Certain movies feel vibrant and refreshing, and these gems from the 1990s helped shape the landscape of modern cinema. While the movie industry was undergoing a few major shifts, it still took some flashes of individual brilliance to push the medium forward into the 21st century.
Some of the best movies of the 1990s were years ahead of their time, and they still feel just as powerful and entertaining as they did back then. In some cases, if these movies were released today, audiences wouldn’t think they were out of place whatsoever.
Jurassic Park’s blend of practical effects and groundbreaking CGI has aged brilliantly, and it puts most modern blockbusters to shame. Although the franchise is set to continue withJurassic WorldRebirth,it has been a struggle to recreate the impact of the huge spectacle that came with the original.
Jurassic Park’s blend of practical effects and groundbreaking CGI has aged brilliantly.
Jurassic Parkrepresents the peak of the franchise, becausethe dinosaur-based action is always backed up by a compelling plot and some relatable characters. This gives an added layer of tension to iconic scenes like the raptors prowling through the kitchen or the T. Rex escaping from its paddock.
While Disney was going through its own creative renaissance in the 1990s, Pixar went off in a different direction and radically changed the landscape of animation for good.Toy Storywas the studio’s first feature-length film, and the first computer-generated feature-length ever made.Decades later, this style has become the industry standard.
Toy Storywas an immediate sensation, and it didn’t take too long for other major studios to attempt to emulate Pixar’s style. Within a decade, Disney, DreamWorks and more studios had converged on computer-generated animation, but Pixar has continued to innovate within the confines of their form.Toy Story 5is set to continue their most successful franchise, and it’s a safe bet that it will represent the technological cutting-edge once again.
Titanicwas the subject of some ridicule before it was released, since pundits believed that the biggest film budget ever would be wasted on a three-hour-long period romance. Of course, James Cameron proved that he’s more in touch with what audiences want to see than anyone else, andTitanicjustified its budget by becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time.
AlthoughTitanicis a throwback in some ways, with its lavish production and huge sets reminiscent of Old Hollywood, it was also forward-thinking. The success ofTitanicopened the door for other massive budgets in Hollywood, and it redefined the kinds of stories which were thought of as potential blockbuster material.
The Matrixis a strikingly original fusion of action and sci-fi, with a concept that sets the stage for some fight scenes unlike anything else. It’s also an intelligent, poignant sci-fi story that has become more and more precient over the years as humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence has evolved.
AlthoughThe Matrix’s action and visual effects were both revolutionary, its most important contributions have mostly been thematic.The Matrixpopularized simulation theory and brought it into the mainstream. It’s no wonder that many quotes and ideas fromThe Matrixare still part of the cultural zeitgeist today, even if they have been co-opted and used in different ways by different groups.
Screamshook up the horror genre in a few important ways. Incorporating elements of a whodunnit added another layer to the tension, and killing Drew Barrymore off in the very first scene proved that nobody was safe. However,Scream’s contributions to comedy have proven to be even more important over the years.
Scream’s meta, self-aware style pulls apart the horror genre from the inside out. This savvy writing means thatScreamcan more directly engage in the game that it plays with its audience. Many other movies have taken on a similar tone in the last 30 years, and they haveScreamto thank for it.
Saving Private Ryanis always a contender in debates over thebest war movie ever. If it isn’t the outright best, it’s certainly one of the most viscerally powerful, and its immersive style of action has been praised by veterans and other military experts.Saving Private Ryantransports the audience to the heart of the battlefield.
Ever sinceSaving Private Ryan,many war movies have tried and failed to use Steven Spielberg’s techniquesto create battle scenes as terrifyingly realistic. Of course, another key component to this is thatSaving Private Ryanfleshes out its characters to make their personal journeys feel even more urgent.
The Truman Showfollows a man as he gradually discovers that his entire life is an elaborate TV show, and that his quaint hometown is just one big set. Over two decades later, this is the reality that some people live in, as social media and technology have turned people into both audiences and performers in their everyday lives.
Reality television has exploded in popularity sinceThe Truman Show,including many popular formats in which the subjects either don’t know that they’re being filmed or don’t have other key information about the set-up. Like inThe Truman Show,anyone can become a TV star at any moment, whether they want to or not.
Jawsis often credited with creating the concept of the summer blockbuster, butIndependence Daywas the movie that set the agenda for modern blockbusters. With a perfect balance of action, sci-fi and humor, buoyed by a charismatic cast,Independence Dayis the ultimate crowdpleaser.
Critics ofIndependence Dayoften deride it as mindless popcorn entertainment, but this is hardly a concern for its biggest fans. For better or worse, there have been plenty of entertaining big-budget blockbusters in the 21st century without much substance, andIndependence Daywrote the playbook for such movies.
Pulp Fictionpays tribute to the history of cinema, with Tarantino wearing his myriad influences on his sleeve. There are cues taken from gangster movies, Westerns, horror movies and much more. At the same time,Pulp Fictionfeels radically new, using a non-linear structure to tell a labyrinthine crime story at its own pace.
Pulp Fiction’s dialogueunderlines one way that it has influenced movies ever since. Even in the midst of chaos and bloodshed, the characters often meander into seemingly unrelated discussions about cheeseburgers and other inconsequential small talk.Tarantino’s dialogue has been mimicked ad nauseam over the years,but the imitators can’t compete withPulp Fiction.
Martin Scorsese was already a legendary director by the time he invented a brand-new style withGoodfellas.The fast-paced, darkly comedic crime biopic has set the standard for plenty more crime movies over the years. As opposed to something likeThe Godfather’s grand, operatic tone,Goodfellasfeels messy, awkward and real.
As opposed to something likeThe Godfather’s grand, operatic tone,Goodfellasfeels messy, awkward and real.
There are a lot of scenes inGoodfellasin which the mundane brushes up against the violent gangster lifestyle, like when Tommy stops for dinner at his mother’s house despite having a man locked in the trunk of his car.Goodfellasalso has some iconic quotes, even thoughthe dialogue feels surprisingly relatable for a gangster movie at the time.
