The Best 1990s Movies You've Never Seen
by ivanleonardseo | created - 5 months ago | updated - 5 months ago | PublicOverlooked jewels and Hidden gems from the 1990s
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1. The Field (1990)
PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Thriller
When a field (which has been farmed by the McCabe family for generations) goes up for auction, the patriarch of the McCabe family will stop at nothing to prevent a rich American from buying it.
Director: Jim Sheridan | Stars: Richard Harris, John Hurt, Sean Bean, Frances Tomelty
Votes: 6,774 | Gross: $1.41M
2. Miami Blues (1990)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
An ex-con's first act of freedom is moving to Miami where he restarts his old criminal ways with even more potency.
Director: George Armitage | Stars: Fred Ward, Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Cecilia Pérez-Cervera
Votes: 10,173 | Gross: $9.89M
3. The Music of Chance (1993)
R | 98 min | Drama
A thrill seeker agrees to help a shady professional gambler win a high stakes poker game. However, they lose and become captives of two eccentric rich men who decide to forcibly keep them on their remote gated ranch as indentured servants.
Director: Philip Haas | Stars: James Spader, Mandy Patinkin, M. Emmet Walsh, Charles Durning
Votes: 2,552 | Gross: $0.31M
4. Breast Men (1997 TV Movie)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama
Two doctors create breast implants, but when success and money come their way, they separate and follow different paths.
Director: Lawrence O'Neil | Stars: David Schwimmer, Chris Cooper, Emily Procter, Matt Frewer
Votes: 4,829
5. The Cement Garden (1993)
Not Rated | 101 min | Drama
Four children live with their terminally ill mother. After she dies, they try to hold things together. In their isolated house, they begin to deteriorate mentally, whilst they hide their mom's decomposing corpse in a makeshift concrete sarcophagus.
Director: Andrew Birkin | Stars: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Andrew Robertson, Alice Coulthard, Ned Birkin
Votes: 5,333 | Gross: $0.32M
6. The Limbic Region (1996 TV Movie)
Unrated | 100 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A San Francisco detective, obsessed with catching a serial killer who has been committing murders for over 20 years, tries to force a suspect into confessing.
Director: Michael Pattinson | Stars: Edward James Olmos, George Dzundza, Roger Cross, Gwynyth Walsh
Votes: 267
7. Deceiver (1997)
R | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A hooker is found cut in two. Two cops give polygraph tests to the only suspect, James Wayland (Tim Roth), an unstable genius. After some time, the roles change.
Directors: Jonas Pate, Josh Pate | Stars: Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Rooker, Renée Zellweger
Votes: 7,039 | Gross: $0.57M
8. The Getaway (1994)
R | 115 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
An ex-con and his devoted wife must flee from danger when a heist doesn't go as planned.
Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Michael Madsen, James Woods
Votes: 19,666 | Gross: $16.10M
9. The Underneath (1995)
R | 99 min | Crime, Thriller
A recovering gambling addict attempts to reconcile with his family and friends but finds trouble and temptation when caught between feelings for his ex-wife and her dangerous hoodlum boyfriend.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Peter Gallagher, Elisabeth Shue, Alison Elliott, William Fichtner
Votes: 3,854 | Gross: $0.54M
10. American Buffalo (1996)
R | 88 min | Drama
Long-repressed feelings of bitterness and betrayal explode when three inner-city losers plot the robbery of a valuable coin in a seedy second-hand junk shop.
Director: Michael Corrente | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Franz, Sean Nelson
Votes: 4,036 | Gross: $0.54M
11. The Glass Shield (1994)
PG-13 | 109 min | Crime, Drama
Two cops become compelled to act against corruption and discrimination within their police precinct.
Director: Charles Burnett | Stars: Michael Boatman, Lori Petty, Erich Anderson, Richard Anderson
Votes: 3,574 | Gross: $3.31M
12. The Boys Club (1996)
R | 91 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
In Ontario, Canada, three fourteen-year-old boys, Kyle, Brad and Eric are forced to perform an ordeal when they find a wounded mysterious fugitive named Luke, who has a gun and claiming to be a cop, has taken a hiding in their clubhouse.
Director: John Fawcett | Stars: Chris Penn, Dominic Zamprogna, Stuart Stone, Devon Sawa
Votes: 1,345
13. Jennifer 8 (1992)
R | 124 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
John Berlin, a former Los Angeles homicide detective, investigates a multiple murder case in San Diego. The only witness is a blind girl to whom he is immediately attracted.
Director: Bruce Robinson | Stars: Andy Garcia, Uma Thurman, Lance Henriksen, Graham Beckel
Votes: 18,521 | Gross: $11.39M
14. Trespass (1992)
R | 101 min | Action, Thriller
Two firemen in a burning building get a treasure map - stolen gold church items are hidden in a closed down factory in St. Louis. Once there, they're trapped in by a black gang considering it their territory.
Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Bill Paxton, Ice-T, William Sadler, Ice Cube
Votes: 13,958 | Gross: $13.75M
15. The Hot Spot (1990)
R | 130 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Upon arriving to a small town, a drifter quickly gets into trouble with the local authorities - and the local women - after he robs a bank.
Director: Dennis Hopper | Stars: Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, Jennifer Connelly, Charles Martin Smith
Votes: 13,527 | Gross: $1.29M
16. Cadence (1990)
PG-13 | 97 min | Drama
Charlie Sheen plays a rebellious inmate in an Army stockade.
Director: Martin Sheen | Stars: Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Jay Brazeau, Matt Clark
Votes: 6,104 | Gross: $2.07M
17. The Color of Lies (1999)
Not Rated | 113 min | Crime, Drama
In a small Breton town, a 10-year-old girl is found murdered. René, her art teacher, a professional painter, is the last person to have seen her alive. The inspector in charge of the ... See full summary »
Director: Claude Chabrol | Stars: Sandrine Bonnaire, Jacques Gamblin, Antoine de Caunes, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
Votes: 2,496
18. Jack the Bear (1993)
PG-13 | 99 min | Comedy, Drama
Danny DeVito is John Leary, a professional clown, whose wife's death in a car accident has left him to care for his two young boys.
Director: Marshall Herskovitz | Stars: Danny DeVito, Gary Sinise, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., Miko Hughes
Votes: 4,407 | Gross: $5.15M
19. Romper Stomper (1992)
R | 94 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A group of skinheads become alarmed at the way their neighbourhood is changing.
Director: Geoffrey Wright | Stars: Russell Crowe, Daniel Pollock, Jacqueline McKenzie, Alex Scott
Votes: 41,627 | Gross: $0.18M
20. The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1995)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
This film is based on a true story about a British teenager who allegedly poisoned family, friends, and co-workers. Graham is highly intelligent, but completely amoral. He becomes ... See full summary »
Director: Benjamin Ross | Stars: Hugh O'Conor, Antony Sher, Tobias Arnold, Ruth Sheen
Votes: 3,820 | Gross: $0.75M
21. Lolita (1997)
R | 137 min | Drama, Romance
An English professor falls for a minor, and has to face the consequences of his actions.
Director: Adrian Lyne | Stars: Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain, Melanie Griffith, Frank Langella
Votes: 66,600 | Gross: $1.40M
22. The Idiots (1998)
R | 117 min | Comedy, Drama
The group of people gather at the house in Copenhagen suburb to break all the limitations and to bring out the "inner idiot" in themselves.
Director: Lars von Trier | Stars: Bodil Jørgensen, Jens Albinus, Anne Louise Hassing, Troels Lyby
Votes: 33,982 | Gross: $0.01M
23. Zero Effect (1998)
R | 116 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
The world's greatest detective Daryl Zero aided by his associate Steve Arlo investigates a complex and mysterious case of blackmail and missing keys for shady tycoon Gregory Stark who is less than forthcoming about what is really happening!
Director: Jake Kasdan | Stars: Bill Pullman, Ben Stiller, Ryan O'Neal, Kim Dickens
Votes: 15,340 | Gross: $2.09M
24. Homicide (1991)
R | 102 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A Jewish homicide detective investigates a seemingly minor murder and falls in with a Zionist group as a result.
Director: David Mamet | Stars: Joe Mantegna, William H. Macy, Vincent Guastaferro, J.J. Johnston
Votes: 8,176 | Gross: $2.97M
25. The Grifters (1990)
R | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A small-time conman has torn loyalties between his estranged mother and new girlfriend, both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Anjelica Huston, John Cusack, Annette Bening, Jan Munroe
Votes: 30,569 | Gross: $13.45M
26. Priest (1994)
R | 98 min | Drama, Romance
A homosexual Catholic priest finds out during confessional that a young girl is being sexually abused by her father, and has to decide how to deal with both that secret and his own.
Director: Antonia Bird | Stars: Linus Roache, Tom Wilkinson, Robert Carlyle, Cathy Tyson
Votes: 11,040 | Gross: $4.18M
27. One False Move (1991)
R | 105 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A small town police chief awaits the arrival of a gang of killers.
Director: Carl Franklin | Stars: Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Cynda Williams, Michael Beach
Votes: 14,001 | Gross: $1.54M
28. Nixon (1995)
R | 192 min | Biography, Drama, History
A biographical story of former U.S. President Richard Nixon, from his days as a young boy, to his eventual Presidency, which ended in shame.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Powers Boothe, Ed Harris
Votes: 32,745 | Gross: $13.56M
29. Mother Night (1996)
R | 114 min | Drama, Romance, War
An American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.
Director: Keith Gordon | Stars: Nick Nolte, Sheryl Lee, Tony Robinow, Michael McGill
Votes: 5,594 | Gross: $0.39M
30. Michael Collins (1996)
R | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Thriller
Neil Jordan's historical biopic of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins, the man who led a guerrilla war against the UK, helped negotiate the creation of the Irish Free State, and led the National Army during the Irish Civil War.
Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Julia Roberts, Ian Hart
Votes: 33,776 | Gross: $11.09M
31. The Interview (1998)
Unrated | 104 min | Thriller, Crime, Drama
A duel between a suspected murderer and a detective pressed by people who want results. But whose skin is really wanted.
Director: Craig Monahan | Stars: Hugo Weaving, Tony Martin, Aaron Jeffery, Paul Sonkkila
Votes: 8,769
32. Hard Eight (1996)
R | 101 min | Crime, Drama
Professional gambler Sydney teaches John the tricks of the trade. John does well until he falls for cocktail waitress Clementine.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson
Votes: 54,912 | Gross: $0.22M
33. State of Grace (1990)
R | 134 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A Boston cop is recruited to return to his hometown and infiltrate the mob ran by his best friend's brother.
Director: Phil Joanou | Stars: Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright
Votes: 24,801 | Gross: $1.91M
34. Proof (1991)
R | 86 min | Drama, Romance
The life of a blind photographer who is looked after by a housekeeper is disrupted by the arrival of an agreeable restaurant worker.
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse | Stars: Hugo Weaving, Geneviève Picot, Russell Crowe, Heather Mitchell
Votes: 7,127 | Gross: $0.52M
35. L.627 (1992)
R | 145 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Relentless struggle of the Parisian police against the drug trade.
Director: Bertrand Tavernier | Stars: Didier Bezace, Jean-Paul Comart, Charlotte Kady, Jean-Roger Milo
Votes: 2,168
36. The General (1998)
R | 124 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The real-life story of Dublin folk hero and criminal Martin Cahill, who pulled off two daring robberies in Ireland with his team, but attracted unwanted attention from the police, the I.R.A., the U.V.F., and members of his own team.
Director: John Boorman | Stars: Brendan Gleeson, Adrian Dunbar, Sean McGinley, Maria Doyle Kennedy
Votes: 9,252 | Gross: $1.21M
37. Bitter Moon (1992)
R | 139 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
After hearing stories of her, a passenger on a cruise ship develops an irresistible infatuation with an eccentric paraplegic's wife.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Hugh Grant, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner, Peter Coyote
Votes: 42,719 | Gross: $1.86M
38. Rounders (1998)
R | 121 min | Crime, Drama
A young, reformed gambler must return to playing high stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks, while balancing his relationship with his girlfriend and his commitments to law school.
Director: John Dahl | Stars: Matt Damon, Edward Norton, Gretchen Mol, John Malkovich
Votes: 160,235 | Gross: $22.91M
39. Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Drama
An awkward seventh-grader struggles to cope with inattentive parents, snobbish class-mates, a smart older brother, an attractive younger sister and her own insecurities in suburban New Jersey.
Director: Todd Solondz | Stars: Heather Matarazzo, Christina Brucato, Victoria Davis, Christina Vidal
Votes: 37,206 | Gross: $4.77M
40. Smoke (1995)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama
A Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers.
Director: Wayne Wang | Stars: Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Giancarlo Esposito, José Zúñiga
Votes: 38,165 | Gross: $8.35M
41. Happiness (1998)
NC-17 | 134 min | Comedy, Drama
The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts which society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.
Director: Todd Solondz | Stars: Jane Adams, Jon Lovitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dylan Baker
Votes: 74,466 | Gross: $2.81M
42. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
R | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office.
Director: James Foley | Stars: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin
Votes: 116,333 | Gross: $10.73M
43. The Remains of the Day (1993)
PG | 134 min | Drama, Romance
A butler who sacrificed body and soul to service in the years leading up to World War II realizes too late how misguided his loyalty was to his lordly employer.
Director: James Ivory | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, John Haycraft, Christopher Reeve
Votes: 84,528 | Gross: $22.95M
44. Ed Wood (1994)
R | 127 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Ambitious but troubled movie director Edward D. Wood Jr. tries his best to fulfill his dreams despite his lack of talent.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette
Votes: 184,051 | Gross: $5.89M
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