Settle In For Movie Night With Dad With These Choice Netflix Gems

What happens when a supervillain adopts three little girls to (unknowingly) help him execute his plot to steal the moon? Heartwarming hilarity. Steve Carrell voices Gru, a career bad-guy who surprises even himself when he takes on the role of dad to the girls. It’s some dad-cinema gold. Plus, there are minions.

Some people have family genetics to thank for their bad knees, funny-looking pinky toes, or constant ear infections, Tim Lake, the protagonist in About Time, got his ability to time travel from his dad’s side of the family (which seems totally unfair to those of us whose dads gave us disproportionately short legs, but whatever). Throughout the movie Tim and his dad bond over this gift as he learns how to use it without changing the present. It’s a sweet story, but keep the tissues handy because you will probably shed some tears.

This animated movie is great for kids and adults, and you don’t have to know all of the origins of Spider-Man to enjoy it. There are the classic Spider-Man adventures throughout the film, but there’s an underlying story between the movie’s main character, Miles Morales, and his dad that turns out to be very sweet. It’s kid-friendly, entertaining, and perfect for the superhero-loving dad.

Moving on to the more adult titles, Murder Mystery starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston as a married couple trying to solve a murder on their vacation aboard is now available to stream. You might already know there are plenty of other Sandler movies at your fingertips on Netflix. If your dad is more a fan of the classics, The Waterboy is a perfect choice.

I'm going to tell you a secret that I know from covering a lot of Hallmark movies — dads love romantic comedies and there is absolutely no same in that. So introduce yours to Always Be My Maybe about childhood best friends with very different careers who run into each other again after 15 years. If your dad likes Keanu Reeves, that's a bonus here.

It may be over a decade old, but you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a newer movie with a more gut-wrenchingly real and inspirational father/son story. It stars Will Smith (as Chris) and his real-life son, Jaden Smith. The pair are evicted from their apartment and Chris works with everything he has to find success to build a better life for himself and his son. It’s a tear-jerker, but still a feel-good story.

If dad is more of the rock & roll type (who also loves documentaries) The Rolling Stones: Olé, Olé, Olé is the perfect choice. It follows the iconic band as they make more history by becoming the first rock band ever to play in Cuba.

Looking to bond over something heartwarming? Like Father stars Kristen Bell as a jilted bride who goes on her honeymoon with her estranged father.

If you’re really not sure what your dad likes, throw out this title because there’s a good chance he’d be into watching the movie (if for no other reason than because it’s probably been a while since he last saw it). It’s the third installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, and Indiana is on a hunt to find his father who disappeared during one of his own adventures. There’s nothing like a classic movie, or the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones’ case, to bring a family together.

The first Incredibles movie centered around the dad’s secret superhero adventures that left him in need of his own rescuing by his family. In the follow-up movie, Mom is getting all of the superhero attention while dad stays home with the kids. He deals with homework, humiliates his teenage daughter in front of the boy she likes, and tries his best to keep up with the baby (who also happens to have some wacky superpowers of his own). It’s a fun movie for kids and parents.

No matter what title you choose, it's always fun to bond with dad over a movie, or two if time permits. Also, just a pro-tip, the bonding is even more fun when there are popcorn and snacks.