The 10 Best Cult Movies Of The 1990s

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Not every movie is fully appreciated in its time. For every blockbuster that grosses $100 million or arthouse sensation that cleans up at the Academy Awards, there are dozens more that seem to fall by the wayside. Sometimes it’s a result of bad marketing, a crummy release date, non-existent word-of-mouth, or all of the above. There are even times when a film fulfills all the requirements of success — good reviews, healthy box office return, an Oscar nomination here or there — yet is still seen as an afterthought by the year’s end. 

Most of these movies fade into the ether as time passes, fulfilling their unfortunate fate as also-rans. Yet a select few linger on, growing in esteem with each passing decade, their passionate fanbase growing in numbers. These are the titles that earn the distinction of being called cult classics. Each decade has its own cult classics, titles that sell out revival houses with devoted fans who can quote every line of dialogue from memory. 

The 1990s were a rich era for cult hits, thanks in large part to home video. Films that failed to make a dent at the box office could have a second life thanks to VHS and DVD, and many of these titles have enjoyed a greater legacy with the advent of streaming. With so many candidates to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow a “best of” list to just 10, but that didn’t stop us from trying. Here are the 10 best cult movies of the 1990s.

Dazed and Confused

Did any ’90s movie launch more stars than Richard Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused”? The cast list of this 1993 hang-out comedy reads like an honor roll of actors who gained fame in the decades to come: Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Cole Hauser, Milla Jovovich, Nicky Katt, Jason London, Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Anthony Rapp, Renée Zellweger — that’s just a sampling of the massive ensemble Linklater assembled for his chronicle of several Austin, Texas, teens on the last day of high school in 1976. 

A mix of graduating seniors and incoming freshman — plus McConaughey as a twenty-something burnout who loves high school girls because, as he puts it, “I get older, they stay the same age” — weave in and out of each other’s lives, culminating in a massive outdoor party. 

A sort of “American Graffiti” for Generation X, “Dazed and Confused” doesn’t try to impose high stakes — let alone a plot — on its characters. Rather, Linklater understands that the first day of summer doesn’t need to be imbued with any added significance, because it’s already the most important day of the year for teenagers, second only perhaps to the first day of school. More than any other film, “Dazed and Confused” captures the bliss of wasting a day with your best friends with the aid of some illicit substances. Alright, alright, alright.

Cast: Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, Adam Goldberg, Parker Posey, Matthew McConaughey

Director: Richard Linklater

Rating: R

Runtime: 102 minutes

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Clifford

Few films were greeted with as much vitriol as “Clifford,” the Martin Short comedy that was originally shot in 1990 but kept on the shelf for four years as Orion Pictures shuttered from bankruptcy. By the time it finally hit theaters in 1994, it was met with a critical reception resembling the dropping of a nuclear bomb. As Roger Ebert put it in his half-star review, the film — which casts 40-year-old Short as a 10-year-old boy — “is not bad on the acting, directing or even writing levels. It fails on a deeper level still, the level of the underlying conception. Something about the material itself is profoundly not funny.”

Yet three decades after its release, the influence of “Clifford” can be seen in the likes of “Tim and Eric,” “I Think You Should Leave,” and every other off-kilter, self-aware comedy of the 21st century. Short gives a fully committed performance as a little boy making life a living hell for his Uncle Martin (Charles Grodin), a middle-aged architect who wants to prove to his fiancee (Mary Steenburgen) that he’s great with kids by hanging out with his unhinged nephew. More than just a “Saturday Night Live” sketch stretched to feature length, “Clifford” is a cringe comedy masterpiece.

Cast: Martin Short, Charles Grodin, Mary Steenburgen, Dabney Coleman

Director: Paul Flaherty

Rating: PG

Runtime: 90 minutes

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

The Crow

Any discussions of “The Crow” inevitably include the tragic circumstances of its production. This adaptation of James O’Barr’s comic book series about a slain rock musician who rises from the grave to avenge his fiancée’s murder was meant to be a star-making vehicle for Brandon Lee, son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Yet the younger Lee’s life was cut short when a prop gun misfired while filming the scene where his character, Eric Draven, is shot and killed. The 28-year-old Lee died from his injury, and “The Crow” was completed with rewrites and stunt doubles. (Lee’s father similarly died under mysterious circumstances when he was 32.) By the time it hit theaters in 1994, a black cloud hung over an already dark and gloomy tale of violence and vengeance.

Because it is intrinsically linked to Lee’s untimely death, it’s easy to discount the eerie power of “The Crow” to haunt and disturb us on its own merits. Director Alex Proyas infuses the dark shadows and fog of classic film noir with a ’90s-era music video aesthetic, complete with fast cutting and blaring needle drops. And as Eric Draven/The Crow, Lee displays a movie star charisma that hints at the major talent he would have become had fate not intervened. Such was the film’s impact that it inspired three ill-fated sequels and a 2024 reboot, none of which could match the original.   

Cast: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott

Director: Alex Proyas

Rating: R

Runtime: 102 minutes

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Reality Bites

Few movie scenes capture the spirit of Generation X as accurately as Winona Ryder dancing in a convenience store to “My Sharona” in “Reality Bites.” Ben Stiller’s feature directorial debut acted as a sort of mission statement for the slacker generation, centering on a group of twenty-somethings who are dragged kicking and screaming into adulthood. 

Ryder stars as Lelaina, a Houston-based aspiring filmmaker wasting away at a local access TV station. In her off hours, she’s directing a documentary about her friends Vickie (Janeane Garofalo), Sammy (Steve Zahn), and Troy (Ethan Hawke), with whom she shares a will-they-won’t-they flirtation. Romantically, she’s torn between Troy, who drifts from one dead-end job to the next, and yuppie TV executive Michael (Stiller), who promises to get her documentary on the air.

But “Reality Bites” is more than just a romantic triangle, as Lelaina’s choice between Troy and Michael cuts much deeper. On the one hand, Troy represents Lelaina staying true to her artistic integrity, while also potentially holding her back from realizing her full potential. On the other hand, Michael could help Lelaina with her career, while at the same time forcing her to compromise her vision to make her documentary more commercial. Therein lies the central conflict of Generation X, who genuinely believed they wouldn’t repeat the mistakes made by their parents — which is perhaps the most universal belief of all time.

Cast: Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Steve Zahn

Director: Ben Stiller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 99 minutes

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

The Doom Generation

The meteoric success of “Pulp Fiction” led to a string of imitators, indie movies that tried to capture Quentin Tarantino’s unique blend of violence, wisecracks, and self-aware pop culture references. Most of those films faded into the ether, but one that has survived is 1995’s “The Doom Generation,” which received a mixed reception from critics who (at the time) found it to be a poor man’s Tarantino knockoff.

Seen today, it’s a singular work from Gregg Araki, one of the leading members of the New Queer Cinema, who brought gay themes out of the cinematic closet and threw them in the faces of audiences who had been narcotized by 12 years of Reagan/Bush Sr. conservatism. Billed as “A Heterosexual Movie by Gregg Araki,” “The Doom Generation” centers on teen lovers Jordan White (James Duval) and Amy Blue (Rose McGowan), who go on a violent road trip with the enigmatic Xavier “X” Red (Johnathon Schaech), who falls into bed with both of them. 

The middle chapter in Araki’s “Teenage Apocalypse” trilogy (coming between “Totally F***ed Up” and “Nowhere”), the film takes on the classic structure of “lovers on the run” stories like “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Badlands,” but with a smart-alecky, Gen-X nihilism. This trio of criminals don’t kill people because they want to, but rather because violence erupts wherever you go in a country that’s awash with guns, carnage, and bloodshed. Might as well laugh about it if you can.

Cast: James Duval, Rose McGowan, Johnathon Schaech

Director: Gregg Araki

Rating: R

Runtime: 83 minutes

Where to watch: The Criterion Channel

Welcome to the Dollhouse

The growing pains of adolescence have rarely been captured so uncomfortably as they have been in Todd Solondz’s “Welcome to the Dollhouse.” Heather Matarazzo plays Dawn Wiener, a painfully awkward pre-teen trying to navigate the war zone that is middle school. Dawn suffers various indignities at school, where she’s tortured by the cool kids, and at home, where she fits awkwardly between her dorky older brother, Mark (Matthew Faber), and her manipulative younger sister, Missy (Daria Kalinina). She goes to great lengths to win the heart of Mark’s friend, wannabe rock star Steve (Eric Mabius), but the only boy who pays any attention to her is Brandon (Brendan Sexton III), a bully who repeatedly threatens her with sexual violence.

As he would in “Happiness,” “Storytelling,” and “Life During Wartime,” Solondz fearlessly delves into subject matter that most filmmakers would shy away from, mining cringe comedy from queasy material. But as much as he can be accused of sneering at his characters, there’s a deep sense of empathy Solondz has for the losers, loners, and weirdos that populate his films. That’s perhaps never been more true than for Dawn Wiener, who would make further appearances in “Palindromes” and “Wiener-Dog.” One can almost see the gawky, nerdy Dawn as an avatar for the director, and “Welcome to the Dollhouse” a painful recollection of his own coming-of-age.

Cast: Heather Matarazzo, Brendan Sexton III, Eric Mabius, Matthew Faber

Director: Todd Solondz

Rating: R

Runtime: 88 minutes

Where to watch: Tubi

Bottle Rocket

It’s hard to believe there was a time when Wes Anderson wasn’t a brand unto himself, yet such was the case when “Bottle Rocket” hit theaters in the winter of 1996. The story behind the movie’s production has been a constant source of inspiration for aspiring filmmakers: in 1992, Anderson made a black and white short about a trio of friends — Dignan (Owen Wilson), Anthony (Luke Wilson), and Bob Mapplethorpe (Robert Musgrave) — who rob a bookstore and go on the lam. After premiering the short at the Sundance Film Festival, Anderson and the Wilson brothers convinced multiple Oscar and Emmy winner James L. Brooks to produce it as a feature. And thus kicked off one of the most singular directorial careers in movie history.

This being Anderson’s first feature, “Bottle Rocket” lacks the dioramic precision and attention to detail that would define his later movies. Yet it’s that same scrappiness that makes the film so charming. As Dignan, Wilson plays a delusional dreamer who thinks he’s one big score away from the big time, and is too caught up in his schemes to realize that his best friend, Anthony, has problems of his own. There’s an energy and excitement to “Bottle Rocket,” a sense of discovery and risk-taking, that’s riveting to watch. It’s little wonder that Martin Scorsese placed this on his list of the 10 best films of the decade.

Cast: Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Robert Musgrave, James Caan

Director: Wes Anderson

Rating: R

Runtime: 91 minutes

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

The Cable Guy

Most casual movie fans probably remember 1996’s “The Cable Guy” as a massive bomb that nearly ended Jim Carrey’s career, but that legacy is a tad overblown: reviews were more mixed than negative, and while the film managed to just about break even, its box office performance was a far cry from Carrey’s 1994 hits “Dumb and Dumber,” “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” and “The Mask.” Still, this pitch-black comedy was viewed as such a disappointment that when “Liar, Liar” was released the following year, it was seen as a comeback for the star, who was commanding a $20 million paycheck per movie. 

In many ways, the stench of failure has done wonders for the lasting reputation of “The Cable Guy,” as fans feel like they’re discovering an unsung classic unfairly maligned in its day. Directed by Ben Stiller (the patron saint of ’90s cult classics), the film stars Carrey as Chip Douglas, a needy cable installer who turns psychotic when a customer, Steven Kovacs (Matthew Broderick), rejects his offer of friendship. Although Chip grows increasingly eccentric and violent, Steven has a hard time convincing his friends and family that he’s dangerous.

It’s easy to understand why some audiences rejected “The Cable Guy,” considering how dark and bleak it turns out to be. Yet it was an important stepping stone in Carrey’s career, as it showed how his lovably cartoonish persona could be twisted into something far more sinister.

Cast: Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann, George Segal

Director: Ben Stiller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 96 minutes

Where to watch: Max

The Fifth Element

It’s not astonishing that Luc Besson penned “The Fifth Element” when he was only 16 years old, given its diverse array of themes, primarily aimed at teenage boys. You’ll notice a mix of different elements: action scenes, aliens, attractive female characters. The narrative, starting in Egypt in 1914 and spanning to the 23rd century, revolves around an epic struggle between good and evil, humans and extraterrestrials, and science versus divine power.

In short: the four classical elements — fire, water, earth, air — will be used to save humanity once the mythical “fifth element,” i.e. a purely good being, unites with them. Bruce Willis plays Korben Dallas, a former special forces pilot now working as a cab driver, who is pulled into this struggle when that fifth element, created in humanoid form as a woman named Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), falls through the roof of his flying taxi.

Besson throws so much at the wall — intergalactic warfare, interspecies romance, Chris Tucker as an obnoxious radio host — that it’s a wonder it all sticks. Reactions to it vary wildly (it simultaneously earned Oscar and Razzie nominations), and one’s appreciation for it depends on how much you think the various pieces come together. Yet its fan base remains just as passionate as it was in 1997, when it lit up the international box office.

Cast: Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker, Milla Jovovich

Director: Luc Besson

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 126 minutes

Where to watch: Pluto TV

Office Space

For a film that tanked so hard at the box office, “Office Space” has become part of the pop culture zeitgeist, thanks in part to a surprisingly robust afterlife on home video. Perhaps it’s because everyone can relate to wasting their days away in a job they hate, whether it’s a sickeningly anonymous corporate hellhole (where you’re judged by your willingness to work overtime) or a nauseatingly noisy theme restaurant (where you’re assessed by how much “flair” you pin to your uniform). 

Even if you’ve been lucky enough to work at your dream job, Mike Judge’s satire of ’90s office culture still manages to tickle the funny bone. Ron Livingston plays Peter Gibbons, a software programmer who finds himself rebelling against his soul-crushing job after a botched hypnotherapy session leaves him in a state of perpetual bliss. Judge fills the margins of Peter’s story with a bevy of vibrant supporting characters, from Jennifer Aniston as a cocktail waitress who falls for him to Gary Cole as his monotone boss to Diedrich Bader as his fun-loving neighbor who, when asked what he would do with a million dollars, replies, “Two chicks at the same time.” 

Some of its characters, like Stephen Root as a mild-mannered employee pushed to the breaking point when his beloved red stapler is taken away, are so popular that they’ve become recognizable memes even if you haven’t seen the movie (which, of course, you should).

Cast: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, Gary Cole

Director: Mike Judge

Rating: R

Runtime: 89 minutes

Where to watch: Hulu

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2025-03-15 23:45