The kids are off school, the sun is shining (ish) and the Summer Bank Holiday is in full swing. As well as getting out and about, it’s good to find a bit of time to sit back and unwind at home with a film.
If you’ve got kids to entertain, or if you’re looking for some nostalgia, a children’s book adaptation will be the perfect watch.
All of these popular movies scored 90% or more on Rotten Tomatoes and they’re all available to stream right now on the best streaming services including Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video - one of them is even available to watch for free on ITVX if you don’t mind putting up with a few ads.
1. How to Train Your Dragon (2010): Prime Video
With a near-perfect score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, you should definitely stream How to Train Your Dragon on Amazon Prime Video.
The film tells the story of a young Viking living in a land of dragons, one of which he must kill to be initiated into his tribe and transition into manhood. Instead, he makes friends with one of the deadliest, or so he thought.
2. The Jungle Book (2016): Disney+
There have been a few versions of this story told on the big screen, but the 2016 live-action remake is arguably the best with a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Adapted from the 1894 Kipling book, this tale is about Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the jungle who gets threatened by the tiger Shere Khan. Soon enough help is on its way in the form of a bear and a panther.
3. Fantastic Mr Fox (2009): Prime Video, Disney+
You can’t really go wrong with Roald Dahl books, or Wes Anderson films, and putting them together created one of the coolest children’s book adaptations of all time. Fantastic Mr Fox picked up a score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and is available to watch on both Prime Video and Disney+.
A thieving fox and family man is targeted by three farmers who want to kill him and his kind. The all-star cast includes George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe.
4. Matilda The Musical (2022): Netflix
Matilda is one of the most famous Roald Dahl books which is probably why it’s been made into a film twice - once in 1996 and once in 2022. Both versions scored more than 90% on Rotten Tomatoes but it’s the 2022 version that came out on top with 92%. You can watch it on Netflix right now but if you’re more into the old-school option then that’s available on Sky Cinema and Now TV.
The plot follows Matilda, a girl who lives with a family that doesn’t appreciate her and attends a school with a nasty headteacher, but before long she discovers her telekinetic abilities and finds support in a particularly kind-hearted teacher.
5. Coraline (2009): ITVX
You don’t necessarily need to pay for a streaming service to watch a top-tier children’s book adaptation because right now you can stream Coraline for free on ITVX.
Scoring 90% on Rotten Tomatoes this creepy family fantasy film tells the tale of a young girl who finds a doorway to a strange universe that resembles a better version of her own. But all is not as it seems and her new parallel family try to kidnap her.
