Imagine wrapping up a fun dinosaur movie like Jurassic Park, only to head into one of the most devastating times in history for Schindler’s List. Well, in Vulture’s Oral History of Steven Spielberg flicks, Amblin Entertainment co-founder Kathleen Kennedy, cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, and screenwriter/director David Koepp spoke about what made Jurassic Park such a “blessing” for Spielberg while filming Schindler’s List:

• Kennedy: It’s the only time I’ve ever seen this happen with Steven: I ended up having to take over the postproduction on Jurassic almost entirely because he was so immersed in Schindler. He couldn’t compartmentalize the way he had before.
• Kamiński: We were doing Schindler’s List, and he was having satellite transmission to look at the Jurassic effects, which was totally surreal.
• Koepp: He said that it was kind of a blessing sometimes, in that he’d had these incredibly intense days on set and then he’d come home and look at effect shots for several hours of dinosaurs running around. It was actually a great place to park his mind for a while.

I can imagine what a “blessing” it must have been to take a break from the Holocaust-centered epic with effects shots of the prehistoric dinosaurs. While it feels like it could also cause whiplash, working on a fun dinosaur movie had to be a welcome distraction from such a heavy war film.

Even though Steven Spielberg was a pro at tackling those two different cinematic worlds in 1993, he admitted in 2019 that he actually hated working on Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List simultaneously. I can’t blame him, considering the Indiana Jones director had to switch from the emotional hurdles of his movie about Oskar Schindler to focusing on dinosaurs running rampant, which felt like a “burden” to him.

However, Spielberg clearly found a way to tackle two cinematic worlds, with both films having a massive yet different impact on cinema.

Jurassic Park revolutionized visual effects with its computer-generated imagery and inspired six other movies to expand the franchise. Schindler’s List thoughtfully portrayed the horrors the Nazis inflicted on Jews in German-occupied Kraków and was one of the greatest movies to win Best Picture at the Oscars.

Ultimately, the Jaws director proved that going back to his CGI dinosaurs was a great way to balance emotional storytelling with groundbreaking entertainment that helped shape cinema.

As challenging as it was for Steven Spielberg to move between Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, it eventually showed he was more than capable of pivoting from blockbuster spectacle to devastating historical drama without reducing the impact of the two films.

Feel free to dive into both worlds yourself by streaming Schindler’s List with a Netflix subscription and Jurassic Park with a Peacock subscription. You also gotta tune in for Steven Spielberg’s 2026 movie release of Disclosure Day in theaters now.

For example, two of Francis Ford Copolla's best movies came out in 1974, those being The Godfather, Part II, and The Conversation. And, in 2000, we got Erin Brockovich, and Traffic, both from Steven Soderbergh.

Well, today, I want to talk about another Steven, that being Steven Spielberg. Did you know that he's had two films come out in one year six times in his lengthy career? But, here's the interesting part: It appears that when he did this, he directed one popcorn flick, and one serious flick, almost as if he needed the balance. Don't believe me? Check this out.

1989: Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, And Always

The first time Spielberg had two movies come out in one calendar year was in 1989. That year we got Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which has a lot of cool behind the scenes facts, and what might be Spielberg's least talked about film, Always, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, and many others.

Last Crusade is a fitting, action-packed conclusion to what was initially thought to be a trilogy, and it's many people's favorite sequel in the series (though, I'll always personally be a Temple of Doom man, myself).

It's a great movie, but I actually think the more interesting Spielberg film of ‘89 was Always, which was a remake of Victor Flemings’ movie, A Guy Named Joe.

In Always, a pilot (Dreyfuss) dies, and he comes back as a ghost to guide a new pilot from beyond the grave. All the while, this new pilot falls in love with the ghost's girlfriend.

It's not the most dramatic film in the world (it's actually a romantic fantasy film), but it's definitely not an action movie, either. It's really sweet.

1993: Jurassic Park, And Schindler's List

Many will likely argue that 1975 is the most important year in Spielberg's career since that's the year that Jaws came out.

However, I would argue that 1993 is Spielberg’s most important year, since that's when he released two of his most important films, Jurassic Park, and Schindler's List.

Now, if you're a ‘90s kid like myself, then you already know the importance of Jurassic Park, as a lot of us saw that movie in the theater! Based on the Michael Crichton book of the same name, JP is the one of the biggest popcorn movies that Spielberg has ever made, and a lot of us were covering our eyes when we first saw it, especially during the raptor scenes.

Then you had Schindler's List, which is one of the greatest movies of all time. Spielberg has won two Best Director Oscars, but only one Best Picture trophy, and that was for this Holocaust drama.

With possibly the most serious film Spielberg ever directed, ‘93 is the clearest example of his popcorn/serious director sensibilities. So, like I said, it’s his most important year ever.

1997: The Lost World: Jurassic Park, And Amistad

Spielberg took a hiatus from filmmaking after ‘93, only to return with yet another popcorn flick in ‘97 with The Lost World: Jurassic Park. And, for his serious movie, he tackled a slave revolt with Amistad.

With The Lost World, which Spielberg himself doesn't even seem to like, we got an inferior sequel to the masterful first movie. Still and all, it is a popcorn flick with a T-Rex rampaging through San Diego for good measure.

Arguably the superior film of ‘97 was Spielberg's serious picture, Amistad.

Starring Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey (pre-McConaissance), and Djimon Hounsou in his breakout role, it is part historical film, part legal drama.

It's a worthy film, and a certified tearjerker, but definitely not the masterpiece that is Schindler's, that’s for sure.

2002: Minority Report, And Catch Me If You Can

2002 might be Spielberg's most interesting dual picture year yet in that it seems like he flip-flopped the concept of directing one popcorn flick, and one serious movie.

What I mean is, his “popcorn movie,” Minority Report, often feels more serious than his “serious film,” the mostly light and airy Catch Me If You Can.

Minority Report, which stars Tom Cruise, is a science fiction flick based off of a Philip K. Dick novella. It deals with the concept of “pre-crime” and turns into a pulse pounding chase movie midway through that deals with the heady theme of, what even is free will?

Inversely, Catch Me If You Can, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, almost feels like the popcorn flick this time around…if you were only judging it from its playful first act. It's based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who was a con man before he was even able to legally drink.

It has its dramatic moments, but it’s nowhere near Schindler’s or Amistad when it comes to seriousness. So, it always makes me wonder – what was Spielberg’s “serious” movie in 2002, and what was his popcorn flick? Whichever it was, you can't go wrong because they’re both really good.

2005: War Of The Worlds, And Munich

Now, unlike 2002 where it was questionable which was the popcorn movie, and which was the serious film, there can be no doubt in anybody’s mind what was serious for Spielberg in 2005, and what was popcorn.

That’s because we got the bombastic, Cruise-starring-sci-fi-action-thriller War of the Worlds in June, and what may be Spielberg’s second darkest movie after Schindler’s in Munich, which came out just in time for the end of the year in December.

Based on the H.G. Wells' novel, Worlds has everything you could want in a summer blockbuster. It has Cruise running from explosions, aliens, and other tense and exciting action scenes. If not for its abrupt ending, I’d say that it’s one of Spielberg’s greatest popcorn flicks ever.

Munich, on the other hand, is a historical drama, and one of the few, “This is only for adults” movies that the director has ever made. It stars Eric Bana, amongst others, and concerns the retaliation after the murders of Israelis during the 1972 Olympics. It’s a pitch black film that questions morality, and like all good historical dramas, it draws parallels to modern day times, unfortunately.

It’s a shame that there’s only one more year on this list, because outside of 1993, 2005 might be the second best year in Spielberg’s career.

2011: The Adventures Of Tintin, And War Horse

Lastly, in 2011 we got what I might call two of Spielberg’s more forgotten movies in The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse.

Based on the Tintin comic book series (which means that yes, even Spielberg has directed a comic book movie), The Adventures of Tintin might be Spielberg’s most unique popcorn movie yet.

I say this because even though he was an executive producer behind some of the greatest animated shows of all time like Freakazoid!, Tiny Toon Adventures, and Animaniacs (as well as the, I-can't-believe-it's-not-Disney movie, An American Tail), Tintin was his first (and currently only) venture into directing an animated feature film.

And, it’s exciting! This was my introduction to the character, and I loved seeing him (and his dog, Snowy), on the hunt for hidden treasure. Now, if only we could get that sequel. War Horse, which stars Jermey Irvine, is the serious film, and it concerns a horse sold off during World War I, and all of the people the horse meets along the way.

I wouldn’t call it one of the best war movies ever made (It’s more the story of a boy and his horse), but it is quite harrowing at times, and certainly not what I would deem a popcorn flick.

That’s all of them! Which is your favorite dual picture year for Spielberg? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Martian

Matt Damon plays an astronaut exploring Mars when he is accidentally left for dead on the red planet and is forced to find a way to live with no food and limited resources. The Martian has been praised for the science in (most) of the movie, but it's the survival aspect of the movie that really draws fans in.

The Bridge On The River Kwai

How dedicated are you to your country, and what will you endure to keep your pride? The legendary The Bridge On The River Kwai explores just how far a person will go in pursuit of both of those. In extreme conditions, the British prisoners of war go through the worst of everything, extreme heat, fatigue, disease, and torture, cannot keep them from that stiff upper lip attitude of the era.

28 Days Later

Plenty of movies show the extreme and terrifying nature of surviving a dystopian future or a zombie apocalypse. Few do it better than Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. The zombies are the things of nightmares, but somehow the characters keep living in whatever way they are forced to.

12 Years A Slave

There may be no better example of surviving under the most extreme conditions than the era of chattel slavery in 19th-century America. 12 Years A Slave is one of the hardest movies you'll ever watch, and it's also one of the most important movies of the last half century on the subject. Survival doesn't even begin to describe just how hard it was.

Society Of The Snow

The Oscar-nominated Spanish film Society of the Snow tells the now-infamous story of the Uruguayan rugby team who survive a plane crash in the Andes only to be forced into committing cannibalism to survive in the barren wilderness. It's as terrifying as it is inspiring.

Apollo 13

There are only three people in the history of the world who can really understand what it's like to survive a disaster in space. Tragically, most astronauts who have, didn't live to tell the tale. The three astronauts on the Apollo 13 mission did survive, and the 1995 movie starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon brings the story to the big screen in amazing fashion.

127 Hours

The true story of Aron Ralston, played by James Franco in 127 Hours, is one of the most visceral ever shown in a movie. It's a story that basically can understand just how harrowing it is. We can all imagine ourselves in a similar situation and wonder just how far we would go to save ourselves. Ralston goes further than most even dream possible, but he made it, and set an example of human endurance few have ever matched.

Schindler's List

Schindler's List is the kind of movie you are amazed by, but might not want to ever watch again. Of course, history is known to everyone who has been to school in the last 80 years, but that doesn't make the movie about the horrors of the Holocaust any easier to take in. It's an amazing movie and one of the scariest stories of survival by an entire group of people ever told. And it's told in honor of the six million who didn't make it.

The Revenant

Being left for dead in the wilderness, getting attacked by hostile people, and surviving a bear mauling certainly qualify a survival story for this list. Those things all happen in The Revenant, the movie that finally won Leonardo DiCaprio the Oscar he's been so deserving of.

Dunkirk

Dunkirk is not just about the survival of the British soldiers on the beaches of the titular town at the outbreak of World War Two, it's about the survival of the whole nation. Had the army not been evacuated, the entire war would likely have gone very differently, not to mention the history of the United Kingdom. Christopher Nolan's masterpiece tells a number of stories of survival, and every one is important.

Cast Away

You knew this one had to be here. It's a story as old as time: a man surviving on a tropical island. It's been in myths and stories for centuries, and there is no better example in modern times than Cast Away. From making fire to building a raft to escape on, this one has it all.

The Shawshank Redemption

Being wrongly accused and convicted of a crime you are not guilty of is a nightmare that many people share. One of the best movies of the '90s, The Shawshank Redemption lets everyone see just how scary and emotional something like that could be. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are amazing in this enduring movie that people will still be watching and relating to for many more generations.

Alien

"In space, no one can hear you scream," is the tagline for one of the most celebrated sci-fi horror movies of all time. Ridley (Sigourney Weaver) in Alien is a survivor on her own level throughout the franchise, and it all started with her surviving this movie.

First Blood

Sometimes, survival comes at the expense of the people trying to hunt you, like the cops in First Blood who make the mistake of forcing Green Beret John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) into the woods. Rambo knows how to survive, the cops never stand a chance.

The Pianist

Surviving the Holocaust has rarely been shown on screen as emotionally as it is in The Pianist. Adrien Brody's Oscar-winning performance is as powerful an example of survival as has ever been put on film.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games may not seem like it belongs on the list, but it certainly does. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) has to endure a lot to survive the games, and she thrives when she has to. The movie may be fiction, but the reality doesn't seem impossible, as scary as that is.

A Quiet Place

Surviving is hard enough. Surviving in total silence? Wow, that is truly another level. In A Quiet Place, we learn just how terrifying the silence can be, or really how scary it is when that silence is disturbed. A budding franchise shows just how viscerally people feel the quiet.

Rescue Dawn

Prisoner of war movies are pretty common in Hollywood history. Each brings their own nightmares of survival. Some of the most terrifying come from the Vietnam War, even when the camp is not in Vietnam, as is the case in Rescue Dawn. Christian Bale stars in this movie based on the true story of a pilot shot down over Laos and the horrors he must endure as a POW.

The Road

Cormac McCarthy's excellent (and bleak) book The Road was turned into an even bleaker movie starring Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee and set in a dystopian future. Human endurance is incredible, as even in the worst kind of situation, some survive. Never underestimate the love a father has for his son.

Unbroken

Angelina Jolie directed one of the most incredible stories of POW survival ever in Unbroken. The true story, about Louis Zamperini surviving multiple ordeals, including a plane crash, 47 days in a raft in the middle of the ocean, and two years in a POW camp. At the camp, he was tortured and used as forced labor. How he survived is nothing less than astonishing. The movie has mixed reviews, but the story is incredible, no matter how it's told.

Lone Survivor

Peter Berg directed Lone Survivor, based on the incredible true story of Marcus Luttrell, who was, as the name of the movie implies, the only survivor in a group of Navy SEALs on a mission in Afghanistan. Mark Wahlberg plays Luttrell, and Taylor Kitsch plays one of the members of his team who was killed. Though the account has been disputed, the movie still serves as a shining example of survival.

Into The Wild

Sometimes, it's human hubris that puts us in a position where we have to survive. Such is the case in the book and the movie Into the Wild. Alexander Supertramp, aka Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch), made his own choices that led him to the desperate situation that eventually, tragically killed him as he tried (and failed) to survive in the Alaskan wilderness.

Gravity

Surviving space is hard enough when you have other people with you. On your own, it's downright impossible. That's the situation Sandra Bullock's character finds herself in in Gravity. It's science fiction, but it's so believable. It's not like Alien or even The Martian, it's much closer to home.

The Diary Of Anne Frank

Maybe the most famous example of survival during the Holocaust is the story of Anne Frank and her family in German-occupied Holland during World War II. The incredible diary the young girl kept has inspired countless people and put a real face on the victims of the Third Reich. The book was turned into a movie nominated for eight Oscars, winning three.

Deliverance

It was supposed to be a relaxing and exciting canoe trip that instead turned into a harrowing story of survival after a group of friends, led by Burt Reynolds in Deliverance, are terrorized by a nasty group of locals who don't want them on the river. The incredibly popular movie is part action/adventure, part horror movie as the campers deal with some really scary actions from those out to kill them.

Alive

A few decades before the Society Of The Snow brought the story of the Uruguayan Rugby Team, who survived a plane crash and weeks on top of a mountain, to the big screen, Ethan Hawke and company told the story in Alive. It's not as visceral as the newer movie, but it's still an incredible telling of the story.

The Great Escape

To be fair, The Great Escape is as much a "boys adventure" movie as it is a story of survival. Still, there is no question that there are some sad, harrowing moments for the POWs in a German camp during World War II. People do die, and there are real stakes (at times) in this classic movie from old Hollywood with an all-star cast.

Children Of Men

Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 movie Children of Men is, in a world, incredible. It may be overshadowed by his more recent work, like Gravity and Roma, but it's my favorite movie of his. It's also a unique look at survival, not just by the main characters in the movie, but humankind as a whole.

The Is The End

We had to include one comedy on this list. There are a few examples of funny takes on survival, but none are quite as ridiculous as This is the End. The all-star cast of Hollywood stars playing ridiculous versions of themselves is both funny and actually pretty scary at times.

Into Thin Air: Death on Everest

Into Thin Air: Death on Everest, a television movie based on the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. It depicts the true story of one of the deadliest seasons of climbing the world's highest mountain. Not everyone survives, but those who do, like Beck Weathers (Richard Jenkins), endured some of the most harrowing weather conditions ever seen on Earth.

The Swiss Family Robinson

One of the most famous stories of "surviving" has to be The Swiss Family Robinson, as told by Disney in a couple of different versions, including one in 1960. It's hardly harrowing, and it's pretty luxurious and therefore unrealistic, but it sure does seem like fun! Survival doesn't always have to be a nightmare in movies, apparently.

Man Friday

It's sort of surprising that the story of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe hasn't been made into more movies. Man Friday is probably the best adaptation of the enduring novel, so it'll stand in for all of them.

Braveheart

While Braveheart isn't the most historically accurate movie of all time, it does try to tell the true story of the Battle of Stirling Bridge. It was a huge turning point in the Scottish/English war. Ever since, many in Scotland have used it as a rallying point for independence.

Chernobyl

The 1986 nuclear meltdown of the power plant in Chernobyl, USSR (now Ukraine), was one of the most important and scariest events of the 1980s. There was already a fear of nuclear power, and the meltdown not only helped show just how technologically messed up the USSR was, but it was also used as a rallying cry by anti-nuke protestors in the West. The HBO miniseries from 2019 tells the amazing story in all its terrifying details and was pretty historically accurate.

Selma

It's hard to put into context just how important the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s in the US was historically, all over the world, not just in America. It's a movement that is impossible to tell the complete story of in one movie or TV show, but Selma does a great job in focusing on one of the most significant events of the movement.

The Passion of the Christ

Setting aside the politics of Mel Gibson's controversial The Passion of the Christ, there really isn't a more earth-shattering event than the crucifixion of Jesus. Even if you are a nonbeliever, there isn't a story ever told that has had such a profound effect on human history.

Oppenheimer

The winner of the 2024 Oscar for Best Picture (and a bunch more), Oppenheimer, tells the story of the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb and not only did it's terrifying effects help end World War II, but it cast a pall over the rest of the 20th Century as the USA and the USSR locked horns in the Cold War and an arms race that threatened to end the world.

Thirteen Days

During the Cold War, the closest it ever came to becoming a hot war was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a harrowing time, and had cooler heads not prevailed, things on this planet might be very different. Thirteen Days tells the story from inside the White House during that history-changing event.

Zero Dark Thirty

The hunt for Osama Bin Laden after 9/11 affected every corner of the globe, and for almost a decade, it was front-page news. Zero Dark Thirty takes audiences behind the scenes in that hunt, leading to his death in 2011. It's a fantastic movie and one that tells the story in a pretty accurate way, though, like many of these movies, it shouldn't all be taken as fact.

Waterloo

The Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th Century reshaped politics all over the globe. Obviously, the most acute effects were felt in Europe, but without them, the US wouldn't have made the Louisiana Purchase, so the long-ranging effects were all over. It all ended with the Battle of Waterloo, where the English and other European powers finally ended Napoleon's campaign to rule the world. The movie Waterloo is one of the best war movies ever made and is a must-see for history buffs.

The Right Stuff

In the mid-20th Century, as a biproduct of the Cold War, the US and the USSR found themselves racing each other to space. The Soviets won the race, but it wasn't because the US didn't make a valiant effort. The story of the Mercury Seven, the first Americans in space, is told wonderfully in The Right Stuff, with an all-star cast and based on a book by Tom Wolfe.

The Big Short

The 2008 financial meltdown had ripple effects all over the world. The largest economies in the world were brought to their knees due to the wild speculation and lawlessness of the US housing and stock markets. It's a completed series of events that led to the meltdown, and The Big Short does an incredible job of uncomplicating it.

Saving Private Ryan

The main story of Saving Private Ryan, the rescue of one soldier among millions, isn't what changed the world, but let's be honest, what most people remember first about the movie, the storming of Normandy Beach on D-Day, did certainly change it. World War II was essentially won in those days, though it would take almost another year for the war to finally come to a close.

Schindler's List

Like other movies here, Schindler's List takes on one of the most complicated and enormous stories in the history of humankind. It is impossible to tell the whole story, but Steven Spielberg's masterpiece doesn't have to tell the whole story to find the emotion and horror of the holocaust in his story about Oskar Schindler. It's a movie many can't watch more than once, but it's a movie everyone should see.

World Trade Center

For anyone alive in the late '90s and early 2000s, there was before 9/11, and there was after. Everything changed on that day, everywhere. It started wars that lasted decades and forever changed the way countries, especially the United States, handled security. So much changed that day that it's hard to put it into words, and Oliver Stone's focus on the events of the day in World Trade Center reminds us all of the horrors and the aftermath.

Dunkirk

World War II had a profound effect on everything that has come since. From the Cold War to the decolonization of Africa and Asia, it upended the whole world order. It's important to remember that it might have ended much differently had the evacuation of the British Army at Dunkirk not been as successful as it was, and Christopher Nolan's brilliant and engaging Dunkirk does an incredible job telling the story.

Band Of Brothers

HBO's iconic miniseries Band Of Brothers is a little bit of a cheat on this list, as it tells the events of a few important moments in World War II, including D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of The Bulge, but it belongs on this list as it does one of the best jobs of any movie or TV show telling the whole story of the last year of World War II.

Darkest Hour

Like Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, Darkest Hour tells the same story, or at least the same time, as the British evacuation from France at the beginning of World War II. Darkest Hour sees Churchill, played wonderfully by Gary Oldman, rallying the British public (and the politicians) to stay in the fight when the evacuation could've ended everything.

The Insider

This one might not seem so obvious, but the story told in The Insider changed a lot. Anyone who grew up in the 20th Century can tell you just how prevalent smoking cigarettes was. It was allowed everywhere and hardly discouraged by anyone. Jeffrey Wigand, played by Russell Crowe in the movie, blew the whistle on the whole tobacco industry and forever changed the public's perception of the habit, and that has changed everyday life for everyone.

Bridge Of Spies

Though it is just one story of many from the Cold War, Bridge of Spies, which is essentially about a prisoner exchange between East and West, does have a few moments in it that profoundly affected life in the world. Especially the scene when Tom Hanks' character travels from West Berlin to East and audiences see the early days of the Berlin Wall, and, in effect, the Iron Curtain in its most physical form.

All The President's Men

The Watergate Scandal might seem like a moment that only affected United States politics, but the ripple effects go much further. All The President's Men tells the story of the two reporters who broke the story and their work forever changed how politics are covered by the media not just in the US, but everywhere. It's one of the best movies about politics, covering a moment that changed the world.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Elizabeth: The Golden Age, the follow-up to Elizabeth, both starring Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth, is, honestly, a mess, historically. It's not a very good movie, either. However, it is one of the rare movies that depicts the Battle of Gravelines, when the English Navy defeated the Spanish Armada and the balance of power in Europe, and worldwide, changed forever.

From The Earth To The Moon

The exploration of space in the mid and late 20th Century affects everyone on earth. Where would we be without satellites, jet propulsion, or any of the other things we take for granted that are a result of the space race? The HBO miniseries From The Earth To The Moon is a great starting place to learn more about it.

JFK

Oliver Stone's conspiratorial JFK might not be the most historically accurate telling of the assassination of John F. Kennedy - or maybe it is, depending on your point of view - but it is the most in-depth discussion of one of the most consequential moments of the 20th Century.

Charlie Wilson's War

Like others on this list, Charlie Wilson's War doesn't seem like a movie portraying a moment that changed everything, but, of course, it did. The Tom Hanks movie shows the beginning of the USA's involvement with the Afghan mujahideen in their fight against the Soviets. There is a direct through-line from the collapse of the USSR, 9/11, and the USA's War on Terror that all began there.

The Death of Stalin

Sure, The Death of Stalin is a comedy, and a brilliant one at that, but the event it depicts, from the actual death of the brutal dictator Stalin to the internal battle for power it created, completely changed the direction of the Cold War, which would continue for another four decades after his death.

The Ten Commandments

It may be controversial to put Biblical movies on this list, depending on your belief system, but whether fable or true story, the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments has been something that changed the world more than maybe any other single story. Charlton Heston's starring role as Moses in The Ten Commandments is still one of the most beloved performances of all time in Hollywood.

The King's Speech

It's fair to say that this movie is a little heavy on World War II moments, but it's a war that has had a profound effect on everything that has come after it. The King's Speech isn't a war movie in a traditional sense, but it does tell a story that until it, was somewhat untold and that's how important King George VI's speech was for moral for the British and indeed, all the Allies in the war.

A Bridge Too Far

It's rare that a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster with a giant cast of legends like A Bridge Too Far tells the story of an infamous battle disaster like Operation Market Garden. Had the battle gone differently, as the British General Bernard Montgomery had intended with his plan, the war might have ended earlier, and who knows how that might have affected the rest of history.

Rome

The transition of Rome from a Republic led by its senate to an Empire led by a series of all-powerful emperors was a major turning point in Western culture and had profound effects on the historical development of Europe and, in effect, the world. That story, the rise of Caesar and the fall of the Republic, is told brilliantly in HBO's ill-fated, but still great, Rome.

Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi and his belief in non-violent opposition and protest brought the British Empire to its knees in India, just as is shown in the amazing movie simply Gandhi. Gandhi's approach has changed the way the world has tried to change the world and had a major influence on the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., and many others.

Midway

The War in the Pacific in World War II is not told as often as the War in Europe, but Midway, while not the greatest movie of all time, accurately (mostly) depicts the most important battle of that theater. It's a battle that reversed the Japanese aggression and, ultimately, led to the Allied victory.

Downfall

In a war full of consequential moments, maybe the most important moment came in that bunker in Berlin when Hitler did what no one else had been able to do: kill Hitler. Downfall is simply an incredible look inside the bunker and the last days of the war.

300

The profound effects of Greek culture on the Western world are well understood by anyone who has ever taken even the most basic history class in junior high. While 300 is more fantasy than reality, it does (kind of) tell the story of how the Greek culture survived when under literal attack from the East.

The Rolling Boulder - Raiders Of The Lost Ark

There are opening scenes, and then there is the opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not only does the opening sequence, with Indy (Harrison Ford) and his partner played by Alfred Molina perfectly define the character that we would come to adore over the decades, but it includes one of the best action sequences ever. The final booby trap Indy must escape is, of course, the giant rolling boulder and it still leaves us all breathless.

Quint's Speech - Jaws

Spielberg's Jaws is often considered the first true "summer blockbuster," despite the director's initial reluctance to make it. That mostly has to do, of course, with the shark. If you dig a little deeper though, it's the human characters that really make the movie so enduring. Quint, played by Robert Shaw, tells one of the most iconic stories in film history when he recounts his experience on the ill-fated USS Indianapolis during World War II.

The Red Dress - Schindler's List

One of the best tricks that Spielberg pulls in his Best Picture-winning film Schindler's List is humanizing an event - The Holocaust - that was so vast and the numbers so overwhelming that it's hard to really understand. One thing he does so effectively to do this is showing the lone girl in a red dress, the only color in the movie until the very end. The red dress is seen later in a pile of clothing of victims of the atrocity, bringing a really emotional gut punch to the whole movie, which is already one of the hardest to ever rewatch.

Biking Past The Moon - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

Until Titanic, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was the highest-grossing movie of all time and it's easy to understand why even decades later. The movie is remarkably well-made and beautifully shot. The most enduring shot has to be the sight of Elliott and ET flying past the moon on the bicycle.

The Opening Scene - Saving Private Ryan

The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan completely changed how war films are made, especially movies about World War II. The brutal action sequence of the army rangers hitting the beaches of Normandy on D-Day produces a visceral reaction from all who see it and has been praised for accurately depicting what it was like on that fateful day in June 1944. It's the biggest reason the movie is one of the best war movies ever made.

Playing The Music For The First Time - Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind isn't as talked about as many of Steven Spielberg's movies, but one scene that no one forgets is when the humans and the aliens trade music notes in an attempt to learn to communicate. The melody is unforgettable and you're problem humming it right now.

The First Time Everyone Sees The Dinos - Jurassic Park

It's hard to explain what a cultural bombshell Jurassic Park was when it landed in theaters in the summer of 1993 to anyone who wasn't alive at the time. It was huge and the special effects, the dinosaurs, were a huge reason why. The moment that the characters first set eyes on previously extinct animals is simply magical.

Saluting The Kamikazes - Empire Of The Sun

Empire of the Sun is the most underrated movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Even at the time it flew under the radar. Throughout the movie, Christian Bale's character endures a lot and the moment he watches the Japanese kamikaze pilots take off as the war is ending is deeply emotional for him and the audience.

Arguing In The Fire - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade is the most fun of the three original Indiana Jones movies. The chemistry between Indy and his father, played by Sean Connery is what makes the movie so charming. Nowhere is this better seen than when the two of them are tied up together by their captors and manage to light the room on fire and save themselves by moving into a fireplace that is more than it seems.

The Stairwell Argument - Munich

When Ali (Omar Metwally), a PLO member, and Avner (Eric Bana), a Mossad agent in Munich find themselves in the same safe house, they have a serious and intense discussion about the future of Palestine and Israel and who will control it in the near and far futures. It's elegantly shot with smoke from the two men's cigarettes lingering in the air, just as the question of the fate of the Palestinians and Israelis is.

Defiance - The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey's performance in The Color Purple is heartbreak, powerful, and emotional. The scene in which she defies the white men she encounters on the street tells you everything you need to know about her character and the message of the movie.

Lincoln's Discussion With Grant - Lincoln

Whenever Daniel Day-Lewis takes on a role, you know you're going to be in for a treat. Of all his many award-winning roles, none are quite as amazing as his performance of President Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln. His conversation with General U.S. Grant (Jared Harris) after the Siege of Petersburg is a quiet part of the movie that says so much about both men.

The Car Race - Ready Player One

One of the biggest changes between the book Ready Player One and the movie is the addition of a car chase for the first key. It's a smart decision as it plays perfectly in the movie and the action sequence is the kind of chase you can watch over and over, and it's chock full of easter eggs, just like the rest of the movie.

The Subway Ride - Bridge Of Spies

For anyone who grew up in the '60s, '70s, or '80s, the Cold War occupies a significant amount of memories, especially of The Berlin Wall, In Bridge Of Spies, the scene when Tom Hanks' character travels from West Berlin to East on the subway, crossing where the wall would be built is an amazing sequence that puts an exclamation point on the job he is doing.

Short Round's Getaway - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

While Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom might not be as beloved as the other two in the original trilogy, it still has that signature Steven Spielberg charm. The scene when Short Round, played by a young Ke Huy Quan races in to rescue Indy and speed away in a car he's not even big enough to reach the pedals on, is everything you could want from a scene like it.

Frank Getting Away From The Hotel - Catch Me If You Can

There are a ton of fun, memorable scenes in Catch Me If You Can but the best is the moment Tom Hanks' character and Leonardo DiCaprio's meet in person for the first time. It's a chaotic scene as Frank Abagnale (DiCaprio) confuses Hanratty (Hanks) and escapes by the skin of his teeth.

The T-Rex Skips Customs - The Lost World: Jurassic Park

There's no question that The Lost World: Jurassic Park doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, but there is still one great scene when the T-Rex escapes the boat at the port in San Diego and goes on a Godzilla-like rampage. Sure, it's a little cheesy, but that's okay, it's still super fun.

The Burning Train - War Of The Worlds

The burning train in 2005's War of the Worlds is one of the spookiest scenes ever seen in a Steven Spielberg movie. As the ghost train flies by with flames coming out of every door and window, the assembled crowd can only look on in silent shock, just like the audience.

John Adams Speech - Amistad

Sir Anthony Hopkins' performance of John Adams in Amistad is one of the best portrayals of a U.S. President in film history. His speech at the end of the trial is as emotional as it is inspiring and simply the best part of a very hard movie to watch, but an easy one to love.

Fight Club

It's really hard to believe that Fight Club wasn't really a hit when it was released in 1999, especially given the epic ending. Not only does it tie up a disturbing bow on the whole movie, but the visual, of a city collapsing is simply stunning. If those two things are not enough, having The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind" play over the exploding city is one of the best uses of music in a movie, ever.

Oppenheimer

Director Christopher Nolan pulled off an amazing trick in Oppenheimer. With his trademark use of time in a movie, he managed to tell the whole story of Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), including what happened after The Manhattan Project but still managed to bring the film to a climax with the big boom of the first nuclear bomb test. All of that set the end, with a focus on Oppenheimer himself internally debating if it was all the right thing to do.

Psycho

Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to end a movie with a quiet bang that leaves the audience freaked out and thinking about days and even years later. The end of Psycho, with Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) staring into the camera as we hear his internal monologue, is about as perfect an ending as a movie can have.

Dead Poets Society

You simply cannot think about Dead Poets Society without thinking of that iconic ending first. As John Keating (Robin Williams) walks out of his classroom after being fired, all of his students stand on their desks in tribute, reciting "O Captain! My Captain!" from the famous poem by Walt Whitman. It is guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye every time you see it.

The Breakfast Club

Over the 90 or so minutes of The Breakfast Club, audiences all get to know each one of the characters intimately. Vice Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason) reads Brian's words as the audience hears Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) explain how each student is unique, but how they have to appreciate each other. They may be a brain, an athlete, a basket case, and a criminal, but they all have the problems of any teenager.

The Truman Show

The Truman Show is one of Jim Carrey's best films and the ending is a big part of that. The emotion of his sailing trip across "the ocean" and the moment he arrives at the door is harrowing. The joy of seeing Truman finally escape captures the audience perfectly and Truman waving goodbye as he walks out the door ends the movie in the best way possible.

The Silence Of The Lambs

The worst part about the end of The Silence Of The Lambs is that you find yourself actually rooting for a psychopathic serial killer. The movie, if you don't remember, ends with an escaped Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in disguise tracking his nemesis, Dr. Chilton (Anthony Heald) as he gets off a plane in a tropical location.

Thelma & Louise

There really isn't a more epic ending to a movie than Thelma & Louise. After being chased across multiple states after committing a justified crime, the two titular characters decide to literally ride off into the sunset - or off a cliff - as the police are closing in on them. In it together to the end.

The Godfather

There is nothing in cinema quite like The Godfather saga. There are some amazing scenes all throughout the two...okay, three... movies. None are more arresting than the final scene of the first movie when Michael (Al Pacino) fights with, and lies to, Kate (Diane Keaton) before leaving the room to greet his other family members. The door closing in Kate's face is tragic, but incredible.

Chinatown

Despite the last line of dialog in the movie, it's impossible to forget Chinatown, especially its tragic ending as Evelyn (Faye Dunaway) is killed attempting to finally escape the clutches of her domineering and, frankly, evil father played by John Huston. Jake (Jack Nicholson) is understandably distraught, yet all he can do is forget about it.

Planet Of The Apes

With one of the best twists in film history, the ending of Planet Of The Apes is so unforgettable that it has become a part of pop culture. Even people who have never seen the movie, starring Charlton Heston as an astronaut stuck on what he thinks is a distant planet, know how it ends when he discovers he's been on Earth the whole time.

Field Of Dreams

The premise of Field of Dreams is that if he (Kevin Costner) builds it "he" will come. The "he," of course, is Costner's character's father. The movie ends with the two characters having a catch on the baseball field as the camera pulls out to reveal a line of cars headed to watch a game at the magical field. Finally, they come.

The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects has one of the most beloved twists ever and the way it ends, with the reveal that Kevin Spacey's character is Keyser Söze, and with that final breath...poof, one of the most epic final scenes ever.

Dr. Strangelove

You can't really end a movie in a more epic way than having nuclear weapons exploding over and over. From the moment Korg (Slim Pickens) hitches a ride on one of his bombs, to the montage of actual nuclear explosions, the end brings to a point the absurdity of nuclear war.

Casablanca

There aren't many movies that have multiple quotes that have become part of the lexicon like Casablanca. Playing it again, hills of beans, looking at you... the list goes on and on. The final shot of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Renault (Claude Raines) walking off into the fog is right up there with the greatest endings ever, with that iconic quote from Rick to Renault about the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Sunset Boulevard

There are few ending scenes as uncomfortable (and wonderful) as the final scene in Sunset Boulevard. Norma Desmond's slow walk down the stars, with the over-the-top facial expressions by actor Gloria Swanson is sooooo disconcerting, and when the camera comes to a stop on Swanson's face and she delivers that famous line, "Alright, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" is spine-tingling.

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino's debut movie is one of the best movies by a first-time director ever. His brilliant script ends as tragically as a movie can with virtually all the characters dying. The last two, Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) and Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) are the most heartbreaking.

Whiplash

The only way to end a movie as intense as Whiplash is with a scene befitting that intensity and the final drum solo of the movie when it all comes together for Miles Teller's character. The movie is hard to watch and tension built up until that final release is felt by audiences as much as it shows in Teller's face. It's brilliant.

The Graduate

The best thing about the ending to The Graduate is just how unsure both Benjamin (Dustin Huffman) and Elaine (Katharine Ross) are when they take their seats on the bus. Sure, on the surface it's a pretty standard ending to a Rom-Com, with the two lovebirds facing the future together. But as the shot lingers, it's clear both are nervous about that future, unsure that they've made the right decision. It's an excellent ending.

The Thing

The thing about the ending of The Thing is that it really is all about one line. One iconic line. After all MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Childs (Keith David) have been through, they are left by themselves in the cold. When Childs asks what they should do, MacReady can only say, "Why don't we just wait here a little while...and see what happens."

There Will Be Blood

The final act of There Will Be Blood is one of the most intense scenes in any movie, ever. The physical and metaphysical battle for Daniel Plainview's soul is violent. In the end, after Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Eli (Paul Dano) are finished, and Eli is dead, Plainview can only turn to his butler and say, "I'm finished." He is finished in almost every way

Inception

Much like the rest of the movie, the ending to Christopher Nolan's Inception is left open to interpretation by the audience. When Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) spins the top at the end to determine if he's in the real world, he never actually looks at it, leaving him, and us, to wonder just where he is.

Primal Fear

Edward Norton's character (or characters) in Primal Fear are terrifying and the end, with its nod to Hitchcock's Psycho, leaves the audience with a most uneasy feeling. What did we all just watch and what is real? Those are the questions we are asked and we don't have all the answers.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is one of the most unconventional romances in film history. It asks the question we all ask sometimes, are we destined to be one other person in our lives? The ending doesn't really answer it, but it is clear that two souls can be connected whether we want them to be or not.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Sure, it's the "Hollywood" ending to a kinda true story in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid. In the end, in classic Western style, our heroes are surrounded with no chance to escape, they choose to go out guns blazing. Of course, in real life, the fate of the real Butch and Sundance has been open to a lot of conjecture. Did they survive? Well, the movie freezes just as they burst out of their hideout, and we never see the final gunfight, so maybe they did. It's part of what makes it one of the best Westerns ever.

Se7en

It doesn't get more disturbing than the end of Se7en. John Doe (Kevin Spacey) is in control the whole time and he proves it with the delivery of "the box," getting exactly what he wants from Mills (Brad Pitt), and the audience is left with that pullback from the camera on the helicopter as we hear radio chatter about what's happened. It's one you just can't stop thinking about for days.

The Shawshank Redemption

The end of The Shawshank Redemption could be subtitled "Red's Last Journey" as he makes his way across the country, and across the border to reunite with Andy on the beach. It's a touching ending to the best movie of the 1990s.

Citizen Kane

Obviously, Citizen Kane is one of the most iconic movies of all time, and the ending is no small part of why people love it so much. The image of the burning sled called "Rosebud" at the end not only answers what Kane (Orson Welles) hinted at in the first scene of the movie, but it leaves the audience to ponder just what life, even one like Kane's, really means in the end.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

For much of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, we don't really see just how important Big Chief is. In the end, though, it's Big Chief who not only sets McMurphy free by suffocating him, but he frees himself of the hospital and all his internal baggage that he's found so hard to let go of. It's a tragically beautiful ending to a wild movie.

The Bridge On The River Kwai

So much of war is futile and no movie expresses that more succinctly than The Bridge On The River Kwai. The whole movie is a battle between the Japanese guards and the Allied prisoners, and it's a battle with nature, and the titular bridge, which, in the end, of course, is blown up. What is the point of it all?

Schindler's List

The raw power of the final scene of Steven Spielberg's masterpiece Schindler's List is undeniable. The black-and-white movie turns to color as the real-life survivors place stones on the real-life grave of Oskar Schindler. It brings even more weight to the cost of the Holocaust than you could possibly expect and it's as powerful a moment as has ever been in any film, ever.

It's A Wonderful Life

The Christmas classic It's A Wonderful Life has become a bit of a trope in recent decades, but you still can't deny how sweet and wonderful the ending is as an angel finally earns his wings.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about just some of the countless different genres, stick around. Let’s break down 32 different genres and an example of a movie that belongs to each.

Action - Die Hard (1988)

One of the best action movies ever made, Die Hard essentially reinvented the genre with its story about a down-on-his-luck cop named John McClane (Bruce Willis) traveling across the country to save his marriage only for the reunion to be thwarted by a group of terrorists. Though Willis’ iconic character isn’t as jacked as those played by Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the everyman quality to him makes him an all-time hero.

Sci-Fi - Jurassic Park (1993)

Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park could fall into multiple genres, but since it deals with genetically modified dinosaurs being brought to life, it’s one of the best representations of sci-fi. One of the best book adaptations of all time, this massive summer blockbuster is as great today as it was back in 1993, both in terms of story and its state-of-the-art visuals.

Comedy - Blazing Saddles (1974)

Whenever talking about the funniest movies ever made, it doesn’t take long for the conversation to turn to Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy Western about a plot to destroy a frontier town and a sheriff’s attempt to save its good and fair residents. But the plot is just secondary to the countless jokes, ribs, and wild situations that are found throughout this incredibly funny and outrageous comedy classic.

Documentary - Grizzly Man (2005)

As far as I’m concerned, Werner Herzog is one of the greatest documentarians of all time. Much like his feature-length films, the acclaimed filmmaker’s collection of non-fiction titles strays from the norms of the genre, creating unique pieces of art in the process. This is especially true for Grizzly Man, Herzog’s 2005 exploration of the life and tragic death of Timothy Treadwell, a conservationist who thought it was better to die with a bear than live with man.

Mockumentary - This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

There were mockumentaries that came before it, but This is Spinal Tap was a watershed moment for the genre. Rob Reiner’s 1984 chronicle of struggling heavy metal band Spinal Tap turns it to 11 (quite literally) with its scenes of rock n roll, excess, and over-the-top characters who are thinly veiled caricatures of famous English groups of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Slasher - Scream (1996)

If you were to tell someone where to start with the slasher genre, Wes Craven’s Scream would be a great place to start. Though it’s not the best horror movie of all time, this landmark film is full of references to the films that came before it, has a wonderful meta dynamic, and perhaps the greatest opening scene of all time.

Superhero - The Dark Knight (2008)

To some, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is the pinnacle of the superhero movie genre. This 2008 blockbuster takes elements from comic book movies and combines them with the realism of a gritty crime thriller and classic action flicks like Heat to create an incredible experience. Plus, Heath Ledger’s Joker is a force of pure chaos that needs to be seen.

Animation - My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

One of the most iconic Studio Ghibli films, My Neighbor Totoro is not only a great animated film but also a tremendous introduction to the fantastical world of Hayao Miyazaki. Released in 1988, this delightful film follows two young girls as they move to the countryside with their father a befriend a mythical creature known as Totoro.

Drama - Casablanca (1942)

Deciding on one film to use as an example of the drama genre is no easy task, but Casablanca is a classic that everyone needs to watch at least once in their life. The timeless story of American ex-pat Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) helping old flame Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) and her finance escape the Nazis while also revisiting the events that led to their split is something to behold.

Fantasy - The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the perfect place to start if you want to dip your toes into the waters of the fantasy genre. All the elements that make this type of film so beloved can be found throughout Peter Jackson’s impressive 2001 film that kicks off one of the greatest adventures of all time.

Sports - Major League (1989)

One of the best baseball movies ever made, Major League is also one of the funniest sports comedies you can find. Though not for younger audiences, this hilarious underdog story is all killer and no filler with its tale of the lowly Cleveland Indians defying the odds by putting together an unlikely championship team.

Romantic Comedy - When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Often considered the best romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally is 90-plus minutes of pure joy. The on-screen chemistry between Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in this 1989 classic directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron is off the charts and filled with one iconic scene after another.

Horror - The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter, one of the great horror directors of the 20th century, really outdid himself with The Thing, his 1982 adaptation of John W. Campbell’s Who Goes There. The paranoia, the claustrophobic spaces, the incredible cast led by Kurt Russell, and those terrifying creature effects from Rob Bottin make this an unforgettable classic.

Crime - The Godfather (1972)

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is a family drama, an epic coming-of-age story, and a mobster movie, but above it all, it’s a transformative crime film. This sprawling story about the Corleone organization, told through the eyes of Vito (Marlon Brando) and Michael (Al Pacino) is worthy of all the praise it’s received over the past 50-plus years.

Musical - La La Land (2016)

Okay, there are classic musicals like An American in Paris and Singing in the Rain that are far more prestigious than La La Land, but Damien Chazelle’s 2016 throwback is a great entry point. The song and dance numbers performed by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are stupendous and the romance at the center of its story is wonderful, to say the least.

Western - Tombstone (1993)

One of the greatest Western movies, Tombstone has everything you’d want in the genre: shootouts, colorful characters, legendary mustaches, and some of the best movie quotes of all time. Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, and Sam Elliott were all made for their respective roles as some of the most iconic gunslingers and lawmen in the Old West.

Noir - Double Indemnity (1944)

If you’ve taken any type of class on the history of American cinema, there’s a chance you’ve seen Double Indemnity by now. This 1944 film noir staple follows insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) as he gets in way over his head when dealing with Phyllis Dietrrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), a dangerous femme fatale with a plan to cash in on a life insurance policy.

Suspense - The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Sixth Sense is a lot of things – horror, thriller, family drama. But above all, it’s an intense suspense film about a young boy (played by Haley Joel Osment) who can see dead people and his therapist (played by Bruce Willis) who tries to help him make sense of the supernatural ability.

Coming Of Age - Lady Bird (2018)

Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird is one of the funniest, most sincere, and most realistic coming-of-age stories of the 21st century. Set in the early 2000s, the movie follows Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) as she deals with the fallout of her decision to move across the country upon graduating high school.

Time Travel - Back To The Future (1985)

There’s a good chance Back to the Future comes to mind when most people think about great time travel movies, and for good reason. This 1985 sci-fi adventure film hits in all the right places, features a career-defining performance from Michael J. Fox, and introduces the world to the coolest time machine of all time.

Historical Drama - The Age Of Innocence (1993)

Though Martin Scorsese is known more for his crime films, he put out one of the best historical dramas in 1993 with his adaptation of The Age of Innocence. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder, the film took a lot of chances and pushed the genre in a new direction.

Disaster - The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

One of the craziest disaster films, The Poseidon Adventure has a simple yet effective premise: what would happen if a cruise ship was flipped upside down by a massive wave? Survival, questions about morality, and Gene Hackman in a turtleneck make this a must-watch movie.

Dystopian - Escape From New York (1981)

Escape from New York, which takes place in a future where the city has been turned into a walled-off prison colony, is just such a legendary dystopian film. When the U.S. president’s plane is hijacked and crashed in lower Manhattan, it’s up to Snake Plisken (Kurt Russell) to save the day.

Family - The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride is one of those movies that just never gets old, no matter how many times you watch it. With a great story, unforgettable characters, and expressions of true love (and revenge), there’s a lot for the whole family to enjoy.

Biographical Drama - Schindler's List (1993)

The same year Steven Spielberg dazzled audiences with Jurassic Park, he made us cry with Schindler’s List, a moving biographical drama about a man (played by Lian Neeson) who goes to great lengths to save Jewish prisoners at a German concentration camp.

Stop-Motion Animation - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

What’s this? What’s this? Oh, just one of the best stop-motion animation movies ever made. Released in 1993, The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a staple of the spooky season with its eccentric characters, sometimes grotesque scenes, and some lovely songs written and performed by Danny Elfman.

War Movie - Platoon (1985)

War is Hell, and few movies capture that sentiment better than Platoon. Released in 1985, Oliver Stone’s Vietnam War movie is neither triumphant nor pleasant, but instead a realistic and gut-wrenching depiction of combat and its effect on people. Truly unsettling and incredibly emotional, this Oscar winner is a tour de force.

Psychological Thriller - Seven (1995)

David Fincher made his mark on the world with Saven, his 1995 psychological thriller about a serial killer obsessed with the seven deadly sins and the two detectives assigned to stop the madness before it’s too late.

Buddy Action - Midnight Run (1988)

The ‘80s gave us all kinds of great buddy action movies, including Midnight Run, a hilarious and endearing cross-country affair about a down-on-his-luck cop-turned-bounty-hunter (played by Robert De Niro) trying to bring a mob accountant (played by Charles Grodin) to his court date. But things aren’t always as easy or clear as they seem.

Raunchy Comedy - Ted (2012)

There have been some great raunchy comedies over the years, with the likes of Porky’s and There’s Something About Mary quickly coming to mind. But one of the best options, especially for more modern audiences, is Ted, the 2012 comedy about a man (played by Mark Wahlberg) and his friendship with his childhood teddy bear (voiced by Seth MacFarlane). Though it sounds innocent, this wild comedy is anything but.

Silent Film - City Lights (1931)

If you’ve ever wanted to jump into the world of silent movies, Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights is going to be a great introduction. Released in 1931, this classic film follows Chaplin’s tramp as he falls in love with a blind flower girl and goes from there. Romance, drama, pratfalls, you name it, it’s all here.

Spoof Film - Airplane! (1980)

There has long been a tradition of spoof films in Hollywood, and no film does the format better than Airplane!. Released in 1980, this legendary comedy pokes fun at the disaster genre with outrageous jokes, scenarios, and so much more.

So why 90%? There are plenty of Rotten Tomatoes movies with 100% scores for lower-budget projects that may only have a smattering of reviews. In addition, there are plenty of other movies with great scores, like Citizen Kane, that I wouldn’t necessarily argue are films that should be thrown on for the fifth or sixth time on a Saturday night. 

The Godfather 

The Godfather’s so famous that years later You’ve Got Mail used the phrase "go to the mattresses" when Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan's characters were coming up with a business plan. A quintessential mobster drama, it’s still being watched by new generations of movie buffs coming of age. If it’s been a bit since you've seen the 97% positive-rated movie, dive in. 

Toy Story

A film with a cool 100% critics score, Toy Story really put Pixar on the map as storytellers and ended up spawning a whole franchise of beloved characters like Woody, Buzz, Andy, T-Rex, Jesse, Mr. Potatohead and so many more. The definition of rewatchable, the movie holds up years and years after its original family audience has created families of their own, and there are sequels you can rewatch to boot!

Singin’ In The Rain

The Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds classic has it all: Great set pieces, classic music numbers, a notable cast-- and it's so well-known that it used to be referenced in Disney's The Great Movie Ride. It’s actually one of the few movies on this list to also have a solid 100% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics. You don’t have to throw this one on during a rainy day, but it’s not a bad plan, either. 

The Dark Knight

Easily the most popular of Christopher Nolan’s superhero films, with excellent performances from Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Heath Ledger, it’s clear why The Dark Knight should be on this list. Though tragedy struck in relation to this movie with Heath Ledger’s death, it’s stood out as a testament to what superhero movies can really do if given the right budget and script. 

Modern Times

A few Chaplin classics earned big scores from critics, but chief among these is Modern Times, the deft part-talkie that Chaplin put together in 1936 and that later became one of the first 25 films to make the Library of Congress’ preservation list. It’s not just historically significant, however. It’s a fun story about facing setbacks and still maintaining a positive attitude, and its memorable ending makes it easy to understand its 98% rating.

Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise's original Top Gun was not as much of a hit with critics, and currently has a middling rating on critical aggregators. That's not true of the 2022 follow-up Top Gun: Maverick, which boasts an exciting opening sequence, an all-star sequel cast, and an upgraded beach sequence. This garners it a well-deserved 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Even better? This is one you'll want to watch again and again. 

How To Train Your Dragon

The definitive dragon film, Dreamworks' How To Train Your Dragon is not just a solid example of an animated movie, it's a good movie, period. The 2010 film launched two sequels, but it's the first movie that landed it a 99% critics score and is the one to revisit over and over again. It had some competition from Game Of Thrones on the TV side, but given it's a family film, I think it has the edge in the rewatch department. 

All About Eve

The 99% approved 1950 Bette Davis film has been around for decades, but lines like “fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night” never, ever grow stale, even after repeat viewings. Nor does the story about the cutthroat nature of the Hollywood business ever grow tiring. All About Eve is a classic for a reason: It and Davis will never go out of style. 

Skyfall

Technically, Skyfall has the second-best score for a Daniel Craig Bond movie, coming in at 92% behind Casino Royal's 94%. Honestly, both have great rewatch value, and one could argue Royale is the more fun movie. But I find myself gravitating to Skyfall and its emotional gut-punch impact and memorable performances far more often. Do, I do this more often on a rainy day? Sure. Will you regret throwing it on? I highly doubt it. 

The Princess Bride

If you've read the William Goldman book The Princess Bride is based on, you'll know exactly how the script for Rob Reiner's movie got to be so quotable. But the source material says nothing about how well the movie is put together and how funny the timing of the cast still is years and years later. I was at a party a few weeks ago when someone mentioned "I mean it" and a pal of mine responded, "Anybody want a peanut?" That kind of resonance can't be manufactured, it has to come about from years and years of people wearing out VHS tapes and DVDs and now streaming subscriptions. This one deserves better than its 96%. 

Paddington 2

Like Daniel Craig's Bond films, It can be great to revisit a later movie in the franchise instead of the original, though the highly rated Paddington is also delightful. Why does the 99% Paddington 2 get the edge? Well, it hilarious ushered in Hugh Grant's era as not a leading man but a comedic character actor, and its plot --which sends Paddington to jail where he becomes known for making marmalade sandwiches -- is absolutely bonkers, in a good way. And there are musical numbers! Throw it on now. 

Avengers: Endgame

You may know the order MCU movies have come out, but you may not know there's a second list of the most rewatched MCU movies. Endgame lands high here, not just because it's one of a handful of Marvel movies that has over a 90% critics score, but because it's also at the top of lists including the most rewatched and highest-grossing Marvel films. It's a behemoth of a movie, and you obviously wouldn't be alone if you revisit it again and again. 

Men In Black

A perpetual favorite of cable networks in the early aughts, Men in Black still holds up. The Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones movie has everything: Aliens, weird weaponry, a cool soundtrack, and it's a great blockbuster that's funny to boot. The marble scene at the end of the movie also marks one of the most striking and memorable endings to a movie from the 1990s, and it's no wonder critics gave it a 91%. It's more rewatchable than other Will Smith classics like The Pursuit of Happyness and King Richard to boot. 

John Wick Chapter 4: Parabellum

Honestly, it's hard to believe the fourth Keanu Reeves John Wick movie is the only one to break the 90% barrier with critics. It's a great movie, to be sure, and given the Chapter 4: Parabellum ending, it's certainly one worth revisiting. I just wish the startlingly good first movie in the franchise fit the specifications of this list too. 

Devil In A Blue Dress

Denzel Washington? Check. A seedy film noir feel? Check. A generally good mystery? Check. Intriguing side characters? Check, check, check, check. It's no wonder the flick has a 92% approval rating with all that it has going on and I didn't even mention Don Cheadle or Jennifer Beals yet. Devil in a Blue Dress is not only one of the best Denzel movies, it's also adapted from one of the great murder mysteries of all time, and it has held up long after its 1995 release. 

Godzilla Minus One

With a whopping 98% score, Godzilla Minus One overperformed at the box office and has become an even bigger behemoth through its subsequent streaming release. Not only has it remained popular, it has remained a great movie to revisit. It's a monstrous spectacle (pun very much intended), but it's the personal stories in Takashi Yamazaki's movie that make the human plot really shine. 

Encanto

There are actually a large volume of Disney movies that have landed more than a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Most of these are re-watchable, to boot. However, Encanto is a particularly special entry into the genre as it introduces fans to the culture in Colombia and shares a story about family flaws, trauma and patterns that set up the future. OK, that doesn't sound all that fun, but it's great. 

Bridesmaids

It's tough for a comedy to land a score high enough to make this list, and Bridesmaids ekes in just under the wire. The movie is at a 90%, but I'd argue it's more than 90% hilarious; not everyone can have great taste. Kristen Wiig's seminal comedy is a rare female-centric ensemble movie with some memorable moments, including a plane scene and one very unique driving scene from Kristen Wiig. And that's not even getting to major moments from the additional cast, including Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy.

The Terminator

Rewatchable for the catchphrases alone, The Terminator is both one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's and James Cameron's highest-rated films. It weighs in at a (somewhat shocking) 100% fresh rating 40 years after its initial release, proving that nostalgia can be a big factor when it comes to success. What's most interesting to me is that the movie dwarfs Terminator 2, another big rewatchable winner, when it comes to the score. 

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Terminator 2 Judgment Day has a respectable 91% Rotten Tomatoes score, but if you were to ask me, given it's big budget, popcorn-y bent, this is the most fondly remembered movie in the long and storied franchise. I was a little surprised to learn it was the OG movie with the 100% score and not this one. Really though, it's comparing apples to apples, as both are great movies to throw on at home years later. 

Mary Poppins

Just thinking of this movie might get any of a plethora of songs stuck in your head. "A Spoonful of Sugar" comes to mind first, but I'll go ahead and give spelling "Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious" a stab. If you say it loud enough you'll always sound precocious, after all. For decades, the Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews starrer has been a fan-favorite, much of which is due to its musical soundtrack, though the performances help. It will doubtless remain that way in the years to come. Having a 97% positive score from critics always helps though.

Halloween

A quintessentially repeatable horror film, Halloween is perfect for one particular evening of rewatching every year, and I don't think I need to spell out which. It's also a great entry into more hardcore horror for folk just getting into the genre, as well as a great entry point into Jamie Lee Curtis' oeuvre. At a 96% rating, it's pretty close to perfect, too. 

Moana

There are plenty of movies with a rich musical history that have lived on for years and years after their release. In comparison, Moana is a relative newcomer, but its fun music ("You're Welcome") and rich, diverse storytelling have made it an instant classic and a continual go-to for families. I'd give credit to The Rock's popularity as a movie star, but this one really is a family favorite for audiences of all ages. If it's been a while, give the 95%-scored movie a shot. 

Mad Max: Fury Road

Choosing the best Mad Max film is difficult, and in fact, four of them have a 90% rating or more on Rotten Tomatoes. The highest of these is Mad Max: Fury Road, the film that helped cement Charlize Theron as an action icon and went on to make nearly $380 million at the box office. Not bad for a dystopic sci-fi film, and if you bang through this one fast, there are plenty more highly rated franchise movies where that one came from. 

Edge Of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow is one of Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise's most underrated movies. It was a box office flop that has a 91% rating with critics and similar audience ratings. Its Groundhog Day-combined-with-aliens premise makes it one of the best action films to rewatch again and again... and again and again and again. 

Groundhog Day

This idea of reliving a day over again and again really originated with the 1993 fantasy classic starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. For years, Groundhog Day was a staple on cable networks, and in the era of streaming, it's no wonder the movie continues to be a favorite romantic comedy and time loop film with a 94% score from critics. 

Jaws

The theme music to Jaws alone makes it one of the more memorable and rewatchable flicks of all time. It helps that this was the movie that made Steven Spielberg a big-budget name, that it's so quotable, and that it does a lot in the way of special effects for the time period. It's no wonder it has a 97% rating and people are still talking about it years later. 

Schindler's List

While not a movie you'd probably want to throw on while folding laundry or doing other background tasks, Schindler's List has held up for years thanks to its stark and emotional story about a man who risked all to save Jewish individuals during the Holocaust. There's a reason it won Best Picture in 1997 and there's a reason critics are still giving it a 98% score years later, but it's one you should revisit only when you have tissues readily available. 

Planes, Trains And Automobiles

A slew of Steve Martin and John Candy movies are beloved years later. But their team-up in Planes, Trains and Automobiles is even more momentous thanks to its fun road trip premise and the presence of both famous comedians, not to mention a brilliant directing effort from '80s movies staple John Hughes. It's landed a 92% rating with critics and is still a perfect movie to revisit every few years. 

Back To The Future

The '80s were a time of great comedies and angsty teen movies, but if you are looking for a little bit of both of those things, Back to the Future is a great time. Launching Michael J. Fox's career on the big screen in 1985 (after a successful run on Family Ties), Back to the Future's time travel hijinks and fun premise have kept it relevant for a long time. It's easily a go-to as a rewatch for many movie lovers and it's landed a 93% from critics. 

Spiderman: Across The Spider-Verse

Both an animated and family-friendly film, Spiderman: Across the Spider-verse not only has a killer premise, it also appeals to a wide swathe of audiences in different age groups. It's one of the best superhero movies to revisit, and it's a movie that's smart enough to be watched and discussed in-depth but is also exactly the type of movie you can throw on while your kids are multi-tasking with toys. And critics love it, as it has a 95% critics rating -- and a similar audience rating to boot!

Creed

I know, I know, Rocky's more the classic movie and also has a strong Rotten Tomatoes score, but for many the go-to movie in the franchise is 2015's Creed. It's a film that made Michael B. Jordan even more of a household name and stands up as a solidly grounded movie. Plus, it has wonderful performances and pays respect to what came before. What not to like? At least 95% of critics feel the same way. 

The Impossible (2012)

J. A. Bayona’s 2012 disaster film, The Impossible, serves as an emotional and intense retelling of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed an estimated 227,898 people following one of the biggest earthquakes in modern history. The film centers on a British family (played in part by Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, and a young Tom Holland) and their harrowing quest to reunite following the devastating disaster. It’s impossible to not cry during this one.

Field Of Dreams (1989)

Phil Alden Robinson’s Field of Dreams is one of the great sports movies filled with one unforgettable and emotionally charged scene after another. But there’s a moment at the end of this 1989 Kevin Costner classic that brings us to tears just thinking about it. Of course, it’s the iconic “Wanna have a catch” line just before the credits roll.

Simon Birch (1998)

A ‘90s movie often forgotten, Mark Steven Johnson’s 1998 coming-of-age-drama, Simon Birch, tells an incredible story about two friends and the unlikely bond they shared. Ian Michael Scott’s portrayal of the titular young boy with dwarfism, as well as Joseph Mazzello’s as his best friend, is magical, endearing, and poignant, to say the least. From good times to bad, there’s a lot to make you cry in this one.

Radio Flyer (1992)

If you’re looking for a great Richard Donner movie that’s going to make you laugh, cry, and feel everything in between, then Radio Flyer is going to do the trick. This remarkable drama about two young brothers (played by Joseph Mazzello and Elijah Wood) as they attempt to escape the vicious wrath of their stepfather will break your heart into a million pieces before attempting to put it back together.

Up (2009)

One of the best Pixar movies, Up features what could be the most emotional prologue of any movie ever made, both animation and live-action. The montage of Carl and Ellie Fredericksen’s relationship over the years is perfect in every way, even if it concluded with a gut punch that some of us haven’t gotten over more than a decade later. 

Manchester By The Sea (2016)

We’ll try not to give too much away about Manchester by the Sea, but please note that this 2016 Oscar-nominated film will wreck you. The entire movie is full of sorrow and grief, but there’s a scene partway through the movie where you find out why Casey Affleck’s character is so down on himself that it has to be one of the most traumatizing movie moments of all time. Gutted.

Steel Magnolias (1989)

A powerful movie about female friendship and the unbreakable bond shared by mother and daughter, Steel Magnolias is one of those ‘80s movies that just never gets old. Sure, the movie will make you cry like never before, but this timeless classic starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts, and Dolly Parton also has a lot of heart and soul.

Coco (2017)

Coco, one of the best music movies of all time, as well as a charming addition to Pixar’s collection, is an enchanting, enlightening, and emotional experience that will leave you with a desire to reconnect with your ancestors and make the most of your time with the family who’s still around. Plus, “Remember Me” has to be one of the best Disney songs in years.

Philadelphia (1993)

Is it possible to watch Philadelphia and not go through a box of tissues as you wipe away the tears? Possibly, if you’re some kind of emotionless fool who lacks empathy or compassion. But for the rest of us, this 1993 movie starring Tom Hanks as an attorney trying to prove he was fired because of his sexuality and AIDS diagnosis makes us cry every single time.

Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father (2008)

Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father is technically a documentary, but it’s more than deserving of a spot on this list. Kurt Kuenne’s 2008 documentary tells the story of Andrew Bagby, the filmmaker’s best friend who was murdered by a former lover, and his parents’ journey to gain custody of his son who was born after his death. We’ll leave it at that…

Big Fish (2003)

Some would say Big Fish is Tim Burton’s best movie, and you know what, they’re not wrong. There’s something special and magical about this 2003 drama about a man coming to terms with his father’s tall tales and reconciling their differences before it’s too late that just warms your heart. Both fantastic and fantastical, this moving father-son will do a number on ya.

My Girl (1991)

One year after we were introduced to Macaulay Culkin’s most famous character with Kevin McCallister in Home Alone, we met perhaps his most tragic in My Girl. Howard Zieff’s 1991 coming-of-age drama about Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) has everything you’d expect from a movie like this, including a heartbreaking funeral scene where the 11-year-old is forced to come to terms with a friend’s tragic passing.

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Before working together with the Creed and Black Panther movies, Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan teamed up for the 2013 biopic, Fruitvale Station. Retracing the final hours of Oscar Grant’s (Jordan) life before he was shot and killed by police, this heart-wrenching drama doesn’t let go.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

There have been some tremendously emotional movies in the MCU over the years, but few hit as hard as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Not only does Ryan Coogler’s 2022 superhero movie allow us to mourn the loss of King T’Challa, but it also offers up a place for us to honor the life of the late Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in August 2020.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

A great fall movie if there ever was one, Dead Poets Society is a must-watch for some whenever autumn first rolls around, With great characters played by Robin Williams, a young Ethan Hawke, and several others, this endearing coming-of-age drama set in a boys prep school is still wonderful after all these years. At the same time, it’s just as emotional and likely to bring a tear to your eye.

Beaches (1988)

Though the movie is mostly remembered for the hit song it spawned with Bette Midler’s “Wing Beneath the Wings,” Beaches is still a great experience. In fact, the story of two longtime friends coming to terms with a terrible tragedy adds a great context to the song that is so fondly remembered.

Schindler's List (1993)

Quite possibly Steven Spielberg’s best movie, Schindler’s List is one of the rawest and most authentic films about the Holocaust to ever hit the big screen. Whether it’s because of the scenes of tragedy and heartbreak or from the rare uplifting moments, it’s impossible to watch this 1993 movie without being overwhelmed by emotion.

Amour (2012)

One of the finest foreign language Best Picture nominees, Amour throws you into the middle of a terrible crisis experienced by a longtime couple (played by Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant). As the pair begin to deteriorate and begin to accept their own mortality and fragility of life, they are forced to make a series of difficult decisions.

Terms Of Endearment (1983)

The bond shared by mother and daughter is at the heart of James L. Brooks’ Oscar-winning 1983 drama and it creates some of the cinema’s most unforgettable and touching moments. Chronicling 30 years of the relationship shared by Aurora (Shirley MacLaine) and Emma Greenway (Debra Winger), Terms of Endearment has moments of joy, sorrow, and everything in between.

All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)

Don’t be fooled into thinking that All Dogs Go to Heaven is a happy and joyful movie just because it’s an animated kids film, as it will shatter your heart and leave you in a state of despair. Like, you know why the dog goes to heaven in this Don Bluth classic, Right?

Avengers: Endgame (2018)

There are dozens of emotional moments in Avengers: Endgame, a movie that could best be described as a cathartic experience. Its three-hour runtime has moments of loss, sacrifice, goodbyes, new beginnings, and tear-jerking reunions. Pretty much everything from the “I am Iron Man” moment to the closing credits will make longtime MCU fans cry.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

For a lot of us, Toy Story 3 felt like the end of a chapter of our lives. There are some moving moments throughout this 2010 Pixar adventure, especially when it comes to Andy finally agreeing to donate his cherished toys and him letting go of his childhood hits like a ton of bricks to the chest.

The Farewell (2019)

The Farewell combines humor and heart to create a unique cinematic experience that is prone to make you cry for a variety of reasons. Basically, the movie follows Billi (Awkwafina) as she and her family return to China to say goodbye to her grandma, who only has weeks to live. However, the soon-to-be-departed has no idea she’s about to die or why her family has actually traveled across the globe to see her.

Moonlight (2016)

Barry Jenkins’ 2016 coming-of-age drama, Moonlight, follows Chiron (played by Travante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, and Alex R. Hibbert in different phases of his life) as he comes to terms with his place in the world and his sexuality. This mesmerizing and emotional film is full of triumph, tragedy, and several of the most tear-jerking scenes of the 21st century.

Old Yeller (1957)

Old Yeller, one of the most beloved films of generations of boys, is one of those live-action Disney movies that will make even the toughest of men break down in tears. Even though many of us know how this story ends, all the great and lighthearted moments that lead to that heartbreaking scene keep us coming back time and time again.

Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)

Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies, like other classic Studio Ghibli movies, doesn’t shy away from touching on difficult and distressing topics, which is what makes this animated war drama such a powerful experience. Set during the final months of WWII, the movie follows two siblings as they adjust to their new lives as orphans and try to survive long enough to see the end of the fighting.

The Family Stone (2005)

Upon first glance, The Family Stone appears to be nothing more than a standard Christmas comedy, but as the story progresses and the stakes are made clear, you begin to see this as a moving drama about a family spending the holidays together one more time. This is definitely a movie that’s better the second time around knowing what’s happening.

One True Thing (1998)

Carl Franklin’s One True Thing follows Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellweger) as she puts her life on hold so she can take care of her dying mother (played by Meryl Streep). This eye-opening experience sheds new light on the dynamics of her family and forces the young writer to reassess everything she’s ever known. There are happy moments, but not enough to way out the sorrow and death that wait around the corner.

Marley & Me (2008)

If you were to go by the trailers, Marley & Me would seem like nothing more than a light-hearted comedy about a couple (played by Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston) adopting a dog. And while that is true for the first two-thirds of this movie, the final act will leave you an emotional wreck.

The Neverending Story (1984)

There should probably be a trigger warning for the picture of Artax getting stuck and sinking into the Swamp of Sadness in The Neverending Story. That scene has emotionally scarred millions of young children over the past 40 years.

The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006)

Will Smith and Jaden Smith playing father and son in The Pursuit of Happyness led to one of the best on-screen pairings of 2006 and helped make this touching biopic one of the most emotional the genre has ever seen. The story of Chris Gardner, though full of minor tragedies and obstacles, is one of the most empowering and beloved of the 21st century.

The Fox And The Hound (1981)

The subtext of The Fox and the Hound turns this 1981 animated Disney movie into one of the most powerful and emotionally charged children’s films of all time. The story of Copper and Tod, which goes from happy-go-lucky to tragically tense, is still astounding after all these years.

Sure, these 32 movies will make you cry and leave you a blubbering mess, but isn’t that what makes these classics so good in the first place?

Schindler's List (1993)

The Steven Spielberg classic Schindler's List is one of the most difficult movies to watch ever. It's absolutely brilliant in the way it depicts the horrors and personal costs of The Holocaust, and while it's completely gripping and an amazing story, it is really hard to watch, emotionally. I've actually seen it twice after swearing to never watch it a second time, but I don't think I have it in me to watch a third time. 

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

The Rwandan genocide of the '90s is still very raw in that part of Africa. The movie Hotel Rwanda is like other movies about people trying to save people from such events, like Schindler's List, is both heartwarming and completely heartbreaking. You really feel for everyone viscerally when you watch, and because of that, it's really hard to watch a second time. 

The Green Mile (1999)

The Green Mile is a very different story than we are used to coming from the mind of Stephen King. It's not scary, in a traditional sense, but boy is it emotionally fatiguing. Michael Clarke Duncan's performance is what makes this heartbreaking movie about a prisoner on death row. The raw emotion he plays the role with is spectacular but absolutely draining.   

The Zone Of Interest (2023)

The 2024 Oscar winner for Best Sound, The Zone Of Interest, is one of the most worthy recipients of that award in history. The way that director Jonathan Glazer told the entire menacing part of the story with sound is simply incredible. It is also not for the faint of heart. Not seeing the horrors of the Holocaust depicted on screen makes it all the more powerful because it's all in your mind, making it much more real somehow. 

Uncut Gems (2013)

There is little harder than watching one man's decent in desperation and despair, like Howard (Adam Sandler) in Uncut Gems. You want to just reach out and hug and tell him to stop making things worse for himself. Audiences see every bad, desperate decision coming and are helpless to stop it. Sandler's performance is so good, that you completely forget this is the guy who played Billy Madison and is known for being funny more than a dramatic actor. 

12 Years a Slave (2013)

Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave should be required viewing for every American. It should be taught in schools, it's that important. Chiwetel Ejiofor's depiction of the real-life Solomon Northup, a free Black man kidnapped and enslaved for 12 years in the American South. Slavery is America's original sin, one we still are grappling with a century and a half after it ended, and seeing the way Ejiofor and McQueen show it is really, really hard, but really important to do.  

Midsommar (2019)

Horror movies are a lot of different things to different people. They can be campy and fun, or they can be psychologically terrifying. Midsommar is the latter, by a mile. There is nothing "fun" about Midsommar. It's one of the most disturbing movies made in the last decade, and it's a movie that will sit with you for a long, long time. So long, that you probably don't want to put yourself through it again. It's so good at doing what it sets out to do, you never want to see it again. Even star Florence Pugh was greatly affected by it. 

Inside (2023)

2023's Inside is one of those movies I went into knowing virtually nothing about, save for the fact that it starred Willem Dafoe. Wow was that a tough watch to see a man trapped in a gilded prison cell of his own making when Dafoe's character finds himself unable to escape a penthouse apartment he was trying to rob. Dafoe's performance of a man driven to madness is both brilliant and terrifying. 

Manchester By The Sea (2016)

Manchester By The Sea is one of those stories that just when you think things can't get worse, they do. One tragedy after another is revealed as the movie goes on and Casey Affleck's performance is one of the all-time greats in Hollywood history as the man who just can't seem to ever get a break, and is living one of the saddest lives you've ever seen on film. It's such a good movie, but too emotionally draining to watch more than once. 

The Passion Of The Christ (2004)

Even for non-Christians The Passion of the Christ is an incredibly difficult watch. The sheer amount of violence so viscerally depicted is stomach-churning and disturbing. I do think it's worth watching once, despite the controversy that has always surrounded it and its director Mel Gibson, but once is enough. 

The Revenant (2015)

Like a few others on this list, The Revenant is here not because of the story it tells, but rather how it's depicted. It's raw and violent and bloody and disturbing. It's a (mostly) true story, which makes it almost too incredible to believe, and Leonardo DiCaprio puts in one of his finest performances, but it's not a movie you watch over and over. 

The Machinist (2004)

2004's The Machinist is worth watching - and impossible to watch again - for one reason, really, Christian Bale's performance. The actor legendarily lost 62 pounds for the role, playing an emaciated, delusional factory worker who is unable to sleep, ever. It's one of the most incredible acting jobs you'll ever see, and never want to see again. 

Requiem For a Dream (2000)

Watching a decent into drug addiction can be among the most harrowing things to see in a movie and no movie is better (and scarier) for that than Requiem For a Dream. Viewers not only watch Sara's (Ellen Burstyn) downward spiral, but they feel it with Darren Aronofsky's direction and Burstyn's amazing performance. 

Oldboy (2003)

When a movie starts out as unsettling as the 2003 South Korean masterpiece Oldboy and only gets more harrowing from there, you know it belongs on this list. Choi Min-sik is amazing as the man imprisoned in what looks like a hotel room for years. As he learns the disturbing fate of his wife on TV, he sinks further into despair. Things only get worse when he is finally freed from the room. 

Civil War (2024)

Alex Garland's Civil War has garnered huge praise that it is worthy of, but the movie's premise and action are so tough to watch, that I'll likely never see it again. That sickness in my stomach I felt as I watched is both high praise and the reason for my decision. Seeing some of the images of a country at war that you never expect to see is haunting and scary. 

The Whale (2022)

Like other examples on this list, The Whale is carried by the performance of its lead actor, Brendan Fraiser. The Academy Award-winning role is played with such raw emotion, that it's impossible to look away from, yet it's not something I ever want to relive. 

Whiplash (2014)

There was a ton of praise for Whiplash when it was released in 2014, and it's deserving of all of it. The depiction of a student learning drums from an impossible taskmaster is nothing short of fantastic, yet you can't watch the movie and not feel all the violence and mental anguish right in your gut for the runtime of the movie. JK Simmons is terrifying in his role as the sadistic conductor pushing Andrew (Miles Teller) to the brink of sanity. 

Happiness (1998)

Though it's billed as a comedy, Happiness is as dark as a comedy can get. It's praised for its bold decision to cover issues that are rarely talked about, and so disturbing I'd rather not do that here, and the cast, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ben Gazzara, Jared Harris, Lara Flynn Boyle, and more. Still, it's hard to watch even once, much less twice.  

Life Is Beautiful (1997)

It's rare for a movie as funny as Life Is Beautiful to be so hard to watch again, but that's exactly what is it. The movie was controversial for the comedic elements within telling a story about the Holocaust, but Roberto Benigni is so good at the tragic clown that it's impossible to appreciate the movie. Even if you never want to see it again. 

American History X (1998)

While some movies are too hard to watch a second time because they are emotionally draining, American History X is impossible to watch again because it's just too disturbing. We don't want to believe that people like Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) exist, though we know they do and that makes it really hard to digest once, much less twice. 

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

The level of self-destruction that Nicolas Cage's character in Leaving Las Vegas is astounding. When I saw it, it both repulsed me and made me want a drink, which is disturbing on a lot of levels. It's so heartbreaking to watch anyone so depressed and hopeless as the character is. 

The Pianist (2002)

Like other movies about The Holocaust, The Pianist is incredibly heartbreaking and hard to watch. Unlike movies like Schindler's List, it's really about one man's trials through the whole event and that makes it even more tragic to see everything happening around him. It's not just those murdered in the Holocaust, the survivors are also victims. 

Nightcrawler (2014)

Nightcrawler asks a lot of important questions and despite being almost a decade old, it's still questions we need answers to about the role of the press in our society. For that reason, it's an important movie to watch. The violence and disturbing images make it both critical and appalling to watch and for those reasons, once is enough. 

My Girl (1991)

Everything is tougher when it's kids. The death of a child is among the most heartbreaking things in the world, and My Girl is brutal in that respect. What makes it even harder is how sudden the death is in the movie, making it a wonderful movie, but one that you never want to watch again. 

The Saw Movies

The name of the company that produces the Saw franchise is Twisted Pictures and that name says it all. The horror movies are stone classics in the genre, but for anyone even a little squeamish, these movies are unwatchable nightmares. Even those of us that can stomach them once, have had enough by the end. 

Steel Magnolias (1989)

There is no question that Steel Magnolias has an amazing cast, led by the great Sally Field in one of her best roles. It's still a movie you only want to watch once. It's a little more rewatchable than some of the other movies on this list, but only due to the performances. It's truly one of the most iconic tear-jerkers in Hollywood history. 

The Act of Killing (2012)

Most of this list is fictional movies, but The Act of Killing is a documentary and that makes everything even more visceral. It's not only a true story - and a disturbing one at that - it features the real people involved. It's a naked look at the worst humanity can be and for that it's necessary viewing, but not multiple times. 

Marley & Me (2008)

There are millions of families that can directly relate to Marley & Me, which is what makes it both wonderful and sad. Many people know exactly how important dogs can be, especially to young families, and even though we know in the back of our heads that our dogs won't live forever, yet when we lose them, it really hurts. Marley & Me would be very rewatchable if it ended with the family moving the farm and Marley happily running around. But that's not how it ends and for that, it puts it in the same category as Old Yellar. Once is enough. 

Sophie’s Choice (1982)

There is no question that the role of Sophie Zawistowska in Sophie’s Choice is one of the finest performances of Meryl Streep's career, and that is really saying something. It's a revelation to watch her play this incredibly difficult role, and for that, everyone should see the movie. The "choice" she has to make wouldn't be wished on anyone's worst enemy and for that, we know we can only watch it once. 

Fruitvale Station (2013)

2013's Fruitvale Station forces the audience to confront, viscerally, some of the worst aspects of life in America for African Americans. It's not a pleasant thing to watch, though like others on this list, should be required viewing. It's hard to get through, but completely worth it in the end. It's a movie that will stick with you forever, so once is all you need. 

Mother! (2017)

There is a genre of movie, like Mother!, that are so hard to watch for mothers especially that they deserve their own sub-category of movie. That's not to say it's easy to watch for anyone else. The ending is so disturbing, that I still have nightmares about it, despite loving the movie. 

127 Hours (2017)

Danny Boyle's 2017 film about the harrowing ordeal Aron Ralston (James Franco) went through is so well told and shown that audiences can feel the scariest moments. The scene of Ralston cutting through the nerves on his arm is to this day the most squeamish I've ever felt in a movie. Another movie I absolutely loved, along with many of Boyle's movies, but the only one I never want to watch again. 

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

Epic in scope and epic in length are usually the first two things you think about with Lawrence of Arabia. Not only is it one of the best movies ever, it’s one of the longest. Clocking in at an astounding 227 minutes, the nearly four-hour movie never lags or gets boring. Peter O’Toole is brilliant as T. E. Lawrence and the cinematography is among the greatest ever seen on film. It’s truly a masterpiece. 

The Right Stuff (1983)

One of the great injustices by the Academy was rewarding Terms of Endearment the Best Picture award in 1984 over The Right Stuff. History has since proven which of the two is more enduring, and it's the one that is one of the best movies about the Cold War. With a running time of 192 minutes, it still feels too short to learn everything about the early days of the US space program. The pacing is perfect. 

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The MCU’s Infinity Saga constituted a whooping 22 films, and the pinnacle of the story came in the 21st movie, Avengers: End Game, in 2019. Befitting its status as the endgame, as it were, this entry in the MCU cannon stretches out just over three hours. While it’s long for a superhero movie, it never feels bloated. While it’ll never be considered one of the best movies of all time by critics, fans certainly do. 

Gone With The Wind (1939)

The longest movie to ever win the Best Picture Oscar is Gone With The Wind, at almost four hours long, if you include things like the opening overture and the intermission. It was a long day at the movies back in the ‘30s when this Civil War epic was released, but that didn’t deter anyone. To this day it is still the most financially successful film ever, when factoring in inflation. 

The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

It’s hard to believe director Martin Scorsese and the cast of The Wolf Of Wall Street managed to keep up the frenetic pace of that movie for three hours. It’s a white-knuckle ride through the ups and downs of the main character, Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, that never gives the audience a chance to catch its breath. 

Oppenheimer (2023)

The 2024 Best Picture winner, Oppenheimer is truly a masterpiece. On its surface, a three-hour movie about theoretical physics and congressional hearings sounds about as fun as a root canal, but in the capable hands of director Christopher Nolan, it just pops off the screen. Across the three hours, only a few minutes of which is the actual bomb going off, the movie takes audiences on an amazing journey and never lets up. 

Schindler's List (1993)

The 195-minute epic Schindler's List might be director Steven Spielberg’s greatest achievement, and that is really saying something, given Speilberg’s amazing career. Not only did the director make it long, but the decision to make it black and white was also bold. It certainly proved that audiences in 1990 were able to handle all of it, most importantly the weighty nature of the film. It’s a movie that is really hard to watch twice, but everyone needs to see it once. 

The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King (2003)

To its fans, there is no better cinematic trilogy than Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings. The finale of the series The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King took home the Oscar for Best Picture which was as much a tribute to the whole franchise as it was reward just it. With a runtime of just over three hours, it’s the longest of the trilogy and for many, the best. 

Dances With Wolves (1990)

Kevin Costner has made a few epics in his career, but his first was Dances With Wolves. Costner directed and starred in the Civil War-era epic that clocks in at one minute over three hours. It was an enormous hit when it was released in 1990, making hundreds of millions on a $22 million budget. It cleaned up at the Oscars as well, taking home seven of the 11 that it was nominated for, including Best Picture and Best Director for Costner. 

Malcolm X (1992)

Spike Lee’s most ambitious movie to this day is 1992’s Malcolm X, starring Denzel Washington as the titular character. At 202 minutes, it’s also Lee’s longest movie. The movie is a deep dive into the life and politics of Malcolm X, the controversial Civil Rights leader in the 1960s. Washington, and the rest of the cast, is brilliant and Lee’s direction is perfect for the subject matter.

The Godfather Part II (1974)

It’s rare in this world that a sequel meets or, in some opinions, surpasses the original, but The Godfather Part II falls into that category. While the original Godfather is long, with a running time of just under three hours, The Godfather Part II is almost 3 and a half hours. It has a lot of story to tell, jumping back and forth between Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and a young version of his father, Vito, played by Robert De Niro. 

Ben-Hur (1959)

In the golden age of Hollywood, sprawling epics weren’t unusual, but Ben-Hur stands out for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the insane chariot race that even many decades later is one of the most exciting things ever filmed. It’s rare for a film to go longer than 3 and a half hours, but Ben-Hur does. 

The Irishman (2019)

Martin Scorsese is usually considered one of the finest directors of the last five decades, and while The Irishman isn’t one of his best, it’s still really, really good. It’s also one of his longest, clocking in at 209 minutes as it tells the huge story of mobster Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) and the murder of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). 

The Deer Hunter (1987)

Have you ever wondered what it was like to attend a Russian Orthodox wedding…in real time? That’s what you get with The Deer Hunter. Okay, so it’s not really “real-time” but it sure feels like that. Still, the movie, with a runtime of 184 minutes, is one of the most intense movies in the history of film and one of the best movies about Vietnam. It’s a harrowing journey for every character in the movie and for audiences along for the ride. 

JFK (1991)

Oliver Stone’s JFK is not the most historically accurate movie ever made, but it is endlessly entertaining. The all-star cast and wild story made for a very fun movie. So fun, in fact, that viewers hardly notice the three-hour-plus runtime. 

Killers Of The Flower Moon (2023)

Director Martin Scorsese loves to make long movies. His 2023 masterpiece Killers Of The Flower Moon is no exception. There is a lot of story to tell in Killers, so the director needs every bit of the 206 minutes it takes to tell it. The acting performances are amazing and the period set pieces are beautiful. All in all, it’s everything you want from an epic. 

Gandhi (1982)

Ben Kingsley's performance in Gandhi is fantastic. Playing a mythical figure like Mahatma Gandhi can’t be easy, but he brings everything to the role. The film itself is one of the best biopics ever produced, and with a runtime of 3 hours and 11 minutes, it gives audiences everything about the Father of India’s life from a student in London to the leader of the most effective non-violent uprising in human history.

Titanic (1997)

A huge boat deserves a huge movie, and there is none bigger than James Cameron’s Titanic. The insanely popular movie, which won 11 Oscars and has made over $2 billion at the box office will forever be considered as one of Hollywood’s greatest triumphs. The gaudy box office numbers are matched by the film’s length, which totals 3 hours and 15 minutes. Interestingly, the actual Titanic took less time to sink, at 2 hours and 40 minutes. 

Cleopatra (1963)

At over 4 hours long, Cleopatra is epic in every single way. The production was legendary, as it was way over budget and took way longer than it was supposed to take. Elizabeth Taylor is amazing, as are Richard Burton and Rex Harrison. The movie was a huge hit, but only a moderate financial success because of the budget overruns, but it is truly one of the best of old-time holidays.

Gettysburg (1993)

One of the longest movies ever produced by Hollywood is Gettysburg, the Civil War epic that tells the story of one of the most important battles in United States history. It is revered by Civil War buffs and historians for it’s accuracy in portraying the battle from both sides of the conflict. With the theatrical release coming in at 4 hours and 12 minutes and the directors cut adding another 20 minutes or so, it’s a movie that takes commitment, but that commitment is rewarded. 

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Director David Lean is no stranger to long movies. The scope of many of his movies is huge and Doctor Zhivago is no exception. Long heralded as a true Hollywood classic, Doctor Zhivago isn’t the best of Lean’s movies, and it hasn’t aged as well as some of his other films, but it’s still a fantastic movie even at 192 minutes. 

The Green Mile (1999)

This one is the most surprising in the list, because it doesn’t feel like a 3-hour+ movie, but it is. The Green Mile is beloved by many, especially Stephen King fans, who rank it among the best of the many movies adapted from his books. Michael Clarke Duncan shines in this movie, along with the rest of the great cast, in a story that pops all the way through its long runtime. 

Magnolia (1999)

Paul Thomas Anderson is not afraid to make a long movie, but surprisingly the only one of his films to surpass the three-hour mark is Magnolia. It’s a movie that has a lot of story to tell, so the runtime is justified and the acting performances along make it all worth it. 

Avatar: Way Of The Water (2022)

Avatar: Way Of The Water’s 3 hours and 12 minute running time didn’t intimidate audiences, who turned out in droves to see the follow-up to also wildly popular Avatar. The movie made more than $2 billion at the box office, which is just incredible for a movie of its length. 

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

No one ever expects a comedy to run more than three hours, but It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is well over in some of its versions. There have been multiple versions released, but the longest is the 197-minute version released by the Criterion Collection in 2014. The original version released in theaters was a mere 159 minutes long. 

Spartacus (1960)

Despite their epic nature, Stanley Kubrick’s films are typically right around a tight two hours. The one exception is Spartacus, starring Kirk Douglas and Sir Laurence Olivier. The film, with its legendary “I am Spartacus” scene, is the longest of Kubrick's career at 3 hours and 17 minutes. 

Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)

Reaching just under the 3-hour mark, Judgment at Nuremberg is a minute short of the mark meant for this list, but it’s such an epic movie, that we couldn’t leave it off. Director Stanley Kramer brought in an all-star cast including Spencer Tracy and Burt Lancaster, among others, to tell this important story of the Nazis on trial after World War Two. 

Hamlet (1996)

Hamlet is probably William Shakespeare’s most revered work and Kenneth Branagh’s treatment of it on film is worthy of the play’s status. It’s a truly epic production with an unbelievably talented cast including Branagh as the titular Prince of Denmark. It’s also just over four hours long, as the first and to-date only full version of the play put on film. 

Che (2008)

Depending on how you count Che, it’s either two movies, Part 1 and Part 2, each about a hundred and 135 minutes long, or, as director Steven Soderbergh intended, one 267-minute movie. The scope of the movie is, obviously, huge, as it follows the revolutionary life of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, played by Benicio del Toro. It’s a serious commitment, but worth it, like so many of the movies on this list. 

The Seven Samurai (1954)

Akira Kurosawa is easily the most influential and revered Japanese filmmaker in history and one of his most loved films, The Seven Samurai, is also one of his longest. The movie runs 207 minutes and there is never a dull moment. It’s easy to see why Kurosawa has had such an effect on those who have followed him. 

Ryan's Daughter (1970)

Though it was not as critically acclaimed as his other films, David Lean’s Ryan's Daughter is still a really good movie. Audiences thought so too and despite the long running time, 195 minutes in the original theatrical release, it thrived at the box office. 

Logistics (2012)

Thought to be the longest movie ever made, the documentary Logistics has a full running length of 35 days and 17 hours. It follows, in reverse chronological order, a product made in China, shipped to Sweden, and purchased in a store, in real-time. From the store to the truck to the container ship to the Chinese factory. If it sounds boring, well, yeah, much of it is, but it's completely fascinating and there are shorter, edited versions available online to get a sense of the scope. 

Usually, when filmmakers set out to produce an epic three-hour movie, they have a story in mind that needs that long to tell. Not everyone loves them, but as these movies prove, it often works.

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

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

How We Put This List Together

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

100. The Fifth Element (1997)

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

99. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

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

98. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

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

97. Mulan (1998)

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

96. The Wedding Singer (1998)

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

95. Death Becomes Her (1992)

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

94. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

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

93. Jackie Brown (1997)

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

92. Happy Gilmore (1996)

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

91. Casino (1995)

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

90. Forrest Gump (1994)

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

89. A Few Good Men (1992)

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

88. Pretty Woman (1990)

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

87. As Good As It Gets (1997)

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

86. The Sandlot (1993)

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

85. Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

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

84. You've Got Mail (1998)

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

83. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

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

82. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

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

81. American History X (1998)

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

80. Aladdin (1992)

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

79. That Thing You Do! (1996)

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

78. Trainspotting (1996)

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

77. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

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

76. Titanic (1997)

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

75. Men in Black (1997)

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

74. The Fugitive (1993)

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

73. Run Lola Run (1998)

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

72. Swingers (1996)

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

71. Malcolm X (1992)

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

70. Friday (1995)

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

69. Miller's Crossing (1990)

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

68. Rushmore (1998)

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

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

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

66. Misery (1990)

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

65. Clerks (1994)

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

64. Galaxy Quest (1999)

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

63. Thelma and Louise (1991)

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

62. Primal Fear (1996)

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

61. Home Alone (1990)

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

60. Leon (The Professional) (1994)

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

59. Office Space (1999)

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

58. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

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

57. Apollo 13 (1995)

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

56. The American President (1995) 

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

55. True Romance (1993) 

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

54. Unforgiven (1992)

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

53. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

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

52. Natural Born Killers (1994)

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

51. The Rock (1994)

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

50. Boyz n the Hood (1991)

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

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

49. The Sixth Sense (1999)

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

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

48. Get Shorty (1995)

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

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

47. The Rocketeer (1991) 

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

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

46. Audition (1999)

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

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

45. Point Break (1991)

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

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

44. Clueless (1995)

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

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

43. L.A. Confidential (1997)

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

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

42. The Hunt for Red October (1990)

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

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

41. The Green Mile (1999)

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

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

40. The Truman Show (1998)

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

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

39. Waiting for Guffman (1996)

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

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

38. Dazed and Confused (1993)

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

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

37. The Matrix (1999)

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

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

36. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

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

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

35. City Slickers (1991)

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

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

34. The Birdcage (1996)

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

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

33. Princess Mononoke (1997)

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

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

32. Groundhog Day (1993)

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

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

31. Scream (1996)

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

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

30. Cape Fear (1991)

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

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

29. Being John Malkovich (1999)

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

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

28. Dave (1993)

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

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

27. A League of Their Own (1992)

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

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

26. The Iron Giant (1999)

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

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

25. Toy Story 2 (1999)

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

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

24. Election (1999)

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

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

23. Magnolia (1999)

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

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

22. Tombstone (1993)

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

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

21. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

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

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

20. The Usual Suspects (1995)

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

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

19. Boogie Nights (1997)

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

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

18. Good Will Hunting (1997)

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

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

17. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

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

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

16. Fargo (1996)

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

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

15. My Cousin Vinny (1992)

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

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

14. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

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

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

13. The Big Lebowski (1998)

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

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

12. Schindler's List (1993)

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

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

11. Toy Story (1995)

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

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

10. Philadelphia (1993)

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

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

9. Fight Club (1999)

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

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

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)

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

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

7. Jurassic Park (1993)

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

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

6. Se7en (1995)

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

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

5. Heat (1995)

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

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

4. The Lion King (1994)

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

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

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

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

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

2. Goodfellas (1990)

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

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

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

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

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

Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

Though he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson’s name wasn’t called at the 67th Academy Awards. This is nothing against Martin Landau’s performance from Ed Wood, but Jackson’s foul-mouthed and righteous hitman is an all-time great character that should have been recognized.

Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver)

Robert De Niro received an Oscar nomination for his career-defining portrayal of Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese’s 1977 psychological thriller, Taxi Driver, but the unhinged and memorable performance wasn’t enough to win Best Actor. It’s hard to be mad, as Peter Finch’s Academy Award-winning turn in Network is the stuff of legend.

Harrison Ford (Witness)

One of the best actors without an Oscar, Harrison Ford has only one Academy Award nomination to his name, the 1985 crime thriller, Witness. Though not Ford’s most iconic character, his take on Philadelphia detective John Book as he goes to great lengths to protect a young boy is nothing short of amazing.

Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)

Morgan Freeman gave the performance of a lifetime as Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding in The Shawshank Redemption. If the movie would have come out any other time besides 1994, a year dominated by Forrest Gump, there’s a good chance the aging prisoner and accomplished smuggler would have earned Freeman an Oscar.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

Bill Murray’s portrayal of cynical, washed-up actor Bob Harris in Lost in Translation will forever be one of the comedian’s most beloved roles. While Sean Penn’s performance in Mystic River is more than deserving of an Oscar, it’s a shame the iconic comedian didn’t get properly recognized for a once-in-a-decade showing.

Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)

Whoopi Goldberg showed off a more dramatic side with her lauded portrayal of Celie Harris-Johnson in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of The Color Purple. It’s absurd that the emotional, dynamic, and powerful performance didn’t win Goldberg a much-deserved Oscar, which went to Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful, instead.

Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List)

Schindler’s List features one of the best Ralph Fiennes performances with his portrayal of Nazi work camp commandant Amon Goeth in Steven Spielberg’s 1993-defining film. And while the movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Fiennes’ unforgettable turn was not among them. Instead, he lost out to Tommy Lee Jones from The Fugitive.

Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)

If you’re looking for one of the best New York City movies, Tootsie has you covered. If you’re looking for a movie featuring an acting performance that should have won an Oscar but didn’t, Sydney Pollack’s 1982 comedy has you covered there as well. Seriously, how Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Michael Dorsey wasn't awarded is something we just don’t get.

Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)

Denzel Washington eventually won a Best Actor Oscar for his unforgettable turn in Training Day, but the actor was robbed nearly a decade earlier after not winning the big prize for his take on the titular Civil Rights leader in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X.

Florence Pugh (Little Women)

Florence Pugh was already a rising star at the time of Little Women’s release, but her portrayal of Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age drama took her to new heights. Though she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, Pugh lost out to Laura Dern from Marriage Story.

Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained)

Here’s something wild to think about – Jamie Foxx not only didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in Django Unchained, he wasn’t even nominated for Best Actor. Admittedly, it was a stacked list of actors – Daniel Day-Lewis, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Denzel Washington – but not even being named is just something.

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

The Wrestler felt like Mickey Rourke’s big redemption arc, more so than the character he portrayed in Darren Aronofsky’s great wrestling movie. Despite pushing himself to the breaking point from both a physical and emotional standpoint, Rourke lost out to Sean Penn’s take on Harvey Milk in Milk.

Michael Keaton (Birdman)

Michael Keaton gave the performance of a lifetime in the 2014 mind-bending drama film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), one that seemed to channel the actor’s past in such a way it felt like an autobiography. However, stealing the show as Riggan Thomson, a.k.a., Birdman, wasn’t enough, as the prize went to The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne instead.

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Saoirse Ronan has been nominated for an Oscar on four separate occasions, but not a single win, which is something. One of the performances that deserved an Academy Award the most was that of Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. The portrayal of a confused high school senior on the verge of entering the next stage in her life lost out to Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Tim Curry (Clue)

Tim Curry’s portrayal of Wadsworth in Clue, a butler or undercover FBI agent depending on which ending you watch, is a role that is beloved by fans of the classic murder mystery comedy. However, it wasn’t recognized at the Academy Awards or other ceremonies, which is the real crime.

Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

Rosamund Pike’s take on Amy Elliott-Dunne earned the sole Academy Award nomination for David Fincher’s Gone Girl, a nod that was more than deserved. However, the incredibly nuanced and dynamic performance failed to win the Best Actress Oscar, which went to Still Alice’s Julianne Moore instead.

Jimmy Stewart (Rear Window)

Jimmy Stewart is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors of all time and his portrayal of L. B. "Jeff" Jefferies in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is one of the his top-tier performances. However, his take on an injured photographer who uncovers a murder mystery didn’t even get a nod at the Academy Awards.

Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

Kate Winslet gave one of her most powerful and unique performances in the 2004 sci-fi dramedy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Her take on Clementine Kruczynski, a woman who had all memories of her ex-boyfriend wiped from her brain, was rich, beautiful, and iconic, but just wasn’t enough to win Best Actress.

Al Pacino (The Godfather)

Al Pacino put himself on the map with his portrayal of reluctant crime boss Michael Corleone in The Godfather. The gradual evolution of the character over the course of the film’s three-hour runtime should have been enough for an Oscar, but like co-stars James Caan and Robert Duvall, who were also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, he didn’t get the win.

Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard)

Gloria Swanson’s "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." line from Sunset Boulevard is one of the most iconic quotes in all of Hollywood and part of an Oscar-worthy performance. While Swanson was nominated for her take on aging film star Norma Desmond, she didn’t take home the top prize.

Jack Nicholson (The Shining)

Though considered one of Jack Nicholson’s best roles, his portrayal of Jack Torrance in The Shining didn’t result in an Oscar win. In fact, Nicholson wasn’t even nominated for the unforgettable performance. 

John Cazale (The Godfather Part II)

John Cazale’s Fredo Corleone in The Godfather Part II is one of cinema’s great tragic figures as well as one of the late actor’s best characters. What’s even more of a travesty is the fact that the late actor didn’t even receive an Oscar nomination for his efforts. Tragically, Cazale would never receive an Academy Award nomination prior to his shocking death in 1978.

Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It?)

Angela Bassett received her first Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Go to Do with It?, but the miraculous turn as one of American music’s most famous and influential figures didn’t earn her a Best Actress win. 

Edward Norton (American History X)

Reformed neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard is one of Edward Norton’s most controversial and complex characters of his career, and the American History X performance earned him a Best Actor nod at the 71st Academy Awards. However, Roberto Benigni from Life Is Beautiful ran away with the top acting prize.

Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca)

Somehow, Ingrid Bergman, who was astonishing as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca, not only didn’t win Best Actress at the 16th Academy Awards, she wasn’t even nominated for her iconic portrayal of a woman caught between two men and two different lives in the 1943 black-and-white classic.

Paul Giamatti (Sideways)

In a perfect world, Paul Giamatti would have won the Oscar for Best Actor in Alexander Payne’s Sideways, but alas, that is not the reality in which we live. Miles Raymond is one of Giamiatti’s best characters and carried the movie about two friends on a wine trip they’ll never forget.

Henry Fonda (12 Angry Men)

An amazing courtroom drama, 12 Angry Men is still arguably one of the best movies of all time. While its star, Henry Fonda, received a Best Picture nomination as a producer, his dynamic and rich portrayal of a juror who insisted on getting things right didn’t earn him an acting nod, which is a real miscarriage of justice.

John Goodman (The Big Lebowski)

You can add John Goodman to the list of great actors who have never received an Oscar nomination, which just doesn’t make sense. It’s especially maddening when you consider his legendary portrayal of Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski, a character loosely based on John Milius, per Far Out Magazine.

Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line)

Joaquin Phoenix has since won an Oscar, but his portrayal of Johnny Cash in James Mangold’s 2005 biographical drama, Walk the Line, was more than deserving of the top acting prize at the Academy Awards. What’s interesting is the fact that Phoenix was beat by his future The Master co-star, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won for his take on Truman Capote in Bennett Miller’s Capote.

Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream)

A little more 25 years after winning an Academy Award for Best Actress thanks to her outstanding performance in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Ellen Burstyn had another shot at capturing an Oscar with her turn as Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream. Her take on a woman battling unchecked depression, anxiety, and a diet of weight loss pills gave audiences one of the most incredible and sympathetic characters of the early 21st century. Unfortunately, this also happened to be the same year Erin Brockovich was released. 

Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood)

There Will Be Blood is remembered more than a half-decade after its release because of the Academy Award-winning performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, but one of the three-time Oscar winner’s castmates was also deserving of recognition. Paul Dano’s Eli Sunday (he also played the smaller part of Eli’s twin brother, Paul) is one of the more fascinating characters of modern cinema, and he should have received an Oscar for his troubles. Dynamic is an understatement for this overzealous, petty, and temperamental preacher.

Robert Shaw (Jaws)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster, Jaws, won three Academy Awards – Best Filming Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound – but Robert Shaw, who acted his tail off as the boat captain, Quint, wasn’t recognized. This shameful act by the Academy, especially after watching the USS Indianapolis monologue, still stings nearly 50 years after the fact. That scene alone deserved a Best Supporting Actor nomination and win.

Many of these actors won an Academy Award either before or after these movies and performances we just covered, but it’s just wild to think about how some of these roles didn’t take home the big prize at the Oscars.