The 8 Best Movies of the 1990s, Ranked

The 90s might be the best movie decade ever. Bold, sure. These eight movie.guru scores make the case, and there's not a superhero in sight.

Number one beats Goodfellas, and even Goodfellas fans won't argue.

1. 8
   Reservoir Dogs (1992)9.1

   Mr. Pink's tipping rant is the decade's best opening scene.

   Critics rank it above 86% of notable movies, audiences 99%. It made just $2.94 million worldwide. 99 minutes of guys in black suits yelling in a warehouse, and it's perfect.
2. 7
   Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)9.2

   The greatest action sequel ever, and it's only seventh.

   A reported $102 million budget, $518.9 million worldwide, an A+ CinemaScore. Robert Patrick walks through bars like they're a suggestion. The movie.guru score is 9.2. My Guru's Take is 9.6.
3. 6
   The Fugitive (1993)9.3

   You root for the hunter and the hunted, equally.

   Critics rank it above 94% of notable movies, audiences 97%. $368.9 million worldwide on a reported $44 million budget, and 130 minutes that never sag.
4. 5
   Being John Malkovich (1999)9.2

   Charlie Kaufman wrote the most original script of the decade.

   John Cusack finds a portal into a famous actor's brain and immediately starts charging admission. Metacritic gives it a 90. It made just $23.1 million worldwide, which is a crime.
5. 4
   Trainspotting (1996)9.4

   Funny, grimy and devastating, sometimes in the same scene.

   93 minutes, a perfect soundtrack, and audiences rank it above 98% of notable movies. It never pretends addiction is cool, and it never lies about the cost.
6. 3
   Saving Private Ryan (1998)9.4

   The rare war movie that refuses to make war look cool.

   Steven Spielberg puts you on that beach and keeps you there. 169 minutes, 1.67 million IMDb votes, a 91 from Metacritic, and Tom Hanks's quietest, best work.
7. 2
   Goodfellas (1990)9.6

   Those freeze frames are the coolest editing trick of the decade.

   Critics rank it above 96% of notable movies, audiences 99%. 145 minutes, a jukebox soundtrack, and a late dinner at Tommy's mom's house that's funnier than most comedies.
8. 1
   Schindler's List (1993)9.7

   Liam Neeson's best performance, and the decade's best movie.

   A 9.7 movie.guru score, the highest here, with critics and audiences both above 99% of notable movies. Its 196 minutes ask a lot of you, and it's worth all of it.

$269.57 says you checked the release year on every movie here and now feel extremely old.

Share it: X | Facebook | Copy link

Current mood: ready to fight about it