10 Best PG-13 Rated Movies on Netflix Right Now

As Netflix slashes its way into the awards arenas with its original content, the streaming giant still keeps a rolling catalog of classics and new releases from its competitors. Despite Netflix’s lower subscriber count in recent months, the streaming giant still has a goldmine of films, especially in the PG-13 category.

From originals to adaptations, there are hundreds of options to choose from a movie’s rating matters. For parents wanting to transition their children from family-friendly to slightly family-unfriendly films, PG-13 is a rating that bridges that gap. The selection of the best PG-13 movies on Netflix is always changing, as the platform acquires (and lets go of) blockbusters and hidden gems on a regular basis. With recent additions like Dune, it’s the perfect time to re-discover some good PG-13 movies available to stream now on Netflix.

10 ‘Dumplin” (2018)

Director: Anne Fletcher

Revolutionizing her mother’s Texas beauty pageant, Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald) is a plus-size teen who signs up for Rosie’s (Jennifer Aniston) pageant out of spite but never expected other contestants like her to follow suit. Soon, everything changes in the small Texas town thanks to this one bold decision.

A fun rewatchable dramedy movie by Anne Fletcher, critics and audiences loved Dumplin’ for its ability to bring diverse body representation to the screen, especially in a pageant film. The stars and supporting cast were able to elevate the film and stand out amongst its competitors in the genre. Its PG-13 rating comes mainly from brief, strong language. Instead of hitting “Suprise Me” next time during a Netflix movie night, Dumplin’ should be the first choice.

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9 ‘Enola Holmes’ (2020)

Director: Harry Bradbeer

Bringing a young female detective to the streaming screen, Harry Bradbeer‘s Enola Holmes provides young viewers with a capable role model emerging from her brother’s shadow. Sherlock’s sister, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown), discovers their mother is missing and sets off on a quest to solve the case. Even with Henry Cavill as Sherlock and Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes, Bobby Brown held her ground as the film’s lead.

Critics and audiences fell in love with Enola so much that Netflix released a sequel, Enola Holmes 2. Bobby Brown is Netflix royalty with her role as Eleven in Stranger Things. For preteen fans looking to watch more Bobby Brown roles all in one place, Enola Holmes is the perfect film.

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8 ‘The Adam Project’ (2022)

Director: Shawn Levy

A multi-genre Netflix original, Shawn Levy‘s The Adam Project finds Ryan Reynolds in familiar territory as a comedic action hero. A time-traveling pilot who crashed into the year 2022, Adam Reed (Reynolds) teams up with his 12-year-old self to save the future. With a supporting cast of Walker Scobell, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner, and Zoe Saldaña, the popular time travel film scored relatively high with critics and streamers, but disappointed most with its formulaic plot.

As Reynolds plays the classic Ryan Reynolds character, the film feels familiar but brings enough sci-fi action to differentiate it from his other filmography. Where Netflix has flopped with action films, it finds a steady heartbeat with The Adam Project, adding a solid installment to its catalog of original works.

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7 ‘Always Be My Maybe’ (2019)

Director: Nahnatchka Khan

Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus (Randall Park) were childhood sweethearts that everyone (except for them) thought would get together. Fifteen years later, they reconnect only to discover the spark is still lingering despite moving on to entirely different worlds in their adult lives. This Netflix original is directed by Nahnatchka Khan and is the perfect odd-couple romance film to stream.

The comedic tone and chops of Wong and Park garnered positive reviews from critics and audience members. Even with brief appearances by Keanu Reeves and Daniel Dae Kim, Always Be My Maybe maintains the focus on its main stars. Always Be My Maybe tackles social issues without it eclipsing the romantic storyline, making it both an entertaining and insightful watch.

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6 ‘War of the Worlds’ (2005)

Director: Steven Spielberg

The best adaptation of H. G. Wells‘ 1898 novel to date, War of the Worlds brings the iconic alien creatures to life, with the terrifying tripods terrorizing a small town. Among its panicked residents are a dockworker (played by Tom Cruise) and his children, who desperately try to escape the deadly invasion.

Director Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of War of the Worlds isn’t perfect, but it at least gets the tripods and their destructive power right. Cruise is entertaining to watch as he uncharacteristically portrays an everyman, and for the most part, he manages to carry the film well to its surprising conclusion.

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5 ‘Hellboy’ (2004)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Director Guillermo del Toro was the perfect filmmaker to bring the legendary comic book character Hellboy to life. In the 2004 film, viewers are introduced to Ron Perlman‘s famous character, who is a baby demon who grows up to serve as an undercover agent in the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. Alongside the merman Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) and pyro-powered Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), the team secretly protects the country from otherworldly threats.

Adapting the source material while adding his own familiar directorial trademarks to the movie, del Toro’s Hellboy would go on to spawn an unconventional superhero franchise that is unmatched in its uniqueness. Recent efforts at reviving the movie have unsurprisingly failed, as it’s hard to top such a well-made film series that’s beloved by so many fans.

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4 ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ (2022)

Director: Rian Johnson

Knives Out may sadly no longer be available to stream on Netflix (US and UK), but its impressive sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, is still up on the platform. Directed by Rian Johnson, Daniel Craig reprises his role as the world-famous detective Benoit Blanc, who’s invited to a private getaway on an island owned by the eccentric tech billionaire, Miles Bron (Edward Norton). In typical whodunit fashion, things soon become extremely complicated.

With a stellar ensemble cast, a generous touch of comedy, and genuinely surprising twists and turns, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the best whodunits of this decade. It manages to bring something entirely new to the table, and can be enjoyed as a standalone film by the entire family.

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3 ‘Arrival’ (2016)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

A mind-bending and one-of-a-kind alien invasion movie, director Denis Villeneuve‘s sci-fi masterpiece Arrival is a stunning must-see for fans of the genre. It depicts the chaos that unfolds between governments when giant alien spaceships land around the world. In an attempt to find a peaceful resolution, linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is tasked with understanding exactly what the extraterrestrial beings want.

With gorgeous visuals and a moody atmosphere to go with its surprisingly poignant and emotional story, Arrival takes audiences by the hand until its heart-pounding twist ending. Arrival is a beautifully made UFO movie that shows an exercise in restraint – undoubtedly among Villenueve’s very best.

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2 ‘La La Land’ (2016)

Director: Damien Chazelle

When the struggling jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and aspiring but not yet successful actress Mia (Emma Stone) meet, a romance for the ages blossoms in La La Land. The award-winning romantic musical directed by Damien Chazelle chronicles the duo’s experiences as they experience the highs of intoxicating love and the lows of life getting in the way.

With a gorgeous color palette to complement its memorable songs, Mia and Seb’s story is told against a perfect backdrop, making their imperfect relationship in La La Land impossible not to root for. In the end, what makes the sad romantic film so iconic is its very real reminder that no matter how much two people want to be together, love isn’t always enough to make that happen.

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1 ‘Dune’ (2021)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Perhaps Frank Herbert‘s infamously difficult-to-adapt 1965 novel has met its match, with director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One showing a promising portrayal of the dreamy and often dangerous world. Here, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is thrust into a war after shifts in the noble House Atreides endanger him and his family on the desert planet Arrakis.

Dune is full of sweeping alien landscapes and visually stunning, quiet moments that are perfectly complemented by the actors’ impressive performances. The 2021 film manages to transport viewers to another reality where wars and kingdoms of epic proportions are constantly in motion. Even those who have never read the books will be able to appreciate Villeneuve’s artistry.

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NEXT: The Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time, Ranked