We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
45 best Father's Day films to watch with your Dad
Is he a funny dad or a serious one? We have film suggestions for them all.
This article was originally published on Good Housekeeping US.
When Father's Day rolls around, there's always talk about what Father's Day activities to do. But if your dad is anything like mine (or my husband), there's one thing he's up for at any time: watching movies. (Sometimes in classic dad fashion, by standing up in the living room, pretending that he's only tuning in for a minute while staying through the end.)
If the special dad in your life is the same (minus the standing up part), these are the best movies to watch on Father's Day. Some are appropriate for the whole family, so you can gather all the generations around and watch together. There are some new favourites and timeless classics, along with funny movies, scary movies and serious films, so you can find something appropriate no matter what his mood. They all have one thing in common though: All the movies have a dad at the center. Will any remind him of his own family?
Raising Arizona (1987)
H.I. McDunnough (Nic Cage) really wants to be a dad — even if it means he has to go steal a baby. Coincidentally, a local businessman made the news for having quintuplets. What results is a hilarious farce that only the Coen brothers could dream up.
Trap (2024)
In this film, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Josh Hartnett plays a dad who just wants to take his daughter to a concert as a congratulations for a good report card. The one catch: He's actually a serial killer, The Butcher, and the authorities have set up a sting operation at the show to ensnare him. Does he make it out without his daughter finding out his true identity? Should we want him to? And, to make the film even more of a love letter between fathers and daughters, Shyamalan cast his own daughter, Saleka Night Shyamalan, as the pop star they're going to see.
Finding Nemo (2003)
If you've got a mixed-age group, throw on Finding Nemo — a movie where a dad gets to be the hero! Along the way, Marlon the clownfish has to learn not to be so over-protective of his son, which is a lesson lots of fathers out there might need to take to heart.
The Godfather (1972)
Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are excellent dad movies, but this one is the one where Vito Corleone gets to say, "You come into my house on the day my daughter's getting married," which is the ultimate pulling of dad-rank if there ever was one.
Aftersun (2022)
This is a movie for indie dads, girl dads and dads who don't mind being taken for an emotional ride. It follows father Calum (Paul Mescal) and his tween daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio) as they take a vacation together. But Calum has more going on than Sophie realises, so they're really on two different trips.
Field of Dreams (1989)
For all the Sports Dads out there, Field of Dreams is an all-time classic. Kevin Costner stars as a farmer in Iowa who starts to build a baseball field on his property after a mysterious, disembodied voice tells him to. And while it seems like the plot of a ghost story, it's really about family.
A Quiet Place (2018)
What lengths will dads go to protect their families? In this case, John Krasinski plays a dad who needs to keep his wife and kids from being attacked by creatures who are drawn to sound — any sound. If Dad becomes a fan, he can move on to A Quiet Place Part II and A Quiet Place: Day One.
Paper Moon (1973)
In this charming Peter Bogdanovich movie, the real-life father/daughter duo of Ryan O'Neal and Tatum O'Neal do not play an on-screen father-daughter scammer team. Or do they? At first, it seems like Moze (Ryan) brings Addie (Tatum) on the road with him to help him work as a con man, but he may have surreptitious reasons for wanting to connect with her.
Minari (2020)
Minari is about a dad with a dream: Jacob Yi (Steven Yuen) plays the head of an immigrant family who moves from California to Arkansas hoping to start a farm for Korean vegetables. The movie follows the way that goal affects all the members of his family.
Ultraman Rising
This Netflix animated film has something for everything: animation for the kids, Ultraman for the adults and kaiju that can appeal to everyone. In it, an inexperienced Ultraman accidentally hatches a kaiju egg, and then must take care of the baby that imprints on him.
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989)
Just when you thought you've become the best version of yourself, your dad comes along to poke holes in your mythos (and tell everyone you cribbed your nickname from the dog). In the third installment in the Indiana Jones franchise, Indy is paired up with his dad to follow clues that may lead to the Holy Grail.
King Richard (2021)
In this Oscar-winning movie, Will Smith plays Richard Williams, father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, and the movie shows how tirelessly he worked to get his daughters into the pro circuit, and the decisions and sacrifices he made that led them there.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
If there were a Father Hall of Fame, Atticus Finch would definitely be in it. The movie, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, shows Finch's actions as a lawyer in a small town in Alabama in the '30s through the eyes of his young daughter, Scout. Gregory Peck earned an Academy Award for his performance.
The Iron Claw (2023)
This movie portrays a real-life father — Jack "Fritz" Von Erich — and his four sons, who went on to achieve some level of of success in the world of professional wrestling. That achievement comes with a price, however, and director Sean Durkin does a good job of presenting their tale with emotional intensity.
Parenthood (1989)
Parenthood is about those problems a lot of families face: kids who need therapy, financial struggles and a surprise baby on the way. So why is it so funny? That's just the magic of the cast, which includes Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Rick Moranis, Jason Robards, Dianne Wiest and even Keanu Reeves. If Dad likes it, you might want to show him the 2010 TV series inspired by the movie
Asteroid City (2023)
In this Wes Anderson movie, families converge in the middle of the desert for a Junior Stargazer convention — only to wind up quarantined there after a close encounter — which means there are lots of types of dads and kids represented. The film focuses on photographer Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman), who's there with his older son and three younger daughters, who are all still grieving the loss of the family matriarch.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Truly, you can watch any Star Wars movie on Father's Day and have it be thematic: They're all about fathers, the lack of fathers and father figures. But this one has the classic "I am your father" line, which is irresistible on Father's Day.
On the Rocks (2020)
A subgenre of dad movies is one about "cad dads," and Bill Murray embodies the role of the roguish father perfectly in this Sofia Coppola movie. It stars Rashida Jones as a woman in New York City who teams up with her playboy dad to figure out if her husband is cheating on her.
Willow (1988)
So much of this movie is wrapped up in fantasy, with talk of brownies and sorceresses, that it's easy to forget that much of the action centers not on Willow Ufgood's ability to act heroic, but his skills with caring for a child. It proves what we all know to be true: Good fathers are the true heroes!
He Got Game (1998)
Spike Lee's He Got Game has one of Denzel Washington's greatest performances in a career of great performances. He plays Jake Shuttlesworth, a convict who is temporarily released from prison so that he can try and convince his son, Jesus (Ray Allen), to play basketball for the governor's alma mater.
What it's really like to date after a divorce
What's making your hair thin, and how to fix it
Fiona Phillips on life with Alzheimer's
Why fake flower snobs have it all wrong
