53 Movies to Watch with Tweens & Young Teens

In his first movie role after a career-threatening injury, a stuntman finds himself mixed up in a real-life mystery.

Kelly R said:  We haven't watched a lot of action movies as a family, but this one was just right for movie night with my tween and teen. The stunts are cool, there's plenty of humor, and there's not a lot of objectionable content aside from language.

Truman discovers that he's the star of his own reality show in this classic 90s movie that's still totally entertaining today.

Mind-bending sci-fi action film where a computer hacker named Neo discovers the shocking truth that humanity is unknowingly trapped inside a simulated reality called the Matrix, and he joins a rebellion to fight against the machines that control it.

Kelly R said:  This was my 13-year-old's first R-rated movie, and I personally think it feels more PG-13 compared to many of the movies we watch now. The fight scenes are still captivating and were very memorable for my son, and while there's quite a bit of action (and gun) violence, it's not too bad in terms of language and other adult content. I think the most important thing is to wait until your kids are old enough to follow the pretty confusing plot.

Alexandra F. said:  Boy, did this movie ever take us by surprise. Made for TV, it is now one of our family's favorite Disney movies ever! The children of all our beloved Disney characters are now in high school, and four “villain kids” get invited to the prep school where the kids of heroes & princes, heroines & princesses attend. Hilarity, and great musical numbers, ensue. This is a trilogy your tweens won’t want to miss (and really, you probably don’t want to miss either).

Based on the wildly popular children's fantasy books, the Harry Potter films are perhaps best suited as movies for tweens and older kids, as the story grows darker in its later chapters and can be scary for younger viewers. Harry's adventures upon discovering that he is a wizard, and his central role in saving the world from the evil wizard Voldemort, is one beloved by kids and parents alike.

Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart are hilarious in this adaptation of Jumanji, where four teens get sucked into the video game world and need to figure out how to get through its dangerous challenges in order to escape.

Free Guy tells the story of an NPC in a video game who gains sentience and decides to become the hero. The blend of action, comedy, and video game visuals makes it a favorite among older tweens and teens.

Kelly R said:  My 12-year-old loved this one about a bank teller who figures out he's a secondary character in a video game. I'd recommend it for older tweens, because there is quite a bit of language.

Kelly R said:  My Harry Potter loving kids were old enough to enjoy the Fantastic Beasts spinoff movies at age 9 and 12, and we binged all three in pretty quick succession. We found them to be entertaining and actually quite funny at times! The plots tend to be more complicated than the Harry Potter movies, so wait until your kids are a little older.

Action, adventure, pirates, sword-fighting, magic, and, yes, kissing all mash up in the fairytale-esque story of The Princess Bride. It's inconceivable!

Alexandra F. said:  I'll never forget when I first watched this movie with my then 9- and 11-year-olds, and seeing their faces mirror Fred Savage's exactly as they began to hear the love story unfold - wary and more than a little skeptical. Never fear! Though it is indeed a story about true love, it is also filled with adventure, sword fights, giants and pirates. Oh. And R.O.U.S. (Rodents of Unusual Size). This movie is hilarious - your tweens & teens will love it.

It's up to the Mitchell family to stop a robot apocalypse from destroying humanity...however ill-equipped they may seem.

Alexandra F. said:  My teen and I loved this movie! It was so clever, colorful and fun, and had us both laughing out loud throughout the whole movie. Definitely great for all ages, but perhaps particularly relevant for older kids and teens, given the familiar relationship challenges between the teen protagonist and her father that are at the heart of the story.

A time traveler on a mission to save the future teams up with his 12-year-old self in this Netflix family movie that's best for older kids because of some adult content. Check it out for movie night with tweens or teens.

Kelly R said:  We really loved it...plenty of humor and also quite heartfelt.

A stressed single mom and her teenage daughter magically switch bodies after a fortune cookie mishap, forcing them to walk a mile in each other's shoes with hilarious and eye-opening results. 

This sweet and funny rom com about a 13-year-old girl who finds herself fast-forwarded 17 years into the future is a perfect movie for tweens that gives perspective about the things that matter most in life - friendship, kindness, and being true to yourself.

Alexandra F. said:  Just watched this again for the first time in a while and was a surprised by how the kids make a few off-hand comments about drinking beer or sexual activity that just weren’t age-appropriate. They were passing references and not a huge part of the movie, but they were also unnecessary and made the movie less awesome than it would have been without them.

Alexandra F. said:  Disney's story about a lion cub's struggle to accept his place as king continues to resonate with viewers of all ages as much as it did when it was first released in 1994. The outstanding music and moving coming-of-age story make it an especially great movie for tweens, and a perfect family movie night choice for mixed ages.

Incredible animation and creative storytelling set this film apart, making it one of the best movies for tweens even if they are not otherwise familiar with the Spider-Man universe. The feel is like watching a comic book come to life, with a stand-alone superhero story that features multiple incarnations of the webbed crusader from different realities.