25 Movies From The '90s That Are So Good, If You Haven't Seen Them, Your Friends Should Shame You
Some (rather ill-informed) people like to say that the '90s were a “bad” time for movies. But there’s no need to worry: I am here to prove these people wrong, because the '90s were a decade chock-full of classics (and a few cheesy moments, too). From Goodfellas to Toy Story, from flashy action flicks to the entire genre of the modern rom-com, the '90s have cemented themselves as one of the best, most memorable decades in movie history, with no shortage of movies that’ll be watched many times through the coming generations. So, in no particular order, here are some of the best movies the '90s have to offer:
1.Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
This 1993 classic comedy is one of Robin Williams's most famous performances.
After losing custody of his children in a rough divorce, actor Daniel Hillard responds to an ad for a nanny from his ex-wife — and disguises himself as an elderly British woman, the lovable Mrs. Doubtfire. According to IMDb, Williams once tested the efficacy of his Mrs. Doubtfire disguise by perusing an adult bookstore and buying a book without being recognized. Amazing.
Where to watch it: Stream it on Disney+!
2.10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Where did all the Shakespeare adaptations go?!
High school senior Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) is snarky and uptight, but ultimately, Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a boy from their school, wants to go out with her younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), who isn't allowed to date until Kat does. Their dad thinks this is a foolproof plan; Kat will never go out with anyone. That is, until Cameron enlists the help of Patrick (Heath Ledger), the school's bad boy, to win Kat over.
Where to watch it: Stream it on Hulu.
3.Titanic (1997)
The love story to end all love stories. You and I both know you've already seen this, and rewatched it at least 15 times.
Wealthy 17-year-old Rose (Kate Winslet) sails aboard the Titanic with her overbearing mother and extremely hateable fiancé, Cal (Billy Zane). Once on board, she falls desperately in love with Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), an impoverished artist. Unfortunately, we all know what ship they're aboard...
Where to watch it: Stream it on Apple TV or Paramount+.
4.The Lion King (1994)
Disney in the '90s had no misses, but The Lion King was their shining star, their crown jewel, their absolute peak. There's no room for argument.
Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas/Matthew Broderick), the heir to the animal kingdom, is forced into exile when his evil uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) usurps his father. But eventually, Simba must learn to face his past and retake his kingdom.
Where to watch it: Stream it on Disney+, of course.
5.Scream (1996)
As I've said before... If you like: having taste, self-aware horror comedies, rockin' leading ladies, plots that reallllly keep you guessing, or sequels where we are lost in New York, Scream is for you!
A year after her mother's murder, high schooler Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) wakes up to the news that a girl and her boyfriend in her hometown have been brutally killed. As more students get picked off, Sidney and her companions get more desperate to find out who the killer could be. If you haven't seen this movie, I promise it's more fun and less scary than you think! And it literally, famously re-invented the genre (thank you, Wes Craven) so it's very worth a watch.
Where to watch it: Stream Scream on Max.
6.Pretty Woman (1990)
A big businessman on a big business trip (Richard Gere) picks up a beautiful prostitute (Julia Roberts) to escort him to social events while on his trip to LA. Most inconvenient: They fall in love. More inconvenient: Their backgrounds may be too different to be compatible. Or are they?
Where to watch it: Stream it on Hulu, or Peacock!
7.Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Ah, the movie that has made so many high schoolers across America say, "Wait...does Shakespeare rock?" (And also the movie that has made many high schoolers across America say, "What the f—k is this?")
You know the synopsis: Two families hate each other, their kids fall in love, and it ends in tragedy. Only this time, we had Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, the story was set in gang-infested quasi-LA, and everybody had guns. Is there any movie more iconic that you watched in English class? I didn't think so.
Where to watch this amazing film: Stream it on Hulu.
8.Notting Hill (1999)
Universal / Courtesy Everett Collection
The first time I watched Notting Hill, I sat down the very next night and clicked play on the movie again. Notting Hill simply required a second viewing. This opinion could be wrong, but...this may be the best rom-com of all time.
Or maybe it's just what I needed in that moment. Maybe it's what you need, too. Give it a shot. It has Hugh Grant.
When dazzlingly famous American actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) wanders into the life of bookshop owner William Thacker (Hugh Grant), they unwittingly embark on a whirlwind romance. But their wildly different backgrounds pose a challenge.
Where to watch it: You can find this baby on Amazon Prime.
9.Jurassic Park (1993)
Paleontologists Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) are invited to visit a remote island, which they discover upon arrival has been turned into a theme park populated by dinosaurs. At first, they're trepidatious, but a bit thrilled; but when the dinosaurs break free, Ellie and Alan find themselves protecting a couple of kids and outrunning predators that haven't roamed the earth for millions of years.
Where to watch it: Netflix.
10.The Matrix (1999)
Neo (Keanu Reeves) is taken by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) into The Matrix, an underworld where he meets a man named Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and discovers the truth about his reality: that it's been entirely constructed by evil, intelligent machines.
Where to watch it: Stream it on Max.
11.Home Alone (1990)
One of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, and you know it. Kevin was my hero as a child.
8-year-old Kevin McCallister, who feels bullied by both the kids and grown-ups in his family, wishes he would wake up without them. The next day, the family departs for their Christmas trip to Paris — and accidentally leaves Kevin behind. At first, Kevin is happy to be home alone; he goes to the store, makes mac 'n' cheese, and watches whatever movies he wants. But soon, Kevin realizes that his house is the target of two robbers, and the only one home to defend the house is himself.
Where to watch it: I know you'll probably wait until December, but you can stream it any time on Disney+.
12.Mission: Impossible (1996)
The movie that began one of the most iconic action franchises of all time. US operative Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is on a top-secret mission...that goes terribly wrong. When he is suspected of the murder of a fellow operative, he embarks on a rogue mission with the help of his friends to prove his innocence.
Where to watch it: You can stream it on Paramount+.
13.Forrest Gump (1994)
Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection
Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a slow-witted Alabama man, thrives through some of the greatest moments in American history from the '50s to the '70s, all while yearning after his childhood love, Jenny (Robin Wright).
According to IMDb, Tom Hanks agreed to take the role only as long as the movie remained historically accurate. Even his accent was patterned after that of Michael Conner Humphreys, who plays young Forrest and hails from Independence, Mississippi.
Where to watch it: You can find it streaming on Paramount+.
14.Toy Story (1995)
Pixar's first feature film — and the first computer-animated film, ever — Toy Story remains one of Pixar's most beloved movies.
When 6-year-old Andy gets a new toy, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), for his birthday, cowboy toy Woody (Tom Hanks) feels threatened by the new arrival. Woody and Buzz vie for the top spot in the toy hierarchy; but soon, they find they have to put their differences aside to protect the toys.
Where to watch it: Stream it on Disney+.
15.The Truman Show (1998)
Truman, an insurance salesman, thinks he lives a normal life; but in reality, his entire life is lived on a television set, where everything he does is recorded and broadcast on air. But eventually, Truman begins to unravel the truth, and he must decide how to act.
Where to watch it: You can stream it for free on Pluto TV.
16.Goodfellas (1990)
One of the most iconic gangster movies of all time, arguably second only to The Godfather, the Oscar-winning Goodfellas is one of the shining stars of director Martin Scorsese's career.
Henry Hill, in the character's own words, "always wanted to be a gangster." Goodfellas is the story of his life in the mafia, from his start at age 13 to his hard-earned, horrific climb to his rollercoaster of a marriage and the unraveling of his (not-so) carefully built-up life at the top.
According to IMDb, Scorsese had allegedly "sworn off" making another mafia movie; but after reading Wiseguy, a book about the real Henry Hill, he "cold-called the writer and told him, 'I've been waiting for this book my entire life.'"
Where to watch it: Goodfellas is available to stream on Hulu.
17.Fight Club (1999)
Okay, this wasn't an instant hit, but I'm still including it because it was such a hit on home video.
An insomniac (Edward Norton) finds himself living in squalor with soap maker Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). The two men decide to form an underground fight club.
Despite flopping with just $37 million at the box office and being dubbed one of the "most controversial films of the 1990s," Fight Club bounced back and found cult success with its home video release. Ten years after its theatrical debut, the New York Times called it the "defining cult movie of our time."
Where to watch it: Stream it on Apple TV, or dig the VHS tape out of your dad's old stuff.
18.Pulp Fiction (1994)
Two hitmen, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta), aim to retrieve a briefcase for their boss. Their lives become intertwined with that of Mia (Uma Thurman), their gangster boss's wife, and a pair of bandits.
With over $200 million at the box office on a budget of less than $9 million, Pulp Fiction was an absolute success for Tarantino, who had already achieved recognition two years earlier for his film Reservoir Dogs.
Where to watch it: Stream it on Max.
19.Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett Collection
The first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture, Beauty and the Beast remains one of Disney's most-rewatched, beloved movies.
In provincial France, a young woman struggles to find meaning in her small town. When her father goes missing, she leaves home to find him and discovers he has been imprisoned in a castle. His captor, a creature who once was a man, has been cursed to live a lonely life as a hideous beast; his only hope for salvation is to learn to love another and be loved in return.
Where to watch it: Stream it on Disney+, of course. It's just as good as you remember it.
20.The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Orion Pictures Corp. / Courtesy Everett Collection
In which Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins steal the show. This movie swept the Oscars, and for good reason. If you like psychological thrillers, strong female protagonists, and performances that will stick in your head forever, then watch this movie!
A serial killer is stumping the FBI, and a young recruit, Clarice Starling, is sent to get help from one of the leading experts in the field: famed and convicted murderer Hannibal Lecter.
Where to watch it: Stream it on MGM+ or YouTube Premium.
21.Fargo (1996)
Gramercy Pictures Courtesy Everett Collection
In this black comedy, a down-on-his-luck, small-town Minnesota car salesman attempts to get himself out of debt by kidnapping his own wife. Unfortunately for him, he and his cronies are no match for the detective work of police chief Marge Gunderson. This movie has the unusual attribute of being both absolutely hilarious and critically acclaimed (by very artsy people — it was nominated for the Palme d'Or, fer cryin' oot lood).
Where to watch it: You can stream it on Max!
22.Dazed and Confused (1993)
One of the most iconic high school movies of all time (perhaps behind such films as Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Dazed and Confused follows a day in the lives of high schoolers in Austin, Texas, on the last day of high school. Incoming freshmen are hazed, outgoing seniors party, and a whole lot happens in between.
Where to watch it: Rent it for $3.99 on YouTube, Google Play, or Apple TV.
23.The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
In this psychological thriller, rich playboy Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) enjoys the lazy azure waters, sunny beaches, and gorgeous landscapes of1950s Italy with his girlfriend, Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow). But back in the states, his father grows anxious to have him back home; he employs young Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) to travel to Italy and bring Dickie home. When Tom gets to Italy, things initially go swimmingly; but soon, his plot to get close to Dickie grows dangerous.
Where to watch it: Stream it on Showtime, or rent it for $3.99.
24.Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
A true adaptation of the novel, this is the movie to watch if you want a truly dark, rich vampire movie. Plus, it's directed by Francis Ford Coppola, so you should watch it even if you're not in the mood for that.
English lawyer Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to meet a new client, to whom he hopes to sell a piece of English real estate. Unfortunately for him, that client turns out to be none other than Count Dracula, who is, of course, a vampire. The count travels to England in pursuit of Jonathan's wife, Mina, who he believes is the reincarnation of his deceased wife. And then, of course, everyone has to come together to take Dracula down.
Where to watch it: You'll have to rent this one for $3.59 on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV.
25.Clueless (1995)
And finally, one of the most iconic, timeless, and (dare I say) necessary films about being a teenager ever made. Cher is everything a teenage girl ought to be: fashionable, fun-loving, and unable to drive.
An adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, Clueless follows wealthy and shallow Beverly Hills teenager Cher as she plays the role of matchmaker in her friends' and parents' lives. But as Cher's shallowness catches up with her, she learns to be a little more humble — and that somebody else had been right all along.
Where to watch it: Stream it on Paramount+.
Special mention: If you like Clueless, you should check out 2020's Emma, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and streaming on Amazon Prime.
Are there any favorites that were left out? If so, let me know down in the comments!
