Best Forgotten Movies from the 1990s (That Require an Immediate Rewatch)

Some gems from the 90s slipped past crowds or faded from conversation despite sharp craft and memorable ideas. This list gathers underseen thrillers, offbeat dramas, and cult animations that reward a fresh look today. You’ll find directors experimenting, stars stretching, and stories that still feel inventive. Each one quietly found its way to theaters through a major distributor, even if the spotlight didn’t linger.

‘Dark City’ (1998)

Alex Proyas fuses noir detective beats with a shifting sci-fi metropolis where memory is malleable. Roger Deakins’ stark photography frames sets that transform on cue, backed by an eerie score. Rufus Sewell and Jennifer Connelly anchor a mystery about identity and control. It reached theaters through New Line Cinema.

‘The Limey’ (1999)

Steven Soderbergh chops and remixes time to follow a British ex-con hunting for answers in Los Angeles. Terence Stamp’s clipped exchanges with Peter Fonda ride on crackling Elmore Leonard vibes. Jump cuts and audio overlaps give even simple conversations a jolt. Artisan Entertainment handled the release.

‘Zero Effect’ (1998)

Writer-director Jake Kasdan imagines a brilliant but reclusive private investigator who never leaves his apartment. Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller play an odd couple navigating blackmail and tangled motives. The case stretches from missing keys to a deeper conspiracy with sly humor. Gramercy Pictures brought it to theaters.

‘Sneakers’ (1992)

A team of eccentric security experts is hired to steal a mysterious black box with world-shaking implications. Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, and River Phoenix form a breezy ensemble of hackers and heist pros. The caper blends cryptography, surveillance, and corporate intrigue. Universal Pictures released it widely.

‘The Last Seduction’ (1994)

A ruthless dealmaker manipulates everyone around her in a neo-noir about power and appetite. Linda Fiorentino’s crisp dialogue drives a web of cons across small-town bars and city offices. The screenplay twists loyalties until no one’s standing on solid ground. October Films put it on the big screen.

‘Fallen’ (1998)

Denzel Washington plays a detective tracking murders that follow a chilling pattern of body-hopping evil. Street-corner encounters and a humming tune become clues that stick in your head. The investigation moves from precinct work to ancient inscriptions and moral doubt. Warner Bros. distributed the film.

‘Strange Days’ (1995)

Near-future Los Angeles runs on illegal recordings that let users relive other people’s experiences. Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett navigate black-market trades, police corruption, and a cover-up. Handheld sequences put you inside adrenaline-spiking first-person “playbacks.” The movie was released by 20th Century Fox.

‘Gattaca’ (1997)

In a society sorted by genetics, an ambitious navigator borrows a flawless identity to reach the stars. Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman turn a quiet love story into a test of systems and will. Sleek sets, retro-future costumes, and minimalist tech keep the world grounded. Columbia Pictures handled distribution.

‘The Iron Giant’ (1999)

A boy befriends a towering visitor from the sky while the town panics over the unknown. Brad Bird crafts set pieces that move from gentle comedy to bold action with hand-drawn warmth. The story balances Cold War anxiety with a child’s sense of wonder. Warner Bros. released it in theaters.

‘The Edge’ (1997)

Two men crash in the Alaskan wilderness and face nature, a relentless bear, and their own suspicions. Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin play survival chess with flares, maps, and improvised traps. David Mamet’s dialogue doubles as instruction and provocation in each setback. The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox.

‘A Simple Plan’ (1998)

Three ordinary people find a downed plane, a duffel of cash, and a moral slide they can’t control. Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton show how small choices snowball into catastrophe. Snowbound settings box the characters into tighter and tighter corners. Paramount Pictures brought it to audiences.

‘The Ninth Gate’ (1999)

A rare-book dealer hunts a legendary volume said to summon dark forces, crossing paths with collectors and fakes. Johnny Depp’s character tests engravings, watermarks, and provenance like clues in a puzzle. European locations and hushed auctions give the chase a sinister sheen. Artisan Entertainment handled the U.S. release.

‘The City of Lost Children’ (1995)

A twisted inventor steals dreams, leading a strongman and a child thief through a carnival of oddities. Ron Perlman’s gentle giant pairs with dense practical effects and Rube Goldberg contraptions. The film’s green-tinted palette turns docks and alleys into storybook panels. Sony Pictures Classics distributed it stateside.

‘Joe Versus the Volcano’ (1990)

A weary office worker receives a terminal diagnosis and accepts a bizarre adventure to an island ritual. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan play multiple roles around a quest filled with luggage jokes and moonlit scenes. The production design swings from fluorescent cubicles to storybook oceans. Warner Bros. sent it into theaters.

‘The Apostle’ (1997)

A Southern preacher flees scandal and rebuilds a congregation with plainspoken sermons and hard labor. Robert Duvall wrote, directed, and delivers a nuanced central performance rooted in community detail. Baptisms, storefront revivals, and radio pleas map a grassroots ministry. October Films released the movie.

‘The Long Kiss Goodnight’ (1996)

A schoolteacher with amnesia discovers lethal skills that point to a covert past. Geena Davis teams with Samuel L. Jackson for chases, kitchen-sink fights, and icy set pieces. Shane Black’s quips sprint alongside practical explosions and prop gags. New Line Cinema handled distribution.

‘The Hudsucker Proxy’ (1994)

A mailroom clerk becomes a puppet CEO, sending a simple circular invention into a national craze. Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh play screwball rhythms against towering art-deco sets. Miniatures, forced perspective, and whirling camera moves create a toy-box corporate world. Warner Bros. brought it to theaters.

‘Kundun’ (1997)

This portrait of the 14th Dalai Lama traces childhood, leadership, and exile with meditative clarity. Philip Glass’ score pulses through ceremonies, landscapes, and courtly instruction. Dante Spinotti’s images dwell on textiles, sand, and candlelit halls. Buena Vista handled the domestic release.

‘The Sweet Hereafter’ (1997)

A lawyer enters a small town after a tragic bus accident and listens as memories diverge. Atom Egoyan structures overlapping testimonies that shift blame and grief. Snowy fields and quiet living rooms carry echoes more than speeches. Fine Line Features distributed it in the U.S.

‘Fearless’ (1993)

A plane-crash survivor moves through life with unnerving calm while others struggle to heal. Jeff Bridges’ character tests limits, food allergies, and faith in everyday rituals. Scenes of group therapy and city wanderings piece together trauma in real time. Warner Bros. released the film.

‘Ronin’ (1998)

Hardened professionals assemble in Europe for a case involving a mysterious briefcase and shifting loyalties. Robert De Niro and Jean Reno anchor intricate car chases through tight streets and tunnels. The plot keeps tradecraft front and center with dead drops and dummy buyers. United Artists handled distribution.

‘Election’ (1999)

A high-school civics race turns personal as a teacher clashes with a hyper-driven student. Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick narrate competing versions of the same mess. Ballot boxes, posters, and whispered deals map how ambition warps a small world. Paramount Pictures released it.

‘The Frighteners’ (1996)

A psychic con man stages hauntings until a real specter starts collecting souls in a quiet town. Michael J. Fox leads a blend of practical gags and early digital effects. Peter Jackson stitches comedy into a genuine supernatural investigation. Universal Pictures took it to theaters.

‘Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai’ (1999)

A solitary hitman follows an old code while navigating modern crime families and rooftop pigeon coops. Forest Whitaker’s rituals, from sword practice to quiet reading, shape the film’s rhythm. RZA’s beats drift under nighttime stakeouts and coded messages. Artisan Entertainment released it in the U.S.

‘Darkman’ (1990)

A scientist survives an attack and uses synthetic skin to wage a personal war from the shadows. Sam Raimi mixes horror flourishes with pulp heroics and kinetic camera tricks. Makeup effects and miniature work give the action a tactile snap. Universal Pictures distributed the movie.

Share your own overlooked 90s picks in the comments so everyone can cue up their next rewatch.