With the summer movie season winding down, I wanted to talk about a few summer blockbusters that were (in some cases, surprisingly) great for families.
Keep in mind, I’m not saying that these were the five most family-friendly films or even the best films about families. Rather, these are films that families most likely went to see together this summer. Some had positive messages specifically about family while others just had nice messages for families.
Now, the movies below are not perfect. They each come with their own content issues that families may need to navigate—and the Plugged In reviews are designed to help you do just that—but they do each have something positive to offer families.
So, by order of release, here are five great family movies that came out this summer.
Release Date: May 23, 2025
The first movie on our list is Lilo & Stitch. The latest Disney animated flick to get a live-action makeover had a few language missteps but still hewed pretty close to the heartfelt, “ohana means family” spirit of the original. Judging by the film’s box office take, a lot of families went to see it—and not without good reason.
As Emily Tsiao said in her review, “Much like Lilo and Stitch’s new family, this film might not be perfect, but it’s still good. Family, faithfulness and sacrifice are among the values that this reboot embraces. And apart from some minor stumbles, it could be a new take on an old franchise that many ohanas can embrace, too.”
Release Date: June 13, 2025
Not to be outdone in the remakes-of-beloved-animated-movies department, DreamWorks released their own update of How to Train Your Dragon. Actually, “update” might be too strong a word here: The filmmakers hardly changed anything from the original besides making it live action. Maybe that’s a good thing, since 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon came with plenty of positive messages, tackling teenage fears of self-doubt and isolation and showing the reconciliation of a strained father-son relationship.
“[Though] the realistic look of the film takes away a little of the original movie’s charm and replaces it with more grit,” Kennedy Unthank wrote in his review, “the movie remains, as we put it in our review of the animated original, ‘a fun, thrilling Viking voyage that, in the end, is a simple-yet-salient story about a dragon and his boy.’”
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Surprised that a movie about a mystical Korean pop trio that slays demons would make this list? We were, too. As Kennedy Unthank wrote in his review, “KPop Demon Hunters wasn’t the film I expected to deliver a commentary on the human condition. But nevertheless, here we are.”
If you’re not familiar with this straight-to-streaming film, you probably will be soon. It recently became Netflix’s most watched movie ever. It topped last weekend’s box office, too, raking in $18 million after releasing a sing-along version of the movie in theaters. Sing-alongs imply songs, right? Well, four songs from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack currently sit in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100—a historic first.
So, what makes it a good movie for families? If you can navigate some murky, Eastern-influenced spirituality, the film has strong themes that resonate with the reality of human struggles with sin and shame. It also touches on the dangers of despair and holding onto past regrets. Although the movie itself never mentions Jesus, discerning parents may find that positive message to be an easy onramp to kickstart conversations about the hope and forgiveness that we have in Christ.
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Perhaps it’s no surprise that a movie about Marvel’s “First Family” would be about, well, family. But The Fantastic Four: First Steps proudly leans into that theme, delivering an optimistic story about a loving (albeit superpowered) family. The film depicts positive views of marriage and parenthood, too, alongside a surprisingly pro-life message.
While there are some language concerns, a bit of humanism and a sultry, silver super person to be aware of, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is, as reviewer Paul Asay writes, “a delightfully fun film, filled with optimism and hope and—dare I say in 2025—innocence … In Reed [Richards] and Sue [Storm], we don’t just see a pair of ludicrously talented individuals in outlandish outfits: We see a dad and a mom doing the best they can. For their baby. For their family. For the world.”
Release Date: August 6, 2025
Some parents were (understandably) taken aback by the newest Angel Studios’ movie. But while it isn’t exactly a squeaky-clean, explicitly-Christian story, Sketch still delivers poignant messages about loss and grief. Centering on a loving family in the wake of tragedy, the film shows us how each member of the family confronts their own emotional monsters—and how best to handle them.
Paul Asay writes, “Like Inside Out before it, Sketch reminds us that emotions aren’t bad in and of themselves. It’s how we deal with them that matters … But it’s not just Sketch’s underlying message we appreciate: It’s the skill and joy with which it delivers.”
Honorable Mentions
Of course, there were more than five family movies that came out this summer, so I wanted to include a few of the films that just missed the cut. (And be sure to let us know in the comments if there were other movies you loved, too.)
The Bad Guys 2 – While the positive themes here aren’t quite as strong as the first film’s, parents will likely appreciate this sequel’s messages about working hard to do good rather than taking the easy way out.
Freakier Friday – Just like the 2003 film, we get plenty of body-swap jokes, a bit of bathroom humor and a pinch of profanity in a story that otherwise majors on some really nice family lessons.
Elio – This Pixar pic, about a lonely boy who wants to connect with aliens, offers parents a largely problem-free springboard to talk about God’s unfailing love for us—even when we feel alone.
Superman – Though this bright and breezy movie isn’t, on the whole, as family friendly as its virtuous protagonist, it still has a heroic heart and harkens back to an earlier era of the Man of Steel.
Karate Kid: Legends – Like its predecessors, this sixth installment in the martial arts franchise packs some violence and language in its punches. But it also comes with some nice messages, too.
What Do You Think?
While by no means an exhaustive list, if you’ve been looking for a movie to watch at your family’s next movie night, I hope this list will give you some good options to work with.
But what do you think? What movies did you see with your family this summer? Were there any movies you would have added (or subtracted) from this list? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.
