When we first had our son, I really wasn’t sure what to do about New Year’s Eve. It seemed like the holiday I loved spending with friends at parties wasn’t going to have the same kick — let’s be honest, options really drop away once babies enter the mix. But once my children got older, we started having our own little family parties in the living room, eating pizza and popcorn and watching movies. As the end of the year gets closer, we come up with a schedule: Each person picks one movie, and we line them up back-to-back. Sure, it’s not the soirées I once knew and loved, but there’s something so simple and fun about closing the chapter on one year and starting the next by spending quality time with my family. If you want to plan your own marathon, here are 10 streams — movies and shows — that are sure to make everyone smile.

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood

This animated film is an out-of-this-world retelling of the 1969 Apollo moon landing through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy, who imagines himself as the first person on the moon. The story melds fact and fiction, which makes it especially intriguing. My kids asked a lot of questions about the late ’60s and the Apollo space missions, and we all ended up learning and laughing together. Apollo 10 1/2 was written and directed by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Dazed and Confused) and includes the voices of Glen Powell, Zachary Levi, and Jack Black. It’ll have your whole family dreaming of their own space adventures and looking at the moon with a little more knowledge and a lot more wonder.

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood

1h 38m   PG-13   2022

My List

Watch

Enola Holmes

Want to line up a delightful double feature? Put Enola Holmes on the case. The 2020 film and its 2022 sequel follow Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown), the sleuthing younger sister of Sherlock (Henry Cavill), as she unravels mysteries in Victorian England. The first film — in which Enola sets off for London to find her mother and gets swept up in an adventure with a runaway lord — was on repeat in our house for a good two months after it was released, and my daughters were just as delighted by Enola Holmes 2, which follows Enola and Sherlock as they join forces to crack a new case involving a missing girl.

Enola Holmes

2h 4m   PG-13   2020

My List

Watch

Mixtape

If you lived through the Y2K countdown, this ’90s-set movie is for you. It’s the story of middle schooler Beverly Moody (Gemma Brooke Allen), whose parents died when she was very young. She lives with her grandmother (Julie Bowen), and while digging around in the family attic stumbles on a “Love Riot” mixtape her punk rock–loving parents made — but the tape gets tangled and cannot be played. The discovery sends her on an incredible coming-of-age adventure, researching her parents’ favorite old bands with the help of a disgruntled but charming record store owner. The movie ends on Dec. 31, 1999 (fitting for NYE streaming!), and watching this with my kids gave me the chance to explain everything about Y2K and the art of making mixtapes. Best of all, they actually listened to my stories and asked questions — and there’s no better way to end the year than with that kind of bonding time.

Mixtape

1h 37m   TV-PG   2021

My List

Watch

Explore

The Monkey King

When my 9-year-old daughter selected The Monkey King for our family movie night, her older (and disinterested) siblings rolled their eyes — and then ultimately got sucked in. The whole family ended up on the couch together watching the hilarious but egotistical Monkey King (voiced by Jimmy O. Yang) fight gods, demons, and dragons. The film is based on the 16th-century Ming dynasty novel Journey to the West but told with 2023 animation, laughs, and an incredible fish-out-of-water story, which ultimately put this film on regular rotation in our living room. With its epic adventure plot and message of self-discovery, The Monkey King is a wonderful film to ring in the New Year as a family.

The Monkey King

1h 36m   PG   2023

My List

Watch

Oddballs

This unique animated series had my whole family laughing and scratching our heads in equal parts. It takes place in the fictional Dirt, Arizona, and includes everything from a crocodile who can talk as a result of a secret government experiment to crazed toasters to a character being turned into a cell phone to prove to his mother that he can take care of one. You never really know where this show is going to go, and that’s what makes it so much fun. Oddballs is truly imaginative and will definitely end your year (or start the next one) with a lot of laughs.

Oddballs

2 Seasons   TV-Y7   2022

My List

Watch

The School for Good and Evil

If you have tweens or teens, chances are you’ve heard of The School for Good and Evil book series. The first book alone sold more than 3 million copies, and my 13-year-old squealed in delight when she found out about the film adaptation. It’s the mythological tale of two schools — one for good, one for evil — and how two average girls from a small village get invited to attend. There’s a lot of magic, mystery, and a valuable message: Just because someone is in the school for good doesn’t mean they’re actually all that good, and vice versa. The film has an incredible cast including Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, and Laurence Fishburne, but the real magic is that it had all my kids glued to the screen.

The School for Good and Evil

2h 29m   PG-13   2022

My List

Watch

Explore

Slumberland

This is heartwarming family adventure film tells the story of Nema (Marlow Barkley), a teenager who lives in a lighthouse with her father (Kyle Chandler). Each night, he tells her stories of his adventures in Slumberland with his friend, the mischievous Flip (Jason Momoa). But after her father’s death in a sea storm, she moves in with her city-dwelling uncle and goes on her own journey to Slumberland, discovering that her father’s stories were actually true. There’s a lot of fun and adventure in this movie, along with uplifting themes about what it means to love the family you have. It’s based on the early 1900s comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland, and I couldn’t think of a better movie to brighten your family’s spirits.

Slumberland

2h 0m   PG   2022

My List

Watch

Explore

Sweet Tooth

Why not get engrossed in a fantasy series before the year comes to a close? In Sweet Tooth, a mysterious sickness has wiped out much of the population and led to babies born as human-animal hybrids. It centers on Gus — a boy who’s half human and half deer — as he sets out into this postapocalyptic world following the death of his father. Based on the comic book of the same name by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth tells a story of finding hope in the face of adversity. The series might not be the best fit for young children, but if you’ve got teens, they’ll be hooked. There are three seasons available to stream, so you can start watching on New Year’s Eve and then queue up the rest of the episodes on New Year’s Day.

Sweet Tooth

3 Seasons   TV-14   2021

My List

Watch

Explore

YES DAY

Based on the children's book of the same name, this revolves around Allison and Carlos Torres (Jennifer Garner and Édgar Ramirez), who, before having children, considered themselves adventurous and willing to say “yes” to anything. But as parents, they’ve found themselves having to say “no” more and more. To change the game, they decide to have a “Yes Day.” For 24 hours, they say “yes” to their children’s requests. My kids’ eyes filled with wonder as they watched, living vicariously through the film’s whirlwind day of wish fulfillment. Just don’t be surprised if you wind up fielding questions about scheduling your own Yes Day.

YES DAY

1h 29m   PG   2021

My List

Watch

Watership Down

This four-part animated series follows a group of rabbits fighting against nature and one another after their home is destroyed by human developers. Eventually, they learn to work together as a community when they’re forced to battle the tyrannical leader General Woundwort. Based on the award-winning novel by Richard Adams, the series boasts an impressive cast that includes James McAvoy, John Boyega, and Ben Kingsley. Yes, it’s a story about rabbits, but it’s also a compelling tale about environmental protection, oppression, and survival — and it’s never a bad time of year to think about our impact on the world. I watched this with my daughters, and as each episode ended, they immediately played the next episode. We stayed up late watching the whole series in one sitting.

Watership Down

Limited Series   TV-PG   2018

My List

Watch

Find Your Next Netflix Obsession on TudumWhatever you love to stream, we’ve got tips on the latest releases, true crime, book adaptations, stand-up comedy, award-winning films and more.