Best Films Of 1991
by TheAnimalMother | created - 09 Mar 2022 | updated - 1 month ago | PublicAll lists of this nature are obviously continuous works in progress...
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1. Point Break (1991)
R | 122 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
An F.B.I. Agent goes undercover to catch a gang of surfers who may be bank robbers.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty
Votes: 202,335 | Gross: $43.22M
The greatest bank robbing film in history. It's also one of the greatest action films in existence. Still a highly underrated film by many, but this adrenaline filled thrill fest also has a large legion of cult followers who swear by it. Kathryn Bigelow has since directed an Oscar winning Best Picture, The Hurt Locker. While that film was good, to me it really isn't nearly as good of an overall film as this one is.
"Workin a f'n drop car...Are you through Mr. Wizard? Let me know if you find Jimmy Hoffa under the seat..." Gary Busey as Pappas
9.5/10
2. Bugsy (1991)
R | 136 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of how Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel started Las Vegas.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 31,002 | Gross: $49.11M
Barry Levinson has had a number of very successful films and many of them well loved by critics as well. To me, he never made a better film than this one. In fact this may be the most underappreciated mafia crime film around. The lead roles played here by future real life husband and wife Warren Beatty and Annette Benning are tremendously done by both. Ben Siegel is a very interesting historical character no doubt, and Beatty was basically born to play this role. If outshone in the film by anyone, it is only by his future wife and acting Goddess, Annette Benning. I honestly don't know how she wasn't at least nominated for an Oscar for her role here. I'd take this performance over Foster in Silence Of The Lambs any day, not that Foster isn't great too, she is. However I think this role is far more challenging really, and it's absolutely nailed by Benning here. No wonder Warren fell in love with her, lol. The Oscars are nonsense anyway, especially when you look at them in a historical context. All the great films they've entirely missed over the years plainly exposes them as the joke they are. Anyway, what a fun and interesting film this is in so many ways. I'm not sure how many times I've now seen this film, but it's definitely a lot, and I still love it and laugh every time.
There is also a great supporting cast here with many strong performances including Elliott Gould, Ben Kingsley, Joe Mantegna, and Bebe Neuwirth. None are better than Harvey Keitel as Mickey Cohen however. 9/10
3. The Doors (1991)
R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley
Votes: 99,076 | Gross: $35.18M
This biopic is not for everyone. It's certainly no Bohemian Rhapsody, a rock biopic that was obviously aimed to please the average crowd. Jim Morrison is certainly far more of a divisive figure in rock history than Freddie was, and this film shows a lot of that truth. And really, one of the best things about this film is that it is quite uncompromising. It stays true to its subject, which primarily is Jim himself.
There are many film fans who have noted Val Kilmer's role as Doc Holliday in Tombstone as being one of the greatest acting performances in history. It is a great and very likable role and performance no doubt, I'm a big fan of it myself. Kilmer as Jim Morrison however is probably even more impressive of an acting performance overall. Though it is certainly not meant to be even nearly as crowd pleasing as the Doc role was written to be. Many true fans of The Doors and Morrison and other film lovers however will greatly appreciate this dedication to authenticity. Many critics have said that Val literally becomes Morrison, and that really does seem to be the case here. Morrison was loved by many fans, but he also had his share of controversy and detractors. In terms of realist biopics, there are very few that can really even compare to how close to reality this film comes in capturing the main character. The reality of The Doors while Jim was alive was quite extreme for sure. The film is a trip into the unique and powerful music of The Doors, as well as a journey with Jim into his poetry, the mystical unknown, and into the rock n' roll excesses of fame and massive substance abuse. It takes a certain type of viewer to fully appreciate the film for sure. I actually saw this in the theatre way back in its original run. I've been a huge fan ever since. 9/10
4. The Indian Runner (1991)
R | 127 min | Drama
A Vietnam vet comes home to his small town and finds himself in conflict with rules that his brother has vowed to uphold.
Director: Sean Penn | Stars: David Morse, Viggo Mortensen, Valeria Golino, Patricia Arquette
Votes: 9,804 | Gross: $0.19M
If you're a big fan of Paul Schrader films, I strongly suggest taking a look at Sean Penn's debut as both writer and director. It reminds me a good bit of some Schrader films at times, and to me, that's a good thing. This is one of the best human dramas in the history of film in my view. I think the film is a lot more simple and beautiful than many may see the first time they watch it. There is a lot of thoughtfulness put into this film, a lot of love. It's not overly complex in my view, but it is very deep at the same time. You can tell that at least in this time period, Sean Penn was truly in love with film, and he put a lot of that love into this project. That really shines through this picture I feel. It is somewhat dark, and many have called it sad or even heartbreaking. To me though it is actually a very beautiful film. I love this film quite a lot. It has a real dark human beauty to it in my view.
Morse and Viggo are both great in this.
9/10
5. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Votes: 1,548,486 | Gross: $130.74M
To me the direction is really the thing that makes this film special. The feel of the film brought to us by Jonathan Demme is excellent. I also saw this in the theatre during its original run, as many did. Silence in fact set a new box office record at the time for an R rated film. 8.5/10
6. Boyz n the Hood (1991)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama
Follows the lives of three young males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, dissecting questions of race, relationships, violence, and future prospects.
Director: John Singleton | Stars: Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Hudhail Al-Amir, Lloyd Avery II
Votes: 154,650 | Gross: $57.50M
Stunned me as a teen, I loved it. It's still a great film today.
7. Cape Fear (1991)
R | 128 min | Crime, Thriller
A convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 216,700 | Gross: $79.10M
I'm a pretty big classic film lover, but personally I definitely prefer this Scorsese reversion over the original. De Niro is excellent here, and the entire cast is great.
"I can out-learn you. I can out-read you. I can out-think you. And I can out-philosophize you. And I'm gonna outlast you. You think a couple whacks to my guts is gonna get me down? It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than that, Counselor, to prove you're better than me!"
Scorsese and De Niro's Max Cady is likely one of the most intimidating psychopaths in the history of film.
Don't get me wrong however, the original film is definitely strong as well.
8. JFK (1991)
R | 189 min | Drama, History, Thriller
New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
Votes: 169,949 | Gross: $70.41M
Three hour films are rarely this tense, especially impressive when you consider that most people already know much of the outcome.
9. The Fisher King (1991)
R | 137 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Adam Bryant, Paul Lombardi
Votes: 90,883 | Gross: $41.90M
The film has a few flaws for sure, but at the same time there are just so many great things about it too. Overall, it's a pretty easy film to love for many. 8.5/10
10. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
Votes: 1,174,251 | Gross: $204.84M
Many feel this film is the best in the what now seems like an endless franchise. I would entirely agree. In fact, it's quite a bit better than any of the others in my mind. If you were to make a list of the best action films in history, you certainly can't do it without at least considering this one.
11. What About Bob? (1991)
PG | 99 min | Comedy
A successful psychotherapist loses his mind after one of his most dependent patients, an obsessive-compulsive neurotic, tracks him down during his family vacation.
Director: Frank Oz | Stars: Bill Murray, Richard Dreyfuss, Julie Hagerty, Charlie Korsmo
Votes: 74,480 | Gross: $63.71M
12. Shadows and Fog (1991)
PG-13 | 85 min | Comedy
With a serial strangler on the loose, a bookkeeper wanders around town searching for the vigilante group intent on catching the killer.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Michael Kirby, David Ogden Stiers
Votes: 18,145 | Gross: $2.74M
13. City Slickers (1991)
PG-13 | 113 min | Comedy, Western
On the verge of turning 40, an unhappy Manhattan yuppie is roped into joining his two friends on a cattle drive in the southwest.
Director: Ron Underwood | Stars: Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby
Votes: 63,079 | Gross: $124.03M
This film is pretty darn funny. Easily one of the best fish out of water comedies of the decade. 8/10
14. Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Music
Documentary following singer Madonna on her controversial Blond Ambition tour in 1990.
Director: Alek Keshishian | Stars: Madonna, Donna DeLory, Niki Haris, Luis Camacho
Votes: 10,037 | Gross: $15.01M
I'm a little surprised to see this rated so low on here actually. Then again, Madonna has always been a person to divide a crowd of people. The greatest thing about that is that she always did it with a laugh and a shake of her ass too. She has always loved to provoke the boring and scared people of society, and who cannot love her for such a thing? I recall this documentary actually being raved about a good bit by most critics when it was first released, and I think it's held up well over time too. Anyway, the thing that makes this film special as a docu really is that Madonna just doesn't really care if you don't like her. She's pretty honest, in fact overly blunt at times. Only the stupid would bother to doubt her ability as an artist, or her intellect as a business woman/promoter. 8/10
15. Career Opportunities (1991)
PG-13 | 83 min | Comedy, Romance
Jim is the dorky son of a local cement contractor who lives at home and has no direction. Josie is the gorgeous daughter of a wealthy businessman who dreams of leaving town. They find they have a lot in common.
Director: Bryan Gordon | Stars: Frank Whaley, Jennifer Connelly, Dermot Mulroney, Kieran Mulroney
Votes: 17,409 | Gross: $11.34M
Not sure how many times I've mentioned my love for Jennifer Connelly on this site, especially in the 90's and early 2000's. Should I mention it again?
"You're the town liar, aren't you?"
8/10
16. Grand Canyon (1991)
R | 134 min | Crime, Drama
The fates of several people are randomly intertwining. Their sympathy of each other faces multiple differences in their lifestyles.
Director: Lawrence Kasdan | Stars: Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, Steve Martin, Mary McDonnell
Votes: 16,709 | Gross: $33.24M
7.5/10
17. Let Him Have It (1991)
R | 115 min | Crime, Drama, History
This drama reveals the controversial postwar 1950's London murder trial that sent an intellectually challenged young man to the gallows for a murder he did not commit.
Director: Peter Medak | Stars: Tom Courtenay, Christopher Eccleston, Eileen Atkins, Rebecca Eccleston
Votes: 3,801
18. Thelma & Louise (1991)
R | 130 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
Two best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police, as these two women escape for the crimes they committed.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen
Votes: 173,198 | Gross: $45.36M
19. Guilty by Suspicion (1991)
PG-13 | 105 min | Drama
Returning to Hollywood 1951 after working in France, a movie director meets McCarthyism head-on.
Director: Irwin Winkler | Stars: Robert De Niro, Annette Bening, George Wendt, Patricia Wettig
Votes: 9,575 | Gross: $9.48M
20. Flirting (1991)
R | 99 min | Drama, Romance
Two freethinking teenagers - a boy and a girl - confront with authoritarian teachers in their boarding schools. The other students treat this differently.
Director: John Duigan | Stars: Noah Taylor, Thandiwe Newton, Nicole Kidman, Bartholomew Rose
Votes: 6,413 | Gross: $2.42M
21. Frankie and Johnny (1991)
R | 118 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Johnny has just been released from prison, and gets a job in a café beside waitress Frankie. Frankie is a bit of a loner, but Johnny is determined their romance will blossom.
Director: Garry Marshall | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hector Elizondo, Nathan Lane
Votes: 34,218 | Gross: $22.77M
22. Barton Fink (1991)
R | 116 min | Comedy, Drama, Thriller
A renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner
Votes: 128,980 | Gross: $6.15M
23. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Robin Hood decides to fight back as an outlaw when faced with the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater
Votes: 208,424 | Gross: $165.50M
24. Kafka (1991)
PG-13 | 98 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Kafka works during the day at an insurance company, where events lead him to discover a mysterious underground society with strange suppressive goals.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Jeremy Irons, Theresa Russell, Joel Grey, Ian Holm
Votes: 10,572 | Gross: $1.06M
25. White Fang (I) (1991)
PG | 107 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Jack London's classic adventure story about the friendship developed between a Yukon gold hunter and the mixed dog-wolf he rescues from the hands of a man who mistreats him.
Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Jed, Seymour Cassel
Votes: 22,458 | Gross: $34.79M
26. Backdraft (1991)
R | 137 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
Two feuding siblings carrying on a heroic family tradition as Chicago firefighters. But when a puzzling series of arson attacks is reported, they are forced to set aside their differences to solve the mystery surrounding these crimes.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland
Votes: 87,858 | Gross: $77.87M
27. At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991)
R | 189 min | Drama, Romance
Martin and Hazel Quarrier are small-town fundamentalist missionaries sent to the jungles of South America to convert the Indians. Their remote mission was previously run by the Catholics, ... See full summary »
Director: Hector Babenco | Stars: Tom Berenger, John Lithgow, Daryl Hannah, Aidan Quinn
Votes: 3,542 | Gross: $1.34M
7/10
28. Dead Again (1991)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A woman who has lost her memory is taken in by a Los Angeles orphanage, and a private eye is enlisted to track down her identity, but he soon finds that he might have a past life connection to her that endangers their lives.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Andy Garcia, Lois Hall
Votes: 30,385 | Gross: $38.02M
29. Clearcut (1991)
R | 100 min | Drama, Thriller, Western
A white lawyer finds his values shaken when he is paired with an angry Indigenous activist who insists on kidnapping the head of a logging company to teach him the price of his destruction.
Director: Ryszard Bugajski | Stars: Ron Lea, Graham Greene, Michael Hogan, Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman
Votes: 1,370
30. The People Under the Stairs (1991)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
Two adults and a juvenile break into a house occupied by a brother and sister and their stolen children. There, they must fight for their lives.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Brandon Quintin Adams, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, A.J. Langer
Votes: 39,673 | Gross: $24.20M
31. The Last Boy Scout (1991)
R | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A private detective's protected female witness is murdered, prompting him and the victim's boyfriend to investigate the crime that leads to a corrupt politician and a crooked football team owner.
Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham
Votes: 112,076 | Gross: $59.51M
32. Regarding Henry (1991)
PG-13 | 108 min | Drama, Romance
After being shot, a lawyer loses his memory and must relearn speech and mobility, but he has a loving family to support him.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Harrison Ford, Annette Bening, Michael Haley, Stanley Swerdlow
Votes: 34,372 | Gross: $43.00M
33. Once Around (1991)
R | 115 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Renata Bella feels like a failure at life and career. But when Renata attends a seminar on selling real estate, she finally finds True Love. Sam Sharpe, while a top-notch, successful ... See full summary »
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, Danny Aiello, Laura San Giacomo
Votes: 5,154 | Gross: $14.85M
34. Rambling Rose (1991)
R | 112 min | Drama
A young woman who exudes sexuality battles temptation.
Director: Martha Coolidge | Stars: Laura Dern, Robert Duvall, Diane Ladd, Lukas Haas
Votes: 5,460 | Gross: $6.27M
35. Rush (1991)
R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Two small-town Texas cops go undercover to catch a major drug dealer and are sucked into the drug culture, compromising their assignment.
Director: Lili Fini Zanuck | Stars: Jason Patric, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sam Elliott, Max Perlich
Votes: 9,896 | Gross: $7.24M
36. The Adjuster (1991)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama
A family with the lack of sincerity faces a crisis.
Director: Atom Egoyan | Stars: Elias Koteas, Arsinée Khanjian, Maury Chaykin, Gabrielle Rose
Votes: 3,760 | Gross: $0.40M
37. Ricochet (1991)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A District Attorney is terrorized by the criminal he put away years ago when he was a cop.
Director: Russell Mulcahy | Stars: Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, Ice-T, Kevin Pollak
Votes: 20,390 | Gross: $21.76M
38. Billy Bathgate (1991)
R | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
In the year 1935, a teen named Billy Bathgate finds first love while becoming the protégé of fledgling gangster Dutch Schultz.
Director: Robert Benton | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Loren Dean, Bruce Willis
Votes: 12,740 | Gross: $15.97M
39. Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)
R | 99 min | Drama, Thriller
A young woman fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her nightmarish marriage, but discovers it is impossible to elude her controlling husband.
Director: Joseph Ruben | Stars: Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin, Kevin Anderson, Elizabeth Lawrence
Votes: 65,162 | Gross: $101.60M
40. Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann (1991 TV Movie)
M | 90 min | Crime, Drama
The true story of a young woman's abduction by a deranged loner that led to the largest manhunt in the history of Pennsylvania, USA. A mountain man kidnaps the 17-year-old, his chilling ... See full summary »
Director: Charles Correll | Stars: David Morse, Megan Follows, Dion Anderson, Tom Atkins
Votes: 567
41. Robotrix (1991)
98 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A man transfers his mind to an android, and kidnaps a middle eastern prince, demanding a ransom. Meanwhile, he goes on a spree of raping and killing prostitutes. The police secret androids, Robotrix, are the only ones that could stop him.
Director: Jamie Luk | Stars: Amy Yip, Chikako Aoyama, David Wu, Billy Chow
Votes: 1,196
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