1990s Best Movies

Cry-Baby (1990)

A rockabilly musical comedy set in 1950s Baltimore, starring Johnny Depp as Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker, the leader of a group of rebellious “Drapes.” When he falls for straight-laced “Square” Allison (Amy Locane), their romance sparks a clash between their two social worlds. Packed with campy humor, catchy tunes, and Waters’ signature subversive style, the film parodies teen musicals while celebrating the outsiders who refuse to conform.

Instinct (1999)

This week on Shat the Movies, we’re cracking open Instinct (1999), the psychological thriller where Anthony Hopkins goes full jungle hermit and Cuba Gooding Jr. tries to figure out why. It’s part Gorillas in the Mist, part Good Will Hunting, and totally off the rails. Tune in as we try...

Street Fighter (1994)

Gen. Bison (Raul Julia), the evil dictator of Shadaloo, captures a busload of relief workers and holds them for ransom. Col. Guile (Jean-Claude Van Damme) leads an international strike force to invade Shadaloo and rescue the hostages. Along the way, Guile recruits Chun-Li (Ming-Na Wen), a reporter and martial-arts expert whose father was killed by Bison years ago, two young con men (Damian Chapa, Byron Mann) and a sumo wrestler (Peter Navy Tuiasosopo).

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

The Enterprise and its crew follow a Borg ship through a time warp to prevent the Borg from taking over the Earth in a past era. Stuck in the past, Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) helps a pioneer of space travel (James Cromwell) in his efforts to create the first warp drive while Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Cmdr. Data (Brent Spiner) battle the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) as she tries to take over the Enterprise.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

When two best friends, Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon), embark on a weekend road trip to escape their mundane lives, their journey takes a drastic turn. After a terrifying encounter at a roadside bar, the duo finds themselves on the run from the law, leading to a thrilling cross-country escape filled with stolen cars, unexpected romance, and a growing sense of rebellion. With the police closing in and their options dwindling, Thelma and Louise must make an impossible choice that will cement their place in cinematic history.

Three Kings (1999)

Three Kings (1999) is a war comedy-drama directed by David O. Russell, following a group of American soldiers—played by George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze—at the end of the Gulf War as they attempt to steal a hidden cache of gold stolen by Saddam Hussein’s forces. What begins as a selfish heist turns into a moral crisis when they encounter Iraqi civilians suffering under the regime, forcing them to choose between personal gain and doing the right thing. Blending action, satire, and social commentary, the film offers a unique and sharp critique of war and American intervention.

The Delta Force (1986)

Five years after Maj. Scott McCoy (Chuck Norris) resigned from the U.S. Delta Force due to bureaucracy issues, he returns with Col. Alexander (Lee Marvin) to take down Lebanese terrorists who have hijacked a Boeing 707. Terrorist leader Abdul Rifi (Robert Forster) takes the crew and passengers hostage as he reroutes the plane to Beirut. When McCoy and Alexander attempt to save the hostages once the plane lands, they are forced to battle a terrorist group that’s larger than expected.

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Baz Luhrmann helped adapt this classic Shakespearean romantic tragedy for the screen, updating the setting to a post-modern city named Verona Beach. In this version, the Capulets and the Montagues are two rival gangs. Juliet (Claire Danes) is attending a costume ball thrown by her parents. Her father Fulgencio Capulet (Paul Sorvino) has arranged her marriage to the boorish Paris (Paul Rudd) as part of a strategic investment plan. Romeo attends the masked ball and he and Juliet fall in love.