While not every movie released in the 1990s was a winner, it's safe to say that it was an overall strong decade for cinema. There were a host of great films released between 1990 and 1999, and of those great ones, the selection is surprisingly diverse. It was a decade that saw the release of plenty of iconic blockbusters, compelling small/independent movies, and plenty of classic international films not in the English language, too.
The best 90s movies also happen to be some of the best movies of all time, given it was overall such a strong decade for cinema. Those who are after some of the best movies from the 90s should find the following titles to represent an overall fantastic starting point, and inclusive of many of the decade's greatest. What follows is a ranking of some of the best of the best, when it came to movies that were released in the 1990s. That 10-year period may be way back in the past now, but the best movies of the 90s live on, and will likely continue to do so indefinitely. The following ranking aims to highlight genuinely great movies and/or movies that summarized the decade and its overall feel in some way. These movies have all endured and aged well to this day, and each one is essential viewing to movie fans both casual and fanatical.
45 'Maborosi' (1995)
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Hirokazu Kore-eda is a filmmaker whose profile has risen considerably in more recent years, with a string of successful movies including Shoplifters, Broker, and the boldly unsettling Monster. He’s been crafting compelling films for decades, though, with 1995’s Maborosi demonstrating this well, functioning as the sort of brutally honest, quiet, and moving character-focused drama that his later films were also praised for being.
Maborosi is about one young woman having her life upturned after the sudden passing of her husband, with such an event necessitating her moving and then trying to rediscover a reason for continuing to go on. The focus on grief and the lingering effects that a tragic event can have make Maborosi a difficult film to watch unless one’s in the right mood, but it tackles this difficult premise expertly, and also stands as a remarkably beautiful-looking film, visually speaking.
44 'Titus' (1999)
Directed by Julie Taymor
When looking over the various films based on Shakespeare's plays, plenty of usual suspects will emerge. For example, there are plenty of takes on Romeo and Juliet, various ones on Hamlet, and, some would say, perhaps too many versions of Macbeth. Yet Titus Andronicus is one Shakespeare play that doesn’t get adapted too often, perhaps because it’s very bold, violent, and a little hard to swallow at times, even by the standards of a tragic play.
The play follows a complex cycle of violence stemming from the titular character (played by Anthony Hopkins) once killing the son of a queen turned slave, leading to her vowing revenge which, in turn, sets off more acts of violence and vengeance. It’s bold and over-the-top and captured with a genuinely unique style, courtesy of director Julie Taymor firing on cylinders, refusing to shy away from much, and more or less going for broke. It’s a wild and strange film, but it’s also utterly absorbing, and might well be the most underrated film adaptation of a Shakespearean play.