The 47 Best Mother-Son Movies To Watch On Mother’s Day

There is a tonne of films involving dads and sons, daughters and fathers, and mothers (the sports genre would be in crisis without them). But in celebration of this Mother’s Day, I’d want to highlight a less common and underappreciated film genre: moms and sons. The relationship between a mother and her son is revered and is, in my opinion, the most fascinating of all parent-child relationships. What exactly is a conventional mother-son activity, after all? Are you catching?

Getting away from an assassination attempt while riding a sandworm? A boy and his mother’s interaction defies expectations, which is why it has been portrayed in so many different and nuanced ways in movies. 47 on-screen couples from various genres, eras, and family structures have been culled from the archives. We have mothers who are divorced, single, married, and one who shares her home with a cat that is haunted by the ghost of her late husband. We have devoted sons, naive sons, disobedient boys, and sons who also happen to be the Antichrist.

So why not curl up on the couch with one of these movies after you’ve gone to breakfast, received gifts, and made a call-update promise? Mother’s Day greetings!

Women of the 20th century (2016)

A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection Anette Bening and Lucas Jade Zumann are seated across from one another at a table. It is said that a town raises a child, and Dorothea (Annette Bening) has surely lived by this maxim.

In this somewhat autobiographical Mike Mills picture, a single mother of the adolescent Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) has enlisted a large ensemble of individuals to co-mother with her.

Abbie (Greta Gerwig), the upstairs tenant who enjoys punk rock, William (Billy Crudup), the handyman who works around the home, and Julie (Elle Fanning), Jamie’s dead-faced high school infatuation, are all present. I would unquestionably declare that four mothers are preferable to one of these the mothers you receive.

American Gangster (2007)

Ruby Dee follows Denzel Washington as they go. Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Universal A concise summary of the pros and cons of having a son who is a drug lord. He will purchase a mansion for you. Con: The money will be obtained through the sale of heroin, bribery, murder, and other unethical practices. Ruby Dee, a pioneering Black performer, was finally given an Oscar nomination for her role as Frank Lucas’ mother (Denzel Washington).

And while if this movie doesn’t show a mother-son bond you can emulate, Dee performs some of her greatest acting in it (including slapping Washington across the face for lying to her).

The Babadook (2014)

In IFC Midnight, Noah Wiseman and Essie Davis are seated across from one another at a table. We admire mothers who are prepared to stand up for their children, even if it means facing a gay icon or bogeyman in a top hat.

In this Australian prestige horror movie, Amelia (Essie Davis) is disturbed when her son Sam (Noah Wiseman) begins inventing weapons to fight a monster from a picture book (which is far better than Scream, if you ask Jenna Ortega in Scream 5). But as it often happens in horror movies, the monster is real, and Mom of the Year must fight him, stovepipe and all. Visit Prime Video to view it.

Back to the Future

 Advertisement (1985)

Both Lea Thompson and Michael J. Fox exchange glances.

Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Universal In high school, would you have gotten along with your mother? A great query, and one that the 1980s classic Back to the Future addresses.

Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly travels back in time to visit his parents as they prepare for a high school dance. Although it is awkward when his mother in the past tries to kiss him, Marty ultimately helps her fall in love with his father (awwwww). It might be difficult to watch when sitting next to your mother, but it’s still a frolic.

Bao (2018)

A smiling woman presses a bao on her cheek. Pixar, Walt Disney, and Courtesy of the Everett Collection Your son might act like a true guy at times.

Sometimes your son is like a dumpling that begins out adorable, grows a mustache, and then becomes rebellious, forcing you to devour him. Although I don’t frequently mention short movies, this Oscar winner is simply too fantastic to pass up. The ideal illustration of what it’s like to see your child mature and develop into their person.

Domee Shi, who recently helmed Turning Red, a charming story about a mother-child bond, also directed this. Unfortunately, Turning Red does not qualify for our list because it stars girls.

 Belfast (2021)

Jude Hill is pursued by Caitriona Balfe along a street. Focus Features/Rob Youngson/Courtesy Everett Collection Buddy (Jude Hill) has the sexiest parents ever, which is a great testament to Kenneth Branagh’s parents who served as the basis for the black-and-white Irish drama. Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe in the roles of parents?

Balfe ought to have received an Oscar nomination for her depiction of the sexiest mother of the cutest boy in the whole world. She is pursuing him through the streets while warning him against stealing and defending her from enraged mobs.

What else is there to ask for? You can Prime Video rent it.

Ben Is Back, (2018)

Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges are seen standing in a kitchen in the photograph provided by the Everett Collection. Lucas Hedges is the only actor who adores the role of a mother’s son. He has a huge filmography, and I haven’t even mentioned Three Billboards or Let Them Talk (in which he plays Meryl’s nephew, but who’s counting)—even though both movies are technically on this list. He is the drug-addicted son of Julia Roberts who is at home for the holidays. Hugs, cozy sweaters, plenty of tears in the snow, and stress over urinating in cups. Due to some incidents involving Turkey, the two may no longer be in communication and may therefore be estranged.

Boy Erased  (2018)

Boy Erased by Focus Features stars Nicole Kidman and Lucas Hedges Lucas Hedges is, as was previously indicated, the kind of youngster who would be close to his mother (as evidenced by all the older female costars that adore him).

In this movie about a shady conversion therapy camp, Lucas’s Jared and his mother (played by Nicole Kidman) go on a difficult emotional journey as they discover how to embrace and celebrate his gay existence. You’ll be moved to tears while admiring Nicole’s wigs.

Childhood (2014)

IFC Films’ Boyhood stars Patricia Arquette and Ellar Coltrane. On the list, is a mom with an Oscar!

Patricia Arquette won an Academy Award for her role as the mother of a kid who is quietly maturing in front of her eyes in this quiet Richard Linklater movie. Boyhood, which was shot over 12 years, shows a mother-son connection that, although being at times tumultuous, grows stronger as a result of hardship. The movie also includes the well-known scene of the mother sobbing as her son goes to college.

 Changeling (2008)

In the film Changeling, Angelina Jolie’s kid is displayed.

Everett Collection/Universal Pictures. What if your son is taken, but when the police bring him back, he turns out not to be your son? Is it still considered a mother-son film? I will respond “yes.”

In this crime thriller, Angelina Jolie steals the show as she quickly realizes that the new boy is not the one who went missing but is dismissed by the police as being hysterical. Hope your mother at least like Angelina’s headwear if she can’t appreciate a little psychological suspense. Look it up on HBO Max.

Come on, man (2021)

Gaby Hoffmann and Woody Norman were lying on the ground. The Everett Collection courtesy of Tobin Yelland/AA24. Motherhood is not an easy profession. As we’ve previously established, this may include rescuing your kids from drug dens, conversion therapy clinics, and malevolent Honest Abe impersonators. The hardest aspect, though, might occasionally be giving up full-time parenting to improve your child’s life.

While trying to support his father through a difficult time, Viv (Gaby Hoffmann) is forced to leave her son Jesse (Woody Norman) to live with his uncle (Joaquin Phoenix). The wonderful movie (which served as the basis for a stunning A24 coffee table book) is all about the various ways that love may show itself, one of which is through a string of tearful phone conversations.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Henry Golding is embraced by Michelle Yeoh. Warner Bros. Pictures/Sanja Bucko/Courtesy Everett Collection. Everything Everywhere All At Once star, Michelle Yeoh is enjoying a well-deserved moment for her phenomenal, better-win-the-damn-Oscar performance as a mother. However, because it is a mother-daughter film, it is not included on the list.

Yeoh has been producing excellent work for years, and in this rom-com, she plays the steely, extremely wealthy mother of Henry Golding’s character, Nick. She makes desperate attempts to scare off his potential admirer (Constance Wu) before realizing that she doesn’t need to keep an eye on her son as closely as she would believe.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. (2008)

Old Brad Pitt and Taraji P. Henson dance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Courtesy of Everett Collection and Paramount. In this dramatization of the lives of a guy born old and aging backward, Benjamin’s (Brad Pitt) biological mother passes away during birthing.

Fortunately, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), the manager of a nursing home, takes him in right once since he appears to be elderly. As his adoptive mother ages but he does not, their lives become linked. Of course, it’s not typical to raise an 80-year-old with the mentality of a child, but I believe it remains true. You can see it on Paramount+.

The Devil to Pay (2019)

Danielle Deadwyler is lying next to Ezra Haslam while he sleeps. Entertainment Uncorked/Courtesy of Everett Collection

Danielle Deadwyler is poised for a big break in Hollywood following a standout performance on HBO’s Station Eleven and a breakthrough performance in The Harder They Fall last year. Could I propose this underrated independent thriller about a mother in rural Appalachia who must protect her son from a mountain family hell-bent on paying off her husband’s debt if you’d want to see her take on the main role? It’s astonishing how Deadwyler can go from tender moments with her son and the wrath of a mother who is armed and prepared to defend her child.

Driveways,  (2019)

With Lucas Jaye, Hong Chau is seated. courtesy Everett Collection and FilmRise I’m not sure about you, but the new Fire Island clip from Bowen Yang and Joel Kim Booster had everyone talking on Twitter. Andrew Ahn is the director of the movie about a group of friends vacationing at a homosexual resort; if you want to watch it before, his earlier movie is a lovely (albeit depressing) drama about a mother and kid. Along with her son Cody (Lucas Jaye), Kathy (Hong Chau) arrives to clean up the house of her recently deceased hoarding sister.

As the group tries to understand one another, they form an odd friendship with the veteran neighbor (the late Brian Dennehy).

Dune (2021)

Rebecca Ferguson and Timothee Chalamet are shown standing on a mountain. Warner Bros./Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Chiabella James. A movie called Dune is about butthole worms. It’s a film about consuming your perspiration. It’s a movie about how attractive Oscar Isaac is. However, it is also (basically) a story of a mother and son who have banished space witches in the desert. As the successor to House Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson and Timothée Chalamet are gorgeous (and stunningly clothed).

Rarely has a mother-son duo been so utterly badass, and although most of the movies on this list focus on a mother nurturing (or failing to nurture) her son, the two here more closely resemble partners. They depend on one another to survive (and their snot, dripped through a tube and repurposed for sustenance).

French Exit (2020)

In a vehicle with a cat, Lucas Hedges and Michelle Pfeiffer are seated in the rear. Sony Pictures Classics/Tobias Datum/Courtesy Everett Collection. Well my oh my, look what the cat (carrying the spirit of the late Tracy Letts) pulled in. If not Lucas Hedges, the mother is likely another well-known actor.

He portrays Malcolm in this movie, the son of a Manhattan heiress (Michelle Pfeiffer), who must move to Paris following the passing of her spouse (and the soul’s possession of the family cat). Along with their love for each other, the couple must also deal with their financial situation and the death of Tracy Letts. You should see it for Valerie Mahaffey even if you’re like, “Not another Lucas movie,” because she delivers one of the funniest performances I’ve ever seen.

Heritable (2018)

In Hereditary A24, Toni Collette screams, “I AM YOUR MOTHER!” Or so Toni Collette yells across the dining table to Alex Wolff. Even though one of them becomes demon-possessed and attempts to kill the other towards the conclusion of this horror movie, it is clear that it is not about a healthy mother-son relationship. The moral of the story is to avoid letting your allergic sister consume nuts and to avoid calling a demonic force into your home.

 Home Alone (1990)

Home Alone, starring Macaulay Culkin and Catherine O’Hara, Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Everett Collection is credited. Accidentally leaving a child at home alone for a week while on vacation in France is every mother’s worst fear. Despite all the mischief, this holiday classic is truly about Catherine O’Hara and Macaulay Culkin discovering their mutual love and admiration for one another. Mrs. McCallister had “KEVIN” before Moira had David.

Jerry Maguire  (1996)

In the movie Jerry Maguire, Renée Zellweger and Jonathan Lipnicki TriStar Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection, And Jonathan Lipnicki from Jerry Maguire win the prize for the cutest kid ever in a movie.

The little child and his single mother (Renée Zellweger), who both have spiky hair and round spectacles, steal the show. You want them to be happy, Tom Cruise to stop talking, and them to become a family. He had her at hello, after all.

Jojo Rabbit  (2019)

Roman Griffin Davis and Scarlett Johansson in Jojo Rabbit. The movie studio Fox Searchlight. Children with good moms are taught to avoid being Nazis. Scarlett Johansson, a German during World War II, puts a lot of effort into protecting her kid in this Best Picture candidate while also teaching him how to stand up for what is right. You’ll experience joy and sorrow, and you won’t ever again be so traumatized by a pair of shoes.

The Kids Are All Right 2010

At a table, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Hutcherson, Mia Wasikowska, Annette Bening, and Julianne Moore Focus Features/Suzanne Tenner, through Everett CollectionnWhat is a better mother-son connection in a movie than one? Why not two? Laser, played by Josh Hutcherson, is being raised by two lesbian mothers, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore.

But when he contacts the sperm bank to find out who his father is, he meets Mark Ruffalo and has to examine his interactions with both of his mothers (and his newfound dad).

Lion (2016)

Lion stars Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman Company Weinstein. Please have a look at it! With a bizarre wig, Nicole Kidman is back and portraying another mom.

She plays the role of Dev Patel’s Australian adoptive mother in the movie. Dev Patel lost contact with his family and home when he was a youngster in India, and he is now anxiously looking for them on Google Earth. The speech Nicole gave about wanting him to be her son! Still experiencing chills.

Visit Prime Video to view it.

Looper  (2012)

Hugging her child in Looper, Emily Blunt Tri-Star Pictures/Alan Markfield; Courtesy Everett Collection Think of Jerry Maguire as a sci-fi thriller.  As a single mother with a cute child navigating a world of contract killers who are paid to kill individuals transported back in time from the future, Emily Blunt assumes the Renée Zellweger character.

The action centers on Emily Blunt’s farmhouse and the little kid she is attempting to protect while Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Young Joe) attempts to kill Bruce Willis (his older self).

 Love, Simon (2018)

Nick Robinson’s head is kissed by Jennifer Garner in the movie Love, Simon (20th Century Fox). Let’s hope your mother is Jennifer Garner if you’re going to come out to her. In this coming-of-age romantic comedy, Nick Robinson’s eponymous character informs his mother that he is homosexual, and Jen gives one of the finest loving-mom speeches in movie history. Who wouldn’t want to be hugged by Jennifer Garner while wearing her warm sweater? You can Prime Video rent it.

Manhattan maid (2002)

Tyler Posey is kissed by Jennifer Lopez. courtesy Everett Collection, Columbia

The majority of children simply send their mothers a bad card and some chocolates as a present. Ty (Tyler Posey) makes a special effort to find his mother a wildly affluent partner in its place. Marisa, played by Jennifer Lopez, has a charming, bright, and politically motivated child who starts up a discussion with a senatorial candidate (Ralph Fiennes) at the hotel she works at. A casual discussion about Richard Nixon turns into him assisting his mother in finding true love. Consider giving your mother that on Mother’s Day!

A Story of Marriage (2019)

Playing with her baby while watching Marriage Story on Netflix, Scarlett Johansson. This Noah Baumbach picture, which stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as divorced parents, is a narrative about, well, marriage, but it’s also a movie about parenting.

Scarlett’s Nicole must continue to raise her kid and show him that just though his life will be different, doesn’t mean it can’t be good while juggling an increasingly tense, bicoastal separation. The best mom to see this movie with will depend on whether she is divorced or married.

 Marvin’s Room (1996)

Outside, Meryl Streep is positioned behind Leonardo DiCaprio. courtesy of Everett Collection and Miramax. Meryl can play any role, so of course, she can portray a wonderful mother, as she does in this scene with Leonardo DiCaprio. She’s a sarcastic hairdresser who brings her son to Florida for her distant sister’s bone marrow transplant because you do things for the family even if they haven’t spoken to you in 20 years!m Leo’s sister, who is portrayed by Diane Keaton and is known for wanting all of her boys to be homosexual, acts as a second mother to the little boy. And with this trifecta, you really can’t go wrong.

Miss Virginia,  (2019)

Niles Fitch and Uzo Aduba unpack groceries. Entertainment Vertical According to my own experience, pestering your son about school-related matters accounts for roughly 90% of parenthood. However, you must first establish a school for your child to attend. Uzo Aduba plays Virginia Walden, a mother who played a pivotal role in the school voucher movement as she struggled to send her child to a private school that would keep him off the streets, in this drama that is based on a real tale. You can see more of Aunjanue Ellis’ excellent acting in the political drama, which also happens to start this year’s Oscar contender as a congressman embroiled in a legal dispute. If you like seeing her rage at Will Smith, you can do so here.

Moonlight . (2016)

Moonlight A24, Naomie Harris holding her kid; image courtesy of Everett Collection. In three acts, the Best Picture winner from 2017 paints a challenging depiction of parenthood as Chiron watches his mother’s descent into heroin addiction. The Oscar-nominated performance of Naomie Harris as his mother is both engrossing and heartbreaking. Oh, and Janelle Monáe is another strong female role model right there. All around excellent acting by the actors.

The Omen, an advertisement (1976)

20th Century Fox Lee Remick and Gregory Peck cradling their wailing infant. A child’s birth and upbringing are both wonderful experiences. However, it is less attractive when your son becomes the Antichrist and begins telepathically pressuring nannies into hanging themselves. In this supernatural-horror classic, Damien shows up to wreak havoc on his mother (played by Lee Remick), forcing her to go over a banister at one point. Not quite the same as the bond you share with your mother, but who can say.

Regular Folks (1980)

Timothy Hutton and Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People. Everett Collection / Courtesy of Paramount Pictures. Another classic from the 1980s, this Best Picture winner features Oscar-winning performances by Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, and Timothy Hutton. A wealthy Illinois suburban family comes apart as each member laments the death of their son and sibling.

In this somber drama, MTM deviates from her usual role, and her frayed bond with her surviving son is sad. Visit Prime Video to view it.

Other Person  (2016)

In the restroom, Molly Shannon and Jesse Plemons are laughing. Vertical Entertainment/Brian Burgoyne/Courtesy Everett Collection. I’ve already talked about what a wonderful on-screen mother Molly Shannon is. Both Other People and HBO’s The Other Two were written by Chris Kelly, a longtime writer for Saturday Night Live. When his mother Joanne (Shannon) is stricken with cancer, David (Jesse Plemons), a homosexual comedy writer, goes to Sacramento to assist in caring for her. A terrific LGBT movie that’s just 90 minutes long, humorous, and moving?

 “Pain and Glory” (2019)

Penelope Cruz is hugged by Asier Flores. courtesy of the Everett Collection and Sony Pictures Classics. It seems sensible that Pedro Almodóvar chose Penélope Cruz for the role of his mother in this semi-autobiographical drama since she has been in seven of his movies. (He also gave her roles in Parallel Mothers and All About My Mother, so there are mom vibes present.) In the movie, the mother and son have a difficult relationship that continues to bother Salvador (Antonio Banderas) even after her passing. Any therapist will tell you that your mother’s influence on you is permanent, and this movie undoubtedly repeats that idea. You can Prime Video rent it.

An enemy (2019)

The Kim family is having fun while dining. On this list, is another Best Picture winner! Hollywood producers ought to pay attention. Do you desire any gold statues? Make a movie with a compelling mother-son relationship. Woo-Shik Choi’s character in this darkly comedic thriller works at the home of a wealthy Korean family to support his family. However, it is the mother and son who are left trying to put their lives back together as their scheme starts to go bad.

Check it out on Hulu.

The Strength of the Dog. (2021)

Kirsten Dunst speaks with Kodi Smit-McPhee. Everett Collection via Netflix Although it lost the Best Picture award, this one was close! Once more, there is a mother-son Oscar bump. When Rose (Kirsten Dunst) marries Phil’s brother, the two are hauled to a ranch managed by the evil Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) (her real-life husband Jesse Plemons). Similar to the Dune duo, this mother-son team must struggle for one another as they strive to make a good existence for themselves in a harsh environment. Additionally, both the mother and the boy received Oscar nominations, making this the fourth film on this list to do so, joining Ordinary People, Ordinary People, and Benjamin Button.

Netflix should have it.

 Psycho (1960)

In the movie Psycho, Anthony Perkins wore a woman’s outfit (spoilers) (although this movie came out 60 years ago, so honestly, you should know the plot twist by now). Nothing screams, “I don’t have mommy issues,” like killing drivers in your hotel and disguising up as your mother while concealing her corpse in the basement. While she isn’t present in the movie, Norma Bates’ influence can be felt throughout. Look it up on Peacock.

Roma (2018)

Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection Diego Cortina Autrey, Yalitza Aparicio, Daniela Demesa, Marina de Tavira, Carlos Peralta, and Marco Graf are seated at a table together. Filmmakers with original voices like semi-autobiographical works about their mothers. Undoubtedly, 20th Century Women, Belfast, Pain and Glory, and this Alfonso Cuarón film are all instances.

But here, Cuarón contemplates both his connection with his biological mother (Marina de Tavira) and the nannies who reared him, giving us two mother figures for the price of one (Yalitza Aparicio). There are many different ways to be a mother, and often the ones who love us the most are not our blood relatives.

Room (2015)

Crafts are done in Room by Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. courtesy of Everett Collection, Caitlin Cronenberg/A2 If you and your mother have been imprisoned in a shed for five years by a wicked guy, you have no option but to become best friends. As Joy, played by Brie Larson, and Jack, played by Jacob Tremblay, attempt to flee and start over after years of tragedy, their bond is tested to the limit. Brie received an Oscar for her performance, too (the second winner on the list). I will inform you.

Spencer (2021)

According to me, Spencer was the finest movie of the year, and a big reason it succeeds is Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Princess Diana as a devoted mother held captive by a hostile dynasty.

Her boys William and Harry are the sole sources of joy in a chilly, sterile, gem-encrusted world. The interaction between the three characters is at the heart of the movie, and the last scene has a strong sense of, “You’re not going to school today; instead, we’re having a road trip,” which is what every child desires from their mother.

Spidey: No Way Home(2021)

Yes.

I am aware that Aunt May, and not Spider-mother, Man’s is Spider-Man. However, since his parents have passed away, his aunt, who is also his mother figure, is raising him. All families, regardless of how they differ, are legitimate. So be free to invite your aunt to the mother-son multiverse fight if you have been bitten by a spider and want her to attend. I won’t say anything due to spoilers but the Spidey-May friendship is one of the finest aspects of the new Spider-Man trilogy.

Tarzan, 42 (1999)

Sometimes your mother is a living being. When your human mother passes away, you occasionally get a gorilla as your replacement mother. This Disney classic tells the touching story of a man in loincloths and his devoted gorilla mother (voiced by Glenn Close! ) and is loaded with Phil Collins hits on the soundtrack. Going to listen to “You’ll Be in My Heart” right away.

The Sixth Sense, 43 (1999)

The Sixth Sense’s Toni Collette and Haley Joel Osment in a vehicle. Distribution by Buena Vista Pictures. This M. Night Shyamalan picture has one of the biggest narrative twists in movie history in addition to the dynamic mother-son pair, Toni Collette and Haley Joel Osment, who both received Oscar nominations. Do you see? There is a pattern. All of their interactions are priceless, but the moment in which Haley organizes a séance in their car is guaranteed to make you cry.

Soul (2021)

Joe and his mother are seated before a mirror.Disney/Pixar The majority of Pixar’s most recent Oscar winner is devoted to Joe (Jamie Foxx) and 22 (Tina Fey), two souls who have not yet been transported to earth, navigating the afterlife. However, the connection between Joe and his mother forms the core of the narrative (voiced by the ever-talented Phylicia Rashad). Although it hasn’t been mentioned much on this list, many of us still care much too much about what our parents think. Our mothers still have a strong influence on our decisions even as adults.

The Way Way Back (2013)

With her youngster wearing a life jacket, Toni Collette. Fox Searchlight Pictures and Claire Folger/TM are both trademarks. With permission from the Everett Collection. Given Toni Collette’s talent as an actor (Hereditary, Little Miss Sunshine, The Sixth Sense, need I go on? ), casting directors have recognized they can never go wrong by giving her a depressed, emo kid. In this coming-of-age drama, Toni must decide between her aimless kid and her deadbeat lover. The majority of the action takes place at a Cape Cod waterpark. This is a terrific family movie to see since it is funny and uplifting without any Antichrists or corpses in sight.

Kevin Must Be Discussed (2011)

Oscilloscope Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Look Ezra Miller and Tilda Swinton are seated across from one another at a table. Deciding to become a mother is very up in the air. You don’t always get the valedictorian who follows the rules. Serial killers do appear sometimes. This movie centers on the latter. Ezra Miller, who is turning full eerie as a killer, is the son of the perpetually slightly spooky Tilda Swinton. It could be advisable to skip and not offer your youngster any inspiration if you think he has murderous intentions. For all other macabre mother-son duos out there, this is a great variation.

Animals (2018)

Wildlife starring Carey Mulligan, Ed Oxenbould, and Jake Gyllenhaal. IFC Movies. In his feature film debut, Paul Dano—yes, the son of Toni Collette—follows a family in 1960s Montana as the parents deal with their divorce and their adolescent son. Even if the movie has its share of depressing moments, Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal provide A-level performances, and the scenery is stunning. You should see this movie as well, if only for Carey’s green outfit in the scene at the dinner party. Oscar for Best Costume Design ought to have been awarded.