If you're a parent of small children and you're suddenly wondering why you know every single word to every single song in Encanto, it's because good kids movies are becoming harder and harder to come by. Shows like Bluey are good for short, sharp TV breaks throughout the day but if you're planning your next family movie night, you're not exactly spoiled for choice, at least when it comes to anything new.
Rest assured, there is some gold in those ten thousand streaming services you're already subscribed to, you just need to know where to look. These are best new kids movies that have released over the last twelve months that you can stream in Australia.
K-Pop Demon Hunters
Parental Advisory: Some scenes might be a bit scary for younger children.
Adam's rating:
There's nothing quite like the pleasant surprise of a movie concept that absolutely, unequivocally should not work, or even be greenlit, turning out to be amazing. We saw it with The Lego Movie, and again with Barbie, and now here comes K-Pop Demon Hunters to once again put me in my place for my initial incredulity at the very concept. K-Pop Demon Hunters is exactly what it sounds like.
A Korean Pop girl group moonlights as humanity's defenders, holding the forces of darkness at bay. Again, in what world is that a good idea for a movie? This one, apparently, because K-Pop Demon Hunters is gorgeously animated, lively, fun and has some great messages about embracing ourselves, flaws and all, and trusting our loved ones enough to be honest with them. It also doesn't hurt that the soundtrack is absolute fire.
Make no mistake: your kids will LOVE K-Pop Demon Hunters. It's a great family film with positive messages about doing good and being true to yourself. And by their third or fourth rewatch, you'll be right there with them, singing along at the top of your lungs.
Creators: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang | Rating: PG | Genre: Adventure
Runtime: 1hr 35m
Available on: Netflix
Flow
Parental Advisory: Flow is suitable for most ages though there are a few tense scenes of a cat in peril that are fairly distressing. My recommendation would be for ages 3 and up with some parental guidance.
Brodie's rating:
Calling all cat-lovers. The Academy’s choice for Best Animated Film in 2024 wasn’t made on a multi-billion dollar budget by the likes of Pixar or Dreamworks, it’s a labour of love that was created over five and a half years using Blender, free open-source software available to anyone. There aren’t any celebrity voices, in fact, there isn’t any human dialogue at all, just a few heartfelt meows, caws and capybara grunts.
The Latvian-French-Belgian co-production Flow tells the story of a lone black cat who must leave its cosy home when a flood hits and water levels continue to rise. When the rapidly changing landscape forces our fearless feline hero into a corner, the most unlikely animal allies come to its aid. Flow puts its main character through the wringer; it’s not a “scary” movie, even for younger audiences, but it does present a series of perilous situations for the Cat to survive (don’t worry, it does).
With all that said, Flow is a tearjerker. Not necessarily for kids but some adults who won't be named were a blubbering mess.
Thankfully, the film's emotional crescendos were fairly abstract and while they certainly had an impact on my four-year old daughter, they didn’t keep her up at night.
Creators: Gints Zilbalodis and Matīss Kaža | Rating: G | Genre: Adventure
Runtime: 1hr 24m
Available for rent: Apple TV
Magic Beach
Parental Advisory: Fun for all ages.
Brodie's rating:
Most Australian parents with small children are probably already acquainted with Alison Lester’s classic book Magic Beach. They’re also probably wondering how on earth do you adapt that into a feature-length film? Thankfully, the answer will delight you. Taking inspiration from the limited source material, the Magic Beach movie tasks ten animators with crafting an anthology of ten short stories, using a mixture of mediums, all based on the narrator's fantastical memories of their beach, their magic beach.
Its episodic nature makes it a great candidate for a ten-minute telly break while parents prepare dinner.
The Wild Robot
Parental Advisory: Surprisingly action-heavy in the second half with some confronting brushes with death and themes that deal with bullying and ostracism. This one is probably best for kids 5 and up (and even then with parental guidance)
Brodie's rating:
The Wild Robot could be seen as something of a companion piece to Flow. It tackles a lot of the same themes around unlikely friendships and found families but with a star-studded cast providing voice work for its menagerie of forest critters.
A DreamWorks Animation joint, The Wild Robot tells the story of a marooned robot nicknamed Roz (Lupita Nyong'o) looking for its way off an uninhabited island. Accidentally saved by the local wildlife, Roz ends up learning to communicate with the animals, forming a particularly maternal bond with an orphaned Barnacle goose.
The Wild Robot may be a bit more Hollywood than Flow, with voices provided by the likes of Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Berry and Mark Hammil, but you will still be reaching for the tissues.
Kiff: The Lore of the Ring Light
Parental Advisory: Short harmless fun with some slightly off-kilter gags. Recommended for ages 6 and up.
Brodie's rating:
Kiff: The Lore of the Ring Light isn't really a movie, rather an extended special that requires no prior knowledge of Disney's Kiff. It's a rather new animated series that began in 2023 and The Lore of the Ring Light is a self-contained feature that released between seasons one and two. If it's not obvious already, The Lore of the Ring Light is a parody of The Lord of the Rings, except much funnier and suitable for the little ones.
When Kiff, who isn't too fussed about social media clout, gets their hands on a coveted ring light, the townspeople become possessed by its promise of internet fame. Kiff is reminiscent of Adventure Time and Regular Show, a show suitable for kids that just so happens to be hilarious for all ages.
It's available on Disney Plus but you can actually watch the whole special for free on the Disney Channel's YouTube channel.
Creators: Nic Smal and Lucy Heavens| Rating: PG | Genre: Buddy comedy
Runtime: 24m
Available on: Disney Plus
Wicked
Parental Advisory: Recommended for young teens and older. Some scenes may appear dark or scary for younger children and it’s also quite a long film.
Christie's rating:
Wicked is so much more than a musical. A prequel to the beloved classic The Wizard of Oz, Wicked shows audiences how The Wicked Witch of the West, or Elphaba as she was then known, came to be.
Elphaba finds herself securing a place at the prestigious Shiz University alongside her much less green sister, Nessarose. Despite the constant bullying, prejudice and dismissal she experiences, Elphaba rises above it with grace and finds a way to grow her unusual talents.
But the real magic lies in how all aspects of the film come together. The vocal talent from the entire cast is undeniably top shelf, the visuals look like they’ve leapt straight off the pages of a storybook, and the costumes are dramatic and stunning.
Wicked: Part 1 is the latest addition to the stable of films retold from the villain’s perspective, such as 2021's Cruella. And much like these films, audiences will find themselves instantly emotionally invested in all the characters, particularly Elphaba. So much so that, by the end of the film, it will seem almost impossible that she ended up so evil. I guess we’ll have to wait for part two, Wicked: For Good, to find out. - Christie Grahame
Creator: Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire | Rating: PG | Genre: Musical fantasy
Runtime: 2hr 40m
The Tiger's Apprentice
Parental Advisory: Recommended for children aged 10 and over with some parental guidance. This is due to infrequent scenes of animated violence and some sad and dark scenes.
Christie's rating:
From the director of Shrek the Third and writers of Mary Poppins Returns, The Tiger’s Apprentice is an animated film that follows the twelve Chinese zodiac signs who can shapeshift between their human and animal forms. Their mission? To protect the guardian of the phoenix egg.
When Tom Lee inherits the guardianship title from his grandmother, the band of misfit Chinese zodiacs will stop at nothing to safeguard the Phoenix from a dark sorceress who, you guessed it, plans to consume all the power and destroy the world.
The Tiger’s Apprentice’s animation style is very distinct; the colours are hypnotic, the action is fast-paced, and the storyline is interesting enough that even parents will be glued to the screen.
It also features many familiar voices like Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians), Lucy Liu (Kung Fu Panda), Brandon Soo Hoo (Ender’s Game), Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy) and Michelle Yeoh (Wicked). - Christie Grahame
This film is an easy watch for teens and parents alike, and doesn’t drag on too long either. - Christie Grahame
Creator: David Magee, Christopher L. Yost, Laurence Yep | Rating: PG | Genre: Action adventure
Runtime: 1hr 42m
Available on: Binge or Paramount Plus
Inside Out 2
Parental Advisory: Inside Out 2 is mostly okay for ages 5 and up, though it features more intense themes that deal with protagonist Riley’s growing anxiety as a young teen. One scene features a pretty distressing anxiety attack that could be confronting for younger viewers.
Brodie's rating:
Thanks to my daughter, I’ve seen Inside Out more than maybe any other movie in my entire life. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; I think the first Inside Out is genuinely one of the best animated Disney Pixar movies since Toy Story 3. So when Inside Out 2 was released somewhere between my 50th and 60th viewing of the original, I was excited and relieved.
Unfortunately, Inside Out 2 didn’t move me in the same way the original did. A lot of the original voice cast didn’t return for the sequel, and that really stands out when you’ve spent the better half of a year with Bill Hader’s hilarious Fear and Mindy Kaling’s sassy Disgust.
Still, I’m an adult, and this isn’t a guide to the best movies for adults. Thankfully, my daughter had a blast with the sequel and the new cast of characters, like Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). We only watched the sequel twice, which says something about exactly how much she enjoyed it in comparison, but Amy Poehler’s Joy still holds a special place in her little heart.
Creators: Meg LeFauve and Kelsey Mann | Rating: PG | Genre: Buddy comedy
Runtime: 1hr 36m
Available on: Disney Plus
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Brodie Fogg
Managing Editor - Streaming
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