1990 Ranked Films
The ranked list of 1990 films that I have seen so far.
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- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.10/10
With Martin Scoresese working at the height of his directorial prowess, Goodfellas assembles a vivacious veteran cast in spinning one of the best crime sagas of all time. - DirectorKevin CostnerStarsKevin CostnerMary McDonnellGraham GreeneLieutenant John Dunbar, assigned to a remote western Civil War outpost, finds himself engaging with a neighbouring Sioux settlement, causing him to question his own purpose.10/10
Some dated storylines aside, Dances with Wolves remains a beautifully shot and often powerfully moving epic. - DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsSean ConneryAlec BaldwinScott GlennIn November 1984, the Soviet Union's best submarine captain violates orders and heads for the U.S. in a new undetectable sub. The American CIA and military must quickly determine: Is he trying to defect or to start a war?9/10
An apt introduction to the Jack Ryan character and a thrilling Cold War tale to boot, The Hunt for Red October grasps onto audience attention and never lets go. - DirectorJerry ZuckerStarsPatrick SwayzeDemi MooreWhoopi GoldbergAfter a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.9/10
Overcoming its potentially silly script with heartrending sentiment, Ghost gets by on the passionate chemistry between its stars and a wicked sense of humor. - DirectorRob ReinerStarsJames CaanKathy BatesRichard FarnsworthAfter a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.9/10
Taking a small-scale conceit and making the stakes feel huge, Misery is a slow-burn, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller with one killer performance from Kathy Bates. - DirectorTim BurtonStarsJohnny DeppWinona RyderDianne WiestThe solitary life of an artificial man - who was incompletely constructed and has scissors for hands - is upended when he is taken in by a suburban family.8/10
Tim Burton delicately crafting a vivid and off-kilter world, Edward Scissorhands is a darkly affecting, suburban monster tragedy. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsMia FarrowWilliam HurtJoe MantegnaA spoiled Manhattan housewife re-evaluates her life after visiting a Chinatown healer.8/10
Despite not quite nailing the ending, Alice finds writer-director Woody Allen bending the rules of the romance genre to delightful effect and giving his actors plenty to work with. - DirectorGarry MarshallStarsRichard GereJulia RobertsJason AlexanderA man in a legal but hurtful business needs an escort for some social events, and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets... only to fall in love.8/10
Pretty Woman's rags-to-riches love story remains fairly familiar, however the endearing interplay between Richard Gere and Julia Roberts elevates it beyond its clichés. - DirectorJohn McNaughtonStarsMichael RookerTracy ArnoldTom TowlesArriving in Chicago, Henry moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer.8/10
Channeled through a unnervingly calculated performance from Michael Rooker, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer depicts some down-and-dirty acts of violence. - DirectorReginald HudlinStarsChristopher ReidRobin HarrisChristopher MartinKid decides to go to his friend Play's house party, but neither of them can predict what's in store for them on what could be the wildest night of their lives.8/10
More than just an excuse to put Kid 'n Play's hip hop talents on the big screen, House Party follows it up with a fun if forgettable night out. - DirectorRichard BenjaminStarsCherBob HoskinsWinona RyderAn unconventional single mother relocates with her two daughters to a small Massachusetts town in 1963, where a number of events and relationships both challenge and strengthen their familial bonds.8/10
Even if it can get emotionally manipulative in parts, Mermaids remains a well-acted and relatable coming-of-age drama. - DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerSharon StoneMichael IronsideWhen a man goes in to have virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars implanted in his mind, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real - or is he?7/10
Total Recall is almost too campy for its own good, but director Paul Verhoeven is able to make it thoroughly fun regardless, a quintessential Arnold Schwarzenegger flick. - DirectorChris ColumbusStarsMacaulay CulkinJoe PesciDaniel SternAn eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.7/10
Silly and zany but held together but an endearing performance from the young Macaulay Culkin, Home Alone will entertain up to the end. - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydMary SteenburgenStranded in 1955, Marty McFly learns about the death of Doc Brown in 1885 and must travel back in time to save him. With no fuel readily available for the DeLorean, the two must figure how to escape the Old West before Emmett is murdered.7/10
Finding more story to tell without bogging itself down in wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey plotting, Back to the Future Part III is a less ambitious but more personable entry in the saga. - DirectorRenny HarlinStarsBruce WillisWilliam AthertonBonnie BedeliaJohn McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.7/10
Essentially a carbon copy of its predecessor, Die Hard 2 keeps its formula fresh with reliably rough-and-tumble action. - DirectorJack NicholsonStarsJack NicholsonHarvey KeitelMeg TillyThe sequel to Chinatown (1974) finds J.J. "Jake" Gittes investigating adultery and murder, and the money that comes from oil.7/10
Though The Two Jakes is certainly dwarfed by its iconic predecessor, Jack Nicholson does display proper reverence and understanding of film noir behind the director's chair. - DirectorAdrian LyneStarsTim RobbinsElizabeth PeñaDanny AielloMourning his dead child, a haunted Vietnam War veteran attempts to uncover his past while suffering from a severe case of dissociation. To do so, he must decipher reality and life from his own dreams, delusions, and perceptions of death.7/10
An apt allegory for post-war PTSD, Jacob's Ladder is as dramatically compelling as it is aesthetically chilling. - DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsAl PacinoDiane KeatonAndy GarciaFollows Michael Corleone, now in his 60s, as he seeks to free his family from crime and find a suitable successor to his empire.6/10
By no means the final installment the trilogy deserved, The Godfather Part III largely manages to overcome some atrocious acting with powerful mood and storytelling. - DirectorTony ScottStarsTom CruiseNicole KidmanRobert DuvallA young hot-shot stock car driver gets his chance to compete at the top level.6/10
Days of Thunder is often too on-the-nose, but director Tony Scott is able to frame the proceedings in such a way that’ll give audiences the rush they’re looking for. - DirectorHendel ButoyMike GabrielStarsBob NewhartEva GaborJohn CandyR.A.S. agents Miss Bianca and Bernard race to Australia to save a little boy and a rare golden eagle from a murderous poacher.6/10
Much like its predecessor, The Rescuers Down Under is fairly forgettable amongst the Disney pantheon, but improved animation make it a passable adventure for youngsters. - DirectorRon UnderwoodStarsKevin BaconFred WardFinn CarterNatives of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.6/10
A clever sendup of B movie creature-features of old, Tremors doesn't necessarily reverberate with thrills throughout but it'll tickle the fancies of genre enthusiasts. - DirectorWilliam Peter BlattyStarsGeorge C. ScottEd FlandersBrad DourifA police lieutenant uncovers more than he bargained for as his investigation of a series of murders, which have all the hallmarks of the deceased Gemini serial killer, leads him to question the patients of a psychiatric ward.6/10
Hugely benefitting from the return of writer-director William Peter Blatty to the franchise, The Exorcist III is more than able to provide worthwhile scares, even if it's not as absorptive as one would hope. - DirectorRichard StanleyStarsDylan McDermottStacey TravisJohn LynchThe head of a cyborg reactivates, rebuilds itself, and goes on a violent rampage in a space marine's girlfriend's apartment.5/10
Hardware finds a niche mix of science-fiction and horror, but it’s narratively obsolete and has some pacing issues down the stretch. - DirectorJoe DanteChuck JonesStarsZach GalliganPhoebe CatesHowie MandelThe Gremlins are back, and this time, they've taken control of a New York City media mogul's high-tech skyscraper.5/10
Just as loony and frenetic as its predecessor, Gremlins 2: The New Batch's further delving into biting social satire makes for a mixed bag of visual humor. - DirectorJohn BadhamStarsMel GibsonGoldie HawnDavid CarradineAn old flame discovers her ex-boyfriend from the past is a relocated FBI informant out to stop the bad guys.3/10
Bird on a Wire gets some good comedic interplay between Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn, however it undercuts what is already a fairly rote action romp. - DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsKiefer SutherlandKevin BaconJulia RobertsFive medical students experiment with "near death" experiences, until the dark consequences of past tragedies begin to jeopardize their lives.3/10
Despite an intriguing premise and plenty of capable actors, the lukewarm approach to Flatliners leaves the film stuck in a lifeless purgatory. - DirectorSteve BarronStarsJudith HoagElias KoteasJosh PaisFour teenage mutant ninja turtles emerge from the shadows to protect New York City from a gang of criminal ninjas.3/10
For prepubescent audiences only, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has some rip-roaring fun with the source material but lacks the comedic conviction it needs. - DirectorVolker SchlöndorffStarsNatasha RichardsonFaye DunawayAidan QuinnUnder a dystopian religious tyranny, most women cannot conceive children. Those young women who can live in a form of sexual slavery to provide children for influential families.3/10
Despite working off the nuanced and insightful novel of the same name, The Handmaid’s Tale struggles to harness the tension and emotion inside its speculative fiction. - DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsPeter WellerNancy AllenBelinda BauerRoboCop returns to protect the citizens of old Detroit but faces a deadly challenge when a rogue OCP member secretly creates a new, evil RoboCop 2.3/10
Minus the campy appeal that made its predecessor so striking, RoboCop 2 becomes the very thing it’s trying to satirize. - DirectorJohn LafiaStarsAlex VincentJenny AgutterGerrit GrahamWhile Andy's mother is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the young boy is placed in foster care, and Chucky, determined to claim Andy's soul, is not far behind.2/10
Continuing the story but unsure where to take it, Child’s Play 2 has more killer doll antics but they’re nowhere near as effective or unsettling the second time around. - DirectorStephen HopkinsStarsDanny GloverGary BuseyKevin Peter HallThe Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.2/10
A slower, duller, urban sequel that doesn't know how to properly utilize its title alien, Predator 2 is stripped of nearly all vitality its predecessor had. - DirectorJeff BurrStarsKate HodgeKen ForeeR.A. MihailoffA California couple and a survivalist encounter Leatherface and his family.2/10
Forgettable whereas other sequels at least shine in their awfulness, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III cannibalizes the franchise into nothingness. - DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsSylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungReluctantly retired from fighting, Rocky takes charge of Mickey's gym and agrees to train a young protégé who's hungry for success.2/10
Stripping the title character of everything that made him so relatable, Rocky V is a bitter, unnecessary sequel that throws itself out of the ring quickly. - DirectorRalph S. SingletonStarsDavid AndrewsKelly WolfStephen MachtIn a very old textile mill with a serious rat infestation, deadly accidents start happening, but the corrupt foreman continues to put his workers in danger, until they discover a horrifying secret deep in the basement.1/10
With a slipshod screenplay downplaying its source material, Graveyard Shift and its shoddy acting is more likely to induce laughs than thrills, something not even some grisly creature design can make up for. - DirectorGeorge MillerStarsJonathan BrandisKenny MorrisonClarissa BurtA young boy with a distant father enters a world of make-believe and magic through a portal within an antique book.1/10
Terribly scripted and without the visual majesty to back up the emotionality, The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter is children's fantasy that won't even appeal to children. - DirectorAlbert PyunStarsMatt SalingerRonny CoxNed BeattyFrozen in the ice for decades, Captain America is freed to battle against archcriminal The Red Skull.1/10
Campy in the most laughable way possible, Captain America feels dated right from the get-go, rife with hokey dialogue and unexciting action sequences. - DirectorClaudio FragassoStarsMichael Paul StephensonGeorge HardyMargo PreyA vacationing family discovers that the entire town they're visiting is inhabited by goblins, disguised as humans, who plan to eat them.1/10
Earning its title as one of the best worst movies ever made, Troll 2 dives deep into ludicrous plotting and unconvincing production values.