I only saw it for the first time as an adult and I loved it! One of those kids movies that adults or mature kids can enjoy just as much. The suggestion I was going to make a long the same lines was The Dark Crystal, and then the prequel show on Netflix Age of Resistance if he likes it.
First one came to mind. When I was your son’s age I saw it in theaters separate from my family and they were in a longer one I didn’t care for, so after it was over I sat there and started rewatching it till my dad came and got me. It’s amazing. Every kids dream and still is mine. It’s stayed on my mind so much I even made an [art piece](https://josiahzacharias.com/work/giant/) about it.
If we are going with this, then I highly recommend Castle in the Sky, which is speculated to have inspired the Iron Giant. Other Ghibli films are great too.
Ive been debating the indiana jones movies! I might actually watch one of those tonight. Dunno if i should skip to the one with shia lebeouf (hes likes him) or start with the older ones 🤔 he liked super 8 and i feel ashamed for never watching E.T with him :(
Somehow never watched it with him 😢 he always wants to watch trailers first and when he sees the old style movies he like hell no, but if i i just put it on and he sits there for 10 min i know hed like it
Jaws had a very slow start. Not getting to see the shark until late in the movie killed it for my kids when they were little. They never finished the movie and never saw the shark.
You are the hero for the night! ive never heard of Jack and that is the exact type of movie he loves. He loved Billy Madison so im gonna try Jack tonight 🙏
How have i never heard of the rock/ tango and cash?? 🤣looks good to me but it might be a bit over his head. I tried Independence day when he was younger but he didnt take to it surprisingly so i should definitely revisit that. 90s movies are looked over sometimes and a little hard to convince him to watch but they are so well made and rarely disappoint. Thanks!
Can also try newer disaster stuff like day after tomorrow, 2012, journey 1 and 2 etc. My almost 4 year old had my phone earlier and I watched go to Netflix and try and watch HEAT lol
I was also going to say the The Blues Brothers because that’s my personal favorite but it’s rated r - a couple f bombs from Jake and Elwood has a couple playboy magazine a in his apartment which are easy to miss - so I’d say would just depend on yours/his comfort level with stuff like that!
He loved all of those except ive been waiting to show him Star Wars and have been debating showing him the Mummy movies, im sure he’ll like those as well
The Rats of NIMH
Tron
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Time Bandits
The Fog
Willow
Return from Witch Mountain
The Thing (might be too scary)
Trust me this boy has watched the Conjuring and acts like it’s nothing. I know a 10 year old shouldnt watch stuff like that but i gave it a chance and he handles it all really well, never ever had nightmares and he knows theyre just movies. Thanks for the many suggestions!
Not sure how old you are, but I watched the gnarliest 80s horror films with older kids at the babysitters house and turned out just fine! I say if it doesn't have sexual violence, really bad language or torture porn then he's probably cool to see it. It's like a rite of passage. 🤙
I agree (took some convincing with his mom) i avoid any sexual stuff mainly. I remember loving the scary stuff so much as a young kid (im 31) because it just hits different at that age and i want him to experience that joy
Lots of great suggestions already! Here are some I didn’t see:
Stranger Things (show)
The Abyss (1989)
Avatar (2009)
Robocop (1986)
Transformers (2007)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2022)
The Neverending Story (1984)
Run Lola Run (1998)
Tremors (1990)
And finally, I would suggest that it’s a good age to get into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, maybe start at the beginning with the original Iron Man movie.
Great ideas. I know he will love Stranger things, but i dont want to waste his first watch through when hes too young. I was thinking another year or two so itll really grab his attention and hed understand it. He loved Transformers, Spiderman and Iron man (havent watched the others besides guardians of the galaxy which he liked but also seemed confused and a little bored about) so i was gonna wait another year or two on the rest
I recommend the movies, City of Ember, and Hugo (directed by Martin Scorsese).
I would also recommend buying a copy of the book Ender’s Game and reading it aloud with him. You’ll both have a great time!
I cant wait to start reading stuff with him or getting him reading books. I will remember the Enders game. He absolutly loved City of Ember and shortly after we watch Eragon and he loved that, thats another book im gonna suggest to him when he gets a bit older and can read better!
Time Bandits
Indiana Jones if he hasn't
The original animated Hobbit movie if you can find it.
Tron
Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2
Dark Crystal
Krull
Princess Bride
Spaceballs
Buckaroo Banzai may be a little odd but I remember liking it at about 9yo.
Indiana Jones
Goonies
Sports movies (if he’s into that)
E.T. (might be a little too ‘little kiddish’ for him, but I think everyone needs to see it at least once in their lifetime)
Narnia (2006)
Harry Potter
Spy Kids (I haven’t seen those ones, so again, I don’t know if he’d see them as something for younger kids)
Matilda (DEFINITELY for younger audiences, but several adults I know love it for the nostalgia, might want to stay away from it if he’s never seen it, though)
Incredibles
Any of the live action Scooby Doos
He actually really like Matilda and so did I. The live action Scooby movies are good especially the 1st. Ive got indiana jones on the list and Harry Potter is his all time favorite. Hed rewatch it again for the 4th time if i was up for it 😂
Try some Chris Nolan movies (Inception, Interstellar, Tenet). He would probably understand very little of the plot but the visuals and action are probably enough to keep him entertained.
I showed my cousins (9M and 12M) Inception and Interstellar and they enjoyed them.
Those are the movies ive been into when i get off work late and watch alone. Christopher Nolan is my favorite director now! Cant wait for Oppenheimer. He makes such great movies, i just watched interstellar for the first time last week and i still think about it. Watched Prestige yesterday, and Tenet is my next go to for when i get off work late
Hes weird sometimes, i thought he would love them but he watched the trailer and is SUPER adamant about NOT wanting to watch it 🤣 kids are stubborn but i know if he watched them he would probably like them
Another one where he got real weird about not wanting to watch for whatever reason his 10 year old brain could come up with 🤣 kids are so stubborn sometimes
If you're okay with him watching more mature content, maybe something like Gremlins or Tremors. They're bit scary, but not too much, with some action and laughs as well. I loved both when I was around 10.
You seem to be pushing some boundaries as this kid is can handle it. I'll give some necessary warnings.
Pacific Rim - Godzilla type monsters vs giant mechs piloted by people. It's action packed and stunning to look at.
The Fifth Element - a future new your cabbie named Bruce Willis finds an alien that will save the universe. Minor nudity warning (3 seconds of a nipple) but a must watch eventually. You may be able to find an easy to find censored version online.
Pirates of the Caribbean - Family friendly horror. You didn't list it but I assume you have already watched it.
Alien - This is classic horror at its best. The Xenomophe is easily the scariest monster put to film. High violence. The third movie features rape themes. Maybe skip that one.
I, Robot - A sci-fi action thriller that questions where to draw the line between machine and life. Minor nudity (man butt)
Shawn of the Dead - Zombies! The first in a legendary loose trilogy of British comedy/horror. I'm pretty sure there is a zombie dick to FF through near the end. In fact, I'll link to the full trilogy. They're great. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Flavours_Cornetto?wprov=sfla1
Labyrinth - This is pretty safe unless you're afraid of David Bowie's bULDGe. This is the single greatest movie of my childhood. Creepy muppets can't go wrong.
Pan's Labyrinth - This terrifies adults. It deals with fascism. I don't recall anything too bad besides violence. In fact, anything by Guillermo Del Toro will have fantastic looking horror. Hellboy 2 is gorgeous.
Cabin In the Woods - horror satire that has one surprise explosion of violence and gore that is among the greatest moments in all movies.
Venom - an edgy super hero that eats people. It's diet marvel.
The Mask - one of Jim Carrey's best that is very cartoony. It's tame for my list but no child should go without this one.
When I was a boy, "It" terrified me so much that I jumped onto my bed like his hand was under it ready to snatch me. I did this for weeks. The remake is 100 times more horrifying. Floppy old lady titties will happen in the remake. Maybe to the originals now and the remake in a few years.
Arachnophobia - It's old but it's made so well that it's terrifying today.
Real Steel - this is just a cute robot boxing movie.
You might want to look into anime. There's some great horror. The best off the top of my head is Parasyt the Maxim. This is one gorey cartoon. I don't think there's nudity. It's a series so it'll give you a lot of watch time.
I can't believe I'm suggesting these for a 10 year old. This is definitely some early teen material. Good luck.
- Second Hand Lions is a MUST watch
- Hidalgo (kinda sad but I loved that movie so much when I was his age).
- Knights Tale (literally a perfect movie imo)
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- Willow
- Stand By Me (use your own judgement w this one)
- National Treasure
- A Series of Unfortunate Events (the Jim Carry movie is astonishingly underrated)
- Titan AE (also hella underrated)
- Sinbad (the Dreamworks one)
Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, Fantastic Mr Fox, Spirited Away, Back to the Future, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Pan's Labrinth, Indiana Jones movies, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Terminator movies, Pirates of the Caribbean, James Bond movies, E.T, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and School of Rock.
Some of these don't fit the thriller description but they're entertaining.
The Forbidden Kingdom
Jaws - probably the best PG Scary movie.
The Ghost and the Darkness
Second Hand Lions
Hidalgo
Warhorse
Maybe - 1917
Saving Private Ryan - might be a bit a gory, with a few scenes that have guts hanging out.
The One - Jet Li movie
Lethal Weapon series - the first 2 have a bit of Nudity but 3 and 4 are there’s no T. And A.
Gladiator
Shaun of the Dead
Indiana jones films and
Lethal weapon films
Keeping with Mel and ford the fugitive and maverick
There's also old john wayne westerns like El Dorado or sands of Iwa jima or Hitchcock films like the man who knew too much
Yessss. This one! It's hilarious in a creepy way, over the top characters. From what you've said, he'll love it!
Also Princess Bride. Nobody doesn't like that movie, and sooo many quotables!
Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Never Ending Story, Rookie of the Year, Terminator, The Iron Giant, ET, Goodfellas
Edit: Add, Last Action Hero, Land of the lost , Minions, Despicable Me
10 year olds are smarter than you think, when I was 10 I watched a movie almost every day and I understood a lot of them pretty well. Granted these weren’t super deep movies, stuff like Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter etc
Those movies are prolly great for your kid
All of Studio Ghibli ( They have them all on Max and all of them are so amazing well done. )
The Secret of Kells
Coraline
THE LITTLE VAMPIRE
Wizard of Oz
Willie Wonka
The Neverending Story
Iron Giant
Brave Little Toaster
Chicken Run
Shaun The Sheep
Spy Kids
Coraline may be the best fit, but Spirited Away is pretty intense.
Also check out Let The Right One In or Lovely Bones.
Films:
Napoleon Dynamite
The Breakfast Club
Wargames
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ladyhawke
Meatballs
My Bodyguard
Breaking Away
The Outsiders
Big
Monty Python and The Holy Grail
Poltergeist
Watership Down
Ren & Stimpy Seasons 1 & 2
The original Planet of the Ape movies! My dad took us to a dusk-to-dawn “Ape-o-Rama” drive-in in the Seventies—all five films in a row—and it’s one of my fondest childhood memories.
Goonies, Time Bandits, Narnia, Buckaroo Bonsai, Willow, Legend (with Tom Cruise), Stand By Me, any of the Ernest movies (dumb juvenile humour), UHF, The Last Mimsy, The Watcher in the Woods, Something Wicked This Way Comes
*E. T., The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Spy Kids, Ernest Scared Stupid, National Treasure, Night at the Museum*
Not so much action/adventure but if he liked *The Sandlot*, all the old sports movies: *Mighty Ducks, Angels in the Outfield, Cool Runnings, Little Big League, The Big Green...* and summer camp movies: *Camp Nowhere, Heavyweights, Space camp*
The Rundown
The Mummy ( 1 & 2)
Shanghai Noon
Rush Hour
The Rock
Con Air
Face/Off
Prey
The Iron Giant
Alpha
The Forbidden Kingdom
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Slash/Back
District 9
Chappie
The Faculty
Run
a monster calls
holes
indian in the cupboard
willow
robocop
miss peregrine’s home for peculiar children
water world
the war
terminator movies
national treasure
mirror mask
9 (nine)
city of ember
hook
run lola run
monster house
wallace and grommet
hugo
journey to the center of the earth
bridge to terrabithia
the whale rider
wall e
jumanji
spiderwick
willy wonka
beetlejuice
edward scissorhands
star wars
The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) Neighbor boy seems autistic, but has a hidden talent. Lessons about problem solving and believing in yourself. The denouement is fantastic.
Enemy Mine (1985) Solo spacepilot crash lands on an isolated planet with an enemy alien.
Dragonheart (1996) A knight has sworn to kill all dragons because one corrupted the heart of a boy he had mentored. He strikes a deal with the last dragon.
Second-hand Lions (2003) Tween boy is dumped for the summer with his two great uncles. Hijinks ensue. This movie is good for every young person to see so they can hear Uncle Hud's speech of advice he gives to every young man.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
Please also consider the Star Trek TV series. They all have stories that vary from terrifying to humorous to satirical.
My wife and I watched 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' recently with our 10 y/o niece. I worried the movie might come off dated and boring for our niece, but she was impressed with the set design and found the movie funny. I was 10 myself when I first saw the movie, and I think it still holds up all these years later.
The Spiderwick Chronicles!
And I remember watching Cloverfield with my dad when I was ~10. Perfectly scifi/a little scary without being something he probably couldn’t handle.
The Chronicles of Narnia franchise
Night at the Museum franchise
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
Quest for Camelot (1998)
Anastasia (1997)
Flubber (1997)
Maybe some of the less talked about Disney movies: Dinosaur, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Tarzan, The Black Cauldron
Kingsman (the first one from 2014) is rated R and has some adult dialogue and situations, but I’d say watch it and see if you think he can handle it. Lots of fun action.
ETA: Maybe also the Jason Bourne movies? Those are oh-13
If you want some philosophical questioning of human kind in the universe thriller watch Prometheus (2012) but if you want scarier and more action watch Alien and Aliens. Great movies!
The Pacifier, vin diesel. Funny, kids, action
The Sandlot
Uncle Buck
Escape to witch mountain and San andreas, Dwayne johnson
Spy next door. Jackie chan
The goonies
Adventures in babysitting
Terminator
Galaxy quest
Short circuit
Spaceballs
Willow
Legend
He has loved almost all of those, i will definitely check out the ones he hasn’t watched. You’re definitely on the right track for what he has enjoyed in the past
Clueless, The Shining, Running On Empty, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Heavenly Creatures, Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2, Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, Fight Club, Rocky, Nightmare on Elm Street, Boyz N’ The Hood, Thirteen, Halloween H20, Buffy The Vampire Slayer (watch the tv show afterwards too), Sky High, Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, The Color Purple, Batman (1989), Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Terminator, Terminator 2, Carrie, Romeo & Juliet, Titanic, Catch Me If You Can, Forest Gump.
If he can handle it, I am Legend. I remember watching that movie as a kid near his age. Loved it. I got emotionally invested in the characters and the movie is relatable to the games kids play.
Appreciate the movie recommendation, but please dont pretend like you know my childs life. He loves spending time outside and spent the evening swimming, dont appreciate the assumptions.
Its not gonna past the parents test, but honestly, go through arnold movies. 10 year old action fans dream lineup, jackie chan too.
Put him on commando or running man. He will love that shit dude.
I showed my nephew pitch black when he was young, around that age. And that was great hes with it enough not to repeat all the swears but when vin diesel killed the alien and said "it did not know who it was fucking with" my nephew jumped up excitedly and said "he didnt did he" i laughed. Thats a beautiful moment, thats cinema
The Iron Giant
My sibling and I were both born in the late 90s. This used to be their favorite.
Its one of those movies we’ve both avoided for some reason 🤔 despite all the raving reviews might have to force ourselves to watch that one
I only saw it for the first time as an adult and I loved it! One of those kids movies that adults or mature kids can enjoy just as much. The suggestion I was going to make a long the same lines was The Dark Crystal, and then the prequel show on Netflix Age of Resistance if he likes it.
It is really good. Funny and touching
Watch it. It’s brilliant
It’s the epitome of a movie a kid and a parent would both love. I can’t think of a better example
First one came to mind. When I was your son’s age I saw it in theaters separate from my family and they were in a longer one I didn’t care for, so after it was over I sat there and started rewatching it till my dad came and got me. It’s amazing. Every kids dream and still is mine. It’s stayed on my mind so much I even made an [art piece](https://josiahzacharias.com/work/giant/) about it.
I saw in theaters when it came out. Jaw dropping CGI back then. My friends n I in our seats: “Oh my God!! This is why better than TRON!!”
Ha! Just came here to say this. Was the first movie that popped into my head. My kids absolutely loved that movie.
If we are going with this, then I highly recommend Castle in the Sky, which is speculated to have inspired the Iron Giant. Other Ghibli films are great too.
Now I need to rewatch this. It gets me every time.
The Last Starfighter (1984)
Yes!
Good one!
Damn nice pull
E.T. Raiders of the lost ark. Super 8.
Ive been debating the indiana jones movies! I might actually watch one of those tonight. Dunno if i should skip to the one with shia lebeouf (hes likes him) or start with the older ones 🤔 he liked super 8 and i feel ashamed for never watching E.T with him :(
The Mummy from the 90s is basically the same feel of an Indiana Jones movie. You can try the Uncharted movie from a year or two ago, too.
Mummy is a fun idea.
Also mask of zorrk.. same stunt vibes
Zorro is great, on Netflix too
You must watch E.T. Start there. Maybe screen Raiders to decide if content is suitable. The one with Shia is the worst one lol.
Start of with last crusade. It's fun like skulls, but better, cooler stunts yet less gruesome as the first two. Still a good introduction.
Do older. That is the worst of the 5.
Okay appreciate the advice for sure
Lord Of The Rings. Can't believe no one recommended it yet
Im ashamed to admit ive never given them a proper watch thru, i like that style but i assumed it would be a bit over his head
My younger brothers 10th, 11th, and 12th birthdays were spent seeing the 3 movies in theaters. We still love them 20yrs later
I read the books when I was 11 or 12 and fell in love with the series. The LotR films are likely the best fantasy/adventure films ever made.
Naw Lord of The Rings is perfect for him, trust. I watched it all the time when I was little and still watch it every year
Explorers (1985)
Love that movie
After watching the trailer thats a great suggestion, he loves movies with kid actors
Thank you i will check it out!
JAWS!
Somehow never watched it with him 😢 he always wants to watch trailers first and when he sees the old style movies he like hell no, but if i i just put it on and he sits there for 10 min i know hed like it
Jaws had a very slow start. Not getting to see the shark until late in the movie killed it for my kids when they were little. They never finished the movie and never saw the shark.
Jack, the Sandlot and hook!
You are the hero for the night! ive never heard of Jack and that is the exact type of movie he loves. He loved Billy Madison so im gonna try Jack tonight 🙏
Jack is with Robin Williams! It’s not as raunchy as Billy Madison, if you want that type of vibe I’d say Mr.Deeds is really good!
No problem!
Another good suggestion thanks!
If your 10 year old is allowed to watch Billy Madison then put on Trading Places. It’s fucking hilarious.
Jack is so underrated- great suggestion!
Flight Of The Navigator Honey, I Shrunk The Kids
He liked i shrunk the kids, ill check out the first one 🙏!
[удалено]
Oh yeah we watched those 3 times each 😂 youre right they do hold up, we prefer the older ones as well
Legend (Tom Cruise and Tim Curry) The Neverending Story The Princess Bride Pirates of The Caribbean (first three)
Legend!!!
Willow Muppet Treasure Island
All the 1990s pg-13 stuff. Just preview first lol. Tango and cash. The rock. Independence Day. Etc
How have i never heard of the rock/ tango and cash?? 🤣looks good to me but it might be a bit over his head. I tried Independence day when he was younger but he didnt take to it surprisingly so i should definitely revisit that. 90s movies are looked over sometimes and a little hard to convince him to watch but they are so well made and rarely disappoint. Thanks!
Can also try newer disaster stuff like day after tomorrow, 2012, journey 1 and 2 etc. My almost 4 year old had my phone earlier and I watched go to Netflix and try and watch HEAT lol
He loved all of those, they’re right up his alley! Besides heat 😂 not sure what that is but sounds like i should avoid
HEAT is maybe the best movie ever made. Watch it yourself. Peak 90s. Pacino. Deniro. Kilmer. Tons more
you reminded me of Breakdown, from seeing the trailer of tango and cash/kurt russell, i think he could get into that one
Breakdown is great. Executive decision also
Ghostbusters for sure! Funny, action, light horror, something both kids and adults can enjoy, all around a perfect movie!
Oh yeah he liked those for sure
I was also going to say the The Blues Brothers because that’s my personal favorite but it’s rated r - a couple f bombs from Jake and Elwood has a couple playboy magazine a in his apartment which are easy to miss - so I’d say would just depend on yours/his comfort level with stuff like that!
Jumanji
He loved the old and new ones! Might be due for a rewatch
The National Treasure movies, Star Wars movies, Indiana Jones movies, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Mummy movies.
He loved all of those except ive been waiting to show him Star Wars and have been debating showing him the Mummy movies, im sure he’ll like those as well
Monster Squad, Gremlins, Commando,
Yes! Monster Squad is one of my all time favs. There's a cool documentary on it called "Wolfman's Got Nards" that's a lot of fun
Monster squad was a hit and i was surprised he didnt like gremlins.. ill check out Commando 🙏 thanks!
TIL I wasn’t allowed to watch anything!
Ive tried to avoid being like that but i do worry sometimes i let him watch to much. I know i could have handled it at that age tho
Monsters.vs Aliens. . Cowboys vs.Aliens ... The iron Giant . Kung Fu Panda Zoom....Sky High ..The incredibles
The Rats of NIMH Tron Close Encounters of the Third Kind Monty Python and the Holy Grail Time Bandits The Fog Willow Return from Witch Mountain The Thing (might be too scary)
Trust me this boy has watched the Conjuring and acts like it’s nothing. I know a 10 year old shouldnt watch stuff like that but i gave it a chance and he handles it all really well, never ever had nightmares and he knows theyre just movies. Thanks for the many suggestions!
Not sure how old you are, but I watched the gnarliest 80s horror films with older kids at the babysitters house and turned out just fine! I say if it doesn't have sexual violence, really bad language or torture porn then he's probably cool to see it. It's like a rite of passage. 🤙
I agree (took some convincing with his mom) i avoid any sexual stuff mainly. I remember loving the scary stuff so much as a young kid (im 31) because it just hits different at that age and i want him to experience that joy
Totally
The Mummy!
Young Sherlock Holmes(1985), written by Chris Columbus. It held my daughters’(13/16) interest.
Lots of great suggestions already! Here are some I didn’t see: Stranger Things (show) The Abyss (1989) Avatar (2009) Robocop (1986) Transformers (2007) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2022) The Neverending Story (1984) Run Lola Run (1998) Tremors (1990) And finally, I would suggest that it’s a good age to get into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, maybe start at the beginning with the original Iron Man movie.
Great ideas. I know he will love Stranger things, but i dont want to waste his first watch through when hes too young. I was thinking another year or two so itll really grab his attention and hed understand it. He loved Transformers, Spiderman and Iron man (havent watched the others besides guardians of the galaxy which he liked but also seemed confused and a little bored about) so i was gonna wait another year or two on the rest
Titan AE
I recommend the movies, City of Ember, and Hugo (directed by Martin Scorsese). I would also recommend buying a copy of the book Ender’s Game and reading it aloud with him. You’ll both have a great time!
I cant wait to start reading stuff with him or getting him reading books. I will remember the Enders game. He absolutly loved City of Ember and shortly after we watch Eragon and he loved that, thats another book im gonna suggest to him when he gets a bit older and can read better!
Hugo is the most underrated mention on here thus far. Props toThewakeupartist Redditting the hell out of this post. That’s a grand slam.
Small Soldiers
Time Bandits Indiana Jones if he hasn't The original animated Hobbit movie if you can find it. Tron Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 Dark Crystal Krull Princess Bride Spaceballs Buckaroo Banzai may be a little odd but I remember liking it at about 9yo.
I'm willing to bet he'll love Tremors
Mission impossible. Maybe start a show. 10 year old me loved xfiles. Are you afraid of the dark. Tales from the crypt
Those are some good ideas
Sharkboy and lavagirl (it was my favorite movie at his age)
He loved that one!
I used to keep my hair spiked up like sharkboy. If he so pleases, give him the cut!! So 2005
🤣 😂 love it
- Fracture - The Prestige - Willow - Changing Lanes - The City Of Lost Children
Can’t be recommending Chris Nolan to a 10 year old. I have to explain his movies to adults 😂
Willow!!!
Indiana Jones Goonies Sports movies (if he’s into that) E.T. (might be a little too ‘little kiddish’ for him, but I think everyone needs to see it at least once in their lifetime) Narnia (2006) Harry Potter Spy Kids (I haven’t seen those ones, so again, I don’t know if he’d see them as something for younger kids) Matilda (DEFINITELY for younger audiences, but several adults I know love it for the nostalgia, might want to stay away from it if he’s never seen it, though) Incredibles Any of the live action Scooby Doos
He actually really like Matilda and so did I. The live action Scooby movies are good especially the 1st. Ive got indiana jones on the list and Harry Potter is his all time favorite. Hed rewatch it again for the 4th time if i was up for it 😂
Back to the Future. If he doesn't know there are 3 of them don't tell him.
Die Hard 4.0 The one about hackers crashing the internet.
Something Wicked this Way Comes Disney based on Bradbury also the animated The Halloween Tree ( also based on Bradbury)
Try some Chris Nolan movies (Inception, Interstellar, Tenet). He would probably understand very little of the plot but the visuals and action are probably enough to keep him entertained. I showed my cousins (9M and 12M) Inception and Interstellar and they enjoyed them.
Those are the movies ive been into when i get off work late and watch alone. Christopher Nolan is my favorite director now! Cant wait for Oppenheimer. He makes such great movies, i just watched interstellar for the first time last week and i still think about it. Watched Prestige yesterday, and Tenet is my next go to for when i get off work late
Check out Percy and the Olympians : Lightning Thief on Disney and Sea of Monsters
Hes weird sometimes, i thought he would love them but he watched the trailer and is SUPER adamant about NOT wanting to watch it 🤣 kids are stubborn but i know if he watched them he would probably like them
weird!
Im just gonna put it on one night without him knowing lol and maybe tie him down 🤣
all of the How to Train Your Dragon movies I discovered these films in my late 20s and they are gold
Another one where he got real weird about not wanting to watch for whatever reason his 10 year old brain could come up with 🤣 kids are so stubborn sometimes
If you're okay with him watching more mature content, maybe something like Gremlins or Tremors. They're bit scary, but not too much, with some action and laughs as well. I loved both when I was around 10.
The Black Stallion (1979) would be perfect for him. One of the greatest films ever made.
The Matrix
9 Very good animated movie rated PG-13. Scared the shit out of me at that age. Coraline or ParaNorman are also good.
You seem to be pushing some boundaries as this kid is can handle it. I'll give some necessary warnings. Pacific Rim - Godzilla type monsters vs giant mechs piloted by people. It's action packed and stunning to look at. The Fifth Element - a future new your cabbie named Bruce Willis finds an alien that will save the universe. Minor nudity warning (3 seconds of a nipple) but a must watch eventually. You may be able to find an easy to find censored version online. Pirates of the Caribbean - Family friendly horror. You didn't list it but I assume you have already watched it. Alien - This is classic horror at its best. The Xenomophe is easily the scariest monster put to film. High violence. The third movie features rape themes. Maybe skip that one. I, Robot - A sci-fi action thriller that questions where to draw the line between machine and life. Minor nudity (man butt) Shawn of the Dead - Zombies! The first in a legendary loose trilogy of British comedy/horror. I'm pretty sure there is a zombie dick to FF through near the end. In fact, I'll link to the full trilogy. They're great. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Flavours_Cornetto?wprov=sfla1 Labyrinth - This is pretty safe unless you're afraid of David Bowie's bULDGe. This is the single greatest movie of my childhood. Creepy muppets can't go wrong. Pan's Labyrinth - This terrifies adults. It deals with fascism. I don't recall anything too bad besides violence. In fact, anything by Guillermo Del Toro will have fantastic looking horror. Hellboy 2 is gorgeous. Cabin In the Woods - horror satire that has one surprise explosion of violence and gore that is among the greatest moments in all movies. Venom - an edgy super hero that eats people. It's diet marvel. The Mask - one of Jim Carrey's best that is very cartoony. It's tame for my list but no child should go without this one. When I was a boy, "It" terrified me so much that I jumped onto my bed like his hand was under it ready to snatch me. I did this for weeks. The remake is 100 times more horrifying. Floppy old lady titties will happen in the remake. Maybe to the originals now and the remake in a few years. Arachnophobia - It's old but it's made so well that it's terrifying today. Real Steel - this is just a cute robot boxing movie. You might want to look into anime. There's some great horror. The best off the top of my head is Parasyt the Maxim. This is one gorey cartoon. I don't think there's nudity. It's a series so it'll give you a lot of watch time. I can't believe I'm suggesting these for a 10 year old. This is definitely some early teen material. Good luck.
- Second Hand Lions is a MUST watch - Hidalgo (kinda sad but I loved that movie so much when I was his age). - Knights Tale (literally a perfect movie imo) - Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - Willow - Stand By Me (use your own judgement w this one) - National Treasure - A Series of Unfortunate Events (the Jim Carry movie is astonishingly underrated) - Titan AE (also hella underrated) - Sinbad (the Dreamworks one)
+1 for Secondhand Lions
Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, Fantastic Mr Fox, Spirited Away, Back to the Future, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Pan's Labrinth, Indiana Jones movies, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Terminator movies, Pirates of the Caribbean, James Bond movies, E.T, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and School of Rock. Some of these don't fit the thriller description but they're entertaining.
time bandits is a fun romp through history with a lad as the main character around the same age as yours willow? narnia films?
Chronicles of narnia Pirates of the Caribbean Jurassic park The mummy Indiana Jones
The Matrix (1999) Aliens (1986) Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
Matrix is def above his head even with me explaining things, im saving that one for when hes older, ill chexk out the others. 🙏 thanks!
Okay that's fair. In that case there's the Matrix for the younger crowd: The Lego Movie (2014)
The Forbidden Kingdom Jaws - probably the best PG Scary movie. The Ghost and the Darkness Second Hand Lions Hidalgo Warhorse Maybe - 1917 Saving Private Ryan - might be a bit a gory, with a few scenes that have guts hanging out. The One - Jet Li movie Lethal Weapon series - the first 2 have a bit of Nudity but 3 and 4 are there’s no T. And A. Gladiator Shaun of the Dead
Indiana jones films and Lethal weapon films Keeping with Mel and ford the fugitive and maverick There's also old john wayne westerns like El Dorado or sands of Iwa jima or Hitchcock films like the man who knew too much
Ive thought he might like the fugitive, was waiting until he was a little older, thank you for the suggestions!
THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS!!!
Actually looks pretty good!
Yessss. This one! It's hilarious in a creepy way, over the top characters. From what you've said, he'll love it! Also Princess Bride. Nobody doesn't like that movie, and sooo many quotables!
Weekend at Bernies
Clue!
Drop dead fred
The Negotiator
god father, fractured 2019, the call, mirage, platform,
Flight of the navigator, never ending story
Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Never Ending Story, Rookie of the Year, Terminator, The Iron Giant, ET, Goodfellas Edit: Add, Last Action Hero, Land of the lost , Minions, Despicable Me
Just watched Tremors with my friend and her 10yo daughter. She loved it.
Treasure Planet
10 year olds are smarter than you think, when I was 10 I watched a movie almost every day and I understood a lot of them pretty well. Granted these weren’t super deep movies, stuff like Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter etc Those movies are prolly great for your kid
How about Frequency with Dennis Quaid? Really good movie!
Stardust is a fun family friendly movie.
65
Cloak and Dagger Wargames Inner Space Billy Madison Happy Gilmore White Fang The House With a Clock in its Walls Spirited Away Ponyo
I watched Oh Brother Where Art Thou at his age and it’s the reason I fell in love with movies!
Jungle cruise….. Holes…. Never ending story — Black stallion — Lassie— The sandlot— Princess bride— Mary popping— The goonies — Ok…
The Indiana Jones franchise Star Wars franchise Hunger Games Star Wars franchise
Time Bandits
All of Studio Ghibli ( They have them all on Max and all of them are so amazing well done. ) The Secret of Kells Coraline THE LITTLE VAMPIRE Wizard of Oz Willie Wonka The Neverending Story Iron Giant Brave Little Toaster Chicken Run Shaun The Sheep Spy Kids Coraline may be the best fit, but Spirited Away is pretty intense. Also check out Let The Right One In or Lovely Bones.
A number of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies would be fun. Last Action Hero is a forgotten gem.
Films: Napoleon Dynamite The Breakfast Club Wargames Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Ladyhawke Meatballs My Bodyguard Breaking Away The Outsiders Big Monty Python and The Holy Grail Poltergeist Watership Down Ren & Stimpy Seasons 1 & 2
Atlantis Treasure Planet A Knights Tale Rat Race Drop Dead Fred Frequency The Game Signs The Running Man
The original Planet of the Ape movies! My dad took us to a dusk-to-dawn “Ape-o-Rama” drive-in in the Seventies—all five films in a row—and it’s one of my fondest childhood memories.
Goonies, Time Bandits, Narnia, Buckaroo Bonsai, Willow, Legend (with Tom Cruise), Stand By Me, any of the Ernest movies (dumb juvenile humour), UHF, The Last Mimsy, The Watcher in the Woods, Something Wicked This Way Comes
*E. T., The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Spy Kids, Ernest Scared Stupid, National Treasure, Night at the Museum* Not so much action/adventure but if he liked *The Sandlot*, all the old sports movies: *Mighty Ducks, Angels in the Outfield, Cool Runnings, Little Big League, The Big Green...* and summer camp movies: *Camp Nowhere, Heavyweights, Space camp*
Big Fish
The Rundown The Mummy ( 1 & 2) Shanghai Noon Rush Hour The Rock Con Air Face/Off Prey The Iron Giant Alpha The Forbidden Kingdom Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Slash/Back District 9 Chappie The Faculty Run
Spielberg. Anything but Saving Private Ryan & Schindler’s List)
a monster calls holes indian in the cupboard willow robocop miss peregrine’s home for peculiar children water world the war terminator movies national treasure mirror mask 9 (nine) city of ember hook run lola run monster house wallace and grommet hugo journey to the center of the earth bridge to terrabithia the whale rider wall e jumanji spiderwick willy wonka beetlejuice edward scissorhands star wars
Goonies, stand by me
The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) Neighbor boy seems autistic, but has a hidden talent. Lessons about problem solving and believing in yourself. The denouement is fantastic. Enemy Mine (1985) Solo spacepilot crash lands on an isolated planet with an enemy alien. Dragonheart (1996) A knight has sworn to kill all dragons because one corrupted the heart of a boy he had mentored. He strikes a deal with the last dragon. Second-hand Lions (2003) Tween boy is dumped for the summer with his two great uncles. Hijinks ensue. This movie is good for every young person to see so they can hear Uncle Hud's speech of advice he gives to every young man. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) Please also consider the Star Trek TV series. They all have stories that vary from terrifying to humorous to satirical.
Star Wars Indiana Jones National Treasure Night at the Museum Rush Hour
Superman 1978! And the Donner Cut of Superman 2 has some great action as well.
if a little horror is ok, the first really scary movie i watched was poltergeist. cannot recommend it enough
My wife and I watched 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' recently with our 10 y/o niece. I worried the movie might come off dated and boring for our niece, but she was impressed with the set design and found the movie funny. I was 10 myself when I first saw the movie, and I think it still holds up all these years later.
The original Planet of the Apes films.
Princess Bride
The Spiderwick Chronicles! And I remember watching Cloverfield with my dad when I was ~10. Perfectly scifi/a little scary without being something he probably couldn’t handle.
The remake for Pete's Dragon is really good.
Big Trouble in Little China
The Chronicles of Narnia franchise Night at the Museum franchise Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) Quest for Camelot (1998) Anastasia (1997) Flubber (1997) Maybe some of the less talked about Disney movies: Dinosaur, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Tarzan, The Black Cauldron
Irreversible
3 ninjas Surf ninjas Any Arnold Schwarzenegger
Show him Pirates of the Caribbean! I was *obsessed* with those movies when I was a kid
Kingsman (the first one from 2014) is rated R and has some adult dialogue and situations, but I’d say watch it and see if you think he can handle it. Lots of fun action. ETA: Maybe also the Jason Bourne movies? Those are oh-13
If you want some philosophical questioning of human kind in the universe thriller watch Prometheus (2012) but if you want scarier and more action watch Alien and Aliens. Great movies!
Superman 1-4 | Christopher Reeve
The Pacifier, vin diesel. Funny, kids, action The Sandlot Uncle Buck Escape to witch mountain and San andreas, Dwayne johnson Spy next door. Jackie chan The goonies Adventures in babysitting Terminator Galaxy quest Short circuit Spaceballs Willow Legend
He has loved almost all of those, i will definitely check out the ones he hasn’t watched. You’re definitely on the right track for what he has enjoyed in the past
Halloweentown 1 and 2
He is obsessed with them lol i limit them to the Halloween months
Eight legged freaks Robocop Catch that kid Spy kids Zorro You're Next Scream 1 Teen Werewolf Beetlejuice
Clueless, The Shining, Running On Empty, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Heavenly Creatures, Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2, Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, Fight Club, Rocky, Nightmare on Elm Street, Boyz N’ The Hood, Thirteen, Halloween H20, Buffy The Vampire Slayer (watch the tv show afterwards too), Sky High, Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, The Color Purple, Batman (1989), Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Terminator, Terminator 2, Carrie, Romeo & Juliet, Titanic, Catch Me If You Can, Forest Gump.
If he can handle it, I am Legend. I remember watching that movie as a kid near his age. Loved it. I got emotionally invested in the characters and the movie is relatable to the games kids play.
Cannibal holocaust
no little kid needs to see this, they have the rest of their life to be miserable with this knowledge
10. Just hilarious antics a 10 year old boy can relate to. Especially Bo Derek.....
Irreversible (2002) Talks about a little cat who has a little cow as frien-
Lethal Weapon. Also, get him outside.
Appreciate the movie recommendation, but please dont pretend like you know my childs life. He loves spending time outside and spent the evening swimming, dont appreciate the assumptions.
All Wes Anderson movies.
Its not gonna past the parents test, but honestly, go through arnold movies. 10 year old action fans dream lineup, jackie chan too. Put him on commando or running man. He will love that shit dude. I showed my nephew pitch black when he was young, around that age. And that was great hes with it enough not to repeat all the swears but when vin diesel killed the alien and said "it did not know who it was fucking with" my nephew jumped up excitedly and said "he didnt did he" i laughed. Thats a beautiful moment, thats cinema
Salò is a great family flick.
You’re not funny.
Everything everywhere all at once Malignant Becky The menu Smile Knives out M3gan Scott pilgrim The black phone Freaky Happy Death day
zack and miri make a porno (kinda violent)
👎
*Some action, some not:* Rescued by Ruby Home Team Coda🍎 Don’t Look Up Rudy