The 1990s were truly a golden age for inventive, gritty, and unforgettable films. Yet somehow, many of the quirky greats got lost in the sauce over the years. This can mainly be attributed to the bevy of more mainstream movies that dominate the 90s cinema conversation (Seven, Fight Club, L.A. Confidential, The Shawshank Redemption, etc.) — but the rare gems of the alternative filmic underworld need to be revisited and thoroughly enjoyed, all over again.
From brazenly audacious thrillers, such as Kalifornia, to sublimely weird neo-noirs, like Lost Highway, here is an awesome assemblage of the best 90s classics that people somehow lost track of. So pop that (metaphorical) VHS tape in, and strap in for an exhilarating trip down movie memory lane.
10
‘The Last Seduction’ (1994)
Starting this list off is the biting neo-noir <em>The Last Seduction</em> (94% approval rating on RT). This film turns the revenge story on its head, with one of the cooler anti-hero(ine) protagonists ever. Directed by John Dahl, this movie is more of a caustic comedy than a straight thriller. Steve Barancik’s script is filled with biting one-liners and highly quotable quips that cement this film as one of the decade’s greats.
Linda Fiorentino plays Bridget Gregory, a silver-tongued big city woman fed up with the abuse suffered at the hand of her slimy husband, Clay (Bill Pullman, in a rare bad guy role). She snatches 700k of his hard-earned drug money and makes off with it. Needing a place to hide out, she takes up residence in a quaint little Podunk town that moves at a snail’s pace. The only problem is that Clay has hired a P.I., Harlan (Bill Nunn), to track her down. However, she evades him and everyone else who gets in her way with gleeful cunning and skill. Bridget is also romantically pursued by Mike Swale (Peter Berg, the Temu version of Ethan Hawke — but later, lauded director), who she plays like a fiddle. Fiorentino is a femme fatale gone (even) wrong(er), and her wryly alluring performance alone makes this deprecatingly fun film totally worth the watch.
9
‘U-Turn’ (1997)
Oliver Stone eschews his typical political commentary opuses with this searing neo-noir thriller that exchanges darkness for brightness. Indeed, the harsh whites of the desert depicted here make the viewer feel that they are parched and sweating, right along with the characters. The plot focuses on Bobby Cooper (Sean Penn), a dude just trying to get to Vegas to pay back a lethal loan-shark. Things get a little sticky when Bobby’s car breaks down in a desert town, and he inadvertently becomes embroiled in a murder plot involving a lunatic, Jake McKenna (Nick Nolte), and his spunky, sultry wife, Grace (Jennifer Lopez). The rest of this stellar ensemble cast includes a near indecipherable mechanic, Darrel (Billy Bob Thornton), a desert blind man (an unrecognizable Jon Voight), an overly confident rodeo-star teen, Toby (Joaquin Phoenix), and his randy, outspoken girlfriend, Jenny (Claire Danes).
U-Turn is just one of those movies that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time — whether from anxiety at the crazy situations Bobby is in or excitement at those same scenarios. It’s engaging throughout, with jarring, creative editing and concludes with a deliriously entertaining shootout. Definitely a film to give another turn to.
8
‘Kalifornia’ (1993)
This film really makes you think twice about splitting an Uber with someone. Dominic Sena directs this intensely grimy thriller with an all-star cast. Laced with irony, the story is about a writer and his shutterbug girlfriend, David Duchovny as Brian Kessler and Michelle Forbes as Carrie Laughlin, who are in the midst of a cross-country road trip as they collaborate on a book about the country’s serial killers. They make the innocent mistake of sharing a car with another couple: Adele Corners (Juliette Lewis) and Early Grayce (Brad Pitt) — who actually is a serial killer. Talk about a Kawinkydink.
Pitt is amazing as Early playing against his pretty-boy type, he delivers a grizzled, scary performance. Lewis is equally spectacular convincingly playing Adele’s naiveté with just the right amount of vulnerability. Like the similarly dusty and prickly U-turn, Kalifornia is really about the disparity between classes in America and how violence in one form or another begets more violence in equal measure.
7
‘My Own Private Idaho’ (1991)
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