The1990swere some of the best years in movie history, with some of thegreatest movies of all timecoming out in that decade. Iconic directors like Quentin Tarantino, John Singleton, the Wachowskis, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sofia Coppola, andeven Wes Andersonmade their directorial debuts in the 90s. Films likeThe Shawshank Redemption,Pulp Fiction,Goodfellas,Toy Story, andHeatall came out in that decade, proving just how incredibly strong it was.
These are just a handful of the films that people instantly recognize and love, with countless more that can be added to the list. It’s worth not forgetting the incredible ones that seem to have left the public consciousness, as the1990s provided some of the greatest movies and movie referencesthat no one seems to talk about anymore. Perhaps they slipped away because they were overshadowed by the director’s other films, or the lead actor is known for something else. No matter what, though,there are movies that are worth revisiting and remembering.
In the Line of Fire
Cast
In the Line of Fire is a thriller film where a veteran Secret Service agent, Frank Horrigan, played by Clint Eastwood, is haunted by his failure to protect President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Decades later, he is assigned to investigate a mysterious threat on the life of the current US President, while a psychopathic assassin, Mitch Leary, played by John Malkovich, begins to stalk and taunt him.
First up is the 1993 film,In the Line of Fire. Directed by Wolfgang Peterson,In the Line of Firetends to go under the radar compared to some of his most iconic movies, includingDas Boot, andThe NeverEnding Story. While those two films are incredible in their own right, helping to shape the movie industry upon release,In the Line of Fireis one ofWolfgang Peterson’s best moviesdespite not being talked about nearly as much as a lot of his filmography.
In the Line of Firetends to be overshadowed by Clint Eastwood’s performance inUnforgiven,which was released the year before.
The cast forIn the Line of Fireis unbelievably good, with Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich giving particularly incredible performances. In fact, Malkovich was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for the film.In the Line of Fireis a tense political thriller about a former CIA agent who has become disillusioned and plans to assassinate the President of the United States. It’s riveting and layered, and one of the best forgotten films of the 1990s.
The Quick and the Dead
The Quick and the Dead, directed by Sam Raimi, is a Western film released in 1995. It stars Sharon Stone as Ellen, a mysterious gunslinger who arrives in the town of Redemption to enter a quick-draw competition. The film features a strong ensemble cast including Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio, and delves into themes of revenge and justice in a lawless town.
Sandwiched between Sam Raimi’sEvil Deadtrilogy andSpider-Mantrilogy,The Quick and the Deadnever seems to get the love that it deserves. Not only is it a great Western in its own right, butit is also painfully underrated in Sam Raimi’s entire filmography. He was able to translate his unique style to the Western genre, making something unforgettable and singular all at the same time.
It also featured one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s earlier performances, prior toRomeo + JulietandTitanicfame, showing the immense amount of talent he already had while the potential he still had yet to tap into.The Quick and the Deadis a fascinating look at an emerging star, supported by a stellar cast made up of Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, and Gene Hackman. It’s absolutely worth revisiting, and shouldn’t be lost to time, deserving to be thought of alongside some of thegreatest Westerns of all time.
Blood In Blood Out
Blood In Blood Out is a dramatic crime-thriller based on actual events by director Taylor Hackford. Three Chicano family members' lives are changed by gang activity in their younger years living in Los Angeles, altering the trajectory of their lives forever.
The ‘hood genre became incredibly popular in the 1990s, focusing on the African American and Mexican American experience in the United States at the time. Films likeMenace II Society,Boyz n the Hood,Friday, andSet it Offbecame standards for the genre. Still, others might have been popular at the time, but slowly lost relevance within mainstream culture. It’s worth looking back atBlood In Blood Out, given it stands alongside the best films in the genre.
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Released in 1993,Blood In Blood Outrevolves around the lives of three Chicano relatives from 1972 to 1984. Three hours long, this epic ended up becoming a cult classic among the Mexican American community but definitelydeserves to be reevaluated as one of the most underrated films of the 1990s. Damien Chapa, Jesse Borego, and Benjamin Bratt gave some of the best performances in their entire careers.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of ancient Japan finds himself targeted for death by the mob.
Unfortunately forGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, it was released in 1999, a notoriously amazing year for movies, almost guaranteeing the film’s fade into obscurity. WhereGhost Dog: The Way of the Samuraiis concerned, though, is that it plays a significant role in why 1999 was one of cinema’s greatest years ever. Jim Jarmusch was never a big name director, content to craft indie masterpiece after indie masterpiece. Even then,Ghost Dogfeels like it doesn’t get nearly as much love asStranger Than ParadiseorNight on Earth.
If anything,Forest Whitaker’s performance as a hit man who studies Bushido is mesmerizing on every level,and the subtle range of emotions he shows in this is jaw-dropping.It’s also just an extremely cool movie with a stellar soundtrack. In fact, one of cinema’s coolest scenes is inGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, perfectly capturing what makes the film so great.
6Days Of Being Wild (1990)
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
When people think of the Hong Kong film auteur Wong Kar-wai, they typically think ofFallen Angels,Chungking Express, andIn the Mood For Love. For good reason, too, as they are some of the greatest films of all time, butDays of Being Wildtends to fall to the wayside compared to these cultural behemoths. Released in 1990, Days of Being Wild was only the second feature film by Wong Kar-wai, coming just two years afterAs Tears Go By. The film is the official start of Wong Kar-wai’s “Love” trilogy, which includesIn the Mood for Love, and2046.
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Days of Being Wildwas essentially a proof of concept for the themes that Wong Kar-wai would go on to explore over the rest of his career, with the film being anchored by a stunning performance from the late Leslie Cheung as a playboy that gets tangled up in the lives of several women.Days of Being Wildis brilliant, honestly, and deserves to be remembered as much as what came after. It was also the introduction to Tony Leung as a frequent collaborator with the legendary director.
Strange Days
Strange Days is a science fiction film directed by Kathryn Bigelow, set in the near future of 1999. The plot revolves around ex-cop Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes), who deals in illegal virtual reality recordings. As the city erupts in chaos, Nero uncovers a conspiracy linked to the recordings, involving a range of characters played by Angela Bassett and Juliette Lewis. The film explores themes of technology and socio-political unrest.
Written by James Cameron and directed by Kathryn Bigelow,Strange Daysis a staple of the cyberpunk genre in cinema. Because of that, it’s such a shame that it doesn’t get talked about as much as it should, getting relegated to cult classic status instead of being one of the most popular pieces of science fiction media. Perhaps the status of both Cameron and Bigelow overshadows it, with the latter making incredible films likePoint Break, andThe Hurt Locker, which won Bigelow Best Director at the Academy Awards.
Strange Daysis essential cyberpunk that deserves to be talked about in the same wayBlade Runnerdoes.
Set in an alternate reality Los Angeles during the last two days of 1999,Strange Daysrevolves around a black marketeer of an electronic device that allows users to experience the recorded memories of someone else. It features Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett in the lead roles, delivering some of their most underrated performances ever.Strange Daysis essential cyberpunk that deserves to be talked about in the same wayBlade Runnerdoes.
Dark City
Dark City follows a man grappling with lost memories in a sunless, dystopian world. As beings with telekinetic powers manipulate the city’s inhabitants, he embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about his past and the mysterious forces controlling their reality.
Released in 1998,Dark Cityis a highly influential tech noir film that revolves around an amnesiac man who attempts to clear his name and discover his identity after being suspected of murder. WhatDark Cityis perhaps known for was how it was able to transfer classic noir tropes into a science fiction setting, fit for the sensibilities at the turn of the millennium. It was also a major influence on Christopher Nolan’s landmark film,Memento.
It’s truly a shame thatDark Cityhas fallen into obscurity, asit is still one of the most beautiful movies to come out in decades, with incredible production design and atmosphere. There really isn’t anything that looks quite likeDark City. It’s haunting and beautiful and deserves so much more than to simply be forgotten, which unfortunately looks to be its fate.
3Bound (1996)
Directed by The Wachowskis
The Wachowski Sisters are largely known for their seminal work as directors onThe Matrixfranchise, changing not only the face of science-fiction on film, but cinema as a whole with the 1999 masterpiece,The Matrix. It absolutely deserves all its flowers, but just a few years prior to its release, the Wachowskis made their directorial debut with the incredibly underrated movie,Bound. The film centers on a woman who longs to escape her abusive mobster boyfriend, entering into an affair with an ex-con as the two attempt to steal $2 million from the mafia.
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Today,Boundis unfortunately relegated to being a cult classic instead of the bonafide hit it should absolutely be, acting asan essential film in the LGBT cinematic canon. It’s a beautiful noir tale that shows just how talented the Wachowskis were from the very start of their careers, paving the way for them to change film history forever.
Walking and Talking
Walking and Talking is a comedy-drama directed by Nicole Holofcener. It explores the complexities of friendship as Amelia grapples with intensified anxiety and insecurity upon learning of her best friend’s engagement, leading to a humorous yet poignant examination of personal growth and companionship.
Master of the mumblecore genre, Nicole Holofcener made her directorial debut in 1996 with the poignant film,Walking and Talking. Three decades later, and it still ranks as one ofHolofcener’s best movies, and is hugely influential for what came next, alongside directors like Noah Baumbach and Richard Linklater. Despite being an essential film of the genre, it feels largely forgotten on the world stage, existing only as a moment in time in independent cinema.
Nothing that exciting happens inWalking and Talking, as the characters do quite a bit of what the name implies.What works so well about the film is how fully realized the characters are, with Katherine Keener giving an exceptional performance as the main character. The characters inWalking and Talkingfeel like real people, as the film grasps onto naturalism every step of the way.
1Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Directed by George Armitage
John Cusack is a romantic comedy legend, with films likeSay AnythingandHigh Fidelitybeing some of the best the genre has to offer. Because of this, it’s disappointing that one of his greatest romantic comedies, thetroubledGrosse Pointe Blank, seems to never be brought up when discussing other movies in his career.It features some of John Cusack’s best comedic work in his career, capturing all the charm that made him such an endearing actor.
The premise ofGross Pointe Blankis so good, as John Cusack plays an assassin who returns to his hometown for his high school’s ten-year reunion, and is tasked with killing the father of his high school sweetheart. Cusack is amazing in this opposite of Minnie Driver. The two have incredible chemistry, elevating the already amazing premise in the process.Grosse Pointe Blankis undoubtedly one of John Cusack’s best films and a forgotten gem of the1990sthat deserves to be talked about more.
