While you’re physically distancing, you may be wondering what you should watch next. Luckily, there are plenty of great movie marathons you can start now that you will probably have time to finish. Here is a list of 10 family movie marathons you can watch with your family.
‘Pirates of the Caribbean’
Sail the seas with Captain Jack Sparrow as he searches for treasures. This is a great movie series for children who are in the older elementary years. There are five movies that you can watch in this series, and you should watch them in order from one to five.
Avengers Movies
There are currently 23 Avengers movies, with more coming out each year. Most of the movies are rated PG, but they are full of action and violence, so you probably don’t want younger children watching these movies.
There is a debate about whether you should watch these chronologically or by release date. If you watch the movies by release date, there are special videos at the end of the movies that give you a glimpse into the next movie being released. Whatever you choose, though, you will enjoy watching the movies and still understand what’s happening in them.
‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’
“The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” series are movies about dragons, elves, dwarves, hobbits, men, and wizards. These six movies are full of action and adventure and are an excellent choice for a movie marathon. You probably want to wait until your children are a little older to watch this series as it does have a lot of fighting scenes. It doesn’t matter if you watch “The Hobbit” or “The Lord of the Rings” first, but you will appreciate certain things more in the “Lord of the Rings” movies if you watch “The Hobbit” first.
‘Harry Potter’
The “Harry Potter” series has eight films that follow Harry through his seven years at Hogwarts. This series is full of magic and adventure and is a lot of fun for all ages, although as you get further into the series, the movies do get a bit darker. If you want to add more videos to your marathon from the Wizarding World, you can also watch the two films that follow Newt Scamander and his adventures with mythical beasts. While “Mythical Beasts” is earlier in the timeline, you should watch the “Harry Potter” series first.
‘Planet of the Apes’
There are nine “Planet of the Apes” movies. First produced in 1963, the series was based on the book “Le Planete des singes” by Pierre Boulle. All the films follow intelligent apes and their interactions with humans. There are multiple timelines in this one, so the order can be tricky. Start with the original and then go chronologically or by release date.
John Hughes Films
John Hughes is well-known for his iconic films from the ’80s. While some of his films are appropriate for families, others are for an older audience. Be sure to look at the ratings before you watch these with your family.
Studio Ghibli
The movies from Studio Ghibli have won many awards for excellent animation. The animation is done in the style of anime, as they are from a Japanese film company. There are 22 films to choose from, and most of them are great for younger audiences. You can watch these in whichever order you want.
‘X-Men’
There are 13 movies in the “X-Men” series. The series includes films from the original movie set, “X-Men First Class,” “Wolverine,” and “Deadpool.” Stay clear of “Wolverine” and “Deadpool” unless your kids are older, as there is a lot more violence, profanity, and gore with those characters. Here are some options for different timelines you can watch with this series.
Disney and Pixar Movies
Walt Disney released his first film, “Steamboat Willie,” in 1928. His first feature film was “Snow White” in 1937. Disney+ has a list of all the Disney movies released in chronological order. Whether you want to watch every Disney film released since 1928, or just focus on the feature films starting with “Snow White,” there are dozens of movies that you can watch in order. You can also do a Pixar movie marathon and just focus on the animation from Pixar Studios.
‘Star Wars’
The “Star Wars” universe is huge, with nine movies in the Skywalker series. These movies take you to a galaxy far, far away and showcase the classic battle of good versus evil. There are two spin-off movies that fit into the “Star Wars” saga, too. There is a debate on whether you should watch these movies based on timeline or production date. If you want to be surprised, watch the original trilogy first. If you want chronological order, start with Episode 1.
These are just 10 of many different movie marathons you can enjoy. If you want some other movie marathon ideas, here are a few more suggestions for marathons to keep you entertained.
