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Movies that feel like childhood

Certain movies are shot like a memory. Golden light, long summers, the ache of a specific era you may not even have lived through. This is that shelf: films whose whole texture is warmth, whether they're about childhood, first love, or just a kitchen that feels like someone's grandmother's.

Can't choose? Answer three questions and get one movie for tonight.

Stand by Me poster
Stand by Me
1986 · dir. Rob Reiner
🍅 89%★ 8.1drama · adventure

After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.

Cinema Paradiso poster
Cinema Paradiso
1988 · dir. Giuseppe Tornatore
🍅 90%★ 8.5drama · romance

A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village's theater and formed a deep friendship with the theater's projectionist.

My Neighbor Totoro poster
My Neighbor Totoro
1988 · dir. Hayao Miyazaki
🍅 94%★ 8.1fantasy · animation · familyMax

Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.

Bridge to Terabithia poster
Bridge to Terabithia
2007 · dir. Gábor Csupó
🍅 85%★ 7.2adventure · drama · familyDisney+

Jesse Aarons trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. So he's very upset when newcomer Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other differences including that she's rich, he's poor, she's a city girl, and he's a country boy the two become fast friends. Together they create Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants where they rule as king and queen.

Little Miss Sunshine poster
Little Miss Sunshine
2006 · dir. Valerie Faris
🍅 91%★ 7.8comedy · drama

A family loaded with quirky, colorful characters piles into an old van and road trips to California for little Olive to compete in a beauty pageant.

Big Fish poster
Big Fish
2003 · dir. Tim Burton
🍅 76%★ 7.9adventure · fantasy · drama

Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial poster
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
1982 · dir. Steven Spielberg
🍅 99%★ 7.9adventure · science fiction · familyStarz

An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.

The Goonies poster
The Goonies
1985 · dir. Richard Donner
🍅 77%★ 7.7adventure · comedy · family

Young teen Mikey Walsh and his friends set off on a quest to find Pirate One-Eyed Willie's treasure in hopes of saving their homes from demolition. However, on their quest to find the treasure, they run into a family of recently escaped criminals, determined to capture the kids and reach the treasure first.

The Princess Bride poster
The Princess Bride
1987 · dir. Rob Reiner
🍅 93%★ 8adventure · fantasy · familyHulu

In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.

Dead Poets Society poster
Dead Poets Society
1989 · dir. Peter Weir
🍅 85%★ 8.1drama

At an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.

Coco poster
Coco
2017 · dir. Lee Unkrich
🍅 97%★ 8.4family · animation · musicDisney+

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

Up poster
Up
2009 · dir. Pete Docter
🍅 98%★ 8.3animation · comedy · familyDisney+

Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.

Kiki's Delivery Service poster
Kiki's Delivery Service
1989 · dir. Hayao Miyazaki
★ 7.8animation · family · fantasyMax

A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.

Paddington poster
Paddington
2014 · dir. Paul King
★ 7.3comedy · adventure · family

A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.

About Time poster
About Time
2013 · dir. Richard Curtis
🍅 70%★ 7.8drama · romance · fantasyNetflix

The night after another unsatisfactory New Year's party, Tim's father reveals to him that the men in their family have the ability to travel through time. They can't change history, but they can change what happens and has happened in their own lives. Thus begins the start of a lesson in learning to appreciate life itself as it is, as it comes, and most importantly, the people living alongside us.

Little Women poster
Little Women
2019 · dir. Greta Gerwig
🍅 95%★ 7.7drama · romanceHulu

Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Forrest Gump poster
Forrest Gump
1994 · dir. Robert Zemeckis
🍅 75%★ 8.8comedy · drama · romanceParamount+

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off poster
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1986 · dir. John Hughes
🍅 85%★ 7.8comedyParamount+

After high school slacker Ferris Bueller successfully fakes an illness in order to skip school for the day, he goes on a series of adventures throughout Chicago with his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron, all the while trying to outwit his wily school principal and fed-up sister.

The Parent Trap poster
The Parent Trap
1998 · dir. Nancy Meyers
🍅 86%★ 6.7comedy · family · romanceDisney+

Hallie Parker and Annie James are identical twins who were separated at a young age due to their parents' divorce. Unbeknownst to their parents, the girls are sent to the same summer camp, where they meet, discover the truth about their relationship, and come up with a plan to switch places in an effort to reunite their mother and father.

Matilda poster
Matilda
1996 · dir. Danny DeVito
🍅 89%★ 7comedy · family · fantasy

Matilda Wormwood is an brilliant and intelligent little girl. Unfortunately, her parents, Harry and Zinnia, fail to see that fact. As time passes, she finally starts school and has a kind teacher, loyal friends, and a terrifying, sadistic headmistress. As she becomes fed up with the constant cruelty, she discovers she has a special gift that she just might be able to use to outwit the unruly adults around her.

Hook poster
Hook
1991 · dir. Steven Spielberg
🍅 37%★ 6.8adventure · fantasy · comedyPeacock

The boy who wasn't supposed to grow up—Peter Pan—does just that, becoming a soulless corporate lawyer whose workaholism could cost him his wife and kids. During his trip to see Granny Wendy in London, the vengeful Capt. Hook kidnaps Peter's kids and forces Peter to return to Neverland.

The Iron Giant poster
The Iron Giant
1999 · dir. Brad Bird
🍅 96%★ 8.1animation · drama · family

In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.

The Karate Kid poster
The Karate Kid
1984 · dir. John G. Avildsen
🍅 81%★ 7.4action · drama · familyNetflix

New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.

Boyhood poster
Boyhood
2014 · dir. Richard Linklater
🍅 97%★ 7.9dramaNetflix

The film tells a story of a divorced couple trying to raise their young son. The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his parents as he grows.

Super 8 poster
Super 8
2011 · dir. J.J. Abrams
🍅 81%★ 7thriller · science fiction · mysteryParamount+Peacock

In late 1970s Ohio, a group of friends filming a homemade zombie movie witness a devastating train derailment. Soon after, their quiet town is gripped by unexplained disappearances, strange phenomena, and a growing sense of fear, as they uncover that something terrifying has been set loose.

Ratatouille poster
Ratatouille
2007 · dir. Brad Bird
🍅 96%★ 8.1animation · comedy · familyDisney+

In one of Paris's finest restaurants, Remy, a determined young rat, dreams of becoming a renowned French chef. Torn between his family's wishes and his true calling, Remy and his pal Linguini set in motion a hilarious chain of events that turns the City of Lights upside down.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory poster
🍅 84%★ 7.8family · fantasy · comedyMax

When eccentric candy man Willy Wonka promises a lifetime supply of sweets and a tour of his chocolate factory to five lucky kids, penniless Charlie Bucket seeks the golden ticket that will make him a winner.

Jumanji poster
Jumanji
1995 · dir. Joe Johnston
🍅 56%★ 7.1adventure · fantasy · familyNetflix

When siblings Judy and Peter discover an enchanted board game that opens the door to a magical world, they unwittingly invite Alan -- an adult who's been trapped inside the game for 26 years -- into their living room. Alan's only hope for freedom is to finish the game, which proves risky as all three find themselves running from giant rhinoceroses, evil monkeys and other terrifying creatures.

Space Jam poster
Space Jam
1996 · dir. Joe Pytka
🍅 46%★ 6.5family · science fiction · fantasyMax

With their freedom on the line, the Looney Tunes seek the help of NBA superstar Michael Jordan to win a basketball game against a team of moronic aliens.

Every title above links to its kindred spirits. Find the one you love, then follow the thread. Or browse the mood behind this shelf: warm, whimsical.