The 1990s were an amazing time for blockbusters, and with so many awesome movies sprayed across the decade it’s easy to let a few of them slip through the cracks. This isn’t to say that the movies we’re looking at here are bombs, some of them are but most of them made crazy money at the box office – they’re just forgotten. If you haven’t seen these films it’s the perfect time to check them out. Make sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think.
Have we forgotten The Rock already? This Michael Bay action classic brings together Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery in a peak 90s action thriller that jams as much as it can into two plus hours. Soldiers holding San Francisco hostage with missiles from Alcatraz? Check. Nicholas Cage trying to play normal? Check. Sean Connery chewing scenery as a character who may or may not be James Bond? CHECK CHECK CHECK.
Another Nicolas Cage gem, Con Air revolves around an incarcerated former Army Ranger as he flies to his release on a plane full of convicts who are intent on escaping to a tropical country with a non-extradition clause. This is pure ‘90s excess that’s packed with fun performances from your favorite character actors. If you get a chance, watch Con Air with an audience.
Overshadowed by Armageddon upon its release, Deep Impact provides a more thoughtful and emotional take on an asteroid disaster movie. Starring Morgan Freeman, the film focuses on the human toll of an impending apocalypse. It may not have Michael Bay’s flash, but it’s an incredible counterpoint to other disaster films of the era
Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element is a visually stunning sci-fi adventure with a silly sense of humor. Starring Bruce Willis and an unforgettable performance by Milla Jovovich, this sci-fi/action film feels like a comic book come to life in the best of ways.
Even though disaster films were a dime a dozen in the 90s, Twister’s focus on character over effects or relentless action make it immensely rewatchable. Helen Hunt stars as a storm chaser trying to find a way to create an even better early warning system for people in storm alley. She’s flanked by a group of loveable goofballs who add to the fun of this film. Thanks to 2024’s pseudo-sequel, Twisters, audiences are more ready than ever to dive into the world of storm chasing.
John Travolta and Nicolas Cage swapping faces in a high-octane action thriller? Let’s GOOOOO! As ridiculous as it is action-packed, Face/Off brings John Woo’s overstuffed aesthetic to its logical extreme by introducing futuristic prisons where everyone has to wear gravity boots(?), and of course a face swapping technology that allows two men with totally different body types to pretend to be one another. Come for the premise, stay for John Travolta and Nicolas Cage doing impressions of one another.
Deeply misunderstood upon release, Starship Troopers is a satirical sci-fi action film packed to the gills with a biting critique of militarism, wrapped in a flashy, violent package. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, this movie takes on fascism head first while giving audiences a widely good time at the movies. You don’t have to think about Starship Troopers while you’re watching, but you really should.
The success of Tim Burton’s Batman made Hollywood lose its mind. No one expected a comic book movie about a guy dressed in a rubber bat costume to be such a big hit, and when it was, producers struggled to recreate the film’s success. Rather than making more straight forward comic book movies they decided that serials from the 1930s were what people wanted. That’s how we got movies like Dick Tracy, The Phantom, and The Shadow. This film follows the titular Shadow, a crime fighter trained in the art of psychic obfuscation in Tibet, as he faces off against Ghengis Khan. Starring Alec Baldwin, the movie wasn’t a hit by any means, but it’s worth revisiting for its stylish production and campy tone.
Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, and Samuel L. Jackson star in this powerhouse courtroom drama about an untested lawyer hired to defend the life of a Black man who avenges the sexual assault of his daughter. The film received mixed reviews at the time, but watching back today it’s clear that this is a courtroom drama worthy of our time.
Nothing beats Demolition Man. This sci-fi/action movie sends Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes from the 1990s into the future where they go head to head in a world where political correctness runs amuck. As schlocky as this movie’s satire is, it’s a heck of a lot of fun.
