For children and post-children alike (in other words, everyone), a good family film can scratch many viewing itches, ranging from lighthearted to poignant, zany to macabre. This October, Hulu has some of the best, most diverse children-oriented films to stream (and one universally great show), so do not hesitate to revisit these classics before they leave the streaming service.
The LEGO Movie
This animation phenomenon brought together decades of love for LEGO building into one nostalgic adventure, using an incredible voice cast and a sweet story about the boundless creativity of a child’s imagination. Numerous spin-offs and continuations followed, but the original started the craze with a new wave of hyperactive insanity that appealed to children of all ages. Despite its infamous passing-over for an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film nomination, The LEGO Movie‘s popularity and critical acclaim speak volumes for its benefit.
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, coming off a stint of adapting 21 Jump Street for a very adult audience, propel The LEGO Movie with a constant energy appealing to the modern internet-raised child, melting minds with an unprecedented combination of detail and rapidity. It might be too manic for some, but it slows down at points for memorable voice-acting moments from side characters played by Will Arnett and Liam Neeson, capping things off with a heavily discussed meta ending.
The Princess Diaries
Garry Marshall’s The Princess Diaries might have just been a G-rated Pretty Woman Disney fantasy, but it came out at the right time (and starred just the right people) to capture a generation of young viewers in its pleasing web. Critically panned by experienced critics like Roger Ebert and Elvis Mitchell, The Princess Diaries grew a following out of the kids who saw it at an impressionable age, marking a successful entry point for Anne Hathaway’s career and a notable continuation of Julie Andrews’s.
Despite its somewhat dated look, the film had a sizable budget and lavish design, surprising for a production only a notch above the still popular made-for-TV level that Disney produced. The perfect storm here unexpectedly generated massive success in theaters. Marshall managed to continue the series for a second entry (and rumors still float around about a future third), but the first remains dear to countless 21st-century film lovers.
Monster House
If you want something a little darker for your family movie tonight, Monster House is the go-to Hulu choice. This traumatizingly disturbing children’s horror film takes the realistic fears of creepy neighbors and their creepy houses to its most literal, with a monstrous entity that terrorizes kids and eats people. Though the animation does not hold up, Monster House nevertheless has merit and re-watchability in 2023.
Viewers who saw this as a kid might not remember the recognizable voice cast, which the marketing downplayed at the time despite the popularity of the actors. Though the kids’ voices are not as well known, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jon Heder, and Catherine O’Hara make noticeable marks in minor roles, with the crowning voice achievement in the film going to the legendary Steve Buscemi. Playing the crotchety old resident of the Monster House, Horace Nebbercracker, Buscemi hams it up in his introductory lines before giving way to gentleness before the end. Monster House will surprise new and returning viewers of any age for spooky children’s film viewing.
Each of these children’s films is streaming now on Hulu.
