Though people talk about the auteur revolution of the 1970s, or the warm, populist glow of neon-soaked ‘80s movies, the 1990s were an incredibly assured time in filmmaking. Romantic comedies went deeper and darker; Black filmmakers were rising to the forefront and telling their own stories; and technology had advanced to the point that things that had never been possible before were suddenly up on the screen. Plus, it was still an era when a mega-blockbuster might be an Edwardian period drama set on a boat with not a single superhero in sight. Strange days, truly.
Boyz n the Hood (1990)
Writer/director John Singleton’s debut earned him an Academy Award nomination, and the movie’s reputation has only grown with time. The movie follows Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) as he’s sent to live with his father (Laurence Fishburne) in South Central LA, with the pressures of ‘90s gang culture all around him.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
It’s easy to forget that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan don’t meet for nearly the entirety of the movie—that’s how memorable their chemistry is. A kid’s request (to a very-1990s radio talk show) for a new girlfriend for his grieving dad culminates in a memorable meeting at the Empire State Building.
Groundhog Day (1993)
Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell are entirely delightful in this holiday fantasy about a jerky meteorologist who learns to be a little better person by living day after day (after day) in a small town.
Waiting to Exhale (1996)
Starting mid-decade, this Terry McMillan adaptation about the power of female friendships has an all-time great cast led by Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon.
The Crow (1994)
In spite, or perhaps because of, its behind-the-scenes tragedy, Brandon Lee’s look and performance here made the movie a touchstone for an entire generation of tatted-up, moody goth kids. Director Alex Proyas’ signature visual style is on full display here.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
A surprisingly smart high school stoner movie from writer/director Richard Linklater, Dazed and Confused follows a bunch of rowdy Austin teens on the last day of school in 1976. The cast is great, and the ‘70s soundtrack isn’t bad, either.
Terminator 2 (1991)
James Cameron re-teamed Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger for this action-blockbuster sequel that took everything great about the first one and turned up the dial. A deeply satisfying sci-fi spectacle.
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
Both Sister Acts are great, but if it’s a ‘90s vibe you’re going for, this one involves Whoopi Goldberg’s Deloris Van Cartier putting the band (of nuns) back together to save a city school facing closure. It all culminates in a stage performance including jams, baggy overalls, white-boy rap, and Lauryn Hill. This will be a primary source for historians of the era.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
So convincing was the found-footage illusion here that people believed that they were watching the real thing. Of course, we’re far less gullible now.
Mulan (1998)
“Be a man,” one of the movie’s catchiest songs demands, but there’s a double meaning; our lead is a young woman taking her father’s place to defend Imperial China from a Xiongnu invasion. Slightly underrated, at least in Disney terms, it’s a very fun and action-packed musical, and proves that women can do anything men can do and also that cross-dressing is an entirely viable path to success.
Office Space (1999)
The great King of the Hill was just a couple of seasons in, and fans of Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-head might have been forgiven for not expecting the kind of trenchant satire of Office Space provides. If anything, the film’s take on the pointless forms and stapler-hoarding that make up the world of the modern white-collar worker feels more accurate now than ever.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Steven Spielberg’s dino-drama remains a favorite. Even more shocking, the special effects remain impressive despite decades of innovations. Still the dinosaur-rampage movie to beat.
The Fugitive (1993)
An indelible Harrison Ford performance, even as a one-off. Based on the 1960s TV show, this was part of a run of ‘90s reboots that worked.
The Addams Family (1991)
Director Barry Sonnenfeld and company have a ton of fun in expanding Addams Family lore into a full-blown tribute to weirdness—just when we needed it most. Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, and Christina Ricci head the stacked cast.
The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
The (very silly) joke here is that the goofy Brady family of the very ‘70s sitcom are living their lives in a pseudo-punk ‘90s. It shouldn’t work at feature length, but the commitment to the bit—and to replicating the look and feel of the beloved sitcom—makes it a camp classic.
Poetic Justice (1993)
John Singleton followed up Boyz N the Hood with this more mellow romantic drama, with leads Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur offering up impressive, moving lead performances.
The First Wives Club (1996)
It’s not Shakespeare, but Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton are great fun as three divorcées seeking revenge on the husbands who left them for younger women. The finale, set to “You Don’t Own Me,” is cheer-worthy.
GoldenEye (1995)
After some darker adventures with 007, Pierce Brosnan brought just the right blend of style and action, with a lighter touch that was exactly what Bond fans were looking for. Extra points for introducing Judi Dench as a new generation’s M.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
One of the decade’s great rom-coms has a requisite tragic setup that builds to not only a great romance, but several very memorable Bollywood dance numbers.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Another triumph from Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke is set in a fantasy medieval Japan. Ashitaka is infected in an animal attack, and seeks a natural cure—only to discover that humanity’s activities have angered the gods and thrown the natural balance. If it’s not the director’s best, it’s one that best sums up his talents.
Run Lola Run (1998)
Lola (Franka Potente) needs 100,000 Deutschmarks—fast. She’s got 20 minutes to get the money and save the life of her bagman boyfriend Manni from his boss. So she runs. And when she can’t get the money the first time, she tries again, literally running through different scenarios until she finds a way to get the money.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996)
After the director’s phenomenal Strictly Ballroom, Baz Luhrmann broke into the mainstream in a big way by going back to Shakespeare. His signature style blends operatic beauty with hyperactive camerawork, and that’s all fully on display here, shining a new light on the tragedy with some help from then-teen heartthrobs Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quentin Tarantino made a giant splash with this retro-style, endlessly quotable, non-linear neo-noir packed full of memorable scenes. Uma Thurman is phenomenal, but there’s no weak link in the large ensemble.
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Rather artfully blending CGI and cel animation, Ghost in the Shell involves cyborg agent Maj. Motoko Kusanagi trailing a man who hacks minds. Like Blade Runner before it, the movie explores the nature of human consciousness and the idea that we might be just another kind of machine.
Blade (1998)
A Marvel movie before there was such a thing, Blade stars Wesley Snipes as the thoroughly bad-ass title character: he’s a vampire who can walk in the daylight, hunting the world’s more conspicuously evil bloodsuckers for funsies. The movie is appropriately bloody and endlessly stylish, and leads to an even better sequel directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Twister (1996)
Nothing terribly groundbreaking here, just an engaging and very effective disaster movie in which Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, and Philip Seymour Hoffman go driving into storms and crap goes flying through the air. With a solid cast and a slightly more grounded premise than some of the other big action blockbusters of the decade, it’s just a bit smarter than many of its contemporaries.
Election (1999)
Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick are perfect adversaries in this sharp comedy. It satirizes high school life, sure, but the movie is also as on-target a critique of American politics as you’re likely to find in a mainstream movie.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Every generation, it seems, gets its own Tom Ripley: adaptations of the Patricia Highsmith novel series are, perhaps, more ubiquitous than viewers even realize: Purple Noon, The American Friend, and the John Malkovich-starring Ripley’s Game are just a few examples, alongside the spiritual successor Saltburn and joined by the upcoming Netflix series Ripley. This one swims near the top in that sea of sociopaths, with Anthony Minghella’s confident, stylish direction lending deniability and likability to Matt Damon’s Ripley, a killer and a con man who you almost feel bad for.
Se7en (1995)
Director David Fincher broke out in a big way with this hyper-stylish, hyper-queasy serial killer drama with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives hunting down a murderer that bases their work on the traditional seven deadly sins. Fincher’s neo-noir style, and nearly unparalleled ability to get under his audience’s skin, elevate what might have just been a gruesome shocker.
Happy Together (1997)
Wong Kar-wai’s romantic drama stars Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai as a pair of lovers in an extremely tempestuous and, frankly, ill-conceived relationship in Buenos Aires. There’s not much of a plot here, but it’s not necessary: these two are hypnotic, as are Wong’s flawless pacing and Christopher Doyle’s cinematography.
Showgirls (1995)
As with most of Paul Verhoeven’s other films, it’s possible to view his notoriously trashy film as either dark satire, or as a bit of unintended camp. It’s tremendous fun either way and, though it quickly gained a reputation as garbage, it’s far more watchable than many other better-reviewed films.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Tim Burton was at the top of his game when he directed this deeply weird, but very sweet fable that also served as a fitting swan song for Vincent Price.
The Fifth Element (1997)
Speaking of weird: This science fiction story about a cab driver (Bruce Willis) tasked with saving a girl who might be humanity’s salvation (Milla Jovovich) is full of high concepts, low comedy, and outer space arias. It doesn’t always all hang together, but there’s such an abundance of imagination at work here that it’s hard not to sit back and enjoy it.
Dead Presidents (1995)
After returning from Vietnam and being unable to find work in their home in the Bronx, a group of friends lead by Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate) plan a suspenseful bank heist. It’s based, loosely, on a true story.
Clueless (1995)
Having already made one of the definitive teen comedies of the 1980s, writer/director Amy Heckerling pulled a similar trick with this coming-of-age comedy, based on Jane Austen’s Emma, set among the popular kids in Beverly Hills.
Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion (1997)
Approaching 30, our leads (Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow) haven’t achieved much of significance, so they decide to beef up their resumes—with mixed results. Sorvino and Kudrow are so charmingly stupid here that it’s impossible not to root for them against the mean girls. Amid all the broad comedy, the movie makes a good case that it’s better to be a slacker than an ambitious jerk.
Love Jones (1997)
The chemistry between Larenz Tate and Nia Long is off the charts after they meet in a Chicago club. Their passionate connection is threatened by old relationships and her impending move to New York.
Ring (1998)
Before the very-good American remake, there was the excellent Japanese original about a mysterious tape that curses its viewers to death over the course of seven days. The image of Sadako climbing out of a TV is indelible.
Malcolm X (1992)
Spike Lee brings his signature directorial style to this epic, ensuring that this plays as far more than a typical biopic. Denzel Washington absolutely disappears into the lead role.
Before Sunrise (1995)
Richard Linklater follows Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) as two people who meet on a train and spend a night walking the streets of Vienna and chatting about life and love. That’s really all there is to it, but it’s all written and performed with such intelligence and emotional honestly that it feels as though we’re getting a very full meal indeed, surpassed only by its even-better 2004 sequel.
Friday (1995)
Craig and Smokey (Ice Cube and Chris Tucker) are just a couple of guys hanging out hoping for something to do. They shoulda been careful what they wished for, as this one impossible Friday will see them involved with burglaries, shoot-outs, and excessively horny pastors. As in all the best buddy/stoner comedies, it’s all in goofy fun.
Babe (1995)
Mad Max director George Miller, alongside Chris Noonan (who was nominated for two Oscars here) crafted this big-hearted but darkly comic all-ages barnyard fable. It was so influential that star James Cromwell immediately gave up eating meat.
Heat (1995)
Michael Mann’s crime drama pits an LAPD detective against a career criminal, their cat-and-mouse game revealing that they’re as similar as they are different. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are at the tops of their mid-career games.
Scream (1996)
Wes Craven reinvented slasher movies with this funny, bloody, clever film that breaks down and breaks apart everything we love about the genre. We’re still living in the horror flick world that Craven created, and not just because this franchise is still going, stronger than ever.
Menace II Society (1993)
The Hughes Brothers’ early masterpiece, Menace believably recreates the world of LA’s Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods in the era, with Tyrin Turner’s Caine looking to escape from violence—only to find himself drawn deeper in.
White Men Can’t Jump (1992)
Wesley Snipes gives a smart, funny performance in this basketball-themed comedy-drama, as does Woody Harrelson—though, of course, Rosie Perez steals every scene she’s in. It was one of director Stanley Kubrick’s favorite movies.
Party Girl (1995)
An irresponsible club kid (an absolutely unforgettable Parker Posey) gets bailed out of jail (she threw an illegal rave) by her librarian godmother and is forced to get a job cataloguing books to get her life back on track. It’s a brilliantly funny indie comedy, but also a surprisingly authentic recreation of rave culture of the time, displaying some actual diversity and dodging all of the common tropes.
Titanic (1997)
In a modern world of blockbusters designed to be as comforting and non-threatening as possible, be the movie that made an entire generation of moviegoers loudly sob.
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