NBC Los Angeles reports that Madsen was found unresponsive in his home in Malibu this morning. In a statement from his manager, Ron Smith, it's said the actor died of a cardiac arrest. Following the news, Madsen's many fans, and friends, have been sharing their condolences. Walton Goggins, who appeared in The Hateful Eight alongside Madsen posted to Instagram saying...

A lot of fans are singling out Madsen's work with Quentin Tarantino, which included both Kill Bill and the movie that put Tarantino on the map, Reservoir Dogs. It's a difficult performance to forget once you've seen it, made all the more remarkable by the fact that Madsen improvised the sequence. The actor owns the screen the entire time he's on it, as producer Joe Russo put it on X...

Madsen's characters were frequently tough guys, but that didn't mean they were always macho and violent. As critic Courtney Howard pointed out on X, Madsen's Kill Bill performance was surprisingly vulnerable.

Madsen's work with Tarantino is so well known and beloved that it will easily be some of the first roles people remember. He appeared in several of the director's films and could have starred in films Tarantino never made.

There are so many more that are worthy of note that could be easily overlooked. Film critic Kristen Lopez called out his role in Thelma & Louise for particular recognition. It's not one of his more attention-grabbing performances, which may be why it works so well.

But in over 300 performances, not every role is going to be a stereotypical tough guy. A surprising number of fans are celebrating one of Michael Madsen's more unexpected roles, as the father in the family movie Free Willy. As @MuseZack posted:

Michael Madsen may be gone, but fans certainly haven't seen the last of him. He had numerous film and television projects in production at the time of his death, some of which will certainly still be able to be completed. He had also completed a book that is currently being edited, titled Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems.

We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to Michael Madsen's family, friends and loved ones.

Reality Bites

Reality Bites is definitely the movie that best fits the purpose of this list. There are so many ways this movie defines Gen X, from the cast, including Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Janeane Garofalo, and Ben Stiller, who also directed, to the plot about struggling to find purpose, to the music. It's number A1 on any list like this.

Singles

Seattle in the 1990s. There is nothing more iconic to Gen Xers. Singles brought that scene to the rest of the country. It includes many of the best bands from the city at the time, bands that were themselves defining a big piece of the culture, and also manages to highlight a lot of the angst that the generation also felt at the time.

The Breakfast Club

High school in the '80s and '90s was defined on the big screen by director and writer John Hughes, and his impactful film on an entire generation has to be The Breakfast Club. It's a movie that people who grew up in the era still quote endlessly and rewatch whenever it strikes their fancy.

Do The Right Thing

Spike Lee set the standard for telling the African-American side of the Gen X experience, and he opened up a lot of white eyes with his iconic movie Do the Right Thing. The movie remains just as powerful today as when it hit theaters in 1989, and at a time when only one side of the culture was really shown in movies, it was incredibly groundbreaking and important.

Heathers

There is no darker, more cynical comedy than Heathers. Cynical is often a word used to describe Gen X, so it makes sense that a movie with such a biting sense of humor would be so iconic. Oh - and it stars a few Gen X heroes like Shannen Doherty, Christian Slater, and Winona Ryder.

Slacker

The name says it all. Slacker. For years, that was the label that Boomers and even Gen Xers put on the generation. It wasn't ever a fair label, but it stuck for a long time. It turns out, Gen Xers mostly just want to be left alone, but they'll strive just as hard as anyone for what they want. Director Richard Linklater might be a Boomer himself, but he tapped into the culture like few others.

Pump Up The Volume

Disillusionment and frustration are definitely two things that Gen X thought about their lives while in high school, and that made Christian Slater's renegade DJ character in Pump Up The Volume an icon. He said out loud what many of us thought in our adolescence, even if we were wrong most of the time.

Dazed And Confused

Dazed and Confused might have been about the generation that preceded most of Gen X, but it still spoke to the generation like few other comedies did. Life in the '70s wasn't all that different from high school in the '90s. The internet changed everything for Millennials, but for about 20 years, life was pretty similar for teenagers.

Boyz N The Hood

Like Spike Lee, director John Singleton's work landed like a bomb on suburban America. Boyz N The Hood is one of the best movies about urban life in the '90s. It was an aspect of life that white America really didn't have any real insight into until Singleton and Lee told us. Boyz N The Hood remains one of the most important movies of the '90s.

Say Anything

There is no bigger Gen X icon than John Cusack, and the role that most exemplifies that is Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything. It would be impossible to count just how many people took their style and musical tastes from Lloyd. He was a cool as cool got in the era.

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino was the first director that Gen X really attached itself to. His movies didn't really influence style, or even music, as he used older tunes, but there is a nihilism in his movies that really resonates with those kids who were watching in the early and mid-'90s.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

For many, the first R-rated comedy they really remember watching is Fast Times At Ridgemont High. You didn't have to be in high school to idolize some of the characters, and the movie taught teenagers at the time a lot about the stuff their parents didn't want to talk about.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

The cast alone from 1993's What's Eating Gilbert Grape? earns it a place on this list. Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, and Leonardo DiCaprio have been a part of Gen X's lives forever, it seems like, and this movie is the highlight of all of their early careers.

Pretty In Pink

It might be a little embarrassing to admit just how many people took their fashion cues from Duckie in Pretty in Pink. Unrequited love may be ubiquitous among all generations of humans, but it felt especially acute in the '80s. Once again, we can probably thank John Hughes for that.

He Got Game

Like so many of his movies, Spike Lee spoke to a generation like few others in He Got Game. Basketball and hip-hop were enormous pieces in the Gen X puzzle, and this movie brought them together for the first time. A soundtrack of almost nothing but Public Enemy? That says it all.

Clueless

Between starring in Aerosmith videos and the classic comedy Clueless, Alicia Silverstone is a bona fide Gen X superstar. Her first truly star-making movie was, of course, Clueless. Plus, it made Paul Rudd a star, too.

Dead Poets Society

One of the movies on this list that took place in an era outside of Gen X is Dead Poets Society. Even though it was set decades before most Gen Xers were born, the movie really spoke to the generation, especially the boys of the era. I can attest to that, without question. Robin Williams was an idol to us, and still is today.

Clerks

"I'm not even supposed to be here today," could be the quote that defines the era better than anyone else. At least how we felt at the time. Dante's thoughts and words were our thoughts and words. We were stuck in dead-end jobs, dealing with idiots and dreaming about bigger things, with no idea how to achieve them. At least we figured out most of that in the end.

Empire Records

Generation X was the last generation that really shopped at record stores. By the time we were in our 20s, Napster had changed the game, and we never went back. Working at a record store was the dream of a lot of high school kids, and watching Empire Records gave us all something to strive for, even if most of us fell short.

Coming To America

Coming to America is, in some way, really on this list to represent all of Eddie Murphy's movies. We grew up with Murphy on SNL and followed him for the next decade, sneaking into his rated R movies, and watching bootleg VHS tapes of his standup. In a way, the pinnacle of his early career was Coming To America, so here it is, standing in for so many classic '80s comedies.

The Crow

It's hard to know if The Crow would be on the list without the tragic death of Brandon Lee. It was such big news at the time that it made both the actor and the movie he died on the set of iconic. Of course, it also had a fantastic soundtrack that included Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Rage Against the Machine, and more bands that also helped define the culture of the era.

The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid is now a franchise that has now literally been with many Gen Xers for basically their entire lives. The first movie is legendary and it helped give us all hope that no matter our circumstances, we could win the trophy and get the girl. It didn't always work out that way, but it could, and we appreciated that.

New Jack City

It's hard to understand those who don't remember the Crack epidemic just how all-encompassing it felt to everyone. D.A.R.E., "Just Say No," and the war on drugs were part of everyday life for teenagers in the '80s and '90s, and it was mostly because of Crack. No movie showed that societal disaster quite like New Jack City did.

The Goonies

The Goonies really might need much explanation as to why it's on this list, of course. It's frankly a little amazing just how enduring the movie has been over the years. It's still a movie that Xers point to as a favorite, many decades after the Steven Spielberg movie hit the big screens. The stars were our age, it was a story we believed could be ours.

Colors

Like the Crack epidemic, the gang wars in Los Angeles were a part of nightly stories on the network news. You'd have thought the world was coming to an end in South-Central LA. The Bloods and Crips were household gang names. Colors, directed by Dennis Hopper and starring Robert Duvall and Sean Penn, brought that into theaters in the 'burbs in this slightly misguided, but still iconic flick.

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

One thing we were always on the lookout for was anything afoot at the Circle K. We can thank Ted "Theodore" Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esq. for that. Gen Xers saw this movie over and over and over again in the era, and are honestly still liberally quoting from it today.

Swingers

As Gen X got a little older, so did the characters in the movies we revered. Swingers is a perfect example of a movie that came along just as Gen X was graduating from college, trying to live their dreams (and struggling), and hoping to meet that someone special to spend the rest of their lives with. And we all wanted to be as cool as Trent (Vince Vaughn). And we played video games before we went out. But we never really did much swing dancing.

The Lost Boys

The Coreys (Haim and Feldman), and vampires. Nothing says "Gen X" like that combo, right? The Lost Boys characters were so cool, whether you wanted to be a vampire or wanted to hunt them. It was all there in The Lost Boys.

American Psycho

Generation X has always had a real streak of nihilism to it. Nothing quite on the level as American Psycho, of course, but it still managed to speak hilariously to that feeling. It was dark, and Gen X loved dark, dark humor.

Office Space

Everyone hates their job at some point, as Office Space so eloquently highlights. This was especially acute for Generation X when this movie came out. Mike Judge raised us with Beavis and Butthead in high school and he was there again to usher in our working lives after college.

Edward Scissorhands

This list wouldn't be complete without a Tim Burton movie, now would it? It represents many of the movies that the director made that spoke to the generation, but this is the one that starred Depp and Ryder, so here we are.

I’m Gonna Git You Sucka

I’m Gonna Git You Sucka brought a brand new comedic sensibility to the generation, and it remains a uniquely Gen X movie, as there may not be any other generation that has seen it, much less revere it like Generation X.

I’ve already written about how Pulp Fiction will likely always be Tarantino's best movie (it’s hard to beat one of the top movies of the ‘90s), and I’ve also written about my second favorite movie of his, The Hateful Eight. But now, I want to talk about my third favorite Tarantino film, which is his debut picture, Reservoir Dogs.

Because I honestly think it’s the perfect first film. So, here are a few reasons why this filmmaker, like a few other prominent directors, made a career-defining movie on his very first try.

Tarantino's Style Is Evident Right Out Of The Gate

I’ll never forget the first time I watched Reservoir Dogs. Like many Tarantino fans, I started off with Pulp Fiction and was utterly blown away. This was around the time that Jackie Brown was just coming out, so he still wasn’t the Kill Bill/Inglourious Basterds guy.

Instead, he was “just” the Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs guy, which, even back then, was nothing to sneeze at, as the explosion that the former film created back in 1994 cannot be understated.

So, I went forward, and then backward, making sure to watch Jackie second (which rules, by the way. I will have no slander for that movie here), and RD third.

And, let me tell you. Tarantino's trademark style - the harsh, but witty banter, the violence, the coolness - were all present, right there in Tarantino's first film.

This is something I would become more and more impressed by over the years. Because while yes, the stories were different, the characters were different, and the actors were different in movies like Kill Bill, Django Unchained, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, that trademark style of his was right there in RD. To be fully formed even from the very beginning? Now that's saying something.

It's Infinitely Cool, And Has Been Mimicked Multiple Times

Plain and simple, the movie is just cool. Which is interesting, since one of the movies Tarantino was inspired by is one of my favorite Stanley Kubrick flicks, The Killing. It's excellent, sure, but I wouldn't exactly call it “cool.”

Honestly, I think the music in the film does some of the legwork. For example, can you ever possibly listen to “Little Green Bag” by George Baker Selection without thinking of the slow-motion walk in the introduction of Reservoir Dogs?

Or, what about “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel? I’m pretty sure anybody who’s seen the film will immediately have that scene where Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) is dancing around before he slices the cop’s ear off ingrained in their mind whenever this song hits the radio.

And, of course, the movie has been imitated on multiple occasions. In fact, the first time I ever even heard of Quentin Tarantino was on The Simpsons. They were parodying both Reservoir and Pulp Fiction, and I just had to check out who this fellow was after he was referenced on Itchy and Scratchy.

Bob’s Burgers has also referenced the Michael Madsen dancing scene in question, and Family Guy has referenced quite a bit of Tarantino’s work, with RD often being a focus. So, it’s just nifty that generations of kids who have no idea about this movie might become interested in it because, even as a parody, it just looks so damn cool. Not bad for a filmmaker’s very first feature length film.

Actors Like Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, And Michael Madsen Gave Career-Defining Performances

Another reason why I think Reservoir Dogs is the absolute perfect debut picture is because of the big names that are attached to it. I knew who Tim Roth was because I had just seen Pulp Fiction, but I had no idea who Michael Madsen was. But, do you know what? I sure did after I watched this movie, and I’ve been a huge fan ever since.

I also knew of Steve Buscemi, but that’s only because I had watched Fargo around that time, and it was interesting to see Buscemi a bit younger (Plus, the “I don’t tip” scene is almost as iconic as his “Why am I Mr. Pink?” quote, which I often recite regularly out of the blue).

Chris Penn is another big name with a prominent role in the film. At the time, I only knew him as Sean Penn’s brother, but after, I realized that he was actually in a number of films I had already seen, such as one of Francis Ford Coppola’s best movies, Rumble Fish, Pale Rider, and of course, Footloose. So, having him as the explosive “Nice Guy Eddie” was a big get for the director.

That said, I think arguably the biggest name in this film has got to be Harvey Keitel, who has one of the best performances of his career in Reservoir Dogs. He plays the surly (but also caring) Mr. White, and his commitment to Mr. Orange (who is actually an undercover cop) creates a lot of the tension in the film since others believe that Orange is a plant.

So, really, to get such great performances in your very first movie honestly couldn’t be more perfect. But, I guess Tarantino was just that great of a director, even back then.

It's Mostly Set In Only A Few Locations, Which Must Have Been Very Cost Effective

Do you know what I also love? Great bottle movies, and Reservoir Dogs is one of the best ones.

For those who don’t know, a bottle movie is one in which the setting for the entire film takes place in mostly one area, and though there are a few other locations in the movie (the diner in the beginning is one of the most memorable) a large percentage of the runtime takes place in a warehouse hideout.

This is the perfect location for a debut picture, since it was highly cost effective. The film itself was reportedly budgeted at $1.2 million dollars, and I’m sure that low cost had something to do with the location mostly being in one environment.

I understand that this really wouldn’t have worked if the film didn’t have the Tarantino flare attached to it. In fact, without the dialogue, characters, and violence that he is known for, this movie likely would have been pretty boring.

But, he is a master screenwriter, and also a master filmmaker. So, if he had only made two movies in his entire career, this and Pulp Fiction, I still think we’d be talking about him today. That’s the impact that these two movies alone made on the industry.

Lastly, Tarantino Even Gets To Act In The Film

Let’s just say that Tarantino got to make one movie, and one movie only, and it was this. Well, if that had been the case – and thank Heavens it wasn’t – at the very least, he could say, “I had a role in my own movie!”

This is something that I’m actually surprised that more directors don’t do. Kevin Smith, who also had success with his debut picture, Clerks, actually featured himself even more prominently than Tarantino did, making him an established character who many people say stole the show (I mean, Jay and Silent Bob even have their OWN movies).

Tarantino showed a bit more restraint in that regard, but he did feature himself in his first film as Mr. Brown. He doesn’t have many lines, but it’s interesting that he is one of the characters.

I love that about the film. Yes, it’s hard to see Tarantino as anybody besides himself here (he’s way more convincing as a character in Pulp), but the fact that he’s in the movie at all is just another reason why I think this is the perfect debut picture. He got to have his cake and eat it, too. What more could you possibly want as a director?

What do you think? Do you also find Reservoir Dogs to be the perfect debut movie? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Green Acres - Pulp Fiction

The diner scene in Pulp Fiction has a bunch of fun references and maybe the best comes from Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) when he is explaining why he doesn't eat pork to Vincent (John Travolta). Jules calls pigs "filthy animals" and to not be, they'd have to be "ten times more charmin' than that Arnold on Green Acres," referring to the old TV show.

The Lost Boys - Reservoir Dogs

While Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) is rehearsing the story he's going to tell while he's undercover - to sell his character, he explains at one point that he is just trying to watch one of the best vampire movies of all time, The Lost Boys, at home.

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry - Jackie Brown

Tarantino loves to throw in obscure movies that many of us might have missed, Such is the case with Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, a heist movie from 1974 starring Peter Fonda. It's shown briefly on TV as Bridget Fonda (Peter's daughter) and Robert De Niro blankly watch TV. Sneaky Quentin!

The Street Fighter - True Romance

Obviously Tarantino loves Kung Fu movies. Kill Bill is a tribute to genre, but he peppered in references to it much earlier in his career. True Romance was directed by Tarantino, but he wrote it, and he managed to get a reference to not one, but three Kung Fu movies, The Street Fighter series. In the movie, Clarence (Christian Slater) meets Alabama (Patricia Arquette) at a triple feature of the movies.

Twins - Pulp Fiction

This one is great. The legend goes that in a nod to Danny DeVito, who was a producer on Pulp Fiction, Tarantino named Travolta and Jackson's characters Vincent and Jules, respectively, as a tip of the hat to DeVito's movie Twins, where the titular twins played by DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger were named Vincent and Julius. It may or may not be true, but the possibility is too good not to include here.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Four Rooms

The film Four Rooms was a unique moment in '90s cinema when four hot directors joined forces to tell four stories over one night in a hotel. Tarantino based his story directly on an old Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode called "The Bellboy." Taratino's version gets messier, of course.

Convoy - Death Proof

Death Proof ranks pretty low on a list Tarantino's movies, though it has it's moments, and if you love old road movies from the '70s, there are lots of fun inside jokes, like referring to the classic Convoy, a movie created from a hit song that isn't the best movie, but is very memorable.

Top Of The Pops - Reservoir Dogs

In Reservoir Dogs, Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn) makes a strange reference. Instead of referring to a show like Dick Clark's American Bandstand when deriding pop music, he chooses to make mention of Top Of The Pops, a British show of the same ilk as Bandstand. It makes it clear he doesn't like pop music, however.

The Great Escape - Reservoir Dogs, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

It's pretty obvious that Tarantino loves the 1963 classic The Great Escape. He's made reference three times. First, in his own monologue about Madonna in Reservoir Dogs, then, in Inglourious Barterds, he cribs a famous line from The Great Escape ("We have all our rotten eggs in one basket," and finally in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood when we see Rick as starring in the Steve McQueen role.

Tora! Tora! Tora! - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Unsurprisingly, Once Upon a Time has many references, both directly and in the background. For example, the billboard for the World War II film Tora! Tora! Tora!

Kung Fu - Pulp Fiction

Many years after Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino cast David Carradine as Bill in Kill Bill. In Pulp Fiction, he made reference to Carradine's most famous role, as Caine in the '70s TV show Kung Fu when Jules takes about giving up his criminal life. It's so great that it comes around full circle.

The Green Hornet - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Kill Bill

Bruce Lee's first role that brought him prominence in the US was in The Green Hornet. Tarantino first referenced this in Kill Bill, but it made a much bigger appearance in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood when Cliff (Brad Pitt) fights Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) on the set of the '60s TV show.

Get Christie Love! - Reservoir Dogs

Get Christie Love! is a classic deep cut from Tarantino. It's mentioned a few times in Reservoir Dogs. Get Christie Love! started as an ABC movie of the week, capitalizing on the popularity of the Blaxploitation genre. It was turned into a short-lived TV show in the mid-'70s. Though it's an obscure reference, the show was notable for starring Teresa Graves as one of the first Black female leads in a network show.

BJ And The Bear - Death Proof

BJ And The Bear is one of the most ridiculous TV shows of all time since it co-stars an actual monkey as part of a truck-driving team. Its reference in Death Proof is perfect, however.

Speed Racer - Pulp Fiction

Sometimes, Tarantino's references are really subtle. In Pulp Fiction, Eric Stoltz's character wears a very cool vintage Speed Racer t-shirt. Honestly, it's a super cool shirt, and at the time, before The Wachowskis made the 2008 movie, Speed Racer was more obscure than it is today.

The Killer - Jackie Brown

There are multiple scenes in Jackie Brown where characters are watching movies, and apparently, one movie that De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson's characters watch too much is The Killer, a relatively recent movie (by Tarantino standards) released in 1989 by director John Woo.

The Mack - True Romance

Gary Oldman in True Romance is one of the greatest examples of an actor looking completely unrecognizable in a role. In that famous scene, his character is watching The Mack and Clarence makes sure that Oldman knows he'd seen it years before.

The Wizard of Oz - Reservoir Dogs

You wouldn't expect a reference to The Wizard of Oz in Res Dogs, but in the most infamous scene in the movie, when Mr. Blonde is torturing the cop, he asks, "How 'bout some fire, scarecrow?" It's a clear reference to the famous movie, and it adds a brilliant, twisted dimension to an already messed-up scene.

Rebel Without A Cause - Pulp Fiction

The restaurant scene in Pulp Fiction is full of pop culture references. Steve Buscemi makes an appearance as a waiter dressed like Buddy Holly and the emcee is an Ed Sullivan impersonator. Another waiter in the scene is clearly dressed like James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.

TJ Hooker - True Romance

It's TJ Hooker, but it's the new TJ Hooker. Such is the show that Clarence's friend Dick Richie (Michael Rapaport) is auditioning for in True Romance. Classic Tarantino, laying in the other show William Shatner starred in.

The Bellboy - Four Rooms

1960's The Bellboy starring Jerry Lewis is a classic slapstick comedy that also marked Lewis' debut as a director. In a number of homages to the movie, Tarantino references in his part of Four Rooms, which, of course, makes perfect sense.

Hullabaloo - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

In the mid-1960s, pop music variety shows were all the rage. ABC's American Bandstand was the most popular and still the best remembered, but NBC tried to get into the game with Hullabaloo. It didn't last long, however, only airing 2 seasons as opposed to the 30 Bandstand aired on ABC. The show is referenced in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Force Five - Pulp Fiction

"Fox Force Five" is the name of the fictional TV show that Mia Wallace starred in the pilot of in Pulp Fiction. The name of the show is a reference to a very short-lived syndicated show called Force Five that, unless you grew up in New England, you've probably never heard of. Who knows how Tarantino even knew it, it was hardly on anywhere,

Bullitt - Death Proof

Bullitt is one of the best car movies ever, so referencing it in Death Proof is a no-brainer. It also features some of the best car chases in any movie, ever. That was the goal of Death Proof, too, and while it's not Tarantino's best movie, you can't say the car chases aren't great.

3:10 to Yuma (1957) - The Hateful Eight

It's hard to slip references and easter eggs of films into a movie set in the 19th Century, like The Hateful Eight. Still, Tarantino manages to slip in some, including the classic western 3:10 to Yuma from 1957. In both movies, the stagecoach is named the "Butterfield Overland Stage."

The Kid - Inglourious Basterds

There are a lot of connections between Charlie Chaplin and Hitler (that's weird to type), but not only did they share the same style in facial hair, but Chaplin also starred in The Dictator, which was a contemporary satire that took shots at Hitler before most were willing to do so. Referencing one of Chaplin's most famous movies, The Kid, in Inglourious Basterds is perfect.

Natural Born Killers - Kill Bill

Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers was originally based on a script by Quentin Tarantino. Though Tarantino was reportedly unhappy with the end product and even chose to only go with a partial credit, he made reference to the movie later in his career. In Kill Bill, Bill tells Beatrix that she's a "natural-born killer," and there's no way that's a coincidence.

Wanted: Dead Or Alive - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

In the 1950s, Hollywood loved making Western TV shows. One show, which happened to be an early role for Steve McQueen, was Wanted: Dead Or Alive. Though it's not directly mentioned, it's clear that the show within the movie that Rick is the star of, Bounty Law, is based on the McQueen hit.

Baretta - Reservoir Dogs

The 1970s show Baretta is an old network show that no one talks about much these days, but Tarantino was talking about it decades ago in Reservoir Dogs. That was before the show's star, Robert Blake, was charged with murder.

Stroker Ace - Death Proof

One of the most obscure references in Death Proof has to be Stroker Ace. It's a movie from the early '80s starring Burt Reynolds as a NASCAR driver. It was a huge bomb, but it was a staple on cable TV in the early '80s. It has its charms, but maybe the best thing about it is getting references in this Tarantino movie.

Happy Days - Pulp Fiction

The reference to Happy Days in Pulp Fiction is one of the most quoted lines in the movie. In the diner robbery at the end, Jules wants everyone to settle down and tells them that they are all going to "cool like Fonzie." Fonzie, of course, is one of the coolest characters in TV history.

A Fistful of Dollars - Kill Bill

This is one of the most subtle - just a reference to the iconic music in honor of The Bride going after her revenge.

I scoured the internet for some of the wittiest examples I could find and also managed to come up with a few decent ones of my own that I now present to you. You may never think of these classics the same way again.

A Father Asks His Long Lost Son To Take Over The Family Business (The Empire Strikes Back)

This one is inspired by an X post (from when it was still called Twitter) by Mitch Poppe, who makes, arguably, the best Star Wars movie sound more like a sweet Earthly drama (or even an organized crime thriller). Of course, it is not until the stunning climax of 1980's The Empire Strikes Back that we discover Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) is the father of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who is then tempted by the Sith Lord to come to the Dark Side and rule with him.

The Story Of One Man's Catastrophic Inner Conflict (Fight Club)

SPOILER WARNING: In one of the best movie plot twists ever, 1999's Fight Club reveals that the chaotic Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is a dissociative identity of Edward Norton's "Narrator." Unfortunately, he comes to that realization only after his other half has converted their unconventional male support group into a terrorist organization that he immediately intends to stop.

An Accident-Prone Dinosaur Theme Park, Shockingly, Still Exists (Jurassic World)

I also turned to my co-workers for help to come up with some of these simplified movie plot descriptions and one suggested this bit that, admittedly, points out just how ludicrous the plot of 2015's Jurassic World really is. It was already established in Steven Spielberg's 1993 original Jurassic Park movie that a theme park with real, living prehistoric creatures has the potential to result in disaster, much like the very plot of this sequel.

Three Escaped Convicts Start A Boy Band (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)

There is a reason why O Brother, Where Art Thou? is considered to be one of the best music movies ever made and the X account Explain A Movie Plot Badly recognizes this in its simplified explanation. Joel and Ethan Coen's 2000 comedy is a retelling of The Odyssey, redefined as the story of Depression Era inmates (played by George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson) who ditch the chain gang and find success as singing folk songs as The Soggy Bottom Boys.

Deja Vu Cures A Weatherman's Cynicism (Groundhog Day)

When you really think about it, all of the best time loop movies are tales of redemption and self-rediscovery. In other words, my colleague's clever description of 1993's Groundhog Day could be applied to almost any one of them, save the mention of Phil Connors' (Bill Murray) profession as a TV weather reporter.

A Teen Plays Matchmaker For His Own Parents (Back To The Future)

Back to the Future, stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, who accidentally takes Doc Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) time machine 30 years in the past and nearly prevents his own existence by getting in the way of his mother (Lea Thompson) and father (Crispin Glover) falling in love in high school. If you did not realize that I was talking about the 1985 time travel movie classic, you might assume I was describing the story of a child trying to get their divorced parents back together.

A Young Man Goes Through A Lot Of Trouble To Return Some Jewelry (The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy)

I almost hate to admit this, but I have never been very interested in epic fantasy stories like the Lord of the Rings movies. However, Eser Ünsalan's X post helped me realize just how relatable Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy is if you break down Frodo's (Elijah Wood) journey into its simplest terms.

A Man Constantly Loses His Prized Possessions To This French Jerk (Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

Many would agree that the best Indiana Jones villain is Dr. René Belloq, who claims at the beginning of 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark that there is nothing Harrison Ford's heroic archaeologist can possess that he cannot take away. Actor Paul Freeman has said that he believes his sniveling, French explorer is not so different from Indy, save for his reluctance to do the work himself and alliance with fascist organizations, of course.

A Fight Breaks Out Between Two Angry Orphans (Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice)

Despite their differing methods of justice, overall sense of optimism, and respective species, Batman and Superman relate to each other in many ways, most notably that they both know what it is like to lose their parents. Explain a Movie Plot Badly reflected on that in the X post that inspired this joke, which references 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, even though Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne did not know Clark Kent's (Henry Cavill) own tragic backstory until a little too late into their quarrel.

A Man Wins Back His Wife By Throwing Out Uninvited Christmas Party Guests (Die Hard)

Many have debated whether or not Die Hard – in which Det. John McClane (Bruce Willis) wages a war against ruthless thieves taking his wife (played by Bonnie Bedelia) and her colleagues hostage in an L.A. high-rise – it deserves a spot among the best Christmas movies ever made. Well, if you strip away its more violent content, the 1988 action movie classic's plot is clearly not much different from your typical holiday rom-com.

A Man Goes Through A Lot To Have The Perfect Suit (The Silence Of The Lambs)

One would have to have a pretty bleak sense of humor to paint Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb (Ted Levine) from 1991's The Silence of the Lambs in a sympathetic light and it appears that the people at Explain A Movie Plot Badly do. Their X post, referring to a serial killer fixing to make a suit of human skin in Jonathan Demme's unsettling Best Picture Oscar winner, inspired this also quite unsettling joke.

A Teen Becomes Upset When His Computer Dies (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

In addition to its astonishing action sequences, what really makes 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day a classic sci-fi movie is the endearing relationship between the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and young John Connor (Edward Furlong). Of course, no matter how misty-eyed you may get from their final goodbye at the end, you cannot ignore the fact that this kid's father figure was still a machine.

Two Men Turn To The Bible To Solve Their Problems (Se7en)

Let me just make this clear: Se7en is not a religious movie. However, faith does play a pivotal role in how veteran detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and rookie Mills (Brad Pitt) investigate a multiple murder case in David Fincher's 1995 thriller. They recognize that the sadistic killer's pattern is related to the biblical seven deadly sins.

Water Helps A Family Survive (Signs)

One of the most divisive M. Night Shyamalan movie plot twists comes from Signs, in which it is revealed that the extra-terrestrial intruders die when water touches them. It is easy to understand why this is underwhelming, but we also should not ignore the fact that Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) and his family might not have made it through the alien invasion if not for the invaders' strange weakness.

A Man Sleeps Through A 10-Hour Flight (Inception)

Due to its visually stunning appeal, it is easy to forget that much of what we see in Inception is not even real and the main characters are all asleep as it happens. In fact, much of the film takes place in the mind of a sedated Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), whose subconscious is invaded by Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his crew while on a long plane trip to the United States.

A Guy Jumps Through Many Hoops To Complete His Rock Collection (Avengers: Infinity War)

I do not in any way mean to undermine the efforts that the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and other concerned parties go through to prevent a cataclysmic event that, tragically, does end up happening anyway. However, darthyogi on Reddit makes a really good point in the way they describe Thanos' (Josh Brolin) ultimate goal in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. I mean, a fitting alternate title for the acclaimed Marvel movie could have been Avengers: Geology War.

Six Men Dress The Same For Their First Day At Work (Reservoir Dogs)

It is really nothing unusual for a group of coworkers to have matching uniforms. Of course, Explain A Movie Plot Badly's tweet that inspired this reimagining of Reservoir Dogs' storyline leaves out that this "first day at work" is also their last, since the jewelry store heist they volunteer for goes terribly, and fatally, wrong.

Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Forgets Girl, Boy Meets Girl (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

Arguably Jim Carrey's best movie, 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is such a conceptually, visually, and even structurally unique experience, as acknowledged in this bit from the mind of my coworker. It is such a clever twist to learn that the beginning, when Joel (Carrey) meets Clementine (Kate Winslet) on a train, is actually the end of the sci-fi rom-com, taking place after they each unwittingly erased the memory of their relationship.

A Millionaire Is Forever Haunted By The Loss Of His Favorite Toy (Citizen Kane)

The end of 1941's Citizen Kane reveals that the titular, late publishing tycoon (played by co-writer and director Orson Welles) was remembering the sled he used to play with as a child when he spoke his final word: "Rosebud." For decades, this seminal film's conclusion has been heralded as one of all-time finest, but I cannot help but wonder how divisive this twist would be if the film had come out in modern times, especially if you think of it in the same terms as this joke.

A Clown Provokes An Angry Cosplayer (The Dark Knight)

Without the proper context, this sounds like a headline for a newspaper article reporting a fight that broke out on Hollywood Boulevard. Actually, even with the proper context, it does not just sound like the plot of 2008's The Dark Knight but of a few of the best live-action Batman movies.

A Divorced Dad Kills An Intruder And Takes His Job (The Santa Clause)

Even before finding Explain A Movie Plot Badly's X post that inspired this simplified film story, I had been made aware of just how dark the concept of 1994's The Santa Clause truly is in retrospect. However, that does not stop me from recognizing Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) as one of the coolest cinematic movie Santas for the way comes to wholeheartedly accept the job (after some convincing) when he accidentally causes his successor's fatal accident from the top of his roof.

A Princess Convinces A Millionaire And A Cat Lady To Give Up Their Dreams (Wonder Woman 1984)

Perhaps my favorite tweet from Explain A Movie Plot Badly offers the funniest way to describe 2020's Wonder Woman 1984 that I think anybody could imagine. The DC movie sequel features two villains for Gal Gadot's Amazonian warrior to take on: the wealthy Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), who gets ahold of a mystical rock that grants wishes, and geologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), whose wish turns her into "Cheetah."

A Young Man Has A Bunny To Thank For Saving His Life (Donnie Darko)

The plot of the mind-bending high school movie Donnie Darko (a personal favorite of a friend of mine who helped come up with this bit) is set in motion when the titular teen (Jake Gyllenhaal) narrowly escapes a tragic death when he follows the voice of a possibly hallucinatory man named Frank (James Duval). I am not sure where writer and director Richard Kelly got the idea to dress Frank in the most disturbing rabbit costume imaginable, but I also believe it is essential to the 2001 thriller's legacy as an enduring cult favorite.

A Woman's Motel Room Shower Is To Die For (Psycho)

I cannot imagine there exists a motel with a bathroom shower this impressive. But, do you know what is impressive? The shocking, iconic scene from Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece in which Marion Crane (Scream Queen Janet Leigh) is murdered by who we assume is the mother of Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) while taking a shower at the Bates Motel.

A Divorced Father Fights To See His Daughter (Taken)

One of the most matter-of-fact X posts by Explain A Film Plot Badly takes aim at Taken, in which retired CIA agent Brian Mills (Liam Neeson) takes action to locate his kidnapped daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), in France. Without knowing what the 2008 action flick is actually about, one might hear this description and assume it is a wholesome family film.

A Group Of Men Learn To Never Trust Dogs (The Thing)

The best kind of dog movies are the ones where the dog saves the day, but that is certainly not the case in John Carpenter's The Thing. The 1982 horror movie classic opens with the central characters taking in a Canadian timber wolf-Alaskan Malamute hybrid that turns out to be a malevolent, shapeshifting alien in disguise.

Amateur Gambler Loses Everything, But Still Keeps His Job (Casino Royale)

A coworker of mine who has a special affinity for the James Bond movies had the perfect way to summarize the events of Daniel Craig's debut as 007 in Casino Royale.

A Woman Falls In Love With The First Guy She Sees After Waking Up (Sleeping Beauty)

Many of Disney's animated princess movies take on a more creepy, problematic guise in retrospect. Take, for example, this summarization of Sleeping Beauty, inspired by a tweet from Marisa Nocito.

First Responder Uses Government Resources To Exclusively Rescue Personal Family Members After An Earthquake (San Andreas)

The coworker of mine who came up with the idea for this bit inspired by 2015's San Andreas actually had some harsher words to describe Dwayne Johnson's central hero, who probably would have lost his job for acting in his own self-interests in the wake of a natural disaster.

A Powerful Corporation Benefits From Child Endangerment (Monsters Inc.)

I just might have ruined one of my own favorite Pixar movies for myself by the way I reinterpret 2001's Monsters Inc. and the titular company's bid to collect children's screams in this joke.

A Man Walks Up And Down A Flight Of Stairs (The Woman In Black)

The 2011 adaptation of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black certainly boasts some effective frights. However, there is a shocking amount of scenes in which Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is seen walking up a flight of stairs to find something scary before walking back downstairs to avoid the creepy entity, only to find something else freaky, and the situation repeats.

A Team Of Athletes Try New Eating Habits (Alive)

One of the darkest posts on X by Explain A Movie Plot Badly references the 1993 thriller, Alive, which is based on the harrowing true story of a Uruguayan rugby team forced to do the unthinkable when their plane crashes in the middle of the Andes Mountains.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Writer and director Quentin Tarantino proved he had a knack for crafting captivating dialogue by debuting with a movie that was little more than dialogue called Reservoir Dogs. The unique crime thriller is the story of a jewelry heist that we never actually see but learn about through conversations between the violent thieves involved (some of which were improvised) in scenes taking place before and after the ill-fated job.

Coherence (2013)

The less you know about co-writer and director James Ward Byrkit's Coherence – which follows a disastrous and confusing dinner party on the night a comet passes over a quiet suburb – the more rewarding the experience is. The cast, including Emily Baldoni and Nicolas Brendan, improvised 100% of their dialogue in one of the most cleverly constructed Multiverse movies ever made.

Before Sunrise (1995)

Co-writer and director Richard Linklater redefined romance movies in the mid-1990s with Before Sunrise, in which a young American man (Ethan Hawke) and a French woman (Julie Delpy) share an adventure through Vienna after a chance meeting on a train. It was followed by 2004's Before Sunset and 2013's Before Midnight, which follows later pivotal moments in their romance nine years apart.

Breathless (1960)

Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless is one of the most important films from the experimental French New Wave movement for its realistic approach to prioritizing dialogue over plot. It stars Jean-Paul Belmondo as a crook on the run trying to persuade an American student journalist (Jean Seberg) to run away with him to Italy.

12 Angry Men (1957)

The most interesting moments in a legal case do not take place in the courtroom, as demonstrated in Sidney Lumet's directorial feature debut, 12 Angry Men. The film features a star-studded cast as a jury that erupts into a heated frenzy when one man (played by Henry Fonda) disagrees with the nigh-unanimous decision to convict an 18-year-old of murdering his abusive father.

Clerks (1994)

Kevin Smith became an inspiration to aspiring indie filmmakers everywhere with his debut feature, Clerks – a comedy that is simple in concept but uproarious in execution. Save one action-packed rooftop hockey match, some sick dance moves courtesy of Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), and one unexpected death, the film consists mostly of conversations between convenience store cashier Dante (Brian O'Halloran), video store employee Randal (Jeff Anderson), and others about love, the Star Wars movies, and other minor and morbid topics.

Women Talking (2022)

Based on the true story that inspired Miriam Toews' 2018 novel of the same name, Women Talking is a drama about a group of female Mennonites who discuss whether or not they should leave their village after a heartwrenching case of abuse in 2010. Writer and director Sarah Polley received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for crafting a captivating and timely drama out of this harrowing story.

Conclave (2024)

Never could we have imagined that a film about the democratic selection of the Catholic Church's next Pope would be considered one of the best movies of 2024, yet here we are. Director Edward Berger's adaptation of Robert Harris' 2016 novel, Conclave, is a thoroughly riveting thriller offering profound commentary on faith and political discourse, featuring stirring performances by Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini.

Mass (2021)

One of cinema's most powerful statements about gun violence comes from a movie by writer and director Fran Kranz (of The Cabin in the Woods fame) called Mass. The acclaimed, low-budget drama depicts a conversation between the parents of a school shooting victim (played by Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton) and a couple (played by Ann Dowd and Reed Birney) whose son was the perpetrator.

My Dinner With Andre (1981)

Perhaps the quintessential example of how a simple conversation can amount to a moving and memorable cinematic experience is director Louis Malle's My Dinner with Andre. Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn (who also penned the screenplay) portray fictional versions of themselves discussing various funny and provocative topics over a meal at a New York City restaurant.

Phone Booth (2002)

Imagine the most awkward and frustrating phone call of your life. It is probably not nearly as bad as what transpires when New York City publicist Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) answers a ringing phone booth in Times Square only to find a deadly sniper (Kiefer Sutherland) on the opposite end who threatens to kill him if he hangs up. As tensions escalate and the police try to intervene, Stu struggles to negotiate with the psychopath for a chance to save his own life in director Joel Schumacher's Phone Booth.

The Two Popes (2019)

Andrew McCarten adapted his own play, The Pope, into director Fernando Meirelles' acclaimed Netflix original film, The Two Popes. Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce give powerhouse, Academy Award-nominated performances as Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (the future Pope Francis), who try to reach common ground during a pivotal turning point for the Catholic Church.

Locke (2013)

In the underrated, great A24 movie, Locke, Tom Hardy stars in the title role of a construction foreman taking an evening drive to London that will change his life forever. Told in real-time, writer and director Steven Knight's drama is a thoroughly absorbing one-person show told entirely through Locke's phone conversations with people played by Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Tom Holland, and more.

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Quentin Tarantino took the dialogue-heavy concept of 1992's Reservoir Dogs and, somewhat, reimagined it into one of the best Western movies of the 21st Century, The Hateful Eight. An all-star ensemble – including Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Oscar nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh – plays a group of people holed up in a cabin during a snowstorm, where no one is quite who they claim to be, in post-Civil War Wyoming.

The Invitation (2015)

One of the best horror movies that meaningfully address grief is Karyn Kusama's The Invitation, starring Logan Marshall-Green as Will, who is attending a dinner party hosted by his former wife (played by Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband (Michel Huisman). As time goes by and conversations bring unusual revelations to light, Will begins to suspect that there is a sinister ulterior motive to this gathering.

Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (1967)

One of the best and most important Sidney Poitier movies is Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, in which the Academy Award winner plays John Prentice – a Black doctor who travels with his white fiancée, Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton), to meet her parents (played by Spener Tracy and Katharine Hepburn). Eventually, the Draytons meet John's parents (played by Roy Glenn and Beah Richards) and what ensues is a staggering, groundbreaking discussion that ultimately proves love breaks through all racial barriers.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Teenagers are often categorized by different superficial designations – i.e. brains, athletes, basket cases, princesses, and criminals – but if you were to put one of each group in a room and let them talk amongst themselves, they would come to realize they are not so different underneath. Evidence of this social experiment lies in, arguably, the greatest high school movie ever made, John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, which takes place during one life-changing Saturday morning detention.

The Big Chill (1983)

Few films have captured the essence of catching up with old friends more authentically than co-writer and director Lawrence Kasdan's influential dramedy, The Big Chill. The likes of Kevin Kline, Jeff Goldblum, Glenn Close, and more star as a group of thirty-somethings coming together for the first time since college for the funeral of a friend, where they learn more about each other, and themselves.

Carnage (2011)

The hilarious, Tony Award-winning play, God of Carnage, follows two couples who, after discovering their respective children got in a fight, agree to discuss the incident for a meeting that grows increasingly volatile as the conversation goes on. The film adaptation, simply titled Carnage, stars John C. Reilly, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, and Kate Winslet and expertly captures its satirical depiction of disputes over class, parental philosophies, and more provocative themes.

Rope (1948)

One of the more underrated Alfred Hitchcock movies, Rope (which is amusingly shot to appear as one continuous take), is the story of two men (played by John Dall and Farley Granger) who try to convince themselves that they can get away with murder by hosting a party just moments after committing the crime. However, as the night progresses, their old school teacher, Rupert Cadell (James Stewart) begins to suspect that something is afoot.

Coffee And Cigarettes (2003)

Coffee and Cigarettes is a movie anchored by, not just one conversation, but a series of conversations that each have the eponymous objects in common. Each of writer and director Jim Jarmusch's grayscale vignettes stars a different pairing or trio of celebrities as fictionalized versions of themselves discussing a myriad of topics in a hilariously surreal fashion.

Sleuth (1972)

Anthony Shaffer adapted his own Tony Award-winning play, Sleuth, into a film starring Sir Laurence Olivier as a detective novelist who invites his wife's younger lover (played by Michael Caine) to his estate where he challenges him to a diabolical battle of wits. Caine would also star in Kenneth Branagh's 2007 adaptation, this time playing the older gentleman opposite Jude Law.

The End Of The Tour (2015)

Jason Segel gives one of his best serious performances as David Foster Wallace in director James Ponsoldt's The End of the Tour. Instead of a conventional biopic, the A24 and Sony-produced drama provides a mere snapshot of the life and career of the late Infinite Jest author by dramatizing a revealing interview he had with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) in the mid-to-late 1990s.

The Guilty (2018)

When a German police officer (played by Jakob Cedergren) assigned to work as a dispatcher receives an alarming call from a woman claiming to be kidnapped, he cannot help himself but attempt to take matters into his own hands from behind the phone in co-writer and director Gustav Möller's The Guilty. Three years later, director Antoine Fuqua released an English-language adaptation on Netflix starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role.

Tape (2001)

One of director Richard Linklater's darkest and most intense cinematic experiments (and most overlooked films of his career) is Tape. The drama takes place entirely in one motel room and features only three characters (played by Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman) who discuss the most unsettling moments from their pasts.

Good Luck To You, Leo Grande (2022)

In the Hulu-original dramedy, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Daryl McCormack plays the title role – a male escort hired by the widowed Nancy Stokes (Oscar winner Emma Thompson) to help bring some adventure into her life. While the content does get racier with each of the characters' intimate sessions, the film's most powerful moments come from their intimate conversations with one another, lending beautifully to this inspiring story of self-discovery.

Buried (2010)

Ryan Reynolds has shared in interviews that he is claustrophobic, which is why it is shocking that he agreed to star in director Rodrigo Cortes' Buried. The entire film takes place in a coffin placed six feet underground where Reynolds' Paul Conroy, equipped with a cell phone and little else, struggles to negotiate with his captors and find help before he runs out of oxygen.

Malcolm & Marie (2021)

From writer and director Sam Levinson, the Netflix original movie Malcolm & Marie is far from your typical romance film. It stars John David Washington as a filmmaker who returns home after his latest movie premiere with his girlfriend (played by Zendaya), with whom he engages in a challenging conversation regarding the state of their relationship throughout the night.

Circle (2015)

Writing and directing duo Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione's Circle is a movie kind of like Saw but more appropriate for those who prefer psychological thrills over gore. The story follows a group of 50 strangers who wake up in a mysterious chamber where they must collectively decide who among them deserves to be the sole survivor.

Lifeboat (1944)

John Steinbeck wrote the story for Alfred Hitchcock's Oscar-nominated, World War II-era thriller, Lifeboat. It is a survival story of more than one kind, following a group of people struggling to survive their harsh environment and each other while floating on open water.

Margin Call (2011)

The beginning of the 2008 financial crisis is seen through the eyes of employees at a Wall Street investment firm over the course of 24 hours in Margin Call. From writer and director J.C. Chandor, the drama features Zachary Quinto, Demi Moore, Jeremy Irons, and others as financial analysts who must rush to save their company from the brink of collapse.

Slacker (1990)

Richard Linklater made his directorial feature debut with Slacker. He also stars in the quirky comedy as one of several young Texans discussing god-knows-what, one conversation at a time, over the course of one day.

From Reservoir Dogs to Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, who are the best Quentin Tarantino side characters? We’ve highlighted 32 of them for you below.

Lawrence Tierney As Joe Cabot In Reservoir Dogs

There’s a scene in Reservoir Dogs where Tim Roth’s Freddy Newandyke describes Lawrence Tierney’s Joe Cabot a la The Thing from The Fantastic Four, and it’s perfectly apt. Though Cabot only appears in a trio of scenes (the beginning, the end, and a mid-movie flashback), his projected energy is so imposing, massive and memorable that he might as well be made out of orange rock.

Steven Wright As K-Billy DJ In Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino helped change movie soundtracks forever with his jukebox approach to music in Reservoir Dogs, and the cherry on top is Steven Wright’s voice-only performance as the unnamed DJ for K-Billy’s Super Sounds Of The ‘70s. His unmistakable monotone is a strange flavor introducing tracks like “Little Green Bag” and “Stuck In The Middle With You,” but the casting choice is perfection.

Harvey Keitel As Winston Wolfe In Pulp Fiction

“That's thirty minutes away. I'll be there in ten.” In a crisis, you always want to be working with a person who knows how to both move fast and keep their cool, and that’s Pulp Fiction’s Winston Wolfe in a nutshell. The practically magical fixer character makes clean business out of dirty work, and his swagger is captivating.

Christopher Walken As Captain Koons In Pulp Fiction

Considering how incredible Christopher Walken’s career has been, it’s actually a bit wild that one of his greatest performances is what could practically be called a cameo in Pulp Fiction where he spends a single scene talking directly to the camera. Captain Koons’ commitment to delivering the Coolidge family watch showcases him instantly as an honorable man, but the way in which he tells young Butch the story of the timepiece makes him unforgettable.

Frank Whaley As Brett In Pulp Fiction

What were Brett and his friends planning on doing with the contents of Marcellus Wallace’s mysterious briefcase? We have no idea, but that ambition is a great layer of the character to chew on while also appreciating the guy’s futile attempt to stay cool while being interrogated by Samuel L. Jackson’s Jules Winnfield.

Eric Stoltz As Lance As Brett In Pulp Fiction

Eric Stoltz’s Lance may be a total skeeze, but he proves to be a perfect character to have in the mix when Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace is experiencing a drug overdose. He’s the perfect blend of knowledgeable and incompetent to keep things interesting in the big panic sequence with John Travolta’s Vincent Vega.

Dennis Hopper As Clifford Worley In True Romance

In most movies, there is epic conflict when a cop discovers that his son has committed a crime, but I love that Dennis Hopper’s Clifford Worley in True Romance breaks from that trope and simply opts to help his boy (Christian Slater’s Clarence) and his new blushing bride (Patricia Arquette’s Alabama).

Brad Pitt As Floyd In True Romance

The fact that Dick Ritchie’s stoner roommate is played by future A-lister Brad Pitt in True Romance is fun to recognize, but Floyd is independently a great side character: so totally zonked that he doesn’t know he is putting his friend’s lives in danger.

Christopher Walken As Vincenzo Coccotti In True Romance

Dennis Hopper’s Clifford Worley is tough as nails and really loves his son, and that warmth is perfectly contrasted with the coldness of Christopher Walken’s Vincenzo Coccotti, who comes into True Romance for a single scene and raises the stakes of the movie through the roof with his icy demeanor and threatening presence.

Val Kilmer As Elvis In True Romance

It’s pretty wild that True Romance cast Val Kilmer to play a completely off-screen, imagined version of Elvis Presley, but it’s one of the bits of brilliance in the film, as it’s the King’s words that ultimately motivate Clarence toward the life of which he dreams.

Gary Oldman As Drexl Spivey In True Romance

In the context of the story in True Romance, Drexl Spivey is a terrible person and a bona fide stain on society, but boy, does he make an immortal impression during his limited scenes. It’s Gary Oldman at his character actor best.

Chris Tucker As Beaumont Livingston In Jackie Brown

Samuel L. Jackson’s Ordell Robbie in Jackie Brown is a wannabe kingpin who is unwilling to have anybody mess up his ambitions by talking to the police… and Chris Tucker’s Beaumont Livingston makes for a phenomenal conflict character in this respect. His motormouth clearly demonstrates him as a threat – and fortunately for Ordell, he can’t recognize the danger that the antagonist represents.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. As Winston In Jackie Brown

Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.’s Winston is principally a presence in Jackie Brown, but damn, what a presence. He is the hulking partner of Robert Forster’s Max Cherry and adds muscle to the bail bondsman operation.

Sonny Chiba As Hattori Hanzō In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Kill Bill Vol. 1 features two sides of Sonny Chiba’s Hattori Hanzō during his brief role, and they are both amazing. One side is the restaurateur who has reached his limit with his disrespectful employee (Kenji Ohba), and the other is the exceptionally gifted swordsmith who elegantly crafts the weapon that The Bride employs in her roaring rampage of revenge.

Chiaki Kuriyama As Gogo Yubari In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Chiaki Kuriyama’s Gogo Yubari is a shocking and awesome study in contrast: her youth and schoolgirl uniform suggest innocence, but she is quite possibly the most craven character in all of Kill Bill and makes terrifying use of a custom flail.

Michael Parks As Ranger Earl Mcgraw In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Not only does Ranger Earl Mcgraw have a special veteran lawman swagger that makes him pop in the opening scene of Kill Bill Vol. 1, but the Michael Parks character also happens to be key connective tissue in the larger canon universe created by Quentin Tarantino – also appearing in the Tarantino-scripted From Dusk Til Dawn and both titles in the double-feature Grindhouse.

Daryl Hannah As Elle Driver In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Daryl Hannah’s Elle Driver graduates to a full-on supporting character in Kill Bill Vol. 2, but she is kept as a colorful side character in Kill Bill Vol. 1, and she is instantly cemented as one of Quentin Tarantino’s greatest stylistic touches. The eyepatch is a killer look by itself, but her nurse disguise is top-notch, and her proper introduction to the film via a Brian De Palma-esque split-screen sequence is unforgettable.

Gordon Liu As Pai Mei In Kill Bill Vol. 2

Quentin Tarantino properly unleashes Gordon Liu as the dangerous Johnny Mo in the bloody House of Blue Leaves sequence in Kill Bill Vol. 1, but it’s in Kill Bill Vol. 2 that the actor gets to truly shine playing Pai Mei: the whispy-haired, exceptionally strict kung fu master who teaches Um Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo all of her most deadly skills.

Michael Parks As Esteban Vihaio In Kill Bill Vol. 2

Kill Bill Vol. 2 is a film with a much different, slower energy than its predecessor, but it’s because of characters like Michael Parks’ Esteban Vihaio that it works, as his scene provides unexpected depth for the world Tarantino has created and a terrific backstory for the movie’s titular antagonist (David Carradine).

Mary Elizabeth Winstead As Lee Montgomery In Death Proof

Is Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Lee Montgomery meant to be pitied or seen as spared? She has a great introduction into Death Proof as a bit of a ditz (good for a few laughs), but when she is left behind as Zoë Bell, Abernathy Ross (Rosario Dawson), and Kim Mathis (Tracie Thoms) go out for their fateful ride, it’s unclear if she dodged a bullet or is left to experience her own special terror with Jonathan Loughran’s super creepy Jasper.

Michael Fassbender As Lieutenant Archie Hicox In Inglourious Basterds

I’m perhaps a bit biased here as a person who professionally writes about film, but it’s a spectacular thing to see a movie expert become enlisted as a military hero – and nothing is harmed by the fact that Michael Fassbender imbues Lieutenant Archie Hicox from Inglourious Basterds with classic cool that oozes off the screen.

Jacky Ido As Marcel In Inglourious Basterds

Jacky Ido’s Marcel is an underrated hero in Inglourious Basterds. Because there are so many moving pieces and perspectives in the epic war film’s grand finale, one can forget that Marcel has a key role in the revenge plot orchestrated by Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), and his deep love for her is one of the most beautiful parts of the movie.

August Diehl As Sturmbannführer Dieter Hellstrom In Inglourious Basterds

We all love to hate Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, but August Diehl’s Sturmbannführer Dieter Hellstrom is able to inspire similar feelings in much more limited screen time. The fear he instills when he interrupts the clandestine meeting between Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) and Archie Hicox is deliciously awful (thankfully, Til Schwiger’s Hugo Stiglitz delivers him the end he wholly deserves).

Mike Myers As General Ed Fenech In Inglourious Basterds

It’s a touch silly to have Mike “Austin Powers” Myers cast to play a British general in charge of recruiting talent for a top secret mission, but it’s a credit to Quentin Tarantino’s vision that it plays so well. Myers’ Ed Fenech brings a “classic British war movie” energy to what is a very exposition-heavy scene in Inglourious Basterds, making interesting what otherwise might be dry material.

Walton Goggins As Billy Crash In Django Unchained

There are a lot of sick and twisted characters in Django Unchained who end up meeting properly terrible fates, but Walton Goggins’ Billy Crash is a standout. Not only is he a hateful and violent monster, but the audience wants to see him punished for the audacity of his powerful swagger.

Zoë Bell As Six Horse Judy In The Hateful Eight

As an ensemble piece mostly set in a single location, The Hateful Eight isn’t a movie abundant with what I would define as side characters, but Zoë Bell’s Six Horse Judy does fit the bill. She ultimately meets a tragic end, but her verve is superb while she is alive in the film’s flashback sequence, as is her great confidence in her horse-wrangling skills.

Margaret Qualley As "Pussycat" In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Between Poor Things, Drive-Away Dolls, Kinds Of Kindness and The Substance in the last few years alone, Margaret Qualley has firmly established herself as one of the best young actresses currently working, but years before all of that, she successfully entranced audiences with her single-scene turn as Pussycat in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – getting a ride from Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth to Charles Manson’s encampment on Spahn Ranch.

Al Pacino As Marvin Schwarz In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

“What a picture!” That line from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood has become a meme, but part of the reason why it pops is because Al Pacino’s Marvin Schwarz is such a terrific character: an old-school Hollywood casting agent with a passionate love of cinema.

Kurt Russell As Randy Miller/The Narrator In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

After starring as the deadly Stuntman Mike in Death Proof, Kurt Russell plays a stuntman with a totally different kind of energy in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and it’s a delight. Randy Miller is infused with Russell’s veteran charm and charisma, and his voice carries over to be a terrific guide through the period epic when he is featured in the movie as the narrator.

Julia Butters As Trudi Frazer In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino’s movies don’t generally feature many child characters, but that’s just part of what makes Julia Butters’ Trudi Frazer stand out in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Primarily featured opposite Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton, she not only demonstrates remarkable professionalism for such a young person, but totally blows Rick’s mind with her respect for his acting skills.

Damian Lewis As Steve McQueen In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

It’s no secret that Quentin Tarantino has a great love of Steve McQueen movies, and the writer/director brings the legendary actor to life with a single great scene in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood where he smoothly provides the audience with everything we need to know about Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate.

Austin Butler As "Tex" In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Before he became Elvis Presley or Feyd-Rautha, Austin Butler made an awesome impression as Tex in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. His intense devotion to Charles Manson’s cause makes it all the better when he gets taken down during what ends up being a botched murder attempt.

Dazed And Confused

From the opening notes of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" to the '70s muscle car cruising the parking lot, you know exactly when Dazed And Confused is set. There is no mistaking the era even before you see the characters and their costumes. While it was made in the 90s, the movie is pure 1970s.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most important movies ever made and by opening what everyone expected to be a sci-fi movie with a bunch of monkeys learning how to use tools (and more), it sets a very different kind of tone than any other sci-fi movie before it. It was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before it. Of course, it also has one of the wildest endings of all time, too.

The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight is one of the greatest movie villains of all time and while audiences don't immediately know (or maybe they do) that the opening scene is Clown Prince of Crime from the back, by the end of the opening scene, we know exactly what we are getting into. One of the best comic book movies of all time opens with one of the best scenes of all time for a villain who completely steals the show.

Star Wars

From the opening blast of the classic John Williams score to the now-iconic scroll, and finally, the two massive spaceships firing lasers at each other, Star Wars easily has one of the most memorable opening scenes of any movie, ever. Audiences in 1977 were simply blown away from the moment the movie started and it immediately became the classic it is and how it has endured for decades.

Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino's second film, Pulp Fiction, was one of the most anticipated movies of 1994 and the director immediately let audiences know he was on point with the opening scene between Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer in the diner. It's classic Tarantino with great dialog and finally, a burst of near-violence that sucks moviegoers in at once.

Jaws

Jaws is thought of these days as one of the best movies Hollywood has ever produced. Director Steven Spielberg did an absolutely masterful job of scaring the audience by not showing the shark very much and that starts with the creepy, foreboding scene when a lone swimmer becomes the shark's first victim.

Citizen Kane

"Rosebud" is one of the most mysterious opening lines to any movie, ever. The snow globe falling out of a dying man's hand and breaking on the floor only adds to the mystery. That's how Citizen Kane opens and audiences then and now are captivated from that moment until the end, when they learn what "Rosebud" means in the movie's final scene.

Apocalypse Now

Some movies just need to have some incredible music and one iconic shot to lock you in. Apocalypse Now is one of those movies. From the foreboding sounds of The Doors' song "The End" to the fireball or napalm that rushes across the jungle in the opening scene, director Francis Ford Coppola immediately let everyone know this was going to be a different kind of war movie.

Purple Rain

If you're one of the most iconic musicians of your day and you decide to make a movie about a fictionalized version of yourself, you'd better open the show with a banger. That's exactly what Prince did when he opened Purple Rain with "Let's Go Crazy." It's simply a performance (and guitar solo) for the ages and sets the tone for the movie perfectly.

The Godfather

While it may not start with a bang like some of the other movies on this list, the opening scene of The Godfather sets the tone for the movie in a way nothing else could. Within minutes audiences knew exactly what kind of man Vito Corleone was and what was important to him.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the best adventure films of all time and as such, it opens with one of the most exciting sequences in Hollywood history as our hero Indiana Jones dodges traps and a giant boulder to escape with his treasure. Though he loses it right away, of course. It's a very worthy opening to the Indiana Jones franchise.

Boogie Nights

Director Paul Thomas Anderson knocks it out of the park with the first scene in Boogie Nights that lets you know exactly where and when the movie is happening. The long tracking shot introduced almost every character movie right away and audiences are already getting to know them by the time the shot changes. It's brilliant.

Saving Private Ryan

In many ways, Saving Private Ryan changed how war movies are made and what audiences expect from them. The opening scene, when Tom Hanks and his platoon hit the beaches of Normandy on D-Day is one of, if not the, most intense action scenes ever put on film. It's praised for its depiction of the battle and the visceral feel of it all is simply incredible.

Spectre

The James Bond franchise is famous for its opening, pre-credits scenes, so we had to include one on this list. There are any number of great ones you could go with, but for our money, the opening to Spectre with the tracking shot all across Mexico City and into a hotel, and out to the ledge, is pure magic. And pure Bond.

Scream

In an homage to the great Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho, the opening scene of Scream features one of the biggest stars in the movie, Drew Barrymore, getting killed just minutes into the story. For audiences at the time, it was a completely brilliant and shocking moment as Barrymore had been marketed heavily so no one expected her to meet her demise so soon. It was something Barrymore insisted on.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

When it comes to the Mission: Impossible franchise, fans can always count on an amazing opening sequence. On the one hand, it's hard to pick one as the best, but on the other hand, c'mon, it's the one where Tom Cruise hangs from a freaking plane! That opening to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is one of the most incredible stunts Cruise has done on a long, long list of stunts he's done for those movies.

Trainspotting

Danny Boyle's Trainspotting walks a tightrope between really cool and fun, and desperately tragic. This is all summed up in the first few seconds of the movie when audiences see a very rough-looking Renton (Ewan McGregor) running from the police and almost getting hit by a car as Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" accompanies the scene. It's not only the perfect opening scene for the movie, it's a brilliant musical moment as well.

There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood is one of the examples on this list of movies that set a tone immediately, but do so not with action and pizazz but with a gentle slow build. There is virtually no dialog other than some grunts from the protagonist (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he struggles to get his oil well going. Like the rest of the movie, it's intense, but quietly so. It's really perfect.

The Matrix

While we don't meet Neo right away in The Matrix, we do get a great example of how the world in the movie is going to work as we watch Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) barely escape a group of Agents in the Matrix.

Inglourious Basterds

If you want some quiet intensity, there may be no better opening scene than Inglourious Basterds. Christoph Waltz's character sitting and drinking milk while hunting for hidden Jews is seriously intense without anything more than some brilliant dialog by Quentin Tarantino and a glass of milk. It's the least over-the-top moment in te movie, and yet sets the tone perfectly.

Top Gun

The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is an exciting and dangerous place to be. For Top Gun, director Tony Scott didn't need to use any of the stars of the movie, or even any actors at all. Instead, he used actual Navy members doing their actual jobs as jet fighters took off and landed all to the soaring notes of Harold Faltermeyer's guitar-based soundtrack. Talk about pulling you right into a movie!

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1

Director James Gunn has become famous for his brilliant use of music in the Guardians Of The Galaxy movies. Star-Lord's mixtape quickly became one of the main characters of the movies, almost. That started at the very beginning of the first movie when we all first meet Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) as he dances his way through the opening scene to "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone.

Full Metal Jacket

The very beginning of Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket features young men getting their heads shaved as they join the Marines. The next few minutes are just R. Lee Emery yelling at the new inductees. It's one of the most iconic opening scenes of any movie, much less any war movie and it's a big part of what makes it among the best war movies ever made.

Deadpool

By now we all know just what kind of "superhero" Deadpool is. In fact, even if you weren't familiar with the anti-hero from the comic books, it only takes about the first ten minutes of the first Deadpool movie to know exactly who he is. There really is no better introduction to a superhero movie, and that's really saying something.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

The two main characters in Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels are, in some ways, very competent criminals. In other ways, they are complete disasters. The opening moments show both sides of them perfectly as they pull off their scam selling stolen jewelry for a time before they lose all their merchandise getting chased by the cops.

Jurassic Park

There was no bigger movie in the early '90s than Jurassic Park and there was no bigger opening moment than when audiences were thrown right into the action as the game wardens and staff tried to wrangle a velociraptor into its cage. It did more than just help the movie become iconic for millions of people.

No Country For Old Men

The opening scene to No Country For Old Men immediately draws the audience into the movie and its dark, foreboding nature. After a voiceover by Tommy Lee Jones, we see an unknown character getting arrested for an unknown reason. We soon learn that the character is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) and just how ruthless he is.

Gladiator

Ridley Scott may not care much for historical accuracy, but that doesn't matter when you recreate an ancient battle as he does at the opening of Gladiator. It's an amazing scene reminiscent of the great battle scenes in movies before CGI when it was all about practical effects and a huge number of extras.

Once Upon a Time In The West

To make a great western, you have to set a mood. Once Upon a Time In The West does this as well or better than any other Western. Viewers can feel the heat of the day and the crackling tension well before any action happens. You know it's coming, you just don't how or when.

Baby Driver

Take a great soundtrack, a cool moment of people wearing matching suits and sunglasses, throw in a fantastic car chase and you're guaranteed to suck audiences in immediately. Just like they do in Baby Driver. The movie takes off at full speed right from the jump.

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino told the whole world just who he was in the first few minutes of his first movie, Reservoir Dogs. The intense, fast-paced dialog he's known for is present right at the very beginning as his character Mr. Orange explains the real meaning behind his favorite Madonna song. And it's not what you think.

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange's opening scene definitely has audiences asking more questions than it's ever answering, but that's exactly what draws you in so quickly. You have to know what these guys in the funny outfits are up to and why in the world they are seemingly drinking milk in a weird bar. Later, you might regret getting those answers...

Zodiac ("Hurdy Gurdy Man" - Donovan)

The opening scene of Zodiac depicts a horrifying crime by the eponymous killer, accompanied by an otherwise relaxing folk ballad from 1968 called "Hurdy Gurdy Man." Coincidentally, Ione Skye, the daughter of the song's writer and performer, Donovan, makes an uncredited appearance in David Fincher's great true crime movie from 2007 as Zodiac Killer witness Kathleen Johns.

Black Mirror ("Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand" - Irma Thomas)

In one of the best episodes of Black Mirror (Season 1's "Fifteen Million Merits), Abi (Jessica Brown Findlay) auditions for Hot Shot by singing "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand." Following this memorable scene from the sci-fi anthology series, the 1964 Irma Thomas hit would be featured in some capacity in every season since, offering plenty more reasons to feel unsettled by the feel-good romance tune.

The Silence Of The Lambs (“Goodbye Horses” - Q Lazzarus)

According to the original writer of "Goodbye Horses," William Garvey, the 1988 one-hit-wonder performed by Q Lazzarus is about “the ability to lift one’s perception above [their] physical limitations." In that case, its inclusion in the terrifying Best Picture Oscar winner, The Silence of the Lambs, as serial killer Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gumb (Ted Levine) embraces his femininity through dance is a perfect match.

Halloween ("(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult)

To be fair, the lyrics to Blue Öyster Cult’s signature 1976 hit “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” are not the happiest, referencing a romance destined to end similar to that of Romeo and Juliet. However, the world might have been less receptive to its creepier themes if not for its inclusion in one of the best horror movies of all time, 1978's Halloween, as Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Annie Brackett (Nancy Kyes) are unwittingly being tiled Haddonfield’s own “reaper,” Michael Myers.

Watchmen ("The Times They Are A-Changin'" - Bob Dylan)

There is a dark thematic tone to most of Bob Dylan's earlier work, especially his 1962 breakthrough hit, "The Times They Are A-Changin'." The folk ballad's message of a society experiencing a revolution comes through effectively while playing over the opening titles of 2009's Watchmen, which traces the ups and downs of superheroes' contributions to history in the world Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel.

American Psycho (“Hip To Be Square” - Huey Lewis And The News)

Pop culture's most famous Huey Lewis and the News fan would have to be Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), who provides an impassioned analysis of 1986's "Hip to Be Square," and the Fore! album in general, as he prepares to murder his colleague, Paul Allen (Jared Leto) in his apartment. Lewis himself would pay tribute to the memorable moment from American Psycho in a Funny or Die bit in which he exuberantly analyzes the 2000 psychological thriller as he prepares to murder “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Insidious ("Tiptoe Through The Tulips" - Tiny Tim)

For years, the only creepy aspect of Tiny Tim's version of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" was that the high-pitched vocalist was actually a lanky, 6'1" man. These days, since its prominent use in the first Insidious movie from 2011, audiences cannot help but picture the demonic "Man with Fire on His Face" when the romantic ukulele ballad plays.

American Horror Story ("Tonight You Belong To Me" - Patience & Prudence)

The best-known version of writers Billy Rose and Lee David's "Tonight You Belong to Me" is by young sisterly duo Patience & Prudence, which became even more famous in 2011, thanks to American Horror Story. The playful 1956 tune about making the most of your time with a loved one appeared in four episodes of the horror anthology TV show's premiere season from 2011, taking place in a haunted house with an extensive history of murders.

Beetlejuice ("Banana Boat (Day-O)” - Harry Belafonte)

In 1988's Beetlejuice, the ghostly Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis) attempt to scare off the Deetzes (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara) by possessing them and their party guests into dancing and lip-synching to Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat (Day-O).” While the scene did not necessarily make the 1956 Calypso hit creepy, it would be forever entwined with the classic horror-comedy movie – a fact that Belafonte told Pitchfork he enjoyed.

Reservoir Dogs ("Stuck In The Middle With You" - Stealers Wheel)

The first of many iconic musical moments in Quentin Tarantino's movies occurs in 1992's Reservoir Dogs, when Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) puts on K-Billy's Super Sounds of the '70s (which starts playing "Stuck In The Middle With You") and proceeds to torture Officer Marvin Nash (Kirk Baltz). We doubt there is a single person who can listen to Stealers Wheel's upbeat, 1973 rock single without imagining the criminal slicing the cop's ear off, even though that moment is thankfully kept off camera.

A Clockwork Orange (“Singin' In The Rain”)

If there is one cinematic use of 1929's "Singin' in the Rain" as, if not more, iconic as Gene Kelly's performance in the eponymous 1952 musical, it would be the rendition heard in A Clockwork Orange. As Alex DeLarge, Malcolm McDowell belts out the song about happiness that even weather cannot deter during one of the most unspeakably brutal moments from the 1971 Stanley Kubrick movie.

Stranger Things ("Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" - Kate Bush)

There have been many memorable musical moments from Stranger Things but none as impactful as its uses of "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" in Season 4, which made Kate Bush's definitive track more popular than ever. The English art pop queen’s 1985 ballad first helps rescue Max (Sadie Sink) from Vecna's trance before a remixed reprise accompanies the disparate gang's multi-faceted defeat of the villain in the action-packed finale.

10 Cloverfield Lane ("I Think We're Alone Now" - Tommy James & The Shondells)

While it experienced a new life in the 1980s with Tiffany's cover, the original version of "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tommy James & The Shondells was reintroduced to modern audiences via 10 Cloverfield Lane. The cute pop tune about a couple enjoying their time on their own took on a whole new meaning when it appeared in the 2016 thriller, which takes place in an underground bunker inhabited by survivors of an unknown disaster.

Supernatural ("Carry On, Wayward Son" - Kansas)

"Carry On, Wayward Son" by Kansas would become the de facto theme for Supernatural after it was used in the season finale following the first one. In fact, the series finale of the hit series, following the adventures of paranormal hunters Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki), was named "Carry On," after the 1976 rock epic.

Get Out (“Run Rabbit Run” - Flanagan And Allen)

Originally released in the late 1930s and a hit during World War II, "Run Rabbit Run" became iconic to modern horror movie audiences as the first song featured in Jordan Peele's Oscar-winning 2017 thriller Get Out. The song is heard coming from the car that sneaks up on Andre Hayworth (LaKeith Stanfield), who tries to walk in the opposite direction before getting abducted.

Halloween II (“Mr. Sandman” - Chordettes)

The second installment of the Halloween franchise from 1981 opens in an unexpected manner. Instead of John Carpenter's unmistakable score, we hear the Chordettes' endearing doo-wop hit, "Mr. Sandman," which might have had a more endurable reputation as a retroactively creepy song if not for its use in the time travel movie classic, Back to the Future, four years later.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 ("Woo Hoo" - The 5.6.7.8's)

Before blood hits the screen at the House of Blue Leaves in 2003's Kill Bill Vol. 1, things are peaceful at the Japanese eatery. One major reason why is because the guests are treated to the head-knocking rock 'n roll song, "Woo Hoo," by The 5.6.7.8's, whom Quentin Tarantino discovered while shopping in Japan and wound up casting in the violent revenge movie.

Jeepers Creepers ("Jeepers Creepers" - Paul Whiteman and His Swing Wing)

The lyric "Jeepers creepers, where'd you get those eyes?" takes on a more frighteningly literal meaning in Jeepers Creepers. The eponymous love song by Paul Whiteman and His Swing Wing plays during the final moment of the 2001 horror flick as the grotesque, villainous "Creeper" (Jonathan Breck) shows off his new "peepers," which he stole from Darry (Justin Long).

Shaun Of The Dead ("Don't Stop Me Now" - Queen)

Like most Edgar Wright films, there are many moments from Shaun of the Dead in which music plays a large role but the best takes place at the Winchester. Nearly every move Shaun (Simon Pegg) and the gang make when battling the bar's undead owner is in near-perfect sync with Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now," which randomly starts playing from the jukebox as they are desperate to stay undetected from the horde outside.

The Shining ("Midnight, The Stars And You" - Ray Noble And His Orchestra)

The final moment of Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining slowly zooms into a photo taken at the Overlook in 1921 with a man resembling Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) shown front and center. The chilling shot is accompanied by 1934's "Midnight, the Stars and You" –performed by Ray Noble and his Orchestra with vocals by Al Bowlly – which is most notable today for its inclusion in the 1980 horror classic.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe ("Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)" - The McGuire Sisters)

In The Autopsy of Jane Doe, the titular corpse (actually a witch capable of nearly anything but moving a muscle) likes to taunt the father-son coroners examining her by playing the McGuire Sisters' version of "Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)" on the radio. The otherwise "shiny" tune makes a devasting reprise near the end when Austin (Emile Hirsch) believes he is being rescued by Sheriff Burke (Michael McElhatton) who repeatedly tells him to "open up" the stuck cellar doors until he hears him belt the song's chorus, indicating his nightmare is not yet over.

The Strangers ("My First Lover" - Gillian Welch)

Sometimes turning a happy song into nightmare fuel takes a little manipulation, such as how Gillian Welch's "My First Lover" appears in The Strangers. At one point in the 2008 home invasion thriller, a record scratch causes the romantic folk ballad to repeatedly loop on the lyric, "Quicksilver girl," which is enough to create relentless tension.

Us ("Les Fleurs" - Minnie Riperton)

Sung from the perspective of a flower, Minnie Riperton's 1969 hit "Les Fleurs" is a beautiful song about spiritual renewal. However, when it begins playing as the twist from the ending of Us is revealed and reaches its invigorating crescendo during the apocalyptic final shot, it creates a chilling juxtaposition for Jordan Peele's sophomore hit.

A Quiet Place Part II ("Beyond The Sea" - Bobby Darin)

In A Quiet Place Part II, Emmett (Cillian Murphy) tells Regan (Millicent Simmonds) that he has heard a radio station playing Bobby Darin's scintillating swing hit "Beyond the Sea" on repeat. She correctly deciphers this as a code sent from an island safe haven, which she and Emmett eventually find and, unwittingly, lead a sound-hunting alien to.

Candyman ("The Candy Man" - Sammy Davis Jr.)

Some might argue that 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has its creepy moments, but Aubrey Woods' performance of "The Candy Man" is not one of them. However, by playing Sammy Davis Jr.'s rendition of the song and slowly fading it out with the sound of buzzing bees during the production logos serves as a perfect way to set the tone for the 2021 Candyman requel.

Annabelle: Creation ("You Are My Sunshine" - Charles McDonald)

The end of Annabelle: Creation from 2017 leaves off where the rising action of its 2014 predecessor begins, revealing how Malthus entered the creepy doll. Playing over the closing credits is Charle McDonald's rendition of "You Are My Sunshine," making it the ironic defacto theme of the Conjuring Universe movie.

The House Of The Devil ("One Thing Leads To Another" - The Fixx)

Ti West's 2009 breakthrough feature, The House of the Devil, is a slow-burn horror film that waits to reveal its visceral frights with masterful pacing. During that time, he finds ways to catch you off guard with moments of levity, such as when Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) tries to distract herself from her creepy "babysitting" gig by dancing around her clients' house to The Fixx's "One Thing Lead to Another" on her tape player.

Dawn Of The Dead ("The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash)

Upon deeper examination, Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" is a song about Jesus Christ's return to Earth on Judgment Day. Its foreboding apocalyptic message is greatly emphasized by its inclusion over the opening credits of Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.

The Handmaid's Tale ("Cloudbusting" - Kate Bush)

Despite boasting one of Kate Bush's most cheerful melodies, "Cloudbusting" is actually one of her darkest hits, inspired by the true story of a boy whose father was taken away from him when he was abruptly arrested. However, that tale is far lighter than the story of The Handmaid's Tale, which uses the song in a scene from Season 3 in which evidence of a character's brutal murder is removed.

You're Next ("Looking For Magic" - Dwight Twilley Band)

Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett are known for using comedy in their horror movies, including their otherwise brutal 2013 home invasion thriller, You're Next. Much of the humor comes from the ironic use of the Dwight Tilley Band's "Looking for Magic" in two scenes, due to one victim of the masked assassins putting the 1977 pop tune on repeat accidentally before his death.

Final Destination ("Rocky Mountain High" - John Denver)

The uplifting music of John Denver has been used for ironically dark purposes in several movies and the most iconic example comes from the first installment of the Final Destination movies. Any time "Rocky Mountain High" is heard in the 2000 teen thriller is a signal that Death is near.

Nope ("Fingertips" - Stevie Wonder)

To be fair, Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips" never actually appears in Jordan Peele's third feature, 2022's Nope. However, a remixed version of it provides an ominous aura for the alien invasion movie's trailer.

"Flower Duet" - True Romance

Composer Léo Delibes' "Flower Duet" sets the backdrop for the amazing, and intense, scene between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper in Tony Scott's True Romance. Not only is it a fantastic use of music in film, it's one of the best scenes of any movie from the '90s. Maybe one of the best of all time.

"O-o-h Child" - Boyz 'N The Hood

The melancholy music and lyrics of "O-o-h Child" by the Five Stairsteps set the perfect tone for the scene in Boyz In The Hood where we see a young Dough Boy getting arrested for the first time as Tre and his father Furious look on after a nice afternoon fishing. The scene says so much about how each kid would grow up stuck in an unsustainable system.

"Layla" - GoodFellas

Martin Scorcese has always been great with his use of music in movies. Goodfellas is filled with classic songs and the most dramatic of all of them has to be the coda of the Derek and the Dominos' song "Layla." The piano, along with Eric Clapton and Duane Allman's soaring, dueling guitar solo, sets the perfect tone as bodies from the crew turn up everywhere as Jimmy (Robert DeNiro) cleans up the heist.

"Bittersweet Symphony" - Cruel Intentions

One of the best songs of the '90s, and indeed of all time, is "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve. The use of it at the end of Cruel Intentions as Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) gets busted and embarrassed in front of the whole school is, in one word, epic.

"Sweet Emotion" - Dazed And Confused

The opening moments of Dazed and Confused, accompanied by Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" make it immediately clear just how cool the movie is going to be. When the beat kicks in and we see Pickford (Shawn Andrews) and Michelle (Milla Jovovich) cruising the parking lot in his car, it draws the audience in immediately.

"Son Of Preacher Man" - Pulp Fiction

There are a lot of songs you can choose from in Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece Pulp Fiction. The dancing scene with Chuck Berry certainly stands out, but we just have to go with "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield when Vincent (John Travolta) first arrives to pick up Mia (Uma Thurman). If nothing else, it's really cool, and the scene is now a legendary meme.

"Supermodel" - Clueless

"Cher's main thrill in life is a makeover," is one of the defining lines of Clueless, and the montage that follows accompanied by "Supermodel" by Jill Sobule, is one of the most iconic scenes from one of the most iconic movies of the '90s.

"Jungle Fever" - Jungle Fever

You can't have a list like this and not include the music from Spike Lee's Jungle Fever. The songs, all written and performed by the great Stevie Wonder, fit the movie perfectly. It would be a very different movie without them and while it's hard to pick just one, we went with the title track to the movie, played over the opening credits, to represent them all.

"Still" - Office Space

Sure, the most famous song featured in Office Space is "Feels Good To Be A Gangsta" but it's another song by The Geto Boys, "Still," that gets the nod here. There isn't a harder song director Mike Judge could have gone with to play along with the most famous scene in the movie when the office crew finally put their misery to an end and killed the janky printer.

"Hotel California" - The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski has some amazing quotes and is filled with unforgettable moments and lines. None more so than the moment cast member John Turturro's character, Jesus, is introduced while The Gypsy Kings' version of The Eagles' "Hotel California" plays.

"My Heart Will Go On" - Titanic

While Celine Dion's song "My Heart Will Go On" is not part of one particular scene in Titanic, the theme, written by James Horner (in the composer's most famous work), is played so much that it's as much a part of everyone's fond memories of the movie as the wonderful sets and incredible special effects arfe.

"Unchained Melody" - Ghost

"Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers may have been a quarter of a century old when it was used in Ghost but there are generations of movie fans that only associate with that famous scene of Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze throwing some pottery together.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” - Wayne’s World

It's incredible to think that Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was almost cut from Wayne's World. Not only did end up being the most iconic scene in the movie, it introduced a whole new audience to Queen's music. The movie world would be very different with it.

"Bring The Pain" - The Great White Hype

1996's The Great White Hype is one of the great underrated movies of the decade. Not only does it have a stacked cast with Damon Wayons, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Berg, Jamie Foxx, and others, but it also has one amazing moment when Wayons' character, heavyweight champion James "The Grim Reaper" Roper enters the ring with Method Man rapping "Bring The Pain."

"Goodbye Horses" - Silence Of The Lambs

There are very few songs in the history of film that can creep you out quite like "Goodbye Horses" by Q Lazzarus. The song, used in one of the most traumatic scenes in Silence Of The Lambs will immediately put you back in that moment whenever and wherever you hear it.

"Lust For Life" - Trainspotting

Director Danny Boyle is a master of using music in his movies and the best example of this is probably Trainspotting. From the opening moments of the movie with "Lust For Life" by Iggy Pop playing to the end of the movie with the epic "Born Slippy" by Underworld, the music is just amazing.

"The Stroke" - Billy Madison

Billy Madison launched Adam Sandler's movie career. The Sand Man plays a idiot 20-something who is forced to redo all 12 grades to earn his father's company. As a guy who clearly grew up in the 1980s, turning up to his first day of "high school" in a Trans Am while "The Stroke" by Billy Squire plays is, well, radical and perfect.

“I Will Always Love You” - The Bodyguard

We simply couldn't have put together this list without including one of the most popular songs of all time. Whitney Houston's version of the Dolly Parton-penned "I Will Always Love You" was a cultural atom bomb in the '90s. The song was everywhere and while the movie, which also stars Houston has mostly been forgotten, the song and the soundtrack live on forever.

"Everybody Knows" - Pump Up The Volume

Pump Up The Volume is an excellent example of a great movie from the 1990s that no one talks about anymore. The Christian Slater-led movie about a disaffected high school kid who broadcasts his own pirate radio station did, at the time, do as much to define Gen X culture as any movie from the era. The fact that it predates Grunge makes it all the more defining. All of the music is great, but his theme song, "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen is just so... cool.

"My Sharona" - Reality Bites

No movie oozes "Gen X" quite like Reality Bites. Not only does it star actors like Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder, Janeane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn, but the soundtrack is very '90s. With one exception - "My Sharona" by The Knack. The '80s song fits perfectly though, as the stars all take a moment to turn it up and dance in a convenience store.

“Sister Christian” - Boogie Nights

The scene with "Sister Christian" in Boogie Nights is INTENSE. It's a scene that is, honestly, hard to watch because it makes your skin crawl. That's also what makes the scene, and the movie, such a masterpiece.

"99 Luftballoons" - Grosse Pointe Blank

Grosse Pointe Blank has a truly great soundtrack made up of some of the coolest songs of the 1980s. This is unsurprising given the cast and crew of the movie, including star John Cusack. One of the more ridiculous scenes in this underrated dark romantic comedy is Cusack's character getting help from Jeremy Piven's character to haul a dead body out of a high school reunion with Nena's "99 Luftballoons" playing in the background.

"Stuck In The Middle With You" - Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino burst onto the scene with his first movie Reservoir Dogs and he immediately set the kind of tone he would carry into most of his movies with the ultra-violent scene of Mr. Blonde (Michael Madson) cutting the ear off a cop. The fact that the sweet love song "Stuck In The Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel plays over it makes it all the more jarring.

"Only You" - Can't Hardly Wait

Can't Hardly Wait is a very '90s with a very '80s aesthetic in a lot of ways, especially the music. The movie's title comes from an '80s song of the same name by The Replacements and the last song of the movie, "Only You" by Yazoo is an '80s New Wave classic. It all fits perfectly though.

"Something I Can Never Have" - Natural Born Killers

Nine Inch Nails have the well-earned reputation of being one of the darkest bands of the 1990s and so when their song "Something I Can Never Have" was included in one of the darkest movies of the decade, it was a marriage made in Heaven, or Hell, depending on how you look at it.

"Mary Jane" - Friday

We all know what Friday is about. The Ice Cube/Chris Tucker comedy classic is one of the funniest movies of the '90s and while "Mary Jane" by Rick James dates back to the '70s, there isn't a more perfect song for the movie.

"Fortunate Son" - Forrest Gump

It's become a comedic trope that Credence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" is in every Vietnam War movie, but the facts actually show it's not used all that much. One movie it is used perfectly in is Forrest Gump, as the first song we hear when Forrest (Tom Hanks) gets to Vietnam.

"I Got You Babe" - Groundhog Day

There is no more perfect song than "I Got You Babe" to be played over and over and over and over as it is in Groundhog's Day. It does an amazing job just sucking the audience into Bill Murray's character's frustration again and again...and again.

“That Thing You Do” - That Thing You Do!

That Thing You Do! is a really fun movie about a fictional band, so it just had to be included here. None of the songs are all that great, except the star of the show, the song with the same name as the movie, written by the late Adam Schlesinger. It's just so darn catchy!

"State of Love and Trust and Breathe" - Singles

In 1992 the music scene was completely overrun with Grunge. Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains, were just a few of the Seattle bands dominating the charts. Another one of those Seattle bands was, of course, Pearl Jam. Not only did Eddie Veddar and company write and perform the best song on the soundtrack, "State of Love and Trust" but Veddar even showed up in the movie.

"Secret Garden" - Jerry Maguire

Bruce Springsteen had some great contributions to '90s movies, like the theme to Philadelphia, called ""Streets of Philadelphia" for which he won an Oscar, and "Dead Man Walkin'" from Dead Man Walking. We went with another Springsteen choice, "Secret Garden" which is played over the scene in Jerry Maguire when Renee Zelleweger's character is forced to break up with Jerry (Tom Cruise).

"Love Stinks" - The Wedding Singer

Some could argue that The Wedding Singer was the last great movie from Adam Sandler's early career. It's a funny movie, with an even funnier premise and that premise, of Sandler as a washed up singer playing weddings is highlighted perfectly when a depressed singer chooses to sing "Love Stinks" by the J. Geils Band at a wedding. A very Sandler choice.

Vic And Vincent Vega Are Brothers (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction)

Perhaps the most famous Tarantinoverse detail confirmed by the filmmaker himself is that Vincent Vega, played by John Travolta in 1994’s Pulp Fiction, is the sibling of Reservoir Dogs’ Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen), whose real name is Vic Vega. Tarantino even had plans to make a prequel spin-off film called The Vega Brothers that never came to fruition. 

The Bride Uses Mr. Blonde’s Razor (Kill Bill Vol. 2)

One of the scariest unseen movie moments occurs in 1992’s Reservoir Dogs when Mr. Blonde slices an ear off of Officer Marvin Nash (Kirk Waltz) with a straight razor. Michael Madsen mentions in the 2019 documentary, QT8: The First Eight, that The Bride (Uma Thurman) uses the same razor to cut the ropes around her wrists after she is buried alive in 2004’s Kill Bill Vol. 2.

The Scagnetti Family (Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers) 

In Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Blonde identifies his parole officer as Seymour Scagnetti — a character we never see. However, we have met his brother, Det. Jack Scagnetti, who is played by the late Tom Sizemore in 1994’s Natural Born Killers, which Tarantino wrote the screenplay for. 

Alabama From True Romance And Mr. White Were Partners (Reservoir Dogs, True Romance)

Tarantino penned the script for director Tony Scott’s 1992 favorite, True Romance, in which Patricia Arquette plays Alabama Whitman. That same year, she was also mentioned in Reservoir Dogs by Mr. White (Harvey Keitel), who recalls that she used to be his partner in crime.

Mr. Blonde’s Soda Comes From Big Kahuna Burger (Reservoir Dogs)

One of the most prevalent and recognizable recurring details in Tarantino’s filmography is the mention of a Hawaiian fast food joint called Big Kahuna Burger, and its first introduction to the Tarantinoverse is a very subtle one. In Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Blonde’s hand blocks the logo on his drink cup, but we know it comes from the same restaurant because it matches the design of Brett’s (Frank Whaley) drink in Pulp Fiction.

Jules Eats Brett’s Big Kahuna Burger (Pulp Fiction)

The first time Big Kahuna Burger is called out by name in the Tarantinoverse is in Pulp Fiction when Vincent and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) pay a visit to Brett’s apartment as he is enjoying his “nutritious” breakfast. As an intimidation tactic — and because, being in a relationship with a vegetarian, he might not have had one in a while — Jules asks if he can have a bite and determines that the Big Kahuna is, indeed, one “tasty burger.”

A Big Kahuna Burger Drink Cup Sits At The Bar (Four Rooms)

Tarantino both stars in and directs a segment from the 1995 anthology thriller Four Rooms called, “The Man from Hollywood.” At one point in the short, you can see a beverage cup from the Big Kahuna Burger sitting at the bar of the Hotel Mon Signor.

Seth Gets Big Kahuna Burger Takeout (From Dusk Till Dawn)

In the 1996 vampire movie favorite, From Dusk Till Dawn — which Tarantino wrote and Robert Rodriguez directed — Seth Gecko (George Clooney) returns to the motel where his brother, Richard (Tarantino), is waiting with some grub. His meal of choice: Big Kahuna Burger, which is also featured prominently in the series adaptation of the film, which premiered in 2014.

Jungle Julia’s Billboard Is Near Big Kahuna Burger (Death Proof)

Tarantino would collaborate with Rodriguez in 2007 for their own B-movie double feature they called Grindhouse. In one scene from Tarantino’s segment, Death Proof, Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) asks radio personality Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) about a billboard advertisement for her show, which he describes as “near the Big Kahuna Burger.”

Big Kahuna Burger Bus Advertisement (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

Big Kahuna Burger has apparently been around since at least the 1960s, as evident by a quick reference in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which boasts plenty of other cool behind-the-scenes facts. At one point in the 2019 alternative history drama, an ad for the restaurant on a passing bus can be found.

Big Kahuna Burger Takeout Seen When Max Meets Sharkboy (The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl) 

Proof that Robert Rodriguez’s family-friendly superhero movie, 2005’s The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, is part of the Tarantinoverse lies in its Big Kahuna Burger sighting. When Max (Cayden Boyd) recalls the moment he first met Sharkboy (Taylor Lautner) — in his dreams, at least — you can see a very familiar drinking cup and food bag sitting next to him on the fishing dock.

Captain Koons Is A Descendant Of "Crazy" Craig Koons (Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained)

The last name Koons can be attributed to a couple of different characters in the Tarantinoverse who are separated by more than a century. Christopher Walken’s character in Pulp Fiction, Vietnam War veteran Captain Koons, is related to “Crazy” Craig Koons, who is identified as a member of the Smitty Bacall Gang in 2012’s Django Unchained.

Mr. Blonde And Rick Dalton Have The Same Car (Reservoir Dogs, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

If the 1966 Cadillac DeVille owned by Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), but driven throughout Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), looks familiar, it is not by coincidence. In Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Blonde drives the same model and, in fact, it could very likely be the exact same vehicle.

Jimmie Dimmick Is Related To Mr. White (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction)

We learn in Reservoir Dogs that Mr. White’s real name is Larry Dimmick, which confirms that he is in some way related to Tarantino’s character from Pulp Fiction, Jimmie Dimmick. He must not be a very close relative or else Jimmie might have mentioned something about Winston Wolf (played by Keitel) looking like someone he knows when he shows up at his house.

Eddie Mentions A Nurse Named Bonnie (Reservoir Dogs)

In Reservoir Dogs, with Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) badly hurt from a gunshot to the stomach, Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn) mentions that he could call on a nurse he knows named Bonnie to help him. She never shows up to witness the horrifying events that have transpired, but she may have come close to seeing some other instances of “gangster” stuff on another occasion.

Jimmie Dimmick’s Wife Is A Nurse Named Bonnie (Pulp Fiction)

It is very possible that the same Bonnie whom Eddie mentions in Reservoir Dogs is the wife of Jimmie Dimmick, whom he describes as a nurse named Bonnie in Pulp Fiction.

Pete Hicox Is Archie Hicox’s Ancestor (Inglourious Basterds, The Hateful Eight)

Tim Roth reunited with Tarantino for the first time since Four Rooms for The Hateful Eight to play Oswaldo Mobray, who is later revealed to be named English Pete Hicox. The English actor mentions in QT8: The First Eight that his character in the 2015 Western is the great-great-grandfather of Lt. Archie Hicox, who is played by Michael Fassbender in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds.

The G.O. Juice Billboard (Kill Bill Vol. 1)

The Tarantinovere also has its own brand of soft drink that eagle-eyed fans may have spotted on occasion. The first known sighting is in 2003’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 when, as The Bride’s plane is landing is Okinawa, Japan, a billboard advertising the beverage can be seen.

Abernathy Drinks G.O. Juice (Death Proof)

The recurring energy drink G.O. Juice would make its first physical appearance in the Tarantino film Death Proof. Rosario Dawson’s character, a make-up artist named Abernathy Ross, can be seen sipping from a can while on break from her film shoot.

Donny Donowitz Is Lee Donowitz's Ancestor (True Romance, Inglourious Basterds)

Saul Rubinek stars in True Romance as successful movie producer Lee Donowitz, whom Tarantino would confirm in an interview is the son of Eli Roth’s Inglourious Basterds character, Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz. Perhaps Lee’s war film, Comin’ Home Home in a Body Bag, is a tribute to his father, who did not survive Operation Kino.

Kill Bill Shares Its Premise With Mia’s Fox Force Five Pilot (Pulp Fiction)

In Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) discusses with Vincent that she did a TV pilot about a group of female assassins called Fox Force Five, which sounds quite a bit like the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad from Kill Bill. Considering that Pulp exists in Tarantino’s “realer than real universe” and Kill Bill exists in his “movie universe” — which makes up films that the denizens of his “realer than real universe” go see — it is possible that the failed Fox Force Five series was reworked into the two-part revenge saga.

The Nash Family (Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers, Django Unchained)

Marvin Nash — the cop Mr. Blonde tortures in Reservoir Dogs — shares his last name with multiple characters in the Tarantinoverse. He is somehow related to another cop named Gerald — a victim of the Knoxes in Natural Born Killers — who is a descendent of a Smitty Bacall Gang member who is also named Gerald Nash.

Earl McGraw Shows Up At Benny's (From Dusk Till Dawn)

The most prolific recurring character in the Tarantinoverse is a cop named Earl McGraw, as played by Michael Parks. While the Texas Ranger was first introduced making a stop at a convenience store in From Dusk Till Dawn, his death in that scene suggests the 1996 thriller takes place after the later Tarantino films where he pops up, or outside of the "realer than real universe."

Earl And Edgar McGraw Investigate The Two Pine's Chapel Massacre (Kill Bill Vol. 1)

The reoccurring character Earl McGraw would return, alongside his son and colleague, Edgar (Parks’ real-life son, James Parks), in Kill Bill Vol. 1 to examine the aftermath of the horrifying events that took place at what is believed to be The Bride’s wedding. Parks would also appear in Kill Bill Vol. 2, but in the entirely different role of Esteban Vihaio.

Dakota McGraw-Block Comes To Earl For Shelter (Planet Terror)

Earl McGraw also has an estranged daughter in the form of Marley Shelton’s character, Dakota Block, from Planet Terror -- also one of Robert Rodriguez's best movies. The two awkwardly reunite in the apocalyptic first half of Grindhouse when Dakota reluctantly takes refuge from the infected at Earl’s home.

Earl And Edgar McGraw See Dakota At The Hospital (Death Proof)

Ranger McGraw and “Son #1” would show up together in Death Proof, which we learn is also a prequel to Planet Terror when they meet with Dakota at the hospital where she works as an anesthesiologist. They ask her to update them on the status of Stuntman Mike, whom they suspect intentionally murdered the victims of a head-on collision that was ruled as an accident.

Donny Donowitz's "Antonio Margheriti" Pseudonym (Inglourious Basterds)

Antonio Margheriti was an actual Italian filmmaker famous for making B-movies like one of Tarantino’s favorites, 1980’s Cannibal Apocalypse. As a tribute to him, Tarantino had Donny assume his name as part of the Basterds’ infiltration of Le Gamaar Cinema in Inglourious Basterds.

Antonio Margheriti Directed Operazione Dyn-o-mite! (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

Tarantino would also pay tribute to Antonio Margheriti in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He made him the director of Rick Dalton’s spy movie, Operazione Dyn-o-mite!

Paula Schultz May Be King’s Wife (Kill Bill Vol. 2, Django Unchained)

In Kill Bill Vol. 2, Budd (Michael Madsen) buries The Bride alive in a grave that one belonged to a woman named Paula Schultz. One interesting fan theory suggests that she was the wife of the widowed Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) in Django Unchained.

Buddy Holly Could Be Mr. Pink (Pulp Fiction)

Mia and Vincent’s server at Jack Rabbit Slims — who calls himself Buddy, in reference to his resemblance to rock ’n roll pioneer Buddy Holly — is played by Steve Buscemi, who previously starred in Reservoir Dogs as Mr. Pink. It is not confirmed, but some have suggested that the waiter and Mr. Pink are the same person, which could be backed up by the criminal’s mentioning that he used to work minimum wage.

Michael Keaton As Ray Nicolette (Jackie Brown)

The one Tarantino movie that actually exists outside of his shared universes is 1997’s Jackie Brown, which shares ties with another Elmore Leonard adaptation from 1998: Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight. This is supported by Michael Keaton’s appearances in both films as ATF agent Ray Nicolette.

Red Apples (Multiple Films)

Perhaps the most recognizable fictitious brand in the Tarantinoverse is Red Apple, which is seen enjoyed by the likes of Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, multiple Pulp Fiction characters, and Señor Bob (Demián Bichir) in The Hateful Eight. They can also be seen advertised at an airport in Kill Bill Vol. 1 and promoted by Rick Dalton in the mid-credits sequence from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Martin Scorsese - Who's That Knocking at My Door

The great Martin Scorsese's first movie has a wild story. It took him two years in all to complete it, as it started as a short in film school. It stars Harvey Keitel (his first movie role), and takes place in New York City, as you'd expect from Scorsese. Where it got weird was that after its debut at a film festival, it was purchased by a company that insisted they add some racier scenes, so the director did, and it's obvious the scenes were shot later as Keitel looks noticeably older. 

Steven Spielberg - Duel

Even the great Steven Spielberg had to start somewhere. That somewhere was famously with Duel a made-for-tv movie the director shot after doing some episodic television. It's a movie that holds up remarkably well, as a testament to Spielberg's ability to craft a great story. 

Ava DuVernay - I Will Follow

As a pioneering Black female director, Ava DuVernay has inspired many people and brought a unique perspective to Hollywood. Her first movie, I Will Follow is certainly no exception. The deeply moving, personal film confronting relationships, family, and death is a strong debut film. 

Christopher Nolan - Following

Produced on a minuscule budget (reportedly just $6000), Following still has the hallmarks of a Christopher Nolan film, notable for the non-linear storytelling that has become his signature in the decades since this one was made in 1998. Nolan's movies have bigger budgets today, but they still feel as independent as his first. 

Quentin Tarantino - Reservoir Dogs

What can be written about Reservoir Dogs that has already been said? It's not rare for a great director to make a good movie on his try, but this good? That's rare. Res Dogs pops off the screen as much today as when it was released over 30 years ago and that is remarkable. 

David Fincher - Alien 3

Director David Fincher really hated working on Alien 3. He's never been too shy to talk about what went wrong, either. Thankfully, he recovered from his bad experience and has since released a bunch of great movies, like The Game, Fight Club, and Gone Girl.

Tony Scott - The Hunger

Susan Sarandon, Catherine Deneuve, and David Bowie star in Tony Scott's directorial debut, a horror movie called The Hunger. We're not going to pretend like it's Scott's best work, but it's a decent start to what would be come a sensational career before his death in 2012.

Kathryn Bigelow - The Loveless

Kathryn Bigelow is a female director, but her movies, like Point Break and The Hurt Locker often explore masculinity in it's most extreme. Her first movie is no exception. The Loveless, starring Willem Dafoe as the leader of a motorcycle gang who terrorize a small town. It's a decent first effort, but her later movies are still much better. 

John Hughes - Sixteen Candles

We can talk for days about the problematic nature of Sixteen Candles. It's one of the more problematic movies from the '80s, but setting them aside, it's still a first-rate debut film for director John Hughes. It probably helped that Hughes was already established as one of Hollywood's funniest writers when he added directing to his resume. 

Francis Ford Coppola - Dementia 13

it's interesting to note how many directors cut their teeth with horror films. For Francis Ford Coppola, it was the Roger Corman produced Dementia 13. It fits right into Corman's amazing catalog of B-movies, and viewers can even get glimpses of the great heights that Coppola would eventually rise to. Coppola is proud of it as well, re-editing it and re-releasing a director's cut in 2017. 

Oliver Stone - Seizure

Another horror film debut from a Hollywood icon is Seizure by director Oliver Stone, i 1974. Stone worked primarily as a writer early in his career and didn't direct his next film until 1981 and it wouldn't be until five years later that his work garnered serious attention with 1986's Salvador and Platoon, the latter of which won Best Picture and Stone took home Best Director for at the Oscars.

Jane Campion - Two Friends

Jane Campion picks her projects carefully. Over almost 40 years, she's only directed nine films and only three in the 21st Century. Her first, 1986's Two Friends was a made-for-TV flick on Australian TV. It still found its way into some film festivals and was even screened at Cannes in 1986. 

Spike Lee - She's Gotta Have It

Spike Lee exploded onto the scene immediately after graduating from NYU film school. His first movie, She's Gotta Have It, is a fantastic debut that showed real maturity for a young filmmaker. Lee has always known exactly how he wants to tell a story, even from the very beginning. Though She's Gotta Have It doesn't hold up as well of as some of his other early movies, especially Do The Right Thing, it's still a great testament to his immense abilities as a filmmaker.

Penny Marshall - Jumpin' Jack Flash

By the time Penny Marshall directed her first movie, Jumpin' Jack Flash in 1986, she was already well-established in the business. Not only did she come from a Hollywood family, but she was one of TV's biggest stars in the '70s of Laverne & Shirley. As for Jumpin' Jack Flash, not only did the comedy establish Marshall as a director, but it also marked the first starring role in a comedy for Whoopi Goldberg, whose performance is wonderful. 

Paul Thomas Anderson - Hard Eight

Paul Thomas Anderson is another director who came out of the box with a clear vision of how he wanted his films to look and feel. Hard Eight, his first movie, from 1996 very much looks and feels like PT Anderson's later works like Magnolia and There Will Be Blood. It even stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Philip Baker Hall, who were regulars in his later films as well. 

Jordan Peele - Get Out

While a lot of directors have gotten their start with horror movies, only Jordan Peele has completely redefined the genre. His mind-bending debut, Get Out is one of the best movies of the last decade and even though it relies on a twist at the end, it's very re-watchable. Peele, who started famously in comedy, seems like he's just getting started.

Stanley Kubrick - Fear and Desire

Anti-war movies are the norm today, but in 1952, when Stanley Kubrick directed his first movie, Fear and Desire, they were extremely rare. This was an era of World War II vets and patriotism. Still, Kubrick was an iconoclast even then, and not afraid to speak his mind in the best way he knew how on film. 

Chloé Zhao - Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Director Chloé Zhao has made a huge impact in just a short time. She won Best Director at the Oscars (only the second woman to ever do so) for just her third movie, Nomadland (which also won Best Picture) and her ability to tell deeply personal stories about America and Americans is something special. Her movie, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, fits right into this mold, telling a coming-of-age story about a Native American girl. 

Alfred Hitchcock - The Pleasure Garden

There is no bigger name in film history than Alfred Hitchcock. His astonishing career stretched out over 50 years, starting all the way back before movies even had sound. Hitchcock's first official film was The Pleasure Garden, released in 1925. Like many films throughout his career, this one didn't sit right with the more "moral" crowds and was condemned by many Americans. Luckily it didn't affect him in the slightest and he still went on to make some of the best movies ever made. 

The Coen Brother - Blood Simple

There are few filmmakers as beloved as the Coen Brothers. Over the last four decades, they put out hit after hit, they've won awards, and they've ingrained themselves into the psyche of film lovers everywhere. It all started for them with the noir crime film Blood Simple in 1984, starring Frances McDormand, who has been a regular collaborator with Ethan and Joel Coen and is married to Joel. 

Wes Anderson - Bottle Rocket

Wes Anderson has a unique style that is all his own. There is no one else that makes movies quite like he does. Still, his first movie, Bottle Rocket, is more straightforward than the rest of his catalog. It's still a great movie and stars actors that have continued to work with him, decades later. 

John Singleton - Boyz n the Hood

The late John Singleton is another on this list who came out the box with his guns blazing figuratively and literally with Boyz in the Hood. The film was a hard hitting look at life in South Central LA in the 1990s and it was a masterpiece. 

Amy Heckerling - Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Amy Heckerling was a trailblazing female director in the 1980s and is responsible for some of the most beloved and quotable movies of the era. She's probably best known for Clueless, but her first movie, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, is legendary as well. 

George Lucas - THX 1138

Star Wars will always be George Lucas' masterpiece. The seeds of the legendary space opera were planted in his first movie, the sci fi thriller THX 1138, which he developed from the student film while he was studying at USC. 

Mel Brooks – The Producers

By the time Mel Brooks wrote and directed his first movie, The Producers, in 1967, he'd already been in show business for a couple of decades. First as a writer for Sid Caesar then on other TV shows in the '50s and '60s. The EGOT winner has had an incredible career since, with many beloved comedies. 

Ridley Scott - The Duellists

Ridley Scott, like his brother Tony, got his start by directing commercials in the 1960s. Commercial direction is a great proving ground for filmmakers and by 1977 Scott was ready for the big leagues. His first movie, The Duelists was set in the Napoleonic Wars (something he would revisit almost 50 years later with Napoleon), was a critical success and set Scott up for the rest of his impressive career. 

Sofia Coppola - The Virgin Suicides

Of course, Sofia Coppola is Hollywood royalty, but her success is not due to nepotism, it's because she's a darn great director. If she had only made her first movie, The Virgin Suicides, that might have been enough to prove the naysayers wrong, but she's continued to put out excellent movies in the years since. 

Ryan Coogler - Fruitvale Station

It definitely feels like Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is still getting started. With the success of Creed and his two entries in the MCU, Coogler is killing it at a relatively young age. His first movie, 2013's Fruitville Station, made when he was just 26, also marked his first collaboration with Michael B. Jordan and they've made a formidable pair thus far. 

Tim Burton - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

One of the most interesting and eccentric minds in Hollywood has to be Tim Burton. That was evident right away in his career, as his first movie, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, is as quirky and offbeat as anything ever made, and it's why people love it so much. Burton has continued to bring that unique thinking to all his movies since. 

Patty Jenkins – Monster

Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins has taken a patient road to success. Her first movie was... well... a monster. Monster, starring a transformed Charlize Theron as the real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in an astounding performance. Jenkins worked mostly in TV after that until she directed the excellent Wonder Woman in 2017. 

James Cameron - Piranha II: The Spawning

He may be the most financially successful director of all-time, with three of the top five most successful movies at the box, but James Cameron had pretty humble beginnings. Like many directors, he started with a horror movie, Piranha II: The Spawning. It's pretty much as you would expect, a somewhat silly, slasher-type movie (the slasher is a school of fish), but there are some things that telegraph what was to come, like the underwater shots. 

Darren Aronofsky – Pi

Darren Aronofsky's first movie, Pi, was made on a minuscule budget and while you can tell, the movie is still brilliant. It's a psychological thriller that manages to make math... exciting. Steeped in mental illness and numerology, it's a fascinating movie and a fantastic start to The Whale director's career. 

"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.

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

You can't have a list like this and not include Ocean's Eleven. It doesn't have a car chase, but it's got everything else, including one of the most star-studded casts in film history, with names like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, and so many more. There is something so infectious about the way the cast is clearly having an amazing time making the movie which translates into a couple of hours of the most fun you'll have watching a movie. 

The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

1999's The Thomas Crown Affair is a remake of a movie from 1968 starring Steve McQueen, and with all due respect to that one, the modern version is better. Pierce Brosnan's character, Thomas Crown, is quite simply one of the coolest characters of the '90s and Rene Russo is amazing as his love interest and the one investigating him. 

The Italian Job (1969)

The 2003 remake of The Italian Job (1969) is good, but it doesn't hold a candle to the original starring Michael Caine. The original just oozes cool, with great cars, exotic locations, and the aforementioned Caine. Both have spectacular car chases in Mini Coppers, but again, you can't beat the original. 

The Town (2010)

The Ben Affleck directed The Town is based on a true story, although the accuracy, like many historical films, has been disputed. There are essentially three heists in the movie. A bank robbery opens the movie, then the crew botches an armored car robbery, and it ends with them making off with millions by robbing Fenway Park! 

Inside Man (2006)

Spike Lee's contribution to the genre is Inside Man starring Denzel Washington. True to form, Lee's take is anything but formulaic. Instead of the usual tropes of a good heist film, the robbery in this one has much broader social implications. It's a great take on the genre.  

Mission: Impossible (1996)

Pretty much all of the Mission: Impossible movies are heist films in one way or another, so this entry can represent all of them. The heist in the first one is still a classic though, with the memorable scene with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) dangling precariously above the floor as he tries to steal the NOC list from CIA headquarters. 

Baby Driver (2017)

Baby Driver has a couple of things going for it that make it a great heist film. It's stylish and there are some epic car chases. Those two components are critical to a certain kind of heist movie. The movie also has some fantastic music too, which goes a long way. It turns into a revenge movie of sorts, but it still belongs on this list. 

Ronin (1998)

There is no question that 1998's Ronin has a couple of the best car chases in movie history and that alone makes it a great heist movie. It has all the other elements of a great one as well, with a pre-heist and great planning. It's really all about the car chases though. 

Heat (1995)

Robert De Niro seems to love heist movies too, judging on how many he's been. Of all of them, though, the best is probably Heat. In addition to having the epic shootout as the crew tries to escape the bank, which will forever be one of the best action sequences in Hollywood history, the movie also marked the first time De Niro and Al Pacino appeared in a scene together in a movie. 

Out Of Sight (1998)

Author Elmore Leonard really knew how to write a great crime story and Out Of Sight is no exception. The adaption, starring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, flies a little under the radar, but it's a really fun movie. It's not quite over-the-top enough to be called a comedic caper, but it fits well on this list. 

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, and Grace Kelly. Do we really need to say anything more? This is a little different because the robberies don't involve a crew, like a lot of great heist movies. It's just one man, a cat burglar named...Cat (Grant). it's also set in the South of France, which Grace Kelly would get to know quite well later in life when she became Princess Grace of Monaco. 

Inception (2010)

Inception can be confusing with the whole "dream-within-a-dream" stuff, but at its core, it's about stealing. Not art, or money, but information. So while it's a lot more complicated than robbing a casino or a bank, it's still just about stealing. 

The Score (2001)

Robert De Niro first appeared on screen alongside Marlon Brando in 2001's The Score, which also turned out to be Brando's final performance on screen before his death in 2004. It's a straightforward caper film, but it's slickly done and a really fun movie to watch both for the story and for the performances. 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the all-time greats from the 1960s. Sure, it's about a whole more than just a robbery, but the best scene in the movie is the railroad heist towards the beginning. It doesn't hurt that stars Robert Redford and Paul Newman are at the height of their careers and look great doing the stealing. 

Ocean's 8 (2018)

Though not directed by Steven Soderbergh, like its brother Ocean's 11, Ocean's 8 still pops along just like the male version of the caper film. It pulls off the same super fun vibes and brings together an all-star cast of women who prove they are up to the task of pulling off a great robbery too. 

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Audiences first heard about one of the all-time great heists in history in 1977 when they learned in the original Star Wars that the plans for the Death Star had been stolen. It wasn't until almost 40 years later that we would get to see how the heist happened in Rouge One. It was worth the wait too, as Rogue One is arguably the best Star Wars movie since Return of the Jedi. 

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Quentin Tarantino's debut film is unique on this list because audiences don't actually see the robbery. We see the planning and (mostly) the aftermath of the heist, but all we see of the heist itself is some of the crew running from the jewelry store with the alarm going off. It goes to show you need to see the crime to make a great movie. 

Triple Frontier (2019)

2019's Netflix original movie, Triple Frontier, is a great example of a subgenre of military heist movies. It plays like a straight action movie, but the motivation is all about the money for the characters played by the all-star cast that includes Ben Affleck, Pedro Pascal, and Oscar Isaac. 

Gone In 60 Seconds (2000)

Gone in 60 Seconds is another unique entry on this list, because usually these movies are about stealing money, or jewels, but Gone in 60 Seconds is about stealing cars. A lot of cars. 50 cars in one night. It follows all the familiar beats of a great caper flick, but it adds in a bunch of cool cars. It's a remake of a low-budget movie from 1974 and is superior in almost every way. 

Quick Change

One of Bill Murray's most underrated movies has to be Quick Change. It's really funny and completely ridiculous in all the best ways. The heist happens in the first couple minutes of the movie and the rest of the film is the three-person crew trying to get out of town before the police net swallows them up. Give it a shot. 

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

The original Thomas Crown Affair starring Steve McQueen and the millionaire playboy who robs banks for fun is, if we're honest, a little dated. It feels very much of its time in the late '60s. But it's still incredibly charming and if you can get used to the dated transitions between scenes, it's still really good. 

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

What happens when a Monty Python vet writes a caper movie? A Fish Called Wanda is the answer and it's exactly what you would expect. It's a hilarious entry into the genre that includes some really funny performances from all the cast members, including the screenwriter, John Cleese and his fellow Python Michael Palin, plus Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline. Just don't mess with Palin's fish, Wanda! 

Ocean's 11 (1960)

The stories about the filming of the original Ocean's 11 are as legendary as the Rat Pack cast members who star in it. It doesn't have the same snappy dialog as the 2001 remake, but if you're a fan of Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammie Davis, Jr, and Dean Martin, you just have to watch it. 

Lucky Logan (2017)

Director Steven Soderbergh's best heist movie is still Ocean's Eleven, but Lucky Logan is another movie by Soderbergh that is really great. Daniel Craig leads another all-star cast that includes Channing Tatum, Katie Holmes, Sebastian Stan, Adam Driver, and more in a movie where the crew robs a Nascar track. 

The Pink Panther (1963)

The Pink Panther is unique on this list, not because it's a comedy, but because the star of the movie, Peter Sellers, plays the guy investigating the robbery, rather than the culprit. Sellers is, of course, ridiculously funny in the movie as the bubbling, but effective Inspector Clouseau.

The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

We just had to include The Muppets on this list! The great Charles Grodin co-stars with everyone's favorite puppets as the leader of a crew trying to steal the Baseball Diamond, which has to be the coolest name of something being stolen in a heist movie. 

Dead Presidents (1995)

The Hughes Brothers released two great movies in the '90s, the first was Menace II Society which was a cultural bombshell. The second, Dead Presidents, is not as highly regarded but it's still a good movie. It is as much a comment on society as their first movie, but it's wrapped up in a caper story.

Sneakers (1992)

If having an all-star cast is an indication of a great heist movie, Sneakers definitely has that going for it! Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford, and River Phoenix lead this cast which also includes Dan Aykroyd and Ben Kingsley, among others. Also, it's one of the earliest examples of cyber-crime on film, which makes it both exciting and, if we're honest, a little dated.  

Drive (2011)

2011's Drive starring Ryan Gosling is the prototype for Baby Driver in a lot of ways. It doesn't have a stylish soundtrack, but it's got great car chases and a charming star. It's not the best movie on this list, but if you like chases, it's great, even if they are a little too short. 

Three Kings (1999)

Director David O. Russell's Three Kings is famous for its on-set conflicts, but in the end, the director and the cast, which includes George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Spike Jonze, and Ice Cube, ended up making a really great heist movie set during the first Persian Gulf war. 

The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959)

The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery is far from the best movie on this list, but it is really fun to watch a budding star named Steve McQueen early in his career. It was around this time, in 1959, that McQueen's career exploded into the stratosphere, but here, it's still trying to make it. It's also a unique movie because it's shot on location at the actual bank in St. Louis where the robbery on which the movie is based actually took place. 

The Bank Job (2008)

Jason Statham can make everything he does cool. Even when he doesn't have a lot to work with, story-wise. The Bank Job doesn't have the most original story, even though it's based on a true one, but the slick production and Statham's charms make this a very fun watch. 

People have always been fascinated by daring heists, going all the way back in Hollywood history, so there will always be great movies to add to the list in the future. We can't wait for the next one! 

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.