Movie night options beyond the usual popcorn fare
Save your older kids from a TikTok summer of brain rot, not with formulaic blockbusters but with some underrated, offbeat flicks with substance. They won’t choose these on their own, but these films spark conversations worth staying up for.
These envelope-pushing, coming-of-age cinematic picks aren’t your typical kid movies; they’re for tweens, teens, and parents who can handle a little complexity. Think magical creatures wrestling with real-world disappointments, sun-drenched heartbreak during summer soul-searching, and British sarcasm so dry you’d need to hydrate.
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
Surprisingly thrilling and doesn’t insult adult intelligence
Freddie Highmore does double duty as twins Jared and Simon Grace, and for once, the twin thing isn’t a lazy gimmick; the acting holds. After their parents split, the Grace siblings and their mom move into the crumbly and cursed Spiderwick estate.
Jared has a track record of mischief, and soon enough, discovers the book that is the life’s work of Arthur Spiderwick. He encounters Thimbletack (voiced by Martin Short), the honey-hungry boggart guarding a book long hidden from the evil, shape-shifting ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte). Somehow, Jared convinces his siblings about the enchanted creatures, and they have to act fast to save both the magical world and their own.
What keeps this from veering into kid-movie, eye-roll territory is how grounded the characters are. These kids are flawed, frustrated, and refreshingly human. The effects aged well, and the mythology hits that sweet spot: familiar enough to follow, weird enough to be memorable.
“The Spiderwick Chronicles” teaches kids to suck it up, adapt, and make the most out of bad situations. Lessons about resilience and family are baked in, but without resorting to a moral mallet to the head. Rating: 8/10
December Boys (2007)
Gentle heartbreak with Aussie sunshine and Daniel Radcliffe’s post-Potter glow-up
Set in the late ’60s, “December Boys” unfolds in the same nostalgic vein as “Stand By Me.” It’s a beautiful, poignant tale of adolescence and abandonment against the backdrop of the vast Australian outback.
“What’s the big deal about having parents anyway?” Maps (Daniel Radcliffe) retorts to his summer fling Lucy (Teresa Palmer). Maps is the eldest of four orphan boys sent for a seaside holiday with an elderly couple. Misty (Lee Cormie) is the artist, the youngest of the brood. Sparks (Christian Byers) is good with mechanical things, while Spit (James Fraser) is so named for what he does best.
The orphans have so far survived with only each other to call family. Still, they get in an emotional competition for possible adoption that tests the limits of their brotherhood. It’s heartbreaking to see their faces light up with hope at the possibility of winning the parent lottery, only to be passed over again.
All the characters share unfulfilled expectations. Rude awakenings and rejection are themes that most people can relate to after hardened years, but for children to know such feelings intimately at such a tender age makes “December Boys” a thoughtful tearjerker.
“December Boys” captures that weird space between childhood and teen angst, before the world breaks you; when unfairness is just starting to register, but magic still feels possible. Rating: 8/10
The History Boys (2006)
Shocking, smart, sly
For older, whip-smart teens who’ve outgrown Marvel (or mature, acerbic kids who correct your grammar), “The History Boys” may be their kind of weird.
It follows a group of working-class grammar school boys studying for Oxbridge. Their prep comes courtesy of two wildly different teachers: One encourages intellectual flair and performance, while the other wants them to play the game. Oh, and one of them gropes the students. Yep, this one pulls no punches. If your family doesn’t do nuance, this may not be the one.
“The History Boys” is based on Alan Bennett’s award-winning play and stars the original cast. It retains the dry humor, messy moral questions, and ’80s alt-rock (New Order, The Smiths, The Clash, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure, Aztec Camera, The Pretenders) to set the milieu (and make for a decent Spotify playlist). Shot on Super 16, the lo-fi, grainy quality feels less like a budget constraint and more like a stylistic throwback.
The boys’ debates on truth, education, and desire don’t just land, they linger. But a caveat: The moral gray zones are very gray. The R-rated movie’s way of handling inappropriate behavior won’t sit right with everyone, and it never gives you neat answers.
It’s definitely one to talk about after. Lots to unpack here for families with an open communication style. Watch it when your kids crave clever dialogue and can handle murky areas in storytelling. Rating: 7/10
