African Cats
A breathtaking family nature documentary follows lion and cheetah families through the beauty, danger, and tenderness of life on the African savanna.
Overview
Witness the untamed beauty of the African savanna and the struggles of its majestic wildlife.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- adventurous
- tender
- suspenseful
- family movie night
- nature documentary night
What critics said
Critics generally found the wildlife footage impressive and the film entertaining and heartfelt, while noting that its presentation does not always match the majesty of its subjects.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mara, Sita, and Fang are followed as recurring central figures whose family struggles create an unfolding narrative.
The film emphasizes the African bush, wide savanna environments, and close observation of lions and cheetahs.
The G rating, animal protagonists, accessible narration, and focus on cubs and newborns make wildlife spectacle suitable for shared viewing.
Mara depends on her mother, Sita raises five newborns, and Fang defends his pride from rival lions.
Films like African Cats, and why
Earth
family-friendly nature documentary with immersive wildlife photography and an emotionally accessible animal-centered narrative
Oceans
Disneynature documentary combining spectacular animal footage, parental struggle, and uplifting storytelling
Born in China
wildlife documentary focused on animal families, survival pressures, and majestic natural landscapes
The Last Lions
cinematic nature documentary with predator-prey tension, conservation context, and broad family appeal
Movie Details
- Directors
- Keith Scholey, Alastair Fothergill
- Release Date
- 2011-04-21
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (265)
Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Patrick Stewart
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is African Cats about?
- A breathtaking family nature documentary follows lion and cheetah families through the beauty, danger, and tenderness of life on the African savanna.
- What is African Cats like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of African Cats as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is African Cats violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in African Cats as mild.
- What did critics think of African Cats?
- Critics generally found the wildlife footage impressive and the film entertaining and heartfelt, while noting that its presentation does not always match the majesty of its subjects.
- Which films are like African Cats?
- Films with a similar feel include Earth, Oceans, Born in China, and The Last Lions.
- How long is African Cats?
- African Cats runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch African Cats?
- In United States, African Cats streams on Disney Plus.
