The Best of ’90s Movies

In these times of mystery and gloom, it’s easy to long for the days when you were young and free; when life was uncomplicated and social experiences were untainted by modern-day advancements that impede organic feelings of satisfaction and self-discovery.

While you can’t necessarily go out and explore the world, you can get lost in multiple variations of reality through the best of what the ’90s had to offer on screen.

Whether it’s horror, romance, crime or action you’re into, the ’90s were undeniably a time of cinematic transformation with raw and unfiltered entertainment.

Romance

This decade was the era of the heart-throb and gorgeous leading ladies, and thus romantic films were top-of-the-notch classics in this time.

‘Clueless’, the 1995 film starring Alicia Silverstone, told the story of the popular and naive Beverly Hills rich girl Cher Horowitz as she navigates high school, romantic crushes and friendships in the quirkiest manner possible. Although this type of teen-romcom wasn’t something new, ‘Clueless’ became a significant addition to pop culture through fashion trends and catchy one-liners.

Black doesn’t get any more beautiful than in 1999’s ‘The Best Man’. With an ensemble cast comprising Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, Morris Chestnut, Terence Howard, Harold Perrineau, Monica Calhoun, and marking Regina Hall’s debut, this film expertly tells a tale of love, friendship and trust within a close-knit group of friends. Before the Tyler Perry era of black television in America, cousins Malcolm D Lee and Spike Lee had a grasp on black representation with diversity, free from stereotypical perceptions.

These two picks are only crumbs of what hopeless romantics can dig into. Some other notable selections include ’10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999), ‘Pretty Woman’ (1990), ‘Titanic’ (1997), ‘Ghost’ (1990), ‘Bodyguard’ (1992), ‘Waiting to Exhale’ (1995), ‘Love Jones’ (1997) and ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’ (1998).

Skop, Skiet en Donner

Action films were unlike anything else in the last decade of the 20th century. This was the age when action heroes such as Steven Seagal, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mark Dacascos, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis cemented their names in history.

With special effects and CGI not as developed as today, these movies had to rely on real stunts and impeccable action sequences to stand out. The goal to make these as impactful and realistic as possible often led to ’90s action films coming off as indestructible and comical at times, and that’s what makes them so iconic. ‘The Matrix’ (1999), ‘Bad Boys’ (1995), ‘Hard Target’ (1993), ‘Desperado’ (1995), ‘Rush Hour’ (1998) and ‘Con Air’ (1997) are just a few of the bloody and gory action flicks that will get your adrenaline flowing.

Comedy

Jim Carrey, Reese Witherspoon, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg and Damon Wayans ruled comedy three decades ago. New age funny films just don’t hit home like they used to. Whether Goldberg was showing off her drama skills and comedic range in ‘Sister Act’ and ‘Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1992 and 1993), ‘Made in America’ (1993) or 1997’s ‘Cinderella’, this queen was a pleasure to experience on screen and was unmatched.

‘The Mask’ and ‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’ (1994) were Carrey gold, matched by the likes of ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ (1993) starring the great Robin Williams, Ice Cube’s ‘Friday’ (1995) alongside Chris Tucker, ‘Bulletproof’ starring Sandler and Wayans, and ‘The Nutty Professor’ (1996) in which Murphy displayed his acting range by portraying an entire family.

You may not be able to get out and about, but you can always head back in time and relive some of your favourite memories of yesteryear.

– JonathanSasha on social media

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