Kid-Friendly 2025 Oscar Nominees to Watch on Family Movie Night

Flow

Nominated for Animated Feature Film and International Feature Film, Flow (rated PG) is a Latvian movie about a brave cat who teams up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to escape their flooded home. This stunning animated film is about friendship, trust, and the fragility of the environment. The film doesn’t have any dialogue; instead, it uses visuals, movement, and animal sounds to tell a story. Kids will like it, even if they don’t necessarily understand all the deeper messages behind the movie.

Inside Out 2

Chances are, your child has already seen this Oscar-nominated movie for Animated Feature Film. After all, Inside Out 2 (rated PG) grossed $653 million in the U.S. alone! (Still, it’s the perfect time to watch it again!) The Disney and Pixar film follows Riley, now a teenager, as new and unexpected emotions like Anxiety and Embarrassment show up in the control center in her head. Seeing how Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust react to these new emotions in this coming-of-age film is just as captivating to grownups as it is to kids.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

As someone who grew up watching Wallace & Gromit, I’m so excited to introduce my kids to Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (rated PG), nominated for Animated Feature Film. This Netflix original animated film is a sequel to the Oscar-winning short The Wrong Trousers. It follows the spirited dog Gromit as he tries to save his human, Wallace, after his invention goes wrong and he is framed for crimes he didn’t commit.

The Wild Robot

Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Peter Brown, The Wild Robotfollows a robot named Roz, who is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt. Along the way, she befriends animals, including a clever fox and an orphaned gosling. By connected to nature and wild creatures, Roz learns what it really means to be alive. This PG-rated movie is nominated for Animated Feature Film, Music (Original Score), and Sound.

Wicked

Nominated for a whopping ten Academy Awards — including Best Picture, Actress in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Music (Original Score), and more — Wicked is a must-see film for families. The musical is the backstory of Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good from Wizard of Oz, an adaption of the stage musical loosely based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire. The star-studded cast follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) as they meet at Shiz University and forge an unlikely friendship as they learn of the injustices happening in Oz. (Note: Some scenes in this PG-rated film may be too violent for sensitive kids.)

Conclave

Conclave might be appropriate for kids with its PG rating, but it might not be interesting for them. The movie is nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Music (Original Score), and more. The thriller follows Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) as he leads a secretive team in selecting a new Pope at the Vatican. But when he finds himself at the center of conspiracies and scandals, he must carefully investigate before his involvement shakes the foundation of the Catholic Church. The film, based on Robert Harris’ book of the same name, shows some violence and portrays certain religious leaders as racist, homophobic, and other flawed ways, per Common Sense Media. Plus, the plot may be a tad boring for kids younger than 12 or 13.

Dune: Part Two

Strong parental guidance is suggested for Dune: Part Two (rated PG-13). Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this Timothee Chalamet-led sci-fi adventure is part two of the films based on Frank Herbert’s novel. In this installment, Paul Atreides unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen to seek revenge against those who destroyed his family. According to IMDB’s Parents Guide, there is a moderate amount of violence and gore in this film, including hand-to-hand combat, explosions, large mounds of dead bodies set on fire, slashing throats, an intense sandworm scene, and other dark elements. According to one note, “The violence in this movie is too overwhelming and shocking for kids. The PG-13 rating is to be taken very seriously. This movie has the violence and intensity of some R-rated movies.” Use your own discretion! 

I’m Still Here

The historical drama I’m Still Here is set in the 1970s in Brazil, as the country faces the tightening grip of military dictatorship. The film follows the Paivas family, from their laidback beach life to the aftermath of a violent act that leaves mom Eunice (Fernanda Torres) struggling to determine a new future for her and her five kids. The emotional story, based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s memoir, may be too intense for younger kids. According to Plugged In, the film “feels harder” than its PG-13 rating: “A bit of partial nudity, some language and, certainly, the storyline itself can make this a difficult watch.”

There is also an animal death, references to violence (including off-screen screaming), and other elements that parents will want to consider before watching with their kids. This film was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture, Actress in a Leading Role, and International Feature Film.

Nickel Boys

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys (rated PG-13) is a harrowing tale of the horrors Black students faced at a reform school in Jim Crow-era America. The film, nominated for Best Picture and Writing (Adapted Screenplay), is “a difficult watch” due to violent themes, according to PluggedIn, but it’s supposed to be.

You don’t want it to be easy to watch a story featuring “acts of human depravity,” per PluggedIn; yet, it may be too much for younger viewers. This is definitely one you’ll want to stream first before letting your kids watch.

Movies You Should Definitely Skip With the Kids Around

Some of the nominees for Best Picture and other Academy Awards are best to watch after the kids go to bed. They can be truly intense, with violent, disturbing, sexual, and explicit content, which is why all the movies on this list are rated R. Pick a different movie from above for family movie night, and watch one of these nominees with adults only.

The Brutalist, nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Directing, and more.

A Complete Unknown, nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Directing, and more.

Sing Sing, nominated for Actor in a Leading Role, Music (Original Song), and Writing (Adapted Screenplay).  

The Apprentice, nominated for Actor in a Leading Role and Actor in a Supporting Role.

Anora, nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Leading Role, and more.

A Real Pain, nominated for Actor in a Supporting Role and Writing (Original Screenplay)

Emilia Pérez, nominated for a whopping 13 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actress in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Cinematography, Directing, and more.

The Substance, nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Actress in a Leading Role, and Writing (Original Screenplay).

Memoir of a Snail, nominated for Animated Feature Film.  

See the full list of Academy Award Nominations HERE, and be sure to watch the 2025 Oscars on Sunday via Hulu Live TV or on your local ABC station.