Truly excellent movies suitable for a 12-13 year old boy?
February 26, 2024 6:20 PM Subscribe
I need a list of absolutely killer films to share with my kid that aren't old like me -- say, 2010 or newer.
The kid likes shonen anime, as a taste reference, but I'd prefer any anime recommendations to not be shonen. Consider Studio Ghibli films to be known and understood as good -- but also possibly not a good match. I don't know that he has the patience for a lot of them, any more than I have any desire to watch One Piece.
The thing is, I'm old as dirt and the kid has a short attention span. So, "classics" I enjoyed at his age like "The Princess Bride" are watchable but generally result in a meh response. I have a long list of genre stuff that I think is top tier, but is either too old or too gory or too *something* for me to think it'll land just right.
Recently we showed him "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World." It held up, and is a good example of something he really, really liked. It was way less problematic than it could have been, and I think generally a positive thing for him to have seen (along with some discussion here and there about how Scott Pilgrim was a real piece of shit for most of the movie).
Generally speaking, some combination of the below is good (not every point needs to hit):
- teenage or at least younger protagonist
- fast paced
- clever directing, writing, editing
- action or comedy or both
- English language or dubbed
I'd really like it if the movies also had things like real characters, and growth, generally respectful treatment of women, diverse casts, inventive narratives, and something to think about.
He can be mature for his age, but he's also young enough to really enjoy dumb humor, and I want to embrace that joy while it's still true. We had a fun time watching "Murderville" together on Netflix, for example, and it's hard to think of anything much dumber than that!
Something like "Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes" would be great for him, but it's a hard pitch to show a movie with subtitles in this house.
Don't hesitate to suggest older movies than the above might imply. "School of Rock" landed well, and I'm sure there are others out there of a similar, or even older vintage, that would work out.
The kid likes shonen anime, as a taste reference, but I'd prefer any anime recommendations to not be shonen. Consider Studio Ghibli films to be known and understood as good -- but also possibly not a good match. I don't know that he has the patience for a lot of them, any more than I have any desire to watch One Piece.
The thing is, I'm old as dirt and the kid has a short attention span. So, "classics" I enjoyed at his age like "The Princess Bride" are watchable but generally result in a meh response. I have a long list of genre stuff that I think is top tier, but is either too old or too gory or too *something* for me to think it'll land just right.
Recently we showed him "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World." It held up, and is a good example of something he really, really liked. It was way less problematic than it could have been, and I think generally a positive thing for him to have seen (along with some discussion here and there about how Scott Pilgrim was a real piece of shit for most of the movie).
Generally speaking, some combination of the below is good (not every point needs to hit):
- teenage or at least younger protagonist
- fast paced
- clever directing, writing, editing
- action or comedy or both
- English language or dubbed
I'd really like it if the movies also had things like real characters, and growth, generally respectful treatment of women, diverse casts, inventive narratives, and something to think about.
He can be mature for his age, but he's also young enough to really enjoy dumb humor, and I want to embrace that joy while it's still true. We had a fun time watching "Murderville" together on Netflix, for example, and it's hard to think of anything much dumber than that!
Something like "Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes" would be great for him, but it's a hard pitch to show a movie with subtitles in this house.
Don't hesitate to suggest older movies than the above might imply. "School of Rock" landed well, and I'm sure there are others out there of a similar, or even older vintage, that would work out.
Don't discount old Jackie Chan movies for their humour and general sense of innocence, especially if he's at all interested in martial arts.
posted by Enid Lareg at 6:45 PM on February 26 [5 favorites]
posted by Enid Lareg at 6:45 PM on February 26 [5 favorites]
Don't hesitate to suggest older movies
Ocean's 11 is an absolute blast, if he hasn't seen it. It came out when I was 15 and my brother was 12, and we both loved it.
It's still good.
posted by phunniemee at 6:55 PM on February 26 [7 favorites]
Ocean's 11 is an absolute blast, if he hasn't seen it. It came out when I was 15 and my brother was 12, and we both loved it.
It's still good.
posted by phunniemee at 6:55 PM on February 26 [7 favorites]
The live action Alita: Battle Angel might hit the spot. 2019, fast paced, younger-coded protagonist, continuous action, etc. I'm an old as well and it hit the spot for me as a perfectly acceptable airplane movie. Also the adult cast is WAY overqualified - Christoph Waitz, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, etc.
posted by true at 6:56 PM on February 26 [1 favorite]
posted by true at 6:56 PM on February 26 [1 favorite]
Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Has sad parts but is also amazing and hilarious. Not super fast paced though. But really, it's so good.
posted by emd3737 at 6:59 PM on February 26 [13 favorites]
posted by emd3737 at 6:59 PM on February 26 [13 favorites]
The 2010 True Grit might work.
posted by praemunire at 7:23 PM on February 26 [2 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 7:23 PM on February 26 [2 favorites]
Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse is smart and funny with great visuals, and I've heard good things about the sequel, too.
posted by EvaDestruction at 7:24 PM on February 26 [14 favorites]
posted by EvaDestruction at 7:24 PM on February 26 [14 favorites]
Not enough people have seen The Kid Who Would Be King, which only came out a couple years ago but perfectly captures the vibe of kids' adventure movies from my youth.
Kubo and the Two Strings is also amazing and recommended.
posted by Inkslinger at 7:25 PM on February 26 [5 favorites]
Kubo and the Two Strings is also amazing and recommended.
posted by Inkslinger at 7:25 PM on February 26 [5 favorites]
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are not (or not obviously) MCU movies--they're their own thing, wildly creative and this Spider-Man is high school student Miles Morales
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has plenty of goofy, silly humor, and two relatively young teammates have prominent roles
No One Will Save You has a woman old enough to live on her own as a protagonist, but her recent childhood figures into it. Anyway, this is an alien invasion horror movie with a schtick to it that's clever--not the same kind of clever as Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes but a similar degree of clever script-writing. My recollection is it could theoretically work for 12-13, and Common Sense Media puts it at 14+ with numerous comments agreeing it could work for 12-13.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu has a middle grade / YA vibe--no knowledge of Pokémon required and not the best movie on this list, but it's decent
Some creative post-2010 'middle-school/teen protagonist' anime that probably work include The Boy and the Beast and Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Beginnings + Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Eternal which re-cut the TV show (I didn't like the third movie).
posted by Wobbuffet at 7:34 PM on February 26 [2 favorites]
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has plenty of goofy, silly humor, and two relatively young teammates have prominent roles
No One Will Save You has a woman old enough to live on her own as a protagonist, but her recent childhood figures into it. Anyway, this is an alien invasion horror movie with a schtick to it that's clever--not the same kind of clever as Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes but a similar degree of clever script-writing. My recollection is it could theoretically work for 12-13, and Common Sense Media puts it at 14+ with numerous comments agreeing it could work for 12-13.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu has a middle grade / YA vibe--no knowledge of Pokémon required and not the best movie on this list, but it's decent
Some creative post-2010 'middle-school/teen protagonist' anime that probably work include The Boy and the Beast and Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Beginnings + Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Eternal which re-cut the TV show (I didn't like the third movie).
posted by Wobbuffet at 7:34 PM on February 26 [2 favorites]
My son also generally dislikes "old" movies (including, sigh, The Princess Bride) but liked Back to the Future and The Karate Kid.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:03 PM on February 26 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:03 PM on February 26 [1 favorite]
The Sea Beast and Nimona, both on Netflix, might meet the kid's need.
You mentioned Scott Pilgrim, but what about Scott Pilgrim Takes Off? (A kind of sequel to the film, sort of.)
posted by SPrintF at 8:18 PM on February 26
You mentioned Scott Pilgrim, but what about Scott Pilgrim Takes Off? (A kind of sequel to the film, sort of.)
posted by SPrintF at 8:18 PM on February 26
I know you didn't ask for shows, but Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts is amazing and ticks all of your boxes. It's on Netflix.
posted by Molasses808 at 8:19 PM on February 26 [4 favorites]
posted by Molasses808 at 8:19 PM on February 26 [4 favorites]
Promare from 2019 is an amazing anime film. Fast paced action and incredible bright colors with a goofy but deeply compelling scifi conceit, killer character design and interesting worldbuilding. He might be an eensy bit too young or it might hit exactly right, so give it a watch beforehand but stick it on the short list for the next few years regardless.
I also loved the Sea Beast, as mentioned above. It was so much better than what the previews led me to believe. Lots for a younger teen to think about too, in terms of agency and cultural narratives, on top of the cool monsters and enemies to besties plot line.
He’s probably seen it but don’t miss out on How to Train Your Dragon. It holds up, has a few pretty good sequels and a surprisingly well done tv show to boot.
posted by Mizu at 8:47 PM on February 26
I also loved the Sea Beast, as mentioned above. It was so much better than what the previews led me to believe. Lots for a younger teen to think about too, in terms of agency and cultural narratives, on top of the cool monsters and enemies to besties plot line.
He’s probably seen it but don’t miss out on How to Train Your Dragon. It holds up, has a few pretty good sequels and a surprisingly well done tv show to boot.
posted by Mizu at 8:47 PM on February 26
Along with the Spiderman animated movies mentioned, I found the Tom Holland Spider-man movies to be good fun.
Wallace and Gromit, perhaps? "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave" are art. I'm not as much of a fan of the first W&G short or the feature length movie, but those two are essential viewing.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 9:03 PM on February 26 [5 favorites]
Wallace and Gromit, perhaps? "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave" are art. I'm not as much of a fan of the first W&G short or the feature length movie, but those two are essential viewing.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 9:03 PM on February 26 [5 favorites]
Seconding How to Train Your Dragon. Have you tried the 1995 Jumanji movie, or 1999's The Mummy? I know you asked about movies, but series wise consider Star Trek: Prodigy (currently on Netflix), also Tales of Arcadia on Netflix. Older movies to think about: Real Genius, Adventures in Babysitting, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, or Small Soldiers.
posted by gudrun at 9:09 PM on February 26
posted by gudrun at 9:09 PM on February 26
We found the updated Jumanji with Jack Black and the Rock to be surprisingly funny and a fun watch.
posted by Molasses808 at 9:25 PM on February 26 [4 favorites]
posted by Molasses808 at 9:25 PM on February 26 [4 favorites]
These are perhaps a bit gory (but in a really over-the-top silly way) and ridiculous amount of, again campy, violence but Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz might be fun.
posted by brookeb at 9:41 PM on February 26 [7 favorites]
posted by brookeb at 9:41 PM on February 26 [7 favorites]
My kid same age still talks about Stand By Me with reverence - the movie resonates although there is fatphobia and just general despair in it, it’s aged very well, if bittersweet. My daughter also recommends Five Nights at Freddie’s, and we both got a lot out of Stranger Things, Buffy and Avatar the last Airbender (anime). Legally Blonde is wonderful and I think would be fun to watch as a boy with a supportive dad and talking about stereotypes.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 9:49 PM on February 26 [3 favorites]
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 9:49 PM on February 26 [3 favorites]
See How They Run is a recent one that might be a good transition into more campy older movies, as it's a homage to old whodunnits, but is very modern and moves pretty fast.
Enola Holmes is a great romp if period pieces aren't off the table (it's very much an action comedy, not stuffy at all).
The original X-Men trilogy, as well as First Class, are still a lot of fun if you're sick of the overly-quippy superhero fare of our current moment.
Also... Pacific Rim. It's just so vibrant and well-realized, and who doesn't like to watch giant mecha fight kaiju monsters?
posted by Pemberly at 10:45 PM on February 26 [3 favorites]
Enola Holmes is a great romp if period pieces aren't off the table (it's very much an action comedy, not stuffy at all).
The original X-Men trilogy, as well as First Class, are still a lot of fun if you're sick of the overly-quippy superhero fare of our current moment.
Also... Pacific Rim. It's just so vibrant and well-realized, and who doesn't like to watch giant mecha fight kaiju monsters?
posted by Pemberly at 10:45 PM on February 26 [3 favorites]
From the same director as The Kid Who Would Be King, Attack The Block is funny and zippy. It does have some scares, gore and swears though.
posted by dudekiller at 10:54 PM on February 26 [7 favorites]
posted by dudekiller at 10:54 PM on February 26 [7 favorites]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, from last year, seems to have been completely forgotten (prob cause it came out right around Barbenheimer) but it was SO GOOD.
Animation style I’ve never seen before, lots of fun, truly suitable for all ages (Husband Raccoon and I were the only people there without kids and we fully enjoyed it on its own merits), with interesting and respectful characters. Very much an action-comedy, and didn’t require previous TMNT experience but probably rewarded it in ways I didn’t notice.
posted by cabbage raccoon at 6:02 AM on February 27 [3 favorites]
Animation style I’ve never seen before, lots of fun, truly suitable for all ages (Husband Raccoon and I were the only people there without kids and we fully enjoyed it on its own merits), with interesting and respectful characters. Very much an action-comedy, and didn’t require previous TMNT experience but probably rewarded it in ways I didn’t notice.
posted by cabbage raccoon at 6:02 AM on February 27 [3 favorites]
The Adam Project with Ryan Reynolds was completely charming, fun, and absolutely targeted at 12 year old boys.
The kid they got to play 12-year old Ryan was a genius in the role.
posted by Thistledown at 6:20 AM on February 27 [1 favorite]
The kid they got to play 12-year old Ryan was a genius in the role.
posted by Thistledown at 6:20 AM on February 27 [1 favorite]
All animated:
Rango (2011)
A Letter to Momo (2011, subtitled anime)
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
Wolf Children (2012, subtitled anime)
Paranorman (2012)
Ernest & Celestine (2012, subtitled)
Patema Inverted (2013, subtitled anime)
The Lego Movie (2014, also the 2019 sequel)
The Boxtrolls (2014)
Song of the Sea (2014)
Asterix, the Mansions of the Gods (2014, subtitled)
The Case of Hana & Alice (2015, subtitled anime)
My Life as a Zucchini (2016, subtitled)
Lu Over the Wall (2017, subtitled anime)
Isle of Dogs (2018)
Weathering With You (2019, subtitled anime)
Cencoroll Connect (2019, subtitled anime)
Stephen Universe: the Movie (2019, best if he already knows and likes the TV show)
Wolfwalkers (2020)
A few that aren't animated:
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Freaks (2018)
Baby Driver (2018, although possibly a tad too violent)
TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, as referenced above
Another vote for the Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End). They might not seem like teenagers' movies, but my 15yo loves them.
Didn't include Studio Ghibli, Disney, or Pixar, as I assume those are all well known. I made a hard cut-off at 2010, I could recommend plenty more that are older. (Eg. he should totally watch The Iron Giant). Most of the ones listed as subtitled above are probably also available dubbed, depending on how you get them.
posted by snarfois at 7:20 AM on February 27 [2 favorites]
Rango (2011)
A Letter to Momo (2011, subtitled anime)
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
Wolf Children (2012, subtitled anime)
Paranorman (2012)
Ernest & Celestine (2012, subtitled)
Patema Inverted (2013, subtitled anime)
The Lego Movie (2014, also the 2019 sequel)
The Boxtrolls (2014)
Song of the Sea (2014)
Asterix, the Mansions of the Gods (2014, subtitled)
The Case of Hana & Alice (2015, subtitled anime)
My Life as a Zucchini (2016, subtitled)
Lu Over the Wall (2017, subtitled anime)
Isle of Dogs (2018)
Weathering With You (2019, subtitled anime)
Cencoroll Connect (2019, subtitled anime)
Stephen Universe: the Movie (2019, best if he already knows and likes the TV show)
Wolfwalkers (2020)
A few that aren't animated:
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Freaks (2018)
Baby Driver (2018, although possibly a tad too violent)
TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, as referenced above
Another vote for the Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End). They might not seem like teenagers' movies, but my 15yo loves them.
Didn't include Studio Ghibli, Disney, or Pixar, as I assume those are all well known. I made a hard cut-off at 2010, I could recommend plenty more that are older. (Eg. he should totally watch The Iron Giant). Most of the ones listed as subtitled above are probably also available dubbed, depending on how you get them.
posted by snarfois at 7:20 AM on February 27 [2 favorites]
OMG yes to The Iron Giant...
"You stay, I go...No following..."
Dusty in here all of a sudden...
And +1 for Pacific Rim and Into the Spider-Verse.
I was never a fan of Spiderman, but damn, that was a fresh take.
posted by Windopaene at 7:48 AM on February 27 [1 favorite]
"You stay, I go...No following..."
Dusty in here all of a sudden...
And +1 for Pacific Rim and Into the Spider-Verse.
I was never a fan of Spiderman, but damn, that was a fresh take.
posted by Windopaene at 7:48 AM on February 27 [1 favorite]
It's a couple years before your cutoff point, but the first Kung Fu Panda movie (2008) is genuinely great, easily transcends the lowbrow promise of its low-concept title, and stands well above the average Dreamworks fare. (I can't vouch for any of the sequels.)
Oh, and it might have become a pop-culture cliche to point this out, but the second live-action Paddington movie (2017) is also truly excellent, so much more so than it had any right to be. A crystalline jewel of a movie, seriously.
posted by nobody at 8:10 AM on February 27
Oh, and it might have become a pop-culture cliche to point this out, but the second live-action Paddington movie (2017) is also truly excellent, so much more so than it had any right to be. A crystalline jewel of a movie, seriously.
posted by nobody at 8:10 AM on February 27
I'm in a similar situation (tastes lean more to action and explosions so I at least try to steer towards high quality action and explosions) and over the last year or so we have watched:
Into the Spider-verse and Beyond the Spider-verse
Edge of Tomorrow
Hunger Games series (not a huge fan personally but he loved them)
Maze Runner series (see Hunger Games)
Lord of the Rings trilogy (we did the extended editions split over several evenings)
Hellboy (2004 with Ron Perlman, not the terrible reboot!)
Pacific Rim
TMNT: Mutant Mayhem
The Martian
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Dune (2021)
The Matrix
Next on our list:
Hellboy 2
Oblivion
District 9
Elysium
Jurassic Park (original)
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:45 AM on February 27 [1 favorite]
Into the Spider-verse and Beyond the Spider-verse
Edge of Tomorrow
Hunger Games series (not a huge fan personally but he loved them)
Maze Runner series (see Hunger Games)
Lord of the Rings trilogy (we did the extended editions split over several evenings)
Hellboy (2004 with Ron Perlman, not the terrible reboot!)
Pacific Rim
TMNT: Mutant Mayhem
The Martian
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Dune (2021)
The Matrix
Next on our list:
Hellboy 2
Oblivion
District 9
Elysium
Jurassic Park (original)
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:45 AM on February 27 [1 favorite]
The Confirmation
divorced handyman (clive owen) bonds w 8 year old boy in search for stolen toolbox.
posted by artdrectr at 10:41 AM on February 27
divorced handyman (clive owen) bonds w 8 year old boy in search for stolen toolbox.
posted by artdrectr at 10:41 AM on February 27
I know this is way earlier than 2010 but definitely (in my opinion) Big Trouble In Little China would be a good one
posted by TimHare at 12:11 PM on February 27 [2 favorites]
posted by TimHare at 12:11 PM on February 27 [2 favorites]
That was round about the age I loved loved loved Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
posted by MonsieurPEB at 12:46 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]
posted by MonsieurPEB at 12:46 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]
Yes pluses for
Edge of Tomorrow
The Martian (love the hope of this movie)
The Matrix
And the Lego Movie
"Here's your pants, the show's over...:
So fun
posted by Windopaene at 2:48 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]
Edge of Tomorrow
The Martian (love the hope of this movie)
The Matrix
And the Lego Movie
"Here's your pants, the show's over...:
So fun
posted by Windopaene at 2:48 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]
OMG, how did I forget Fantastic Mr. Fox?
spoilers... Canis Lupus, Vulpes Vulpes...
posted by Windopaene at 2:55 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]
spoilers... Canis Lupus, Vulpes Vulpes...
posted by Windopaene at 2:55 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]
My 14-year-old absolutely loved Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. He quotes them all the time.
posted by I_love_the_rain at 3:29 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]
posted by I_love_the_rain at 3:29 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]
"It's pretty much my favorite animal..."
posted by Windopaene at 3:44 PM on February 27
posted by Windopaene at 3:44 PM on February 27
I've found that Holes seems to land well with kids of all ages.
posted by tacodave at 6:27 PM on February 27 [2 favorites]
posted by tacodave at 6:27 PM on February 27 [2 favorites]
Oh, one more – Free Guy!
posted by Molasses808 at 10:16 AM on February 28
posted by Molasses808 at 10:16 AM on February 28
I'm here to recommend the 2008 adaptation of CITY OF EMBER which was released to theaters with no marketing, landed with a thud, has remained unknown, and yet is just remarkable. Saoirse Ronan, Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, it's a fantastic, beautiful big-budget dystopia that nobody remembers.
posted by eschatfische at 12:54 PM on February 28 [2 favorites]
posted by eschatfische at 12:54 PM on February 28 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! I'll not mark a best answer because there are so many gems. We've seen maybe a bit over a third of the recommendations, with lots of them being solid hits. I'm looking forward to trying out some of the others.
posted by Number Used Once at 10:07 AM on March 1
posted by Number Used Once at 10:07 AM on March 1
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posted by Suffocating Kitty at 6:32 PM on February 26 [11 favorites]