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The Best '90s Thrillers of All Time
By Katherine J. Igoe,
6 days ago
During the 1990s, you could always count on a thriller to be playing at the multiplex. The heart-pounding genre had a heyday in '90s cinema , spanning psychological , legal, and crime subgenres. But above all, you could count on any one of them to deliver drama, intrigue, and twists.
We rounded up some of the very best '90s thrillers—from watchable detective sagas and murder mysteries to movies that lean a bit more into action or classic horror , and even a handful that have gone down as some of the best films of all time . So whether you like some of the greatest that the has to offer ( The Talented Mr. Ripley and Heat , to name a few) or enjoy tuning into a smutty erotic thriller or B-movie, consider this your watchlist. Below, find the best '90s thrillers to watch immediately.
'Basic Instinct' (1992)
(Image credit: Alamy)
There may never be a more compelling erotic thriller than Basic Instinct . It's not particularly compelling for its mystery (as in, you know who-done-it about 10 minutes into the movie), but as a noir that pushed the boundaries of taste and propriety, Paul Verhoeven's film is considered a masterpiece.
This Kathryn Bigelow-directed action thriller features a young Jamie Lee Curtis as a rookie police officer who shoots a robber. One of the hostages picks up the robber's gun, starts killing people with it, and becomes obsessed with Curtis' character.
It is a testament to how good Denzel Washington is as an actor that he puts in a riveting performance while spending the majority of the movie paralyzed and lying in bed. His character Lincoln, alongside police officer Amelia (Angelina Jolie), have to track down a nefarious serial killer.
Cape Fear is often cited as one of the most terrifying films of this decade. This remake is helmed by Martin Scorsese and features a truly horrifying performance from Robert De Niro as a convicted criminal who's out to get the public defender who got him locked away.
It's a thriller, just set in a high school! This one's a favorite for anyone who grew up in the '90s, and (as a modern retelling of Dangerous Liaisons ) it translates perfectly to the cruel and illicit underbelly of (fictional) rich kids in New York City.
This domestic thriller features a twisty plot that, by today's standards, wouldn't be considered all that realistic: a teen (Alicia Silverstone) becomes obsessed with a writer who's lodging at their house (Cary Elwes) and engages in ever-more terrifying behavior. The performances are top-notch, which helps sell the admittedly strange plot.
This sci-fi thriller was an absolute bomb at the box office but has since been reclaimed as a cult classic. Amnesiac John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) is pursued by the "Strangers"; no spoilers, but the film was an important influence on movies like The Matrix .
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, this is one of his adaptations that flies under the radar a little bit. But it's still eminently compelling: Dolores (Kathy Bates) is accused of murdering her employer, but all is not as it seems. It's an intense story, but compelling.
This movie is, objectively, a bit all over the place. But the reason it became a sleeper hit is because stars Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg had clear talent and chemistry. Thus, they elevate the material (a wealthy girl dates a literal sociopath) into something fascinating.
In one of the best action thrillers of the '90s, Dr. Richard Kimble (a perfectly cast Harrison Ford) is framed for his wife's murder and goes on the lam. That's not a spoiler, as it happens within the first 20 minutes of the movie, but where we go next is always a surprise.
This is an underrated David Fincher film that achieved cult status after not performing particularly well. Without giving too much away, Michael Douglas plays wealthy banker Nick, who is enrolled by his brother in "the game." Then things start to get scary.
It was a stroke of genius to cast the extremely likable Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son , where (semi-spoiler alert) we're never quite sure if he's just pretending to be a good kid. This film also gives us a very young Elijah Wood, and both actors give very good performances in this (quite scary!) movie.
One of a few "domestic thrillers" of this era, this follows Rebecca De Mornay as the very scary Mrs. Mott, who infiltrates a family as part of a twisted revenge plot after believing they ruined her life. Long story short: a fake nanny tries to ruin a happy family's life.
Lauded as one of the best crime thrillers ever made, Heat boasts exceptional performances from both Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in a stylized rendering of L.A. The back and forth of cop and criminal, respectively, will keep you riveted (and wondering who to root for).
An excellent entry in the "spy thriller" genre, The Hunt for Red October is ostensibly a '90s military film about a missing Russian submarine. But in actuality, it's a compelling mystery with some perfect twists—just like a good thriller should be.
This is a vampire horror film, but it uses elements of a thriller through its framing device: a journalist (Christian Slater) interviews a vampire ( Brad Pitt ) about his tragic undead life. Rest assured: Crime, drama, and romance all ensue, and the tone is an essential part of what makes the movie great.
The lasting legacy of this film is its ending: No spoilers, but it features one heck of a twist. But the movie plot is a decent one, with Jacob (Tim Robbins) haunted by terrifying visions after returning home from the Vietnam War. If you don't know much about the movie, or even if you do, it's still an eclectic horror film that's worth a watch.
This romantic thriller isn't as well-known as others on this list, but it's got a premise that'll capture you. Sean Young stars in the film, playing twins Dorothy and Ellen. The former dies mysteriously after becoming pregnant, and Ellen gets involved with a new man (Matt Dillon) who seems like he might have been involved.
While it's certainly difficult to compare Stephen King adaptations, Misery is widely lauded as one of the most successful, and the most terrifying. (King himself has said it's one of his favorites.) When a novelist (James Caan) goes missing and is put in the care of his "number one fan" (Kathy Bates), you know bad things will happen.
Also known as a "tenant from hell" movie, Carter (Michael Keaton) moves into a house owned by a happy couple (Matthew Modine and Melanie Griffith), and then all Hell breaks loose. This makes good use of Keaton's extremely unnerving intensity, so if you like the actor, put this on.
Not as many people know about this Harrison Ford thriller, but it's a good one—not to mention a commercial success at the time. Ford plays prosecutor Rusty, whose mistress ends up dead and with him as the main suspect. No spoilers, but it goes in some surprising directions.
Sometimes this film gets reduced to its twist ending (no spoilers, but it put Edward Norton on the map for his compelling acting), but the film in its entirety is worth the watch. An archbishop is murdered and attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) tries to exonerate the altar boy (Norton) charged with the killing.
Part of what makes this movie so successful is its griminess: Our protagonists exist in a (fictional) city that embraces a serial killer intent on acting out the seven deadly sins. This David Fincher movie is as much about the mood as it is about the highly compelling mystery.
Even though this is very much a film rooted in horror, the thriller elements elevate it beyond the genre. It's a psychologically riveting portrayal of serial killers and the people trying to stop them, with poor Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) enmeshed deep into their psyches.
The core of this movie has become a catchphrase: If you're trying to "single white female" someone, you're obsessing over them and trying to take over their life, including dressing like them. In this eerie movie, we see Hedy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) do that to her unassuming roommate Allie (Bridget Fonda).
The Sixth Sense could have easily been a more traditional horror film, but its ominous, thriller-like tone enhances the unsettling mood of the movie. This is another one that you may know the ending to, but the film's brilliant construction makes it worth much more than its twist.
Sharon Stone really was the '90s thriller queen. In this erotic thriller, she plays a woman named Carly who moves into an apartment and investigates the deaths of several female tenants. The film had to undergo a series of edits to avoid an NC-17 rating, so you can expect this one to be pretty steamy.
This psychological thriller is an interesting look at domestic violence and the lengths one woman will go to to get away. Julia Roberts is Laura, whose marriage to Martin (Patrick Bergin) leads her to fake her death as a means to take back her own life.
The unveiling of who Tom Ripley is and what he's capable of is a slow burn in this film. That makes The Talented Mr. Ripley one of the best thrillers ever made. Matt Damon's dynamic performance makes you feel sorry for him at first, you might even empathize with him—and then, well, you'll see.
The perfect marriage between a thriller, romance, and heist film, The Thomas Crown Affair is a stylish and sexy look at the titular art thief Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) and his cat-and-mouse game with insurance investigator Catherine Banning (Rene Russo).
This crime romance film, which was written by Quentin Tarantino, is a who's who of impressive acting (Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Brad Pitt, and Christopher Walken). It's also a walk into darkness for a young couple.
This is another one that's remembered for its shocking ending. But The Usual Suspects breathed new life into the crime thriller genre and became the decade's gold standard. Many films have attempted to emulate it, but it's hard to top the original twist.
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