Watching movies with your kids can be a good way to keep them occupied, but movies can also be a great conversation starter—and not just about the plots, but about the messages they convey, whether overt or subtle. This is especially important when you’re watching older films with language or narrative elements that haven’t aged particularly well (or worse).
Here are 11 examples of family films that watchable enough on one level, but which contain plot or thematic elements that many will find troubling or problematic when viewed through the lens of modern sensibilities. That isn’t to say they are devoid of value (entertainment or otherwise), but to note that watching them together can spark a constructive dialogue between you and your kids. (Except for Song of the South; that one is probably best left buried.)
Return to Oz (1985)
There’s a reason the 1939 adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has endured for decades: Despite its dark undertones, evil villain, and those terrifying flying monkeys, it’s a technicolor delight filled with themes of family, hope, and friendship. Based on the second and third books in the Oz series, Return to Oz is a bizarre pseudo-sequel to the classic musical fantasy that’s gloomy in both look and tone, upsetting many parents who didn’t realize the film would be pure nightmare fuel for their young ones (my parents included). It’s worth talking to your kids afterward about some of the more troubling elements, including the scenes where Dorothy’s memories are excused as madness and she is subjected to terrible “mental health” treatments that are scary even with the proper context.
Topic of discussion: Mental health, fantasy versus reality
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
https://youtu.be/_25RK5GbJIc
Coming out when Hasbro’s toy line and accompanying TV show were at the height of their popularity, the makers behind this film about alien robots who turn into cars decided to up the violence (and foul language) and kill one of the show’s main characters, head good guy Optimus Prime. Not only did parents have to endure a 90-minute toy commercial, but they also had to console their kids on the way home from the theater as they spent the latter half of the movie crying in their popcorn over the death of their favorite sentient semi truck (my parents included).
Topics of discussion: Death
Where to stream: While not officially streaming anywhere, there is no shortage of quality bootlegs on YouTube.
Song of the South (1946)
From the moment it was released, this animated/live-action hybrid film generated controversy and sparked protests because of its problematic depictions of race. (It’s worth noting that James Baskett, who played storyteller Uncle Remus, couldn’t even attend the film’s premiere in Atlanta because he was Black.) Disney continued to rerelease the film into theaters as late as 1986, but it’s never been on VHS or other home media, even as the movie’s music and characters served as the basis for rides at their theme parks until 2020. That’s when Disney elected to close Splash Mountain, which borrowed elements from Song of the South, and refit it using characters from The Princess and the Frog.
Topics of discussion: Why some things are better left unseen
Where to stream: Disney would rather we all forget this even happened, but you can find it on YouTube if you must.
Turning Red (2022)
If you’re going to make a funny yet honest film about a preteen who turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets excited, then the topics of crushes and menstruation will likely be part of the story. Many parents weren’t ready to broach this subject matter with their young ones when the film hit Disney+, so they unleashed their anger on the internet instead. That’s too bad, because it’s a thoughtful and entertaining more, filled with creativity and an empowering message of overcoming cycles of family trauma—themes well worth unpacking after you watch it together.
Topic of discussion: Women’s health, generational trauma
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
Watership Down (1978)
Rabbits are supposed to be adorable, not fighting authoritarianism, despotism, and other -isms that can bring society to its knees. That’s why there is little cuteness to be found in this animated film based on the 1972 novel by Richard Adams. The bunnies don’t dance or sing; they become roadkill, or are slaughtered by humans, or become prey for hawks and dogs. It’s a good reminder that just because a movie is animated doesn’t mean it’s all easily digestible by kids, and watching this one together will leave you with plenty to talk about, from contextualizing the violence to unpacking the political themes.
Topics of discussion: The violence of nature, political systems of oppression
Where to stream: Max, The Criterion Channel, Digital rental
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
No, the controversy stemming from this remake isn’t because Disney keeps making mediocre live-action copies of their beloved animated films. It arose because this update made LaFou, the doting sidekick of the villain Gaston, a gay man, a change that led a drive-in theater in Alabama to boycot the release because, according to a post on the theater’s Facebook page, homosexuality is contrary to Christian beliefs. While the boycott wasn’t widespread, it’s worth discussing as context after watching it, especially when comparing it to the original cartoon.
Topic of discussion: Tolerance
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
The Harry Potter films (2001-2011)
Author J.K. Rowling’s own controversies aside (though her outspoken views on feminism and trans rights are also worth unpacking with older kids), many religious groups believe the Harry Potter films are based on “pagan” beliefs and can lead young fans toward the occult and witchcraft. Rowling has stated numerous times that was never her intention when writing the popular series of novels, and there is no evidence to suggest that the movies or books have made the practice witchcraft more socially acceptable anymore than Marvel movies have turned kids into real superheroes.
Topic of discussion: Keeping an open mind
Where to stream: Max, Digital rental
The Lion King (1994)
The most popular film of Disney’s animated renaissance has a few issues. First, some have pointed out that the few minority members of the cast (in a movie that takes place in Africa) play the evil hyenas, who themselves resemble harmful stereotypes. It’s still great entertainment, but if your kids are older and able to understand the concepts, its worth talking to them about how to identify these sorts of stereotypes, and understand how they can be harmful.
Topics of discussion: Negative stereotypes
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
Show Dogs (2018)
This movie about a police dog trying to rescue a panda didn’t generate much bark before release, but after several viewers pointed out that a scene that depicts the police dog being forced to have his genitals fondled by a dog show judge without consent, things got loud fast. The scene gets worse when the other dogs tell him to go to his “happy place” while the examination is occurring, which some viewers felt was uncomfortably close to normalizing child grooming behaviors. Global Road Entertainment, the studio behind the film, recut the scene, but The National Center on Sexual Exploitation claims many of the objectionable elements still remain. It’s a silly scene, yes, but could open the door to discussing issues of sexual abuse, consent, and bodily autonomy.
Topic of discussion: Sexual abuse
Where to stream: Plex, Digital rental
Aladdin (1992)
Like The Lion King, Disney’s take on Arabian Nights has been accused of perpetuating negative caricatures, specifically of Arabs and Asians. While main characters Aladdin and Jasmine have Anglo features and voices, the street merchants speak with Arabic accents and more stereotypically “ethnic” designs. It’s worth noting that the first verse of the song “Arabian Nights” described the fictional setting of Agraba as a place “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face,” until protests led to the lyrics being changed; even still, more of the problematic content remains. Before the film plays, Disney+ informs viewers of the animated film’s “negative depictions” of cultures in the movie, and it’s worth talking to your kids about what that means. (See also: The 1953 animated version of Peter Pan.)
Topic of discussion: Perpetuating myths
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
Dumbo (1941)
Before the launch of Disney’s streaming service, there were rumors that an offensive scene in Dumbo, in which a racially coded blackbird named Jim Crow (grimacing emoji) gives the titular elephant a feather so he can fly, would be excised. That wasn’t true; instead, as with The Lion King, the service added this statement in the animated film’s description: “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.” Instead of skipping over that screen to get to the cute baby elephant, it’s worth talking to your kids about how normalized such tropes once were—and still are, in many cases, provided you understand how to spot them.
Topic of discussion: Harmful racial stereotypes
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
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