Best Films of the 90s - 20-16

20. Fearless - (1993)

Raw emotion is palpable during several scenes as plane crash survivors try to cope with the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. John Turturro's patient psychiatrist is forgotten halfway through and Tom Hulce's ambulance-chasing lawyer wears thin by the end. But Rosie Perez should have an Oscar for this and Bridges has rarely been better. The pacing falters toward the end and later scenes don't connect as well as they should, but it has my favorite ending of all time: a harrowing experience on a crashing plane followed by a man's precious discovery of life.

19. The Shawshank Redemption - (1994)
Stephen King must have written the source novella immediately after seeing 1979's Escape from Alcatraz since much of it is so similar. The film seems desperate to avoid real conflict. And the bad guys (Boggs, the warden) are essentially caricatures. And yet, it's one of the most emotionally uplifting films of all time. Partly because of Thomas Newman's classic score and partly because of Morgan Freeman's incredibly natural, lived-in performance. And the film is a gigantic comfort metaphor for individuals struggling in life, yearning to break free, and (hopefully) finally doing it.

18. Seven - (1995)

Morgan Freeman went the other way the next year in David Fincher's bleak serial killer flick. Characters grew apart, justice was not served, and there was definitely no hugging on a Mexican beach. It's the classic retiring cop-new partner plot that writer Andrew Kevin Walker turns on its head. But Fincher is only interested in the plot insomuch as it's a thing to hang his indelible moods and amazing visuals on. It's immersive, unsettling, and unforgettable. Leland Orser and Gwyneth Paltrow give their best performances. Brad Pitt solidified his stardom with an underrated performance overshadowed by his showier role in 12 Monkeys.

17. Being John Malkovich - (1999)
Film is a director's medium, but that's not 100% correct in the case of Charlie Kaufman, who can put his highly cerebral stamp on a film just as strongly and easily. In this, his first film script, Kaufman has one inspired twist after another, in scene after scene - and it's done so effortlessly and humorously. Kaufman continues to turn and contort all the way to the end. Director Spike Jonze achieves strong imagery as he gets terrific performances out of John Cusack, Catherine Keener, Cameron Diaz, and John Malkovich. The themes of immortality and control give the intellectual crowd something to deal with.

16. Fight Club - (1999)

Chuck Palahniuk's novel gave David Fincher plenty to tackle - great speeches, a terrific twist (that actually improves subsequent viewings), and a plot that keeps expanding until the very end. The anti-commercial sentiments are even truer today and its jet black humor remains terrifically sick and shocking. Unfortunately, one of the film's best parts - encouraging everyone to take responsibility for themselves and others - whiffs by most fanboys heads. They're too busy with the anti-establishment nihilism and the coolness of Tyler Durden. But there's an ocean of importance under the perfect exterior sheen.

100. Glengarry Glen Ross
99. Dead Again
98. Ed Wood
97. True Romance
96. The Commitments
95. Bound
94. Die Hard 2
93. In the Line of Fire
92. Affliction
91. Shakespeare in Love
90. In the Company of Men
89. Short Cuts
88. Copland
87. The Hudsucker Proxy
86. The Last Seduction
85. The Apostle
84. Burnt by the Sun
83. The Godfather Part III
82. Good Will Hunting
81. Speed
80. Reversal of Fortune
79. Forest Gump
78. American Beauty
77. Dazed and Confused
76. True Lies
75. Nixon
74. Malcolm X
73. Red Rock West
72. Hearts of Darkness
71. Wag the Dog
70. Thelma and Louise
69. Hoop Dreams
68. Quiz Show
67. Reservoir Dogs
66. Total Recall
65. The Hunt for Red October
64. Babe
63. Braveheart
62. Searching for Bobby Fischer
61. Bottle Rocket
60. Jerry Maguire
59. Terminator 2
58. Toy Story
57. Toy Story 2
56. Elizabeth
55. Apollo 13
54. Casino
53. Rushmore
52. Get Shorty
51. Barton Fink
50. Swingers
49. The Matrix
48. 12 Monkeys
47. Out of Sight
46. The Sixth Sense
45. The Limey
44. Hamlet
43. Dark City
42. Leaving Las Vegas
41. Hard Eight
40. The Fugitive
39. Three Kings
38. Waiting for Guffman
37. Beauty and the Beast
36. Hard-Boiled
35. In the Name of the Father
34. Lone Star
33. Three Colors: Blue, White, Red
32. A River Runs Through It
31. Dead Man Walking
30. The Usual Suspects
29. Dances with Wolves
28. The Player
27. Groundhog Day
26. Truman Show
25. The Sweet Hereafter
24. Last of the Mohicans
23. Heat
22. Trainspotting
21. The Big Lebowski