Children and family films are often taken for granted as less cerebral than other works. Though there is a fair share of movies meant for kids that keep the storyline simple and easy to follow for their target audience, there is also an abundance of stimulating work that challenges the norm. Rewarding viewers with rich plots, split narratives, and unconventional storytelling, these complex movies are among the best the genre has to offer.
From the story-within-a-story device that classics like The NeverEnding Story and The Princess Bride use to the extensive buildup of It’s a Wonderful Life, these family movies make viewers contemplate rather than consume. Dealing with multifaceted topics like the fragility of life or the ethical treatment of others, these 10 family films push the envelope and take viewers on a journey that raises more questions than answers. When you’re in the mood for more substantial viewing, these are the perfect choices for family-centered cinema.
10
‘The NeverEnding Story’ (1984)
Based on the novel by Michael Ende, The NeverEnding Story is a multilayered fantasy with epic world-building. So much so that the movie adaptation barely scratches the surface of the content contained in the book. Ergo, Ende was famously not a fan of the film, but the cinematic rendition generates its own value and has become a staple of 1980s movie culture.
The NeverEnding Story uses a story-within-a-story mechanism to simultaneously introduce viewers to the young protagonist Bastian (Barret Oliver) and the literary hero he is reading about, Atreyu (Noah Hathaway). This storytelling device is further heightened when Bastian gets to live every bibliophile’s dream and actually enter and impact the world he is reading about. From the supernatural antagonist known as “The Nothing,” representing a loss of imagination and hope, to the themes of sacrifice and bravery, The NeverEnding Story, although not as complex as the book, is still highly intricate and serves as a solid introduction to the main ideas of the lore.
9
‘The Secret of NIMH’ (1982)
Filmmaker Don Bluth is the genius behind some of the best animated films of all time, including The Land Before Time, Anastasia, and An American Tail. What is regarded by many as his magnum opus is the 1982 classic The Secret of NIMH. The movie follows a widowed mouse who is trying to save her young son, who has pneumonia. Mrs. Brisby (Elizabeth Hartman) summons her courage to visit a great owl and some mysterious rats that live in a rosebush and discovers a terrible truth and several secrets along the way.
When talking with Collider in 2025, Bluth stated why he recommends watching The Secret of NIMH before his other films, “That was the movie that we made when we were the most innocent, when we didn’t know what we were doing, and so we tried harder.” Focusing on a solid story, The Secret of NIMH does not pull any punches and feels more like a horror movie than a traditional kids’ flick. Its Gothic animation mixed with serious topics and dramatic stakes makes The Secret of NIMH unlike any of Bluth’s other films and most kids’ movies in general.
8
‘The Last Unicorn’ (1982)
The film raises profound questions about immortality and solitude as it follows a unicorn (Mia Farrow), who discovers she may bethe last of her kind.. Her journey leads her through various misadventures alongside an amateur magician named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin)) and a woman named Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes).
The author of the book,Peter S. Beagle also wrote the script for The Last Unicorn, making it incredibly loyal to its original work.. The film features several plot points and perspective shifts while posing deep philosophical questions. Released during a prolific era for fantasy films in the 1980s,The Last Unicorn remains one of its finest examples.
‘7
‘‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ (2004)
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