Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Best Movies That Totally Epitomize The 1990s

People Share The Best Movies That Totally Epitomize The 1990s
Photo by Jake Hills on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

The 90s were a magical time.


We were past the overloaded pop-culture fest of the 80s and weren't quite to the optimistic cynicism of the 00s. The 90s were their own kind of mad, with films and movies embodying the ideas of the time.

Hope. Music. Rebellion. Confronting the idea that one day we're going to have to grow up and how to fight it.

And sometimes, those movies hold up extremely well, giving you the feeling it's 1995 again, you're in the theater with your buddies, and Will Smith is going to turn in a good performance.

Reddit user, noisyturtle, wanted to know how to relive the 90s when they asked:

"What is the most '90s movie ever?"

You could argue there was something magical about that time, something that maybe the 80s and the 00s couldn't quite capture. A cynical-type of hopeful glance at a world coming our way, and how we would ready ourselves for this.

Peter Pan grew up? Oh no!

We Peaked

"Independence Day. Cheesy, semi serious at times, and ends with the main characters smoking cigars."

Batmanlover1

"I stand by my statement that Independence Day represented the absolute peak of American power, hubris and self-confidence on the world stage. It's been all downhill from there."

Begle1

There You Are, Peter

"Hook. Something about that film just makes it feel like the 90's. So magical. Miss you Robin."

ok_chaos42

"my gramma recorded Hook on vhs waay back when, i watched every other weekend for yeaars, along with ninja turtles 2, til the tape wore out and she ended up getting me a real copy. i had a whole bunch of Hook action ficures n everything. watching it now makes me smile still, i get to see robin save the day and brings up some good memories of ol gramma G."

buckut

An Army Of Talking Buttocks Rise

"Ace Ventura, Pet Detective"

Mariska_vanDriel

"Warning: Aholes in mirror are closer than they appear!"

-Jim Carey

blackout-loud

We really thought music was going to play a much larger role in our lives back then. While music is still around, it certainly doesn't hold the same weight as 90s films portrayed it having.

Record Stores Are Forever, Man!

"Empire Records"

pulp-fictional

"I think this one wins. A movie about a cd/record store under threat of being taken over by the chain cd/record monopoly with the full grunge attire to boot. Man I miss the 90s."

Skylineviewz

"Not my favorite movie of the 90s, but definitely the one that captures the feel of the decade best. There's even a post credits bonus music video with the Gin Blossoms if memory serves"

pursuitofleisure

Trick Question...

"Airheads has to rank up there."

"Fraser, Buscemi and Sandler. Radio was still sort of relevant."

"Farley in a guest role?"

The_Soapmakers

"Lemmy is God."

Tobias_Flenders

The 90s Were A Time Of Change

"10 Things I Hate About You"

wildblueheron

"Very late 90s, almost early 2000 for me."

DANCE5WITHWOLVE5

"Yeah...they are almost 2 different eras. Early to mid 90s grunge era was more subdued, cynical, apathetic. Somewhere around 97, things quickly changed to more colorful, upbeat, "poppy"... almost like the 80s were starting again."

Cool_Dark_Place

And then there's these, films that fully embody the outlandish, unrealistic expectations we though the world was going to deliver us in the 90s but never did.

Fortunately, we have the movies to revisit that wonderful period of life.

Just As Shakespeare Intended

"Romeo+Juliet. That soundtrack was everything."

"Kids. It's spooky how much of that movie was accurate to growing up in the city."

ChiAnndego

Pure. 90s. Cringe.

"Reality Bites"

andtheyweresinging

"Reality bites is the most gen x phrase ever"

Echterspieler

"21 year old me seeing that movie in the theater had a very different opinion about the main characters than 46 year old me when I watched it on tv a few years ago."

Kellyros

Everywhere In LA Takes 20 Minutes

"Clueless"

IntoTheMystic1

"I had another thought, but yours is actually the right answer."

dachshundaholic

"LUUUUCCCYYYYYYY!!! Where’s my white collarless shirt from Fred SEGAL?!?!?"

therealpanserbjorne

Too Light For You?

"The Craft"

dead-crimson

"YES! For those too ~alternative~ for Clueless and routinely hung out in the occult section of Waldenbooks at the mall."

madame-brastrap

A Movie That Came Out Thirty Years Ago To Remind You What It's Like To Be In Your 20s

"Clerks"

uwroo

"I’m not even supposed to be here today!"

donniedarko955

"I feel that mall rats is far more 90’s. Especially since something like that couldn’t be realistic long after that point."

"With clerks being black and white it feels more timeless."

shellwe

90s Kids. With. Attitude.

"Home Alone"

llcucf80

"this is embarrassingly too far down the list. come on Reddit. It's even December now!"

Miseryy

We can never go back. However, that's what films are for, aren't they? A way to capture the moment, allowing us to travel to a place in time we're nostalgic for.

And all of that fashion.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Todd Rundgren; Taylor Swift
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

'70s Rock Star Sparks Heated Debate After Claiming That Taylor Swift Has 'Ruined Music'

Taylor Swift's new extended album The Life of a Showgirl: Encore has been even more poorly received than the original version last year, and you can count Todd Rundgren among those who aren't impressed.

Who the heck is that? The 78-year-old rocker had a slew of hits in the 1970s, including "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw The Light," and also produced some of the most important rock albums of the era.

Keep ReadingShow less
Spencer Pratt; James Talarico
HIGHFIVE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Spencer Pratt Gets Blunt Reminder After Claiming It's 'Weird' That James Talarico Is Almost 40 And Has Never Been Married

According to U.S. Census Bureau Estimates, as of 2026, the estimated median age at first marriage in the United States is 30.8 years for men. That has changed over time as people are waiting longer to get married.

In 1975, the median age for men to marry for the first time was 23.5, by 2004 it had risen to 27.4, and by 2014 to 29.3. The steady increase over the decades was attributed to more people prioritizing completing their education and establishing their careers to become financially stable before marrying.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Penny Lee during MS NOW interview
MS NOW

MAGA Voter Sounds Off About Her Regret Over Voting For Trump In Blistering Viral Interview: 'I'm Pissed'

Penny Lee, a Florida woman who voted for President Donald Trump, admitted to a reporter with MS NOW that she regrets voting for him and says that the Trump administration has run the country "into the ground."

Lee spoke to the press at a gas station in the town of Clewiston and her remarks highlight the stress many Americans are living with as a nationwide affordability crisis continues unabated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ken Paxton; Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Ken Paxton Privately Admits GOP Candidates' Numbers 'Dropped' Due To Trump's Midterm Convention In Leaked Audio

Texas attorney general and U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately admitted in a newly-leaked audio clip that "everybody's numbers dropped" after the Republican midterm convention where President Donald Trump appeared last month.

Trump spoke for nearly two hours that night, with his address airing live on Fox News as well as the Nielsen-rated cable networks Newsmax and NewsNation. Trump promised a "Trump dividend" of $5000 to every adult if Republicans win both chambers of Congress, asked his supporters to do him “the biggest favor” and “pretend” they are voting for him in November.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jack Smith; Eric Schmitt
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Video Proves Jack Smith Was At Iowa Hawkeyes Game And Not In Atlanta After MAGA Senator's Epic 'Gotcha' Blunder

Former special counsel Jack Smith was indeed, as he told Missouri Republican Senator Eric Schmitt during a contentious hearing, at an Iowa Hawkeyes game in 2024, per video proof making the rounds following Schmitt's viral blunder.

On Tuesday, Schmitt accused Smith of perjury after repeatedly questioning him about whether he had attended an NBA game in Atlanta on February 3, 2024. The Atlanta Hawks hosted the Golden State Warriors that evening.

Keep ReadingShow less