1990s Best Movies

Mystery Date (1991)

Teenage Tom McHugh (Ethan Hawke) is madly in love with his ravishing next-door neighbor, Geena Matthews (Teri Polo), but becomes hopelessly tongue-tied whenever she’s around. When his parents go away on an impromptu road trip, his suave law student brother shows up and begins coaching Tom on how to pick up women. Things are going great until Tom discovers a body in the trunk of his brother’s car, and his perfect date with Geena takes multiple turns for the worse.

City Slickers (1991)

Every year, three friends take a vacation away from their wives. This year, henpecked Phil (Daniel Stern), newly married Ed (Bruno Kirby), and Mitch (Billy Crystal) — terrified of his midlife crisis — decide to reignite their masculinity by taking a supervised cattle drive across the Southwest. Under the supervision of gruff cowboy Curly (Jack Palance), the men set out on a journey that turns unexpectedly dangerous. The three men bond along the way to conquering their fear of aging.

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.