Best 90’s Films

The 90’s, in its role as a period of time, churned out many things. Some brilliant, some rubbish. Here, I shall attempt to outline the stand out films of the decade – from the good to the better, to the slightly niche.

1. Pulp Fiction, 1994 (dir. Quentin Tarantino) – Most people have heard of – if not seen – Pulp Fiction. It was the second film from Tarantino, and whether you love or hate the man himself, his films have been fantastic. Often incredibly gory, with intricate plot lines built around many overlapping characters. Pulp Fiction is arguably his stand out film; if you like the others, you’ll love this.

2. The silence of the Lambs, 1991 (dir. Jonathan Demme) – Probably one of the highlights of horror/thriller from the past 30 years or so. Admittedly, it is not a genre I love particularly dearly, and I certainly can’t claim to have seen all the obscure Swedish horror that proper film critics love to rave about. However, it doesn’t take a genius to know when you’re watching a film at the top of its game, and Anthony Hopkins’ performance is the definition of creepy.

3. Fargo, 1996 (dir. Ethan Coen, Joel Coen) – More recently adapted into a series starring Marin Freeman, Fargo is a black comedy that is almost painfully Canadian. Although this is in many ways part of its charm, and the snowy backdrop and disarmingly friendly accents only act to hike up the tension when the moment strikes. This is undoubtedly one of the superior crime films I have seen, and one of the most memorable films of the decade.

4. Trainspotting, 1996 (dir. Danny Boyle) – I have many personal reservations about this film, mostly because the book is one of the best I have ever read, and fans of the book with know the film fails to capture the same mood. (The second film did a far superior job, however, both differ greatly from the plot of the books.) Nonetheless, despite a few casting errors and the huge mounds of plot content which was removed, viewed independently from the book it is a very good film. Robert Carlyle put in a fabulous performance as the psychotic Begbie, and the soundtrack is one to rival even a Tarantino film.

5. Rushmore, 1998 (dir. Wes Anderson) – Funny, touching and truthful are three words that could be used to describe this film. I won’t however because that would be incredibly corny and below my writing prowess. What can be said is that this fairly early work from cult favourite Anderson is also one of his strongest and could be listed alongside The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel as among the highlights of recent cinema.