Goodfellas (1990)
‘The camera work is dizzyingly spectacular’: Jim Hansen, 48, Chicago
It’s a compelling, frightening, funny, cleverly orchestrated requiem mass for the gangster film. In fact, it was so well put together, it resurrected the genre it was memorialising. The performances are all top-notch. The camera work is dizzyingly spectacular, the soundtrack is devastating and hip, and the eye of one of the greatest directors of all time catches all the action in an intimate and bizarrely un-epic way.
Pump Up the Volume (1990)
‘One of the best soundtracks around’: James, 38, Liverpool
Injustice, corruption, rebellion and a smattering of a love story mixed with one of the best soundtracks around, Pump Up the Volume still stands out for me. Slater is great and I instantly related to him as an outcast and generally unassuming student. This film has a great story with some good, complex characters highlighting just how far you can go to stand up for what you believe in, despite the pressures of school life.
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
‘Hanks went on to bigger and better things but this shouldn’t be forgotten’: Andrew Ashcroft, 37, Macclesfield
This marked the end of Tom Hanks’ work on wacky films that had characterised his work in the 80s. Some of the scenes are silly, but others really hit the mark. I remember one of my first jobs was in an office with no windows, neon lighting and with machines that made sound all day but didn’t do anything. I remarked to my soon to be ex-boss at the time that it reminded me of this film and he looked visibly upset at the comment. And if that doesn’t do it for you, there is the sight of Abe Vigoda leading a Pacific Island tribe addicted to fizzy orange juice. Hanks went on to bigger and better things but this film shouldn’t be forgotten as the last of an era.
Miller’s Crossing (1990)
‘Gabriel Byrne got more attention for the Usual Suspects but for me this is so much more’: Steve Simpson, 50, Oxfordshire
Tom’s a classic noir antihero but funnier, more charming and a far bigger mess than Marlow ever was. The plot is entertainingly contrived, the minor characters both compelling and funny. Allegiances switch and no one can be trusted, apart from the two bosses, who are forces of nature but nothing if not predictable. Gabriel Byrne got more attention for the Usual Suspects but for me this is so much more.
Point Break (1991)
‘Infinitely quotable’: Jen, 38, Bristol
I know it’s not highbrow or intellectual and yes it’s pretty cheesy (although I think that’s exacerbated over time), and OK Keanu’s acting isn’t Oscar-worthy, but that’s part of the charm! Even when I watch it today it’s still exciting, funny, cool (you still wish you were at Bodhi’s house party right?) and infinitely quotable. It’s a tale of freedom, sticking it to the man, but ultimately doing the right thing – so perfectly Gen X!
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
‘Hannibal is one of the best villains ever’: Lucy, 19, Cambridge
Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of Hannibal remains to be, in my opinion, one of the best villains ever seen in cinema. Truly terrifying whilst also being oddly charismatic. After first seeing the film I could not stop thinking about the unnerving look he has throughout. Definitely worthy of all the praise it’s received.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
‘I’ve never been so moved by an upright thumb disappearing into molten metal’: Ben Morrell, 37, London
I was 14 and I can remember being amazed by the then cutting edge effects of the T-1000 and how he dispatched his ‘copied’ victims. The relationship that develops between John and his protector provided us with some truly moving scenes. My friends and I were all transfixed throughout the film, I don’t think any of us had ever seen anything quite like it. I’ve never been so moved by an upright thumb disappearing into molten metal.
Bad Lieutenant (1992)
‘This film convinced me I was a film aficionado’: Peter, 41, Birmingham
This movie made me realise a film can drag you through the gutter, but also have redemptive effects. After that I snobbishly rejected all the brat pack movies I had loved up until then. This film, along with the fact BBC2 and Channel 4 seemed to show foreign language movies every week, convinced me I was a film aficionado and encouraged my dreams to make movies. Those dreams are long gone, along with most of those art house cinemas, but every now and then I glance back with great affection for this time.
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
‘The Auden poem was a genius touch’: Sarah, 43, Bristol
Still funny and touching even watching it recently. At the time it seemed like such a breath of fresh air and none of the British comedy films that followed it seemed to live up to its uniqueness. The funeral scene is wonderful and the Auden poem was a genius touch. I can’t wait to enjoy it with my own family – the swearing is holding me back at the moment!
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
‘So much more than just a prison movie’: James Dyer, 36, London
It’s Shawshank! Such a moving depiction of what happens when a person is stripped of everything and what remains afterwards. So much more than just a prison movie. This is about the existential choice that we all have: “Get busy living or get busy dying.”
La Haine (1995)
‘Very stylish, great banter, and some amazing music’: Michael Innes, 37, Edinburgh
Funny, witty, brutal and amazingly shot. I remember as a teenager watching this for the first time at a friend’s and just being completely speechless after the gut-wrenching finale. The adventures of Said, Vinz and Hubert in Paris were exactly what I was looking for in a film at that age: very stylish, great banter, and some amazing music. But now more than a few years on what stays with me is the message the film conveyed, a message which has never felt so apt.
Heat (1995)
‘Probably the greatest shootout ever committed to celluloid’: Simon, 45, New Zealand
Beautifully shot and scored, sharp direction, exceptional performances and a script that transcends the crime thriller with its study of obsession, compulsion, family and friendship. Coupled with some of the sharpest dialogue and probably the greatest shootout ever committed to celluloid, I still end up coming back to it and re-watching it year upon year, each time finding something new. Add to that the meeting on screen of two of cinema’s greats and you have not only one of the great films of the 90s but one that will sit comfortably with the great films of any decade.
The Usual Suspects (1995)
‘It still sends shivers down my spine’ : Sam, 42, West Midlands
My friend and I had actually gone to see another film at the cinema but it was sold out so we decided to see this instead, knowing nothing about it. I was completely stunned. Such a complex script and some phenomenal performances by people I’d never given any thought to before. Having seen it probably about 50 times, what I love most is its rhythm. The scene where agent Kujan realises everything he’s heard is a fabrication and sees the name on the bottom of his cup still sends shivers down my spine. I was simply thrilled by the whole thing.
GoldenEye (1995)
‘Exciting action and beautiful women’: Daniel, 21, Germany
I’m a bit biased because of my Bond fandom, but I honestly think that it’s an objectively great movie. Other than the exciting action and beautiful women, the wonderful thing about GoldenEye is how the underlying theme shows what happened to the USSR after communism. The way the Russians equally despised and admired the west, but also accepted and adapted to their new lives – some of which involved corruption and crime.
Se7en (1995)
‘The climax is one of the most suspenseful’: Richard, 18, Vancouver
The darkness that consumes the two detectives by the series of murders grips the audience, and the relief delivered in the previous scenes are overwhelmed by the change in events. Also the film’s climax is one of the most suspenseful. Se7en in its entirety captures the hopelessness of our modern world, but leaves it on a much needed hopeful note.
Trainspotting (1996)
‘We all had the poster and the soundtrack’: Aelred Down, 42, Cheltenham
This film just got it right. It was hilarious, moving, violent and anti-heroic. We all had the poster; we all had the soundtrack.
Fargo (1996)
‘The most perfect black comedy’: Ellie Kane, 54, Southsea
This is the most perfect black comedy. Wonderful performances from truly great American actors (William H Macy, Steve Buscemi and Frances McDormand), and that haunting score, with that Scandinavian Minnesotan fiddle playing.
Scream (1996)
‘Neve Campbell became a hero for me’: Sarah Vanderhide, 31, London
This film came out when I was about 10 and I vividly remember desperately wanting to watch it as everyone was talking about it at school. I then went for a sleepover at a friend’s house and she had a really cool older sister who let us watch the film. It was horrific and I was so scared and definitely should not have been watching this graphic and violent movie. But I remember the atmosphere in the room and wanting to feel that tension again when viewing something for the first time. Neve Campbell became a hero for me – as she is portraying a strong female who just gets on with it – all be it in a brutal and drastic way.
Twin Town (1997)
‘The cinematography makes Port Talbot and Swansea sing with colour’: Callum, 45, London
I must have seen Kevin Allen’s Twin Town at least 30 times since it came out. In a decade blessed with incredible films, it is the one I keep coming back to. It has sex. It has violence. It is peopled by possibly the most unpleasant bunch of characters ever to appear in a movie. It is incredibly well-made – the cinematography makes Port Talbot and Swansea sing with colour. But what makes it so very brilliant is it is just incredibly, wonderfully funny. The dialogue is simply perfect – scabrous, poetic, witty, crude – and delivered with gusto by a spot-on cast whose most famous names now are Rhys Ifans and Dougray Scott.
Boogie Nights (1997)
‘A compelling, character-driven script’: Nikos Leverenz, 43, Honolulu, Hawaii
When I was a student in London its screening at the Prince Charles theatre was the first time I encountered commercials and beer in a movie house. The film has every ingredient that draws me to the splendour of the cinematic experience: a compelling, character-driven script that is a template for actors and film technicians to showcase their talent. Its depiction of outcasts chasing celebrity, money, intimacy, and respectability in the margins of the adult film industry moved between poignant and harrowing with skilled precision.
Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)
‘It gave a great message of being true to yourself without being preachy’: Helen Jones, 35, Ruislip
It combined comedy, strong female friendships and women ‘doing it for themselves’ and sticking two fingers up at the haters. The music and outfits were amazing, and the love of extravagant, creative fashion appealed to my teenage self. It gave a great message of being true to yourself while still being lighthearted and not preachy. The high school flashbacks gave it that retro edge and as a teenager it helped me to see that your high school years don’t have to define who you are! Brilliant, hilarious and heart-warming.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
‘I still find new visual marvels’: Usman Rafiq, 35, Birmingham
The Coens’ offbeat meandering fable of The Dude is my most revisited film, and even after many viewings, I still find new visual marvels or a line of dialogue that makes me chuckle. The soundtrack works perfectly with the effortless camerawork, and the tone is just right. Even my wife thought it enjoyable, and she cannot stand the f word – a miracle seeing as it contains around 250 variations of it. Anyway, that’s just … like … uh … my opinion, man.
Fight Club (1999)
‘Politically prophetic in quite an unforeseeable way’: John Edwards, 42, Spain
This was the only mainstream film that was visually innovative, daring in its narrative and politically prophetic in quite an unforeseeable way. Pitt, Norton and Fincher became icons of the decade, never subsequently managing to recover from the intensity of this work.
American Beauty (1999)
‘It really made me think about the fragility of life’: Matthew, 43, London
As I sat in a sweaty bar on the Khao San Road in Bangkok during a year of backpacking I was amazed by how I was touched by the story. It really made me think about the fragility of life, grabbing opportunities and how material wealth was not the key to happiness. I eventually returned to England 10 years later after working various jobs around Europe and Asia. I still think back on it now, especially on the dreaded monthly mortgage day, “This pool is not lagoon like”. Should I have given in to the system?
The Matrix (1999)
‘A stunning film’: Scott Bleasdale, 45, Lancaster
Although it seems dated now, The Matrix was a stunning film and, in the days before we had tinfoil hatters spewing conspiracist nonsense, it gave us the brief illusion that we were awake.
- This article was amended on 10 October 2017. An earlier version referred to a reader as ‘Mark, 43, London’. This has been changed to ‘Matthew’ as the reader got in touch after publication to say that he would like his real name to be used.