The school holidays stretch into September, and a family film marathon can be a cheap, sociable way to fill the time. Here are the best offerings across streaming platforms this summer.
Disney+ remains the top option for parents of young children, with a near-complete library of animated features from Disney and Pixar. Classics like The Little Mermaid and The Jungle Book charm new generations, while Bambi remains as laceratingly sad as ever. Live-action musicals such as Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music offer timeless entertainment, and The Muppets (1979 and 2011) bridge juvenile whimsy and grownup wit. For older children, Mrs Doubtfire is antic and rude, and Queen of Katwe tells a stirring true story of a Ugandan chess prodigy.
BBC iPlayer currently has Tom Holland’s first two Spider-Man outings (Far from Home and Homecoming) and Monsters, Inc, one of the warmest Pixar capers. Also on offer are Aardman’s Early Man and the original The Railway Children, perfect after the sequel's cinema release.
Netflix offers the most deservedly beloved British family films of recent times: Paddington and Paddington 2, with their tender, visually inventive reinvention of Michael Bond’s bear. The streamer’s dedicated Netflix Kids platform provides a good deal more to choose from.
