The Best ’90s Movies on Netflix – GQ Magazine

Flash back to the pre-millennium with these '90s classics.

One of the most underrated entries in the Coen brothers canon, Barton Fink almost perversely defies description. Its a pitch-black satire of the entertainment industry in the mid-1940s, and a surrealist existential horror film thats often very, very funny. John Turturro stars as the titular Barton, a budding screenwriter whose writers block seems to manifest in the collapse of world around him, with Coen mainstays like John Goodman and Steve Buscemi in key supporting roles.

Schindlers List (1993)

Steven Spielbergs now-legendary Best Picture winner tells the true story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a German man who saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust. Heartbreaking, harrowing, and ultimately deeply humanistic, Schindlers List the kind of movie that elevates the art form, compelling audiences to bear witness to a tragedy too many might otherwise forget.

Full disclosure: Forrest Gumpwhich actually won Best Picture in 1995is also available on Netflix right now. But I prefer Quiz Show, an undersung runner-up for the Academys top prize. Robert Redfords perfectly calibrated historical drama digs into the real-life quiz show scandals that dominated headlines in the 1950s, when a congressional subcommittee investigated (accurate) allegations that TV game shows were rigged. Its a compelling story on its own, elevated by a capable cast that includes John Turturro, Ralph Fiennes, and Paul Scofield.

The late Wes Craven had already earned a permanent spot in the Hollywood horror pantheon with 1984s A Nightmare on Elm Streetbut more than a decade later, he re-solidified his place with Scream. A slasher film thats openly familiar with the conventions of slasher filmsright down to the instantly iconic catchphrase "Do you like scary movies?"Screams self-aware blend of horror was ripped off by a bunch of wannabes, but none that came close to the still-entertaining original.

Yeah, yeah, youve probably seen Titanic. Its the second highest-grossing movie in history. But when was the last time you, you know watched Titanic? James Camerons disaster epic holds up today, balancing a clever framing device with a couple of cant-miss young romantic leads in Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winsletwho went on, of course, to become two of the most acclaimed actors in modern-day Hollywoodoffset a hilariously over-the-top villain played by Billy Zane. And I dont care how cool you areyoure never too cool to swoon to "My Heart Will Go On."

The Wachowskis redefined the action movie with this classic blend of mind-bending sci-fi and pulse-pounding shoot-'em-up. Its easy to hold the flaws of The Matrix against itcrappy sequels, a bunch of lazy bullet-time spoofs, obnoxious MRA dudes talking about taking the red pillbut the original still holds up as an unusually brainy action flick.

Unjustly overlooked at the time of its release, The Iron Giant has since been championed by many critics as one of the great animated films of the 1990sand some would make a case for greatest films of the 1990s. Written and directed by Brad Bird (who would go on to make his name at Pixar with The Incredibles and Ratatouille), this story about a young boy and his giant robot is uncommonly and achingly tender, humanizing the titular hunk of metal as effectively as E.T. humanized an ugly alien.

For better or worse, The Sixth Sense will always be remembered for its twist, which shocked audiences in 1999 (and is so widely known today that Im sure youve already had it spoiled). But dont let the heat of that twist direct you from the rest of the movie: A moody, atmospheric gothic thriller in which M. Night Shymalan painstakingly weaves a beautiful rug before pulling it out from under you. And twist or no twist, The Sixth Sense contains one of the great performances of Bruce Willis entire career, alongside Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette (who earned an Academy Award nomination for her stellar supporting turn).

Ill be honest: Ravenous is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it proposition, as its 45 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes will attest. But damn, do I want you to watch this weird, wonderful movie. A period drama (or is it a comedy?) about cannibalism during Americas westward expansion in the mid-1840s, Ravenous enlisted a once-in-a-lifetime cast of soon-to-be-leading men and character actorsincluding Guy Pearce, David Arquette, Robert Carlyle, Jeremy Davies, Neal McDonough, and John Spencerto bring this stomach-churning story to life. (And I havent even mentioned the score, which is probably the strangest Ive ever heard in a mainstream-ish Hollywood release.)

Watch now:

Aziz Ansari Shows Us Whats in His Carry-On

The Best ’90s Movies on Netflix – GQ Magazine

Categories