10 Best Movies About Siblings, Ranked

Movies that feature siblings as equal participants in the narrative, not supporting characters, bring a relatable source representation to the big screen. Most often in life, brothers, sisters, and chosen siblings serve as main characters in our lives, so why shouldn’t they be in film? The best movies about siblings feature deep dives into the complexities of familial ties while bringing a dramatic or comedic edge to the narrative. Whether they are saving the world, their parents, or each other, onscreen siblings explore their respective journeys, using that bond to help navigate life’s trials and tribulations.

The movies with the best representation of siblings are Oscar winners, pop culture icons, generational classics, and adaptations of acclaimed literary families. Whether they like it or not, these sisters and brothers are stuck with each other, forcing them to reckon with the past to ensure a relationship in the future.

10

‘Spy Kids’ (2001)

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

This sibling duo raised a generation of adolescent viewers, cultivating an imaginative world that hinged on their ability to work together. Spy Kids is the exciting adventure story of Carmen (Alexa PenaVega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara), a brother and sister turned spy after their ex-spy parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are kidnapped by an evil mastermind. The pair trek across the world with high-tech resources from their parents’ secret stash to save their mom and dad. Carmen and Juni, whether they like it or not, are puzzle pieces that need each other to overcome their respective weaknesses.

Spy Kids is pure family fun with all the standard sibling formulas that provide relatable entertainment for its target audience. Carmen and Juni were synonymous with the best onscreen child siblings. The popularity of the first movie garnered a full-fledged franchise, with the first movie remaining a classic favorite. This sibling duo emphasizes the maturity that some kids are forced into and how their shared love for their parents allows them to put their differences aside (for the moment).

9

‘You Can Count on Me’ (2000)

Directed by Kenneth Lonergan

With an Oscar-nominated narrative and strong leading performances, You Can Count on Me portrays the rollercoaster dynamics of adult siblings. Laura Linney stars as Sammy, a single mother seemingly content with her structured life as a bank worker in the small town where she grew up. When her elusive younger brother Terry (Mark Ruffalo) returns for a visit, Sammy and her son’s routine is disrupted, forcing her to choose between building back a relationship with Terry or protecting herself and her son from heartbreak.

You Can Count on Me is an exploration of nostalgia and sentimentality through the lens of a sibling relationship. Sammy and Terry are anything but a picturesque brother and sister as they navigate conflict and their respective flaws. While their dynamic is complex, the love they share for one another and the cost of it is a dramatic tale of how trauma can either fuel a sibling bond or pull it apart.

8

‘Star Wars’ (1977–1983)

Directed by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, and Richard Marquand

With the modern trilogy bringing the original intergalactic twins back to the big screen, the sibling dynamic of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) was best represented by the original three episodes. The children of Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), as depicted in the first movies, Luke and Leia are the epitome of bickering siblings, even before it’s revealed they are twins. They fit the formulaic tropes of the smart and strategic sister to the impulsive and naive brother. The reveal during The Empire Strikes Back was a massive cinematic twist.

Star Wars also gave audiences a brotherly bond between Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Luke. Han falling for Leia is a total formulaic rom-com move with the sister dating the brother’s best friend. Despite the butting of heads and the quick-witted teasing, Luke and Leia, and by extension Han, are the ultimate trio of siblings that gave the franchise a layer of emotional depth it needed, despite their characters being squandered in episodes seven, eight, and nine.

7

‘Grave of the Fireflies’ (1988)

Directed by Isao Takahata

This animation film is far from a child’s imaginative tale of brother and sister, but rather a raw and emotional depiction of how the sibling bond is sometimes the only thing left standing in the face of tragedy. Orphaned after an Allied bomb destroys their home, killing their mother, a teenage brother must care for his young sister as the pair struggle to survive on their own in Japan during World War II. Grave of the Fireflies is not for the fainthearted, eliciting a range of devastation that Seita and Setsuko must endure.

While Seita must take responsibility for their lives, Setsuko manages to maintain some innocence and wonder as she collects fireflies, cultivating a deeper representation of the destruction of war. Grave of the Fireflies reinforces how resilient a bond between brother and sister can be, and how that love is like no other in the face of tragedy and loss. This is one of the most powerful sibling movies with an ending that affirms the emotional connection depicted between the pair.

6

‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ (1993)

Directed by Lasse Hallström

In a story about sacrifice, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is an essential movie about siblings and exploring putting family first at the expense of one’s happiness. Johnny Depp stars as the titular character, the second-eldest sibling in the Grape household, tasked with caring for his younger intellectually disabled brother Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Mama Grape (Darlene Cates) is too obese to leave the house, so the brunt of responsibility falls upon Gilbert as he struggles to find his own way in life.

Gilbert and his two sisters have accepted their reality of being independent adolescents and young adults with their mother’s condition. There’s an essence of self-reliance they all embody, while Gilbert takes the brunt of the sacrifice by caring for Arnie and his propensity to get into trouble. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape demonstrates the strength of love even in the face of burden, as Gilbert displays a range of emotions from resentment toward his mother and sisters to frustration with Arnie; however, Gilbert loves his brother and is a fierce protector against those who refuse to understand Arnie.

5

‘Pride & Prejudice’ (2005)

Directed by Joe Wright

Popularized onscreen for the swoon-worthy romance between Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) and Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), this Jane Austen adaptation is also a tale of the dynamics between five sisters vying for marriage and to meet societal expectations. Pride and Prejudice is the story of Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of a lower-class English family, as she falls for upper-class Mr. Darcy. The pair must decide if their differences in personality and class can be overcome in order to sustain their passionate relationship.

The Bennet family unit is a central part of the romantic narrative as each daughter, supported by their loving father (Donald Sutherland), hopes to secure a marriage that will allow them wealth and prosperity. Each of the Bennet sisters has a distinct personality that, in multiple moments, threatens their future and the family name. Through their differences, these siblings endure and showcase a solid support system for one another.

4

‘Rain Man’ (1988)

Directed by Barry Levinson

Depicting one of the most complex onscreen sibling relationships, Rain Man is a cinematic treasure about turning selfishness into selflessness and acceptance. Upon returning home after his estranged father’s death, Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) learns that his father’s fortune has been left to his autistic older brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), and the facility where he lives. Determined to get the inheritance, Charlie decides to bring Raymond home to Los Angeles, and the pair make a cross-country trek that changes their lives forever.

The four-time Oscar-winning film is a dramatic journey of understanding and love between two opposite brothers who begin to make up for lost time. Charlie’s arc from self-centered to cultivating a bond of brotherhood goes beyond the bounds of Raymond’s abilities, shedding light on the power of siblings to bring out the best in each other while learning more about themselves than ever thought possible.

3

‘Little Women’ (2019)

Directed by Greta Gerwig

With the most recent film adaptation surpassing the book, Greta Gerwig‘s Little Women is a movie about the enduring bond of sisterhood while coming of age. In Massachusetts during the 19th Century, the four March sisters (Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen) embark on individually unique journeys from adolescence to womanhood, discovering trials and tribulations of love, familial duty, and societal expectations.

Based on the acclaimed novel by Louisa May Alcott, Little Women explores the quest for identity and how each sister must find her own way apart from the other, all the while maintaining their bond. Gerwig’s version is a non-linear, modernized telling of the classic story, but she remains true to the March sisters, depicting the depth and nuances of siblings, especially those of four daughters.

2

‘The Parent Trap’ (1998)

Directed by Nancy Meyers

While it isn’t the first ideation of separated-at-birth sisters determined to reunite their parents, the modern remake of The Parent Trap is a fan and pop culture favorite of the best sibling movies. Lindsay Lohan stars as Annie and Hallie, sisters who each went to live with one parent following their divorce. When the girls unexpectedly arrive at the same summer camp, they hatch a plan to switch places and bring their parents (Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid) back together. Annie and Hallie spend the latter half of the film across the world from each other, but their relentless pursuit to reunite their family portrays the ultimate sister bond.

When audiences think of movies about siblings, The Parent Trap is always at top of mind. The Disney classic used movie magic to get Hallie and Annie in the same room, allowing adolescent audiences to believe they were twins in real life (like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson) with their individual personalities and quirks. Having only met for the first time at camp, their bond quickly forms, making them one of the best sets of movie twins.

1

‘The Blues Brothers’ (1980)

Directed by John Landis

What started as a Saturday Night Live sketch turned into one of the greatest American comedies of all time. The Blues Brothers is the whirlwind musical adventure of brothers Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) who are on a quest to raise $5,000 by getting their band back together in order to pay the back taxes of their childhood orphanage. The iconic black suits, fedoras, and sunglasses have become pop culture staples for audiences cosplaying or in need of the perfect sibling Halloween costume.

Jake and Elwood are two peas in a pod, complimenting each other with Jake’s frontman, lead singer persona to Elwood’s elusive quietness and consistent disappearing act. The chemistry between Belushi and Aykroyd created one of the most iconic duos and siblings in movie history. Their charm is the human heartbeat of the movie, while the Chicago escapades and music are the foundation.

NEXT: The Best Movies Directed by Siblings, Ranked