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The top 50 underrated films POPULAR

of the 90s
Ant-Man And The Wasp stars
From comedies to thrillers and sci-fi to westerns, here’s our pick unhappy about delayed release
of 50 truly underrated 90s movies… date
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Netflix's The Staircase and the

ethical issues with true crime
documentary series
TV
The Terminator: suspense and

foreshadowing in James
Cameron’s classic
MOVIES
ODD LIST With hindsight, the 90s was the last golden period of
originality in Hollywood. Franchises and sequels had yet to George Lucas on his Star Wars
NP Horton truly dominate, old-school New Hollywood filmmakers sequels that never were
were still very much active, and quality, well-written films MOVIES
Aug 17, 2012
which didn’t rely on an onslaught of CGI to wow audiences
were the order of the day.
With so much going on in that decade, and so many

Hawkeye set for Avengers 4,
quality films vying for attention, it’s only natural that some
possible standalone movie
have fallen by the wayside, or didn’t get the widespread
MOVIES
recognition they deserved. Or perhaps a few were
dismissed upon release as expensive failures, but deserve
to be reassessed several years down the line? Either way,
here’s Den Of Geek’s choice of the top 50 underrated films
of the 90s. The only caveat for inclusion is that they had Aquaman: first pictures land for
to be English language, and released theatrically between new DC movie
1990-1999. Oh, and judging by their wealth of entries MOVIES
below, starring Bill Paxton. Steve Martin or, weirdly, Seth
Green…
50. Batman & Robin (1997) Game Of Thrones spin-off: 11

stories from the Age Of Heroes
TV
http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/22342/the-top-50-underrated-films-of-the-90s 1/35
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eyes, 15 years on, Batman & Robin deserves some of your
McGregor to headline movie
love. Not too much, mind. Taking the campy sensibilities
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inherent in Batman right from the beginning and running
with it, Joel Schumacher unleashed his perfect vision of
how the Caped Crusader should look on-screen.
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While critically and commercially derided, there’s an

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argument that Batman & Robin is actually a much purer
surviving the industry
Batman film than the lamentable Batman Forever, or even
MOVIES Jun 15, 2018
the previous Tim Burton efforts. Comics are inherently
day-glo, pulpy and ridiculous (or at least they were in the
Tim Burton's Big Fish, fatherhood,
early days) and Batman & Robin highlights this just as
and storytelling
much as Nolan’s lauded efforts focus on the grim and
MOVIES Jun 15, 2018
gritty nature of Batman.
As long as you alter your expectations, and can appreciate

a world where not only does a grown man dress up like a FEATURED CONTENT
bat to fight crime, but also equips his Bat-suit with ice
skates, then Batman & Robin is, whisper it, fun.
49. Chaplin (1992)

153 movie sequels currently in the
works
MOVIES Dec 5, 2017
121 movie remakes and reboots

currently in the works
MOVIES Oct 2, 2017
While now a staple of the Hollywood blockbuster, with

three franchises to his name, for a very long time it looked 76 upcoming comic book movies,
as though Robert Downey Jr. would be remembered as the and when to expect them
washed up nearly-man of film, notable for his excesses
MOVIES Oct 11, 2017
rather than his talent. But there was a reason Jon Favreau
cast him as Tony Stark, taking a seemingly massive chance
on him. That reason is his extraordinary acting ability,
showcased to perfection in Richard Attenborough’s
sumptuous biography of the remarkable Charlie Chaplin.
Perfectly capturing one of film’s most iconic stars, it’s easy

to forget that Downey Jr. was only in his mid-20s while
portraying the man. He brings an emotional maturity to
perfectly complement the physical performance, elevating
this film above the usual biographies.
48. Very Bad Things (1998)
Speaking of Jon Favreau, he plays the lead in Peter Berg’s

blacker than night comedy about a stag-do gone wrong in
Vegas. If you thought The Hangover showed the worst of
the worst, then this story about a murdered prostitute and
the web of subsequent killings to cover it up will truly
terrify you. It’s got some great performances in there,
including Christian Slater as a homicidal maniac, Jeremy
Piven as the party guy who starts it all, and Cameron Diaz
as the fiancée from hell.
Cruelly and unnervingly building from one disaster to

another, Very Bad Things is the extreme of worst case
scenario comedies, and has the conviction to follow its
dark path all the way to the end.
47. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) ^
Full disclosure – I didn’t like this film when I first saw it. In
fact, I’ve never even been much of a Kubrick fan. Perhaps
it’s because I’m getting older, but I’m gradually going
through the back catalogue and really appreciating his
work. Case in point: his last film, notorious for featuring a
sexed up Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. I was left bored
and unimpressed on my first few viewings, but catching it
again recently I can definitely see what Kubrick was trying
to achieve, and how close he came to making it work.
The dichotomy of his cold, precise filmmaking and his

often dreamlike visuals contrast and combine in Eyes Wide
Shut to a degree not found elsewhere in Kubrick’s work.
While initially mis-marketed and dismissed as an erotic
thriller, it’s clear that it’s really nothing of the sort, instead
taking an intense look at modern day sexuality and the
often cryptic and complicated nature of relationships.
46. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
A small confession. I saw this film before I ever saw the

TV show. And I like it a lot. Featuring a cast of such
luminaries as Kiefer Sutherland, David Bowie and Chris
Isaak, the film was panned for being boring,
incomprehensible and of limited appeal. All valid
complaints, but in a way, they’re missing the point.
Acting as both prequel and epilogue to the seminal TV

series, the plot loosely traces the last few days of Laura
Palmer’s life, and wraps up exactly what happened to
Agent Cooper. Far more of a David Lynch film than a Twin
Peaks movie, a reassessment of the piece shows it hold
^
up well against Lynch’s other cinematic works, and I defy
anyone to find a more chilling horror than Fire Walk With
Me.
45. The Spanish Prisoner (1997)
Steve Martin was certainly doing some of his best work in

the 90s. In this Hitchcockian thriller from ace suspense
master David Mamet, Martin plays a conman who seeks to
remove Campbell Scott’s corporate engineer of a
potentially lucrative industrial process he’s just invented.
Using the real Spanish Prisoner con as a plot device (more
familiar to many as the Nigerian money transfer fraud),
Mamet builds layers upon layers of twists, character
reveals, bluffs and double bluffs, all while keeping the plot
unpredictable and the outcome uncertain. Martin is
exquisite in this serious role, neatly paralleling his classic
comic turn as a hapless conman in Dirty Rotten
Scoundrels.
44. Idle Hands (1999)
A teenage sleepover classic, Idle Hands is a comedy horror

featuring the young talents of Devon Sawa, Seth Green
and Jessica Alba. The plot is utterly ridiculous, but
compelling, as a spate of murders in an American town
are discovered to be the work of Sawa’s possessed hand,
which is searching for a soul to drag to hell.
Featuring decapitation, dismemberment,

zombie/ghost/angel stoners, a massive bong being involved
in the climax, and the lead singer of The Offspring being
killed, Idle Hands is very much a product of its time and
^
all the better for it. We’re not sure whether it’s just
nostalgia that makes people love it so much, but you’ll be
guaranteed to raise a smile if you put it on.
43. Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
Is this one of the most influential films of the 90s? I think

there may be a good case for it, as it lives on in pop
culture and features a who’s who of Hollywood talent,
many of whom went on to further success. Taking the
staples and cliché of high-school movies and turning them
into assets, the film takes place over one night of a
graduation party – a natural extension of directors
Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont’s belief that the party
scenes were the best ones in high school films.
Can’t Hardly Wait traces the (mis)adventures of the nerd,

the outcast, the prom queen, the jock, and the misfits, as
they say goodbye to youth and hello to a new adult world.
Sweetly charming, chaotic, and memorable, its characters
are referenced in 30 Rock, among other pop culture
staples, and its cast features Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Seth
Green (again), Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Jason
Segel, Selma Blair, Clea Duval, Jenna Elfman, Jerry
O’Connell, Melissa Joan-Hart, Amber Benson and Breckin
Meyer.
42. Feeling Minnesota (1996)
After her breakthrough role in The Mask, Cameron Diaz

showed she wasn’t just a pretty face by choosing smart
roles in smaller films like this, displaying her smart career
decision-making that has ensured her decades long
^
success. Feeling Minnesota is a smart, fun and
occasionally deadly romantic comedy, featuring Diaz as
former stripper Freddie who is forced into marrying
Vincent D’Onofrio’s Sam to pay off a debt. However, she is
actually in love with Keanu Reeves’ Jacks, and the two
abscond, setting off a chain of events which ends in
shoot-outs, murders, and double-crosses, complete with
another scene-stealing cameo from Dan Ackroyd, who
made something of a habit of this in the 90s.
41. Toy Soldiers (1991)
For those unaware of the greatness of Toy Soldiers, let me

explain it thusly. Imagine Home Alone but with terrorists
instead of inept burglars, and rebellious prep school boys
instead of a precocious blonde child. Interested? Good,
then throw out the slapstick comedy and you’ve got
yourself a high-concept 90s action film.
Toy Soldiers’ strength isn’t in the outlandish plot, featuring

Colombian terrorists, but in the young ensemble cast,
featuring Sean Astin and Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher
made a film!), whose on-screen chemistry allows the film
to crackle with wit, tension, and excitement in all the
right places. Our full lookback at the movie is here.
40. Waterworld (1995)
Yeah, I’ve gone there. Panned before release, panned after

release, and now only occasionally accepted, in a grudging
way, of being worthy of another look. Massively hyped as
the most expensive film ever made at the time,
Waterworld was almost pilloried into failing before anyone
^
gave it a chance. Far more than just a vanity project,
though, this labour of love saw Costner on set for 157
days, and almost dying on his Trimaran. Almost the last
hurrah for massively budgeted, practical effects epics,
Waterworld should be celebrated for its ambition, its
scale, and its refusal to play by the rules. We will never
see its like again.
For more on Waterworld, incidentally, check out our

interview with director Kevin Reynolds, where he goes into
more detail about how many were slating the film even
before it was finished.
39. Seven Years In Tibet (1997)
This film hit around the time everyone thought Brad Pitt
was just a pretty face, rather than the actual truth that
he’s one of our more talented actors working today.
However, it sadly meant that this incredibly good film was
dismissed by the majority of cinema goers, who wrongly
believed it to be more female audience baiting fare. How
wrong they were.
Based on the 1952 book of the same name by Austrian

writer Heinrich Harrer, it tells the incredible true story of
Harrer and his Peter Aufschnaiter who, while
mountaineering in India at the outbreak of the Second
World War, are imprisoned by the British. Subsequently
escaping, Harrer makes his way to Tibet, becoming tutor
and friend to the young Dalai Lama, as well as being
caught up in the Chinese invasion of Tibet. It’s gorgeous,
compelling and masterful, in an old-school epic way.
38. One Eight Seven (1997)
Mr Samuel L Jackson’s first leading role, One Eight Seven,

is a crime thriller which also features a great soundtrack,
with the likes of Method Man, Massive Attack and DJ
Shadow all contributing. Jackson plays Trevor Garfield, a
New York teacher who relocates to LA after being nearly
fatally stabbed to death by one of his students.
Suffering from post-traumatic stress and no longer a

believer in the system, Garfield begins a dangerous
vigilante crusade against the criminal gangs operating at
his new school. Definitely not one for those who believe in
the humanising and inspirational power of the education
system, this is a story of one man driven to the edge by a
bad, bad world, and reacting by instilling in himself and
others a twisted honour code. Occasionally silly and over-
dramatic, it is overall a gripping and effective thriller.
37. Night Falls On Manhattan (1996)
At the risk of sounding old and judgmental, they really

don’t make this type of film anymore – an original,
heavyweight crime thriller with far-reaching
consequences, and class throughout every level of the
cast. The 90s were full of such films (this was the decade
that brought us Heat, after all) and so films such as Night
Falls On Manhattan have sadly been forgotten about, and
were even dismissed upon release.
In this case, Andy Garcia is a young assistant DA given the

task of prosecuting infamous drug dealer Jordan
Washington (Shiek Mahmud-Bey). The case is complicated
by the involvement of potentially corrupt policemen,
including his father (played by Ian Holm) and his partner
(an outstanding James Gandolfini).
It charts the classic rise and fall of a young optimist, and
^
it’s dramatic and absorbing, as all the best morality tales
are.
36. Gattaca (1997)
The first time I saw this film, I was bored. Rewatching it

ten years later, I was seriously impressed. A sci-fi tale set
in a future where gene-coding is rife, and parents can buy
their children’s future success before birth, Ethan Hawke
plays Vincent, a non-modified human attempting to get on
the space program. A film/tech-noir, the plot details
Vincent’s attempts to evade being found out, while using
genetic samples from a paralysed ‘valid’ (a career best
Jude Law) to do so, while also evading the attentions of
an ongoing murder investigation at the Gattaca space
program.
Although not a commercial success by any means, Gattaca

is credited with blowing open the debate on genetic
modification, and showcasing the potential for its misuse,
much to the praise or frustration of its opponents and
proponents.
35. Jingle All The Way (1996)
Oh Arnie, you do love trying out comedy. Again and again

and again… Sometimes, though, the Austrian Oak managed
to star in light-hearted fare that was actually worth
watching – Jingle All The Way being a case in point.
Dismissed as crass, formulaic and uninspired, it is only on
later viewings and perhaps more distance from Arnie’s 90s
film career that you can really admire Jingle All The Way’s
ambition – to deconstruct and hold up the
^
commercialisation of Christmas.
How many films are based around the traditional values of

Christmas, and how they seemingly still hold true (when
we know they certainly don’t)? It’s only Jingle All The Way
(with a script from Chris Columbus) that dares to tackle
the usual falsity pedalled by Hollywood, and does so by
wrapping it up as a family-adventure film starring Arnie.
Inspired.
34. That Thing You Do! (1996)
Not the obvious choice for Tom Hanks’ directorial debut,

That Thing You Do! charts the rise and fall of a one hit
wonder band in the 60s. Featuring a host of young talent,
including Liv Tyler and Steve Zahn, as well as cameos
from such stalwarts as Bryan Cranston, the film is punchy,
fun, infectious and sweeps you up in its heightened
drama. It’s teen wish fulfilment writ large, and also shows
that, sometimes, you should be careful what you wish for.
Its energy is truly remarkable, as is the likeability of its

leads and the catchiness of its title song, written by
Fountains of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger. It will be in
your head for days, believe me.
33. Ravenous (1999)
A cannibal wild west adventure set in the 1840s, Ravenous

wasn’t the easiest sell to audiences. On-set production
troubles didn’t help either, with a change of director and
apparent studio interference, but what emerged was an
^
engaging, horrifying, and bleakly comic gem.
Guy Pearce plays a Captain in the US Army exiled to a

remote fort after his supposed heroism is actually revealed
as cowardice. While there, a stranger (Robert Carlyle)
dramatically appears, telling terrible tales of a soldier in
the mountains gone rogue and eating people. Pearce and
his fellow soldiers feel obliged to investigate, leading to
inevitable bad things.
Shot in Mexico and Slovakia, the film looks great, and you
can tell that Pearce and Carlyle are clearly relishing their
roles. The sense of isolation heightens the tension, and
the incredible score by Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn
only adds to this ominous mood.
32. Red Rock West (1993)
Originally bound for straight-to-video hell, Red Rock West

was rescued by a cinema owner who loved it so much he
wanted it to get a theatrical release. So a big thank you to
him, otherwise it may be even more obscure than it is. As
for why you should make it a priority to watch, two actors
grace the film: Nic Cage and Dennis Hopper. Imagine what
it was like to be on that set…
An intricate plot sees Cage mistaken for a hit man by the

majestic JT Walsh and asked to kill his wife, Lara Flynn
Boyle. However, when the real killer (Hopper) shows up, a
dangerous cat and mouse game ensues between all
parties, leading to a tension-filled and well-executed
graveyard finale.
Making full use of its American wilderness location, this

film has style, panache and the right amount of crazy
you’d expect from the talent involved.
31. One False Move (1992)
Another tense crime thriller stunningly overlooked on

release, it was only the word of mouth success of One
False Move on video that led to it gaining a theatrical run
(can you imagine that happening today?), propelling it into
the hearts of many, including legendary film critic Gene
Siskel.
Co-written by star Billy Bob Thornton, it tells the twisty

tale of three criminals, Ray, Pluto and Lila (Thornton,
Michael Beach, and Cynda Williams) who, after a string of
murders, flee LA in order to make a drugs deal in Star City.
Up against them is local sheriff Dale Dixon (Bill Paxton)
who, while on the surface seems a loveable goof, actually
has secrets of his own. The characters are expertly drawn,
while the plot builds towards an explosive and rewarding
ending. It’s the type of film that leaves you feeling
satisfied with how well it’s been executed.
30. Beautiful Girls (1996)
We've Con Air to thank for this film. Yep, while

screenwriter Scott Rosenberg was waiting to hear back
about his script for the soon-to-be action classic, he
realised he was more interested in the story of his friends’
lives, and their angst as they turned 30.
Using this as inspiration, he wrote this excellent ensemble

piece about fractured lives, dealing with commitment, and
working out what to do with your future. Based around
Willie Conway (Timothy Hutton) returning to his childhood
home for a school reunion, it features the combined
talents of Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman (in
an early role), Mira Sorvino, and David Arquette.
Directed by the late, sadly-missed, Ted Demme, it truly
^
captures the emotions of an age where you actually have
to grow up, and the affection for your friends you grew up
with, and are settling into new friendships with – not
growing apart, but just readjusting.
29. Six Degrees Of Separation (1993)
Looking back at Hollywood mega-star Will Smith’s career,

it is probably this film which laid the bedrock for his
future success. Very simply, without his stand-out
performance in Six Degrees Of Separation, Smith would
have been regarded as nothing more than a popular TV
star/rapper trying his luck in a few films. That he aced this
dramatic role so well made the film industry sit up and
take note, and led to his becoming one of the most
bankable stars of the last few decades.
Playing the role of Paul, Smith is a charming and

sophisticated conman who turns up bleeding and injured
at the house of the Kittredges (Stockard Channing and
Donald Sutherland) one night, claiming to be the son of Sir
Sidney Poitier and a friend of their children. Urbane and
knowledgeable, he soon cons the Kittredges out of their
money before disappearing, only for them to find that he
has touched the lives of many of their acquaintances as
well. Smith is the reason this film works; his performance
is pitch-perfect, believable, and most crucially, very
likeable.
28. Q&A (1990)
Another excellent crime thriller from Sidney Lumet, Q&A
^
tells the story of a young assistant DA who is sent to
investigate the shooting of a small time crook by homicide
detective Mike Brennan. What follows is pretty standard,
with the shooting leading to a bigger crook, tangled and
complicated relationships between characters, and a
murky morality.
What makes this film so incredible, though, is Nick Nolte’s

hulking, dominating performance as Mike Brennan. Pot-
bellied and moustached, Nolte owns the screen with a
powerful intensity, making an unlikeable character
mesmerising and unforgettable. You’ll find yourself
thinking about his titanic performance long after the
credits roll, it’s that good.
27. Joe Vs The Volcano (1990)
Umm, somebody put a Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic

comedy on this list. Not just any Hanks/Ryan comedy,
though. This is their first and best – an utterly bonkers
film about a man finding out he has six months to live,
and then being offered untold luxury provided he throws
himself into a volcano (something to do with mining rights
on a tropical island, and appeasing the islanders).
Meg Ryan inexplicably has three roles in the film, Hanks is

at his slapstick comic goofy best, while the film’s insane
plot sweeps you along in its melodrama. There is so much
fun to be have that you end up loving the daft premise,
the inherent whimsy, and the occasionally corny
sentiment. It’s fun, it’s exciting, and utterly unlike any big
budget rom-com made before or since.
26. Swimming With Sharks (1994)
A very black and very effective comedy about the film

industry, Swimming With Sharks gave us one of the all-
time great performances from Kevin Spacey as Buddy
Ackerman, Hollywood mogul and boss from hell. Swimming
With Sharks tells the story of Guy (Frank Whaley) who
takes the job as Buddy’s assistant despite being warned
off by his predecessor Rex (Benicio del Toro).
However, his fears are soon proven true as Buddy begins a

campaign of terror against Guy, culminating in an affair
with his girlfriend. This then becomes the snapping point
for him, as he takes Buddy hostage and learns just what it
takes to succeed. Spacey’s Buddy is a monster in every
sense of the word, especially when forced to reveal his
‘human’ side. Repugnant and compelling, he is one of
cinema’s finest villains, as well as being a horribly
believable representation of the film world.
Swimming With Sharks also became an excellent play in

2007, featuring Dr Who’s Matt Smith as Guy, and
companion Arthur Darvill as Rex.
25. A Very Brady Sequel (1996)
One of the best things the 90s gave us was a very smart,
very clever and unexpected reboot of the Brady Bunch,
the popular sitcom from the 70s. Sharing the first film’s
sense of pastiche and fish out of water humour, A Very
Brady Sequel has a conman show up at the Brady’s
pretending to be Carol Brady’s first husband.
Indulging in the knowing sensibility that marked the Brady

Bunch films as something a bit special, this film has often
been unfavourably compared with its predecessor. This is
actually quite unfair, as there’s little to distinguish
^
between the two, and in fact A Very Brady Sequel has a
bit more confidence to push its agenda, including
developing the love that dare not speak its name between
Greg and Marcia Brady. Full of wit and energy, it’s a delight
from beginning to end.
24. Election (1999)
A contender for the best performance of Reese

Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick’s respective careers
(one hundred per cent Chris Klein’s, but he’s not really
acting, though), Election is the story of overachiever Tracy
Flick’s (Witherspoon) attempt to become elected class
president by any means possible, and jaded teacher Jim
McAllister’s equally determined efforts to stop her, by
means of putting forward his candidate, loveable dimwit
Paul Metzler (Klein).
Bleakly comic, Witherspoon is a vicious and manipulative

lead, set against Broderick’s hopeless and unfulfilled loser.
Some have suggested that he is fact playing a grown-up
version of Ferris Bueller here, and I’d subscribe to that
view – the once popular kid with the world at his feet
finds life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and is faced with a
representation of all he despises. Directed by the brilliant
Alexander Payne, this is one film that withstands the test
of time, and remains as relevant today as it was 13 years
ago.
23. Albino Alligator (1996)
Kevin Spacey’s debut film as a director is a classic
^
underrated movie worthy of your recognition. Pretty much
ignored and dismissed upon release (even earning Faye
Dunaway a Razzie nomination), it’s actually a well-acted
and tightly put together crime film, only let down by its
script. Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise, and William Fichtner are
robbers who flee to a bar after a hold-up goes wrong and
then seemingly cornered by the police.
However, the situation is definitely not what they initially

think it is, and every character has a role to play in the
proceedings. With a leading trio of that calibre, it’s easy to
see where the film gets its power from, as the intensity of
the performances really is something to behold, if
occasionally veering into a melodrama. Spacey keeps
things at a tight pace though (the film clocks in at 97
mins), and the energy and claustrophobia of the piece
really is exemplary.
22. Dark City (1998)
Poor Dark City. Just one year after its release, The Matrix
would come out – using some of the same sets, similar
cinematography and design, and a shared sense of plot
and thematics, it would become one of the biggest sci-fi
movies ever. Dark City, on the other hand, pretty much
sank without trace, and had the ignominy of a spoiler-rific
voice-over being placed over the intro just so really stupid
people could understand it.
For those yet to see it, Rufus Sewell plays a seemingly

ordinary man who discovers his world is not quite what it
seems, as well as finding some extraordinary powers
within himself. Visually dense and imaginative, it’s also
philosophically provocative, inviting the audience to
ponder many questions about ourselves and the nature of
our environment. Dark City has since been given a
director’s cut, restoring it to its originally intended glory
and making it even more worthy of seeking out.
21. Small Soldiers (1998)
This was probably one of the most memorable films of my

teenage years. Having just outgrown toys but still pretty
into them, the idea of a dark and twisted version of Toy
Story, where the toys were vicious killing machines,
definitely appealed to me.
Fourteen years on, and the film more than holds up, long
outlasting initial criticism that it was marketed at an
audience far too young for its violent themes. As well as a
young Kirsten Dunst, the film’s notable acting talent is in
the voice roles of the toys. Tommy Lee Jones is Chip
Hazard, leader of the gung-ho and ultimately villainous
Commando Elite, while Frank Langella plays Archer, leader
of the peaceful and noble Gorgonites. With stunning
special effects, mini-mayhem, and exciting set-pieces,
Small Soldiers is a treat.
20. Go (1999)
Remember when Katie Holmes was cool? Well she was

once, and it was in this film. Told in non-linear fashion
and across several different viewpoints, this Doug Liman-
directed comedy thriller was dismissed by some as ‘junior
Pulp Fiction’, but it’s actually much better than that
description might imply.
Telling four interlinked stories over the course of one

night, the disparate cast features Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf
as gay soap actors unwittingly forced to take part in a
police sting operation by weird cop William Fichtner, Sarah
Polley as a slacker trying to make rent money through
selling drugs, Katie Holmes as her friend who gets caught
up in the deal and forced to spend the night with drug
dealer Timothy Olyphant, and Desmond Askew (of Grange
Hill fame) as the unpredictable friend linking them all.
^
Scatter-shot but focused when it matters, Go is utterly
watchable, fun, and makes you wish you lived in LA.
19. Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)
For many, this is where mainstream success started for

Heath Ledger. On the surface just another 90s high-school
comedy, Ten Things I Hate About You is a whip-smart
adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming Of The Shrew,
and in Ledger has an intensely charismatic bad-boy with a
heart of gold. Not forgetting the formidable talents of a
certain Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the cast is rounded out with
the stellar Julia Stiles (also in her breakout role) and David
Krumholtz.
Not until Easy A would a high-school movie be as

accessible to a wider (more adult) audience, and while a
lot of that is down to Ledger and the others, the script is
also incredibly funny, full of genuine and well-earned set-
piece pay offs, and most importantly, it’s winningly
charming.
18. Darkman (1990)
Leave it to Sam Raimi to create an original super-hero for

his Hollywood debut. Perfectly fusing together his own
comic book sensibilities with an expanded budget,
Darkman is a gloriously campy and enjoyable action film,
showcasing Liam Neeson’s skills as an action star which
would later lead to a career renaissance for the dramatic
actor.
Telling the tale of Peyton Westlake, a brilliant scientist
^
disfigured and given enhanced strength after his lab is
destroyed, the film draws inspiration from The Shadow
and Batman for its gothic tone, and The Elephant Man and
The Phantom Of The Opera for its emotional pull –
Darkman is forced to live in the shadows both literally and
metaphorically due to his appearance, having to become
different people with his revolutionary synthetic skin.
17. Velvet Goldmine (1998)
Before his critical and award winning success with Far

From Heaven, director Todd Haynes made Velvet Goldmine,
the fictionalised account of a former glam-rock star.
Heavily based on David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Iggy Pop and
Lou Reed, the story tells of a young music journalist
(Christian Bale) investigating the disappearance of Brian
Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers).
Told via a series of non-linear flashbacks, the film traces

the career of Slade and his collaborator/lover Curt Wild
(Ewan McGregor). A surreal Citizen Kane-inspired visual
feast, the film is dazzling, metaphorical, and hallucinatory.
Working as a better biopic of the talents of the 70s then a
straightforward film ever could, Velvet Goldmine is the
best representation of glam-rock we’ll ever likely to see
on-screen.
16. Alien 3 (1992)
While massively panned upon initial release, and subject

to well-documented production troubles, it seems that
after every new film released in the Alien franchise, Alien
3 keeps on looking like a better and better movie by
^
comparison. But is it just the fact that the following
movies were either so poor (Resurrection, Alien Vs
Predator) or baffling (Prometheus) that makes Alien 3
seem like a worthy Alien film? Not quite, as David Fincher’s
debut genuinely stands up as a great (if flawed) sci-fi
horror film with engaging and thought-provoking themes,
as well as being a worthy follow-up to Alien and Aliens. It
couldn’t match those films, but it tries to do its own thing,
and succeeds with aplomb.
Our full lookback at Alien 3 is here.
15. Two Hands (1999)
It seems 1999 really was the year Heath Ledger broke

through – this was the film that put him on the map in
Australia and led to 10 Things I Hate About You. Two Hands
is also a brilliant, if unknown, film in its own right, a
tightly told crime thriller with a surreal edge, featuring
Ledger as Jimmy, a small-time crook who ends up deep in
debt to serious gangsters.
Ledger is a magnetic presence and carries the film,

although he is ably supported by romantic interest Rose
Byrne. The film undercuts its gritty, serious edge by having
Jimmy’s dead older brother act as a zombie guardian
angel throughout, firmly putting the film into tongue in
cheek territory, but also playing up the realism of the
grimier side of Sydney well. A searing soundtrack led by
the mighty Powderfinger doesn’t hurt, either.
14. Strange Days (1995)
A gritty and frenetic cyber-punk story from Kathryn
^
Bigelow, Strange Days is certainly flawed, but has enough
ambition, thrills, and ideas to overcome its failings and
become something of a minor triumph.
Set in a dystopian LA on the brink of the millennium,

Ralph Fiennes plays Lenny Nero, an ex-LAPD officer now
turned dealer in SQUID – recordings/memories taken
directly from a person’s cerebral cortex and replayed via
what is basically a MiniDisc (remember those?).
After receiving a warning from a SQUID client, and later a

recording of her violent death, Lenny and his compatriots
(Angela Basset and Tom Sizemore) are dragged into a
conspiracy which threatens to tear the entire city apart.
Visually bold and with striking performances, Strange Days
paints a possible future world with frightening
believability, and dazzles the viewer with high-concepts
and physical filmmaking.
13. The Cable Guy (1996)
Following the massive successes of Ace Ventura and Dumb

& Dumber, this dark comedy seemed for many to mark the
first misstep in Jim Carrey’s career. With hindsight,
however, it’s clear that far from being an end of a period,
it actually heralds the next phase of comedy – the Judd
Apatow years.
Produced and written by Apatow, and directed by Ben

Stiller, The Cable Guy tells the story of nice guy Steven
Kovaks (Matthew Broderick) whose life spirals out of
control after he reluctantly befriends psychotic cable
engineer Chip (Jim Carrey).
What follows is extreme act after extreme act, featuring

highlights such as a fight at a medieval banquet, Carrey
serenading a party with Somebody To Love, and an
awkward family game of porno password. Also providing
some of the funniest scenes is Ben Stiller in dual roles as
a child star on trial.
Despite audiences’ initial discomfort with the dark tone,

the fact that the biggest comedies today are far more
extreme (think The Hangover) proves that The Cable Guy
^
was simply ahead of its time.
12. The Game (1997)
The Game is one of those films that people often mention

but seldom watch. Ask the average person to name David
Fincher’s films, and it’s doubtful this would make their list.
It is, however, exemplary and worthy of your attention.
A complex film within a film, the simple set-up of a rich

man bored with his life becoming entangled in a game
which may or may not be real acts as a launch-pad for
Fincher to have a lot of fun. The Game rewards repeat
watches in a way few films do, as each viewing offers new
clues and perspectives on what is or is not reality for
Michael Douglas’s lead character.
Douglas himself offers one of his finest performances,

getting the audience to genuinely invest in a billionaire
with the perfect life, and Fincher’s control of dramatic
suspense, wit and pulp conventions is second to none. We
revisited the film in more detail, here.
11. Tremors (1990)
Tremors is not just a horror-comedy to rival the likes of

Evil Dead, I would also say that it kick-started one of the
best horror franchises ever, yet one which rarely gets the
true recognition it deserves. However, mention Tremors to
anyone who’s seen it, and you’ll be engulfed with a wave
of affection. Kevin Bacon leads the cast as a maintenance
worker in the tiny town of Perfection, Nevada, whose tiny
population of 14 come under attack from Graboids, a form
^
of giant, deadly sand worms.
After building up the initial mystery, the film quickly

becomes an inventive battle of survival between the
townsfolk and Graboids, with some ingenious kills and
ways of disposing of the monsters. Tremors’ main strength
is the world it builds; despite its fantastical concept and
wicked sense of humour, it never stretches credibility too
far, and remains true to both its characters and concepts.
10. Stir Of Echoes (1999)
Oh look, it’s Kevin Bacon again. His work ethic is immense,

as is his choice of film. Take this supernatural thriller, for
instance. Initially dismissed as nothing more than a Sixth
Sense rip off, due to a child’s ability to commune with the
dead, it’s actually a creepy and effective murder mystery,
which also lifts the lid on just what the most normal of
people hide underneath the surface, and what they can
do when pushed.
Bacon is, of course, superb as the family man who

discovers that everything he thought he knew about the
world is wrong, and his portrayal of obsession is on a level
with Michael Shannon’s amazing performance in Take
Shelter.
9. Office Space (1999)
Based on Mike Judge’s Milton cartoon series, Judge opted

to go live-action instead when bringing Office Space to the
screen, and the result is the on-the-nose comedy about
^
the banality of everyday life in an office.
It takes the form of a loose series of sketches set in office

cubicles, before a botched bout of hypnotherapy leads
Ron Livingston’s Peter Gibbon to stop caring. The plot is
slight, but that’s not really the point. Instead, the razor
sharp script expertly spears target after target, whether
it’s the ‘pieces of flair’ Jennifer Aniston’s waitress is
forced to wear in order to promote her happy
‘individuality’, or the HR mistakes which lead to office
worker Milton’s eventual breakdown.
You can easily imagine these things genuinely happening –

indeed, most of what you see will be depressingly familiar
to anyone who has worked in the corporate world, but the
humour rescues it from being a horrible social-realist
piece. Office Space is an enduring cult classic, referenced
in everything from Family Guy to World of Warcraft.
Here's our full lookback.
8. LA Story (1991)
This gets my vote for the best romantic comedy of the

90s, and possibly Steve Martin’s most underrated film. It’s
not full of the comic excesses and highs of some of his
work, but in LA Story he finely marries together the
pathos, the surrealism, and the warm humour which made
him the star he is.
Martin plays Harris K Telemacher, a TV weatherman in a

dead-end relationship who begins to receive cryptic
romantic advice from a freeway sign. Pursuing
relationships with both a sophisticated British journalist,
as well as an aspiring promotional model (a young Sarah
Jessica Parker), it also charts the absurdity of living in LA,
that most modern of cities, dedicated to the cult of
celebrity we’ve built around ourselves, and a place where
it’s very easy to be lonely.
Only the fact that LA Story contains three Enya songs

counts against it.
7. Miller’s Crossing (1990)

Personally, I think this film should be on everyone’s list of

favourite films, but time and time again I’m amazed by the
amount of people, including Coen Brothers fans, who
haven’t seen this masterpiece. Based loosely on the works
of pulp writer Dashiell Hammett, this film noir set in
Prohibition-era America details a power struggle between
two rival gangs, in which Gabriel Byrne finds himself in the
middle of.
Beautiful and elegiac, with a multi-layered plot, it’s

handled with the assured confidence of filmmakers at the
top of their game. The dialogue, much culled directly from
Hammett himself, is whip-sharp and delivered with relish
by the incredible cast, of whom stand-outs are Albert
Finney, and Jon Turturro, who as bookie Bernie Bernbaum
is probably at his very finest, with his scene at Miller’s
Crossing, where he pleads for his life (“Look into your
heart”), being an iconic stand-out. Perhaps the Coens’
finest work.
6. Pump Up The Volume (1990)
For all those many, many fans of Empire Records, I implore

you to check this earlier effort from director Allan Moyles
out as well. Mainly because – whisper it – it’s better.
Christian Slater is outstanding as Mark Hunter, a loner at
high-school who has a secret – he’s the host of a popular
night-time pirate radio show.
Using a harmonizer to disguise his voice and going under

the pseudonym of Happy Harry Hard-On, he is the
mouthpiece of a disaffected youth. However, this
influence soon proves so disruptive within the community
that he faces a fight to stay on the air. With a generation-
defining soundtrack (featuring Pixies and Soundgarden)
^
propelling the film, it’s funny, sharp and has a genuine
message of importance for its audience. It also captures
the possibility of the 90s perfectly, freed from the
ostentatious shackles of the 80s; this was Gen X’s time to
shine, and to prove they had a voice and the will to use
it.
Our more detailed lookback at the film is here.
5. Zero Effect (1998)
The directorial debut of Jake Kasdan, Zero Effect is a

detective story with a difference. Bill Pullman plays Darryl
Zero, the world’s greatest detective, but also a social
misfit who cannot leave his house to meet clients.
Instead, he employs an assistant, Steve Arlo, played by
Ben Stiller, to carry out his work.
Based on the 1930s series Nero Wolfe, as well as the

Sherlock Holmes story A Scandal In Bohemia, the plot
details Zero investigating a mysterious blackmail case,
where in fact the blackmailer may be the one who needs
the help. Engaging, funny, and totally absorbing, Pullman
and Stiller make a great crime fighting partnership, but
one that is definitely modern, with all the pressures that
entails.
Zero’s unique problem creates a real dramatic and

intriguing puzzle for the writers to work round, but in fact
it becomes the film’s strength.
4. Jackie Brown (1997)
I’m going to come out and say it: Jackie Brown may well
^
be Quentin Tarantino’s best film. It’s certainly his most
confident – the one and only time where he let the film
tell its own story, free from any tricks or genre play. It was
a shame that Jackie Brown was so poorly received, as it
pushed Tarantino further down his pastiche/homage path,
which is starting to veer into self-parody.
Based on the Elmore Leonard book Rum Punch, Jackie

Brown is a twisting tale of a gangster’s money and the
double-crosses that happen in order for people to get
their hands on it. Reviving the careers of both Pam Grier
and Robert Forster, it cemented Samuel L Jackson’s
reputation as the coolest mutha on the planet (his Kangol
hat look is iconic, as is his love for the AK-47).
It was a brave choice of project to follow up his

masterpiece Pulp Fiction, and sadly was savagely
compared to it – unfairly so. Give Jackie Brown another
chance, and you won’t be disappointed.
3. A Simple Plan (1998)
This film proves that, with the right material, Sam Raimi is
a masterful director, whatever the genre. The thriller
concerns two brothers (Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton)
and their friend, who discover a crashed plane and $4.4
million in cash in rural America. Cue a series of cover-ups,
arguments, murders and a deepening of the mystery of
just where the money came from.
Complex and painfully tense, A Simple Plan gives nothing

away, and wastes no scenes at all. Everything propels the
taut narrative forward to its shocking, inevitable and
satisfying ending, while at the same time fleshing out the
characters so you genuinely care about their fates, even
as they dig themselves deeper into a hole of their own
making.
With this and The Gift, Sam Raimi showed the world he
was a director of real substance, and not just a comic
influenced horror kid.
2. Devil In A Blue Dress (1995)
An electric, powerful, neo-noir thriller from director Carl

Franklin, Devil In A Blue Dress was a breath of fresh air in
the detective genre upon release. While its plot about
Denzel Washington’s rookie private eye was nothing new,
the investigation of racial tension in post-war Los Angeles,
the exploration of the importance of usually unheralded
community ties, and the elegant direction of it all was
something to make this film stand head and shoulders
above the competition.
The visuals are incredible, proving once again why film is

the transcendent visual medium, and how a picture can
explore so much more than words. Rounding off the film,
and truly cementing it as worthy of watching, is a
tremendous performance from Don Cheadle as the
homicidal Mouse, a friend of Washington’s who acts as a
spark to the powder keg situation. He steals the film with
his performance.
1. Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai (1999)
Jim Jarmusch truly is a genius. Whether its directing post-

modern black and white western Dead Man, or the
metaphorical comedy-drama Broken Flowers, he brings
care, detail, and above all talent to everything he does.
Case in point is this incredible crime action thriller, which
fuses together gangster and samurai movies, while also
mixing themes of family, loyalty, duty and revenge amongst
an incredibly high body count which just builds and
builds.
Forest Whitaker is awesome as Ghost Dog, saved by

mobster Louie, and therefore bound to him by the code of
bushido. Caring only for his pigeons, he is betrayed by the
mob and realises it is either them or him. As well as
^
setting up an epic confrontation, the film also finds time
for Ghost Dog to pass on his ethos to a new pupil, come to
terms with his own choices, and have a life affirming
friendship with a Haitian ice-cream salesman who doesn’t
speak any English. Finally, it also features an all-
conquering soundtrack from RZA, worthy of an article of
its own, and one of the finest soundtracks of recent
years.
Hopefully, there's some films in there that you haven't

seen, that you're tempted to give a try to. Leave your own
suggestions in the comments below...
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EvilNinjaPhil • 6 years ago

Where the hell is Sneakers?
11 △ ▽ • Reply •
Mynock > EvilNinjaPhil • 6 years ago

hear hear
△ ▽ • Reply •
David James Deacon • 6 years ago

I would like to see Death Becomes Her on the list and I'm not too sure if The
Frighteners is underrated- either way both flicks are very enjoyable for me. (Plus a
soft spot for Duncan Checks In *cough*)
11 △ ▽ • Reply •
Melanie > David James Deacon • 5 years ago

Okay, we'll put it on the list just for you.
1△ ▽ • Reply •
mart • 6 years ago

I don't think that no sci-fi fan is underrating "Dark City" (it's considered a classic!, it
rocks 7.8 imdb with 100 000 votes and 74 fresh in RT). I agree that even "eXistenZ"
would be better pick or actually "The Thirteenth Floor" (1999) (flawed movie, but a lot
better than RT-s 27% suggests). Several others here that I don't consider underrated
("Miller's Crossing", really with 91 RT and 8.0 imdb ?!).
That been said, I understand that picking 50 movies and making everyone happy is
impossible. Some great suggestions here and several I haven't seen yet.
9△ ▽ • Reply •
Pauldola • 6 years ago

^
I thought Falling Down should have rated a mention..
22 △ ▽ • Reply •
Thomas Love > Pauldola • 6 years ago

I absolutely love that film. Was that Schumacher? I think it maybe deserves
mention slightly more than a certain other contentious entry of his (my own
opinion of course)
3△ ▽ • Reply •
Thomas Love • 6 years ago

Excellent list. I'd be inclined to mention Cronenberg's 'eXistenZ', which was rather
overlooked in favour of a certain bigger, shootier treatise on virtual reality when it was
released in '99. Also, can't remember if it was still the 90's, but does anyone
remember 'The Way of the Gun'? Another excellent film that not many people saw.
13 △ ▽ • Reply •
MyKlee > Thomas Love • 6 years ago

I LOVED "The Way of the Gun"! It was the first time I was introduced to
Benicio Del Toro (I later realized I had seen him before in 'The Usual
Suspects'). The car chase broke all the rules, and was amazing!
1△ ▽ • Reply •
Stephen S. > Thomas Love • 6 years ago

The Way of the Gun came out in 1999. But I'm pretty sure Ghost Dog: The
Way of the Samurai had it's official US release date in early 2000 as well and
that movie is number 1 on the list.
△ ▽ • Reply •
Stephen S. > Stephen S. • 6 years ago

Dammit, I meant to say Way of the Gun came out in 2000. Not 1999.
△ ▽ • Reply •
Jacob Jones • 6 years ago

Some great picks on here, as well as some I've been meaning to watch. The one I
was hoping to see the whole time though: Things to Do In Denver When You're
Dead. With bafflingly good bit parts from Christopher Lloyd, Treat Williams, and
William Forsythe, it also stars Christopher Walken as a crippled mob boss (nursed
by Jenny McCarthy in her first on-screen performance) and Steve Buschemi as
notorious hitman Mr. Shhh. Andy Garcia holds it down but doesn't quite hit the high
notes, but the plot really moves this film along, a fascinating look into life after the
glory days of being mobsters.
7△ ▽ • Reply •
Daevouk • 6 years ago

Deep Rising - before the Mummy franchise Steve Sommers' Poseiden
Adventure/Tremors crossover
6△ ▽ • Reply •
holmes • 6 years ago

Some great entries on this list, but not sure I would call Office Space underrated.
6△ ▽ • Reply •
ToonMonkey • 6 years ago

You lost me at Batman and Robin, but won me back at Chaplin and Very Bad things.
6△ ▽ • Reply •
Rico • 6 years ago

I would have included Fresh which featured great performances by Samuel L.
Jackson and Giancarlo Esposito. Batman and Robin doesn't belong on this list.
5△ ▽ • Reply •
bvkess • 6 years ago

I like that you have Jackie Brown at #4,, I agree 100% with your comments on that
one. By Far my favorite QT movie
5△ ▽ • Reply •
Rorshach • 6 years ago ^

I tried to go see 'Ghost Dog' in the cinema in mid-2000, only to be told at the box
office it was being cancelled to make room for another showing of 'Gladiator'... the
dirtbags!
Great to see both 'Gattaca' and 'Alien 3' on the list, but 'Batman & Robin', REALLY? I
think Woody Allen put it best when Joel Schumacher lamented to him that he'd
"made the worst film in history", to which Allen replied "you haven't even done
that"...'nuff said.
One film I would mention that isn't on the list; Bill Duke's incendiary 1992 cop movie
'Deep Cover' starring Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum, a real slow burner of a
film with a fantastic soundtrack, powerful performances, great cinematography, and
atmosphere you could paint the walls with, good stuff indeed.
5△ ▽ • Reply •
Carley Tauchert • 6 years ago

Yes, Yes and Yes - amazing list which mentions pretty much every film of the 90s I
liked and some which I can add to my watch list!
5△ ▽ • Reply •
Stu Anderson • 6 years ago

Good list. I really like Ghost Dog. One omission that definitely would have made my
list is Pleasantville.
4△ ▽ • Reply •
StanSki • 6 years ago

My wife has brought this entire list to our viewing over the last few years. I
recommend every one of these films on the merits described here and more.
3△ ▽ • Reply •
Geoff • 6 years ago

Great list, really enjoyed the read. I agree with so many of your choices and am
looking forward to the ones I haven't seen, thanks for the recommendations.
One questions I always ask myself when seeing someone mention Carl Franklin's
Devil in a Blue Dress or One False Move is what happened? The guy literally feel off
the map with such poor outings as Out of Time and the passable at best High
Crimes. Such promise. I so long to see that Tarantino you mentioned. The one that
made Jackie Brown. Will we every see that part of his talent again throughout the
entirety of a film, again. Darkman I recently watched for the first time in what must be
10 years. Raimi's mixed up a prefect concoction of mayhem and character drama
that really hasn't been surpassed. Liam Nesson's characterization of a man driven at
first for notoriety of his invention evolves into madness to become normal again. It
has such an amazing character acre by the end of it all he realizes that his new skin
is what he is. We all where masks and he's comfortable with his. Stir of Echos of
course is remembered unfairly I might add as the other film that was not The Sixth
Sense but came out around the same time. I really think this film will find more
audiences in the coming years. If I could add or make my own suggestions to the list
for underrated films of the 90's they'd be, but not all.
see more
3△ ▽ • Reply •
Omniaural > Geoff • 6 years ago

Was 'Things to Denver When you're Dead' a 90's movie? I remember that
being a pretty good one that few people remember.
1△ ▽ • Reply •
Thomas Love > Omniaural • 6 years ago

Good call, awesome movie. Yep, I'm pretty sure it was 90's, saw it on
video around 97, I think it had just been released
1△ ▽ • Reply •
Omniaural > Thomas Love • 6 years ago

It was the multiple mentions of Andy Garcia films that cropped
up in the list and discussion that brought it to mind. I always
associate him with that movie first and foremost. He seemed
to be everywhere back then
to be everywhere back then.
△ ▽ • Reply • ^
Dave > Geoff • 6 years ago

Stir of Echos kicked The Sixth Sense's ass which was the MOST overrated
movie of all time, forget the performances (Streep could probably get some
kind of award for being involved with a movie version of Saved by the Bell
playing Screech) the twist was telegraphed miles in advance and therefore
revealed itself to be a one trick pony of diminishing returns hence repeated ad
nauseum by pretentiously named M. Night Shyamalan...am I wrong?
△ ▽ • Reply •
Barnacle Bill • 6 years ago

Indeed, Jackie Brown is just as awesome as Reservoirs Dogs and Pulp Fiction!
Watched it so many times!
3△ ▽ • Reply •
Maggie Woodward • 6 years ago

Great list, but it ain't Queen's Somebody to Love that Jim Carrey warbles to...
3△ ▽ • Reply •
nphorton > Maggie Woodward • 6 years ago

Quite right, it's indeed the excellent Jefferson Airplane. No idea how that
slipped in...
△ ▽ • Reply •
nphorton > nphorton • 6 years ago

Fixed.
1△ ▽ • Reply •
marknelson • 6 years ago

Wesley Crusher made a film!... Erm... Cough... STAND BY ME... Cough
3△ ▽ • Reply •
CQ > marknelson • 6 years ago

Stand By Me was from the '80s.
△ ▽ • Reply •
nphorton > marknelson • 6 years ago

Never heard of it... (I joke of course. I do feel bad for the crack, Wil Wheaton
writes an excellent blog, where he eloquently asks us not to judge him solely
on a role he played as a teenager...)
△ ▽ • Reply •
Douglas Taylor > nphorton • 6 years ago

Technically, Wesley Crusher didn't exist as a character when Stand
By Me was made...
2△ ▽ • Reply •
Sparky • 6 years ago

Mystery Men! Of course! How could you leave out Mystery Men, which is one of the
greatest satires of superhero movies ever!
4△ ▽ • Reply •
Dave > Sparky • 6 years ago

isn't satire meant to be funny? I thought the way the critics generally frothed
over this at the time actually made it one of the most overrated films of that
period. Went in to see it like you're Jonesing for a Big Mac after a long car
journey and after eating one feel like sh*t and having eaten fatty
paper....boring!!!
△ ▽ • Reply •
Thomas Love > Sparky • 6 years ago

Awesome film! Tom Waits' cameo is the icing on the cake
△ ▽ • Reply •
mokgohan • 6 years ago

I was hoping to see BOWFINGER here as you mentioned Steve Martin movies So
I was hoping to see BOWFINGER here as you mentioned Steve Martin movies. So
much funnier than LA Story. C'mon- Chubby Rain! ^
Also, I was shocked and horrified to find out there are fans of Empire Records- its my
third most hated movie ever; right behind Powder and Love Actually at number one.
2△ ▽ • Reply •
aussiegrunt > mokgohan • 4 years ago

Powder! i love all Disney films directed by convicted pedophiles
△ ▽ • Reply •
doctor15 > mokgohan • 6 years ago

"Do you like Smashing Pumpkins?"
"Are you kidding? I LOVE to do that!"
I haven't seen it, but I'll get by with that joke...
△ ▽ • Reply •
Ashley Clark • 6 years ago

Absolutely fantastic list.
2△ ▽ • Reply •
vag • 6 years ago

The "Hole-y rusty metal" joke in Batman and Robin is more than enough to forgive
that movie's numerous sins
2△ ▽ • Reply •
The Professor > vag • 6 years ago

You're too kind. That line is from Batman Forever.
1△ ▽ • Reply •
David Fullam • 6 years ago

When did Darkman and Tremors become underrated?
2△ ▽ • Reply •
Stuart Wilson > David Fullam • 6 years ago

I remember Darkman being savaged by critics when it came out...
△ ▽ • Reply •
Omniaural > David Fullam • 6 years ago

Not by those who've seen them but they are hardly well known movies.
△ ▽ • Reply •
Aging Hippy • 6 years ago

Excellent article, thanks. My favourite of favourites from this list is Tremors. I have
suddenly realised, whilst reading this, that whenever any of these films were shown
on TV, I never made a special point of watching them - except for Tremors, which I
have seen several times. Apart from everything else this film has to offer, the simple
ti f f i dl i hb h d i li t ith ilit d l hidd i
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6/16/2018 The top 50 underrated films of the 90s | Den of Geek

HOME MOVIES  MORE Search 🔍    UK^

The top 50 underrated films POPULAR

Netflix's The Staircase and the

The Terminator: suspense and

With so much going on in that decade, and so many

50. Batman & Robin (1997) Game Of Thrones spin-off: 11

40 must-see films in 2018 ^

The Flash season 5: Danielle

Yes, really. Despite being howlingly awful in most people’s

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Alpha: first trailer for late summer

Unfriended: Dark Web trailer arrives

While critically and commercially derided, there’s an

As long as you alter your expectations, and can appreciate

49. Chaplin (1992)

121 movie remakes and reboots

While now a staple of the Hollywood blockbuster, with

Perfectly capturing one of ﬁlm’s most iconic stars, it’s easy

48. Very Bad Things (1998)

Speaking of Jon Favreau, he plays the lead in Peter Berg’s

Cruelly and unnervingly building from one disaster to

47. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) ^

The dichotomy of his cold, precise ﬁlmmaking and his

46. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

A small confession. I saw this ﬁlm before I ever saw the

Acting as both prequel and epilogue to the seminal TV

45. The Spanish Prisoner (1997)

Steve Martin was certainly doing some of his best work in

44. Idle Hands (1999)

A teenage sleepover classic, Idle Hands is a comedy horror

Featuring decapitation, dismemberment,

43. Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)

Is this one of the most inﬂuential ﬁlms of the 90s? I think

Can’t Hardly Wait traces the (mis)adventures of the nerd,

42. Feeling Minnesota (1996)

After her breakthrough role in The Mask, Cameron Diaz

41. Toy Soldiers (1991)

For those unaware of the greatness of Toy Soldiers, let me

Toy Soldiers’ strength isn’t in the outlandish plot, featuring

40. Waterworld (1995)

Yeah, I’ve gone there. Panned before release, panned after

For more on Waterworld, incidentally, check out our

39. Seven Years In Tibet (1997)

Based on the 1952 book of the same name by Austrian

38. One Eight Seven (1997)

Mr Samuel L Jackson’s ﬁrst leading role, One Eight Seven,

Suffering from post-traumatic stress and no longer a

37. Night Falls On Manhattan (1996)

At the risk of sounding old and judgmental, they really

In this case, Andy Garcia is a young assistant DA given the

36. Gattaca (1997)

The ﬁrst time I saw this ﬁlm, I was bored. Rewatching it

Although not a commercial success by any means, Gattaca

35. Jingle All The Way (1996)

Oh Arnie, you do love trying out comedy. Again and again

How many ﬁlms are based around the traditional values of

34. That Thing You Do! (1996)

Not the obvious choice for Tom Hanks’ directorial debut,

Its energy is truly remarkable, as is the likeability of its

33. Ravenous (1999)

A cannibal wild west adventure set in the 1840s, Ravenous

Guy Pearce plays a Captain in the US Army exiled to a