Kevin Smith has been known for working with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon during the course of his career, but I recently learned the two were actually involved in the meet-cute between Kevin Smith and his wife. At least sort of. The story is a twisted yarn that also includes the Oscar-winning movie Good Will Hunting and Chris Rock getting out on the town. It's a crazy story, truly. Let me walk you through it.

A few years back, The Ringer’s Katie Baker wrote a piece for Mallrats’ 30th anniversary, noting it was Smith that helped convince Miramax it needed to get Good Will Hunting off the ground with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon attached. More recently, when Damon spoke with Travis and Jason Kelce about getting paid $600k with Ben Affleck on their first movie, only to need a job within a year, the writer gave us some wild backstory on X about this era and how it led Kevin Smith to meet his wife.

Let me set the scene here. Smith at the time had already been famous for a while when this story commenced thanks to movies like Clerks and Mallrats. The cat story that comes up in Mallrats, which Affleck appeared in, is similar to one told in Good Will Hunting just a couple of years later, and Baker asked Smith about it.

Apparently it’s just a side note in the even crazier story of how he met his wife.

This was in 1998, after Good Will Hunting had already come out and made a name for itself. In fact, Affleck and Damon have previously credited Smith for getting the movie made. At this point, though, Affleck and Damon were the cool kids in town, though Smith was also a big name with sway who happened to be pals with the two Hollywood newcomers. (His movie, Chasing Amy, also came out the same year as Hunting.) As the Oscar race heated up, he said so did the rumors.

As cool as The Princess Bride writer is, that was not good news for the movie studio trying to promote Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. So, they asked Kevin Smith to step in and talk to a journalist about what was going on. The gist was “the boys” had talked to Goldman and “picked” his brain, but he didn’t write a draft for them.

Smith nearly forgot about this interview he'd committed to. He’d been working with Chris Rock on Dogma while Rock was also working on Lethal Weapon 4 (one reason we know it was '98 at this point), and Rock had been trying to get him to go out on the town.

Now, Kevin Smith’s wife is Jennifer Schwalbach, who worked at the time at USA Today. He said he had a pretty specific picture of what a journalist at USA Today would look like, and it was not what young or hip like she looked like when she came and knocked on the door.

I don’t think anything could get more Hollywood than this story, until Kevin Smith pointed out to Baker that without Affleck, he never would have met his wife. He concluded:

Good Will Hunting went on to win the Oscar at the 1998 Academy Awards; Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's speech from the event is legendary. Chris Rock went on to make Lethal Weapon 4; it's reception was OK, though plenty of fans of the franchise fondly remember it. Ben Affleck and Kevin Smith later had a falling out, then rekindled their friendship a few years later in 2022; Smith owned Ben Affleck's house for years before selling it in 2023.

Kevin Smith and Jennifer Schwalbach went on to become on of the enduring celebrity marriages. They were married by 1999, had Harley Quinn Smith that same year, survived Smith's heart attack, and celebrated their 27th anniversary just a few months ago. To think about it all starting with William Goldman, Good Will Hunting, and a goof around conversation with Chris Rock about a hooker is... pretty crazy honestly.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been arguing about movies together for decades, so it feels fitting that one of their old Oscar ballots has become a new topic of conversation. Long before The Matrix became required viewing for fans of the best action movies of all time and philosophy students alike, the two friends were apparently among the people trying to push it into the Best Picture race.

While promoting their 2026 movie release, the hit Netflix thriller The Rip, Damon and Affleck revisited that vote in an interview clip shared by BioWorthInfo on Instagram. In the video below, Damon recalled their support drew scoffs at the time, even though the movie was already being praised for its action and revolutionary camerawork. The surprise came later, when Damon discovered playwright and filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan had made the same choice.

Damon said the movie’s technical achievements were only part of the reason it deserved serious consideration. He and Affleck believed the Wachowskis had made something far more ambitious than a stylish action movie. Ben Affleck said the film's notion of the future" was what drew him in most, but Matt Damon I think said it best.

Affleck explained the film had anticipated major questions about technology and what human existence might look like in the future. He described it as not just one of the best movies of the '90s, but one of the most "seminal" movies ever made, and that assessment is much easier to accept now than it might have been in 1999. It certainly sounds like they stand by their Oscars vote.

That gets to the real reason their vote has aged so well. Bullet time was the shiny hook in 1999, but the movie’s ideas kept spreading long after audiences stopped wondering how the camera moved around Neo. The Matrix imagined people living through constructed digital identities, trusting systems they barely understood and struggling to distinguish physical experience from manufactured reality. Those questions sound less like science fiction with every passing year.

The Matrix did not receive a Best Picture nomination for the 1999 movie year. American Beauty won the top prize at the 72nd Academy Awards, while The Matrix competed in four technical categories and won all four: film editing, sound, sound effects editing and visual effects.

That sweep proves the Academy recognized how expertly the movie was made. Damon and Affleck were arguing for something more ambitious because they were ahead of the curve and realized that the action-heavy science-fiction movie could also be the year’s defining artistic achievement. This was still a difficult case to make in an awards culture that often treated genre filmmaking as a technical playground rather than Best Picture material.

The fact that Lonergan, writer and director of the heartbreaking Manchester by the Sea, reportedly reached the same conclusion also makes the story more interesting. Damon and Affleck were not simply two young actors dazzled by leather coats and impossible stunts, but a dramatist known for intimate, character-driven work saw its Best Picture value, too. That's a party I wouldn't mind being in.

More than 25 years later, their “unpopular opinion” barely sounds controversial. The Matrix altered action filmmaking, gave popular culture a new visual language and built its thrills around questions audiences are still wrestling with. (Though some people would love to have skipped the sequels.) Damon and Affleck did not vote for a future classic because they knew exactly where technology was heading, but instead recognized that the movie was already asking the right questions.

Fans can check out the Good Will Hunting writing and acting duo in their own action film, The Rip, with their Netflix subscription. Or, if you want to revisit the groundbreaking The Matrix, you'll need to rent it with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Matt Damon became an overnight success story when he and best buddy Ben Affleck, won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting. After that, Damon took on the title role in Steven Spielberg's WWII epic, Saving Private Ryan, after ER’s Noah Wyle turned it down. Damon was a perfect fit for the role, but it turns out he owes Good Will Hunting co-star Robin Williams for helping him land the part.

Noah Wyle turned down Steven Spielberg flick due to his obligations to ER, which was disappointing for him at the time. However, Wyle has since praised Matt Damon for his performance in the film and said he was right for the role. As for the circumstances behind how he landed the gig, Damon spoke about that on Outstanding Screenplays. Apparently, this heartwarming story all starts with Robin performing a cool gesture for Damon and Affleck:

Talk about being at the right place at the right time! If a star knows that THE Steven Spielberg is shooting his own movie in proximity to theirs, I can understand not wanting to pass up the chance to meet him. But not only did Williams arrange a little meet-and-greet between Damon and the E.T. director, but that also sparked a memory on the latter's part. As Damon explained:

Sending in an audition tape is certainly one way to land a part, but I there's even greater power in meeting a filmmaker face-to-face (if a person gets the chance, of course). I can also understand why Spielberg would want Damon after seeing his work in Courage Under Fire. The film tells the true story of a young loyal soldier who endures the agony having to watch his men die, but still dedicates himself to his duty for his country. Damon's great in it and, in hindsight, it was definitely a proving ground for him when it came to Private Ryan.

This story is also a testament to the Bourne star's relationship with the late Robin Williams, who had a profound effect on him. Two years after Williams' death, Damon spoke of honoring the Mork & Mindy actor by sitting on the famed Boston Commons bench the two sat in for their movie together. Damon's also praised Williams as a collaborator and has avidly credited him for coming up with Good Will Hunting's final line.

It's been said that in some cases, things happen for a reason, and I'd like to think everything worked out well for both Matt Damon and Noah Wyle. And, today, Saving Private Ryan stands as one of Damon's best performances. Feel free to watch the Steven Spielberg historical drama using a Paramount+ subscription, and Good Will Hunting is available on the platform as well.

Naming Robin Williams' greatest role is a nearly impossible task. He was in so many wonderful movies, and he put forth numerous outstanding performances, but by at least one metric, the answer to the question is easy. Williams best role was in Good Will Hunting, as that was the movie that won him his (long overdue) Academy Award. Now, one of his co-stars from that film, Stellan Skarsgård, has opened up about the comedic legend and why he had to be "funny to survive."

Many have spoken in the past about the incredible impact that Williams had on making Good Will Hunting the movie it became. During a recent screening of the film (via EW), Stellan Skarsgård talked about his experience off camera with Williams, which was apparently very different depending on how many people were around. The actor explained…

“Had to be funny to survive” is a pretty rough statement to hear, honestly. Most fans probably never saw Robin Williams as anything other than “on” as his interviews and talk show appearances frequently became a stream of consciousness madness as Williams fired off every joke he could think of. It often made for hilarious television. However, the way Stellan Skarsgård describes it makes it sound like Williams felt like he didn’t have a choice but to perform when people were around. He either wasn't able to turn it off or simply felt an obligation.

Williams' lack of “choice” in performing did lead to some interesting work on the set, however. Skarsgård indicates that if his co-star had a great idea for a scene, he felt compelled to try it, just to get it out. He also had a desire to do many more takes of any given scene, and the differences could be quite stark. He continued…

Williams' desire to do multiple takes is well known. It's what led to a fabled, though not entirely accurately reported, NC-17 cut of Mrs. Doubtfire. He would throw every joke he had to see what worked.

Traditionally, multiple takes of a scene are done just to make sure that all bases are covered or that the best possible performance gets captured. The Dead Poets Society star, however, would drastically change his performance between takes, which in turn forced his co-stars to react differently as well. Williams, who was as good at dark roles as he was comedy, would sometimes try wildly different takes on his own performance. Skarsgård indicates that director Gus Van Sant (who was also at the screening) had so many very different Williams performances that the role could have been edited together in any number of ways.

Good Will Hunting didn’t win an Oscar in 1998 for Best Film Editing (though it was nominated), but perhaps it should have, considering the movie had so many scenes to choose from, and found the right ones to make Good Will Hunting a fantastic film.

For most movie fans, the Matt Damon–Ben Affleck partnership feels like a constant. They came up together, won an Oscar together, and have remained publicly inseparable for decades. But what’s easy to forget is just how long they intentionally avoided working side by side. That distance was a strategy they employed after getting some “well-intentioned advice.” And now, thanks to a surprisingly emotional, Beatles-inspired story The Departed star recently shared, it’s clear why reuniting later in life and continuing to work together ended up meaning so much more.

Kyle Chandler, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show to promote their 2026 movie release, The Rip. In a clip shared on the show’s Instagram, Damon opened up about the long gap between collaborations, offering an unexpectedly tender explanation for why the partnership endured. As he put it:

But that was only the beginning of the story. According to The Martian star, the real turning point came while watching Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back documentary, streaming with a Disney+ subscription, with his daughter. The moment the doc ended quietly reframed how the Talented Mr. Ripley actor thought about creative partnerships and the finite nature of time. He explained:

Seeing those young, joyful artists still bursting with ideas hit The Odyssey performer harder than he expected. What stayed with him wasn’t just the performance, but the realization of how much creative time was left on the table, and how easily it can slip away. It was a reminder that even the strongest collaborations don’t last forever unless you choose to keep them alive. He continued:

What started as a plan to build a small studio and work together again ultimately became something far more emotional than strategic. In hindsight, the advice that once pushed Damon and Affleck to keep their careers separate wasn’t wrong, as it gave them room to grow, stumble, and succeed on their own terms. But choosing to reunite now feels just as deliberate, and maybe even more meaningful. It just goes to show you that even if you’re Hollywood's biggest stars, sometimes, all you need is love… from your best bud.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s most recent collaboration, The Rip, is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star in a new movie this weekend that you can watch if you have a Netflix subscription. The Rip is one of their many collaborations over the years, ever since their first movie together, Good Will Hunting, won them and Robin Williams Oscars.

The acceptance speech that Damon and Affleck gave that night in 1997 is one of the all-time great Oscar speeches, as the two young actors were clearly blown away by the experience and had absolutely no idea what to say. Speaking about the speech on The Howard Stern Show (via EW), Affleck joked about it and the way he might have overdone it a little at that year's Academy Awards ceremony, saying…

To be fair to Affleck and Damon, the former only thanked Boston once, though he did so immediately after the latter had done it, so the city gets thanked twice. As all over the place as the speech is, that’s part of what makes it all quite endearing. Check out the win below.

The pair of stars are clearly like deer in headlights. The look on both their faces is one of astonishment. When they start trying to thank people, it’s just a random list of disorganized names of whoever either of them can think of as they try to list everybody. They mention all the key players in Good Will Hunting, they even thank their friend Cole Hauser. The only bad part about it is that the first person they mention is a name that hasn't aged well.

Damon says the reason the speech ended up like that is that the duo had never even talked about writing a speech. They felt that if they had, and then lost, they’d have felt silly for thinking they might win. He explained…

It's not shocking they didn't really expect to win. The entire story of how Good Will Hunting happened is a series of unlikely events. How would they have the audacity to think they could win an Oscar too?

In the clip above, you actually can see Damon nudge Affleck in front of the microphone, giving him the majority of the speaking time, just as he says. Of course, this makes him look the most unprepared. Affleck says he now wishes they had done at least a little pre-planning…

Honestly, I think the off-the-cuff Oscar speeches are usually the best. You can tell when people are truly shocked to have won and are just trying to come to terms with it. It’s possibly only overshadowed by Robin Williams Oscar win for the same film, as he took home Bet Supporting Actor for his performance as Dr. Sean Maguire.

Good Will Hunting wasn’t the first movie for co-writers and co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, but it was the film that catapulted them into Hollywood stardom. It’s been nearly 30 years since the Academy Award-winning movie was released, but Damon says he still thinks about the way it felt when he realized the project they’d worked so hard on was actually happening. He also opened up about why he felt like Rocky making it.

Matt Damon was a guest on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, and during the show, he was asked what his “Welcome to Hollywood” moment was, when he realized he had truly arrived professionally. Damon calls back to when Good Will Hunting first started shooting, which began production with a scene he wasn’t in, but it still meant everything to him. Damon said…

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon grew up as friends with dreams of Hollywood, and while they were already working actors by the time they were shopping around Good Will Hunting, one imagines that getting somebody to buy a script from two unknowns was a difficult task. So many screenplays never become movies; it wouldn’t have been unusual if Good Will Hunting had just never been made.

One imagines that Damon and Affleck wouldn’t even fully believe the movie was happening until filming got underway, but once it did, and with the likes of Stellan Skarsgard and Robin Williams involved, it finally felt real. It’s not a shock that it was an emotional moment. Damon likens the whole thing to feeling like Rocky Balboa in Sylvester Stallone’s original movie. Rocky was never trying to win; he only ever wanted to go the distance, and so did they. Damon continued…

The Rocky comparison makes sense. Not only was the experience of getting Good Will Hunting made like the character's journey, but it was also similar to the story of Stallone attempting to get Rocky made, having written the movie and then fighting to make it real, and be able to star in it.

In the end, Good Will Hunting did happen, and far more than “nothing” happened with it. The movie would be nominated for nine Oscars, winning two, a Best Supporting Actor award for Robin Williams, and the Best Original Screenplay prize for Affleck and Damon. The movie was so successful that there have apparently been attempts at making a sequel, though, like Rocky did, that seems unlikely. However, the comparison still stands, and it really helps me understand just how much Good Will Hunting means to the people who made it.

You never know what you’ll find online. People are always discussing viral news stories, hyping and shredding new content, and debating everything under the sun. So I guess it makes all the sense in the world that social media embraced the shite conversation - not to be confuse with Netflix's poop cruise documentary discourse - in which a word in a movie title gets swapped out for the expletive. I might not have expected it, but I can’t stop laughing at some of them.

No Context Brits took to X, asking users to participate in a silly exercise. The proposed prompt was bathroom humor forward and asked for participants to, “Ruin a film by replacing a word in the title with ‘shite.’” Naturally, their followers jumped on board and ran with the idea. The comment section is flush with plenty of excellent picks, and some of the most staple-worthy classics remain top-notch–check it out:

• Good shite hunting - @TheOctopus559
• It's a shite Life - @Knightime19
• 12 angry shites - @JamesMaclean3
• Gone with the shite - @YobeauS
• Mid-Shite Cowboy - @HonNicholson
• The Good, the Bad and the Shite - @HonNicholson

I can’t help but love reading through these, yet for some reason, Mid-Shite Cowboy stands out from the rest for me (at least in this category). Truly, though, you can’t go wrong. And even though they’re silly and dumb, just thinking about these choice alterations makes me giggle.

Through the lols while skimming more titles, plenty of the best action movies were sprinkled throughout. From iconic features to police comedies, again, the options to choose from were ripe, to say the least. Here are some of the star standouts from the bunch:

• Lethal Shite - @Kochi_85
• Shite Academy - @Kochi_85
• Shite Hard 2: Shite Harder - @Spurs_azittiz
• Raiders of the Lost Shite - @AlashianT

Again, it’s just too good. As you can see, sometimes the first installment works better, and other times, the second works better than the first. Weirdly, if any of these titles, on the post or highlighted here, got greenlit, it’d be an action film. However, it’d have to be in a spoofing manner a la great parody flicks.

Speaking of laugh-worthy content, comedies also shone through the slew of skewed entries. Nothing was off the table, and it included everything from rom-coms to parodies and slapstick. Though there’s shite in these new titles, the funny factor is high with their makeovers:

• Four Weddings and a Shite - @RadioLisa1
• Shite of the Dead - @AngryVet101
• Monty Python and the Holy Shite - @AngryVet101
• Dude, where's my shite? - @Lordalty

Even with some movies with bad titles (sorry, Dude, Where’s My Car), the prompt fixes all! The visuals of any of the aforementioned ones and these are just so absurd yet hilarious at the same time, and I just can’t get enough.

Also, if any of you were wondering about franchises outside of the few titles here and there above, LOTR, Harry Potter, Star Wars and plenty more were in the mix. But, @snarky_athenian’s incredible round-up of James Bond movies took home the W for this particular category:

• You Only Shite Twice
• On Her Majestys Secret Shite
• Shites are Forever
• ThunderShite
• The Man With the Golden Shite
• From Russia with Shite
• Live & Let Shite
• MoonShite
• The Shite Who Loved Me
• A View to a Shite
• License to Shite
• The Shite is Not Enough
• Shite Another Day
• No Time To Shite

The dedication was real here, and many of us are appreciative of the effort. It’s especially timely with Amazon's ongoing 007 developments and who may don the spy suit next. Maybe one day the coming flick will be included on this non-troublesome shite list!

The surprise prompt certainly gave me a good laugh I wasn’t expecting, and I hope it’s the same for many of you out there! I think some of these features absolutely needed a bit of shite facelift for various reasons, but it’s a nice reminder for me to add them to my list of watch/rewatches.

The United States has a lot of great cities and most of those cities have at least one great movie set in them. Some cities, like New York or LA, have a lot, so narrowing it down to one can be tough. Other cities, like Kansas City or Memphis, have fewer films set in them, but those films are classics. Here is our list of movies set in 32 great American cities.

Los Angeles - The Big Lebowski

There are a lot of movies set in Los Angeles. Narrowing it down to one is almost impossible, so we chose a movie that at its heart is pure LA. The Big Lebowski has become one of the most beloved movies of all time, and since the protagonist, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) plays "the laziest man in Los Angeles County," well, his movie just had to be on the list.

Atlanta - Gone With The Wind

Gone With The Wind may have some very problematic themes, to say the least, but it is still the highest-grossing movie (adjusted for inflation) of all time. Set in and around the city of Atlanta during the Civil War, it's a timeless bit of history both in story and in production.

Houston - Rushmore

Director Wes Anderson is from Houston and Rushmore, as only his second feature film, has a bit of an autobiographical feel to it. It is set in his hometown, and much of it was filmed there as well, including his own high school for the fictional Rushmore Academy.

San Francisco - Vertigo

San Francisco is one of the most iconic and picturesque cities in the whole country so it's no surprise that a lot of movies have been shot there. Everything from The Rock to Bullitt, to more. However, there is no way you can't pick the Alfred Hitchcock classic Vertigo to go on this list. Not only is it one of Hitchcock's best, it's among the best films of all time.

Philadelphia - Rocky

When you mention Philadelphia on a list like this, almost everyone is going to think of one movie: Rocky. There may be no movie more identified with the city it takes place in than the 1977 Best Picture winner. Sure, there are other fantastic movies set in the City of Brotherly Love, but none compare to Sly Stallone's classic. Or, if we're honest, all the other movies in the Rocky franchise.

Dallas - Dallas Buyers Club

Dallas Buyers Club is a heartbreaking, but incredible picture. Matthew McConaughey's performance earned him a well-deserved Oscar and while Dallas, Texas, has been the setting for quite a few films, none are as important, or as good, as this one.

Cleveland - Major League

In the opening song to Major League, Randy Newman sings "Cleveland, city of light, city of magic." It's meant to be ironic in the song, but the movie is as much a love letter to the city and the fans of the former Indians (now Guardians) baseball team. It's one of the best sports movies ever made and there is nothing more Cleveland than long-suffering sports fans.

Austin - Dazed And Confused

When you watch Dazed And Confused, you feel Austin in the 1970s as much as you see it. Director Richard Linklater truly made a love letter to his hometown and his high school years with this classic film, filled with amazing moments and hilarious quotes. It's truly one of the best movies set in Texas.

Washington DC - All the President's Men

Washington DC is an iconic world capital and as such, has been the setting for dozens of movies. From biopics about Presidents like Nixon to horror movies like The Exorcist, DC has seen it all. There isn't a movie that oozes DC power and corruption quite like All The President's Men, which tells the story of the two reporters who broke one of the biggest scandals of all time with the Watergate break-in.

Miami - Scarface

Florida has been described as a sunny place for shady people and there is no film that portrays that better than Scarface. Al Pacino's classic performance as Cuban-criminal-turned-refugee-turned-drug-kingpin is a stone-cold classic. There are lighter films set in Miami, but there are no better films than the dark and violent Scarface.

New York City - Do The Right Thing

How do you pick just one movie to represent New York City on film? It could be a classic Woody Allen movie or one of the many rom-coms set in the Big Apple. Maybe it's a comedy like Ghostbusters. It's an impossible task, but for this one, we've settled on a native New Yorker's classic. Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing simply is New York.

Boston - Good Will Hunting

Boston is one of the oldest and most iconic cities in the U.S. Picking one movie from here is tough, but you simply can't go wrong with Good Will Hunting. Written by and starring two Beantown stars, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, the movie was filmed all over town and Boston is as much a character in the film as Will and Chuckie Sullivan. Just the name "Chuckie Sullivan" oozes Southie.

San Diego - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

San Diego may only be about 100 miles from the capital of the film industry, but sometimes it feels like a million. There are a few movies set there, but fewer than you would think. Still, it's easy to pick the best one. Anchorman was an instant classic and all the humor holds up as well today as when it was released in 2004.

Seattle - Sleepless In Seattle

While it's true that much of Sleepless In Seattle actually takes place in New York, including the classic final scene, it's still a movie very much about Seattle in the early '90s. It's a classic Tom Hanks rom-com filled with some of his funniest lines and was among the first movies to put Seattle on the Hollywood map (though far from the only).

Memphis - The Firm

Memphis may be the home of Elvis, but it hasn't seen a ton of movies set in it. The iconic southern city invented rock and roll and still hosts some of the best music festivals in the country, but it's just not the most picturesque place to set a movie. The Firm goes against that wisdom with great success and as much of the film was actually shot there, you get a real feel for what the city is all about.

St. Louis - Meet Me In St. Louis

For many years, St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the United States. The town started to lose its luster towards the middle of the 20th Century, but it's still a classic American city. Surprisingly few films are set there, but there is no greater classic than Meet Me In St. Louis, set at the apex of the city's history during the 1904 World's Fair.

Detroit - Dreamgirls

Motor City. Motown. Detroit is known for two American icons. The auto industry and Motown records. The latter is where Dreamgirls comes from as a fictionalized version of the amazing music scene in the city in the 1960s. Like other cities on this list, Detroit may have lost some of its luster, but it'll never lose its history.

Minneapolis/St. Paul - Fargo

The Coen Brothers grew up in Minnesota, so that makes Fargo their most personal film in a way. No other movie oozes The Land of 10,000 Lakes quite like the Academy Award winner. From the ubiquitous snow to the spot-on accents, there is simply no other movie about the Twin Cities or the state of Minnesota quite as good.

Chicago - The Untouchables

Chicago has long been one of America's most iconic (and largest) cities. There have been dozens and dozens of great movies filmed there, including most of the late, great John Hughes movies. If you travel abroad, though, you'll find that around the world, the city is still famous for Al Capone and Chicago's organized crime during prohibition. That means you have to include The Untouchables on this list.

Las Vegas - Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven is one of the great heist movies of all time. Whether it's the original starring the Rat Pack in the 1960s, or the amazing 2001 version starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and the rest of that amazing cast, you get a full view of "cool" Las Vegas. Both movies represent different eras of the gambling mecca, but the more modern version is the better movie, if we're honest.

Birmingham - Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes is not only a wonderful representation of Birmingham, Alabama, it's a great representation of the whole state. Sure, you might think of Forrest Gump for the state, but Gump travels all over the place, while Fried Green Tomatoes sticks close to home and highlights everything about Birmingham folks that makes them great.

Nashville - Nashville

The city of Nashville means one thing to most people: Country music. So it tracks that the best movie set in Nashville is not only called Nashville, but is about breaking through the competitive music scene in the city. The Robert Altman classic shows why the city is such a crossroads in American music.

New Orleans - A Streetcar Named Desire

Tennessee Williams may have been born and raised in St. Louis, but he is most associated with New Orleans. NOLA, as it's known, is maybe the most unique city in America and it's been the subject of all kinds of storytelling over the years, but A Streetcar Named Desire tells the story like few other.

Pittsburgh - Fences

Like many other rustbelt cities, Pittsburgh's best days seem to be in its past, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have interesting stories to tell today, even if they are about its past. Fences is a perfect example of that. The Academy Award-nominated movie starring the brilliant Denzel Washington isn't always the easiest movie to watch, but it's just so satisfying in the end, even as tragic as it is.

Columbus - Ready Player One

According to Ready Player One, the future belongs to Columbus, OH. It's not the most likely place to be tech capital, but in the sci-fi movie filled with '80s nostalgia and endless amazing easter eggs, it is just that. We'll just have to see if this version of a dystopian future pans out.

Tampa - Cocoon

Tampa is one of the fastest-growing cities in America, but its film history is pretty thin. One major exception to that is the classic Cocoon. With an all-star cast including Wilford Brimley, Don Ameche, Steve Guttenberg, Jessica Tandy, and Brian Dennehy, the movie is set in Florida for good reason, it's about retired folks finding the fountain of youth, of sorts. Two things long associated with the Sunshine State.

Kansas City - Kansas City

Jazz is one of the truly "American" forms of music and Kansas City is one of the homes of the homegrown art form. The movie Kansas City draws on that rich history as director Robert Altman, who was born and raised in the Missouri city, made a true love letter to his hometown, showing the highs and lows of Kansas City's most important historical era in the 1930s.

Denver - Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead is a strange, but wonderful movie if you are in the mood for it. While the Colorado mountains have long held a mystique for Hollywood, the city of Denver itself hasn't been held in quite the same esteem. This movie shows why it should, and as Denver is growing by leaps and bounds these days, we'll probably see more of the Mile High City in the future.

Baltimore - Hairspray

Whether it's the original version of Hairspray directed by John Waters or the more recent musical version, both ooze the great city of Baltimore in the early '60s. If The Wire is the definitive take on the city on television, Hairspray is a different, yet equally important take on the silver screen.

Charleston - The Notebook

Set in Charleston, SC, The Notebook is one of the best romantic movies of all time. Though the love is interrupted by World War II, and it's set in a number of locations, the movie still highlights just what Charleston was and is today, to some extent.

Cincinnati - Traffic

Cincinnati is a great river city in American and it feels like there should be more stories to tell about the city. There surely are and while Traffic is set in a number of places around the world, the story that takes place in Cincinnati feels the most American of the whole movie. It's a story that could happen anywhere, but setting in Cincinnati makes it uniquely American.

San Antonio - Cloak & Dagger

If you grew up in the '80s and had cable TV, there is a good chance you watched Cloak & Dagger a lot. It was on all the time in the mid-eighties and it remains an under-appreciated gem by anyone who didn't grow up watching the Dabney Coleman classic. One of its most iconic scenes happens on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.

Good Will Hunting was, and remains to this day, a family affair. It is, after all, the film that best friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon created together and cemented their careers in Hollywood. The movie also features Affleck’s younger brother, Casey Affleck, and in younger brother fashion, he made some major claims about production. Both his older brother and Damon had other things to say about his comments.

The long-time besties, who are working on a new thriller together, sat down with Deadline to talk about their newest film, Small Things Like These, which comes from their production company, Artist Equity. Before their time together was up, the duo was asked about the validity of younger brother Casey’s behind-the-scenes involvement of the classic film. The claims include his suggestion of taking the script to Gus Van Sant and a promised role as one of the friends. Damon responded:

It’s pretty funny to hear these behind-the-scenes rumors being debunked by its stars. It’s even funnier because there’s nothing like a younger sibling fabricating some fun amidst an older sibling’s work. Ben Affleck set the record straight on Casey’s words about Good Will Hunting.

Spoken like a true big brother! I’m glad to see the dynamics between all three of them seem the same as it ever was. Their back and forth reminds me of their fictionalized dynamics and I’m here for it.

Good Will Hunting is still revered as one of the best '90s movies, and Damon and Affleck still run into fans of it everywhere, including sets they’re working on. I mean, it’s hard not to swoon over the cinematography, root for Will (Damon) and Chuckie (Affleck), and, of course, fawn over Robin Williams from start to finish. Surprisingly, it’s all thanks to Kevin Smith for Good Will Hunting, who saw to the film making it to the public.

Hopefully, the three of them are having a good laugh over Casey Affleck’s claims right now. Now that all of that information can be filed away, I’d love to know about these claims of a Good Will Hunting 2. Maybe the three of them can shoot this idea down officially so I, and possibly others ,aren’t hoping for these claims to come true someday.

Want to rewatch arguably the partners’ best film to date? You can stream Good Will Hunting with a Paramount+ subscription or Prime Video subscription.

Ever since making one of the best movies of the ‘90s, Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have famously been known for being best friends. Obviously, they’ve both gone on to have their own wildly successful careers, however, their friendship is also a focal point of public attention. However, what you might not know is Cole Hauser, who is best known for playing Rip on Yellowstone, is very close to these two too, and he recently opened up about their bromance and spending his early days in Hollywood with the guys.

With Season 5B of Yellowstone about to premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, the hype is real to see Hauser return as the fan-favorite character Rip. In a lot of ways, this role has defined his career, however, he’s been working consistently for decades, and it started with Matt and Ben. While speaking to Parade about his early days in Hollywood as well as his friendship with Affleck and Damon, he said:

It’s kind of wild to picture these three eating Top Ramen for every meal. However, it’s also sweet to hear stories like this that show just how close these guys were as well as how hard they worked to get to where they are today.

For a bit of a history lesson, Hauser met Affleck and Damon while filming 1992’s School Ties. At the time, all three men hadn’t been in much. The boys from Boston had uncredited roles in Field of Dreams, where they met Hauser’s future co-star Kevin Costner and starred in a handful of TV movies, plus Damon was in Mystic Pizza. Meanwhile, their co-star had been in one movie before this. So, landing these parts was a big deal!

Then, after School Ties, all three continued working – with Affleck and Hauser landing roles in the classic Dazed and Confused. In 1997 things really took a turn though when they all starred in Good Will Hunting.

Affleck and Damon wrote the screenplay for the film, and they were able to land the great Robin Williams as well as other established actors like Stellan Skarsgård. However, when it came to casting their characters’ friends, they looked to their own friends and family. So, Hauser was cast as Billy, while Affleck’s little brother Casey played the part of Morgan.

Now, Good Will Hunting is 27 years old, and all four of those guys have long and impressive careers. Looking back on all this, Hauser was asked if it was “extra-gratifying” to know that this crew “paid all your dues together” as they were coming up in the business. He confirmed that it is, and acknowledged all the hard work they’ve all put in, explaining:

Now, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Cole Hauser are all beloved and certified stars. Damon and Affleck, of course, won an Oscar for Good Will Hunting’s script, and went on to make many magnificent films. Meanwhile, Hauser has worked consistently for the last three decades. However, he rose to a totally new level of fame after he joined the Yellowstone cast to play Rip Wheeler.

Pretty soon, we’ll get to see him back on our screens as the tough cowboy when Yellowstone returns to the Paramount Network on November 10 at 8 p.m. ET. In the meantime, you can go back and see where these guys’ friendship and careers began by streaming School Ties and Good Will Hunting with a Paramount+ subscription.

Sure, Hollywood has always been criticized for having a nepotism problem, but it does admittedly give us a thrill when we see some real-life brothers and sisters appearing together on the big screen, whether they're keeping with the theme and playing siblings or simply popping in for a quick cameo. From the Fannings to the Wilsons to the Murphys, here are 32 times celebrity siblings acted alongside each other in the same movie. 

John, Joan, Ann and Bill Cusack (Grosse Pointe Blank)

The Cusack clan is crammed with actors, from '80s icon John Cusack to his Oscar-nominated sister Joan. And while those two have frequently featured together onscreen in films like Sixteen Candles, Broadcast News and High Fidelity, you can actually catch four out of the five Cusack siblings in the 1997 black comedy Grosse Point Blank.

Luke, Owen and Andrew Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums)

After Luke and Owen Wilson made their big screen acting debuts together in 1996's Bottle Rocket alongside older brother Andrew, all three Wilson brothers reunited again in Wes Anderon's 2001 family dramedy The Royal Tenenbaums. 

Macaulay and Kieran Culkin (Home Alone)

Long before the former was a Party Monster and the latter was Succession's Roman Roy, Macaulay and Kieran Culkin were two young tikes starring as McCallister cousins in the classic 1990 Christmas comedy Home Alone. Several decades later, the famous bros—along with their acting siblings including Rory, Christian and Shane—reunited for voiceover work in the Prime Video animated series The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.

Elle and Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam)

Both Fanning girls began their acting careers when they were small, with four-years-junior Elle making her movie debut as a younger version of big sis Dakota's character in 2001's I Am Sam. As adults, the sisters play on-screen siblings in Mélanie Laurent's film adaptation of the bestselling Kristin Hannah wartime novel, The Nightingale. 

Ben And Casey Affleck (Good Will Hunting)

Three years younger than Ben, Casey Affleck memorably had a supporting role in Gus van Sant's 1997 drama Good Will Hunting, which starred and was written by his brother and their childhood friend Matt Damon. Casey would later have the leading role in Ben Affleck's directorial debut, 2007's Gone Baby Gone. 

Daniel, William and Stephen Baldwin (Born on the Fourth of July)

Despite working in Hollywood for decades, the four Baldwin brothers have only appeared on-screen together once: in the 2020 documentary, My Promise to PJ, which Daniel directed. However, you can catch three of the four lads—Daniel, William and Stephen—in the 1989 Oliver Stone film Born on the Fourth of July.

Marlon and Shawn Wayans (White Chicks)

The Wayans family tree is an extensive one, including show-business siblings Nadia, Shawn, Keenen Ivory, Dwayne, Kim, Damon and Marlon. The latter two brothers famously collaborated on the '90s WB sitcom The Wayans Bros as well as comedy films including Don't Be a Menace, the Scary Movie series, White Chicks, Little Man and Dance Flick. 

Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko)

Filmmaking runs in the Gyllenhaal family: Maggie and Jake's parents are writer-directors Stephen Gyllenhaal and Naomi Achs. And while the siblings have received critical acclaim for their own individual films—she for titles like Secretary and Crazy Heart; he for Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac and Nightcrawler—their collective effort, the 2001 psychological thriller Donnie Darko, might just be their most beloved. 

Maude and Iris Apatow (Knocked Up)

The daughters of director Judd Apatow and comedic favorite Leslie Mann, Maude and Iris began their Hollywood careers as child actresses in their dad's films, including 2007's Knocked Up, '09's Funny People and 2012's This Is 40. Both continued acting as adults: Maude is best known for her role as Lexi Howard in HBO's Euphoria, while Iris has popped up in Netflix projects like Love and The Bubble.

Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estévez (Young Guns)

Following in dad's footsteps, all four of Martin Sheen's kids—sons Emilio, Ramón and Carlos (a.k.a. Charlie), and daughter Renée—became actors. Emilio and Charlie, in particular, each saw great Hollywood success and worked on numerous movies together, including Wisdom (1986), Young Guns (1988), Men at Work (1990) and Rated X (2000).

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (It Takes Two)

It's rare to see the Olsens apart onscreen: as child stars, the twin sisters became a pop culture phenomenon starring opposite each other in movies like It Takes Two, Billboard Dad, Passport to Paris, Holiday in the Sun and New York Minute. The sisters even worked together when they were only a few months old, sharing acting duties as Michelle Tanner on the television sitcom Full House.

James, Dave and Tom Franco (The Disaster Artist)

All three Franco brothers had a role to play in The Disaster Artist, the 2017 bio-comedy about the making of the cult classic The Room: James directed the flick and portrayed its leading man, Tommy Wiseau; Dave played Wiseau's costar, Greg Sestero; and older brother Tom popped up as one of the crew members of the movie-within-a-movie. 

Dylan and Cole Sprouse (Big Daddy)

Before they were better known as Zack and Cody in The Disney Channel's The Suite Life TV franchise, twin brothers Dylan and Cole Sprouse shared their first major theatrical film role in the 1999 comedy Big Daddy, in which they co-starred opposite Adam Sandler as five-year-old Julian McGrath. 

Jeff and Beau Bridges (The Fabulous Baker Boys)

Real-life brothers Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges star as the eponymous Baker Boys, a pair of piano-playing siblings, in this 1989 musical dramedy written and directed by Steve Kloves. In one scene, a fraternal squabble between the bros was reportedly so realistic that Beau went to the hospital believing Jeff really broke his hand. 

Luke and Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok)

Though there's not one single movie starring all three Hemsworth brothers—Chris, Liam and Luke—there are several that feature at least two of the Aussie-born siblings. In 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, Luke showed up as a dramatized version of Chris's God of Thunder; and seven years later, he joined Liam in the cast of the 2024 action thriller Land of Bad. Now we just have to get Chris and Liam onscreen together!

Hilary and Haylie Duff (Material Girls)

In the 2006 teen comedy Material Girls, famous sisters Hilary and Haylie Duff star as—you guessed it—famous sisters named Tanzie and Ava, two wealthy, spoiled Hollywood socialites whose multimillion-dollar cosmetics fortune is destroyed after a major media scandal. 

Sunny and Sadie Sandler (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah)

The whole Sandler crew stars in the fresh and funny Netflix dramedy You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah—one of the best coming-of-age movies in recent memory—including Adam's IRL daughters Sunny and Sadie, with the former as Stacy Friedman, a middle school student looking forward to her bat mitzvah, and Sadie playing her older sister Ronnie.

Sean and Chris Penn (At Close Range)

To portray the Whitewoods, a family gang of rural backwoods criminals, in 1986's At Close Range, director James Foley turned to a pair of actual brothers: Sean and Chris Penn. The actors would later both cameo in the 2003 mockumentary film Pauly Shore Is Dead, with Sean appearing as himself and Chris playing "Half of Gay Couple in Jail."

Tia, Tamera and Tahj Mowry (Seventeen Again)

After first gaining recognition as the leads of the TGIF sitcom Sister, Sister, twins Tia and Tamera Mowry expanded into films with the 2000 fantasy comedy Seventeen Again, which also starred another member of the Mowry family: their young brother Tahj, who you know from Smart Guy. 

Brian And Domhnall Gleeson (Mother!)

Fittingly, Brian and Domhnall Gleason's character names in Mother!—the 2017 psychological horror flick from Darren Aronofsky—are "younger bro" and "oldest son," respectively. The Irish lads are real-life siblings, along with novelist-screenwriter Rory and fellow actor Fergus, and they call Oscar nominee Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) dad. 

Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo Marx (Duck Soup)

The legendary comedy quartet The Marx Brothers started as a family vaudeville act, populated by elder brothers Groucho, Harpo and Chico and later including younger siblings Gummo and Zeppo. The siblings starred in 14 motion pictures together from 1905 to 1949, including classics like Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera and Horse Feathers. 

Eddie And Charlie Murphy (Harlem Nights)

 For his first and, thus far, only directorial effort, Eddie Murphy put together a stacked cast for his 1989 crime comedy Harlem Nights, including legendary performers Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx, as well as his own older brother, actor-comedian Charlie Murphy. 

Nat And Alex Wolff (Stella’s Last Weekend)

The filmmaker behind the 2018 comedy Stella's Last Weekend was certainly familiar to brother-stars Nat and Alex Wolff—it was directed by their own mother, Polly Draper. Of course, it was far from the first time the siblings worked together: they previously starred together in the Nickelodeon series The Naked Brothers Band, which was created—you guessed it—by their mother. 

Rory And Kieran Culkin (Igby Goes Down)

Having a bunch of actors in the family is very convenient for the Culkin crew—anytime a filmmaker needed someone to play the younger version of older bros Macaulay or Kieran Culkin, all they had to do was call Rory. The actor played younger Macaulay in 1994's Richie Rich and played the younger version of Kieran Culkin's character in 2002's Igby Goes Down.

Abigail and Spencer Breslin (Raising Helen)

Both starting out in Hollywood as wee child stars, Abigal Breslin and her older brother Spencer played on-screen siblings in the 2004 dramedy Raising Helen, starring Kate Hudson as their aunt and guardian. That same year, they would both pop up in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, in which Spencer portrayed a prince and Abigail a little girl at an orphanage. 

Melvil and Yarol Poupaud (Broken English)

As New York singleton Nora Wilder, Parker Posey spends much of Zoe Cassavetes's 2007 rom-com Broken English being charmed by a fetching Frenchman named Julian, played by Melvil Poupaud. But he's not the only Poupaud that Nora encounters in the film: Melvil's real-life rocker brother Yarol also cameos as Guillaume, a man Nora meets at an art gallery. 

Ron And Clint Howard (Grand Theft Auto)

Ron and Clint Howard's decades-long screen collaborations kicked off when Clint was just two, appearing on The Andy Griffith Show alongside his older brother in the 1960s. In the years since, Clint has appeared in seventeen films directed by his actor-filmmaker bro, joining Ron in the cast of his first full-length feature, Grand Theft Auto. 

Chris And Scott Evans (Before We Go)

Scott Evans has appeared in two films alongside his big brother Chris, both of which dropped in 2014: the rom-com Playing It Cool and Chris's directorial debut Before We Go. Alas, we didn't get a brotherly reunion for 2023's Barbie, though it would have been very fun to see Chris Evans as a Ken!

Kevin, Nick and Joe Jonas (Camp Rock)

Obviously, the world knows the Jonas Brothers as a pop-rock band, but Kevin, Joe and Nick have also dabbled in acting over the years, appearing together in the 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock as well as its 2010 sequel, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. 

Dennis and Randy Quaid (The Long Riders)

The Long Riders, a 1980s biographical Western directed by Walter Hill, stars four sets of actor brothers as the real-life siblings that made up the film's robber gangs. That included both Dennis and Randy Quaid, who played Minnesota outlaws Ed and Clell Miller, respectively. 

Nicholas and Christopher Guest (The Long Riders)

The Long Riders features a cast full of real-life siblings, including the Quaids, the Keaches, the Carradines. Brothers Christopher and Nicholas Guest also starred in the Western film as Robert Ford—the killer of Jesse James—and his outlaw bro Charles. 

Julia and Eric Roberts (Blood Red)

Despite many respective decades in show business, siblings Eric and Julia Roberts have only appeared in one feature film together. The duo, who are the children of actor-playwrights Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, played brother and sister in the 1989 Western Blood Red.

While Good Will Hunting launched Matt Damon and Ben Affleck into stardom, it also served as a defining moment in Robin Williams' career. For his incredible performance as Will's persistent therapist, showing audiences his talent ranged far past comedy, the Dead Poets Society actor won his only Academy Award. Now, it’s been 27 years since this fantastic film from the '90s was released, and Matt Damon shed some light onto the natural talent of the Mrs. Doubtfire star in what has to be one of the top behind-the-scenes stories from Good Will Hunting.

Following Robin Williams' birthday and the 10th anniversary of his death, Vanity Fair collected touching sentiments and memories from a number of the Aladdin actor’s closest co-stars. Many were about his off-screen kindness, moments like when he supported Sally Field on set after her father died. However, Matt Damon chose to highlight a moment of on-screen magic, a line crafted by the timeless comedic genius that left The Martian actor and the director shook:

The improvised line is regarded as one of the best Robin Williams quotes.

It is a callback to his character, Sean Maguire, opening up to Will Hunting about how he ditched a Red Sox playoff game to go find his future wife, saying “I just slid my ticket across the table, and I said, 'Sorry, guys; I gotta see about a girl.” Real Bostonians will understand how big a deal that is. Then, at the end of the movie, his mentee repeats the line back, in a full circle moment.

Well, apparently, Maguire’s iconic retort was all Williams, whose natural instinct took over, showing he so perfectly understood the two characters' dynamic.

I can just picture young Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, jaws on the floor, feeling insanely lucky they got this once-in-a-generation talent to take a chance on them.

A true artist, the Jumanji actor seemed to always want to give the best performance he could. The director, Gus Van Sant said it became a bit of an issue when they already had a perfect take and Williams would want another. And another. And then one more.

However, this line is a perfect example of trusting the process, especially when it comes to the Good Morning, Vietnam actor’s process. Had Van Sant stopped doing takes, we would have never gotten that bit of perfect quip!

Moments like that are what mark great Robin Williams movies. And when the leaves start to change and school is back in session, you know it’s time to rewatch this instant classic, which is available now with a Max subscription. Also, if you are ever in Boston, be sure to check out the Good Will Hunting bench. You never know, you might even run into Matt Damon sitting there!

The smartest people in the world are often featured in film, sometimes they are real, and sometimes fictional. They don't always have anything in common, either, other than being geniuses. One might be a math wizard, another a musician who hears music no one else could conceive of. Here is our list of people like that, the smartest people in movies.

The Theory Of Everything

It's impossible to have a list like this and not include The Theory Of Everything, a movie about the man, Stephen Hawking, who was considered the smartest man in the world for decades. Eddie Redmayne's award-winning performance as the physics genius is incredible and the movie makes some complicated science actually fun.  

The Big Short

Author Michael Lewis has an uncanny knack for making complicated subjects easily understandable to laypeople. The Big Short is based on one of his best books and breaks down what caused the financial meltdown in 2008/2009 in a way that everyone gets. Margot Robbie explaining it in a bathtub is a nice touch. It also features some really smart, neurodivergent characters based on the real people who saw the crash coming. 

Hidden Figures

Tragically, it took nearly 60 years to tell the story of Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). These "hidden figures" were a major force within the US Space Program in its earliest days and their math skills put everyone else to shame. The shame they brought to the program for its racial and gender segregation was even more important. 

A Beautiful Mind

The smartest guys in the room are often neurodivergent or suffer from mental health issues. A Beautiful Mind is one of the best examples of how an incredibly brilliant person, in this case mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe) deals with schizophrenia while revolutionizing mathematics in this true story. 

Good Will Hunting

Will Hunting wasn't a real person, but he was smarter than everyone else around him. Good Will Hunting won Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Oscars for their wonderful script about a kid from South Boston who is shy about his incredible intelligence but has no patience for people who dismiss him because of his working-class roots. 

Don't Look Up

Adam McKay's apocalyptic satire Don't Look Up was a big streaming hit featuring two of the biggest stars around, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two of the world's foremost astronomers desperately trying to tell the world about impending destruction from above. No one is listening. 

The Social Network

Some people may disagree on whether Mark Zuckerberg is a genius, especially after watching The Social Network. Sure he may have borrowed the idea for Facebook from the Winklevoss twins, but he still built the company that turned into the behemoth we know all too well today. 

Real Genius

it's one of Val Kilmer's earliest roles is still one of his very best. Real Genius is a true cult classic these days and for good reason. It's really, really funny. It's aged much better than the other movie about nerds from that era as well, Revenge of the Nerds. 

American Fiction

A truly brilliant writer on the big screen is as rare as hen's teeth, but Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) in American Fiction clearly qualifies. He's the smartest guy in every room he's in, except maybe with his family, who are every bit as smart as he is. 

Sherlock Holmes

There is no detective, fictional or otherwise, as smart as Sherlock Holmes. In some ways, every TV and movie detective is based on the Holmes archetype. His insights and pure genius are what makes him so loveable yet annoying at the same time. There are plenty of great versions of him in pop culture as well, with Robert Downey Jr's version ranking among the best of them. 

Ex Machina

Like it or not, the tech bros are defining a lot of nerd culture. Oscar Isaac's character, Nathan Bateman, in Ex Machina, a movie that should have been nominated for Best Picture, but wasn't,  is pretty much the epitome of the modern tech bro, Love him or hate him, he's clearly supposed to be one of the smartest guys in any room he's in. 

The Imitation Game

Alan Turing is a tragic character in history, but there's no questioning just how brilliant he was or how influential his work has been. The Imitation Game finally brought his amazing, sad, and inspiring story to the masses and Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as the troubled genius entranced us all. 

Oppenheimer

Pound for pound, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer just might have the most brilliant people in one movie ever made. And all of them were real people. The scale of the Manhattan Project could only be told in a movie with the scale of Nolan's Best Picture winner. 

Stand And Deliver

Genius doesn't always hail from the hallowed halls of Ivy League universities or big-time board rooms. Sometimes they are just amazing high school teachers like Jaime Escalante, a math teacher in a disadvantaged high school in East LA. Escalante's story, brought to life on screen in Stand and Deliver, starring Edward James Olmos, is one of the most inspiring movies of the 1980s. 

Contact

Long before we had Neil deGrasse Tyson to explain to us mere mortals how the cosmos works, we had Carl Sagan. Contact, based on a novel by Sagan, tells the fictional story of Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) and her discovery of life outside our solar system. 

Limitless

Just like sports, sometimes genius comes from some performance enhancers. Well, at least, that's how it works in Limitless, starring Bradley Cooper as a regular who is transformed into the smartest guy in the world with a drug called NZT. Sure, it's a fictional story and nothing like that exists, but it makes for a really fun movie and some jealousy over what the drug can do. 

Proof

Sadly, genius and mental illness often go hand-in-hand, especially on film. Proof is as much about the latter as it is about the former. Gwyneth Paltrow stars alongside Jake Gyllenhaal as a brilliant mathematician living in the shadow of her even more brilliant late father who struggled with mental illness, something she fears could affect her as well. 

Idiocracy

The geniuses in Idiocracy aren't really geniuses at all. They are just the smartest people on earth in a future where the whole world has gotten really, really stupid. Mike Judge's brilliant, yet somewhat terrifying, vision of the future is something we desperately need to avoid at all costs! It's a brilliant movie about stupid people. 

Moneyball

Every baseball fan knows just how much Sabermetrics has taken over the sport, for better and for worse.  It really all started with Billy Bean, played by Brad Pitt, who leads a brilliant cast in Moneyball, the general manager for the Oakland A's whose story was told first in the book, then in the movie of the same name. There are a lot of really smart people in the movie, though how much better they made baseball in the end is debatable. 

Amadeus

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a towering figure in the history of music. His genius is undisputed and when he was brought to life on screen in Amadeus, the whole world got to see at least one version of the composer. Sure, there are a lot of artistic liberties taken by director Milos Foreman, but the movie isn't shy about showing just how brilliant Mozart was in this amazing biopic. 

The Martian

It turns out Matt Damon is pretty good at playing smart guys. In Ridley Scott's 2015 film The Martian, Damon plays a Mars explorer left for dead after an accident on the Red Planet. With no one around to help, he figures out how to feed himself, make contact with his colleagues, and finally escape certain death on the inhospitable planet. 

Rope

It is possible to be too smart for your own good, or at least think you're smarter than you really are. The characters in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope are one or the other, the viewer has to decide. Loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb murder of the 1920s, two smart college kids try to get away with the perfect murder. 

Pi

There is a fine line between genius and madness, and Darren Aronofsky's first film, Pi, explores that to great depths. It's not an easy movie to watch, both due to its subject matter and its filming techniques, but like the characters in the movie, it's a brilliant film. 

Searching For Bobby Fischer

Chess masters are often thought of as the smartest guys in the room because the complex game is so hard for most people to master. The level of skill on display in Searching For Bobby Fischer is a great example of just how competitive these geniuses can be when it comes to one of the hardest games in the world to conquer. 

Finding Forrester

In Finding Forrester, Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown) is mentored by a brilliant, but reclusive writer played by Sean Connery. The movie shares a lot in common with Good Will Hunting as Wallace is doubted by the elite at every turn, but comes out triumphant in the end. 

WarGames

It's pretty easy to point out the ridiculousness of a high school kid played by Matthew Broderick somehow taking over the nuclear response protocols of the United States during the Cold War, but that isn't really fair to do with WarGames. Broderick plays high school student David Lightman who unwittingly almost starts World War III after he plays a computer game. It turns out he's also the only one smart enough to figure out how to stop it. 

Little Man Tate

You never really know where genius will come from. Sometimes it comes from the most average of places, as portrayed in Little Man Tate. Fred Tate (Adam Hann-Byrd) is a childhood prodigy being raised by a normal working-class mother played by Jodie Foster. He's brilliant in school and seemingly a musical genius. All of this means, of course, that he is ostracized by the other kids in school and the movie highlights just how hard it can be for kids like Fred. 

Steve Jobs

Like a lot of tech billionaires, calling Steve Jobs a genius is sure to rankle some folks. That's okay, but no one can deny just how successful he was in building one of the largest computer companies in the world. In the movie Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder is played by Michael Fassbender and while it's definitely a loving look at the techie's life, it does show the downside as well. 

Powder

Powder is far from a perfect movie, to say nothing about its very controversial director, Victor Salva. Still, it absolutely deserves a spot on any list of the smartest guys in the room. The main character, Powder, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, is not only the smartest person, possibly on earth, but that intelligence comes with supernatural powers as well, truly unlocking the mind's full potential or something. Yeah, it's not perfect. 

Revenge Of The Nerds

We'll just get this out of the way off the top with this entry: Revenge of the Nerds is one of the most problematic movies of the 1980s. There are a lot of reasons why they aren't worth going into here, except to say they are not trivial. But, it's also a movie about a bunch of really smart nerds who take on the jocks in that classic battle as old as time immemorial.  

Iron Man

Yeah, yeah, how can a comic movie be on this list, you're probably asking yourself. Well, because at least in the MCU, Tony Stark is absolutely stone-cold genius. you can argue that he's not, the guy invented the Iron Man suit in a cave in the desert! Who else could do that? Frankly, it's good that the MCU isn't just about superpowers gifted by the gods or freak scientific accidents. Sometimes it just takes a really smart person to be a superhero. 

Arrival

Denis Villeneuve's underrated Arrival tackles a problem that will surely come into play if and when contact is ever made with extraterrestrials. How will we communicate? It'll take a genius to figure that out and in Arrival, that genius is linguist Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams. She's a different kind of genius than almost all the others on this list, but she qualifies just as much. 

Film fans often flock to see the locations where their favorite movies were made, like the ones on this list. Whether it's a place crucial to the plot of a movie, like the prison in The Shawshank Redemption, or a seemingly minor spot like the burger place in Dazed & Confused, these 32 locations have become iconic for their use on film. 

Hook & Ladder Company 8 - Ghostbusters

The coolest thing about Hook & Ladder Company 8, located on North Moore Street in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City is that the firehouse, which is still an active station, has incorporated the Ghostbuster's logo into its crest. The building is not run down at all, as seen in the movie, and at almost any time of day, you'll see fans of the movie taking selfies. 

Quick Stop Groceries - Clerks

Kevin Smith famously made Clerks on a minuscule budget. One way he cut costs was to film overnight in his actual place of employment, the Quick Stop Groceries convenience store in Leonardo, NJ. The store is still in business, all these years later and you can be sure they play up the fact that the movie was filmed there. 

King's Cross Station - The Harry Potter Series

King's Cross Station is one of a few train stations in London, and while it's always been a well-known station, its fame leaped to another level with the Harry Potter series. You see, it's there, on platform 9 3/4, that Harry and the rest of the Hogwarts students catch their train to school. Of course, there isn't really a platform 9 3/4, but there is a photo op for fans at the real station now.  

West 167th Street Stairs - Joker

In the Highbridge neighborhood of The Bronx is an unassuming staircase connecting Shakespeare Ave. and Anderson Ave. There are similar stairs in New York City, but none are as famous as the West 167th Street Stairs, where Joaquin Phoenix famously danced as the titular character in Joker. 

Haystack Rock - The Goonies

The Haystack Rock formation off the coast of Cannon Beach in Oregon has been a famous geological spot for decades. For movie fans, it's immediately recognizable from The Goonies as the beach where the kids emerge after finding One-Eyed Willie's pirate ship. It's been used in other movies as well, like Twilight and Point Break. 

Top Notch Burgers - Dazed & Confused

Dazed & Confused does such an incredible job putting the audience right in the middle of the '70s, it's become one of the most beloved cult classics of all time. One major reason it just oozes 1970s teen car culture is the Top Notch Burgers that the characters cruise through. It's a real restaurant in Austin, Texas, where the movie was set and filmed. 

Fox Plaza - Die Hard

2121 Avenue of the Stars, which is most well known by its former name, Fox Plaza, is most famous for being the building where Hans Gruber and his band of merry men commit their robbery in Die Hard. The building, in Los Angeles, was brand new when it was used for the movie in 1988. Eagle-eyed viewers might also recognize it as one of the collapsing buildings at the end of Fight Club. 

South Seas Apartment Complex - The Karate Kid

The South Seas Apartment Complex in The Karate Kid is a pretty typical apartment building in the LA area. It is a real place, with that name, just like in the movie. It's located in Reseda, but it's actually pretty nice, nothing like it looks in the classic '80s movie.

The Philadelphia Museum Of Art - Rocky

There are a lot of really famous sites to see in Philadelphia. Constitution Hall, The Liberty Bell, Pat's and Geno's cheesesteak stands, and, of course, the steps that lead up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. They were made most famous by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky when the titular character runs up them and celebrates at the top as "Gonna Fly Now" plays triumphantly. 

Georgetown Stairs - The Exorcist

The Exorcist is one of the scariest movies ever made and one of the eeriest things about it are the steep steps just outside the MacNeil household. They are used a few times in the movie, and it's good when they appear. The real stairs are located in the same neighborhood of Washington DC, Georgetown, where the movie is set, at Prospect St and 36th St NW. 

Seaside, FL - The Truman Show

The fictional town where The Truman Show takes place is both fictional for the movie, and fictional in the movie, as it's really just a soundstage where the TV show is filmed, unbeknownst to Truman (Jim Carrey). It was filmed in a real town, however. Seaside, FL looks pretty much exactly as it does in the movie and the house where Truman lives in the movie is where Congressman Matt Gaetz grew up. How's that for an odd coincidence? 

Katz's Deli - When Harry Met Sally

Katz's Deli, on Houston St. in Manhattan, has long been one of the most famous delis in New York City, but it reached new heights of fame after the legendary scene in When Harry Met Sally after Sally (Meg Ryan) does her famous performance of her faking it in bed. 

Chippewa Square Bus Stop - Forrest Gump

The Baby Boomer fever-dream hit movie Forrest Gump takes place over decades, but it's all told by Forrest (Tom Hanks) from one location, a bench at the Chippewa Square bus stop in Savannah, Georgia. It's where the character sits chatting with different people as he tells them his life story, which for some reason is like a box of chocolates. 

Fox Theatre, St. Louis - Escape From New York

If you ever wondered what city could stand in for a dystopian New York City that has been turned into an island prison, it was late '70s St. Louis, MO. The movie was filmed all over the city, including the Fox Theater, located on Grand Ave. The theater at the time was in disrepair and in desperate need of a renovation. Thankfully it got one and today is in much better shape than it was in the movie. 

Timberline Lodge - The Shining

It may be one of the most famous locations on this list - Timberline Lodge, which is the hotel that stands in for The Overlook Hotel in The Shining. The lodge, Mt. Hood, WA, is still open today and draws not only skiers and outdoor enthusiasts, but fans of the horror classic. 

Hôtel Sidi Driss - Star Wars

The Hôtel Sidi Driss in Matmata, Tunisia is one of the most unique hotels in the world, and so it's fitting it would serve as a home on a planet way out of this world. Movie audiences will immediately recognize it as the home of Luke Skywalker and his aunt and uncle at the beginning of the first Star Wars movie. If you're a fan, and you're in the neighborhood, the hotel is still open and taking reservations. 

7B Horseshoe Bar- The Godfather Part II

It goes by many different names. 7B and Horseshoe Bar are the two most people call it. It's still open, right at the corner of 7th Street and Ave. B in Manhattan. It's been there for years and has been used in a few film productions, but none more famous than in The Godfather Part II. It's where the botched assassination of Frank Pentangeli took place. 

Ohio State Reformatory - The Shawshank Redemption

One of the best movies of the '90s has to be The Shawshank Redemption. While the film is set in Maine, the home state of the book's author Stephen King, it was filmed in the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. It had closed as a prison just a few years before they filmed it, so that certainly helps bring some authenticity to the movie. 

Bosse Field - A League Of Their Own

With some of the best moments in a baseball movie ever, A League Of Their Own has endured for years. So has the minor league baseball field where it was filmed, Bosse Field in Evansville, IN. Though it's a minor league park, it's still the third oldest baseball stadium in the country, behind Wrigley Field and Fenway Park and it retains all the charm it has in the movie. 

Mountain Lake Lodge - Dirty Dancing

In the 1960s, when Dirty Dancing was set, inclusive vacation spots like the Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia dotted the American countryside. Most have long closed, but the Mountain Lake Lodge has survived and you can still visit and stay there, just like Baby and her family did in the movie. The actual cabin where the Housemans stayed is even available for rent. 

1 Wall Street Court - John Wick

Most of New York City - Manhattan at least - is a grid. But there are a few spots where the grid breaks down and creates odd-shaped blocks, leading to oddly shaped buildings. 1 Wall Street Court is one of those buildings, which makes it the perfect exterior for the mysterious Continental Hotel in the John Wick series where hitmen and criminals can enjoy a drink and a good night's sleep without one eye open looking for enemies. 

The Best Little Chapel - The Hangover

Las Vegas is famous for a lot of reasons, including all the tiny wedding chapels all over town. One famous chapel isn't actually a chapel, though. There are a lot of famous locations in The Hangover, most notably Caesar's Palace (Caesar didn't actually live there). One place you'll have a hard time finding unless you know where to look is The Best Wedding Chapel, as it's really just a youth hostel on Las Vegas Blvd. that was dressed up to look like a wedding chapel. Still, you can see the parking lot and all the hilarious signs behind the location as you quote all your favorite lines from The Hangover.

Matamata, New Zealand - Lord Of The Rings

This is a unique entry on this list as it's now famous for what the Lord of the Rings series did for the town. It's where The Shire was built and much of the set remains today as a tourist attraction for the millions of fans of the movies. It really does feel like you're stepping into the movies. 

Christmas Story House - A Christmas Story

"Ah, there it is. My house, and good old Cleveland Street," is how A Christmas Story begins. The house is almost a character all itself, with the sketchy furnace and the leg lamp, etc... The real house is in the City of Cleveland, but it's at 3159 W 11th St, not on Cleveland St. It's also worth noting that while most of it was filmed in Cleveland, it's set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana.

The Dakota Building - Rosemary's Baby

The Dakota, at 72nd and Central Park West in New York, is one of the most famous apartment buildings in the world, and one reason for that is that it's the setting for the terrifying Roman Polanski film, Rosemary's Baby. It's the perfect building to set the film, with his is dark neo-gothic architecture and large, lavish apartments. The Dakota is also infamous for being where John Lennon was shot and killed in 1980, while he lived there. 

Forks, WA - Twilight

For fans of the Twilight series, the town of Forks, Washington is the homeland. Both the books and the movies are set in a small town in a remote part of the state west of Seattle. It's now a tourist hot spot, though most of the movie was filmed in locations other than Forks. 

El Coyote - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

El Coyote is a legendary Mexican restaurant in LA that dates back to the 1930s. It's also where Sharon Tate and her friends ate their final meal on August 9th, 1969 before they were murdered by the Manson Family. For his movie Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino filmed the scene of the friends eating not only in the same restaurant but in the very same booth where they sat all those decades ago. 

Lighthouse Café - La La Land

The Lighthouse Café is a great jazz spot that sits in Hermosa Beach, California near LA. It was the location for one of the most famous scenes that movie critics often call a "love letter to Los Angeles," La La Land. 

Drayton House - Saltburn

The English countryside is filled with amazing, ornate homes that are often used for filming, sometimes they are the location for TV shows, like Downton Abbey, and other times it's for movies like Saltburn. For the latter, the makers of the film used the stately Drayton House in Lowick, Northamptonshire.

Kualoa Ranch - Jurassic Park

Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It makes sense it would be the setting for quite a few TV shows and movies, including Lost,  Magnum P.I., Pearl Harbor, and maybe the most famous movie filmed there, 1993's Jurassic Park. 

The Tasty - Good Will Hunting

Sadly, this is a location you can no longer visit, as it closed a few years ago. For decades, however, The Tasty Diner in Harvard Square was a late-night favorite for drunk college students from all over Boston. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck made sure it found its way into their movie about Boston, Good Will Hunting. 

Görlitz Department Store - Grand Budapest Hotel

The exterior of the titular Grand Budapest Hotel might have been a model, but the interior and lobby were actually a beautiful - and vacant - department store in Görlitz, Germany. Sadly, while the building is still standing, it is still unused. 

When thinking of the best ‘90s movies, it would be hard not to acknowledge the 1997 drama Good Will Hunting. Given its status, it’s no surprise director Gus Van Sant is still reflecting on working with Robin Williams, one of the film’s stars, who kept people laughing on set, by the way. There was just one problem. 

In an interview with THR, Van Sant discussed his time working with Williams on the film and what he considered the actor's one "problem."

The film starred Williams as Sean Maguire, a therapist who treats Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a secret math genius who works at MIT as a janitor. The film showcased Williams’ range as an actor and includes the inspiring movie speech given to Damon's character that people still talk about today. If you're looking to rewatch this moment, the film can be streamed with a Max subscription. 

Upon its release, the film garnered Williams' fourth Oscar nomination and first win for Best Supporting Actor at the 1998 awards show. It also catapulted Damon and Ben Affleck, his costar and co-writer on the project, to stardom and nabbed them their first Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay. Van Sant was also nominated in the Best Director Category. 

The director went on to say that the film's set was particularly loud because Robin Williams "was just cracking jokes." Van Sant also reacted to the actor calling him “the mellowest man in Hollywood,” a characterization the director doesn’t agree with. 

Williams, who died in 2014, seemed to share a similar fondness for the director and said as much in a Sirius XM interview with fellow Oscar winner and friend Whoopi Goldberg. 

Van Sant isn’t the only Good Will Hunting alum who has discussed working with the late Robin Williams. Affleck once described him as “warm and lovely” to CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend. 

Despite the film’s great success, it doesn’t seem like a sequel is anywhere on the horizon as Affleck shot down those rumors at the premiere of his 2023 film Air, a film about Nike where Affleck got to direct Damon. So, while it might not be set in the Good Will Hunting universe, the two continue to work together. 

Throughout the 1990s, audiences were introduced to countless iconic movie characters that made us laugh, cry, and feel every emotion on the spectrum. Lovable good guys, mean bad guys, and characters that live somewhere in the middle helped make some of the best ‘90s movies turn into pop culture phenomena. 

Though there are close to 25 years of separation between us and the end of the final decade of the 20th century, big-screen figures like Forrest Gump, Cher Horowitz, and Jules Winnfield are still very much a part of our culture. That said, we’ve put together a hefty list of iconic ‘90s movie characters and why we still talk about them today. 

Jules Winnfield & Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction)

From the first time we met Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) in the early goings of Pulp Fiction, the dynamic duo has been one of the most iconic and quotable in cinematic history. Their banter (Royale with Cheese), legendary lines (Bad Motherfucker), and chemistry have kept them relevant 30 years on.

Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump)

When discussing Tom Hanks’ best performances, it doesn’t take long before his portrayal of Forrest Gump enters the conversation. This beloved character, who was somehow at the center of every major event from the 1960s to the 1980s in Forrest Gump, remains a symbol of hope and a source of whimsical expressions decades later.

Ace Ventura (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective)

Jim Carrey went from an on-the-rise comedian to the biggest thing in show business in 1994, thanks in part to his starring role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The over-the-top, zany, and aggravating Ventura inspired an entire generation to drive with their heads out the window and make their butts talk.

Kevin McCallister (Home Alone)

In 1990, Macaulay Culkin became the biggest child star on the planet thanks to his portrayal of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone. The performance, which is still as great as ever 30-plus years later, completely changed the way kid protagonists are portrayed and launched an entire industry of imitators, so much so we’ll never forget this iconic character.

Vivian Ward (Pretty Woman)

The ‘90s gave us some of the best romantic comedies ever, and that includes Pretty Woman. While Richard Gere is great in the 1990 movie, it’s Julia Roberts’ Vivian Ward who steals the show. All the years later, Vivian remains a powerful, independent, and beloved character that reshaped the mold of the rom-com heroine.

Neo (The Matrix)

The Wachowskis changed the sci-fi and action genres with their incredibly popular and inventive The Matrix back in 1999, and the same can be said about the film’s hero: Neo. One of Keanu Reeves’ best characters, Neo was and remains a revelation decades later.

The Dude (The Big Lebowski)

Jeff Bridges has a long list of great characters, but he will forever be associated with The Dude from The Big Lebowski. At this point, it’s hard to talk about one without bringing up the other, which says something about the performance.

Happy Gilmore (Happy Gilmore)

Adam Sandler had great characters on Saturday Night Live, and his performance in Billy Madison should be applauded, but come on, his most iconic role is Happy Gilmore. The titular hockey player-turned-golfer in this 1996 comedy made golf cool before Tiger Woods, so no wonder a Happy Gilmore sequel is in the works.

Edward (Edward Scissorhands)

There is something innocent and pure about Johnny Depp’s performance in Edward Scissorhands that has resonated with audiences over the past few decades, which is why the character always comes up with discussing the actor’s collaborations with Tim Burton. Equally odd and heartfelt, the portrayal is the stuff of wonder.

Bernadine & Savannah & Gloria & Robin (Waiting To Exhale)

On top of having a fantastic soundtrack and one of the best stories about friendship captured on film, Waiting to Exhale also introduced us to four of the best characters of the ‘90s. Bernadine Harris (Angela Bassett), Savannah Jackson (Whitney Houston), Gloria Matthews (Loretta Devine), and Robin Stokes (Lela Rochon) taught us about life and the meaning of friendship; lessons we still hold dear years later.

Hannibal Lecter (The Silence Of The Lambs)

A character that still sends shivers down our spines, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in The Silence of the Lambs redefined what it meant to be a movie villain. The psychology, the physicality (or lack thereof), and the menacing expressions were something to behold.

Andy Dufresne & Red Redding (The Shawshank Redemption)

Arguably one of the most iconic movies of the ‘90s, The Shawshank Redemption gave us a touching and endearing friendship shared by Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and Red Redding (Morgan Freeman). Even if the movie wasn’t played on TV in perpetuity decades after its release, we’d still be championing these two beloved characters.

Henry Hill (Goodfellas)

Love him or hate him, Henry Hill from Goodfellas is a criminal and character that’ll never be forgotten by pop culture. One of Ray Liotta’s best performances, the late actor’s turn as criminal-turned-witness is mesmerizing, to say the very least.

Cher Horowitz (Clueless)

Few characters captured the attitude, style, and sensibilities of a ‘90s teenager better than Alicia Silverstone’s Cher Horowitz in Clueless. And like, so many people still say “Ugh, as if,” a line taken from a movie released nearly 30 years ago.

Thelma & Louise (Thelma & Louise)

Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon gave the performances of a lifetime with their portrayal of the titular characters in Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, portrayals that still come up time and time again decades later. These two characters were a breath of fresh air and helped kickstart the modern heroine back in 1991.

Will Hunting (Good Will Hunting) 

Matt Damon became an overnight sensation with his portrayal of Will Hunting in Good Will Hunting, a movie he co-wrote with co-star and best friend Ben Affleck. The math prodigy from South Boston was a revelation at the time of the film’s release and showed the dynamic range of the young actor.

Mrs. Doubtfire (Mrs. Doubtfire)

The late, great Robin Williams thrived in the ‘90s, and during that stretch, he gave us some of his best characters. One of those is Daniel Hillard, a.k.a., Mrs. Doubtfire, from the 1993 comedy classic. Not only is the performance tremendous, but those of us who grew up with Mrs. Doubtfire still quote the movie like every single day.

Lloyd & Harry (Dumb And Dumber)

Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) are two of the dumbest yet beloved characters to grace the silver screen in the ‘90s. Dumb and Dumber, one of the funniest movies of the decade, is still finding an audience 30 years later, and that’s all thanks to this unforgettable duo.

Tracy Flick (Election)

If you were to make a list of the best Reese Witherspoon movies and NOT include Election, then you’d probably get voted out of office. Her portrayal of high school busy-body Tracy Flick is outstanding and ICONIC, even if she’s a character we’d so much want to see lose.

Austin Powers (Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery)

Austin Powers is up there with Wayne Campbell when it comes to iconic Mike Myers characters, and one of the most memorable figures from ‘90s cinema. Starting with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, the English spy parody took over pop culture more than a quarter-century ago and never let go.

Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

The number one rule of Fight Club is to not talk about Fight Club, but there was no way we could make a list of iconic ‘90s movie characters and not include Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden. The definition of cool (or at least what Edward Norton’s character thought was cool in the final years of the 20th century), Tyler became an instant icon and he never went away.

Jay & Silent Bob (Clerks/Mallrats/Dogma)

Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) weren’t really the main focus of the various Kevin Smith movies released throughout the ‘90s, but they still became two of the most iconic characters of the decade. The goofiness, their unique personalities, and the way they could always save the day made them just so dang cool.

Agents J & K (Men In Black)

There were a lot of great duos in ‘90s cinema, including Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) in Men in Black. These two were polar opposites, which made the pairing so much fun and unique, even for the buddy action genre. Years later, these two are so much fun to watch.

Sydney Prescott (Scream)

Wes Craven’s 1996 horror classic, Scream, was like a breath of fresh air, and a lot of that is because of Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and how she rewrote what it meant to be a scream queen. Modern horror movies have both to thank for this.

The Genie (Aladdin)

Robin Williams’ Genie from Aladdin could very well be the best side character from Disney’s Renaissance from the later part of the 20th century. The lovable and powerful character had it all: jokes, songs, infinite power, etc., and made a mark on audiences.

Craig & Smokey (Friday)

Though Ice Cube had been in movies by the time he starred in Friday, his portrayal of Craig took things to the next level. And we can’t forget about Chris Tucker’s Smokey, an endless source of comedic relief. These two down-on-their-luck friends are still a good hang years later.

Cameron Poe (Con Air)

What’s not to love about Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) in Con Air? The hair, the accent, the “Put the bunny in the box” line, and the bravery all make this a character that is not only incredibly badass, but also iconic as hell.

Jack & Rose (Titanic)

Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) from James Cameron’s box office sensation, Titanic, are not just the most tragic couple of ‘90s movies, they’re also the most iconic. For years, these two ill-fated lovers have captured the hearts of billions around the world, and they’re not letting go.

Sarah Connor (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

Though Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) technically first appeared in The Terminator, which came out in 1984, she’s just too much of a badass in Terminator 2: Judgment Day to leave off this list. No longer the young and naive waitress from James Cameron’s first movie, Sarah is a one-woman army and a trailblazer for other strong female characters that followed.

Eric Draven (The Crow)

Eric Draven, the anti-hero protagonist played by the late Brandon Lee in The Crow, has become one of the most unforgettable ‘90s movie characters over the years. It may have something to do with the tragic on-set accident that killed Lee, but it is also because the character is just so charismatic. 

Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

Sure, there are other great animated characters from the ‘90s, but Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas is on a whole other level. Even if you discount all the merch that has flooded stores like Hot Topic over the past 30 years, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town is an iconic creation that’s never really left the conversation.

Truman Burbank (The Truman Show)

Jim Carrey proved in The Truman Show that he was more than capable of handling more dramatic (or at least less over-the-top) roles with his portrayal of Truman Burbank. This earnest performance is to thank for Carrey’s later more dramatic performances in movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

There are so many more iconic ‘90s movie characters we could have included, but we had to stop somewhere.  

On the lookout for some of the best ‘90s movies on Max? Well, look no further, because I’m about to break down all those great dramas, comedies, action flicks, and sci-fi adventures from the final decade of the 20th century that are now available for anyone with a Max subscription.

With classics like Jurassic Park, Pretty Woman, and Scream, there is so much to choose from on one of the best streaming services around. Come along as I run through those movies, as well as so many others, and how to watch them right now…

Jurassic Park (1993)

The Director: Steven Spielberg

The Cast: Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern

What It’s About: A group of experts are invited to tour a state-of-the-art theme park full of genetically engineered dinosaurs before it opens to the public. But when things go wrong on the tour, the park’s viability and the lives of those on the island are put in severe danger.

What To Expect: Hands down one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park changed the game and gave audiences one of the most unforgettable cinematic experiences of all time in the summer of 1993. Action, drama, and a beloved John Williams score all work in its favor.

• Stream Jurassic Park on Max.

Goodfellas (1990)

The Director: Martin Scorsese

The Cast: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci

What It’s About: After years of staying true to the mafia, a mobster is faced with a decision no one wants to make: get buried in a shallow grave or turn against the only family he’s ever known.

What To Expect: Often considered Martin Scorsese's best movie, Goodfellas has one iconic scene after another. Whether it’s Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) all coked up looking for helicopters, Tommy DeVito’s (Joe Pesci) “funny how?” scene, or that all-time great cooking scene in prison, there’s so much to love.

• Stream Goodfellas on Max.

The Birdcage (1996)

The Director: Mike Nichols

The Cast: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman

What It’s About: A gay Miami club owner is forced to hide his true identity (as well as his partner) after his son announces that his very conservative and straight-laced future in-laws are stopping in for a visit.

What To Expect: Mike Nichols’ The Birdcage is a brilliant, hilarious, and timeless comedy about the virtues of remaining true to yourself and everything you stand for. Robin Williams and Nathan Lane steal just about every scene, and Gene Hackman, as a powerful republican senator, is so over-the-top.

• Stream The Birdcage on Max.

Unforgiven (1992)

The Director: Clint Eastwood

The Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman

What It’s About: A retired gunslinger sets out to find the men responsible for brutally attacking a woman in town, only to draw the attention of the iron-fisted sheriff. When the corrupt leader pushes the man to his breaking point, all bets are off.

What To Expect: Considered one of the best Westerns of all time, Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven is an absolute tour de force. Though it’s the very definition of a slow burn, this epic story of good and evil pulls no punches once things get started.

• Stream Unforgiven on Max.

Pretty Woman (1990)

The Director: Garry Marshall

The Cast: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Jason Alexander

What It’s About: While in Los Angeles to buy and break up his latest company, a ruthless businessman hires a young escort for the weekend. But what starts as a transactional relationship quickly turns into something much more meaningful.

What To Expect: One of the best romantic comedies ever made, Pretty Woman has an all-time great pairing of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and a timeless story about finding love when you least expect it. Charming, heartfelt, and outrageously funny, there’s no wonder this movie is so beloved nearly 35 years later.

• Stream Pretty Woman on Max.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Director: M. Night Shyamalan

The Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette

What It’s About: A psychiatrist looking for redemption tries to help a young boy who can see ghosts as if they were living, breathing people.

What To Expect: With one of the greatest plot twists of all time, a level of tension that never really fades, and outstanding performances by just about everyone, M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller that just gets better over time.

• Stream The Sixth Sense on Max.

Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994)

The Director: Mike Newell

The Cast: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas

What It’s About: A group of friends explores both good times and bad as they attend various weddings (and a funeral) over the course of time.

What To Expect: Richard Curtis’ excellent screenplay, Mike Newell’s outstanding direction, and performances by Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, and John Hannah (can you watch his eulogy without crying?), make this a classic.

• Stream Four Weddings and a Funeral on Max.

Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai (1999)

The Director: Jim Jarmusch

The Cast: Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman

What It’s About: A hitman who lives by the code of the samurai finds himself being double-crossed by the mob after a job goes wrong.

What To Expect: If you’re a fan of Jarmusch’s other work, then you know what to expect from Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. But if you’re not familiar with his distinct style, you’re in for a real treat.

• Stream Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai on Max.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

The Director: Hayao Miyazaki

The Cast (English Dub): Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver

What It’s About: A young man finds himself trapped in the middle of a war between forest gods and spirits who protect nature and humans who wish to consume its vast resources.

What To Expect: Easily one of Hayao Miyazaki’s best films, Princess Mononoke is a little darker and more violent than most Studio Ghibli movies but still has that signature charm and magic fans of the director and animation studio have come to know and love over the years.

• Stream Princess Mononoke on Max.
• Stream Princess Mononoke (Japanese Audio) on Max.

As Good As It Gets (1997)

The Director: James L. Brooks

The Cast: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear

What It’s About: An obsessive-compulsive writer and a waitress strike up an unlikely relationship that goes from one of contention and anger to one of love and redemption.

What To Expect: There’s just something about the on-screen chemistry between Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, who both won Oscars for their roles, that makes this such a gem to watch.

• Stream As Good as It Gets on Max.

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

The Director: Mike Figgis

The Cast: Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands
What It’s About: A suicidal out-of-work screenwriter goes to Las Vegas to drink himself to death only to meet and fall in love with a sex worker who offers him a new perspective on life.
What To Expect: One of the most sexually explicit movies on Max, Leaving Las Vegas features some of the best performances of the ‘90s with Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue, a moody story about love, loss, and redemption, and an in-depth look at the seedier side of Sin City.

• Stream Leaving Las Vegas on Max.

Scream (1996)

The Director: Wes Craven

The Cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette

What It’s About: When the quiet town of Woodsboro, California, becomes the personal playground for the sadistic “Ghostface” killer, a group of teenagers team up with some unlikely allies to put an end to the madness.

What To Expect: Though satirical and hilarious at times, Scream is one of the bloodiest slashers from the ‘90s, as well as one that gave the world some terrifying and unforgettable movie moments.

• Stream Scream on Max.

Get Shorty (1995)

The Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

The Cast: John Travolta, Danny DeVito, Rene Russo

What It’s About: A Miami loan shark, through a series of circumstances, finds himself involved with a Hollywood production.

What To Expect: Based on Elmore Leonard’s 1990 novel of the same name, Get Shorty is a hilarious, odd, and all-around enjoyable crime flick that is propelled by its tremendous cast.

• Stream Get Shorty on Max.

Hoop Dreams (1994)

The Director: Steve James

The Cast: Arthur Agee, William Gates

What It’s About: A heartfelt and insightful documentary about two rising high school basketball players with aspirations of leaving the Chicagoland area to find success in the world of sports.

What To Expect: Hoop Dreams dives into how putting dreams ahead of everything else impacts teenagers and what happens when reality comes crashing down. One of the best documentaries on Max, Hoop Dreams is a must-watch for basketball fans.

• Stream Hoop Dreams on Max.

Hopefully, these movies take you on a trip down memory lane to the ‘90s. If you’re looking for more great experiences, there are a ton of great movies on Max right now.

Have you ever looked back at some of the most famous movie quotes and wondered how the screenwriter could have come up with that? Well, believe it or not, some of those memorable lines (and even some iconic moments in their entirety) were not part of the script and were invented on set and even on the spot while the camera rolled, either out of incident or by some instance of spontaneous creativity. The following are some of the most legendary examples of improvised moments from the movies.

"I'm Walkin' Here!" (Midnight Cowboy)

There is some debate regarding if the most oft-quoted moment from the X-rated Best Picture Oscar winner, 1969’s Midnight Cowboy, was really off the top of Ratso actor Dustin Hoffman’s head. However, the Academy Award winner claimed to The National Post that, on the first take, a cab pulled out right in front of him, to which he responded with genuine frustration, “I’m walkin’ here!” while managing to stay in character.

"Here's Johnny!" (The Shining)

Despite being one of the most iconic moments from one of the best horror movies of all time, Jack Torrance screaming “Here’s Johnny!” after axing his way through a bathroom door feels slightly out of place in 1980’s The Shining. That is because, according to The Independent, Jack Nicholson ad-libbed the line, which Stanley Kubrick initially did not realize was a reference to Ed McMahon’s catchphrase from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

"Alright Alright Alright" (Dazed And Confused)

A phrase that will forever be associated with Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey is also on the funniest lines from 1994’s Dazed and Confused: “Alright alright alright.” He explained to Kelly Ripa and guest host Christian Slater on Live! that the first words he ever spoke on film were a spur-of-the-moment way of expressing “confirmation” for the three most important things in David Wooderson’s life: his car, rock ’n roll, and illicit substances.  

Edward Closes The Jewelry Box On Vivian (Pretty Woman)

The signature moment from 1990’s Pretty Woman when Edward (Richard Gere) snaps a jewelry box lid on Vivian’s (Julia Roberts) hand was nothing more than a prank on the then 22-year-old actor in an effort to “wake her up a little. Director Garry Marshall revealed this to ET, who agree that it is the moment America “fell in love” with the future Academy Award winner and makes it thankful the blooper made the final cut.

Aragorn's Furious Cry (The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers)

In 2002’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) sounds like he is in genuine pain when he, after witnessing a pile of dead orcs, kicks a helmet and lets out a bloodcurdling yelp. That is because, as Peter Jackson revealed on a making-of featurette, when the actor’s foot hit the solid metal helmet on the fifth take, he broke two of his toes, resulting in the impassioned scream.

Ryan's Last Memory Of His Brothers (Saving Private Ryan)

In Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) learns that the titular soldier he and his crew have been tasked with rescuing is not the most noble gentleman when he recalls the last time he saw his brothers alive. According to Peter Bart’s book, The Gross, Matt Damon came up with the darkly comic story involving a young woman knocked unconscious and a barn nearly burnt to the ground the day it was shot.  

"Are You Talkin' To Me?" (Taxi Driver)

Not only was Robert De Niro’s legendary “Are you talkin’ to me?” speech from 1975’s Taxi Driver not in Paul Schrader’s script, but the entire scene almost did not happen because the film was behind schedule. Director Martin Scorsese told Stephen Colbert on Late Show that, in the moment, he had convinced his producers to let him keep shooting the ad-lib to its completed form.

"I Don't Want To Go!" (Avengers: Infinity War)

Tom Holland revealed in a video for GQ that a technique he uses to cry on command is repeating a tonally appropriate phrase in his head until the tears well up. The phrase he chose for the scene before Peter Parker turns to dust in Avengers: Infinity War was, "I don't want to go!" which he, instead, decided to say out loud to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, perfecting the devastating moment from the 2018 Marvel flick.

Andy's Chest Wax (The 40-Year-Old Virgin)

One of the most unsettling behind-the-scenes facts of all time is that Steve Carell requested that Andy’s famous chest waxing scene in 2005’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin be real and shot in one take, as he recalled in a BBC Radio 1 interview. While many of the things that he says were previously written — including “Kelly Clarkson!” which came courtesy of Seth Rogen — each of Carell’s painful reactions are genuine

The Most Annoying Sound In The World (Dumb and Dumber)

Many of Jim Carrey’s best quotes came right off the top of his head, including one of the funniest moments from 1994’s Dumb and Dumber. Jeff Daniels confirmed in a video for GQ that he was surprised when his co-star blurted out “the most annoying sound in the world” in the middle of a take. 

Lecter Mocks Starling's Accent (The Silence Of The Lambs)

When discussing ad-libs from 1991's The Silence of the Lambs, most people reference Hannibal Lecter's iconic hiss, but that allegedly improvised choice is not the only moment of that kind from Clarice Starling's first meeting with the psychopath. Jodie Foster revealed in her MasterClass episode that Anthony Hopkins came up with the idea to mock her character's accent off the cuff, which initially frustrated the actor, but ultimately added a fascinating layer of manipulation to the role.

Most Of Sgt. Harman's Dialogue (Full Metal Jacket)

While R. Lee Ermey did not exactly come up with his lines as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman on camera, much of his dialogue from Full Metal Jacket was created off the top of his head beforehand. The former Marine revealed in an interview with The History Channel that he would improvise lines reminiscent of his days in the service in front of a tape recorder and the "juiciest" lines were added to the Oscar-nominated script.

Peter Hugs Tony (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

What makes Tony Stark and Peter Parker some of the funniest MCU characters is the brilliant way Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr. manage to play off each other in the moment, such as one memorable moment from 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. Holland told Kevin McCarthy from Fox 5 in Washington DC that he thought it would be funny if the teen otherwise known as Spider-Man hugged the man otherwise known as Iron Man as he was opening a car door for him, and he turned out to be right.

Buddy's Excitement About Santa (Elf)

Elf might not have become one of the funniest Christmas movies ever if not for Will Ferrell’s commitment to the role of Buddy and his off-the-cuff comedic talent. According to a video by Rotten Tomatoes, the North Pole-raised human’s irritatingly loud reaction to learning “Santa” is visiting Gimbel’s came out of the former SNL star’s belief that his response would have to be the most “jubilant” possible.

"He Stole My Line" (Good Will Hunting)

Will’s (Matt Damon) final message to Sean (Robin Williams) in 1997’s Good Will Hunting, which mentions having to “see about a girl,” is a callback to a story his therapist told him earlier, which he points out by saying, “He stole my line.” Damon revealed in a video for Vanity Fair that the late comedian’s final quote in the movie was not in his and Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning screenplay, but he knew the moment he heard it that nothing could have ended the film better.

“Leave The Gun. Take The Cannoli” (The Godfather)

A look back on many of the most iconic lines from Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather by THR reveals that one quotable moment was not originally written the way it was said in the final product. Richard Castellano, as Peter Clemenza, was only supposed to say, “Leave the gun,” but Ardell Sheridan (his real-life and onscreen wife) recommended he add, “Take the cannoli,” in reference to an earlier scene when her character asks him to bring dessert.

"I Love Lamp" (Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy)

When Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) points out that Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) is "just saying things [he's] looking at," that was, indeed, exactly what Carell was doing. According to Page Six, he did not have any lines for the scene in 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, so director Adam McKay instructed him to just say whatever came to mind.

"You Can't Handle The Truth!" (A Few Good Men)

Do you think you can handle the truth about the most celebrated line from 1992 A Few Good Men? According to Judith Humphrey’s book, Impromptu: Leading in the Moment, Col. Nathan Jessup’s (Jack Nicholson) final stinger in his courtroom face-off with Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) was originally written by Aaron Sorkin as “You already have the truth,” but the Academy Award winner changed it on the spot.

The Pecan Pie Scene (When Harry Met Sally...)

In the 1989 romantic-comedy movie classic, When Harry Met Sally…, Harry’s random decision to have him and Sally speak in a strange accent and converse about having pecan pie was really as spontaneous as it feels. As Billy Crystal shared on The View (via Business Insider), he provided no warning about the bit to Meg Ryan, whose look to the side at one point was to director Rob Reiner, who silently instructed her to go along with it. 

Joker Applauds Gordon's Promotion (The Dark Knight)

Despite what rumors have suggested, Heath Ledger’s playful reaction to the delayed hospital explosion in 2008’s The Dark Knight was not improvised. However, Christopher Nolan told BBC Radio 1 that the late Oscar winner did come up with a lot of memorable moments on set, including when Joker sarcastically claps after Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) is appointed Commissioner.

The Laugh-Filled Police Line-Up Scene (The Usual Suspects)

Have you ever wondered why 1995’s The Usual Suspects cast starts to randomly break into laughter while grouped together in a police station line-up? Kevin Pollack revealed on a DVD extra that, which you do not hear in the final cut, Benicio del Toro started breaking wind and did so enough times to send his co-stars reeling.

"My Mom And Dad Are Gonna Be So Mad At Me!" (Scream)

As he revealed in a joint EW interview with him and Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard ad-libbed several of Stu Macher’s lines from the climax of Scream. This includes his especially iconic response to learning that Sidney (Neve Campbell) called the police and him and Billy (Ulrich).

“You Hit Me In The Ear!" (Fight Club)

Apparently, the first time the Narrator throws a punch at Tyler Durden in 1999’s Fight Club was really as painful as it looks, as Edward Norton told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. Director David Fincher instructed him to hit Brad Pitt for real and he ended up hitting his co-star in the ear, leading to Pitt's genuine reaction.

Luther Taunts The Warriors (The Warriors)

For the final scene of the 1979 thriller, The Warriors, director Walter Hill wanted to add more to the scene and asked David Patrick Kelly, as Luther, to help add something to spice things up. The actor recalled to Book and Film Globe how he decided to put three glass bottles on his fingers, clink them, together, and come up with his iconic chant, “Warriors, come out to play!” on the fly.

“You Serious? I Just Told You That A Moment Ago" (Zoolander)

In a hilarious moment from Zoolander, the dim-witted title character (played by star and director Ben Stiller) has to ask disgraced hand model, J.P. Prewitt (David Duchovny) why male models are used in assassination plots twice. In an oral history about the 2001 comedy by Vanity Fair, Duchovny recalls improvising his character’s somewhat irritated response to Derek Zoolander’s repeated question.

"... Cinderella Story..." (Caddyshack)

One of the funniest quotes from Caddyshack is an extensive monologue by Bill Murray as greenskeeper Carl Speckler, narrating his own pro golf fantasy. According to Golf.com, no dialogue was actually written for the now iconic scene that was ad-libbed by the former SNL star on camera.

"I'm The King Of The World!" (Titanic)

Easily the most oft-quoted moment from Titanic is when Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) shouts “I’m the king of the world” — a line that was “made up on the spot.” Director James Cameron revealed in an interview with BBC Radio 1 that, after trying several other lines, he fed the now iconic quote to the future Oscar-winning actor through a walkie-talkie, instructing him to really sell it.

Mr. Blonde's Dance (Reservoir Dogs)

One of the things that makes the torture scene from 1992’s Reservoir Dogs so unsettling is the way Vic “Mr. Blonde” Vega (Michael Madsen) taunts Officer Marvin Nash (Kirk Baltz) with a dance to “Stuck in the Middle with You.” According to THR, Madsen invented his playful moves to the Stealers Wheel song in the moment.

“Molly, You In Danger, Girl" (Ghost)

In a funny scene from the 1990 romantic horror thriller, Ghost, Sam (Patrick Swayze) asks medium Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) to tell his lover, Molly (Demi Moore), what he says word-for-word, including “Molly, you’re in danger.” According to Variety, it was Goldberg’s idea for her to instead say, “Molly, you in danger, girl.”

Most Of The Dinner Scene (Mrs. Doubtfire)

Chris Columbus revealed to Yahoo! that the majority of what Robin Williams said during the climactic restaurant scene in Mrs. Doubtfire was off the cuff. The director even admitted that he would put multiple cameras on the actor just to keep up with his rapid-fire process.

"Move The Leg" (Captain America: Civil War)

As co-director Anthony Russo revealed on the commentary track for 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Tom Holland forgot his blocking during a scene when Peter Parker and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) discuss his double-life as Spider-Man. This prompted the Iron Man actor to instruct Holland to give him room to sit on the bed but stay in character while doing it.

Calvin Candie's Bleeding Hand (Django Unchained)

One of the most infamous behind-the-scenes facts about Django Unchained is that Leonardo DiCaprio, as Calvin Candie, actually cut his hand during his racist monologue at the dinner table. However, Broomhilda actor Kerry Washington clarified on The Drew Barrymore Show that the blood he smears on her face was not his own, but faux blood that they decided to incorporate into the scene after the fact.

It just goes to show you that some of the most magical moments in moviemaking are not the ones you plan in advance.

Before the best movies from the 2000s were allowed to run, the cinematic classics from the 1990s had to walk. (Well, except for Forrest Gump.) The 20th century closed out with a decade of cinematic spectacles as Hollywood embraced bigger budgets, the early days of CGI, and a new breed of superstars like Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon and Keanu Reeves.

From great ‘90s sci-fi movies like Jurassic Park to beloved ‘90s family films like Toy Story to chilling thrillers and hilarious comedies, just about any genre fan can feel represented by the era's best. Can the same be said for music, TV and literature? (I'll be too busy watching Speed again to research that.) So grab your long-dead Tamagotchis and scented markers and join us in celebrating the best of the best that the ‘90s had to offer.

• This list was compiled by the bulk of CinemaBlend's editors and writers, who gave 0-5 scores to an overall list of around 300 movies, with all of the final scores averaged out to determine the final ranking of 100.

How We Put This List Together

• Around 300 entries from a vast variety of 1990s films , which fit the bill of being culturally relevant and critically respected, were gathered using a combination of staff recommendations, movie guides and further research. The entries were tracked in a spreadsheet, where the majority of our staff then went through a multi-level voting process, with scores assigned based on personal opinions. A base number of viewers was also required for entries to make the cut, and lowest scores were then eliminated, in the style of scoring figure skating. The movies were then ordered from 1-100 based on the final average scores, with a variety of staff members writing the movie-celebrating entries. 

100. The Fifth Element (1997)

Luc Besson's The Fifth Element is a seriously wild movie. The sci-fi adventure has become a bona fide genre classic. Even though parts of the film were frustrating to make, those efforts clearly paid off, leaving us with one of the most fun space rides to date with an A-level cast including Milla Jovovich, Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Chris Tucker in arguably his spaciest performance. Anyone who may have forgotten how fun and bonkers it is should grab a multi-pass and return immediately. 

99. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Jim Carrey may have enjoyed the most successful year for any comedian in 1994, and Dumb and Dumber is a major part of that unprecedented run. After the wildly successful Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask, the Saturday Night Live reject gave an iconic performance as Lloyd Christmas in the Farrelly Brothers’ breakout comedy alongside Jeff Daniels’ Harry Dunne. Everything about the movie simply works in spite of itself. The chemistry between its stars, the balance of over-the-top humor and more subtle jokes, and the most annoying sound in the world work together to create an unparalleled and game-changing experience. 

98. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project may not have been the first to bring a cinéma vérité approach to the horror genre, but through extremely savvy marketing and lore-building, the no-budget flick became one of the most profitable films of all time, spawning a franchise of film sequels, comics, a video game, and beyond. And all without an actual “witch” to tease in the trailers. One of the ‘90s most polarizing efforts, BWP’s “something from nothing” approach makes it as influential as anything else from the decade.

97. Mulan (1998)

What can be said about Mulan that has yet to be talked about? Released at the tail end of the famed Disney Renaissance through the ‘90s, Mulan was the animated film that defined a generation of young women, inspiring many to always fight for their honor and never back down, even when everyone in the world says otherwise. The music is excellent as the voice-acting takes you to another world, and the animation easily pulls viewers in, but it’s the themes that stay with audiences forever.

96. The Wedding Singer (1998)

More than just a wonderful romantic comedy, The Wedding Singer is a standout title in Adam Sandler’s early career. In the 1990s, Sandler was known for his goofy characters on Saturday Night Live and in goofy movies like Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Airheads, but The Wedding Singer was an opportunity for him to show he could do work with a bit more gravity. There’s an argument to be made it paved the way for him excelling in films like Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems. And the power of Sandler + Drew Barrymore can never be denied.

95. Death Becomes Her (1992)

There’s a scene in Death Becomes Her that pretty much sums up the Robert Zemeckis film’s greatness – as Goldie Hawn’s Helen sits and leans back, the handle of a shovel slips perfectly through the hole in her torso. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep’s Madeline gracefully takes a seat while clutching her hair atop her head, in order to keep it from flopping forward against her broken neck. It’s dark, it’s twisted, it’s hilarious, and for 1992, the special effects are impressive. Bruce Willis’ Ernest being dragged along for the ride caps off the excellent trio of characters, in this eternally underrated comedy.

94. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Four years after already penning one of the all-time great romantic comedies (Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally), the late Nora Ephron directed a landmark rom-com of her own with Sleepless in Seattle. The second of three movies co-starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, this genre staple features an incredible story about a woman who goes to great lengths to be with the man she loves, a man whom she’s never met and only knows from a call-in radio show. It’s charming, witty, earnest, and the best kind of enchanted realism. 

93. Jackie Brown (1997)

Quentin Tarantino’s third directorial effort, Jackie Brown kicks off with Pam Grier’s money-smuggling flight attendant trekking to work to the tune of Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street,” helping it stand apart from the testosterone-enhanced violence of his first two features. And while the star-studded flick does dip into the filmmaker’s favored crime genre tropes, Jackie Brown hinges more on character study than sheer plot machination, and provides career-high performances from Bridget Fonda, Robert Forster, and Grier herself. And in that way, it’s arguably the most empathy-worthy project from Tarantino’s career.

92. Happy Gilmore (1996)

Depending on who you talk to, Adam Sandler’s '90s comedies are either near the peak of the genre or near the pits of low-brow comedy. We know where Shooter McGavin's opinions would lie, but we lean toward raising our clubs and pucks to Sandler’s story about a failed hockey player taking the world of professional golf by storm, all for his grandma. I’ll always laugh at Happy Gilmore’s titular hero going toe-to-toe with the late game show host Bob Barker, and the wild story of how he got involved is as great as the on-screen fisticuffs.

91. Casino (1995)

It’s hard to pick a favorite when talking about the best mob characters that Robert De Niro has played, though I’d argue Sam "Ace" Rothstein is as good as it gets. Unlike many other gangster movies tethered to dark alleys, Casino zeroes in on the mafia’s stranglehold of the glitzy and glamorous Las Vegas in the 1970s. It’s further bolstered by excellent directing from master craftsman Martin Scorsese and a supporting cast with legends like Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. A fantastic movie that doesn't shy away from deeply upsetting moments. 

90. Forrest Gump (1994)

Despite all the cringey and parody-fueling moments in Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump --- never forget the Weird Al classic "Gump" --- Tom Hanks' history-making and country-crossing simpleton remains one of the 1990s most enduring movie heroes. With a stacked cast of pros, from Sally Field to Gary Sinise, Forrest Gump's popularity was evident from both its boffo box office, its huge success at the Oscars and beyond, and just how many quotes from this movie have permanently nestled themselves into pop culture. 

89. A Few Good Men (1992)

Courtrooms are a natural fit for high drama, and A Few Good Men has some of the best courtroom scenes in cinema history. Aaron Sorkin’s first screenplay, based on his own stage play, is missing many of the elements that would later define his writing, but that’s not a bad thing here. The battle between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson has become iconic, but even outside of that near-perfect scene, A Few Good Men is full of incredible characters, smart dialogue, and memorable moments. It’s perhaps one of Cruise’s most criminally overlooked performances.

88. Pretty Woman (1990)

Pretty Woman is definitely one of Julia Roberts's best movies in a wildly impressive career, but it's also one of the best ‘90s rom-coms. The film's sleazy-on-paper tale, which follows a rich businessman hiring a Hollywood escort to be his date to several social events, is a charmer thanks to its stellar leads. The film vaulted Roberts into an even bigger star, while making romantics everywhere swoon at the idea of a wealthy millionaire like Richard Gere coming out of nowhere to sweep them off their feet – if only, amirite?

87. As Good As It Gets (1997)

I miss Jack Nicholson. I miss James L. Brooks. I miss emotional, character-driven comedies that excelled thanks to outstanding performances from A-list talent. Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear weave magic in this sweet story about strangers forming friendships over low-stakes but relatable dramas. Studios craving IP don’t back movies like this anymore. But when they did, and when actors could sink their teeth into the material, this one was as good as they got. 

86. The Sandlot (1993)

There are ‘90s sports movies that are kid-pleasers, and then there is The Sandlot, the 1993 coming-of-age story about a ragtag group of kids living what could be the best summer of their lives. There's so much to love about this small-stakes baseball tale, from its timelessness to its life lessons to incredible characters like Scotty Smalls, Benny Rodriguez, Ham Porter, and so many others, there’s just so much to love about this classic sports film. To quote the Great Bambino, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” In this case, we're calling our shot: The Sandlot is one of those legends. 

85. Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

Can’t Hardly Wait combines an "everybody's recognizable" ensemble cast with the classic house party setting and a killer soundtrack to give us one of the most epic teen movies of all time. The plot centers around Ethan Embry’s Preston, who needs to profess his love for Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt) at the graduation party, now that she is finally single after being dumped by Mike (Peter Facinelli). But plots are for dorks, and the 1998 comedy epitomizes the teen angst of the late 20th century in an honest and hilarious way.

84. You've Got Mail (1998)

You’ve Got Mail arrived in 1998 when just about everybody would have recognized the title as the AOL greeting message. This was the third movie to pair Tom Hanks with Meg Ryan, with writer/director Nora Ephron bringing her magic romantic comedy touch to the story of two business rivals who unwittingly fall in love via online chat. Hanks and Ryan channel the same chemistry that was a hit years earlier with Sleepless in Seattle, and it doesn't require having lived through the AOL era to appreciate the level of classic rom-com energy that makes this a winner. 

83. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

In a decade filled with all-time great Robin Williams movies, there’s something particularly tender and very much unforgettable about Chris Columbus’ Ms. Doubtfire. Underpinned by the heartbreak of having less time than ever with his three kids as his divorce looms, voiceover actor Daniel Hillard hatches a plan to form a new character in an elderly housekeeper named Mrs. Doubtfire to get more time with them. Not only does his new secret identity make for some hilarious moments that very much play to Williams’ strengths as a comedy actor, Mrs. Doubtfire is also a touching film that takes a grounded approach to parent separation. 

82. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

The most Tim Burton movie ever to Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is, on one bladed hand, a weirdly heartwarming horror movie, but on the other bladed hand, an endlessly frightening family film. The suburban Frankenstein homage is bolstered by stellar performances from Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Dianne Weist, with each bringing grounded authenticity to this wildly fantastical fable. (Yes, even the pity-provoking Depp.) The cherries on top of this macabre cake are Vincent Price, in his final major film role, and Burton-familiar composer Danny Elfman. And the eye-popping hedge art and ice sculptures don’t hurt.

81. American History X (1998)

Long before debates about The Snyder Cut, star Edward Norton, director Tony Kaye, and New Line Cinema engaged in a very loud and sometimes public squabble over American History X. The final cut we got, which Kaye publicly disavowed, is a brutal, almost two-hour look at modern white supremacy that’s shot partially in black and white. It netted Norton an Oscar nomination and has individual moments as strong as anything on this list, but it also occasionally loses pace and has always left fans wanting to see Kaye’s original 95-minute cut, which remains unreleased following the film’s disastrous production

80. Aladdin (1992)

It’s easy to look at Aladdin and celebrate the work of the great Robin Williams, and justifiably so. Only animation could truly uncork the man’s absolutely manic comedy style. But focusing only on Williams overlooks the work of amazing animators who created the Genie and everything else, since it's a testament to their skill that the animation is able to keep up with Williams and the high-flying scenes. Musical sequences like “A Friend Like Me” and “A Whole New World” show another form of animated beauty and have become just as iconic on their own as the Genie himself.

79. That Thing You Do! (1996)

By the time he wrote, directed, and co-starred in 1996’s That Thing You Do, Tom Hanks was already an acting powerhouse. So it was a bit of a surprise to see the Academy Award-winning actor delivering a tale about the wild ride that so many one-hit wonders of the ‘60s endured. Initially, the story of The Wonders (Johnathon Schaech, Ethan Embry, Steve Zahn, and Tom Everett Scott) and their roller-coaster journey wasn’t a smash success, but decades later, That Thing You Do is a well-regarded mini-cult classic that can still leave audiences with songs in their hearts.

78. Trainspotting (1996)

While it wasn’t his directorial debut, Danny Boyle’s adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting was the flick that put the man on the map. Following the lives of a group of Scottish drug addicts and friends, a cast including Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, and Kelly MacDonald landed their start as the stars of tomorrow. Through a narrative that’s both darkly comic and frightfully serious, Trainspotting ushers its heroin addicts through life's struggles in grounded and trippy ways. Establishing Boyle’s skills in telling a conventional story through unconventional means, it’s a powerful statement for its director and the message he’s trying to convey.

77. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

The Die Hard formula survived the transition to the “buddy cop” genre (at least initially) with Bruce Willis’ iconic John McClane being forced to team up with a good samaritan (Samuel L. Jackson) and solve a bunch of riddles around Manhattan to prevent bombs from going off. Many consider With a Vengeance to be the best in the Die Hard series, though it’s blasphemy to put ANY of them ahead of John McTiernan’s original. Still, this one moves like a freight train, Willis and Jackson have remarkable chemistry, and Jeremy Irons is a sinister villain with a satisfying twist of a motivation to take McClane down. 

76. Titanic (1997)

Titanic was an event in itself when it arrived in theaters, with James Cameron’s film ambitiously bringing to screen the story of the ill-fated ship, depicting the journey across the Atlantic with incredible visuals that give us a sense of what it might have been like aboard the ship during that terrible night. At the center of it all is the love story of Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), who manage to find each other, despite their differing social classes, and never let go. Considering how many millions of dollars it earned from repeat audience viewings, its "classic" status is unsinkable.

75. Men in Black (1997)

One of the biggest sci-fi hits of the decade, Men In Black holds a special place in the hearts and minds of both space and comedy nerds. Even though it initially took some convincing to land Will Smith for the role of Agent J., Steven Spielberg (as producer) managed to re-catch lightning in a bottle with the actor coming off of Independence Day. And as unpredictable as it seemed at the time Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made for an extremely fun and combative pairing in the rest of the Men in Black film franchise.

74. The Fugitive (1993)

When it comes to movies based on old TV shows, it doesn’t get much better than The Fugitive. There’s no way around it, this 1993-defining film straight-up rocks and is still just as great more than 30 years after its release. Watching one of Harrison Ford’s most iconic characters go to great lengths to clear his name after being wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife never gets hold, and the same can be said about Tommy Lee Jones’ Academy Award-winning performance as the U.S. Marshal tasked with capturing the elusive fugitive.

73. Run Lola Run (1998)

Outside of sci-fi adventures, time loops aren’t often used as storytelling devices, and 1998’s thriller Run Lola Run absolutely proves why this is a shame. While the story isn’t explicitly a looping band of time, we do get three different versions of writer/director Tom Twyver’s story. Centered around lovers Lola (Franke Potente) and Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), each variation has one thing in common: they have 20 minutes to score 100,000 Deutschmarks, or Manni is dead. New twists and pitfalls arrive, keeping that premise fresh each time, right up until the end. 

72. Swingers (1996)

Long before he directed major projects like Iron Man and The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau wrote and starred in the Doug Liman-directed Swingers. This comedy follows Favreau’s Mike Peters, a comedian who’s getting over a bad breakup and moves to Hollywood to find success in the midst of the ‘90s swing revival. The witty back-and-forth dialogue between Favreau and his co-stars, including Vince Vaughn and Heather Graham, and the simple, yet effective story of moving on to better horizons make Swingers one of the most underrated comedies of this decade. It's just so money, baby. 

71. Malcolm X (1992)

For his 1992 “Spike Lee Joint,” the legendary Do The Right Thing filmmaker made his dream come true to make a biopic about one American Civil Rights Movement figure, Malcolm X. It not only remains among the best works of Lee’s incredible filmography, but it’s flat-out one of the best biography movies ever made. That’s all without mentioning a particularly powerful performance by Denzel Washington, who disappears into the figure and brings great intrigue and nuisance to Malcolm X across decades of his life. Spike Lee’s biopic stands tall as an enduring portrait of an important man in a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

70. Friday (1995)

Franchise lead and rap legend Ice Cube teamed up with Chris Tucker to create one of the best "sit back and kick it" movies in movie history. Spawning a line of sequels, the O.G. Friday boasts an awesome cast that also includes the late John Witherspoon, and understandably caught on with a certain kind of stoner comedy-loving crowd, but has become an all-encompassing cult classic. Even beyond its on-screen greatness, Friday also turned "Bye, Felicia" into everyday jargon. 

69. Miller's Crossing (1990)

Joel and Ethan Coen didn’t waste time demonstrating their eclecticism in their careers, breaking out with the phenomenal neo-noir Blood Simple in 1984 ahead of a 180-degree tonal pivot with 1987's gonzo comedy Raising Arizona. Then they kicked off the 1990s with one of the great modern gangster movies in Miller's Crossing. Gabriel Byrne’s Tom Reagan leading John Turturro’s Bernie Bernbaum into the woods to be murdered is the movie’s iconic moment, but it’s the brilliant chaos that spins out from Tom’s decision at the end of the sequence that cements this tense slice of art's place on this list.

68. Rushmore (1998)

Rushmore is often referenced for a lot of things. It was the first Wes Anderson movie to find more mainstream success. The critical acclaim Bill Murray received for his performance helped push him toward the more independent, critically acclaimed movies that defined his later career. It was the debut of Jason Schwartzman. All of those are reasons to celebrate the movie, but none are reasons why it’s on this list. It’s here because it’s an endlessly watchable slice of weirdness that holds up decades later. It’s some of the best career work of everyone referenced, and in its own offbeat way, it’s downright hysterical. 

67. South Park: Bigger, Longer, And Uncut (1999)

In 1999, with South Park at the height of its cultural powers, Matt Stone and Trey Parker took one of the biggest gambles anyone could have ever imagined. Producing the R-rated, animated musical that was South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, the pair doubled down on their uniquely dirty humor. Everything from parenting culture to Les Miserables got sent up, thanks to songs that were catchy but also not safe for work. Not every TV show survives a feature-length expansion, but South Park thrived in theaters, especially when it called the very parental uproar its release would inspire to a tee.

66. Misery (1990)

What does a creative owe to their fans? It’s a complex question that author Stephen King horrifyingly examined with his remarkable 1987 novel Misery, and three years later, director Rob Reiner adapted the work into a remarkable and unsettling film. The Oscars don’t typically support the horror genre, but Kathy Bates’ turn as Annie Wilkes was unignorable – as she remains one of the meanest villains of the ‘90s.. Though in Bates’ shadow, James Caan delivers an equally excellent turn as captive author Paul Sheldon, and the weaving of tension as he keeps his mind on options for escape is perfection.

65. Clerks (1994)

Kevin Smith famously maxed out credit cards and stretched a production budget of just $27,000 to make his first movie, 1994’s Clerks. Sure, the acting is hit or miss, and the editing isn’t perfect, but that only adds to the charm of the movie. It’s also really, really funny. It’s got some of the most quotable lines of any movie from the era, and they all shine through, despite the limitations of the budget. Clerks has become the stuff of legend in Hollywood, sparking dreams of would-be filmmakers everywhere and with good reason. 

64. Galaxy Quest (1999)

What if you found out that the fantastic adventures in your favorite sci-fi TV weren't so fake after all, such as in Galaxy Quest? Tim Allen plays a washed-up actor who, along with his former co-stars (played by Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and more), experience their cancelled, cult favorite series for real, thanks to an alien race that believes their televised adventures are "historical documents" and are desperate for their help. The concept makes for a clever, hilarious commentary on Trekkie culture, but also manages to be just as exciting as any Star Trek episode or movie spin-off could ever be.

63. Thelma and Louise (1991)

Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis have made dozens of memorable movies, but even if they had just made Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, they’d have a space carved out for them in cinema history. It’s regarded as a keystone title in the history of feminism in film, and it makes you fall in love with the titular leads as they go on the run from the law. And it should go without saying that the final moments will forever be remembered as an indomitable moment of 1990s pop culture.

62. Primal Fear (1996)

Courtroom dramas were big in the ‘90s, and Primal Fear in 1996 is a prime example of why. Richard Gere plays the pompous attorney Martin Vail, who volunteers to represent a young Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton in his first screen role) after he is accused of brutally murdering a beloved archbishop. The movie takes an unexpected turn when Aaron is discovered to have a split personality named Roy, and the dark twist that comes to light after an explosive courtroom scene remains one of the wildest movie endings ever.

61. Home Alone (1990)

I'm pretty sure Home Alone has hit classic Christmas movie territory because you always know it's the holiday season when this movie is causing a clatter on your TV screen. Following a child accidentally left home alone during Christmas and who has to defend his home from burglars, Home Alone captures the happiness of the season while adding a bit of chaos – especially with all those serious injuries that probably would have killed Marv and Harry in the real world. It'd be a fun time even without Catherine O'Hara and John Candy's SCTV reunion, but is all the better for it.

60. Leon (The Professional) (1994)

Luc Besson seems to be motivated by big sci-fi ideas in films such as The Fifth Element, Lucy, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. On the flip side of Besson’s coin, though, are these stripped-down crime thrillers (Nikita, The Family), and none were more effective than Leon. The film heralded the arrival of young Natalie Portman, who proved she could appear convincingly as basically anything on screen. But also, Gary Oldman walks away with the picture, playing an unhinged and drug-addicted DEA agent looking to kill Portman’s character, much to the chagrin of professional hitman Jean Reno.  

59. Office Space (1999)

There’s a scene in Office Space where all the workers are assembled for an all-hands meeting. Above the boss’ head, there’s a banner printed that says Is This Good for the COMPANY? The question is underlined and COMPANY is in weird light blue font for unclear reasons. It’s somehow both utterly ridiculous and one of the most relatable things I’ve ever seen. In a way, it’s a perfect explanation for why some people, myself included, love Office Space so much. It’s one long series of hysterical if-you-know-you-know-moments, and watching other people live through and comment on that same misery feels so cathartic. 

58. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

There are few filmmakers in cinematic history who made as an audacious splash with their first feature as Quentin Tarantino, who was immediately recognized as a tremendous upstart talent following the premiere of Reservoir Dogs at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival. With its spellbinding non-linear storytelling, sharp-as-knives dialogue, and violent shocks, it is recognized as a perfect archetype of Tarantino’s strengths as a writer/director, and it is remembered for inspiring a whole generation of filmmakers and its lasting impact on genre cinema.

57. Apollo 13 (1995)

Apollo 13 may be best remembered in pop culture for the iconic line “Houston, we have a problem," but the 1995 film accumulated nine Academy Award nominations for a reason. Boasting a stacked cast that includes Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan, the movie dramatizes the true story of the failed 1970 lunar mission, and the ending sequence is no less suspenseful nearly thirty years later than it was in the ‘90s. The effects mostly stand up to this day; but even where they don’t, the performances sell the story entirely.

56. The American President (1995) 

Before Aaron Sorkin created The West Wing, he wrote The American President, which saw one of the most respected movie presidents, Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), fall for feisty environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening). Could a widowed president ever court a girlfriend in an election year? Sorkin’s snappy dialogue shows why it wouldn’t be easy, as the two become tabloid fodder, and even bigger trouble awaits when their political agendas don’t align. Both lead actors give absolutely charming performances in this 1995 political rom-com directed by Rob Reiner.

55. True Romance (1993) 

The first screenplay Quentin Tarantino ever sold in Hollywood was 1993’s True Romance, and it became an offbeat cult classic when combined with Tony Scott’s slick direction. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette are perfect as the flawed lovers and the rest of the cast, which includes Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Michael Rappaport, Val Kilmer, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Sizemore, James Gandolfini, just to name a few, are all brilliant. It’s one scene, however, between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken, that steals the whole show and deserves its own placement in cinema history.

54. Unforgiven (1992)

This might be the quintessential Clint Eastwood Western – which says a lot when you realize that the man helped to define the genre, dating all the way back to his days on television (in Gunsmoke). With Unforgiven, an older Eastwood figured out how to comment on the evolution of the Western, and reflect on the moral quandaries several cowboys faced over the course of their lawless lives. This marked the beginning of a contemplative stage of Eastwood’s career, and redefined the boundaries of the Western for storytellers that followed. 

53. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Not only is The Nightmare Before Christmas one of the best stop-motion movies of all time, but it was also a game-changer within the animation industry. The movie -- following the story of Jack Skellington turning Halloween Town into Christmas Town and trying to take over the role of Santa Claus -- has become a cultural icon. Not only is the movie celebrated during the Halloween season, but it's also become one of the best animated Christmas movies and has a wildly popular fan base – go to Disney World during Halloween and Christmas and see how popular this movie is. 

52. Natural Born Killers (1994)

Few movies in the last decade of the 20th century caused a stir quite like the big screen adventure of Mickey and Mallory Knox in Oliver Stone’s demented crime saga Natural Born Killers. Fans of the TV show Cheers got to witness a whole new side to Woody Harrelson, and he makes for one-half of an absolutely ferocious on-screen pair partnered with Juliette Lewis. Though it was only released in 1994, it is a title to point to when aiming to epitomize a certain spirit in 1990s pop culture.

51. The Rock (1994)

It is still totally bonkers to think that the mid-’90s gave us a Michael Bay action movie in which Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage got to mesh their wildly different talents. A movie that helped pencil in the blueprint for what we know as modern Bayhem, The Rock is a solid cocktail of action, comedy, and drama tied together with a surprisingly poignant message. None of that gets lost in the shuffle, either, even as the shuffle keeps viewers glued to their seats until the very last scene. You can bet this quotable, adrenaline-charged classic is still friendly with the prom queen.

50. Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Relatively few directors made great movies on their first try, and the late John Singleton did just that with 1991’s Boyz n the Hood. Set in South Central Los Angeles, the film centers on three young men, whose paths begin to diverge as they steadily approach adulthood. Singleton, who also wrote the Oscar-nominated drama, provided a nuanced look at life in a low-income neighborhood. 

In doing so, he shed light on gang violence, systemic racism, and other elements that still negatively impact many communities today. For better or worse, this well-acted and directed film is as timeless and relevant as they come.

49. The Sixth Sense (1999)

While the ending twist may have helped put the film and its director, M. Night Shyamalan, on the map near the close of the decade, The Sixth Sense is so much more than those final, incredible moments where all of the pieces fall into place (in a scene that comes after we think the story has been mostly resolved). 

What elevates The Sixth Sense to ‘90s movie greatness is the combined efforts of the stellar performances of Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, and Olivia Williams; of the music combined with the fantastic shots; of the use of the Philadelphia backdrop. Every scene taps into something dark, scary, heartbreaking or humorous, and the best go for a little bit of all of those things at once. 

48. Get Shorty (1995)

What is the best Elmore Leonard adaptation? There are many candidates that qualify for consideration, including Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, Steven Soderbergh’s Out Of Sight and the TV series Justified, but Barry Sonnenfeld’s Get Shorty is my uncontested contender for the title. 

It’s a dark, cynical, and hilarious take on the film industry where a shylock finds himself right at home in Los Angeles, and it brims with exceptional characters – from John Travolta’s Chili Palmer to Gene Hackman's skeezy producer Harry Zimm, to James Gandolfini's stuntman-turned-heavy Bear. The sequel that came out a decade later, 2005’s Be Cool, is dreadful, but that has thankfully not tainted its predecessor’s stellar legacy as one of the great “Hollywood on Hollywood” movies. 

47. The Rocketeer (1991) 

Believe it or not, The Rocketeer is a comic book movie. In the wake of the blockbuster success that was Batman, studios scrambled to get their own piece of that four-paneled pie; leading a pre-Marvel Disney to adapt Dave Stevens’ pulpy ‘30s throwback. Hoping this movie would be the studio’s answer to Bat-mania, director Joe Johnston’s picture suffered in the obscenely crowded summer of 1991. 

Over time, fate has been kinder to the Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connolly adventure, as it developed into a cult classic much like the original Tron. Even if audiences didn’t flock to it at first, the message was never lost, because the quality was always there. Best experienced with a heart full of nostalgia and courage, The Rocketeer's mere existence is worth celebrating. 

46. Audition (1999)

Few movies start off as unassuming as the psycho-horror Audition, whose first half sits among the legendarily prolific Takashi Miike’s most restrained directorial efforts. The story begins with Ryo Ishibashi’s widower Shigeharu Aoyama re-entering the dating world in the least natural way possible: via auditions with women who believe they’re vying for an acting role. 

Things progress in an almost mundane manner as Shigeharu becomes more attracted to the quiet and seemingly reserved Asami (Eihi Shiina), but with enough peeks into her home life to send red flags waving. What makes Audition a unique ‘90s treasure is when the wheels fall off for its dread-flooded final act, in which Asami teaches Shigeharu a torturous lesson in stringing women along. Don't try this at home.

45. Point Break (1991)

Comically manly, but in the best ways possible, Point Break is the 1990s encapsulated. Clean-cut FBI agent Johnny Utah (tremendous character name) loses himself undercover when he tries to infiltrate a gang of surfers (tremendous plot twist) who may be posing as former presidents of the United States and robbing banks. What an awesome plot. And what an awesome movie. 

Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze are the Yin and the Yang of Southern California cool, tapping directly into the “Brah” of it all while also delivering unforgettable action set pieces – notably, a skydiving chase without parachutes. Credit most of this to director Kathyrn Bigelow, who eventually won her Best Director Oscar for 2010’s The Hurt Locker. 

44. Clueless (1995)

We’ve seen movies put a new spin on old classics before, but rarely has the result been as entertaining as Clueless, Amy Heckerling’s take on Jane Austen’s Emma. Alicia Silverstone stars as Cher, a beautiful and rich Beverly Hills high school fashionista who decides she wants to use her popularity for the betterment of humanity. 

The 1995 coming-of-age comedy — which also stars Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd and more — still stands up today with its iconic looks and quotable dialogue (not to mention Cher’s inspiring speech comparing refugees to guests at her father’s garden party). And has there ever been a movie takedown more savage than Tai calling Cher “a virgin who can’t drive”? As if! 

43. L.A. Confidential (1997)

Once upon a time, the noir detective story was a staple of film, but fewer and fewer examples have emerged with each decade that passes. So when a movie like Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential comes around, you really begin to wonder why we don’t see more of these. 

It’s an absolutely incredible film that likely would probably be better remembered if it hadn’t come out the same year as Titanic. On top of everything else, the film introduced Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce to U.S. film audiences, and for that alone, it should be recognized, but it also won Kim Basinger an Oscar for a reason.

42. The Hunt for Red October (1990)

While The Hunt for Red October was a huge success when it hit theaters in 1990, it took years for people to see it as a classic. It’s not a flawless movie. Sean Connery, as amazing as he is, plays what appears to be a Scottish Russian, not changing his accent at all. The underwater scenes of the special effects submarines, while praised at the time, have not aged well, either. Accents aside, the actors are all superb here. 

Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan, Tim Curry, Sam Neill, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Stellan Skarsgård, Fred Thompson, Courtney B. Vance, and everyone else are all amazing, and John McTiernan’s direction is snappy and perfectly paced. This is THE submarine movie. 

41. The Green Mile (1999)

Considered one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time, The Green Mile is a fantasy drama directed by Frank Darabont, telling the story of a wrongly convicted man and his time at a prison in the 1930s and the strange supernatural events that follow his arrival. 

I feel like The Green Mile is just one movie everyone should watch at least once. It's a classic for a reason, featuring all-time career performances from Tom Hanks, Sam Rockwell, and Michael Clarke Duncan. The Green Mile will capture your heart and crush it into a million pieces by the end – and might just make one admire the horror-driven Stephen King all the more for writing such an emotional story. If you're not ugly sobbing by the end of this, you may not be watching it right. 

40. The Truman Show (1998)

Easily considered one of Jim Carrey’s best movies, The Truman Show – which is about a man who realizes his reality isn’t real – uses its star’s signature over-the-top sense of humor and physicality to make you laugh. Then his dramatic skills come to the forefront as you take this journey with Truman, and you feel all the emotions as it becomes clear that this comedy is more of a searing satire.

Overall, this film is about Truman coming to terms with the fact that the world’s been watching him live in a simulated reality, and it gives us all an example of how exploitative social media can be. That’s why The Truman Show is not only one of the best movies of the ‘90s, but it’s also one of the more relevant films when it comes to the present. 

39. Waiting for Guffman (1996)

Waiting for Guffman is mockumentary gold. Christopher Guest and his group of comedic geniuses — Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, etc. — bring the sleepy berg of Blane, Missouri to life, with the audience watching as a motley crew of community theater actors put on a musical about their town. 

The stakes get higher when Guest's Corky St. Clair tells everyone a Broadway production house is coming, and "we may be going to Broadway." The songs are insane, the cast is unhinged, and this movie is heaven; even more so for those who are personally familiar with the madcap process of staging plays. 

38. Dazed and Confused (1993)

It’s really hard to make a comedy that stands the test of time, yet as we get older, Dazed and Confused stays the same age, er, quality. Director Richard Linklater’s love letter to his teen years in Texas transcends generations and keeps fans coming back again and again. Sure, it’s the 1970s, but teenagers (and adults) of any generation can relate. 

Of course, it also helps that so many huge stars got their first big break in the movie, including Matthew McConaughey in his first role. Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Cole Hauser, Anthony Rapp, Rory Cochrane, Nicky Katt, and the rest of the cast are amazing. Everyone can point to one character and say “I knew someone just like that in high school!”

37. The Matrix (1999)

It’s hard to put into words just how mindblowing The Matrix was when it first came out. Of course, the successive sequels somewhat diminished the franchise’s legacy as a whole, though make no mistake, the first movie is just as much of a thrill in the modern era as it was back in 1999. 

Keanu Reeves is the ultimate leading entity in the Wachowskis' game-changing mega-blockbuster, making every move look as cool as can be. Because of the filmmakers' work on this neo-classic (no pun), people will forever be cursed with the idea that everything we’re doing in life is a simulation, and that we’re all slowly and secretly being harvested in pods for energy by robotic overlords. Great movie, though.

36. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Two years after Jim Henson’s death, son Brian Henson directed arguably the only truly great Muppets release of the entire 1990s: The Muppet Christmas Carol. (Excluding the final two years of Muppet Babies.) Based on the Charles Dickens novel that has spawned countless numbers of adaptations, the holiday film is anchored on the human side by Michael Caine’s Ebenezer Scrooge, and on the felt-covered side by Kermit and Miss Piggy’s Bob and Emily Cratchit, with Gonzo as Dickens himself. 

Though it doesn’t offer any huge adjustments to the source material, the Muppets make everything twenty-fold more charming, and Statler and Waldorf’s ghostly jam “Marley and Marley” is among the best of any original Muppet tunes. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without this movie.

35. City Slickers (1991)

There are plenty of laughs to be had in Ron Underwood’s Western comedy City Slickers, and while that’s a safe bet for any of Billy Crystal’s best movies, what sets this one apart is its enormous heart. 

Crystal’s Mitch Robbins, along with pals Phil and Ed (Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, respectively) are all suffering midlife crises of sorts when they embark on a cattle drive across the Southwest. It was refreshing to see the men open up to each other about their childhoods, relationships, and what matters most in life. Jack Palance gives an Oscar-winning performance as Curly, and the $124 million it earned at the domestic box office made it one of the top 5 movies of 1991.

34. The Birdcage (1996)

Robin Williams was a brilliant comedian, a supernova of personality that could command our attention with his hysterical stream-of-conscious thoughts. But Williams, to me, truly shined bright when he downplayed his natural comedic energy to either try serious drama (Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society), or to support an equally brilliant comedic performance – as he did with Nathan Lane in The Birdcage.

While broad and flamboyant at times, The Birdcage captures the heart of a family rallying behind their beautiful son (Dan Futterman) who is getting engaged to a Conservative girl (Calista Flockhart). Williams and Lane, as an on-screen couple, are tender, touching, funny, sweet, and perfectly paired in this special gem of a film.

33. Princess Mononoke (1997)

As someone who has watched every single Hayao Miyazaki movie, there's something about Prince Mononoke that speaks deeply to my soul. While I possibly think Spirited Away is Miyazaki's best film, and I have a love for Howl's Moving Castle, this is a movie that has changed the way I view the world. 

Princess Mononoke follows the story of a young prince who discovers that the gods of the forest are upset at the humans for consuming their precious resources. While the anime film itself has breathtaking animation and a story that pulls you in; both are equally sating while leaving a desire for more. Truthfully, this is the one movie that speaks on human consumption in simple ways that everyone should be required to watch.  

32. Groundhog Day (1993)

By all accounts, the creative process behind Groundhog Day was not easy. The film was originally conceived as a darker, more philosophical movie with independent sensibilities. That’s what Bill Murray liked. Director Harold Ramis saw it as more of a good-natured and broad comedy. So they fought about it, plaguing the shoot with delays, rewrites and enough acrimony to sever their friendship for decades. 

Amidst that disharmony, or perhaps even because of that disharmony, the two comedy masters compromised and created a perfect blend of the two: a broad and funny romantic comedy that’s weird enough and dark enough to feel totally original. 

31. Scream (1996)

With A Nightmare on Elm Street and its two best sequels already under his belt (among many other frightfests), Wes Craven made horror franchise lightning strike twice with the post-modern whodunit slasher Scream, and it kept striking across two eras of sequels. Led by one of the ‘90s greatest scream queens in Neve Campbell, the 1996 classic became such a blueprint for Hollywood horror that the inciting film doesn’t feel anywhere near as novel as it did when audiences first sat down thinking they were about to watch “a Drew Barrymore movie.” 

But that opening remains chilling AF, David Arquette’s Deputy Dewey remains a loveable dork alongside Courteney Cox’s hardcore bitch Gail Weathers, and Ghostface’s pop culture-tinged massacre has only become more relevant in an ever-connected world.

30. Cape Fear (1991)

I was way too young when I watched Cape Fear for the first time. I was experienced with plenty of slasher or jump scare style horror movies and figured I’d be fine. Wrong. Cape Fear is an entirely different type of scary than what I was used to. 

With a prime Martin Scorsese at the helm and a fantastic all-in performance from Robert De Niro, it’s a relentlessly creepy and unnerving take on slow-burn vengeance. It haunted my sleep for weeks as a kid, and during an adult rewatch decades later, its themes of religion, underage sexuality, criminal justice and moral relativism were every bit as disturbing. 

29. Being John Malkovich (1999)

Being John Malkovich may not be the very best ‘90s movie, but it may very well be the strangest that still qualifies as a great time. The premise itself — that a door exists allowing others to enter the mind of another person — is odd enough, but for the person whose brain is invaded to be celebrated actor John Malkovich? 

That brilliant choice somehow gives the otherwise impossible story a slight jolt of realism, and it all comprises a cinematic experience that should not be missed. It’s also a movie full of incredible performances, as Malkovich plays a fantastic version of himself, while John Cusack and Cameron Diaz play against type about as much as possible.

28. Dave (1993)

Probably the funniest movie that uses the presidential line of succession as a plot device, Ivan Reitman’s Dave is a hilarious, charming, and oddly sentimental exploration of politics in the early 1990s. There’s just something about Kevin Kline’s portrayal of Dave Kovic that makes this movie about a presidential impersonator becoming the Commander-in-Chief so innocent and pure, especially when compared to the political climate we live in 30-plus years later. 

Whenever I revisit Dave every couple of years, it feels like opening a time capsule to the final decade of the 20th century with its optimism and promise of a better future. 

27. A League of Their Own (1992)

A League Of Their Own is too busy with meaningful character development and telling an awesome baseball story to go for jokes all the time, but on a per-attempt basis, I would put it up against almost any comedy ever made. Director Penny Marshall has a wonderful tonal sense of when her actors should play it straight, when they should add in a little humor, and when they should drunkenly pee for thirty seconds. 

The result is one of the best sports movies of all time, one that delivers all those laughs but also plays it straight enough to give viewers fantastic and relatable plots about friendship, sisterhood, and what it means to thrive and find your own space.

26. The Iron Giant (1999)

The Iron Giant is Brad Bird's heartstrings-pulling story about a young boy who befriends a massive alien robot in 1957, and it proves that a movie bombing at the box office doesn’t mean it can’t still become a cinematic classic. Though its theatrical run didn’t even make back the initial budget, thanks to its home video rollout and stellar word-of-mouth buzz, it’s now considered one of the best animated movies of all time. Rightly so, because this is one of those movies that remains timeless no matter when it’s being viewed. 

Watching Hogarth teach the Giant about life on Earth and urge him to overcome his original purpose of being a weapon never gets old. The Iron Giant remains arguably Vin Diesel’s best movie from before the Fast & Furious franchise's launch, and co-stars like Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., and Christopher McDonald also shine.

25. Toy Story 2 (1999)

I remember that Toy Story 2 was the first film that made me uncontrollably sob – like fat tears rolling down my face and having a stuffy nose for hours afterward, and I'm sure I'm not alone there. A sequel to Toy Story, which took the world by anthropomorphic storm with its industry-revolutionizing animation, the follow-up adventure was released in 1999, and follows Woody after he is accidentally sold to a toy collector. There, he meets companions from a former TV show that he had no idea about – a show all about him. (And Joan Cusack's Jessie, of course.)

The Toy Story 2 voice cast is stellar, and the animation was a huge step forward in CGI films, but the heart-wrenching story of love, friendship, and so much more is what made Toy Story 2 one of the best Pixar films out there – and yes, I still cry during, "When Somebody Loved Me."

24. Election (1999)

How did Reese Witherspoon not win an Oscar for her performance as Type-A goodie two-shoes Tracy Flick, the textbook overachiever who bites off more than she can chew by running for student government president? It’s possible that we have come to realize that Witherspoon might just BE Tracy Flick in real life. 

But at the time, she was a tornado of talent matching Matthew Broderick beat for beat, bringing to life the sharp school-set satire in director Alexander Payne’s screenplay. Election has as much to say about the greed and immaturity powering politics many years after its release – at every level – as it did back in 1999, which is yet another reason why it remains special.

23. Magnolia (1999)

While not the highest-ranked Paul Thomas Anderson film on this list, Magnolia is a film to be marveled at for its phenomenal ambition. The Los Angeles-based epic juggles the stories of nearly a dozen protagonists who are not only dealing with a wide variety of personal conflicts and demons but are all linked to one another in the stunning cinematic tapestry. 

As the hyper-misogynist motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey, Tom Cruise delivers one of his most brilliant turns, and Julianne Moore’s pharmacy monologue is flooring, but the reality is that every member of the ensemble – including Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, and many more – deliver some of the best work of their respective careers. Further considering the frogs and the stunning performance of Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up,” it’s indelible cinema.

22. Tombstone (1993)

I don’t think you could ask for a more star-studded cast for any genre of film, much less a Western. 1993’s Tombstone is blessed by a top-notch cast including Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, the late Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Stephen Lang, the late Powers Boothe, Thomas Haden Church, Michael Rooker, Charlton Heston, and many more, making it an instant classic in the Western genre. 

The story behind how this film came to be, along with many behind-the-scenes facts, is bizarre enough, but the struggles resulted in one of the best cowboy films of all time. And one that has stood the test of time against a similar movie released around the same time, Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp.  

21. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, and decades later, it’s still clear that was the right call. The movie is beautiful, with early computer animation enhancing some of the most visually stunning hand-drawn shots in the medium’s history. It also has one of the best soundtracks of any Disney musical, if not any musical, full stop. This is Howard Ashman’s greatest achievement as a songwriter. 

But beyond even that, the two title characters are about as three-dimensional as any animated characters ever were. It may be a tale as old as time, but Beauty and the Beast is one the audience gets wrapped up in from the first notes to the last. It’s the definition of Disney magic.

20. The Usual Suspects (1995)

No one saw the twist ending coming. Trust me. No one. It caught audiences off guard completely, exactly the way it crashed down like a ton of bricks on Chazz Palminteri's cop. He finally understood who Keyser Soze was, and we all rushed right back into theaters to watch the puzzle snap into place all over again. 

But The Usual Suspects is more than just its “dropped shoe,” miraculous as that reveal is. The cast of colorful criminals assembled by director Bryan Singer played off of each other wonderfully, with many of them defaulting to the natural leader in Gabriel Byrne, but still finding ways to steal the spotlight every now and then. (Benicio Del Toro mumbling under his breath in the jail lineup belongs in the conversation of funniest five-minute performances, ever). As twisty crime thrillers go, few are tighter and more entertaining than this.

19. Boogie Nights (1997)

Introductions can make or break anything in this world. Careers, reputations, even the flow of a movie can be bungled if you don’t know how to open. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson must have known that when he made Boogie Nights, because when he introduced that picture to the world, he gave himself one hell of a calling card. 

Following young Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) in his journey through the underground of porn films, we see a man still growing up in an industry that feels as young as he is. An ensemble drama boasting the likes of Don Cheadle, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Boogie Nights is a cautionary tale with style and tension to burn. Good luck ever listening to “Sister Christian” without having flashbacks to this big, bright, shining star that still manages to break hearts and crack jokes with everyone it meets.

18. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Good Will Hunting is one of those films that changes you forever once you watch it. Starring Matt Damon and Robin Williams, the drama follows a young janitor at MIT who's discovered to be a secret math genius. The premise itself isn't as catchy as some of the other big-time blockbusters of the 1990s, without aliens, robots or crazy action fights, but Good Will Hunting is a film that leaves its message imprinted on audiences long after the credits roll. 

A story of perseverance, hope, and so much more, this movie gave movie fans one of Robin Williams's best roles and catapulted the careers of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. (You gotta like them apples.) This kind of film teaches you that sometimes, the people you meet turn you into your best self, so we just have to be fearless enough to go out there and find them. 

17. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Anthony Hopkins is fantastic in The Silence Of The Lambs, and every positive thing you’ve ever heard about his performance is deserved and probably an understatement. He’s that engrossing, but with all due respect, The Silence Of The Lambs isn’t his movie. It’s Jodie Foster’s movie, hingeing on her career-best performance here as Clarice Starling, which just gets better with every rewatch. 

Foster finds the perfect balance between uncertain and determined. She lets her FBI trainee lead character feel the weight of every obstacle, whether it be sexism, personal loss or physical danger, and then she pushes forward. With relentless determination, she just keeps going and that one step at a time, careful momentum gives the film its narrative structure and allows director Ted Demme to create one of the 90s best and most memorable movies.

16. Fargo (1996)

Joel and Ethan Coen have crafted films both stoically grounded and ludicrously fantastical in their long and storied careers, with Fargo possibly the one straddling both of those lines with the greatest of ease. The faux-kidnapping-gone-wrong and the ensuing investigation are smart story beats, and were enough to win the Coens the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, if fairly rote for the genre in general. But it’s the cast, the Minnesota location, and the singular nature of being a snow-white noir that make Fargo one of the greatest films of the decade. 

The always affable William H. Macy is aces as a man being eaten alive by guilt, opposite the gosh-darn excellent police skills of Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson, with Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare as the pair of amoral criminals making everyone’s lives (and deaths) worse. Fargo is a chilling masterpiece, and it’s got nothing to do with the weather. 

15. My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Even though one of my colleagues claims her testimony was incorrect in the film, I will still stand before the court and argue that Marisa Tomei, Joe Pesci, and their cast of supporting characters make My Cousin Vinny guilty as hell of being one of the best comedies of all time.

The film is widely used in an educational capacity to showcase one of the few times that a court case is mostly portrayed accurately through a film, and to be honest, the wordplay coupled with the main character/judge dynamic is something to write home about.

14. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

For years, veterans would be the first to say that cinema's depiction of combat — especially that of World War II — is a cakewalk compared to the real thing. Because few films offered a truly accurate portrayal of the hellish, soul-crushing conditions soldiers faced, at least before the release of Saving Private Ryan.

This story of a U.S. military captain (played by Tom Hanks) tasked with leading his crew on a mission to bring a family's last living son home is easily one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies (the second to earn him a Best Director Oscar) and is widely considered to have been unjustly robbed of the Best Picture honor (which went to Shakespeare in Love that year). From the landmark D-Day sequence to the heartbreaking final act and every unforgettable moment in between, it is one of the harshest films you could ever experience, but the passion and craftsmanship put into makes for a grand reward. 

13. The Big Lebowski (1998)

I’m a Lebowski, you’re a Lebowski, we’re all Lebowskis who love the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski, even if its massive fandom wasn’t automatic. It was only a moderate success in the spring of 1998 when it sauntered into theaters on the heels of the Coen’s winning their first writing Oscar for Fargo a year earlier. Reviews at the time were middling, as was the audience reaction. 

Then, over the next couple of years, The Big Lebowski turned into a bonafide cult craze. Pages have been written about its status as such, but too often overlooked is what makes the movie so lovable. It’s quotable, it’s silly, and the plot is the ultimate shaggy dog story with a ridiculous McGuffin — the Dude’s rug — but as it goes for the Dude’s living room, the whole movie ties together just brilliantly. It’s world-class storytelling and the performances from Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and the rest of the cast are perfect.  

12. Schindler's List (1993)

Sometimes what makes a movie from a particular era great is how it represents its time, but some movies would be considered an important work of art in any decade. Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List is one of those that transcends eras. The film is great in all the traditional ways: Liam Neeson gives a career-making performance as Oskar Schindler, an Industrialist who saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during World War II. The supporting performances are equally strong. It’s beautifully filmed. 

But beyond that, Schindler’s List is an important movie, offering audiences a sobering look at the tragic events of World War II through a character based on a real-life survivor that many were not even aware of before the movie's release. Schindler’s List is one of those movies that you don’t forget after having seen it, and it may be Steven Spielberg’s greatest achievement.

11. Toy Story (1995)

More than 25 years after moviegoers were first introduced to Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Bo Peep, and the rest of Andy’s collection, it can be easy to forget just how big the impact John Lasseter’s Toy Story had when it hit theaters in 1995. It’s the film that put Pixar on the map, and while it sadly helped kickstart the downfall of hand-drawn animation in lieu of CGI, it also paved the way for three of the greatest Hollywood sequels to ever be produced. Tom Hanks’ Woody and Tim Allen’s Buzz are an all-time great animated duo, sharing hallowed space with Bugs & Daffy and Tom & Jerry, though obviously with a lot more heart than what short-form characters are allowed.

The Toy Story franchise hinges a lot on childhood memories, nostalgia, and maintaining a sense of fun in life as one gets older, and this first film delivers the most distilled take on that idea, with Andy still attached in some way to his inner child. Life, as it were, gets way more depressing for the toys as he gets older, which perhaps is why Toy Story rewatches are all the more enjoyable in comparison.

10. Philadelphia (1993)

 Philadelphia is not only a well-made movie, but is first and foremost an important movie. LQBTQ+ rights were non-existent at the time, as the movie highlights and one cannot discount the role this movie, directed by Jonathan Demme, had in awakening the general public not only to the plight gay people faced at the time but the discrimination people with HIV/AIDS faced as well when it was released in 1993. Tom Hanks’ portrayal of a gay man with AIDS who is fired from his job won the actor his first Oscar and for good reason, he’s amazing. Equally amazing is Denzel Washington, who plays Hanks’ character’s (Andrew Beckett) lawyer, Joe Miller. 

Miller, like most people in 1993 when Philadelphia was released, is scared of Beckett and AIDS, because he, like many, didn’t understand it. It’s Miller’s reaction that resonates with audiences. After watching Beckett get asked to move to a “private room” at a library, Miller realizes the discrimination is similar to that faced by African-Americans in the United States, and by the end of the film, he touches Beckett’s lesion-covered face, after learning the truth about AIDS. It’s a powerful moment that still reverberates today. 

9. Fight Club (1999)

So many “futuristic” sci-fi movies from years past have failed to successfully depict modern society and behavior, but David Fincher’s Fight Club now feels it was adapted from some of Nostradamus’ naughtier quatrains, instead of Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel. Seemingly both a love letter to, and a cautionary tale about, nihilistic anti-consumerism and anarchy, Fight Club features one of cinema’s most convoluted love triangles in Edward Norton’s spine-lacking unnamed narrator, Brad Pitt’s ultra-male Tyler Durden, and Helena Bonham Carter’s impulsively erratic Marla Singer. A demented character study in part, the movie oozes testosterone both before and after the titular underground brawls come together, and maybe even oozes a bit of estrogen when Meat Loaf’s Bob is around. 

For all of the smart and discussion-worthy topics that are tackled with face-pounding glee, Fight Club is, unfortunately, the kind of movie whose natural sheen has been somewhat tarnished by a fanbase who lost the point of the satire, but still holds so many visual and verbal treasures for those outside such bubbles. Especially for any new viewers who manage to go into it without knowing what kicks off the final act. It’s hard to think of a ‘90s movie with a more story-heightening ending, and The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” remains an inarguably perfect needle drop.  

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pulp Fiction changed the rules of Hollywood moviemaking. That’s no exaggeration. Before Quentin Tarantino fired a shotgun blast through the screen with his nonlinear gangster picture, there was a chasm separating big-budgeted studio films and independent cinema that usually thrived on the film festival circuit before making its way to art house theaters. In the years following Pulp Fiction, studios, actors and audiences chased talent and inspiration, wherever it could be found. 

The irony of Pulp Fiction blazing so many trails is that the movie itself is a pastiche of well-worn genres that Tarantino pored over while working the counter of a video shop. He’s paying homage to countless, gratuitous stories that had come before it. Only, Pulp Fiction built on the buzz created with Reservoir Dogs to attract a constellation of stars: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Christopher Walken, Ving Rhames, and Bruce Willis. Pulp Fiction remains one of the best scripts you will ever read, crisscrossing itself at various intersections and packing repeated surprises (usually of the violent nature). But it was Tarantino’s powerful voice, and his use of soundtrack, that had clones copying his style for decades… and still, to this day.  

7. Jurassic Park (1993)

Anticipation for Jurassic Park began years before its release in the summer of 1993. Michael Crighton sold the rights to the film before he finished the book and because Steven Spielberg was the director who acquired it, the hype started early. Then, in June 1993, it finally hit theaters and was an absolute cultural sensation. Critics loved it, praising the unbelievable special effects and realism of the dinosaurs. Speilberg and the team at ILM broke so much new ground in creating the creatures that it changed how movies were made. Audiences loved it even more and showed up at theaters in hordes. Jurassic Park broke every box record there was to break. It had the biggest opening day, the biggest opening weekend, and finally, it became the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Jurassic Park also earned a slew of awards, mostly for its technical achievements, but that doesn’t mean the acting performances were bad, they were fantastic. Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Sir Richard Attenborough are all perfect in their roles. Finally, there’s the score by John Williams, which remains one of the most iconic of all time. 

6. Se7en (1995)

The film that rescued David Fincher’s career from the stench of Alien 3, and proved that the versatile music director could apply his grungy, moody, techno-acid style to a feature-length nightmare. It’s easy to say now that Fincher was destined to be a contemporary, visionary genius of a filmmaker. But prior to The Social Network, Zodiac, and Fight Club, we needed to see some evidence. Consider this disturbing plunge into the moral sewers to be Exhibit A in the case for Fincher’s mastery. 

Se7en is routine in many ways. It’s set in a rainy and nondescript city, which feels like San Francisco but could be anywhere. It follows odd-couple cops (Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt) tracking a mysterious serial killer who cunningly stays one step ahead of them. But the performances are remarkable, including Gwyneth Paltrow as Pitt’s loving and innocent newlywed, plucked and moved to the grimy city so her husband can do his job. The film’s riveting conclusion – which benefits from the icy calm delivery of Kevin Spacey as John Doe – elevated Se7en above most others in the genre. Now, when someone asks, “What’s in the box?” you don’t have to say, “Gwyneth’s head.” Just tell them the box contains an unforgettable masterpiece. 

5. Heat (1995)

Look at just about every list breaking down the best heist films ever made and the movie you’re probably going to see the most is Michael Mann’s 1995 crime epic, Heat. With some of the most iconic (and loudest) robbery and shoot-out sequences, the first on-screen pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro (both were in The Godfather Part II but appeared in different timelines), and an incredible cat-and-mouse story that uses Los Angeles as a backdrop better than any other film, there’s so much to love about this legendary film.

On top of all of that, Heat has become one of the most influential films of all time in the nearly 30 years since its theatrical release. Watch movies like The Town, Widows, and even The Dark Knight, and you’ll see how Mann’s thriller was so influential. Hell, even the Grand Theft Auto franchise has taken aspects of the movie to create some of the most action-packed video game moments of all time.  

4. The Lion King (1994)

1994’s The Lion King is perhaps the most effective entry in the Disney Renaissance era when it comes to combining gorgeous animation, original songs, and a story that continues to pack a punch decades later. As the coming-of-age story for cub-turned-king Simba, the film delivers arguably the most famous Disney death with the demise of Mufasa, and Scar’s villain song is both incredibly catchy and incredibly chilling. Aladdin lyricist Tim Rice joined forces with Elton John for the songs, while Hans Zimmer composed the score, earning The Lion King an Academy Award for Best Original Score, while “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” won for Best Original Song.

The Lion King was a massive commercial hit, becoming the highest-grossing traditionally animated film and holding that record to this day. The original movie also has a legacy that has extended to two TV shows, two direct-to-video sequels, and the 2019 CGI remake that was massively successful for Disney, although divisive among fans of the original animated version. Plus, there’s a generation of adults who learned about coups and succession crises thanks to Mufasa, Scar, and Simba back in the ‘90s. What’s not to roar with love about? 

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Taking what he learned from making The Terminator and the two movies that followed (Aliens and The Abyss), James Cameron gave audiences not just a sequel in July 1991, but a game-changer of a film that completely rewrote the summer blockbuster and the action genre as we know it. While The Terminator was a small-scale sci-fi thriller about a futuristic cyborg sent back in time to kill a waitress before she could give birth to humanity’s last hope against extinction, T2 was a massive epic with numerous iconic action sequences and CGI that still holds up decades later.

The movie also gave us one of the best on-screen heroes with Arnold Schwarnegger’s T-800, a reprogrammed Terminator sent back not to kill John Connor but to protect him from the more advanced and more lethal T-1000, a character that remains an all-time villain. It is hard to imagine a timeline where Terminator 2: Judgment Day doesn’t exist, but luckily that’s a reality we don’t have to experience. 

2. Goodfellas (1990)

Of everything that Goodfellas is in part — a mobster saga, a crime drama, an ensemble biopic, etc. — it can’t properly be boxed into such a limited description, though it’s certainly safer to use fewer words when the Gambino crime family’s around, lest Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito lose his temper. Based on reporter (and eventual co-screenwriter) Nicholas Pileggi’s 1985 Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family, the film rides on the back of Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill, whose idea of the American Dream is to be living it up as a made man, but realizes over and over again how hard such a goal is to attain when everyone else around is just as hungry and ruthless. 

In many ways, it’s a perfect counterbalance to The Godfather saga, sharing similarities such as memorable food scenes and a stacked cast (with some mutual actors like Robert De Niro and Frank Sivero). But unlike Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpieces, Goodfellas was far less successful at the Oscars, with only Pesci taking home the gold, despite plenty of accolades earned elsewhere. Like much of Scorsese’s work, it’s only become more appreciated with time, and easily stands out as one of the best movies not just of the ‘90s, but of any era. 

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

“Get busy living, or get busy dying” may be the better remembered quote from Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption, but it’s the line that Red (Morgan Freeman) says in the final moments of the film that sums up the heart and soul of this story. Not only is The Shawshank Redemption our #1 pick for the best ‘90s movies, but it’s also easily one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King story – in this case, the novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.

The movie follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker who’s wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, and sent to prison. For a movie that doesn’t shy away from the brutality this character experiences throughout his years behind bars – both at the hands of some of his fellow inmates, and the warden and guards – The Shawshank Redemption never loses sight of that ultimate message of hope – the thing that Andy clings to every step of the way. It’s there in the friendships he makes, and in the moments of happiness Andy manages to find. And it’s there in the final words Red says in the closing narration: “I hope.”