Five forgotten movie masterpieces of the 1990s
The 1990s were an incredible time for movies. The Silence of the Lambs, Unforgiven, Titanic, and American Beauty were just some of the incredible features that won ‘Best Picture’ at the Oscars. Then there were all the great films which were only nominated, as well as everything else that flew under the Academy’s radar.
The decade was so packed that plenty of stone-cold classics now lie completely forgotten. These five films are just some of the incredible pictures that didn’t quite have the staying power.
From adventures in outer space to side-splitting relationship comedies to pioneering queer features, if you’ve never seen (or even heard of) these great flicks, then you’re doing yourself a disservice.
What’s so striking about the ’90s is just how rich and varied the cinematic landscape truly was. Independent cinema was thriving, with directors like Richard Linklater, Todd Haynes, and the Coen brothers redefining what it meant to tell a compelling story. International cinema also had a breakthrough moment, with films from Iran, Hong Kong, and Denmark quietly influencing Hollywood’s biggest names. Meanwhile, the rise of home video and cable TV helped countless under-the-radar releases build cult audiences, some of whom still evangelise about these lost treasures to this day.
But for every Pulp Fiction or Goodfellas that still earns column inches, there are films just as bold and brilliant that have slipped between the cracks. Maybe they didn’t perform at the box office, or maybe they arrived at the wrong time. Whatever the reason, they’re overdue for a rewatch or a first watch, if you’re lucky.
These are the kind of films that remind us just how much artistry gets left behind in the hype machine. Whether you’re a longtime cinephile or just looking for something fresh, these overlooked gems from the ’90s deserve a spot on your watchlist.
Five forgotten movie masterpieces of the 1990s:
‘Gattaca’ – Andrew Niccol (1997)
The year before he arrived on the scene as the writer and co-producer of The Truman Show, Andrew Niccol made his directorial debut with the dystopian sci-fi Gattaca. Set in a future where children are born through a strict eugenics programme, Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) attempts to achieve his dream of going to space, despite being born the ‘conventional’ way. The movie does a great job balancing big concepts about human identity and the horrors of technology with a very grounding story; the perfect science fiction formula.
It might have gotten an Oscar nomination for ‘Best Art Direction’ and was praised by NASA for its scientific accuracy, but these days, Gattaca is merely a cult favourite. Its clever script and strong performances were drowned out by other, bigger productions. 1997 saw the release of both Men in Black and The Fifth Element, so sci-fi fans were spoilt for choice. The lasting legacy of the movie is that it is how Hawke met his future wife, now ex-, Uma Thurman. We have Gattaca to thank for the existence of Maya Hawke, so we should all be very grateful.
‘The Birdcage’ – Mike Nichols (1996)
While he might be best known for his early career features, such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Catch-22, The Graduate, etc., Mike Nichols had a late career masterstroke with 1996’s The Birdcage. Adapted from a stage play and the French movie La Cage aux Folles, the film is set in the thumping gay scene of South Beach, Florida. When Armand’s (Robin Williams) son announces he is marrying the daughter of a fiercely conservative politician (Gene Hackman), he must disguise the queer aspects of his lifestyle, including his melodramatic partner Albert (Nathan Lane).
Williams and Lane are superb together. They have amazing chemistry, with Williams giving a rare straight man (pardon the pun) performance to perfectly complement Lane’s wild energy. In an era where gay people on film were usually depicted as repressed or miserable, it was such a breath of fresh air to see two very much in love, living their bright and colourful lives in full view. Elaine May’s script is marvellous, treading the line between witty and slapstick, and all the supporting characters play their parts to perfection. Hackman, in particular, embraces the wackiness of the tale. If you’re looking for a funny ’90s rom-com, then look no further.
‘Sneakers’ – Phil Alden Robinson (1992)
You’d think a movie with a cast featuring Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Ben Kingsley, Dan Ackroyd, and James Earl Jones would be one of the most famous of all time. Sadly, that is not the case with 1992’s Sneakers. From director Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams) comes this story of a group of security experts who are blackmailed by the government into stealing a secret black box. What follows is a mixture of classic heist fare with well-written, well-acted comedy. Think Ocean’s Eleven with more gags and you’re not far off.
Heist movies are tough to get right. It’s hard to make one that isn’t painfully cliché, and Sneakers upends the notion, providing suitable laughs and giving each of its huge cast plenty of screen time. It ended up amongst the 20 highest-grossing movies of 1992, but while other big hitters that year like Sister Act and Wayne’s World have remained popular, barely anybody talks about this one anymore. Although it was one of the first movies to launch a digital press kit, which makes it ahead of its time, it’s unlikely that Robert Redford cared all that much about that neat little tidbit.
‘Bowfinger’ – Frank Oz (1999)
1999 is widely regarded as one of the best years for movies ever. In the comedy stakes alone, it produced Joe Versus the Volcano, Home Alone, and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. It’s easy to see why so many other fantastically funny films slipped through the cracks, but you would have thought a film directed by Frank Oz and starring Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy might have found a way through.
Bowfinger stars Martin as the titular character, a down-on-his-luck filmmaker desperate for a hit. With no money to his name, he concocts a plan to dupe the action hero Kit Ramsey (Murphy) into unwittingly starring in his next picture. This involves hiring a body double (also Murphy) as well as manipulating Ramsey into ‘acting’ without even realising he’s being filmed. In terms of premises, this one suits both of its stars to a tee. Martin and Murphy complement each other so well that it’s mad they never made another film together. The script is also sharp as a tack, taking shots at everything from the Hollywood system to Scientology. Fans of Martin, Murphy, or ’90s comedy as a whole should definitely take note.
‘Heavenly Creatures’ – Peter Jackson (1994)
Before he shocked the world with his outstanding Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson was working on much, much smaller projects in his native New Zealand. One of them was Heavenly Creatures, a drama based on an infamous incident when two young girls murdered one of their mothers. Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey (both in their feature debuts) play the girls, Juliet and Pauline, respectively, and the film goes out of its way to explore the extremely close relationship they had at the time of the murder.
Queer cinema was in a very different place in 1994 than it is today. A film like this, which was so brazen with its lesbian undertones, ruffled more than a few feathers. Author Anne Perry, the real-life Juliet, spoke out against the film when it was released, claiming she and Pauline were “never lesbians”. Winslet and Lynskey give incredible performances, and Jackson’s mastery of the camera is clear throughout this genre-hopping narrative. Heavenly Creatures isn’t just an interesting movie for its subject matter and the time it was released, but it’s also a gripping drama with a solid exploration of a watertight relationship at its core.
