It’s Easter weekend, which means a laid-back springtime vibe is in the air.
If you’re looking for something to watch after the egg hunt is over — hopefully while you and the kids are digging into some Peeps or Cadbury eggs — turn on Max.
The streaming service from HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery offers a wide selection of family-friendly films that are sweet without being treacly.
‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988)
In this animated masterpiece from Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, Satsuki and Mei (voiced by Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning in the English-language version ) move with their father to a house in the country while their mother is in the hospital. As the two little girls explore their new home, they encounter a mysterious, playful and ridiculously adorable spirit called Totoro. The titular creature introduces them to a magical world of nature spirits that have become iconic symbols of Japanese animation in their own right. (Studio Ghibli — Miyazaki’s film studio — even has its own theme park in Japan.)
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The whimsical, imaginative nature of this movie is both exciting and soothing. The imagery is beautiful, and the young Fanning sisters are delightful in their voice acting roles. My Neighbor Totoro contains themes about family and nature that are just right for this time of year.
‘Flow’ (2024)
This Oscar-winning animated film is a unique visual feast. It features an all-animal cast and no spoken lines, yet the stunning visuals and charming animal characters make it just as captivating as any joke-heavy Disney or Pixar movie. (The Latvian film had such an impact that a statue of the cat has been installed in its capital city of Riga.)
Flow is about an adorable black cat trying to find a new home in a post-apocalyptic world. With an ever-growing crew of unlikely animal friends (including a capybara and a whale), the cat endeavors to find a safe haven and escape rising water levels. It’s a hopeful, modern environmental fable that will inspire you to take care of both the people and the animals in your life.
‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ (1971)
Nothing says Easter like candy, and nothing says candy like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Before Johnny Depp and Timothée Chalamet took on the role, Gene Wilder put his unique stamp on the iconic character who transported viewers into a “world of pure imagination” in this first adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic.
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From the vibrant sets to the engaging performances to the charming musical numbers, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is the very definition of a magical film. This movie was definitely ahead of its time in terms of eye-catching production design, and while the versions that followed are great, you really can’t beat the original. As Veruca Salt would say, “I want it now!”
