Start with the audience, not a compromise title
Ask each child for one thing they want and one thing they want to avoid. An older child might want a mystery; a younger child might dislike characters getting lost. Look for overlap, such as a gentle puzzle story, rather than averaging their ages and treating that number as an answer. Consider the particular children who will actually watch, including visiting friends. A film that worked last year with one sibling may feel different in a larger, louder group.
Give the older child a useful choice
Offer two or three titles you have already screened for the shared audience. Let the older child choose among those, prepare a snack, or suggest an intermission activity. Avoid making them responsible for managing a younger sibling’s feelings. If their preferred film does not fit this occasion, name a specific separate opportunity to consider it. That makes the decision about the audience tonight rather than about whose interests matter more in the family.
Make leaving ordinary
Agree before starting that anyone can pause or move to a nearby alternative activity. A child should not have to explain a reaction in front of the group. Keep the alternative welcoming rather than presenting it as a consequence for spoiling movie night. Afterwards, ask what worked about the arrangement as well as the film itself. You may discover that a shorter episode together and separate reading time make a more satisfying family evening than a feature-length compromise.