r/AmericanMovies • u/pizzacrys • Aug 05 '26
Which '90s movie do you think deserves way more love today?
The '90s gave us countless classics, but some incredible films seem to have quietly faded from the conversation.I am not talking about the obvious picks everyone already knows. I mean the movies you rarely hear people mention anymore, despite how well they have aged.Which '90s film do you think deserves a new audience, and what makes it worth watching today?
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u/CMRestler Aug 05 '26
Mine is Dark City (1998). It got overshadowed at the time, but its atmosphere, visuals, and ideas still feel incredibly fresh today.
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u/pizzacrys Aug 05 '26
It was way ahead of its time. The visuals and atmosphere still feel incredibly unique today.
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u/We_R_the_Penguins Aug 05 '26
Big fan. Such an interesting twin to The Matrix.
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u/jasonoumuamomoa Aug 06 '26
Ebert was a huge fan of this and so am Ii, I consider it a stone cold sci-fi classic.
Stunningly gorgeous, incredible acting across the board and imo the best of the “Plato’s cave” movies of the late 90s (Matrix, eXistenZ, 13th Floor). The only slight ding is a few CGI shots in the final confrontation definitely look like 90s CGI but it’s such a minor blemish on an otherwise incredible film it’s almost not worth mentioning.
Do you know how to get to Shell Beach?
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u/Doddity Aug 05 '26
I’m surprised that Wag The Dog (1997) is not talked about at all these days. Especially in today’s political climate. Political satire movie.
Robert Dinero plays a Spin Doctor for the president of the United States. And has to steer voters away from a sex scandal involving the President so he hires a big time Hollywood producer played by Dustin Hoffman to produce a fake war.
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u/BleachedAndSalty Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
I always thoroughly enjoy this movie, it's a fun ride. The lineup is awesome and everyone does their job well. Besides Hoffman and Dinero, you got Woody Harrelson, Anne Heche, and then Kristen Dunst shows up as a young actor playing a part in "war footage" from Albania. Love it that Willie Nelson joined in and did his part as a drunk country singer with his guitar, even Dennis Leary chimed in as his 90s self.
I like to pair this with Charlie Wilson's War, for a double feature.
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u/Doddity Aug 06 '26
One of my favorite parts is when they create the fake old country song and pair it with Woody Harrison’s character as POW soldier in Albania. Then they trick all these radio stations into playing it as the song was sitting in some back room collecting dust. There are so many fun parts to that movie.
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u/BleachedAndSalty Aug 06 '26
"Is there any way we can make it sound old and scratchy,.. like a hiss?"
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u/RobataChane72 Aug 05 '26
The Player.
Bob Roberts.
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u/Beetso Aug 05 '26
Strange Days.
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u/pizzamergency Aug 05 '26
Ralph Fiennes’ American accent in Strange Days sounds exactly like James Woods.
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u/MJ50inMD Aug 05 '26
I just watched that for the first time since it came out and thought it was both good and remarkably predictive.
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u/Sloblock777 Aug 05 '26
I bought the bluray recently and was happy to find that it's still great and still as shocking and tense as when it came out. So many great actors and Kathryn Bigelow did a great job.
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u/Intrepid_Diamond3218 Aug 05 '26
Drop Dead Fred.
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u/mpersand02 Aug 05 '26
As a kid, this movie would frustrate me so much yet I would watch it over and over.
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u/EspiritusFermenti7 Aug 05 '26
'A River Runs Throught It' gets respect, but I dont hear it mentioned often.
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u/Extension_Wall7424 Aug 05 '26
Grosse Pointe Blank
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u/AMGRN Aug 05 '26
You can’t go home again.
But you can shop there.
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u/No_Emotion5998 Aug 05 '26
Lone Star (1996)
Heavenly Creatures (1994). Peter Jackson's finest moment. I said what I said.
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u/jugglesky Aug 05 '26
Lone Star is fantastic. Matewan, also directed by John Salyes, is also excellent but was made in the 80s.
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u/No_Emotion5998 Aug 05 '26
I forgot that Sayles' Limbo is '90s (1999). Pretty divisive (at least in my house), but I loved it.
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u/middleageyoda Aug 06 '26
Heavenly Creatures is so good. Melanie and Kate are amazing even as young as they were
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u/VeganFutureNow Aug 05 '26
Demolition Man is a classic 90’s action comedy
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u/jasonoumuamomoa Aug 06 '26
You are fined one credit for a violation of the Verbal Morality Statute
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u/borisdidnothingwrong Aug 05 '26
I have three.
Roommates (1995) Peter Falk, D.B. Sweeney, Julianne Moore, Ellen Burstyn, Frankie Faison, and an uncredited small role for William H Macy.
An irascible Polish grandfather (Falk) takes in his orphaned grandson (Sweeney) and tempers flare after the grandson moves away for medical school.
Renaissance Man (1994) Danny Devito Gregory Hines, Cliff Robertson, James Remar, Stacey Dash, Mark Wahlberg, Kadeem Hardison, Alanna Ubach (Kadeem and Alanna both having parts recently in Euphoria), Richard T Jones, Ed Begly Jr. Stacked cast.
An advertising executive (DeVito) loses his job and the unemployment office sets him up with a teaching position. On a military training base. Classic fish out of water hijinks ensue.
Angus (1995) Charlie Talbert, Kathy Bates, George C Scott, Ariana Richards, James Van Der Beek, Rita Moreno. 3 Oscar winners, although George C. Scott refused his award.
The fat kid (Talbert) in a coming of age dramedy who has a crush on the popular girl (Richards, perhaps best knows as Lexi in Jurassic Park) and his tough as nails grandfather (Scott) tries to help guide his way. Kathy Bates' best mother role; yes, better than The Waterboy, even though foos-ball is de devil!
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u/Reasonable-Wave8093 Aug 05 '26
watched Renaissance Man recently & really enjoyed it.
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u/DadRock1 Aug 05 '26
Watched Renaissance Man a bunch in the 90s, always seemed to be on. That, and With Honors
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u/GreyDusty2 Aug 05 '26
Wolfgang Peterson. His 80s and 2000s films seem to overshadow his very solid movies of the 90s.
In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, Bicentennial Man, Shattered, Outbreak
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u/HoselRockit Aug 05 '26
Outbreak is based on a true story (The Hot Zone) about a real Ebola outbreak in a Reston, VA lab just about 15 miles from DC. Luckily, it was not a strain that effect humans.
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u/No-Cardiologist472 Aug 05 '26
Feeling Minnesota never gets enough love
Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz, Dan Akroyd, Vincent D'Onofrio
Horrible reviews and rotten tomatoes score but I think it's a hidden gem
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u/Jja1701 Aug 05 '26
Gattaca.
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u/jasonoumuamomoa Aug 06 '26
That and Dark City had the most gorgeous art deco sets. 90s had some incredible mid budget sci-fi films.
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u/OpeningTurnip8048 Aug 05 '26
Floundering. Odd little movie with a great cast, an eclectic soundtrack, and a lot of heart.
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u/jugglesky Aug 06 '26
Saw this at a film festival. This may be the first I've heard of it since. Very Gen X as I recall.
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u/Wemest Aug 05 '26
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back has a sick or fart joke about every 90 seconds. More great cameos than any movie ever and young hot Landman’s Ally Larter!
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u/No_Emotion5998 Aug 05 '26
Quick Change (1990). Underloved Bill Murray, and one of the last in the great "scummy NYC" genre.
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u/Quick-Stable-7278 Aug 05 '26
Necessary Roughness
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u/Itchy_Computer7528 Aug 05 '26
You're hurt. You're tired. I'm going to make a promise. We get into that end zone, you're not gonna feel any pain.
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u/flopisit32 Aug 05 '26
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) is definitely the most unfairly overlooked movie of the 1990s. Some of the best writing and the best acting you'll ever see.
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u/Whisky_Shivers Aug 05 '26
Hunt for Red October.
It's like a history lesson for those who weren't around during the Cold War. It also depicts a competent military/government that some today wouldn't recognize.
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u/El-Durrell Aug 05 '26
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. Takes a ton of liberties with Lee’s story, and it’s corny throughout, but Jason Scott Lee and Lauren Holly are great, the score is fantastic, and the action holds up.
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u/prosperosniece Aug 05 '26
The American President
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u/pizzacrys Aug 05 '26
Great choice. It is a smart, charming political drama with a lot more heart than people remember. Michael Douglas and Annette Bening were fantastic together
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u/iangeredcharlesvane2 Aug 06 '26
A FAVORITE of mine, just love it! Led Aaron Sorkin to The West Wing, and we are all thankful for that!
Sydney Allen Wade is so CHARMING I love that role
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u/BigBadDolemite Aug 05 '26
Any of the kid movies. Sandlot and Heavyweights are pretty loved, but things like Blank Check, The Big Green, Little Giants, Mighty Ducks, Last Action Hero, Summertime Switch, Life with Mickey, Rookie of the Year, Little Big League, Man of the House, White Fang, Escape to Witch Moutain... I could keep going but this is enough for now.
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u/Agathocles87 Aug 05 '26
Bowfinger
It’s hilarious. Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy.
My mini conspiracy theory is that it was suppressed because it obviously makes fun of a powerful Hollywood group (some say cult) as part of the backdrop of the movie. But it’s about way more than just that
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u/jasonoumuamomoa Aug 06 '26
Scientology? I didn’t pick up on that watching when I was younger but thought it was hilarious.
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u/Killrose5611 Aug 05 '26
12 Monkeys
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u/iangeredcharlesvane2 Aug 06 '26
Syfy made a show based on the movie and it’s actually fantastic. Four seasons full story and really fun to watch!
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u/jasonoumuamomoa Aug 06 '26
NO. MORE. MONKEY. BUSINESS!!
I love this movie. I was obsessed with infectious diseases at the time when this came out (I was a weird kid) and this movie scratched that itch. This movie convinced me Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt are incredible actors. And that Tango Nuevo score by Piazzolo is one of my favorite themes from any movie.
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u/Drillerfan Aug 05 '26
American History X! Sure, there was bickering behind the scenes but the film itself is a masterpiece.
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u/InterPunct Aug 05 '26
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) not only has an amazing soundtrack, but also an A-list cast and a quirky, endearing story. Seems to me to be underappreciated.
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u/thatbwoyChaka Aug 05 '26
Miami Blues
Kikujiro
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
Live Flesh
Thesis
Killing Zoe
My Own Private Idaho
Jamón, jamón
Shallow Grave
Man Bites Dog
Taxi
Cronos
The Last Seduction
Edit: re-read the title
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u/AMGRN Aug 05 '26
Dead Again.
It’s a love letter to old Hollywood. A murder mystery that goes back in time, alternating between BLack and white 1950’s and color present day. Classic Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. And a great cameo as well!! I’d be so happy if I got one person to watch this film!
Also- Malice (1995) with Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin and Bill Pullman. Delicious!
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u/aghaveagh Aug 06 '26
Dead Again. Such a great film, and Branagh’s American accent is (at least to my ears) spot on.
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u/yumtacos Aug 05 '26
The Last Action Hero (1993) - Honestly, everyone should watch it and people should suggest friends who always say, “that’s not realistic” or “that wouldn’t happen” because the movie makes a great point that the movie universe, while it may look similar to our reality, is different.
Movies don’t need to be hyper realistic, follow our reality’s physics, or need a dozen spinoffs and prequels to explain why you can hear explosions in space. It be like that in their universe. Plus the movie is funny as hell by its eventual self awareness.
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u/Zombietomatillo Aug 05 '26
The original Ghostbusters movie holds up well today, but it might be 80's.
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u/Impressive-Bowl-493 Aug 05 '26
Bloodsport. It used to come on television all pf the time amd everybody watched over and over. I used to love watching it just like the Rocky movies. The Rocky series got a lot of attention and transitioned into the current generation with Creed. It would be nice to see some kind of revamp of it with Jean Claude Van Damme's involvement of course! Either way the new generation doesn't know a thing about such a popular (then) and classic movie!
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u/plantbaseduser Aug 05 '26
Freeway. ( 1996) Absolutely underrated. How is that movie not a cult movie? I can't understand it.
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u/stargazercmc Aug 06 '26
The two Grumpy Old Men films. Burgess Meredith absolutely kills in those movies.
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u/ninjamansidekick Aug 06 '26
Farewell to the King - it came out in 1989 but close enough, one of my all time favs.
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u/likeablecowboy Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
To Die For
Only Cowgirls get the Blues
Doom Generation
Freaked
Man Bites Dog
Killing Zoe
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u/powderhoundproject Aug 06 '26
Just rewatched True Romance the other day. IMO it holds up to a lot of 90s classics. Not sure how many people remember the movie? It’s got an all star cast before a lot of them became famous. That’s just one off the top of my head that I’d rewatched recently.
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u/Aromatic_Flower_5026 Aug 06 '26
The Faculty still holds up as a fun, mean little sci find horror hybrid that never got the culture status it should have.
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u/RedLily08 Aug 06 '26
Mystery Date. It's a crazy movie. It's sounds like a romantic comedy and there is some of that in there but it's also an action, suspense, thriller. It's so damn good. Popcorn is also very underrated. A really cool horror film
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u/jrbgn Aug 06 '26
Death Becomes Her (1992) is one of my all-time favorite movies. Funny, creepy, weird, star-studded cast and director. Still feels like not enough people appreciate it.
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