What do you want to watch tonight?
Each title says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight, or say no to one and why.
Closest to How the Grinch Stole Christmas first
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005
Film
A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker.
The sides of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- A golden ticket
- A strange chocolate maker
- Spoiled kids getting what they deserve
Good for you if
- you like an odd, colourful world with a creepy edge.
- you like naughty children punished in funny ways.
- you like a chocolate river and a factory of wonders.
Bad for you if
- you need a story that could really happen. A girl here swells into a giant blueberry.
- you like dark, hard stories. Under the nasty jokes, this is a warm tale about Charlie's family.
About: family · greed · imagination
Ratatouille 2007
Film
In one of Paris's finest restaurants, Remy, a determined young rat, dreams of becoming a renowned French chef. Torn between his family's wishes and his true calling, Remy and his pal Linguini set in motion a hilarious chain of events that turns the City of Lights upside down.
The sides of Ratatouille
- A rat who wants to cook
- A Paris restaurant kitchen
- A critic tasting his childhood
Good for you if
- you want a warm film that makes you hungry.
- you like a rat steering a cook by his hair.
- you like a story that truly believes anyone can cook, even a rat.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you can't stand a love story on the side. Linguini falls for Colette, the tough cook who trains him.
About: talent · ambition · friendship
Soul 2020
Film
Joe Gardner is a middle school teacher with a love for jazz music. After a successful audition at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and is transported to the You Seminar, a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child. Joe must enlist help from the other souls-in-training, like 22, a soul who has spent eons in the You Seminar, in order to get back to Earth.
The sides of Soul
- A jazz teacher between life and death
- A soul who doesn't want to be born
- A cat body in New York
Good for you if
- you like 22 stuck in Joe's body and Joe stuck in a cat.
- you like jazz played for real.
- you like a strange, gentle world before birth.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you roll your eyes at life lessons. The film asks you to savour every falling leaf.
About: purpose · living · passion
How to Train Your Dragon 2010
Film
As the son of a Viking leader on the cusp of manhood, shy Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III faces a rite of passage: he must kill a dragon to prove his warrior mettle. But after downing a feared dragon, he realizes that he no longer wants to destroy it, and instead befriends the beast – which he names Toothless – much to the chagrin of his warrior father.
The sides of How to Train Your Dragon
- A Viking boy who befriends a dragon
- A father who doesn't understand
- Flying over the sea
Good for you if
- you like flying scenes that lift you off your seat.
- you like a boy and a wounded dragon becoming friends in secret.
- you like Hiccup's sarcastic voice-over about life on Berk.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you roll your eyes at heartfelt father and son talks. Hiccup and Stoick struggle to say what they feel.
About: friendship · fathers · acceptance
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish 2022
Film
Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: He has burned through eight of his nine lives, leaving him with only one life left. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.
The sides of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
- A cat down to his last life
- A wolf who scares him
- A wishing star
Good for you if
- you like a swaggering cat and a cheerful therapy dog.
- you like animation that looks like a painted storybook.
- you like sword fights with a cat, a wolf and a gang of bears.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you roll your eyes at heartfelt lessons about friends and the one life you have.
About: mortality · friendship · living
Shrek Forever After 2010
Film
A midlife-crisis burdened Shrek, longing for the days of when he felt like a real ogre, makes a pact with magic deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin. But when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away—where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met—he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.
The sides of Shrek Forever After
- Shrek tired of family life
- A deal with Rumpelstiltskin
- A world where he never existed
Good for you if
- you like the fairy-tale jokes again.
- you want a warm ending to the saga.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you roll your eyes at sincere family messages. Shrek's midlife crisis plays for feelings as much as jokes.
About: family · gratitude
Frozen II 2019
Film
Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf head far into the forest to learn the truth about an ancient mystery of their kingdom.
The sides of Frozen II
- A voice calling from the north
- An enchanted forest
- A song to the unknown
Good for you if
- you like big ballads you'll hear for months.
- you want a bright family film.
- you like autumn forests and spirits of nature.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want a simple story for the kids. Memories frozen in water and a fifth spirit take some following.
About: sisterhood · the past · change
Inside Out 2015
Film
When 11-year-old Riley moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.
The sides of Inside Out
- Emotions running a girl's head
- Sadness finding her place
- A lost imaginary friend
Good for you if
- you like a family film that makes the adults cry.
- you like clever jokes about how our minds work.
- you like a world built out of memories and dreams.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you can't watch a girl slowly overtaken by sadness after a move. It hits too close.
About: sadness · memory · growing up · family
Shrek 2 2004
Film
Happily ever after never seemed so far far away when a trip to meet the in-laws turns into a hilariously twisted adventure for Shrek and Fiona. With the help of ever-faithful Donkey, Shrek takes on the potion-brewing Fairy Godmother, pompous Prince Charming, and infamous ogre-killer Puss In Boots.
The sides of Shrek 2
- Meeting the in-laws
- A fairy godmother with a plan
- Puss in Boots
Good for you if
- you like fairy-tale jokes and pop culture parodies.
- you like family friction. Fiona's father can't stand the ogre his daughter married.
- you like a big musical number at the end.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want a film to make you cry. Shrek 2 turns meeting the in-laws into a comedy.
About: acceptance · family · love
Tangled 2010
Film
Feisty teenager Rapunzel, who has long and magical hair, wants to go and see sky lanterns on her eighteenth birthday, but she's bound to a tower by her overprotective mother. She strikes a deal with Flynn Rider, a charming wanted thief, and the duo set off on an action-packed escapade.
The sides of Tangled
- A girl locked in a tower
- A thief who climbs in
- Lanterns in the sky
Good for you if
- you like a chameleon and a horse who steal the show.
- you like songs like "I See the Light" that you end up humming.
- you want a bright, funny fairy tale.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you'd rather skip love stories. Rapunzel and Flynn fall for each other under the lanterns.
About: freedom · growing up · love
The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2023
Film
While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers—and brothers—Mario and Luigi are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi.
The sides of The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- A plumber from Brooklyn in a magic kingdom
- Kart racing on a rainbow road
- A villain who sings
Good for you if
- you want a bright, short family film.
- you like jokes for people who played the games.
- you like a world that looks exactly like the games.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want a story that takes time with its characters. Mario's quest races by in 90 minutes.
About: brotherhood · courage · games
Shrek 2001
Film
It ain't easy bein' green -- especially if you're a likable (albeit smelly) ogre named Shrek. On a mission to retrieve a gorgeous princess from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon, Shrek teams up with an unlikely compatriot -- a wisecracking donkey.
The sides of Shrek
- An ogre who wants to be left alone
- A donkey who never stops talking
- Fairy tales turned upside down
Good for you if
- you like jokes for kids and other jokes for adults.
- you want something short and funny for everyone.
- you like a soundtrack of pop hits.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you need suspense to stay hooked. Shrek plays its dragon and its villain for laughs.
About: appearance · friendship · love
Up 2009
Film
Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.
The sides of Up
- A whole marriage in five minutes
- An old man and a boy scout
- A house carried by balloons
Good for you if
- you're ready to cry in the first ten minutes.
- you like a talking dog and a grumpy old man.
- you like an adventure to a waterfall at the end of the world.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you need the logic to hold up. A house crosses a continent tied to balloons.
About: grief · adventure · friendship
Finding Dory 2016
Film
Dory is reunited with her friends Nemo and Marlin in the search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?
The sides of Finding Dory
- A forgetful fish searching for her parents
- An octopus with seven arms
- An aquarium escape
Good for you if
- you like Hank the grumpy octopus and two sea lions guarding their rock.
- you like a story about memory and family.
- you want something sweet for the whole family.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you roll your eyes at heartfelt lessons. Dory's search for her parents comes with plenty about never giving up.
About: family · memory · belonging
Monsters, Inc. 2001
Film
Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's the monsters who are scared silly, and it's up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.
The sides of Monsters, Inc.
- Monsters scaring kids for energy
- A little girl loose in the factory
- A big furry guy who melts
Good for you if
- you like a funny duo who argue like a married couple.
- you want something sweet for the whole family.
- you like a big blue monster who becomes a kind of father to a toddler named Boo.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want a love story. Mike's dates with Celia keep getting cut short.
About: fear · friendship · care
Hotel Transylvania 2012
Film
Welcome to Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up and no humans are allowed. One special weekend, Dracula has invited all his best friends to celebrate his beloved daughter Mavis's 118th birthday. For Dracula catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem but the party really starts when one ordinary guy stumbles into the hotel and changes everything!
The sides of Hotel Transylvania
- Dracula runs a hotel for monsters
- A daughter turning 118
- A human backpacker checks in
Good for you if
- you like slapstick monster comedy.
- you want a short, silly family film.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want quiet moments. It runs at full speed for ninety minutes.
About: fatherhood · letting go · acceptance
My Neighbor Totoro 1988
Anime
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
The sides of My Neighbor Totoro
- Two sisters in a country house
- A giant forest spirit
- A cat that is a bus
Good for you if
- you want a gentle film with no villain at all.
- you like the magic children see in nature.
- you like rice fields, rain and forests.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you need momentum. Long scenes follow the girls exploring the house and waiting for a bus in the rain.
About: childhood · nature · family
The Croods 2013
Film
The prehistoric Croods family live in a particularly dangerous moment in time. Patriarch Grug, his mate Ugga, teenage daughter Eep, son Thunk, and feisty Gran gather food by day and huddle together in a cave at night. When a more evolved caveman named Guy arrives on the scene, Grug is distrustful, but it soon becomes apparent that Guy is correct about the impending destruction of their world.
The sides of The Croods
- A cave family forced to leave
- A boy with new ideas
- A colourful prehistoric world
Good for you if
- you like a protective dad played for laughs.
- you want a bright family film.
- you like a strange, colourful prehistoric world.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you roll your eyes at heartfelt family lessons. Grug learns to stop fearing everything new.
About: family · change · fear
Moana 2016
Film
In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the demigod to set things right.
The sides of Moana
- A girl called by the ocean
- A demigod with a big ego
- Sailing to restore a heart
Good for you if
- you like songs that stay in your head for weeks.
- you want a bright family adventure.
- you like the ocean as a living character.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want a love story. Moana has none. She sails to save her island.
About: identity · courage · nature
Encanto 2021
Film
The tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family—every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family's last hope.
The sides of Encanto
- A family where everyone has a gift but her
- A magic house that's cracking
- We don't talk about Bruno
Good for you if
- you like songs the whole family will sing.
- you like a story about family pressure and love.
- you want something colourful and warm.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you lose track in big families. The Madrigals are a dozen, each with a gift.
About: family · expectations · belonging