1990s Films: Best Movies, Directors And Trends
Indie film breaks through, CGI arrives properly, and British comedy dramas conquer America.
Below: the films worth watching from the 1990s, the directors behind them, what was changing in cinema, and the year-by-year screen highlights from 1990 to 1999.
Useful for a film night, a themed party, a quiz round or working out what someone grew up watching.
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Best films of the 1990s
- Goodfellas (1990).
- Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994).
- Jurassic Park (1993).
- Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994).
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994).
- Toy Story (1995) - the first fully computer-animated feature.
- Trainspotting (1996).
- The Full Monty (1997).
- Titanic (1997).
- The Matrix (1999).
Directors who defined the 1990s
- Quentin Tarantino, whose first two films changed independent cinema.
- Danny Boyle, from Shallow Grave to Trainspotting.
- James Cameron, pushing both budgets and effects.
- John Lasseter and Pixar, rewriting animation.
- Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, still making British films about British lives.
Cinema trends of the 1990s
- Computer-generated effects go from novelty in 1993 to standard by 1999.
- The independent boom, with Sundance and Miramax as the route to an audience.
- British romantic comedies become a reliable export.
- DVD launches in the UK in 1998 and starts killing VHS.
- The multiplex becomes the default, and admissions climb through the decade.
Going to the pictures
- Blockbuster Video on a Friday night, and the film you wanted already out.
- Orange Wednesdays arrive right at the end of the decade's successor.
- Nachos and a bucket of Coke bigger than your head.
- Trailers getting longer than the adverts.
Film and television, year by year
- 1990 - Ghost, Home Alone and Pretty Woman were the films of the year.
- 1991 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Silence of the Lambs were the films of the year.
- 1992 - Wayne's World, Basic Instinct and Reservoir Dogs were the films people talked about.
- 1993 - Jurassic Park and Schindler's List were both released - the same director, in the same year.
- 1994 - Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Lion King, Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump all came out in the same year.
- 1995 - Toy Story was released - the first fully computer-animated feature film.
- 1996 - Trainspotting was released in February and became the British film of the decade.
- 1997 - The Full Monty was the British film of the year and one of the most successful ever made here.
- 1998 - Titanic dominated cinemas and the Oscars.
- 1999 - The Matrix, Star Wars: Episode I, Notting Hill and The Sixth Sense were the films of the year.
Years covered in the 1990s
- 1990 - Thatcher resigned, Gazza cried, and the country spent a fortnight thinking England might actually win it. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1990
- 1991 - Bryan Adams would not get off the top of the chart, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, and Freddie Mercury died. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1991
- 1992 - Black Wednesday, a general election nobody predicted correctly, and the Premier League arrived. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1992
- 1993 - Mr Blobby was Christmas number one, which is somehow not the strangest thing about the year. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1993
- 1994 - The Lottery started, the Channel Tunnel opened, and Wet Wet Wet would not leave the number one spot. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1994
- 1995 - Blur against Oasis on the Six O'Clock News, and Toy Story changed films for good. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1995
- 1996 - Football came home, nearly, and the Spice Girls arrived and took the entire decade with them. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1996
- 1997 - A landslide in May, a death in August, and the best-selling single in British history. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1997
- 1998 - The Good Friday Agreement, a World Cup sending off nobody forgave, and Furby. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1998
- 1999 - An eclipse over Cornwall, a millennium everybody was quietly worried about, and boy bands everywhere. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1999
- That is every 1990s year we have written up so far: 1990 to 1999.
How to use this
- Film night: one film from the decade, the matching party playlist before it, and a quiz round after.
- Quiz round: read a film and ask for the year, or read a director and ask for the film.
- Reminiscence: ask what the first film they saw at the cinema was, and who took them.
- Anyone born in 1990 turns 50 in 2040, 60 in 2050 and 70 in 2060.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop prints and posters Look back to 1990 Look back to 1991 Look back to 1992
How to write it so it lands
- Check the UK release date as well as the year - plenty of American films reached Britain months later.
- For a themed night, pick the film from the year someone turned eighteen, not the year they were born.
- Ask what the first film they saw at the cinema was. It gets a better story than asking their favourite.
Where to shop next
- Look back to 1990
- Look back to 1991
- Look back to 1992
- Look back to 1993
- Look back to 1994
- Look back to 1995
- Look back to 1996
- Look back to 1997
- Look back to 1998
- Look back to 1999
- 1990s books, films and TV
- 1990s calendar: year by year
- 1990s trivia: fun facts
- 1990s music: albums, artists and songs
- 1990s shopping guide
- The 1990s: the whole decade
- Retro gift guide: the 1990s
- 1990s party playlist
- 90s kids' TV shows
- 90s quiz questions
- Toys of the 80s and 90s
- Video shops and late fees
- Saturday morning TV
- Phones before mobiles
- Decade history: key events, politics and culture by era
- Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
- Decade films: best films and directors by era
- Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
- Decade shopping guides by era
- Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
- Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
- Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
- Decade calendar: every year from 1920
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Nostalgia gift shop
- Guess the year quiz
- Milestone birthday cards
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- Sympathy and bereavement cards
- Sympathy cards guide
- Pin badges
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What are the best films of the 1990s?
Goodfellas (1990). The full list above names real films with their release years, from the 1990s.
Which directors defined the 1990s?
Quentin Tarantino, whose first two films changed independent cinema. The directors section above covers the rest.
What was cinema like in the 1990s?
Computer-generated effects go from novelty in 1993 to standard by 1999. The trends and going-to-the-pictures sections above cover both the industry and the experience.
Do you sell films or DVDs?
No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read, print and copy for a quiz or a film night.