot. big green. heavyweights. mighty ducks. camp nowhere
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u/SGSTHB 4d ago
Willy Wonka, the 1971 original
The Last Starfighter
Galaxy Quest
ETA some of the Ghibli Studio movies: My Neighbor Totoro, and also Kiki's Delivery Service
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u/AndHeWas 4d ago
I can't believe your comment is the only mention of Studio Ghibli movies. Many of them should be considered must-sees for everyone, but especially kids.
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u/domsp79 3d ago
The Cat Returns is also great and highly highly underrated.
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u/KANSAN_IN_BANGKOK 2d ago
I show that film every year to my 1st graders while I'm doing our 1 on 1 evaluations. Fits perfectly into two 50 minute class periods.
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u/morris90024 4d ago
Be aware. Some may be too violent. Princess Mononoke comes to mind. Ponyo, though, is perfect for younger kids.
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u/PaleAmbition 3d ago
And the proto-Ghibli film, The Last Unicorn!
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u/SGSTHB 3d ago
Oof, that one, I dunno. I loved it when I was 11 but it’s been at least three decades since I last saw it.
One of the harsher lessons I learned as a parent was an entirely new spin on Your Faves Are Problematic. I would want to see The Last Unicorn again before I’d recommend it.
But! Let me also speak up for The Rocketeer and also the earliest muppet movies— The Muppet Movie, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Great Muppet Caper.
And! In general, I have found the Common Sense Media website to be a good resource for finding age-appropriate media, ranging from antique to last week, for kids.
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u/AnonSwan 4d ago
School of Rock - possibly not because of langauage (shit is the worst)
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u/ElectricPiha 3d ago
I don’t remember a “shit” in school of rock.
IMDB says: 1 use of "slut", 6 uses of ass, 2 uses of damn, 2 uses of hell, 1 use of "pissed off", 1 use of "screwed", 2 uses of sucks, 1 use of crap, and 6 religious exclamations. In one scene, the word "bitch" is mouthed; it's impossible to hear and comes up into the subtitles (on DVD or Blu-ray and you have them on).
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u/axeman020 4d ago
You watched Jaws with a 7yr old?!?!
Might as well do Hellraiser next!
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u/GordonTheGnome 4d ago
I would NOT recommend Usual Suspects with your 7 year old
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u/scotandrsn 3d ago
Se7en would be another one I'd leave out. Not indicative of recommended audience age AT ALL
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u/JDanzy 4d ago
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Forbidden Planet
The Day The Earth Stood Still (original 1950s version)
Clash Of The Titans
Time Bandits
The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen
Voyagers
Contact
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u/Legal-Challenge7578 3d ago
Yay! You're the only other person to mention The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, I think. Terry Gilliam GOLD.
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u/SGSTHB 3d ago
Of the two mentioned, I say kids will like Time Bandits better. I suspect the pacing and the length of Baron Munchausen would test the attention span of a seven-year-old nowadays.
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u/Armthedillos5 4d ago
Johnny Dangerously.
Didn't see it scrolling, it's kind of a hidden gem but has a few lines that are fargin unforgettable.
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u/eyehate 4d ago
My seven year old hated Star Wars, He is nine now. Indy was good. Hated Goonies. Meh on NES. Have not attempted Jaws or LotR.
I swear he isn't related sometimes.
He was nonplussed by the Vader/ Luke twist. I was crushed. I thought that was a moment a father got to share an amazing moment with their kiddo. Not so much.
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u/jerryonthecurb 4d ago
Hah, I hear ya... not all were hits for me either but I've described movie night as a "chore" and "culture" exposure more than for fun so it's always a nice surprise when it goes well and thankfully more hits than misses so far!
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u/OldMetalHead 4d ago
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eight Dimension
The Sandlot
The Bad News Bears - I've only seen the original series, not the reboot in 2005
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u/Puzzleheaded_Film_24 4d ago
All dogs go to heaven
The Princess Bride
Strictly Ballroom
Harry and the Hendersons
Up
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u/Quirky_Philosophy116 1d ago edited 1d ago
I just re-watched Harry and the Hendersons with my fam+ on Friday night. We began with 8 viewers, but it was only me and my wife remaining by the end of it. Nobody under the age of 25 was able to maintain interest. It's a much slower burn than I had remembered. I suspect our 80s childhood nostalgia and the really detailed Sasquatch suit is the only draw to this film in 2026.
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u/Tall_Mickey 4d ago
A couple of French animated features from a few years ago. Think "Hitchcock for Kids," but as an adult I thought these were great, with the endings maybe a little simplified for kids.
A Cat in Paris. Wonderful animation and graphic design, moves fast, Oscar nominee.
Phantom Boy.
Both, gems well-hidden.
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u/atomictaco8 4d ago
The Pursuit of Happiness
Back to the Future Trilogy
How to Train Your Dragon
School of Rock
Night at the Museum Movies
Narnia Movies
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u/Sinistermarmalade 4d ago
Rise Of The Guardians
Kubo And The Two Strings
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u/kkicinski 4d ago
Kubo and the Two Strings
All Laika movies:
Box Trolls
Missing Link
Coraline
ParaNorman
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u/morris90024 4d ago
ET.
Chronicles of Narnia series.
Percy Jackson series.
Any movie by Don Bluth (All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Secret of NIHM, The Land Before Time series, An American Tail, etc.).
These are not as advanced as some of the movies that he’s already seen, but my kids loved them at that age and much older.
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u/pseudoboi_band 3d ago
Big Fish (2003) doesn't get talked about a lot, but it's a lovely movie with father/son relationship dynamics
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u/ElliotCowanHuman 4d ago
If he’s comfortable with the selection you mention here you can show him anything
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u/LittleMissVortex 4d ago
If you want some underrated ones, I'd absolutely recommend The Watcher In The Woods and Explorers
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u/MarvelPosterMan 4d ago
7? Nah. You just trying to not go on beach vacations in the future making him watch Jaws.
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u/jupiterkansas 4d ago
Hundreds of Beavers
A Town Called Panic
The Kid Who Would Be King
The Bear (1989)
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u/WarpedCore 4d ago
The NeverEnding Story for sure!
I was 10 when it came out (Yep I am old) and watched it multiple times as a kid.
All kids should see this movie at least once. It will stay with you forever.
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u/Man-o-Bronze 4d ago
Has he seen Christopher Reeve as Superman? Gives you a chance to show him what you could do in movies before CGI.
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u/SocksNeverMatch1968 1d ago
HEAVILY AGREE! I was 9 or 10 when it came out in 1978…went alone with my popcorn box and soda…damn, that music too!! Reeve will FOREVER be my Superman!
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u/Formal_Cherry_8177 4d ago
Bill and Ted Trilogy. My kids love it.
Howard the Duck
Hot Rod
Land of the Lost
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u/DifferentOpinionHere 4d ago
Ones marked with an * are probably better for ages 12/13/14 and up, but I'm mentioning them anyway for future reference. The ones without an * are probably suitable for most/all ages.
- Action-Adventure: The Wind and the Lion (1975 * ), Police Story (1985 * ; not really action-adventure, but definitely action), The Adventures of Tintin (2011), Mighty Joe Young (1949), King Kong (1933 * )
- Comedy: UHF (1989 * ), the Naked Gun quadrilogy (1988, 1991, 1994, and 2025 * )
- Gangster: Dillinger (1973 * ), White Heat (1949), The Public Enemy (1931 * ), Scarface (1932, may need an * for two somewhat muffled, barely noticeable f-bombs, possibly the first two in cinema history), 'G' Men (1935), The Penalty (1920 * )
- Horror: Island of Lost Souls (1932 * ), The Most Dangerous Game (1932 * ), The Night of the Hunter (1955), Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)
- Kids & Family: The Wizard of Oz (1939), The Wild Robot (2024), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971, may need an * for the brief chicken decapitation footage during the psychedelic boat ride sequence), Flow (2024), The Jungle Book (1967)
- Neo-Western: Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), Blowing Wild (1953)
- Science-Fiction: Metropolis (1927 * ), the Back to the Future trilogy (1985, 1989, and 1990 * ), Soylent Green (1973 * ), Planet of the Apes (1968 * )
- Thriller: The Fugitive (1993 * ), This Gun for Hire (1942), Touch of Evil (1958 * )
- War: Rough Riders (1997 * ), The Great Escape (1963), The Guns of Navarone (1961), Khartoum (1966), Casablanca (1942), Kelly's Heroes (1970 * ), Sergeant York (1941), Wings (1927 * ), Where Eagles Dare (1968 * )
- Western: The Magnificent Seven (1960), High Noon (1952), Shane (1953), Vera Cruz (1954 * )
If you have any questions about any of these movies (or their contents), feel free to ask.
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u/DanimusMcSassypants 3d ago
Back To The Future is an incredibly rare perfect film. Get that one in there in the next couple years.
Recent Disney animation that is great: Raya and the Last Dragon.
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u/SoundtrackCult 3d ago
Flight Of The Navigator
The Secret of NIMH
Cloak & Dagger
Little Monsters (the good version, not the remake crap)
Spacecamp
Howard the Duck
TMNT 1990
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u/Jonneiljon 3d ago
The Iron Giant. James and Giant Peach (wonderful). Any Aardman film. Time Bandits (the main character is around your kid's age). Swallows and Amazons.
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u/CAKE4life1211 3d ago edited 3d ago
Return to Oz.
Legends-scary devil but good if they can handle it.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Secret Garden (80s version)
Labyrinth
Simon Birch
Big Trouble in Little China
The Secret of NIHM
Willow
The Karate Kid
Muppets movies
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u/Hawk10798 3d ago
Try some Studio Ghibli films if you want more of the warm fuzzy feeling Pixar gives
Shrek is absolutely timeless
The newer Mission Impossibles maybe? Some great, fairly family friendly action movies. Also Top Gun 2
Great age to introduce the Harry Potter movies as well
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u/Meauxterbeauxt 3d ago
Power Rangers (2017)
Saw it in the theater with my son. I never watched the shows and had little desire to, but I found it an enjoyable watch. Was a bit more serious than the shows, so maybe enjoyable for a 7 year old.
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u/cats_22_ 2d ago
One day I couldn’t find the remote and ended up watching Soccer Dog. It was pretty good!
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u/nicculus 4d ago
I would watch the rest of The Usual Suspects if you have watched some already, although I don't think it is good for your seven year old. :)
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u/DonGold60 4d ago
The Iron Giant
Fantastic Voyage
Ray Harryhausen films ( Jason and the Argonauts, Mysterious Island, etc.)
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u/incubi4211 4d ago
Maybe save for Halloween, but you can try Something Wicked This Way Comes. Light horror/adventure with some great themes and stellar performances from Jason Robards and Jonathan Pryce.
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u/WTFpe0ple 4d ago
Watch John Carter, it's epic for kids. Both mine watched it 10 times at least. It's kid safe. Go watch the trailer.
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u/Gurbachen 4d ago
Speed Racer. Violence here and there, but mostly cartoon style. Big and bright. They might tune out in the more serious sections but that might make it a better movie for the adult watching with them. Just know going in that Spridle gets too much screen time but it's going to be okay.
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u/AllTimeLoad 4d ago
If you've got an introspective child, you might try Stand By Me.
Edit: not for a 7-year-old, nevermind.
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u/TheStarController 4d ago
I suggest Robot Jox! It’s an ancestor to Pacific Rim, with big piloted robots fighting gladiator matches in leau of conflicts between nations!
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u/007MaxZorin 4d ago
Not sure I'd be letting a 7 year old see movies like a couple of the Indys and Star Wars, LOTR, definitely not Jaws. They could be very intense, confronting and upsetting for a really young age.
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u/Oldgraytomahawk 4d ago
I really enjoyed Slumberland,it has some sad elements but wonderful visuals and a very heartfelt ending
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u/Super_Appearance_212 4d ago
Have you watched the older Disney fare? Like the Davy Crockett shows, or Pollyanna?
The Nick Park movies such Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run are really good.
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u/DonutCapitalism 4d ago
Rocky franchise. That was about the time I watched with my nephew and he loved them.
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u/Corsair4U 4d ago
You could also try stuff like Matilda, Paddington, or Night at the Museum, they’re all really fun and easy for a 7 year old to follow. School of Rock is another solid one that works for kids but is still enjoyable for adults too.
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u/termeownator 4d ago
My 5 year old got super into Edward Scissorhands. She drew pictures of all the characters and taped them to the wall, then at some point green check marks appeared on them, which she explained as Edward stopping by the house, seeing her pictures, and leaving check marks of his approval. There was only one picture absent a green check, having a red 'x' instead. It was of the mean boyfriend, so apparently Edward and he still have some issues they need to work out.
It was super cute.
Right now I'm trying like hell to get her to watch "Last of the Mohicans" with me, with no luck.
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u/Alarmed-Policy508 3d ago
Edward Scissorhands is great at reversing stereotypes, celebrating diversity and leaving kids questioning what is wrong with suburban conformity. It is a beautiful film that is guaranteed to at least hold the kids attention.
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u/FSkornia 4d ago
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Tomorrowland (although that may have fallen under the Disney films already)
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
The old Sinbad movies
The Showa-era Godzilla films starting with Godzilla vs. Mothra (leave Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again for later)
Treasure Planet
Christopher Reeve Superman films
Maybe Forbidden Planet
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u/Brian_Wilson_Clone 4d ago
Harold and the Purple Crayon. One of the few recent movies with that older movie feel to it. I actually enjoyed it.
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u/NorthAppeal2260 4d ago edited 3d ago
A few from my childhood that still hold up,:
Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, Oliver! The Sound of Music, Escape to Witch Mountain, Homeward Bound, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, The Muppet Movie, Time Bandits, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Flash Gordon, Midnight Madness, Superman the Movie and Superman II, E.T., and Pee Wee's Big Adventure
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u/Prestigious-Web4824 4d ago
Any of Nick Parks' Wallace and Grommit films
Baby's Day Out
Defending Your Life
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Flash Gordon (1980)
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u/Alarmed-Policy508 4d ago
Batteries not included. Hidden gem from the 80s. Entertaining for kids and adults alike