11 ‘Problematic’ Family Movies That Are Still Worth Watching (and Discussing) With Your Kids

Watching movies with your kids can be a great way to keep them entertained, but movies can also be great conversation starters—and not just about the plot, but also about the messages they convey, whether they’re overt or subtle. This is especially important if you’re watching older films with language or narrative elements that haven’t aged particularly well (or for the worse).

Here are 11 examples of family films that are watchable on some level, but which contain plot or thematic elements that many will find disturbing or problematic when viewed through the lens of modern sensibilities. That’s not to say they’re worthless (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(You’d probably be better off burying that one.)

Back to Oz (1985)

There’s a reason the film adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s 1939 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has endured for decades: despite the dark undertones, the 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, Back to Oz is a bizarre pseudo-sequel to the classic musical fantasy that looks bleak and tonally unsettled many parents who didn’t realize it would be nightmare fuel for their little ones (my parents included). It’s worth talking to your kids afterward about some of the more disturbing elements, including the scenes where Dorothy’s memories are excused as madness and she’s subjected to horrific “mental health” treatments that are scary even in the right context.

Topic of discussion: Mental health, fantasy vs reality

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital Rental

Transformers: The Movie (1986)

When Hasbro’s toy line and accompanying TV show were at the height of their popularity, the creators behind this movie about alien robots that turn into cars decided to ramp up the violence (and foul language) And kill off one of the show’s main characters, main good guy Optimus Prime. Not only did parents have to sit through a 90-minute toy commercial, they also had to comfort their kids on the drive home from the theater, as they spent the second half of the movie crying into their popcorn over the death of their favorite intelligent truck (my parents included).

Topics of discussion: Dead

Where to stream: While they’re not officially streaming anywhere yet, there’s no shortage of quality bootlegs on YouTube.

Song of the South (1946)

From the moment of its release, the animated/live-action hybrid film has generated controversy and protests for its problematic depiction of race. (It’s worth noting that James Baskett, who played the storyteller Uncle Remus, couldn’t even attend the film’s Atlanta premiere because he was black.) Disney continued to re-release the film theatrically until 1986, but it has never been released on VHS or other home media, even when the film’s music and characters served as the basis for attractions in their theme parks until 2020. That’s when Disney decided to close Splash Mountain, which borrowed elements from Song of the Southand customize it using characters from The Princess and the Frog.

Topics of discussion: Why Some Things Are Better Left Unnoticed

Where to stream: Disney would rather we forget this even happened, but you can find it on YouTube if you want.

Turning Red (2022)

If you’re going to make a funny but honest film about a preteen who turns into a giant red panda when she gets aroused, the topics of falling in love and menstruation are probably going to be part of the story. Many parents weren’t ready to discuss these topics with their little ones when the film hit Disney+, so they took their anger out on the internet. That’s a shame, because it’s a thoughtful and entertaining film, full of creativity and a powerful message about overcoming cycles of family trauma — themes 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 cute, not fighting authoritarianism, despotism, and other -isms that could bring society to its knees. Which is why there’s little cuteness to be found in this animated film based on the 1972 novel by Richard Adams. The rabbits don’t dance or sing; they get run over, or slaughtered by humans, or fall prey to hawks and dogs. It’s a good reminder that just because a film is animated doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy on the kids, and watching this film together will give you 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 surrounding this remake isn’t because Disney continues to make mediocre live-action knockoffs of its beloved animated films. It was because this update made LaFou, the devoted sidekick to villain Gaston, a gay man, a change that prompted an Alabama drive-in theater to boycott 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 for 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)

Aside from author JK Rowling’s own controversies (though her outspoken views on feminism and trans rights are worth discussing with older kids as well), many religious groups believe the Harry Potter films are based on “pagan” beliefs and could lead young fans toward the occult and witchcraft. Rowling has stated multiple times that this was never her intention when writing the popular series of novels, and there is no evidence to suggest that the films or books have made the practice of witchcraft more socially acceptable any more than Marvel films have turned children into real-life superheroes.

Topic of discussion: Keeping an open mind

Where to stream: Max, Digital Rental

The Lion King (1994)

The most popular film from Disney’s animated renaissance has a few problems. For one, some have pointed out that the few minority cast members (in a film set in Africa) play the vicious hyenas, which themselves seem to embody harmful stereotypes. It’s still great entertainment, but if your kids are older and can understand the concepts, it’s worth talking to them about how to identify these kinds of stereotypes and how they can be harmful.

Topics of discussion: Negative stereotypes

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital Rental

Show dogs (2018)

This film about a police dog trying to save a panda didn’t generate much barking prior to its release, but after several viewers pointed out a scene in which the police dog is forced to have his genitals fondled by a dog show judge without his consent, things quickly became rowdy. The scene gets worse when the other dogs tell him to go to his “happy place” while the investigation takes place, which some viewers found uncomfortably close to normalizing child-abusive behavior. Global Road Entertainment, the studio behind the film, re-edited the scene, but the National Center on Sexual Exploitation claims that many of the offensive elements are still present. It’s a silly scene, yes, but it could open the door to discussions about sexual abuse, consent, and bodily autonomy.

Topic of discussion: Sexual abuse

Where to stream: Plex, Digital Rental

Aladdin (1992)

Like The Lion KingDisney’s take on One Thousand and One Nights has been accused of perpetuating negative caricatures, particularly of Arabs and Asians. While the main characters Aladdin and Jasmine have Anglo-Saxon features and voices, the street vendors 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’ll cut off your ear if they don’t like your face,” until protests led to the lyrics being changed; even then, more of the problematic content remains. Before the film plays, Disney+ informs viewers about the animated film’s “negative depictions” of cultures, 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 would be in Dumbo, in which a racially coded blackbird named Jim Crow (a grimacing emoji) gives the titular elephant a feather so he can fly, was to be removed. It was not; instead, as with The Lion KingThe service added this statement to the animated film’s description: “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions.” Rather than skipping that screen to get to the adorable baby elephant, it’s worth talking to your kids about how normalized such tropes once were — and in many cases still are, provided you understand how to spot them.

Topic of discussion: Harmful Racial Stereotypes

Where to stream: Disney+, Digital Rental