So many greatmovieswere released in the 1990s that a ton were bound to be overlooked, but some hidden gems from the decade are legitimate masterpieces. The ’90s was an extremely important decade for cinema, and there were numerous filmmaking booms happening at the same time. Blockbusters reigned supreme, but they weren’t the only thing around.
The rise of affordable home video in the late 1980s created an entirely new way to get movies to the consumer, and the home video market became a hotbed for excellent independent film in the ’90s.Decade-defining filmslikeClerksandReservoir Dogswere produced on microscopic budgets, but gained a huge audience through video rentals.
Besides having a new way to release films, the 1990s was also a time of explosive new ideas, with plenty of films pushing the boundaries of what was possible on the big screen. While blockbusters likeJurassic Parkushered in a new era of CGI effects, smaller films likeThe Blair Witch Projectshowed that bigger wasn’t always better.
Because media was expanding at an unprecedented rate in the ’90s, some great movies didn’t get the attention they deserved. Sometimes they missed their audience, or they were simply too far ahead of their time. Regardless, there are so many masterpieces from the 1990s, that viewers are still discovering hidden gems all these years later.
Though the Coen brothers have been two of the most famous filmmakers of the last four decades, not all of their movies have been lights-out successes.1991’sBarton Finkgot stellar reviews, but didn’t grab viewersthe way many of the laterCoen brothers movieswould.
The headiness and dour storytelling may have alienated audiences at the time. However, it’s worth rediscovering because of the brilliant performances from John Turturro and John Goodman, andthe screenplay has razor-sharp wit. Production design rarely gets the spotlight, butBarton Finktruly captures the griminess of the past.
During the height of the indie movie boom of the ’90s,Living in Oblivioncaptured the essence of what low-budget filmmaking is like. Set across the course of one disastrous day on set, the movie jumps back and forth in the timeline to set up and pay off many of the foibles of the cast and crew of the movie-within-a-movie.
Living in Oblivionis simultaneously hilarious and cringe-inducing, and it challenges the idea of artistic expression in film.
Steve Buscemi is inspired as the exasperated director, andeven the smallest role in the film has heart and humor. There have been plenty ofmovies about making movies, but none so raw and unflinching.Living in Oblivionis simultaneously hilarious and cringe-inducing, and it challenges the idea of artistic expression in film.
David Cronenberg experimented with a ton of new ideas in the 1990s, andeXistenZwas his direct response to the burgeoning technology of the day. Set within the confines of a state-of-the-art virtual reality game, the movie has many of the director’s body horror trademarks. The synthetic mixes with the biological in a goopy melding of man and machine.
Unfortunately,eXistenZpremiered in the same year asThe Matrix, which shared some of its core concepts. Despite the similarities, the Cronenberg film is astoundingly fresh and original, and is arguably the better take on the virtual reality concept. The techno-fear-mongering is a bit cheesy by today’s standards, but theeXistenZis still hauntingly effective.
The MatrixandeXistenZpremiered only a month apart, with the former opening in March 1999, and the latter in April.
Whit Stillman’s best film of the 1990s isn’t even about the decadein question.The Last Days of Discois set in 1980, and follows two young women as they try their hand at life and romance in New York. The film brilliantly uses the death of the disco fad as an allegory for the characters' transition into post-graduate adulthood.
The film brilliantly uses the death of the disco fad as an allegory for the characters' transition into post-graduate adulthood.
Chloë Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale give one of their best performances, andWhit Stillman’s ultra-witty dialogue flows more naturally than in some of his other films. Instead of being somewhat isolating likeMetropolitan,The Last Days of Discois a warm romantic comedy that invites the viewer into the story.
There are numerousgreat thrillers from the 1990s, butCopycatis one that often slips through the cracks. Sigourney Weaver leads an all-star cast as a psychologist determined to stop a serial murderer before he strikes again. Made with all the slickness of films likeSilence of the Lambs,Copycatis very much a product of its time.
Weaver is unsurprisingly strong in the lead role, butit’s Harry Connick Jr. who turns in a performance for the ages. There is a slow-building tension as the pressure mounts, and few psychological thrillers from any era excel so mightily at the psychological aspects of their fictional case.
The 1990s were known for pushing the envelope, andFreewayis a perfect example of a film that wasn’t afraid to push buttons. Playing outlike a modern retelling of the story of Little Red Riding Hood,Freewaywas one of Reese Witherspoon’s first movies, and it’s unlike any debut in cinema history.
The unflinchingly dark comedy thriller isa frank depiction of crime and punishment in the ’90s, making not-so-subtle commentary about criminal justice reform. Every frame is dingy and covered in sarcastic grime, and the acting by Witherspoon showed just what sort of career she would have in the next few years.
There were a bunch ofunderrated science fiction films in the ’90s, butStrange Daysis one example that is worth revisiting in the modern day. With neo-noir visuals and an intriguing plot about virtual reality,Strange Dayshas stood the test of time while other films from the era have aged poorly.
Director Kathryn Bigelow keeps a lot of plates spinning, andStrange Daysis certainly a sci-fi movie with a lot going on at all times.The near-future technology is subtle and well-integrated into the plot, and Ralph Fiennes leads a strong ensemble cast. The movie’s commentary about policing is still starkly relevant today, and it deserves its cult classic status.
3The Game (1997)
A Mind-Bending Roller Coaster Ride
Sandwiched between his two most popular movies, David Fincher directedThe Gamein 1997. The mystery thriller had all the makings of a box office hit, but largely failed to launch as a mainstream movie. Despite this, it has gained a following in the years since, andis finally respected as one of Fincher’s best.
The titular game is simple-but-effective, and each twist is dropped at just the right moment for maximum impact. Unlike other films with plenty of twists,The Gamekeeps delivering surprises right up the final frame, and even then it intentionally leaves questions. This has kept fans coming back for nearly 30 years, and it has spawned some imitators.
A few years before they would end the ’90s with a bang by directingThe Matrix, the Wachowskis delivered an entirely different experience withBound. Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon headline as lovers who decide to steal money from a gangster.The film stands on its merits as a thriller, though it has elements of romance and eroticism too.
The depiction of openly LGBTQ+ characters was still something of a rarity in the mid-’90s, and the duo are treated with respect. Instead of merely being erotic eye candy,Violet and Corky are fully realized characters with wants and desiresthat make the audience care. The filmmaking is also flashy and stylized, showing just what the Wachowskis were capable of.
Though it tackles a dark subject,But I’m a Cheerleaderis one of the funniest movies of the 1990s. Set within the confines of a gay-conversion camp, the ensemble comedypokes fun at conservative views towards the LGBTQ+ communitywith biting wit. Never destined for mainstream success, the movie caters specifically to its audience.
The low-budget film uses a lot of color to spice up the visuals, and its message remains important even 25 years later. Even though it got pretty bad reviews upon release,But I’m a Cheerleaderis an important cornerstone of ’90s gay media, and one of the few underratedmoviesfrom the ’90s that deserves the label of masterpiece.
