The 1990s were a magical time when it came to cinema. Writers and directors were trying new things, special effects were getting better, and budgets were through the roof, which meant that we got to see things we never imagined on the big screen. As a result, moviegoers were able to enjoy a plethora of new releases, and many of them became classics and favorites that many of us still watch today. That’s what we’re here to celebrate: the best 90s movies that will never get old.
The memorable films of the decade come in a variety of genres. There are the blockbuster films, like “Armageddon,” “Titanic,” and “Mission Impossible,” that people flocked to in droves. The 90s was also a great time for groundbreaking comedies. We still laugh at movies like “Clueless,” “Mrs Doubtfire,” and “Home Alone,” and we miss some of the comedic actors that made those films so great. There were also many unique movies that changed the face of cinema. Movies like “Romeo + Juliet,” which got a new generation interested in Shakespeare. And who can forget “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and the amazing special effects!
There’s a lot to love about that long-ago decade, and this list should surely bring you back down memory lane. To determine the best 90s movies that will never get old, 24/7 Tempo consulted various cinema sources, including the Internet Movie Database, Rolling Stone, Rotten Tomatoes, and more. We also reflected on our own experiences and memories from the decade. This was a decade that will always be held in regard for many folks. If that’s the case for you, then you can continue to travel down memory lane with this list of the most likable movie characters of the 90s.
“Armageddon”
- Year Released: 1998
- Starring: Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck
- IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 43%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 73%
This is one of those movies that never gets old because there’s something in it for everyone. There’s the disaster stuff, the romance, Bruce Willis playing a tough guy, and more. Plus, the movie has that iconic scene with Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, and the animal cookies. The action in the movie never gets old, and that’s besides the fact that watching it reminds us how scary it would be if an asteroid really was hurtling towards earth.
“Jurassic Park”
- Year Released: 1993
- Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern
- IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 92%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 91%
Easily one of the best 90s movies that will never get old, “Jurassic Park” was the most surprising film of the decade. Just about everyone who watched the movie when it came out remembers how impressive and scary the dinosaurs were, and they’re just as realistic today. There’s a reason why they keep making more of these movies, but nothing is like rewatching the original.
“Clueless”
- Year Released: 1995
- Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd
- IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 81%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 76%
The 90s was the home of many great comedies, and “Clueless” is really the one that took the nation by storm. Alicia Silverstone has a magnificent performance in this one and it’s still fun to watch today. This is a movie that really brings you back to what the 90s was all about, and it’s a fun time capsule. People who love this movie can recite half of the lines, and that’s what makes it so fun to revisit.
“Mission: Impossible”
- Year Released: 1996
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight
- IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 66%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 71%
This movie gave us everything that we love about Tom Cruise. Great stunts, a taught story line, fun dialogue and more. Plus, who can resist watching that scene where he’s suspended from the ceiling during his secret mission. This movie has a lot of excitement, so it’s fun to watch over and over. The other “Mission Impossible” films vary in quality, but this first film is a real winner.
“Titanic”
- Year Released: 1997
- Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
- IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 88%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 69%
This was another film that took the world by storm, and it’s still entertaining until this day. It’s one half romance, one half disaster film, and it’s all amazing. At three hours, it’s a long movie, so it’s likely not something you watch every day, but when it’s on TV, it’s hard to resist watching it again. This is a movie that has been re-released in the theater a few times, and when it is, we never miss it. You don’t see movies like this anymore.
“Beverly Hills Ninja”
- Year Released: 1997
- Starring: Chris Farley, Nicollette Sheridan
- IMDB Rating: 5.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 14%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 53%
No, this isn’t Chris Farley’s greatest movie, but it’s just strange enough that we can’t help watching it every time it’s on. In this one, Farley is a ninja, and it’s funny because most ninjas don’t look like him. This was one of his last films, which makes it that much more special. Don’t let the Rotten Tomatoes score fool you. This is a fun movie, and we can’t help but watch it over and over again.
“Romeo + Juliet”
- Year Released: 1996
- Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes
- IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 74%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 77%
“Romeo + Juliet” is one of the movies that never gets old because it’s just so unique. It’s the famous play by William Spakespeare but it’s tailored to our world today. It’s fun to see a 1996 that’s inhabited by characters that speak like they did back in the 1500s. There’s also a lot of action and thrills in the film, so it has something for everyone. To top it off, the film has a great soundtrack, so it’s worth watching repeatedly.
“Braveheart”
- Year Released: 1995
- Starring: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau
- IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 76%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 85%
It’s not always that a historical epic can be this memorable, but “Braveheart” manages to pull it off. This film brought Mel Gibson’s career to an all new level and solidified him as a leading man that always picked the best films, at least for a while. While some scenes in this film are hard to watch, overall, it’s very engaging and dramatic in all the right ways. Most people will agree that this is one of the best movies ever made and it never gets old.
“The Silence of the Lambs”
- Year Released: 1991
- Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins
- IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 95%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%
As one of the best 90s movies that will never get old, “The Silence of the Lambs” continues to chill us until this day. It’s not often when critics and moviegoers will be in agreement that a movie is amazing, but this one pulls it off. It doesn’t hurt that Anthony Hopkins knocks it out of the park as a believable serial killer. This is a great movie with many colorful characters and it’s worth revisiting every few years.
“Terminator 2: Judgment Day”
- Year Released: 1991
- Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton
- IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 91%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%
This was one of the best movies of the 90s by far. “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is leaps and bounds above the original and it’s easy to watch it repeatedly. The action set pieces in this film are beyond compare and the special effects were and still remain incredible, even though the movie came out way back in 1991. Many Terminator films have been made since, but audiences usually compare them to this spectacular sequel.
“Mrs. Doubtfire”
- Year Released: 1993
- Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field
- IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 70%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 77%
“Mrs Doubtfire” is easily one of the best movies in Robin Williams’ filmography, and with so many films to choose from, that’s saying a lot. It was amazing to see Williams bounce around the screen as two characters and look completely believable as both. This is a movie that probably couldn’t be made today, so it’s worth watching it when you get the chance. This one reminds us of how sad it is that Robin Williams passed away.
“Home Alone”
- Year Released: 1990
- Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci
- IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 66%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 80%
This memorable Christmas film barely made into the 90s, but we still love it. To many people, this is one of the best modern holiday films and it’s one that never gets old. There’s some great lines in this movie and nice holiday charm. However, the real reason we watch it time and time again is to see Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern get hit with various objects and fall into Kevin McAllister’s traps.
“Pulp Fiction”
- Year Released: 1994
- Starring: Bruce Willis, John Travolta
- IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 92%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 96%
In addition to being one of the best 90s movies that will never get old, many consider “Pulp Fiction” to be the greatest film in director Quentin Tarantino’s entire filmography. This movie is so engaging because it wraps several different stories into one flowing narrative. It helps that the characters in this film are played by such talented actors. This is one movie that you can jump into at any time and still enjoy every minute.
“The Mummy”
- Year Released: 1999
- Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz
- IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 61%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 75%
Actor Brendan Fraser seemed to be the king of 90’s cinema, and this exciting action film is easily one of his best. While they’ve lost a bit of luster over time, the special effects in “The Mummy” were simply amazing back then, and it’s still fun to see them today. This is a great popcorn film that has a lot to offer viewers of all ages. This one is on TV pretty often, and it’s worth watching when you get the chance.
“10 Things I Hate About You”
- Year Released: 1999
- Starring: Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger
- IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 71%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 69%
The 90s had William Shakespere’s influence all over it. This time, it’s “10 Things I Hate About You,” which was a play on the “Taming of the Shrew.” This was a great romantic comedy that was a bit different from the movies in the genre that came before it. It’s a great movie to watch, especially if you’re a fan of actor Heath Ledger. It’s wild to watch him in this role and then watch him play The Joker in “The Dark Knight.”
“GoodFellas”
- Year Released: 1990
- Starring: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro
- IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 95%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 97%
This is easily one of the best 90s movies that will never get old, and that’s a good thing because it shows up on cable all of the time. In addition to being completely rewatchable, this may be one of the best gangster movies ever made. Ray Liotta knocks it out of the park, and Joe Pesci commands the screen as a gangster who’s completely out of control. The movie has so many great scenes and memorable lines that it simply never gets old, even when you turn it on for the 100th time.
“Toy Story”
- Year Released: 1995
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
- IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 100%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92%
One of the best 90s movies that will never get old in the animation category is “Toy Story,” where the toys come alive. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen give this movie the spark that made it one of the best films of the decade. This first movie and every one of its sequels could all make this list of movies that can be rewatched repeatedly. There’s always something new to discover during every replay. The movies are also incredibly funny and charming.
“Se7en”
- Year Released: 1995
- Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman
- IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 83%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%
If you like this type of dark and suspenseful cinema, then “Seven” is easily one of the best 90s movies that will never get old. Even if you know what happens during the surprise ending, this is still a good one to rewatch. This is one of the creepier films of the 90s, but it’s directed so well, and the characters are so amazing that it has become the guilty pleasure of many. Like many other movies on this list, each viewing brings something new and never gets old.
“Casino”
- Year Released: 1995
- Starring: Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro
- IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 78%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 93%
Next to “GoodFellas,” this is easily one of the other best gangster movies and one of the best ever directed by Martin Scorsese. This three-hour film never gets old, and it holds your attention from start to finish. De Niro, Pesci, and Sharon Stone are incredible. Plus it has Don Rickles in a surprise role. There are certainly some grisly scenes in this one, but once the kids go to bed, it’s certainly worth rewatching.
“Apollo 13”
- Year Released: 1995
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Bill PaxtonIMDB Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 96%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%
One of the hit films of the 90s was this space drama based on real life events. Most of us will never forget watching Tom Hanks tell the NASA team in Houston that they have a problem. There’s something special about a movie set in space because it’s a place that most of us will never go. “Apollo 13” is no exception and it’s worth rewatching whenever it’s on cable. It’s also one of the great movies starring the late Bill Paxton.
“Space Jam”
- Year Released: 1996
- Starring: Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight
- IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 43%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 63%
The final entry on our list of the best 90s movies that will never get old is the sports comedy “Space Jam.” This is a great film that combines basketball with cartoons and some good laughs. It’s a film of its time, but it’s worth watching just to see how different movies were back then and to see a basketball player in his prime. Michael Jordan was an athlete who seemed to do everything right. That’s why he’s also on our list of the best athletes ever to play basketball.