If you're like me, you have a dark streak in your sense of humor. There is really nothing too twisted that can't be laughed at if it's presented in the right way. It's really hard for movies to get this right, but when they do, it's nothing short of brilliant.

It might be cynical, but laughing at the worst things we deal with is a better way to deal with those things. Pretending they don't exist is even worse. So here is my list of just how much dark humor can make us laugh when it's done well

Fargo

The Coen Brothers are masters of the darker arts of comedy, and there is no movie in their filmography that highlights this more than Fargo. It's a movie that is about a brutal kidnapping and murder, yet audiences howl with laughter at so much of it. Even the wood chipper joke at the end, with one leg sticking out. Masterful.

The Cable Guy

Jim Carrey's character in The Cable Guy is exceptionally funny, but equally dark and depressing. There are times when you don't know whether to laugh or cry at the character; that's where the brilliance lies. It showed Carrey could be so much more than just a clown, as he had been for most of his career before it. It wasn't a movie that everyone loved at first, but today, it's thought of as one of Jim Carrey's best performances.

Thank You For Smoking

Any movie making a joke out of the seriousness of cancer and how smoking is linked to it has to be dark. Thank You For Smoking is just that. It's bright and light, but the subject is just so dark. It's a brilliant contrast.

The Royal Tenenbaums

Director Wes Anderson has never been as cynical as he was in his early movies. The Royal Tenenbaums is pretty much the zenith of his dark humor. The family is so awful to each other and to themselves that it's hard to believe the money could be as funny as it is. It's one of those movies that might not be funny the first time you see it, but watch it enough, and it doesn't take long to find the humor, and love it.

Better Off Dead

John Cusack in the 1980s and '90s was a master of dark humor, and one of his first movies, Better Off Dead, is one of his darkest. Look at it on the surface, he's playing a character so depressed he's trying to off himself throughout most of the movie. Yet, he's charming and funny at the same time. That's a hard combo to pull off, and Cusack seems to do it with ease.

The Banshees of Inisherin

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell have teamed up for a couple of dark comedies. The Banshees of Inisherin is really dark, as Gleeson's character is threatening the worst if Farrell's character doesn't leave him alone. It's disturbing and hilarious.

Saltburn

Saltburn is one of those movies that is impossible to pin down in one genre. It's a steamy thriller, wrapped in a horror movie, wrapped in a really funny and biting commentary on class. It's a brilliant movie that isn't really "laugh out loud funny," it's just brilliant satire.

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), as it's fully known, is mostly known for the one-shot style. It was a little ahead of its time in that respect. It's one of the few comedies on this list that won the Best Picture Oscar. In fact, if you're writing a comedy and want to win a Best Picture, you'd better get pretty dark.

Heathers

For Generation X, their humor was defined by comedies like Heathers. The "heroes" of the movie are, essentially, serial killers. It has a bubblegum-like lightness to its aesthetic, but boy, is the humor dark. It's a biting satire, and a horrifying commentary on high school, cliques, and the disillusionment of '80s and '90s teenagers. It's disturbing, but it made its point well.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

There is nothing funnier than nuclear war, right? What if it were during the height of the Cold War when people genuinely thought a nuclear holocaust was just around the corner? Scared yet? Well, learn how to stop worrying and love "The Bomb" with Stanley Kubrick's comedic masterpiece, Dr. Strangelove. Peter Sellers really could make anything hilarious.

American Psycho

It's fun to make fun of the 1980s. It's not easy to make a movie, or write a story, as dark yet as funny as American Psycho is. Christian Bale is brilliant in the role of Patrick Bateman, and it really doesn't matter whether you think the whole thing was in his head or not, as is implied by its ending, the satire works on every level. Laughing at a psychotic serial killer is weird, but not laughing with this movie is even weirder.

The Death Of Stalin

Joseph Stalin was one of the worst monsters to ever live in history. His death should be celebrated and made fun of. Laughing at monsters is as powerful as calling them out seriously. The Death of Stalin not only mocks the dictator's death, but it mocks all the jokers who thought they could fill the void in power in the USSR, and it's a riot, in every way.

Anora

Comedies don't often win the Oscar for Best Picture, and Anora was a little bit of a surprise to many. It's a brilliant movie, and some of the scenes are just downright hilarious. When Anora is screaming at the top of her lungs when her boyfriend's goons are trying to control her is both disturbing and funny, and that's the kind of thing that makes dark comedies great.

Office Space

Imagine if Office Space wasn't funny. It would be the most depressing movie ever made. No one wants to live a life as listless as Peter's life. The subject and Peter's feelings are what make it dark; the jokes and the characters are what make it so funny. Neither side works without the other.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Guy Richie's early movies about crime and moronic criminals are some of the funniest movies of the last 30 years. His first, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, puts the characters in a very bad place, and yet somehow they emerge more or less unscathed. It's lucky, and it's sure funny.

The Lobster

No one makes movies like Yorgos Lanthimos. No one looks at the world like the celebrated director. All of his movies make the audience uncomfortable, but they also never fail to make you laugh. Or, at least, they make you think about laughing until you realize it might make you uncomfortable to do so. A sure sign of brilliant dark humor. The Lobster is the pinnacle of this for Lanthimos. At least so far, who knows what the future holds for the brilliant director?

Don't Look Up

Making a movie about the end of the world funny is hard to do, especially if it's grounded in reality, like Don't Look Up is. Sure, it's a satire that takes shots at the news media, the political elites, and even the naivety of the public, but there is something very real about it. That makes it both funny and scary. A great combination.

Happiness

Happiness is probably the darkest movie on this list. It's so dark that it's really hard to find the humor in it, and if you aren't disturbed by it on some level, seek help. You have to get really dark to see the humor, but it's there. It's definitely there. I think.

The Ref

Who says you can't make a dark comedy Christmas movie? In fact, it's only natural that a holiday that makes so many people nuts, when they have to deal with their crazy families, makes for a perfect dark comedy. There are a few dark Christmas comedies, but this one is maybe the best. It's a cult classic for good reason.

Grosse Pointe Blank

Any movie that makes the life of a hit man hilarious has to be a brilliant bit of dark humor. Grosse Point Blank takes John Cusack back to high school for his reunion after spending the previous decade as a contract killer. It's a really funny movie, but there is still violence and death, and another killer looking to unionize the killers. Yeah, that's dark.

Serial Mom

Serial killers, it turns out, are fertile ground for comedy. Serial Mom isn't the most popular movie on this list, but that's likely because, for whatever reason, not enough people have seen the hilarious John Waters-directed comedy. Waters is a master of the genre.

Scrooged

Christmas is a tough time of year for a lot of people. Notably, in Scrooged, Bill Murray's character really struggles. He's as cynical as they come, and he gets called out on it. It ends on a high note, but it's pretty dark before it gets there.

In Bruges

Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell are idiotic criminals in In Bruges, and it makes this one of the funniest movies of the 2000s. It's not as dark as their next dark comedy, The Banshees of Inisherin, but it's certainly not light-hearted.

American Beauty

It's hard to call American Beauty a true comedy, but it's meant to be, and there are a lot of uncomfortably funny moments. Kevin Spacey's character is a terrible person, but the character is impossible not to laugh at and with. It's another rare example of a comedy winning Best Picture, so the trend of dark comedies winning big awards is intact.

The War of the Roses

After successfully collaborating on Romancing The Stone and Jewel of the Nile, two decided not dark movies, Danny DeVito, Kathleen Turner, and Michael Douglas took their next movie in a very different direction. It's still hilarious, but man, oh man, is it dark. It's a wonderful follow-up to the rom-com vibes of their biggest hits of the '80s.

Throw Mama From The Train

Turning the classic Hitchcock film Strangers on a Train into a comedy has to get pretty dark, right? That's what director and star Danny DeVito did with Throw Mama From The Train. The story of the Hitchcock thriller is the same: two men agree to "trade" murders. Somehow, DeVito and co-stars Billy Crystal and Anne Ramsey make it a laugh riot.

Being John Malkovich

Once again, John Cusack showed just how well he could lead a dark comedy with 1999's Being John Malkovich. His character couldn't be more depressing to watch, and yet, the humor is there the whole time. When Malkovich himself enters the movie, it gets even funnier. Spike Jonze hit this one out of the park.

Election

Election wasn't an instant hit, but over the last 25 years, it has become a beloved cult classic. Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick both give outstanding performances as a student and her teacher, respectively. It starts fairly innocent and just gets darker and darker as it goes.

Do the Right Thing

There are so many buckets that Do the Right Thing can fit in. It's a brilliant social commentary, it's a biting satire, it's a cultural revolution, and it's a heck of a start to Spike Lee's career (just his second movie). It's also really funny in a way that makes really uncomfortable when you laugh at the jokes.

The Truman Show

It turns out that Jim Carrey really knows how to express a dark pathos in his humorous characters, and nowhere is it on display better than in The Truman Show. A man trapped in a TV show without his knowledge from the time he was born is disturbing, and yet the movie is just so funny, mostly on the back of Carrey's wonderful performance.

Idiocracy

Mike Judge's Idiocracy gets darker and darker the more and more it seems like the whole prediction could come true. It won't, or at least we hope it won't, but still, the more we race towards the future, the darker and funnier the jokes get in this movie.

Ruthless People

Hapless kidnappers and an uncaring husband of the kidnapped woman are the perfect combination for some really dark humor. Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, and Judge Reinhold have perfect performances, making this movie as charming as it is dark, like all the best movies on this list.

It is never not a blast to see celebrities make funny cameos in movies or TV shows, or even appear in starring roles, as themselves, especially as a version of themselves that bears little resemblance to their actual personality. Take a look at some of the funniest examples of actors and other artists poking fun at themselves in a hilarious onscreen performance.

Michael Cera (This Is The End)

Each member of the cast of 2013's This Is the End is a celebrity playing an exaggerated version of themselves, but the absolutely wildest of the bunch is Michael Cera. The actor plays dramatically against type as a destructive force of chaos at James Franco's house party... before destructive forces of chaos begin descending upon the entire Earth in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's blistering apocalyptic satire.

Kate Winslet (Extras)

Co-creator and star Ricky Gervais' Hollywood satire, Extras, boasted a gut-busting rotation of celebrity guest stars playing the most ridiculously antithetical versions of themselves, one of the most memorable being Kate Winslet. Years before she took home an Academy Award for The Reader, the English actor appeared in an episode in which she openly obsesses over finding the role that will win her an Oscar.

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Seinfeld cast member Jason Alexander eventually realized that his hopelessly neurotic character, George Costanza, was the fictional alter ego of co-creator Larry David. However, none of George's self-destructive and alienating flaws on the beloved TV sitcom could compare to David's self-parodic portrayal of himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm, on which the comedian would seemingly go out of his way to offend friends, family members, and just about anyone he came into contact with.

Bill Murray (Zombieland)

Out of all the amazing, random Bill Murray cameos to choose from, the most iconic would have to be his appearance in 2009's Zombieland when our four protagonists (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) stumble upon him while taking refuge in his mansion. It is actually not too much of a stretch to believe that this is how the comedy legend might live during the zombie apocalypse, from dressing himself up as one of the undead to blend in, to citing Garfield as his one regret before succumbing to an accidental shotgun blast.

Bob Barker (Happy Gilmore)

After decades of maintaining a sunny demeanor as the host of The Price is Right, it was shocking to see Bob Barker appear as anything but in his iconic cameo in 1995's Happy Gilmore. Adam Sandler's title character gets fed up with Barker's incessant criticism of his golfing skills, driving him to show him that "the price is wrong," only to discover that the older man has some real fight in him.

Stephen Hawking (The Simpsons)

Influential theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking played himself on The Simpsons on multiple occasions. One of the funnier instances comes from the Season 10 episode, "They Saved Lisa's Brain," in which he clocks Seymour Skinner in the face with a spring-loaded boxing glove built into his wheelchair.

Prince (New Girl)

As New Girl creator Liz Meriwether recalled in an article for Vulture (via Slate), Prince loved the quirky sitcom, which is why he agreed to guest star in an episode that, essentially, portrays him as some sort of mysterious magical guide. Quite frankly, it is hard to think of this portrayal as much of an exaggeration from the late, great pop star's true, legendary persona.

David Hasselhoff (The Spongebob Squarepants Movie)

Even though most young audience members seeing The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie in 2004 likely were not familiar with David Hasselhoff, it still makes perfect sense that the former Baywatch star would come to SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) and Patrick's (Bill Fagerbakke) rescue near the end. The actor uses his body as a motorboat to transport the duo back to Bikini Bottom, which was achieved in part with the use of a frighteningly realistic, double-sized replica, which he later brought home with him.

Zach Galifianakis (Between Two Ferns)

Zach Galifianakis has a great reputation as a wonderful talk show guest, despite his alter ego on Between Two Ferns being an absolute disaster as a talk show host. After years of mercilessly roasting celebrities to their faces on Funny or Die's web series, it inspired a mockumentary-style Netflix original movie in which the Hangover star also got to be the butt of the joke.

Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle)

You might as well call Neil Patrick Harris' performance in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle his audition to play Barney Stinson, considering his highly fictionalized alter ego has much more in common with his role in the How I Met Your Mother cast. The Emmy winner goes further with the uproarious portrayal in the sequels, which reveal the actor is only pretending to be gay to better his career.

Nicolas Cage (The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent)

I can understand why Nicolas Cage was initially reluctant to play himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, especially for the pretty far-out ways the Academy Award winner pokes fun at himself and his unique career in the film. Then again, it does paint him in a largely positive light and even allows him to be the hero of its irreverent, comedic action plot in the end.

David Bowie (Zoolander)

Admittedly, David Bowie's cameo in Zoolander is relatively tame when compared to his out-of-this-world stage presence. However, the idea of the rock 'n roll legend randomly appearing out of nowhere to help judge an impromptu "Walk Off" between Ben Stiller's eponymous male model and his rival, Hansel (Owen Wilson), is still pretty ridiculous.

James Marsden (Jury Duty)

It takes a special kind of performance as one's self to receive an Emmy nomination for it, and that is what James Marsden achieved with Jury Duty. In the Amazon Prime original reality show, a gentleman named Ronald Gladden is called into serve on a trial he does not know is an elaborate prank on him, involving a cast of actors that includes the X-Men and Sonic the Hedgehog actor as a more vain portrait of himself.

Debra Messing (Bros)

Will & Grace star Debra Messing poked fun at her status as an icon in the gay community with her cameo in the LGBTQIA+ rom-com, Bros. The Emmy winner feels compelled to remind Bobby (Billy Eichner) that she is "NOT GRACE" when he asks her for romantic advice when all she wanted to do was tour his museum.

Keanu Reeves (Always Be My Maybe)

In addition to leading classic action movies like Speed and John Wick, Keanu Reeves has become a cameo king with funny, random appearances, such as in Netflix's 2019 comedy Always Be My Maybe. Marcus (Randall Park) is shocked to discover that his childhood friend, Sasha's (Ali Wong), new boyfriend is the actor, who partially improvised his portrayal as a pretentious weirdo who wears glasses without lenses and asks for a meal inspired by "the concept of time" at a restaurant.

John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)

John Malkovich's performance in director Spike Jonze's inventive fantasy comedy, Being John Malkovich, is a special case of an actor playing an exaggerated version of himself because he is technically playing multiple roles. One famous scene sees the two-time Oscar nominee entering a portal that leads to his own mind, but places him in a nightmarish world filled with people who have his face and can only speak his last name.

LeBron James (Trainwreck)

LeBron James has made a decent living outside of his professional basketball career by playing fictionalized versions of himself in the likes of Space Jam: A New Legacy and the 2023 House Party remake. However, the movie that started it all was 2015's Trainwreck, which portrays him as the best friend of a doctor (played by Bill Hader) who specializes in treating star athletes.

Olivia Newton-John (Glee)

One of the most memorable guest appearances on Glee was the late Olivia Newton-John. The Grease star showed up on the coming-of-age musical-dramedy a couple of times, in which she is portrayed as extremely rude and "hopelessly devoted" to herself.

Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce)

No matter what role he plays, it is hard to see Bruce Campbell as anything other than the hero of the Evil Dead movies, Ash Williams. The Scream King leans into that reputation in the 2007 horror-comedy movie, My Name Is Bruce (which he also directs), as a hard-drinking, washed-up version of himself who becomes the last hope to save a small Oregon town from a malevolent demon.

Jessica Biel (BoJack Horseman)

Netflix's animated Hollywood satire, BoJack Horseman, is especially famous for its uproarious celebrity cameos, one of the funniest being Jessica Biel. Not only does the former 7th Heaven cast member boldly call out her own career low points, but is also portrayed as the spouse of Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins), whom she leaves for her real-life husband, Justin Timberlake.

Eminem (The Interview)

Earlier in his career, Eminem was criticized for lyrics that were interpreted as homophobic, which he pokes fun at in a hilarious way in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's The Interview. Arguably the funniest scene in the 2014 comedy sees the Grammy-winning rap artist speaking to talk show host Dave Skylark (James Franco), to whom he very nonchalantly reveals that he is a closeted gay man.

Kelly Ripa (Broad City)

TV personality Kelly Ripa brilliantly mocks her clean image with her cameo on Comedy Central's Broad City. During a visit to the beloved daytime talk show host's apartment, Abbi (co-creator Abbi Jacobson) discovers that she can be a pretty hard partier, especially when cracks open a jar of moonshine.

Ryan Reynolds (Family Guy)

Many celebrities have stopped by to voice appropriately cartoonish versions of themselves on Family Guy, including Ryan Reynolds, who clearly had a lot of fun with his guest spot. He moves in across the street from the Griffins and appears to take an intense liking to Peter (Seth MacFarlane), who begins to suspect that the actor has a crush on him.

Cher (Will & Grace)

In Season 3 of Will & Grace, Jack (Sean Hayes) becomes uncomfortably attached to a doll modeled after Cher, treating it as if it were the real multi-talented icon, much to the chagrin of his friends. When the real Cher appears to voice her concerns about his obsession, Jack mistakes her for a very convincing drag queen.

Carl Weathers (Arrested Development)

Some of Arrested Development's remarkably clever meta humor involved hilarious cameos by celebrities as themselves, most notably Carl Weathers. The Rocky and Predator star's appearances on the cult favorite sitcom saw him dropping clues of being extremely thrifty, to the point that he would save the meat on a mostly eaten rib to make stew.

Dave Grohl (Studio 666)

Each member of Foo Fighters willfully takes aim at themselves in the 2022 musical horror-comedy movie, Studio 666, but frontman Dave Grohl especially goes wild here. He becomes a threat to his bandmates after becoming possessed by a spirit that haunts the California house where they choose to record their tenth album.

Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)

One of Matt LeBlanc's most successful gigs after leaving the Friends cast was playing a very personal role on Showtime's Episodes. The actor earned a Golden Globe for portraying himself as likable but overbearing, as the married creators of a new TV show that he is cast in discover.

Shaun White (Friends With Benefits)

Olympic Gold Medal-winning snowboarder Shaun White seems like a fun, down-to-earth dude, which makes his cameo in Friends with Benefits as anything but that so memorably funny. Because of his interest in Jamie (Mila Kunis), White takes an immediate and very intense dislike toward her platonic, occasional lover, Dylan (Justin Timberlake), threatening him at every turn.

James Van Der Beek (Don’t Trust The B– in Apartment 23)

James Van Der Beek's first major return to TV after leading the Dawson’s Creek cast was a main role on Don’t Trust the B– in Apartment 23 as... James Van Der Beek. The actor's absurd portrayal of the famous best friend to Krysten Ritter’s Chloe is miles away from his true self, but it did somehow predict that he would later appear on Dancing with the Stars.

Ryan Seacrest (Knocked Up)

The timeline of Ryan Seacrest's hosting gigs is so prolific and extensive, he is almost (if not more) famous than many of the people he has interviewed over the years. He acknowledges this in his cameo in Knocked Up, in which the then-E! News presenter portrays himself as comically vain, ill-tempered, and foul-mouthed, which are not good qualities on camera.

Tom Brady (Living With Yourself)

The Netflix sci-fi comedy series, Living with Yourself, stars Paul Rudd as Miles Elliott, who discovers that a life-changing wellness spa has cloned him into a better version of himself when he comes face-to-face with his "flawed" double. In the first episode, Miles sees the New England Patriots quarterback walking out of the spa before revealing he has visited it six previous times, which also happened to be his number of Super Bowl wins at the time.

Al Pacino (Jack And Jill)

If there is one good thing about 2011's Jack and Jill, which stars Adam Sandler as both a family man and his obnoxious twin sister, it is Al Pacino's performance as himself. In the comedy, the Oscar winner expresses affection for Jill, which leads him to star in a "Dunkaccino" ad that he believes should be destroyed moments after watching it.

Genres are helpful—until a movie comes along that throws the rulebook into the fire. Some films are so inventive and wildly ambitious that slapping a single label on them feels like an insult. These movies blend tones, mix storytelling traditions, and challenge expectations at every turn. Whether mashup horror and comedy, sci-fi and romance, or animation and noir, these 32 films break free from traditional classification, proving that the best stories often refuse to fit into a box.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

The plot of Everything Everywhere All at Once sounds absurd when you hear it out loud. It’s sci-fi, but it’s also a family drama. It’s one of the best action movies in recent memory. It also happens to be an absurdist comedy with a scene that breaks my heart every time I see it–I still can’t look at rocks or googly eyes the same. It’s a meditation on existential dread wrapped in kung-fu spectacle. The Daniels crafted something that shouldn’t work but does—an emotional, high-energy, genre-blending rollercoaster where nihilism and love collide in the best way possible.

Donnie Darko (2001)

A suburban teen, time travel, existential horror, and a man in a creepy rabbit suit—Donnie Darko refuses to be pinned down. Is it a psychological thriller? A coming-of-age story? A horror film with sci-fi elements? Richard Kelly’s cult classic is all of these things, a moody, enigmatic puzzle box that continues to haunt viewers decades later, an easily one of Jake Gyllenhal’s best movie performances.

The Princess Bride (1987)

What other film can balance fairy tale fantasy, satirical comedy, swashbuckling action, and heart-melting romance without breaking a sweat? The Princess Bride is a book-to-screen adaptation that is as good, if not better than the novel it's based on. It’s a love letter to classic storytelling while also poking fun at its conventions. It’s pure magic—a film that can make you laugh, cheer, and cry, often within the same scene.

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, one of his best movies, refuses to let fantasy be an escape. Instead, it interweaves a fairy tale with the brutal realities of war-torn Spain. Part fantasy film, dripping in historical drama and a dash of horror. Del Toro blends all three into something chillingly beautiful, proving that sometimes the scariest monsters are human.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

A hard-boiled noir detective film… with animated cartoon characters running wild? Who Framed Roger Rabbit defies expectations by fusing classic film noir aesthetics with Looney Tunes madness. It’s part mystery, part slapstick comedy, part technical marvel, entirely unclassifiable, and, in retrospect, not very appropriate for children.

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Since finishing up his tenure as Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliff has made some weird movies, and none are as odd as Swiss Army Man. Think Cast Away with a farting corpse–as a stranded man befriends a farting, talking corpse with Swiss Army knife-like powers—if that sounds like nonsense, that’s because it is pure absurdist genius. It’s an iconic buddy comedy, an existential drama, and a surprisingly heartfelt film about loneliness, self-worth, and the strangeness of human connection.

The Fifth Element (1997)

Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element is one of the best science fiction movies of the 90s, sure, but it’s also a campy, over-the-top, French space opera that veers into comedy, action, and cartoon levels of insanity. It’s a spectacle of pure creative energy, filled with outlandish characters and visual madness that make it impossible to categorize.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is an unholy blend of campy B-movie horror and glam rock musicals. It embraces its genre-defying weirdness with open arms. It’s more than a film—it's an experience with some of the catchiest songs committed to screen.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

A movie about a portal into John Malkovich’s mind that turns into a psychological drama about identity, obsession, and control? Spike Jonze, in his directorial debut, and Charlie Kaufman turn an absurd premise into something deeply unsettling yet darkly funny, making Being John Malkovich one of the strangest films ever made and one of the best flicks of the 1990s.

The Shape of Water (2017)

If you mix a Cold War espionage thriller with a creature feature and, of course, a fairy tale romance, you’ll get an idea of what The Shape of Water is. Guillermo del Toro masterfully stitches these elements together into a haunting, poetic, and profoundly weird film. A love story between a woman and an amphibious creature shouldn't work, but in del Toro’s capable hands, the movie becomes unforgettable and deserves all its Oscar wins.

Hook (1991)

Though much maligned since its release, Hook is easily one of Robin Williams's best performances. It tells a compelling father-son story mixed with whimsy and is a family-friendly swashbuckler. However, at its heart, it’s a deeply melancholic story about rediscovering lost youth.

Spirited Away (2001)

Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is an intoxicating blend of myth, folklore, and childhood wonder, defying any easy categorization. The film operates on dream logic, shifting between the whimsical and the nightmarish, crafting a world that feels both hauntingly strange and intimately familiar. It’s one of the very best adventure family movies out there.

Fargo (1996)

The Coen Brothers have a habit of making films that exist in the gray area between genres, and Fargo might be their greatest balancing act. It’s a crime thriller, a dark comedy with some of their funniest quotes, and a bleak meditation on human nature. The film is full of violence and tension, yet it never loses its absurd sense of humor—often in the same breath.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

At first glance, The Cabin in the Woods is one of the best horror movies of the 2010s, but the deeper you go, the more it mutates into something else entirely. It works as a love letter to and a brutal deconstruction of the horror genre, blending meta-comedy with genuine scares. It starts like a standard slasher film, but by the end, it’s an apocalyptic fever dream that leaves you questioning everything you know about horror storytelling.

Gremlins (1984)

Is Gremlins a horror movie? A dark comedy? Is it a Christmas film or just Christmas-themed? The answer is all of the above. Joe Dante’s chaotic creature feature shifts wildly between tones, sometimes feeling like a heartwarming holiday classic and other times diving headfirst into gruesome horror. It manages to be both gleefully silly and genuinely unsettling—making it impossible to fit neatly into one category.

The Pagemaster (1994)

The Pagemaster refuses to commit to a single identity. Though it loomed large in my childhood, its unwillingness to commit to a single genre could be why it has such an abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score. While it’s positioned as a children’s film about the power of books, it blends so many visual and storytelling styles that it becomes something else entirely. This surreal, hybrid experience feels both nostalgic and oddly experimental.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China is an action movie that plays like a comedy, a kung-fu film that satirizes kung-fu films, and a supernatural adventure that revels in its own ridiculousness. It gleefully subverts action hero tropes, making its protagonist more of a bumbling sidekick–with some of the greatest Kurt Russel quotes–than a traditional lead. Its genre-bending nature has made it an enduring cult classic.

Her (2013)

Her straddles multiple genres while remaining profoundly intimate and personal. Yet again, Spike Jonze takes a premise that could have been used for satire—a man falling in love with his AI assistant—and turns it into a heartbreakingly sincere exploration of modern relationships. It’s futuristic but deeply human, making it impossible to categorize.

Last Action Hero (1993)

On the surface, it’s an action movie but also a deconstruction of action movies. Last Action Hero arguably came out at the wrong time, as it revels in Hollywood excess while poking fun at its clichés, blending over-the-top action with meta-commentary way ahead of its time. It’s self-aware, chaotic, and often refusing to be boxed into a single category.

Burn After Reading (2008)

Burn After Reading is classic Coen Brothers chaos—a film where every character thinks they’re in control, yet none of them have any idea what’s actually happening. It plays with the tropes of espionage thrillers, only to reveal that the stakes are laughably low, making it a darkly hilarious puzzle box of a movie. Also, it has one of the best Francis McDormand performances ever.

Men in Black (1997)

It’s a sci-fi film, but it’s also a buddy-cop comedy. It’s a blockbuster, but it has the sharp humor of a satire. Men in Black blends alien conspiracies, action-packed spectacle, laugh-out-loud comedy, and one of the scariest aliens committed to celluloid into something effortlessly entertaining. It thrives in its refusal to take itself too seriously, making it one of its era's most unique sci-fi films.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Edward Scissorhands is unapologetically Tim Burton at his best. An oddity that defies easy classification. It’s equal parts whimsical and tragic, blending a monster movie's aesthetics with the romance's tenderness. The film’s visual style is pure fantasy, yet its emotional core is deeply human, making it one of Burton’s most enduring works.

A Ghost Story (2017)

A Ghost Story is a slow, meditative exploration of time, grief, and existential loneliness. It also tells the story of a spiritual being who walks the earth in a bed sheet. This story challenges everything you expect from a ghost story, stripping away jump scares and supernatural lore in favor of long, lingering shots and quiet, contemplative storytelling. It’s haunting, but not in the traditional sense—more of a melancholy whisper than a scream in the dark.

La La Land (2016)

A musical, but one that subverts the tropes of the genre. La La Land embraces old Hollywood spectacle while refusing to follow the standard “happily ever after” formula. It’s nostalgic yet modern, blending reality and fantasy in a way that feels both dreamlike and achingly real.

The Lobster (2015)

The Lobster is so uniquely bizarre that it exists in a separate genre–the genre of Yorgos Lanthimos. Lanthimos takes an inherently ridiculous premise—that single people must find a partner or be turned into animals—and turns it into something deeply unsettling, bleakly funny, and weirdly moving.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is a movie far better than its bombing at the box office would lead one to believe. It is a wonderful stop-motion movie, but it's also unmistakably Wes Anderson, as the filmmaker blends the time-consuming animation with his signature aesthetic. It feels like a classic children’s storybook brought to life, yet it carries an undercurrent of existential angst that makes it resonate just as strongly with adults.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

No movie influenced 90s cinema quite like Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. This unpredictable film intertwines multiple narratives, with Samuel L. Jackson as the standout performer. The movie redefined nonlinear storytelling by skillfully blending brutal violence, humor, and unexpected poignancy.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Another Charlie Kaufman brainchild, Eternal Sunshine, takes a high-concept premise—erasing painful memories of lost love and toxic relationships—and turns it into an achingly beautiful meditation on heartbreak, fate, and human connection. It’s as cerebral as it is emotional, making it one of the most uniquely structured love stories ever told.

Prey (2022)

Prey is not just another Predator movie; it’s a historical survival thriller and an Indigenous-led action film that reinvents the franchise. By removing the excessive machismo of earlier movies and setting the story in 1719 around a young Comanche warrior, Prey transforms into a compelling tale of resilience and culture. Amber Midthunder emerges as a standout new face in the lineage of final girls in horror.

Aliens (1986)

James Cameron cranked Ridley Scott’s slow-burn terror into an all-out war film, proving that a sequel doesn’t have to repeat its predecessor. Aliens retains the dread of its predecessor while injecting explosive, military-driven spectacle, making it a rare hybrid that succeeds as both a nerve-wracking horror movie and a high-octane action thriller.

Coraline (2009)

It looks like a children’s fantasy film, but Coraline, while being one of Laika’s best movies, is pure nightmare fuel. A dark fairy tale with horror undertones, the film walks the tightrope between whimsy and dread. Its stop-motion animation is gorgeous yet eerie, and the story—about a young girl lured into a seemingly perfect world with sinister secrets—feels like something pulled from the pages of an old gothic ghost story.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

A coming-of-age story drenched in comic book and video-game aesthetics? Scott Pilgrim vs. The World should have been a hit, with its pure kinetic energy, blending pop culture, music, and self-aware humor into a hyper-stylized spectacle. Edgar Wright expanded his abilities as a filmmaker, creating a film that’s part arcade game, part indie rom-com, and wholly unique in its execution.

As is the case for other 1999 films, Fight Club (one of the best movies of the ‘90s) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, which is absolutely wild to think about. I recently went back and rewatched David Fincher’s controversial film and wanted to watch similar films either from the same era or that at least shared some common traits and themes with the now classic. 

That being said, I put together a list of a dozen movies like Fight Club and how to watch them on some of the best streaming services. I will be getting into spoiler territory with this one, but that’s to be expected, as some of these films have notoriously crazy endings that we’ve talked about for years at this point.

Seven (1995)

Though not technically David Fincher’s debut film (that would be Alien 3), Seven very much felt like the director’s coming out party in Hollywood. Released four years before Fight Club, this 1995 crime thriller about a diabolical serial killer claiming lives based on the seven deadly sins marked the first time Fincher and Brad Pitt worked together.

I watched this and Fight Club at a friend’s house in high school, and I’ve viewed both movies as companions ever since. Both are dark, oddly humorous at times, and don’t pull any punches when it comes to depictions of violence.

Rent/Buy Seven on Amazon.

American Psycho (2000)

Much like Seven being a satire of toxic masculinity and man’s inability to form meaningful relationships unless some kind of physicality is involved, American Psycho spends two hours poking fun at Wall Street narcissists obsessed with their image and place in society. Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman is a character not unlike Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden in that these psychopaths have somehow become cult heroes over the years.

If you’re looking for a hyper-violent, mind-bending, and devilishly funny thriller about a man losing touch with reality, Mary Harron’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ blood-soaked novel is going to do the trick.

Stream American Psycho on Prime Video.
Rent/Buy American Psycho on Amazon.

Joker (2019)

Whenever I watch Todd Phillips’ Joker, I tend to find myself thinking about Fight Club and how both films have a lot to say about society, violence, and unchecked mental illness. Yeah, this surprising $1 billion box office hit is totally a DC Comics movie, but it goes beyond the trappings of the genre to create something more like one of Martin Scorsese’s best movies than your typical Batman adaptation.

Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning performance as Arthur Fleck is a force of nature, danger, and anarchy over the course of his journey, especially as reality begins to slip out of his hands.

Stream Joker on Max.
Rent/Buy Joker on Amazon.

Nightcrawler (2014)

Though Nightcrawler and Fight Club don’t really have too much in common when it comes to story, these two movies have the same chaotic energy and center on two characters that are more like wild animals than human beings. Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of videographer Lou Bloom is something to behold and feels like he could be a distant cousin of Tyler Durden in an alternate universe.

Both movies also make use of cities at night, so much so that their settings almost feel like characters.

Stream Nightcrawler on Starz.
Rent/Buy Nightcrawler on Amazon.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich is a great companion piece for Fight Club, and not just because they both feature Brad Pitt in some capacity. This 1999 psychological dark comedy about a man who finds a portal into the head of John Malkovich is one of the most unique and transfixing experiences of 1999, which is saying something.

Despite not making bank at the box office, Being John Malkovich has remained one of the staples of ‘90s cinema and an influential film that inspired a new generation of filmmakers to try something weird.

Rent/Buy Being John Malkovich on Amazon.

Memento (2000)

Christopher Nolan put himself on the scene in 2000 with Memento, a transfixing film that combined elements of film noir, psychological thrillers, and action better than ever before. Like Fight Club, this movie about a man (played by Guy Pearce) with a severe case of memory loss, gets better with each subsequent watch as you begin to piece together the intricate and engaging story.

Stream Memento on Prime Video.
Rent/Buy Memento on Amazon. 

American History X (1998)

One year before leading Fight Club, Edward Norton gave a commanding performance in American History X, a biting drama about a reformed skinhead trying to prevent his younger brother from taking a similar path. 

Not a lot in common story-wise here, but it’s wild seeing how jacked-up Norton got for this role, especially when you compare it to his more diminutive and exhausted appearance the next time moviegoers saw him.

Rent/Buy American History X on Amazon.

The Game (1997)

Sometimes it feels like The Game is the black sheep of David Fincher’s filmography. Though not his best work, this 1997 thriller starring Michael Douglas as an uber-wealthy man who can’t figure out what is real and what’s fantasy is a trip and a unique experience.

Admittedly, this is a much more complicated and drawn-out story when compared to that of Fight Club, but you can see the infancy of some of the ideas and techniques used by the director two years later.

Rent/Buy The Game on Amazon.

Office Space (1999)

Just like Fight Club, Office Space is one of the most iconic Gen X films of all time. Both deal with fed-up and frustrated characters who find ways to escape the banality of office life and seek to break free from the doldrums. Sure, they take two completely different routes – an accounting scam in one case, and an underground fight club in the other – but they feel like part of the same generation.

Stream Office Space on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Office Space on Amazon.

Primal Fear (1996)

If you’re looking for a movie with not only one of the best twist endings of all time but also one of the meanest ‘90s movie villains, make sure you check out Primal Fear. This 1996 legal drama starring Edward Norton as an altar boy being charged with murdering a high-ranking church official is absolutely wild and never gets old.

I know I said spoilers are fair game here, but this one is best left unspoiled in case you have yet to watch this classic.

Rent/Buy Primal Fear on Amazon.

Black Swan (2010)

One of Darren Aronofsky’s best films, Black Swan is a psychological thriller that honestly feels like Fight Club from an alternate reality. Both movies center on characters who get so caught up in their own heads that they begin to lose touch with reality and then suffer the consequences of their actions. 

Just swap in Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and ballet for Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and underground fights, and it all begins to make sense.

Stream Black Swan on Max.
Rent/Buy Black Swan on Amazon.

Falling Down (1993)

One thing I love about Falling Down, well besides Michael Douglas’ bonkers performance, is how it tricks you into rooting for a psychopath for the better part of the movie before pulling the rug from beneath your feet.

Rewatching Falling Down today will probably make you feel a little torn, and that’s okay. Sometimes it’s best to revisit your favorite movies of yesteryear and think about that experience, even if they haven’t aged all too well.

Rent/Buy Falling Down on Amazon.

Some more than others, but each of these films has something in common with Fight Club and would be perfect for a double or triple feature during your next movie night. 

There are a ton of movies from the '90s that we love that weren't blockbusters upon their release. These are movies that we think defined the decade, and did define it. That's not to say they didn't make money, most of the movies on this list were at least profitable, but they didn't didn't make nearly as much as you would think. 

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

On any list like this, the classic example is always The Shawshank Redemption. It's a movie that CinemaBlend has called the best movie of the 1990s. Yet, when it was first released, it didn't actually do very well. During its initial run in the fall of 1994, it barely squeaked into the top 10 and failed to even make back its budget. It wasn't until the following year, when it became a regular on cable television that it found an audience and became the beloved classic it is today.

Dazed And Confused (1993)

Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused is one of the most quotable movies of all time, but it wasn't a big money maker at first. Imagine a movie today with a cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Cole Hauser, Parker Posey, Renee Zellweger, and more not being a massive hit. Of course, most of them were unknown at the time and, according to Box Office Mojo, the movie only made about $8 million on a $7 million budget in theaters. 

The Player (1992)

The Player, by legendary director Robert Altman, was praised by critics and nominated for a slew of awards, but it didn't find an audience initially. Though the film was profitable, it didn't make nearly the money one would expect from a film that has literally dozens of big stars making cameos in it. 

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Eventually, The Usual Suspects became a favorite of many people, but that wasn't the case when it was first released. According to the website The Numbers, the film only made about $23 million domestically at the box office. That really isn't very much for a movie, especially one of its caliber. 

Election (1999)

Reese Witherspoon's character Tracy Flick in Election has become an icon and it basically helped launch the actor into superstardom. It did not, however, crush it at the box office, bringing in just $14 million worldwide. 

The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Coen Brothers followed up their Academy Award-winning Fargo with The Big Lebowski and despite the amazing cast and the stellar writing, the movie just didn't click with audiences at first. Of course, it's gone on to have a life of its own and has played a major role in pop culture since, but at the time, it was almost regarded as a bomb. 

Office Space (1999)

There may be no bigger cult classic on this list than Mike Judge's 1999 comedy classic Office Space. It's constantly quoted by anyone who has ever worked in an office and continues to be discovered by new generations. It's got a wonderful cast, and the writing is downright amazing. It took DVD and cable to make it so loved though. At the box office, it was basically a bomb, bringing in just $12 million on a $10 million budget. 

The Iron Giant (1999)

There has been a lot of discussion about why The Iron Giant did so poorly at the box office when it was first released, but it pretty much bombed completely. In the years since it's become a favorite of an entire generation who grew up watching it at home. 

Reality Bites (1994)

In 1994, Gen X was still defining itself and it was movies like Reality Bites starring Winona Ryder that helped it do so. What is astounding is that it's not nearly the hit that most Gen Xers would expect, making just $20 million upon its release. Its cultural impact definitely outweighs its financial success, which probably sits just fine with many in the generation. 

Goodfellas (1990)

Goodfellas starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta, and directed by Martin Scorsese, is considered by many to be one of the best movies of all time. While it was successful at the box, it didn't even crack the top 1,000 in all-time box office. Kindergarten Cop made twice as much as Goodfellas in 1990. You'd be better off robbing an airport. 

Heat (1995)

According to The Numbers, Heat made about $67 million, which is nothing to sneeze at. That is until you compare it to some of the other movies from that same year and realize it made less money than Waterworld, which is considered one of the biggest bombs of all time, and Casper, along with 23 other movies in 1995.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

How Stella Got Her Groove Back has become a cultural touchstone from the 1990s and while it did decent at the box, it was far from a runaway hit like it might have expected it to be. It made Taye Diggs a star and Angela Bassett a superstar, but it wasn't even one of the 50 most popular movies of the year. 

Boogie Nights (1997)

1997 was a banner year for movies, with classics like Titanic, Men in Black, and Good Will Hunting all getting released. Then, way down the list of the top box office performers, is Boogie Nights at #75. It only managed to bring in $26 million on release. A lot can be chalked up to the racy subject matter, sure, but it's still one of the best movies of the decade. 

Fight Club (1999)

1999's Fight Club is still revered today, decades later, but at the time, you could say the response by filmgoers was lukewarm at best. It only ended up making about $37 million domestically, but it would earn much more in the next few years on DVD and cable TV. 

Singles (1992)

Singles is one of the movies on this list that defines a generation, for better or worse. It portrays Generation X as a slacker generation that isn't interested in anything. It turns out, Gen X was interested in this movie either, as it earned just $18 million, ranking 67th for 1992.

Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

Jennifer Love Hewitt was on the verge of superstardom when Can't Hardly Wait was released. It would eventually become an oft-quoted, huge cult favorite, but in its theater run, it performed very mediocrely. It took in $23 million and finished behind less-beloved movies like Bulworth and Practical Magic in 1998.

Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Okay, this one needs a little explanation as to how it ended up on this list, because it was certainly a hit, and it made a lot of money. It's here because, though it's often ranked above Back to the Future Part II in the Back to the Future trilogy, Back to the Future Part III made the least amount of money of all three, which you wouldn't have expected. 

Malcolm X (1992)

Spike Lee's epic Malcolm X was controversial when it was released in 1992, due to the controversial nature of Malcolm X, played by Denzel Washington in the movie, himself. It's a movie that is good enough to make the top ten in any given year, yet it finished #32 at the year-end box office.

The Doors (1991)

For the kids that were the children of Baby Boomers, '60s music was a big deal. When The Doors came out in 1992, high school kids all over obsessed over it. But that wasn't until it was released on VHS. In its theatrical run, it barely managed to make back its initial budget. 

Tombstone (1993)

1993 Tombstone is one of the greatest westerns of all time, but it didn't start out as a fan favorite. While it did make a decent chunk of change, it finished behind forgettable movies in the year-end box office numbers like Dave, Rising Sun, and Indecent Proposal.

Misery (1990)

1990's Misery starring James Caan and Kathy Bates is arguably the best Stephen King adaption on the silver screen, and while it was definitely a hit, you'd expect a movie of its caliber to be one of the biggest hits of the year, but it was beat by movies like Kindergarten Cop, Bird On A Wire (one of the worst #1 movies ever), and 3 Men and a Little Lady.

True Romance (1993)

Director Tony Scott's True Romance has an amazing cast and an amazing script by Quentin Tarantino. Ingredients like that usually turn into a hit. Instead, it only made about $12 million and barely snuck into the top 100 movies of 1993. 

Pump Up the Volume (1990)

Christian Slater's character Hard Harry inspired a generation of Gen Xers to be dark and mysterious, and while Pump Up The Volume became one of the most beloved cult hits of the decade, it took a while to get there. It only made $11 million in theaters. 

Strange Days (1995)

Director Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days is a love-it-or-hate-it-type of movie. Despite being a huge box office flop, making less than a third of its budget back. It's since become a very popular cult flick with a huge fanbase that is always willing to defend it. 

Tremors (1990)

Normally you'd expect a movie that launches a franchise to be an off-the-chart blockbuster. Tremors did the former but was far from the latter. Star Kevin Bacon revealed in 2019 that the movie made less than a fifth of what it was expected to make. Still, there have now been six more movies and a TV show in the franchise and the original is still one of Bacon's best movies. 

Ed Wood (1994)

1994's Ed Wood is one of Tim Burton's least-talked-about movies, and that's likely because it did so poorly at the box office, making just $5 million when it was released. It's one of Burton's and star Johnny Depp's worst performing movies, despite being pretty good. 

BASEketball (1998)

BASEketball was the first movie starring the guys from South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The problem is that they didn't write it. Despite some funny moments, their star power wasn't enough to make money and the movie bombed, making just $7 million. 

Darkman (1990)

There is no question that Darkman has been a cult classic. but when it first came out it was, at best, a moderate success, making about $32 million domestically. In the years since it has become an impressive franchise with multiple movies, comic books, and video games. 

Hackers (1995)

1995 Hackers, starring Jonny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie is like the little movie that keeps on going. It's not well regarded by critics, and it was a definite bomb, but it continues to be talked about and drawing fans in. Maybe it's the nature of the subject and talking about it on the internet, but it's the movie that just won't die. 

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Hunter S. Thompson's legendary novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was always described as a book that no one could do justice to on the silver screen. That's just the kind of challenge that Terry Gilliam loves and so when he made it a movie in 1998 with Johnny Depp taking on the role of Thompson, no one was surprised. The movie is a brilliant representation of the trippy book, and despite only making about $13 million worldwide, it's still talked about and loved today. 

Friday (1995)

If you were a certain kind of college kid in the '90s, it's safe to say you watched Friday dozens of times on VHS. But that was VHS. The odds are that you didn't actually see it in theaters, because the Ice Cube/Chris Tucker classic only made about $23 million, placing it outside of the top 50 in 1995. 

Being John Malkovich (1999)

79 movies made more money than Being John Malkovich in 1999. Including movies like Baby Geniuses, Mystery Men, Superstar, The 13th Warrior, and The Martian. Are those movies all better than Being John Malkovich? Of course not. 

Before the best movies from the 2000s were allowed to run, the cinematic classics from the 1990s had to walk. (Well, except for Forrest Gump.) The 20th century closed out with a decade of cinematic spectacles as Hollywood embraced bigger budgets, the early days of CGI, and a new breed of superstars like Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon and Keanu Reeves.

From great ‘90s sci-fi movies like Jurassic Park to beloved ‘90s family films like Toy Story to chilling thrillers and hilarious comedies, just about any genre fan can feel represented by the era's best. Can the same be said for music, TV and literature? (I'll be too busy watching Speed again to research that.) So grab your long-dead Tamagotchis and scented markers and join us in celebrating the best of the best that the ‘90s had to offer.

• This list was compiled by the bulk of CinemaBlend's editors and writers, who gave 0-5 scores to an overall list of around 300 movies, with all of the final scores averaged out to determine the final ranking of 100.

How We Put This List Together

• Around 300 entries from a vast variety of 1990s films , which fit the bill of being culturally relevant and critically respected, were gathered using a combination of staff recommendations, movie guides and further research. The entries were tracked in a spreadsheet, where the majority of our staff then went through a multi-level voting process, with scores assigned based on personal opinions. A base number of viewers was also required for entries to make the cut, and lowest scores were then eliminated, in the style of scoring figure skating. The movies were then ordered from 1-100 based on the final average scores, with a variety of staff members writing the movie-celebrating entries. 

100. The Fifth Element (1997)

Luc Besson's The Fifth Element is a seriously wild movie. The sci-fi adventure has become a bona fide genre classic. Even though parts of the film were frustrating to make, those efforts clearly paid off, leaving us with one of the most fun space rides to date with an A-level cast including Milla Jovovich, Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Chris Tucker in arguably his spaciest performance. Anyone who may have forgotten how fun and bonkers it is should grab a multi-pass and return immediately. 

99. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Jim Carrey may have enjoyed the most successful year for any comedian in 1994, and Dumb and Dumber is a major part of that unprecedented run. After the wildly successful Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask, the Saturday Night Live reject gave an iconic performance as Lloyd Christmas in the Farrelly Brothers’ breakout comedy alongside Jeff Daniels’ Harry Dunne. Everything about the movie simply works in spite of itself. The chemistry between its stars, the balance of over-the-top humor and more subtle jokes, and the most annoying sound in the world work together to create an unparalleled and game-changing experience. 

98. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project may not have been the first to bring a cinéma vérité approach to the horror genre, but through extremely savvy marketing and lore-building, the no-budget flick became one of the most profitable films of all time, spawning a franchise of film sequels, comics, a video game, and beyond. And all without an actual “witch” to tease in the trailers. One of the ‘90s most polarizing efforts, BWP’s “something from nothing” approach makes it as influential as anything else from the decade.

97. Mulan (1998)

What can be said about Mulan that has yet to be talked about? Released at the tail end of the famed Disney Renaissance through the ‘90s, Mulan was the animated film that defined a generation of young women, inspiring many to always fight for their honor and never back down, even when everyone in the world says otherwise. The music is excellent as the voice-acting takes you to another world, and the animation easily pulls viewers in, but it’s the themes that stay with audiences forever.

96. The Wedding Singer (1998)

More than just a wonderful romantic comedy, The Wedding Singer is a standout title in Adam Sandler’s early career. In the 1990s, Sandler was known for his goofy characters on Saturday Night Live and in goofy movies like Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Airheads, but The Wedding Singer was an opportunity for him to show he could do work with a bit more gravity. There’s an argument to be made it paved the way for him excelling in films like Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems. And the power of Sandler + Drew Barrymore can never be denied.

95. Death Becomes Her (1992)

There’s a scene in Death Becomes Her that pretty much sums up the Robert Zemeckis film’s greatness – as Goldie Hawn’s Helen sits and leans back, the handle of a shovel slips perfectly through the hole in her torso. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep’s Madeline gracefully takes a seat while clutching her hair atop her head, in order to keep it from flopping forward against her broken neck. It’s dark, it’s twisted, it’s hilarious, and for 1992, the special effects are impressive. Bruce Willis’ Ernest being dragged along for the ride caps off the excellent trio of characters, in this eternally underrated comedy.

94. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Four years after already penning one of the all-time great romantic comedies (Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally), the late Nora Ephron directed a landmark rom-com of her own with Sleepless in Seattle. The second of three movies co-starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, this genre staple features an incredible story about a woman who goes to great lengths to be with the man she loves, a man whom she’s never met and only knows from a call-in radio show. It’s charming, witty, earnest, and the best kind of enchanted realism. 

93. Jackie Brown (1997)

Quentin Tarantino’s third directorial effort, Jackie Brown kicks off with Pam Grier’s money-smuggling flight attendant trekking to work to the tune of Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street,” helping it stand apart from the testosterone-enhanced violence of his first two features. And while the star-studded flick does dip into the filmmaker’s favored crime genre tropes, Jackie Brown hinges more on character study than sheer plot machination, and provides career-high performances from Bridget Fonda, Robert Forster, and Grier herself. And in that way, it’s arguably the most empathy-worthy project from Tarantino’s career.

92. Happy Gilmore (1996)

Depending on who you talk to, Adam Sandler’s '90s comedies are either near the peak of the genre or near the pits of low-brow comedy. We know where Shooter McGavin's opinions would lie, but we lean toward raising our clubs and pucks to Sandler’s story about a failed hockey player taking the world of professional golf by storm, all for his grandma. I’ll always laugh at Happy Gilmore’s titular hero going toe-to-toe with the late game show host Bob Barker, and the wild story of how he got involved is as great as the on-screen fisticuffs.

91. Casino (1995)

It’s hard to pick a favorite when talking about the best mob characters that Robert De Niro has played, though I’d argue Sam "Ace" Rothstein is as good as it gets. Unlike many other gangster movies tethered to dark alleys, Casino zeroes in on the mafia’s stranglehold of the glitzy and glamorous Las Vegas in the 1970s. It’s further bolstered by excellent directing from master craftsman Martin Scorsese and a supporting cast with legends like Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. A fantastic movie that doesn't shy away from deeply upsetting moments. 

90. Forrest Gump (1994)

Despite all the cringey and parody-fueling moments in Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump --- never forget the Weird Al classic "Gump" --- Tom Hanks' history-making and country-crossing simpleton remains one of the 1990s most enduring movie heroes. With a stacked cast of pros, from Sally Field to Gary Sinise, Forrest Gump's popularity was evident from both its boffo box office, its huge success at the Oscars and beyond, and just how many quotes from this movie have permanently nestled themselves into pop culture. 

89. A Few Good Men (1992)

Courtrooms are a natural fit for high drama, and A Few Good Men has some of the best courtroom scenes in cinema history. Aaron Sorkin’s first screenplay, based on his own stage play, is missing many of the elements that would later define his writing, but that’s not a bad thing here. The battle between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson has become iconic, but even outside of that near-perfect scene, A Few Good Men is full of incredible characters, smart dialogue, and memorable moments. It’s perhaps one of Cruise’s most criminally overlooked performances.

88. Pretty Woman (1990)

Pretty Woman is definitely one of Julia Roberts's best movies in a wildly impressive career, but it's also one of the best ‘90s rom-coms. The film's sleazy-on-paper tale, which follows a rich businessman hiring a Hollywood escort to be his date to several social events, is a charmer thanks to its stellar leads. The film vaulted Roberts into an even bigger star, while making romantics everywhere swoon at the idea of a wealthy millionaire like Richard Gere coming out of nowhere to sweep them off their feet – if only, amirite?

87. As Good As It Gets (1997)

I miss Jack Nicholson. I miss James L. Brooks. I miss emotional, character-driven comedies that excelled thanks to outstanding performances from A-list talent. Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear weave magic in this sweet story about strangers forming friendships over low-stakes but relatable dramas. Studios craving IP don’t back movies like this anymore. But when they did, and when actors could sink their teeth into the material, this one was as good as they got. 

86. The Sandlot (1993)

There are ‘90s sports movies that are kid-pleasers, and then there is The Sandlot, the 1993 coming-of-age story about a ragtag group of kids living what could be the best summer of their lives. There's so much to love about this small-stakes baseball tale, from its timelessness to its life lessons to incredible characters like Scotty Smalls, Benny Rodriguez, Ham Porter, and so many others, there’s just so much to love about this classic sports film. To quote the Great Bambino, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” In this case, we're calling our shot: The Sandlot is one of those legends. 

85. Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

Can’t Hardly Wait combines an "everybody's recognizable" ensemble cast with the classic house party setting and a killer soundtrack to give us one of the most epic teen movies of all time. The plot centers around Ethan Embry’s Preston, who needs to profess his love for Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt) at the graduation party, now that she is finally single after being dumped by Mike (Peter Facinelli). But plots are for dorks, and the 1998 comedy epitomizes the teen angst of the late 20th century in an honest and hilarious way.

84. You've Got Mail (1998)

You’ve Got Mail arrived in 1998 when just about everybody would have recognized the title as the AOL greeting message. This was the third movie to pair Tom Hanks with Meg Ryan, with writer/director Nora Ephron bringing her magic romantic comedy touch to the story of two business rivals who unwittingly fall in love via online chat. Hanks and Ryan channel the same chemistry that was a hit years earlier with Sleepless in Seattle, and it doesn't require having lived through the AOL era to appreciate the level of classic rom-com energy that makes this a winner. 

83. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

In a decade filled with all-time great Robin Williams movies, there’s something particularly tender and very much unforgettable about Chris Columbus’ Ms. Doubtfire. Underpinned by the heartbreak of having less time than ever with his three kids as his divorce looms, voiceover actor Daniel Hillard hatches a plan to form a new character in an elderly housekeeper named Mrs. Doubtfire to get more time with them. Not only does his new secret identity make for some hilarious moments that very much play to Williams’ strengths as a comedy actor, Mrs. Doubtfire is also a touching film that takes a grounded approach to parent separation. 

82. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

The most Tim Burton movie ever to Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is, on one bladed hand, a weirdly heartwarming horror movie, but on the other bladed hand, an endlessly frightening family film. The suburban Frankenstein homage is bolstered by stellar performances from Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Dianne Weist, with each bringing grounded authenticity to this wildly fantastical fable. (Yes, even the pity-provoking Depp.) The cherries on top of this macabre cake are Vincent Price, in his final major film role, and Burton-familiar composer Danny Elfman. And the eye-popping hedge art and ice sculptures don’t hurt.

81. American History X (1998)

Long before debates about The Snyder Cut, star Edward Norton, director Tony Kaye, and New Line Cinema engaged in a very loud and sometimes public squabble over American History X. The final cut we got, which Kaye publicly disavowed, is a brutal, almost two-hour look at modern white supremacy that’s shot partially in black and white. It netted Norton an Oscar nomination and has individual moments as strong as anything on this list, but it also occasionally loses pace and has always left fans wanting to see Kaye’s original 95-minute cut, which remains unreleased following the film’s disastrous production

80. Aladdin (1992)

It’s easy to look at Aladdin and celebrate the work of the great Robin Williams, and justifiably so. Only animation could truly uncork the man’s absolutely manic comedy style. But focusing only on Williams overlooks the work of amazing animators who created the Genie and everything else, since it's a testament to their skill that the animation is able to keep up with Williams and the high-flying scenes. Musical sequences like “A Friend Like Me” and “A Whole New World” show another form of animated beauty and have become just as iconic on their own as the Genie himself.

79. That Thing You Do! (1996)

By the time he wrote, directed, and co-starred in 1996’s That Thing You Do, Tom Hanks was already an acting powerhouse. So it was a bit of a surprise to see the Academy Award-winning actor delivering a tale about the wild ride that so many one-hit wonders of the ‘60s endured. Initially, the story of The Wonders (Johnathon Schaech, Ethan Embry, Steve Zahn, and Tom Everett Scott) and their roller-coaster journey wasn’t a smash success, but decades later, That Thing You Do is a well-regarded mini-cult classic that can still leave audiences with songs in their hearts.

78. Trainspotting (1996)

While it wasn’t his directorial debut, Danny Boyle’s adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting was the flick that put the man on the map. Following the lives of a group of Scottish drug addicts and friends, a cast including Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, and Kelly MacDonald landed their start as the stars of tomorrow. Through a narrative that’s both darkly comic and frightfully serious, Trainspotting ushers its heroin addicts through life's struggles in grounded and trippy ways. Establishing Boyle’s skills in telling a conventional story through unconventional means, it’s a powerful statement for its director and the message he’s trying to convey.

77. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

The Die Hard formula survived the transition to the “buddy cop” genre (at least initially) with Bruce Willis’ iconic John McClane being forced to team up with a good samaritan (Samuel L. Jackson) and solve a bunch of riddles around Manhattan to prevent bombs from going off. Many consider With a Vengeance to be the best in the Die Hard series, though it’s blasphemy to put ANY of them ahead of John McTiernan’s original. Still, this one moves like a freight train, Willis and Jackson have remarkable chemistry, and Jeremy Irons is a sinister villain with a satisfying twist of a motivation to take McClane down. 

76. Titanic (1997)

Titanic was an event in itself when it arrived in theaters, with James Cameron’s film ambitiously bringing to screen the story of the ill-fated ship, depicting the journey across the Atlantic with incredible visuals that give us a sense of what it might have been like aboard the ship during that terrible night. At the center of it all is the love story of Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), who manage to find each other, despite their differing social classes, and never let go. Considering how many millions of dollars it earned from repeat audience viewings, its "classic" status is unsinkable.

75. Men in Black (1997)

One of the biggest sci-fi hits of the decade, Men In Black holds a special place in the hearts and minds of both space and comedy nerds. Even though it initially took some convincing to land Will Smith for the role of Agent J., Steven Spielberg (as producer) managed to re-catch lightning in a bottle with the actor coming off of Independence Day. And as unpredictable as it seemed at the time Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made for an extremely fun and combative pairing in the rest of the Men in Black film franchise.

74. The Fugitive (1993)

When it comes to movies based on old TV shows, it doesn’t get much better than The Fugitive. There’s no way around it, this 1993-defining film straight-up rocks and is still just as great more than 30 years after its release. Watching one of Harrison Ford’s most iconic characters go to great lengths to clear his name after being wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife never gets hold, and the same can be said about Tommy Lee Jones’ Academy Award-winning performance as the U.S. Marshal tasked with capturing the elusive fugitive.

73. Run Lola Run (1998)

Outside of sci-fi adventures, time loops aren’t often used as storytelling devices, and 1998’s thriller Run Lola Run absolutely proves why this is a shame. While the story isn’t explicitly a looping band of time, we do get three different versions of writer/director Tom Twyver’s story. Centered around lovers Lola (Franke Potente) and Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), each variation has one thing in common: they have 20 minutes to score 100,000 Deutschmarks, or Manni is dead. New twists and pitfalls arrive, keeping that premise fresh each time, right up until the end. 

72. Swingers (1996)

Long before he directed major projects like Iron Man and The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau wrote and starred in the Doug Liman-directed Swingers. This comedy follows Favreau’s Mike Peters, a comedian who’s getting over a bad breakup and moves to Hollywood to find success in the midst of the ‘90s swing revival. The witty back-and-forth dialogue between Favreau and his co-stars, including Vince Vaughn and Heather Graham, and the simple, yet effective story of moving on to better horizons make Swingers one of the most underrated comedies of this decade. It's just so money, baby. 

71. Malcolm X (1992)

For his 1992 “Spike Lee Joint,” the legendary Do The Right Thing filmmaker made his dream come true to make a biopic about one American Civil Rights Movement figure, Malcolm X. It not only remains among the best works of Lee’s incredible filmography, but it’s flat-out one of the best biography movies ever made. That’s all without mentioning a particularly powerful performance by Denzel Washington, who disappears into the figure and brings great intrigue and nuisance to Malcolm X across decades of his life. Spike Lee’s biopic stands tall as an enduring portrait of an important man in a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

70. Friday (1995)

Franchise lead and rap legend Ice Cube teamed up with Chris Tucker to create one of the best "sit back and kick it" movies in movie history. Spawning a line of sequels, the O.G. Friday boasts an awesome cast that also includes the late John Witherspoon, and understandably caught on with a certain kind of stoner comedy-loving crowd, but has become an all-encompassing cult classic. Even beyond its on-screen greatness, Friday also turned "Bye, Felicia" into everyday jargon. 

69. Miller's Crossing (1990)

Joel and Ethan Coen didn’t waste time demonstrating their eclecticism in their careers, breaking out with the phenomenal neo-noir Blood Simple in 1984 ahead of a 180-degree tonal pivot with 1987's gonzo comedy Raising Arizona. Then they kicked off the 1990s with one of the great modern gangster movies in Miller's Crossing. Gabriel Byrne’s Tom Reagan leading John Turturro’s Bernie Bernbaum into the woods to be murdered is the movie’s iconic moment, but it’s the brilliant chaos that spins out from Tom’s decision at the end of the sequence that cements this tense slice of art's place on this list.

68. Rushmore (1998)

Rushmore is often referenced for a lot of things. It was the first Wes Anderson movie to find more mainstream success. The critical acclaim Bill Murray received for his performance helped push him toward the more independent, critically acclaimed movies that defined his later career. It was the debut of Jason Schwartzman. All of those are reasons to celebrate the movie, but none are reasons why it’s on this list. It’s here because it’s an endlessly watchable slice of weirdness that holds up decades later. It’s some of the best career work of everyone referenced, and in its own offbeat way, it’s downright hysterical. 

67. South Park: Bigger, Longer, And Uncut (1999)

In 1999, with South Park at the height of its cultural powers, Matt Stone and Trey Parker took one of the biggest gambles anyone could have ever imagined. Producing the R-rated, animated musical that was South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, the pair doubled down on their uniquely dirty humor. Everything from parenting culture to Les Miserables got sent up, thanks to songs that were catchy but also not safe for work. Not every TV show survives a feature-length expansion, but South Park thrived in theaters, especially when it called the very parental uproar its release would inspire to a tee.

66. Misery (1990)

What does a creative owe to their fans? It’s a complex question that author Stephen King horrifyingly examined with his remarkable 1987 novel Misery, and three years later, director Rob Reiner adapted the work into a remarkable and unsettling film. The Oscars don’t typically support the horror genre, but Kathy Bates’ turn as Annie Wilkes was unignorable – as she remains one of the meanest villains of the ‘90s.. Though in Bates’ shadow, James Caan delivers an equally excellent turn as captive author Paul Sheldon, and the weaving of tension as he keeps his mind on options for escape is perfection.

65. Clerks (1994)

Kevin Smith famously maxed out credit cards and stretched a production budget of just $27,000 to make his first movie, 1994’s Clerks. Sure, the acting is hit or miss, and the editing isn’t perfect, but that only adds to the charm of the movie. It’s also really, really funny. It’s got some of the most quotable lines of any movie from the era, and they all shine through, despite the limitations of the budget. Clerks has become the stuff of legend in Hollywood, sparking dreams of would-be filmmakers everywhere and with good reason. 

64. Galaxy Quest (1999)

What if you found out that the fantastic adventures in your favorite sci-fi TV weren't so fake after all, such as in Galaxy Quest? Tim Allen plays a washed-up actor who, along with his former co-stars (played by Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, and more), experience their cancelled, cult favorite series for real, thanks to an alien race that believes their televised adventures are "historical documents" and are desperate for their help. The concept makes for a clever, hilarious commentary on Trekkie culture, but also manages to be just as exciting as any Star Trek episode or movie spin-off could ever be.

63. Thelma and Louise (1991)

Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis have made dozens of memorable movies, but even if they had just made Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, they’d have a space carved out for them in cinema history. It’s regarded as a keystone title in the history of feminism in film, and it makes you fall in love with the titular leads as they go on the run from the law. And it should go without saying that the final moments will forever be remembered as an indomitable moment of 1990s pop culture.

62. Primal Fear (1996)

Courtroom dramas were big in the ‘90s, and Primal Fear in 1996 is a prime example of why. Richard Gere plays the pompous attorney Martin Vail, who volunteers to represent a young Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton in his first screen role) after he is accused of brutally murdering a beloved archbishop. The movie takes an unexpected turn when Aaron is discovered to have a split personality named Roy, and the dark twist that comes to light after an explosive courtroom scene remains one of the wildest movie endings ever.

61. Home Alone (1990)

I'm pretty sure Home Alone has hit classic Christmas movie territory because you always know it's the holiday season when this movie is causing a clatter on your TV screen. Following a child accidentally left home alone during Christmas and who has to defend his home from burglars, Home Alone captures the happiness of the season while adding a bit of chaos – especially with all those serious injuries that probably would have killed Marv and Harry in the real world. It'd be a fun time even without Catherine O'Hara and John Candy's SCTV reunion, but is all the better for it.

60. Leon (The Professional) (1994)

Luc Besson seems to be motivated by big sci-fi ideas in films such as The Fifth Element, Lucy, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. On the flip side of Besson’s coin, though, are these stripped-down crime thrillers (Nikita, The Family), and none were more effective than Leon. The film heralded the arrival of young Natalie Portman, who proved she could appear convincingly as basically anything on screen. But also, Gary Oldman walks away with the picture, playing an unhinged and drug-addicted DEA agent looking to kill Portman’s character, much to the chagrin of professional hitman Jean Reno.  

59. Office Space (1999)

There’s a scene in Office Space where all the workers are assembled for an all-hands meeting. Above the boss’ head, there’s a banner printed that says Is This Good for the COMPANY? The question is underlined and COMPANY is in weird light blue font for unclear reasons. It’s somehow both utterly ridiculous and one of the most relatable things I’ve ever seen. In a way, it’s a perfect explanation for why some people, myself included, love Office Space so much. It’s one long series of hysterical if-you-know-you-know-moments, and watching other people live through and comment on that same misery feels so cathartic. 

58. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

There are few filmmakers in cinematic history who made as an audacious splash with their first feature as Quentin Tarantino, who was immediately recognized as a tremendous upstart talent following the premiere of Reservoir Dogs at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival. With its spellbinding non-linear storytelling, sharp-as-knives dialogue, and violent shocks, it is recognized as a perfect archetype of Tarantino’s strengths as a writer/director, and it is remembered for inspiring a whole generation of filmmakers and its lasting impact on genre cinema.

57. Apollo 13 (1995)

Apollo 13 may be best remembered in pop culture for the iconic line “Houston, we have a problem," but the 1995 film accumulated nine Academy Award nominations for a reason. Boasting a stacked cast that includes Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan, the movie dramatizes the true story of the failed 1970 lunar mission, and the ending sequence is no less suspenseful nearly thirty years later than it was in the ‘90s. The effects mostly stand up to this day; but even where they don’t, the performances sell the story entirely.

56. The American President (1995) 

Before Aaron Sorkin created The West Wing, he wrote The American President, which saw one of the most respected movie presidents, Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), fall for feisty environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening). Could a widowed president ever court a girlfriend in an election year? Sorkin’s snappy dialogue shows why it wouldn’t be easy, as the two become tabloid fodder, and even bigger trouble awaits when their political agendas don’t align. Both lead actors give absolutely charming performances in this 1995 political rom-com directed by Rob Reiner.

55. True Romance (1993) 

The first screenplay Quentin Tarantino ever sold in Hollywood was 1993’s True Romance, and it became an offbeat cult classic when combined with Tony Scott’s slick direction. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette are perfect as the flawed lovers and the rest of the cast, which includes Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Michael Rappaport, Val Kilmer, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Sizemore, James Gandolfini, just to name a few, are all brilliant. It’s one scene, however, between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken, that steals the whole show and deserves its own placement in cinema history.

54. Unforgiven (1992)

This might be the quintessential Clint Eastwood Western – which says a lot when you realize that the man helped to define the genre, dating all the way back to his days on television (in Gunsmoke). With Unforgiven, an older Eastwood figured out how to comment on the evolution of the Western, and reflect on the moral quandaries several cowboys faced over the course of their lawless lives. This marked the beginning of a contemplative stage of Eastwood’s career, and redefined the boundaries of the Western for storytellers that followed. 

53. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Not only is The Nightmare Before Christmas one of the best stop-motion movies of all time, but it was also a game-changer within the animation industry. The movie -- following the story of Jack Skellington turning Halloween Town into Christmas Town and trying to take over the role of Santa Claus -- has become a cultural icon. Not only is the movie celebrated during the Halloween season, but it's also become one of the best animated Christmas movies and has a wildly popular fan base – go to Disney World during Halloween and Christmas and see how popular this movie is. 

52. Natural Born Killers (1994)

Few movies in the last decade of the 20th century caused a stir quite like the big screen adventure of Mickey and Mallory Knox in Oliver Stone’s demented crime saga Natural Born Killers. Fans of the TV show Cheers got to witness a whole new side to Woody Harrelson, and he makes for one-half of an absolutely ferocious on-screen pair partnered with Juliette Lewis. Though it was only released in 1994, it is a title to point to when aiming to epitomize a certain spirit in 1990s pop culture.

51. The Rock (1994)

It is still totally bonkers to think that the mid-’90s gave us a Michael Bay action movie in which Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage got to mesh their wildly different talents. A movie that helped pencil in the blueprint for what we know as modern Bayhem, The Rock is a solid cocktail of action, comedy, and drama tied together with a surprisingly poignant message. None of that gets lost in the shuffle, either, even as the shuffle keeps viewers glued to their seats until the very last scene. You can bet this quotable, adrenaline-charged classic is still friendly with the prom queen.

50. Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Relatively few directors made great movies on their first try, and the late John Singleton did just that with 1991’s Boyz n the Hood. Set in South Central Los Angeles, the film centers on three young men, whose paths begin to diverge as they steadily approach adulthood. Singleton, who also wrote the Oscar-nominated drama, provided a nuanced look at life in a low-income neighborhood. 

In doing so, he shed light on gang violence, systemic racism, and other elements that still negatively impact many communities today. For better or worse, this well-acted and directed film is as timeless and relevant as they come.

49. The Sixth Sense (1999)

While the ending twist may have helped put the film and its director, M. Night Shyamalan, on the map near the close of the decade, The Sixth Sense is so much more than those final, incredible moments where all of the pieces fall into place (in a scene that comes after we think the story has been mostly resolved). 

What elevates The Sixth Sense to ‘90s movie greatness is the combined efforts of the stellar performances of Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, and Olivia Williams; of the music combined with the fantastic shots; of the use of the Philadelphia backdrop. Every scene taps into something dark, scary, heartbreaking or humorous, and the best go for a little bit of all of those things at once. 

48. Get Shorty (1995)

What is the best Elmore Leonard adaptation? There are many candidates that qualify for consideration, including Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, Steven Soderbergh’s Out Of Sight and the TV series Justified, but Barry Sonnenfeld’s Get Shorty is my uncontested contender for the title. 

It’s a dark, cynical, and hilarious take on the film industry where a shylock finds himself right at home in Los Angeles, and it brims with exceptional characters – from John Travolta’s Chili Palmer to Gene Hackman's skeezy producer Harry Zimm, to James Gandolfini's stuntman-turned-heavy Bear. The sequel that came out a decade later, 2005’s Be Cool, is dreadful, but that has thankfully not tainted its predecessor’s stellar legacy as one of the great “Hollywood on Hollywood” movies. 

47. The Rocketeer (1991) 

Believe it or not, The Rocketeer is a comic book movie. In the wake of the blockbuster success that was Batman, studios scrambled to get their own piece of that four-paneled pie; leading a pre-Marvel Disney to adapt Dave Stevens’ pulpy ‘30s throwback. Hoping this movie would be the studio’s answer to Bat-mania, director Joe Johnston’s picture suffered in the obscenely crowded summer of 1991. 

Over time, fate has been kinder to the Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connolly adventure, as it developed into a cult classic much like the original Tron. Even if audiences didn’t flock to it at first, the message was never lost, because the quality was always there. Best experienced with a heart full of nostalgia and courage, The Rocketeer's mere existence is worth celebrating. 

46. Audition (1999)

Few movies start off as unassuming as the psycho-horror Audition, whose first half sits among the legendarily prolific Takashi Miike’s most restrained directorial efforts. The story begins with Ryo Ishibashi’s widower Shigeharu Aoyama re-entering the dating world in the least natural way possible: via auditions with women who believe they’re vying for an acting role. 

Things progress in an almost mundane manner as Shigeharu becomes more attracted to the quiet and seemingly reserved Asami (Eihi Shiina), but with enough peeks into her home life to send red flags waving. What makes Audition a unique ‘90s treasure is when the wheels fall off for its dread-flooded final act, in which Asami teaches Shigeharu a torturous lesson in stringing women along. Don't try this at home.

45. Point Break (1991)

Comically manly, but in the best ways possible, Point Break is the 1990s encapsulated. Clean-cut FBI agent Johnny Utah (tremendous character name) loses himself undercover when he tries to infiltrate a gang of surfers (tremendous plot twist) who may be posing as former presidents of the United States and robbing banks. What an awesome plot. And what an awesome movie. 

Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze are the Yin and the Yang of Southern California cool, tapping directly into the “Brah” of it all while also delivering unforgettable action set pieces – notably, a skydiving chase without parachutes. Credit most of this to director Kathyrn Bigelow, who eventually won her Best Director Oscar for 2010’s The Hurt Locker. 

44. Clueless (1995)

We’ve seen movies put a new spin on old classics before, but rarely has the result been as entertaining as Clueless, Amy Heckerling’s take on Jane Austen’s Emma. Alicia Silverstone stars as Cher, a beautiful and rich Beverly Hills high school fashionista who decides she wants to use her popularity for the betterment of humanity. 

The 1995 coming-of-age comedy — which also stars Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd and more — still stands up today with its iconic looks and quotable dialogue (not to mention Cher’s inspiring speech comparing refugees to guests at her father’s garden party). And has there ever been a movie takedown more savage than Tai calling Cher “a virgin who can’t drive”? As if! 

43. L.A. Confidential (1997)

Once upon a time, the noir detective story was a staple of film, but fewer and fewer examples have emerged with each decade that passes. So when a movie like Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential comes around, you really begin to wonder why we don’t see more of these. 

It’s an absolutely incredible film that likely would probably be better remembered if it hadn’t come out the same year as Titanic. On top of everything else, the film introduced Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce to U.S. film audiences, and for that alone, it should be recognized, but it also won Kim Basinger an Oscar for a reason.

42. The Hunt for Red October (1990)

While The Hunt for Red October was a huge success when it hit theaters in 1990, it took years for people to see it as a classic. It’s not a flawless movie. Sean Connery, as amazing as he is, plays what appears to be a Scottish Russian, not changing his accent at all. The underwater scenes of the special effects submarines, while praised at the time, have not aged well, either. Accents aside, the actors are all superb here. 

Alec Baldwin as Jack Ryan, Tim Curry, Sam Neill, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Stellan Skarsgård, Fred Thompson, Courtney B. Vance, and everyone else are all amazing, and John McTiernan’s direction is snappy and perfectly paced. This is THE submarine movie. 

41. The Green Mile (1999)

Considered one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time, The Green Mile is a fantasy drama directed by Frank Darabont, telling the story of a wrongly convicted man and his time at a prison in the 1930s and the strange supernatural events that follow his arrival. 

I feel like The Green Mile is just one movie everyone should watch at least once. It's a classic for a reason, featuring all-time career performances from Tom Hanks, Sam Rockwell, and Michael Clarke Duncan. The Green Mile will capture your heart and crush it into a million pieces by the end – and might just make one admire the horror-driven Stephen King all the more for writing such an emotional story. If you're not ugly sobbing by the end of this, you may not be watching it right. 

40. The Truman Show (1998)

Easily considered one of Jim Carrey’s best movies, The Truman Show – which is about a man who realizes his reality isn’t real – uses its star’s signature over-the-top sense of humor and physicality to make you laugh. Then his dramatic skills come to the forefront as you take this journey with Truman, and you feel all the emotions as it becomes clear that this comedy is more of a searing satire.

Overall, this film is about Truman coming to terms with the fact that the world’s been watching him live in a simulated reality, and it gives us all an example of how exploitative social media can be. That’s why The Truman Show is not only one of the best movies of the ‘90s, but it’s also one of the more relevant films when it comes to the present. 

39. Waiting for Guffman (1996)

Waiting for Guffman is mockumentary gold. Christopher Guest and his group of comedic geniuses — Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, etc. — bring the sleepy berg of Blane, Missouri to life, with the audience watching as a motley crew of community theater actors put on a musical about their town. 

The stakes get higher when Guest's Corky St. Clair tells everyone a Broadway production house is coming, and "we may be going to Broadway." The songs are insane, the cast is unhinged, and this movie is heaven; even more so for those who are personally familiar with the madcap process of staging plays. 

38. Dazed and Confused (1993)

It’s really hard to make a comedy that stands the test of time, yet as we get older, Dazed and Confused stays the same age, er, quality. Director Richard Linklater’s love letter to his teen years in Texas transcends generations and keeps fans coming back again and again. Sure, it’s the 1970s, but teenagers (and adults) of any generation can relate. 

Of course, it also helps that so many huge stars got their first big break in the movie, including Matthew McConaughey in his first role. Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Cole Hauser, Anthony Rapp, Rory Cochrane, Nicky Katt, and the rest of the cast are amazing. Everyone can point to one character and say “I knew someone just like that in high school!”

37. The Matrix (1999)

It’s hard to put into words just how mindblowing The Matrix was when it first came out. Of course, the successive sequels somewhat diminished the franchise’s legacy as a whole, though make no mistake, the first movie is just as much of a thrill in the modern era as it was back in 1999. 

Keanu Reeves is the ultimate leading entity in the Wachowskis' game-changing mega-blockbuster, making every move look as cool as can be. Because of the filmmakers' work on this neo-classic (no pun), people will forever be cursed with the idea that everything we’re doing in life is a simulation, and that we’re all slowly and secretly being harvested in pods for energy by robotic overlords. Great movie, though.

36. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Two years after Jim Henson’s death, son Brian Henson directed arguably the only truly great Muppets release of the entire 1990s: The Muppet Christmas Carol. (Excluding the final two years of Muppet Babies.) Based on the Charles Dickens novel that has spawned countless numbers of adaptations, the holiday film is anchored on the human side by Michael Caine’s Ebenezer Scrooge, and on the felt-covered side by Kermit and Miss Piggy’s Bob and Emily Cratchit, with Gonzo as Dickens himself. 

Though it doesn’t offer any huge adjustments to the source material, the Muppets make everything twenty-fold more charming, and Statler and Waldorf’s ghostly jam “Marley and Marley” is among the best of any original Muppet tunes. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without this movie.

35. City Slickers (1991)

There are plenty of laughs to be had in Ron Underwood’s Western comedy City Slickers, and while that’s a safe bet for any of Billy Crystal’s best movies, what sets this one apart is its enormous heart. 

Crystal’s Mitch Robbins, along with pals Phil and Ed (Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, respectively) are all suffering midlife crises of sorts when they embark on a cattle drive across the Southwest. It was refreshing to see the men open up to each other about their childhoods, relationships, and what matters most in life. Jack Palance gives an Oscar-winning performance as Curly, and the $124 million it earned at the domestic box office made it one of the top 5 movies of 1991.

34. The Birdcage (1996)

Robin Williams was a brilliant comedian, a supernova of personality that could command our attention with his hysterical stream-of-conscious thoughts. But Williams, to me, truly shined bright when he downplayed his natural comedic energy to either try serious drama (Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society), or to support an equally brilliant comedic performance – as he did with Nathan Lane in The Birdcage.

While broad and flamboyant at times, The Birdcage captures the heart of a family rallying behind their beautiful son (Dan Futterman) who is getting engaged to a Conservative girl (Calista Flockhart). Williams and Lane, as an on-screen couple, are tender, touching, funny, sweet, and perfectly paired in this special gem of a film.

33. Princess Mononoke (1997)

As someone who has watched every single Hayao Miyazaki movie, there's something about Prince Mononoke that speaks deeply to my soul. While I possibly think Spirited Away is Miyazaki's best film, and I have a love for Howl's Moving Castle, this is a movie that has changed the way I view the world. 

Princess Mononoke follows the story of a young prince who discovers that the gods of the forest are upset at the humans for consuming their precious resources. While the anime film itself has breathtaking animation and a story that pulls you in; both are equally sating while leaving a desire for more. Truthfully, this is the one movie that speaks on human consumption in simple ways that everyone should be required to watch.  

32. Groundhog Day (1993)

By all accounts, the creative process behind Groundhog Day was not easy. The film was originally conceived as a darker, more philosophical movie with independent sensibilities. That’s what Bill Murray liked. Director Harold Ramis saw it as more of a good-natured and broad comedy. So they fought about it, plaguing the shoot with delays, rewrites and enough acrimony to sever their friendship for decades. 

Amidst that disharmony, or perhaps even because of that disharmony, the two comedy masters compromised and created a perfect blend of the two: a broad and funny romantic comedy that’s weird enough and dark enough to feel totally original. 

31. Scream (1996)

With A Nightmare on Elm Street and its two best sequels already under his belt (among many other frightfests), Wes Craven made horror franchise lightning strike twice with the post-modern whodunit slasher Scream, and it kept striking across two eras of sequels. Led by one of the ‘90s greatest scream queens in Neve Campbell, the 1996 classic became such a blueprint for Hollywood horror that the inciting film doesn’t feel anywhere near as novel as it did when audiences first sat down thinking they were about to watch “a Drew Barrymore movie.” 

But that opening remains chilling AF, David Arquette’s Deputy Dewey remains a loveable dork alongside Courteney Cox’s hardcore bitch Gail Weathers, and Ghostface’s pop culture-tinged massacre has only become more relevant in an ever-connected world.

30. Cape Fear (1991)

I was way too young when I watched Cape Fear for the first time. I was experienced with plenty of slasher or jump scare style horror movies and figured I’d be fine. Wrong. Cape Fear is an entirely different type of scary than what I was used to. 

With a prime Martin Scorsese at the helm and a fantastic all-in performance from Robert De Niro, it’s a relentlessly creepy and unnerving take on slow-burn vengeance. It haunted my sleep for weeks as a kid, and during an adult rewatch decades later, its themes of religion, underage sexuality, criminal justice and moral relativism were every bit as disturbing. 

29. Being John Malkovich (1999)

Being John Malkovich may not be the very best ‘90s movie, but it may very well be the strangest that still qualifies as a great time. The premise itself — that a door exists allowing others to enter the mind of another person — is odd enough, but for the person whose brain is invaded to be celebrated actor John Malkovich? 

That brilliant choice somehow gives the otherwise impossible story a slight jolt of realism, and it all comprises a cinematic experience that should not be missed. It’s also a movie full of incredible performances, as Malkovich plays a fantastic version of himself, while John Cusack and Cameron Diaz play against type about as much as possible.

28. Dave (1993)

Probably the funniest movie that uses the presidential line of succession as a plot device, Ivan Reitman’s Dave is a hilarious, charming, and oddly sentimental exploration of politics in the early 1990s. There’s just something about Kevin Kline’s portrayal of Dave Kovic that makes this movie about a presidential impersonator becoming the Commander-in-Chief so innocent and pure, especially when compared to the political climate we live in 30-plus years later. 

Whenever I revisit Dave every couple of years, it feels like opening a time capsule to the final decade of the 20th century with its optimism and promise of a better future. 

27. A League of Their Own (1992)

A League Of Their Own is too busy with meaningful character development and telling an awesome baseball story to go for jokes all the time, but on a per-attempt basis, I would put it up against almost any comedy ever made. Director Penny Marshall has a wonderful tonal sense of when her actors should play it straight, when they should add in a little humor, and when they should drunkenly pee for thirty seconds. 

The result is one of the best sports movies of all time, one that delivers all those laughs but also plays it straight enough to give viewers fantastic and relatable plots about friendship, sisterhood, and what it means to thrive and find your own space.

26. The Iron Giant (1999)

The Iron Giant is Brad Bird's heartstrings-pulling story about a young boy who befriends a massive alien robot in 1957, and it proves that a movie bombing at the box office doesn’t mean it can’t still become a cinematic classic. Though its theatrical run didn’t even make back the initial budget, thanks to its home video rollout and stellar word-of-mouth buzz, it’s now considered one of the best animated movies of all time. Rightly so, because this is one of those movies that remains timeless no matter when it’s being viewed. 

Watching Hogarth teach the Giant about life on Earth and urge him to overcome his original purpose of being a weapon never gets old. The Iron Giant remains arguably Vin Diesel’s best movie from before the Fast & Furious franchise's launch, and co-stars like Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., and Christopher McDonald also shine.

25. Toy Story 2 (1999)

I remember that Toy Story 2 was the first film that made me uncontrollably sob – like fat tears rolling down my face and having a stuffy nose for hours afterward, and I'm sure I'm not alone there. A sequel to Toy Story, which took the world by anthropomorphic storm with its industry-revolutionizing animation, the follow-up adventure was released in 1999, and follows Woody after he is accidentally sold to a toy collector. There, he meets companions from a former TV show that he had no idea about – a show all about him. (And Joan Cusack's Jessie, of course.)

The Toy Story 2 voice cast is stellar, and the animation was a huge step forward in CGI films, but the heart-wrenching story of love, friendship, and so much more is what made Toy Story 2 one of the best Pixar films out there – and yes, I still cry during, "When Somebody Loved Me."

24. Election (1999)

How did Reese Witherspoon not win an Oscar for her performance as Type-A goodie two-shoes Tracy Flick, the textbook overachiever who bites off more than she can chew by running for student government president? It’s possible that we have come to realize that Witherspoon might just BE Tracy Flick in real life. 

But at the time, she was a tornado of talent matching Matthew Broderick beat for beat, bringing to life the sharp school-set satire in director Alexander Payne’s screenplay. Election has as much to say about the greed and immaturity powering politics many years after its release – at every level – as it did back in 1999, which is yet another reason why it remains special.

23. Magnolia (1999)

While not the highest-ranked Paul Thomas Anderson film on this list, Magnolia is a film to be marveled at for its phenomenal ambition. The Los Angeles-based epic juggles the stories of nearly a dozen protagonists who are not only dealing with a wide variety of personal conflicts and demons but are all linked to one another in the stunning cinematic tapestry. 

As the hyper-misogynist motivational speaker Frank T.J. Mackey, Tom Cruise delivers one of his most brilliant turns, and Julianne Moore’s pharmacy monologue is flooring, but the reality is that every member of the ensemble – including Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, and many more – deliver some of the best work of their respective careers. Further considering the frogs and the stunning performance of Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up,” it’s indelible cinema.

22. Tombstone (1993)

I don’t think you could ask for a more star-studded cast for any genre of film, much less a Western. 1993’s Tombstone is blessed by a top-notch cast including Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, the late Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Stephen Lang, the late Powers Boothe, Thomas Haden Church, Michael Rooker, Charlton Heston, and many more, making it an instant classic in the Western genre. 

The story behind how this film came to be, along with many behind-the-scenes facts, is bizarre enough, but the struggles resulted in one of the best cowboy films of all time. And one that has stood the test of time against a similar movie released around the same time, Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp.  

21. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, and decades later, it’s still clear that was the right call. The movie is beautiful, with early computer animation enhancing some of the most visually stunning hand-drawn shots in the medium’s history. It also has one of the best soundtracks of any Disney musical, if not any musical, full stop. This is Howard Ashman’s greatest achievement as a songwriter. 

But beyond even that, the two title characters are about as three-dimensional as any animated characters ever were. It may be a tale as old as time, but Beauty and the Beast is one the audience gets wrapped up in from the first notes to the last. It’s the definition of Disney magic.

20. The Usual Suspects (1995)

No one saw the twist ending coming. Trust me. No one. It caught audiences off guard completely, exactly the way it crashed down like a ton of bricks on Chazz Palminteri's cop. He finally understood who Keyser Soze was, and we all rushed right back into theaters to watch the puzzle snap into place all over again. 

But The Usual Suspects is more than just its “dropped shoe,” miraculous as that reveal is. The cast of colorful criminals assembled by director Bryan Singer played off of each other wonderfully, with many of them defaulting to the natural leader in Gabriel Byrne, but still finding ways to steal the spotlight every now and then. (Benicio Del Toro mumbling under his breath in the jail lineup belongs in the conversation of funniest five-minute performances, ever). As twisty crime thrillers go, few are tighter and more entertaining than this.

19. Boogie Nights (1997)

Introductions can make or break anything in this world. Careers, reputations, even the flow of a movie can be bungled if you don’t know how to open. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson must have known that when he made Boogie Nights, because when he introduced that picture to the world, he gave himself one hell of a calling card. 

Following young Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) in his journey through the underground of porn films, we see a man still growing up in an industry that feels as young as he is. An ensemble drama boasting the likes of Don Cheadle, Julianne Moore, Heather Graham, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Boogie Nights is a cautionary tale with style and tension to burn. Good luck ever listening to “Sister Christian” without having flashbacks to this big, bright, shining star that still manages to break hearts and crack jokes with everyone it meets.

18. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Good Will Hunting is one of those films that changes you forever once you watch it. Starring Matt Damon and Robin Williams, the drama follows a young janitor at MIT who's discovered to be a secret math genius. The premise itself isn't as catchy as some of the other big-time blockbusters of the 1990s, without aliens, robots or crazy action fights, but Good Will Hunting is a film that leaves its message imprinted on audiences long after the credits roll. 

A story of perseverance, hope, and so much more, this movie gave movie fans one of Robin Williams's best roles and catapulted the careers of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. (You gotta like them apples.) This kind of film teaches you that sometimes, the people you meet turn you into your best self, so we just have to be fearless enough to go out there and find them. 

17. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Anthony Hopkins is fantastic in The Silence Of The Lambs, and every positive thing you’ve ever heard about his performance is deserved and probably an understatement. He’s that engrossing, but with all due respect, The Silence Of The Lambs isn’t his movie. It’s Jodie Foster’s movie, hingeing on her career-best performance here as Clarice Starling, which just gets better with every rewatch. 

Foster finds the perfect balance between uncertain and determined. She lets her FBI trainee lead character feel the weight of every obstacle, whether it be sexism, personal loss or physical danger, and then she pushes forward. With relentless determination, she just keeps going and that one step at a time, careful momentum gives the film its narrative structure and allows director Ted Demme to create one of the 90s best and most memorable movies.

16. Fargo (1996)

Joel and Ethan Coen have crafted films both stoically grounded and ludicrously fantastical in their long and storied careers, with Fargo possibly the one straddling both of those lines with the greatest of ease. The faux-kidnapping-gone-wrong and the ensuing investigation are smart story beats, and were enough to win the Coens the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, if fairly rote for the genre in general. But it’s the cast, the Minnesota location, and the singular nature of being a snow-white noir that make Fargo one of the greatest films of the decade. 

The always affable William H. Macy is aces as a man being eaten alive by guilt, opposite the gosh-darn excellent police skills of Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson, with Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare as the pair of amoral criminals making everyone’s lives (and deaths) worse. Fargo is a chilling masterpiece, and it’s got nothing to do with the weather. 

15. My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Even though one of my colleagues claims her testimony was incorrect in the film, I will still stand before the court and argue that Marisa Tomei, Joe Pesci, and their cast of supporting characters make My Cousin Vinny guilty as hell of being one of the best comedies of all time.

The film is widely used in an educational capacity to showcase one of the few times that a court case is mostly portrayed accurately through a film, and to be honest, the wordplay coupled with the main character/judge dynamic is something to write home about.

14. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

For years, veterans would be the first to say that cinema's depiction of combat — especially that of World War II — is a cakewalk compared to the real thing. Because few films offered a truly accurate portrayal of the hellish, soul-crushing conditions soldiers faced, at least before the release of Saving Private Ryan.

This story of a U.S. military captain (played by Tom Hanks) tasked with leading his crew on a mission to bring a family's last living son home is easily one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies (the second to earn him a Best Director Oscar) and is widely considered to have been unjustly robbed of the Best Picture honor (which went to Shakespeare in Love that year). From the landmark D-Day sequence to the heartbreaking final act and every unforgettable moment in between, it is one of the harshest films you could ever experience, but the passion and craftsmanship put into makes for a grand reward. 

13. The Big Lebowski (1998)

I’m a Lebowski, you’re a Lebowski, we’re all Lebowskis who love the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski, even if its massive fandom wasn’t automatic. It was only a moderate success in the spring of 1998 when it sauntered into theaters on the heels of the Coen’s winning their first writing Oscar for Fargo a year earlier. Reviews at the time were middling, as was the audience reaction. 

Then, over the next couple of years, The Big Lebowski turned into a bonafide cult craze. Pages have been written about its status as such, but too often overlooked is what makes the movie so lovable. It’s quotable, it’s silly, and the plot is the ultimate shaggy dog story with a ridiculous McGuffin — the Dude’s rug — but as it goes for the Dude’s living room, the whole movie ties together just brilliantly. It’s world-class storytelling and the performances from Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and the rest of the cast are perfect.  

12. Schindler's List (1993)

Sometimes what makes a movie from a particular era great is how it represents its time, but some movies would be considered an important work of art in any decade. Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List is one of those that transcends eras. The film is great in all the traditional ways: Liam Neeson gives a career-making performance as Oskar Schindler, an Industrialist who saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during World War II. The supporting performances are equally strong. It’s beautifully filmed. 

But beyond that, Schindler’s List is an important movie, offering audiences a sobering look at the tragic events of World War II through a character based on a real-life survivor that many were not even aware of before the movie's release. Schindler’s List is one of those movies that you don’t forget after having seen it, and it may be Steven Spielberg’s greatest achievement.

11. Toy Story (1995)

More than 25 years after moviegoers were first introduced to Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Bo Peep, and the rest of Andy’s collection, it can be easy to forget just how big the impact John Lasseter’s Toy Story had when it hit theaters in 1995. It’s the film that put Pixar on the map, and while it sadly helped kickstart the downfall of hand-drawn animation in lieu of CGI, it also paved the way for three of the greatest Hollywood sequels to ever be produced. Tom Hanks’ Woody and Tim Allen’s Buzz are an all-time great animated duo, sharing hallowed space with Bugs & Daffy and Tom & Jerry, though obviously with a lot more heart than what short-form characters are allowed.

The Toy Story franchise hinges a lot on childhood memories, nostalgia, and maintaining a sense of fun in life as one gets older, and this first film delivers the most distilled take on that idea, with Andy still attached in some way to his inner child. Life, as it were, gets way more depressing for the toys as he gets older, which perhaps is why Toy Story rewatches are all the more enjoyable in comparison.

10. Philadelphia (1993)

 Philadelphia is not only a well-made movie, but is first and foremost an important movie. LQBTQ+ rights were non-existent at the time, as the movie highlights and one cannot discount the role this movie, directed by Jonathan Demme, had in awakening the general public not only to the plight gay people faced at the time but the discrimination people with HIV/AIDS faced as well when it was released in 1993. Tom Hanks’ portrayal of a gay man with AIDS who is fired from his job won the actor his first Oscar and for good reason, he’s amazing. Equally amazing is Denzel Washington, who plays Hanks’ character’s (Andrew Beckett) lawyer, Joe Miller. 

Miller, like most people in 1993 when Philadelphia was released, is scared of Beckett and AIDS, because he, like many, didn’t understand it. It’s Miller’s reaction that resonates with audiences. After watching Beckett get asked to move to a “private room” at a library, Miller realizes the discrimination is similar to that faced by African-Americans in the United States, and by the end of the film, he touches Beckett’s lesion-covered face, after learning the truth about AIDS. It’s a powerful moment that still reverberates today. 

9. Fight Club (1999)

So many “futuristic” sci-fi movies from years past have failed to successfully depict modern society and behavior, but David Fincher’s Fight Club now feels it was adapted from some of Nostradamus’ naughtier quatrains, instead of Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel. Seemingly both a love letter to, and a cautionary tale about, nihilistic anti-consumerism and anarchy, Fight Club features one of cinema’s most convoluted love triangles in Edward Norton’s spine-lacking unnamed narrator, Brad Pitt’s ultra-male Tyler Durden, and Helena Bonham Carter’s impulsively erratic Marla Singer. A demented character study in part, the movie oozes testosterone both before and after the titular underground brawls come together, and maybe even oozes a bit of estrogen when Meat Loaf’s Bob is around. 

For all of the smart and discussion-worthy topics that are tackled with face-pounding glee, Fight Club is, unfortunately, the kind of movie whose natural sheen has been somewhat tarnished by a fanbase who lost the point of the satire, but still holds so many visual and verbal treasures for those outside such bubbles. Especially for any new viewers who manage to go into it without knowing what kicks off the final act. It’s hard to think of a ‘90s movie with a more story-heightening ending, and The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” remains an inarguably perfect needle drop.  

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pulp Fiction changed the rules of Hollywood moviemaking. That’s no exaggeration. Before Quentin Tarantino fired a shotgun blast through the screen with his nonlinear gangster picture, there was a chasm separating big-budgeted studio films and independent cinema that usually thrived on the film festival circuit before making its way to art house theaters. In the years following Pulp Fiction, studios, actors and audiences chased talent and inspiration, wherever it could be found. 

The irony of Pulp Fiction blazing so many trails is that the movie itself is a pastiche of well-worn genres that Tarantino pored over while working the counter of a video shop. He’s paying homage to countless, gratuitous stories that had come before it. Only, Pulp Fiction built on the buzz created with Reservoir Dogs to attract a constellation of stars: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Christopher Walken, Ving Rhames, and Bruce Willis. Pulp Fiction remains one of the best scripts you will ever read, crisscrossing itself at various intersections and packing repeated surprises (usually of the violent nature). But it was Tarantino’s powerful voice, and his use of soundtrack, that had clones copying his style for decades… and still, to this day.  

7. Jurassic Park (1993)

Anticipation for Jurassic Park began years before its release in the summer of 1993. Michael Crighton sold the rights to the film before he finished the book and because Steven Spielberg was the director who acquired it, the hype started early. Then, in June 1993, it finally hit theaters and was an absolute cultural sensation. Critics loved it, praising the unbelievable special effects and realism of the dinosaurs. Speilberg and the team at ILM broke so much new ground in creating the creatures that it changed how movies were made. Audiences loved it even more and showed up at theaters in hordes. Jurassic Park broke every box record there was to break. It had the biggest opening day, the biggest opening weekend, and finally, it became the highest-grossing movie of all time.

Jurassic Park also earned a slew of awards, mostly for its technical achievements, but that doesn’t mean the acting performances were bad, they were fantastic. Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Sir Richard Attenborough are all perfect in their roles. Finally, there’s the score by John Williams, which remains one of the most iconic of all time. 

6. Se7en (1995)

The film that rescued David Fincher’s career from the stench of Alien 3, and proved that the versatile music director could apply his grungy, moody, techno-acid style to a feature-length nightmare. It’s easy to say now that Fincher was destined to be a contemporary, visionary genius of a filmmaker. But prior to The Social Network, Zodiac, and Fight Club, we needed to see some evidence. Consider this disturbing plunge into the moral sewers to be Exhibit A in the case for Fincher’s mastery. 

Se7en is routine in many ways. It’s set in a rainy and nondescript city, which feels like San Francisco but could be anywhere. It follows odd-couple cops (Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt) tracking a mysterious serial killer who cunningly stays one step ahead of them. But the performances are remarkable, including Gwyneth Paltrow as Pitt’s loving and innocent newlywed, plucked and moved to the grimy city so her husband can do his job. The film’s riveting conclusion – which benefits from the icy calm delivery of Kevin Spacey as John Doe – elevated Se7en above most others in the genre. Now, when someone asks, “What’s in the box?” you don’t have to say, “Gwyneth’s head.” Just tell them the box contains an unforgettable masterpiece. 

5. Heat (1995)

Look at just about every list breaking down the best heist films ever made and the movie you’re probably going to see the most is Michael Mann’s 1995 crime epic, Heat. With some of the most iconic (and loudest) robbery and shoot-out sequences, the first on-screen pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro (both were in The Godfather Part II but appeared in different timelines), and an incredible cat-and-mouse story that uses Los Angeles as a backdrop better than any other film, there’s so much to love about this legendary film.

On top of all of that, Heat has become one of the most influential films of all time in the nearly 30 years since its theatrical release. Watch movies like The Town, Widows, and even The Dark Knight, and you’ll see how Mann’s thriller was so influential. Hell, even the Grand Theft Auto franchise has taken aspects of the movie to create some of the most action-packed video game moments of all time.  

4. The Lion King (1994)

1994’s The Lion King is perhaps the most effective entry in the Disney Renaissance era when it comes to combining gorgeous animation, original songs, and a story that continues to pack a punch decades later. As the coming-of-age story for cub-turned-king Simba, the film delivers arguably the most famous Disney death with the demise of Mufasa, and Scar’s villain song is both incredibly catchy and incredibly chilling. Aladdin lyricist Tim Rice joined forces with Elton John for the songs, while Hans Zimmer composed the score, earning The Lion King an Academy Award for Best Original Score, while “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” won for Best Original Song.

The Lion King was a massive commercial hit, becoming the highest-grossing traditionally animated film and holding that record to this day. The original movie also has a legacy that has extended to two TV shows, two direct-to-video sequels, and the 2019 CGI remake that was massively successful for Disney, although divisive among fans of the original animated version. Plus, there’s a generation of adults who learned about coups and succession crises thanks to Mufasa, Scar, and Simba back in the ‘90s. What’s not to roar with love about? 

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Taking what he learned from making The Terminator and the two movies that followed (Aliens and The Abyss), James Cameron gave audiences not just a sequel in July 1991, but a game-changer of a film that completely rewrote the summer blockbuster and the action genre as we know it. While The Terminator was a small-scale sci-fi thriller about a futuristic cyborg sent back in time to kill a waitress before she could give birth to humanity’s last hope against extinction, T2 was a massive epic with numerous iconic action sequences and CGI that still holds up decades later.

The movie also gave us one of the best on-screen heroes with Arnold Schwarnegger’s T-800, a reprogrammed Terminator sent back not to kill John Connor but to protect him from the more advanced and more lethal T-1000, a character that remains an all-time villain. It is hard to imagine a timeline where Terminator 2: Judgment Day doesn’t exist, but luckily that’s a reality we don’t have to experience. 

2. Goodfellas (1990)

Of everything that Goodfellas is in part — a mobster saga, a crime drama, an ensemble biopic, etc. — it can’t properly be boxed into such a limited description, though it’s certainly safer to use fewer words when the Gambino crime family’s around, lest Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito lose his temper. Based on reporter (and eventual co-screenwriter) Nicholas Pileggi’s 1985 Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family, the film rides on the back of Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill, whose idea of the American Dream is to be living it up as a made man, but realizes over and over again how hard such a goal is to attain when everyone else around is just as hungry and ruthless. 

In many ways, it’s a perfect counterbalance to The Godfather saga, sharing similarities such as memorable food scenes and a stacked cast (with some mutual actors like Robert De Niro and Frank Sivero). But unlike Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpieces, Goodfellas was far less successful at the Oscars, with only Pesci taking home the gold, despite plenty of accolades earned elsewhere. Like much of Scorsese’s work, it’s only become more appreciated with time, and easily stands out as one of the best movies not just of the ‘90s, but of any era. 

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

“Get busy living, or get busy dying” may be the better remembered quote from Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption, but it’s the line that Red (Morgan Freeman) says in the final moments of the film that sums up the heart and soul of this story. Not only is The Shawshank Redemption our #1 pick for the best ‘90s movies, but it’s also easily one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King story – in this case, the novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.

The movie follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker who’s wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, and sent to prison. For a movie that doesn’t shy away from the brutality this character experiences throughout his years behind bars – both at the hands of some of his fellow inmates, and the warden and guards – The Shawshank Redemption never loses sight of that ultimate message of hope – the thing that Andy clings to every step of the way. It’s there in the friendships he makes, and in the moments of happiness Andy manages to find. And it’s there in the final words Red says in the closing narration: “I hope.” 

Some filmmakers require time to find their voice. They have to make a few simply "ok" features before having the skills required to make their masterpiece. But that's not the case with the directors featured on this list. These folks quickly figured out what they could do with a camera, and they produced magic with their first feature.

It's a terribly hard thing to do, but here are 32 directors who made great films on their very first try.

Orson Welles – Citizen Kane

A lot of incredible films are highlighted on this list, but Citizen Kane is special given that in addition to being Orson Welles’ first feature, it’s considered by many to be the greatest movie all time. The hunt for the meaning behind a publishing titan’s last word is endlessly compelling and a fascinating examination of the soul corruption that comes with a rise to power.

Quentin Tarantino – Reservoir Dogs

Before making modern and instant classics like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, the legend of Quentin Tarantino began with the phenomenal Reservoir Dogs. The sharp dialogue, the non-linear storytelling, the tense violence and the needle-drop centric soundtrack all instantly confirmed that Tarantino was a talent to watch.

Jordan Peele – Get Out

It came as a shock when comedian Jordan Peele announced that he was shifting to a new phase of his career, as he wanted to pursue his true passion: directing horror movies. It was hard to know what to make of the decision at the time, but Peele has since established himself as one of the industry’s greatest genre filmmakers, and it all started with the stunning Get Out. It’s scary, layered, and the big third act twist never loses its impact.

Spike Jonze – Being John Malkovich

Spike Jonze wasn’t exactly inexperienced when he took the helm of Being John Malkovich as his first feature, as he had established himself as a genius talent in the world of music videos, but that doesn’t take anything away from his accomplishments. It’s a wild, strange, and perfect execution of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s genius and cerebral script, and both the design and cinematography make it unforgettable.

Sidney Lumet – 12 Angry Men

It requires incredible skill to direct a film that almost entirely takes place in a single room and juggles 12 different characters with different perspectives… but there’s a reason why Sidney Lumet is considered one of history’s greatest filmmakers. The basic description of 12 Angry Men doesn’t sound particularly cinematic, but it grips you from the start, and keeps you fascinated throughout – particularly thanks to one of Henry Fonda’s greatest performances.

Joel & Ethan Coen – Blood Simple

Joel and Ethan Coen are masters of crime fiction, and they proved that instantly in the start of their careers as feature filmmakers. Blood Simple is a tense neo-noir that comes with all of the trimmings of the genre – from the chiaroscuro lighting to a brilliant femme fatale turn from Frances McDormand – and M. Emmett Walsh is a force as the relentless Loren Visser.

Rob Reiner – This Is Spinal Tap

Few filmmakers have had runs like what Rob Reiner accomplished in the 1980s/1990s, sequentially making Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men, but his genius as a director was first established with 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap: a hilarious rock n’ roll mockumentary widely considered to be one of the greatest comedies of all time.

Sam Raimi – The Evil Dead

In the late 1970s/early 1980s, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell were college students determined to make their first ever feature, and traveled from Michigan to a dilapidated cabin in Tennessee to make The Evil Dead. The production of the film was an absolute nightmare, but the juice was very much worth the squeeze, as the movie exists as a testament to brilliant imagination, and it is an important classic in the history of the horror genre.

Frank Darabont – The Shawshank Redemption

After writing a brilliant adaptation of Stephen King’s novella “Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption,” Frank Darabont actually took a major pay cut so that Castle Rock Entertainment would allow him to make The Shawshank Redemption his directorial debut. This turned out to be a legendary move that has cemented Darabont in cinematic history, as the movie is one of the most beloved of all time and an antidote to cynicism.

John Singleton - Boyz n The Hood

With his directorial debut, John Singleton captured the perspective of an underrepresented audience on the big screen – crafting a Stand By Me-esque coming-of-age story about life in south central Los Angeles. In one of his earliest roles, Cuba Gooding Jr. demonstrates incredible talent alongside Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut, but it’s Laurence Fishburne’s Furious Styles for which the film will always be remembered.

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

Emerald Fennell made quite an impression in 2020 with the debut of Promising Young Woman – a primal scream of a movie that captures the horrors that women experience in our modern world and comes together as a darkly comedic revenge thriller. Carey Mulligan’s performance is wicked, and it sports a finale that leaves the audience breathless and mind-blown.

Dan Gilroy – Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal is unquestionably one of the greatest actors of his generation, and Nightcrawler sees him let off the leash to showcase his phenomenal cinematic presence. Dan Gilroy was an experienced screenwriter prior to making his directorial debut, and one can understand why he wanted to make this movie himself: it’s a vicious, Taxi Driver-esque look at crime scene videography and a stunning and cutting commentary on “if it bleeds, it leads” culture in local journalism.

George A. Romero – Night Of The Living Dead

There aren’t exactly a lot of filmmakers who successfully launched an entire new subgenre with their first feature, but that’s exactly what George A. Romero did with Night Of The Living Dead. The zombie film was a shocking standout upon its original release – featuring a Black actor as its lead and a series of nightmarish scenes of horror – and its genius is no less apparent today.

Rian Johnson – Brick

Long before wowing us with his ensemble-driven Benoit Blanc mysteries Knives Out and Glass Onion, Rian Johnson stunned cinephiles as a first-time director with Brick. It’s a stylized neo-noir that stands out with its high school backdrop and young characters, and it dazzles with unyielding tension, unique dialogue, and a terrific third act reveal.

Tom Hanks – That Thing You Do!

Admit it: even just seeing the title of That Thing You Do! has immediately gotten the eponymous song stuck in your head. But on top of that track being two minutes and 50 seconds of peppy greatness, the film is a fantastic tale about a one hit wonder that pops thanks to Tom Hanks’ excellent direction and a delightful ensemble cast.

David Lynch – Eraserhead

It didn’t take long for David Lynch to tell cinephiles what he is all about. The auteur filmmaker established his nightmarish, cerebral sensibilities from the get-go with Eraserhead – which is a confident work from the first time director and paved the road for further masterpieces like Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks.

Amy Heckerling – Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Amy Heckerling would easily be in the Coming-Of-Age Movie Hall Of Fame if Clueless were the only film on her filmography, but it was 13 years earlier that she made one of the genre’s all-time greatest titles as her directorial debut: Fast Times At Ridgemont High. There is so much to love about this film, from the radical Jeff Spicoli, to the drama of the relationship between Stacy and Mark, to the sounds of The Cars’ “Living In Stereo.”

Destin Daniel Cretton – Short Term 12

It’s a remarkable thing when a film, a series of images mixed with sound rapidly displayed to show movement, can touch your soul, but that’s something that Destin Daniel Cretton’s powerful directorial debut does – centering on the staff of a residential treatment facility. In retrospect, the ensemble cast in this one is beyond outstanding (including Brie Larson, Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, LaKeith Stanfield, and Stephanie Beatriz), and their talents are on full display.

Patty Jenkins – Monster

Patty Jenkins’ directorial debut, Monster, is far from a fun cinematic experience, and one actually feels compelled to take a shower after watching it, but it’s a riveting work. Charlize Theron delivers what is arguably the best performance of her career and earned her Academy Award.

Josh & Benny Safdie - Good Time

Cinephiles were thrilled to discover the cinematic heart attack that is Josh and Benny Safdie’s Uncut Gems in 2019, but anyone who watched the brothers’ directorial debut was at the very least mentally prepared for the experience. Starring Robert Pattinson, Good Time is a deeply stressful crime film that comes packed with touches of Of Mice And Men, and it leaves a deep impression on whoever watches it.

Darren Aronofsky – Pi

Darren Aronofsky has a gift for making movies that makes you want to curl up in a ball and cry (see: Requiem For A Dream, Black Swan, mother!), and it’s a mode he hasn’t diverted from since making his feature debut with Pi. It’s a stylistic story of obsession and has one of the most upsetting endings of all time.

John Huston - The Maltese Falcon

There are some films that are held up as the true classics of classic film noir, and right alongside Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Bill Wilder’s Double Indemnity and Carol Reed’s The Third Man is John Huston’s phenomenal The Maltese Falcon. Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade is an icon of detective fiction, and the twists and turns of the mystery feel as fresh today as ever.

Ari Aster - Hereditary

Ari Aster has quickly become one of the most exciting modern filmmakers making original horror, and that’s in part because audiences are still experiencing nightmares from his directorial debut. A look at both generational trauma and grief, Hereditary is a movie so scary that it would make you feel cold if you were in the middle of the desert, and has more than a few images that end up tattooed on the back of your eyelids as you try to go to sleep at night.

Michael Mann - Thief

Nobody makes crime movies like Michael Mann, and it all started with Thief. It’s a thrilling and captivating look at a talented Chicago criminal who is looking for his way into legitimacy and finds himself fighting forces that try and drag him back into his shady business. The movie features one of James Caan’s best performances, and the talented ensemble includes Jim Belishi, Dennis Farina and Willie Nelson.

Francois Truffaut - The 400 Blows

Valued as an important part of cinema history and the French New Wave, Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows is a powerful coming-of-age story starring Jean-Pierre Léaud as Antoine Doinel, a troubled youth who ends up quitting school and turning to thievery, only to be apprehended and thrown in a juvenile detention center. Truffaut is recognized for having created some of the most beautiful films to ever be produced in France, and it all started here.

Jean Luc Goddard - Breathless

Another evocative title that emerged from the French New Wave, Jean Luc Goddard’s Breathless is a visually stunning work of crime and love, with tremendous cinematic innovation, attitude that bleeds off the screen, and an outstanding performance from star Jean-Paul Belmondo in his breakout role.

Barry Jenkins – Medicine For Melancholy

Barry Jenkins first earned widespread acclaim in 2016 for his film Moonlight (which deservingly won Best Picture at the Academy Awards), but not to be slept on is the debut feature he made eight years earlier: Medicine For Melancholy. Starring Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins and set over the course of a single day, it’s a beautiful and emotional romantic drama.

Steven Soderbergh - Sex, Lies, And Videotape

Steven Soderbergh is now recognized as one of the most talented, eclectic filmmakers in cinema, but it all started with Sex, Lies And Videotape – a fascinating romantic drama with brilliant meta levels examining intimacy via camera.

George Miller – Mad Max

Many genre classics have been covered in this list, and now it’s time to dive into one of the greatest action/adventure films of all time. With Mad Max, George Miller takes us to an unnerving not-to-distant future full of violence and chaos, and his unique skills as a filmmaker capturing all that wildness all in camera is what makes this a forever-thrilling experience.

Damien Chazelle – Whiplash

One can read and learn that there is intense competition in performance arts schools, but it’s another thing to live it – and that’s what audiences get to do in Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash. Miles Teller is brilliant as the determined and talented Andrew Neiman, but it’s the Oscar-winning work of J.K. Simmons that makes this outstanding directorial debut exceptional.

Mel Brooks – The Producers

Every legendary cinematic run has to start somewhere, and for Mel Brooks, it was with the brilliance of The Producers. Long before he was shocking with the world with Blazing Saddles and History Of The World Part I, the brilliant comedian unleashed his tale of a Broadway scheme and the insanity of “Springtime For Hitler.”

Jim Abrahams, David Zucker And Jerry Zucker – Airplane!

In the 1980s/1990s, nobody made spoof movies like Jim Abrahams, David Zucker And Jerry Zucker, and they quickly established their special comedic voice with their directorial debut: Airplane! The insane pacing of the jokes and the sheer ridiculousness of everything make this a movie that threatens to choke you with laughter, and there are so, so many quotable lines – many thanks to the deadpan brilliance of Leslie Nielsen.

This list obviously has the potential to grow forever, and it'll be exciting to see who the next big breakout movie directors are. 

If you’re into movies like I am, then you’ve undoubtedly seen a ton of excellent films by great directors like Quentin Tarantino, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, etc. Not only do I love to watch films from all over the world, I also love to watch a director’s entire oeuvre, which is how I’ve seen all 6 George Lucas movies, and every Peter Jackson movie. Here’s what I’ve learned by watching the entire filmography of so many directors: Some of them make a truly great movie on their very first try. 

Now, that’s not to say that they didn’t experiment with smaller projects before their first feature length film, as even Paul Thomas Anderson cut his teeth on the short film Cigarettes and Coffee before he directed Hard Eight. But, when it comes to a first feature length film, some directors just somehow nail it, which often guides the trajectory of their entire careers. So, here are 16 such directors who undoubtedly got it right on their very first feature length film.  

Quentin Tarantino - Reservoir Dogs (1992) 

Here’s what’s interesting about Reservoir Dogs. If Tarantino’s first movie was Pulp Fiction, and Reservoir Dogs was actually his last movie, it might feel smaller in scale, sure, but I also think it would still feel like a fitting swansong to an incredible career. That’s how amazing Reservoir Dogs is. It’s so good, I could see him making it today. 

But, it was his first film, and it totally made him explode onto the scene back in the early ‘90s. He would, of course, go on to make Pulp Fiction (his best movie), Inglorious Basterds, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and many others, but Tarantino’s mark was already made with Reservoir Dogs, and it’s still legendary today.     

Robert Rodriguez - El Mariachi (1992) 

The first (and I would argue best) in Rodriguez’s Mexico Trilogy, which also contains Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, is said to have only cost $7,000 U.S. dollars to make. It’s about a guitar player who manages to get targeted because of mistaken identity, and he has to take up arms if he wants to live. 

Robert Rodriguez has had an interesting career, jumping back and forth between mature, R-rated films like Sin City and Machete, and kid-friendly stuff like Spy Kids and the hit We Can Be Heroes. That said, it was El Mariachi and its unassuming badassness that got him onto the scene, and it’s still awesome to this day. He’s still awesome to this day, no question.  

Kevin Smith - Clerks (1994) 

There's a reason why Kevin Smith keeps coming back to Clerks, what with the upcoming Clerks 3, and that's because his first movie might just be his very best film ever. The story of a clerk named Dante who shouldn't even be at work today, seems like it has nothing to say and yet everything to say at the same time. Plus, it's all in glorious black and white. 

Kevin Smith's known for movies like Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Red State, and those movies are great and all, but I think most would agree that Smith found his voice with his very first film, and he's mostly kept that voice for the entirety of his career. I'm not complaining.   

Patty Jenkins - Monster (2003) 

Nowadays, Patty Jenkins is most known for bringing Wonder Woman to the big screen, and her future resides in Star Wars with her upcoming movie, Rogue Squadron. But, arguably more interesting is Patty Jenkins' first movie, Monster, which is about the real life serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, played by Charlize Theron, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance.  

How good was this movie? Well, Roger Ebert called Monster the best film of 2002, and he proclaimed that Charlize Theron's performance was one of the greatest that he’d ever seen. Not bad for a director's debut picture.  

Jordan Peele - Get Out (2017) 

Before Get Out, Jordan Peele was probably most known as the other half of Key & Peele. But, after Get Out, I’m pretty sure everybody knew who he was as a single entity, as the talented director/writer/actor exploded onto the scene with the movie that many consider the true Best Picture of 2017.  

Now, every new movie he makes is an event. Us was a creepy doppelganger film, and his next project, Nope, is shrouded in mystery, but still highly anticipated. All that white hot anticipation is all due to Get Out, which single-handedly turned this comedian into one of the most important voices in horror today.    

Steven Spielberg - Duel (1971) 

Steven Spielberg was only 24 when he directed his first feature length film, Duel, and the rest is history. Duel has a simple premise - a guy (Dennis Weaver) is terrorized by an unseen truck driver for 80 minutes, and that’s it.  

But, Spielberg, who has made some of the best movies of all time, just nailed it with Duel. The whole film is taut and unsettling, and it’s little wonder why many people pegged Spielberg as a wunderkind all the way back in the early ‘70s. He certainly was!   

Orson Welles - Citizen Kane (1941) 

The year is 2022, and some people are still saying that Orson Welles got robbed when Citizen Kane lost Best Picture to How Green Was My Valley back at the 1942 Oscars. This actually makes sense, because some critics call Citizen Kane the greatest movie of all time. Not bad for a young man's very first feature film. 

In fact, even though Welles directed other great films like The Magnificent Ambersons, and Touch of Evil, he will forever be known as the man who directed quite possibly the greatest film of all time. On his very first try, no less. Unbelievable.  

Sidney Lumet - 12 Angry Men (1957) 

Even though Sidney Lumet directed a little over 40 films, and serious classics including Network, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Verdict, it might be his first movie, the Academy Award-nominated 12 Angry Men, that might be his most accessible and enjoyable work in his filmography. 

Adapted from a teleplay of the same name, 12 Angry Men is spectacular for many reasons, one being the acting, but two being the pacing, which never lets up. In fact, quick pacing and stellar acting is emblematic of a lot of Lumet's movies, and he had it down pat with his very first film. Lumet was a legend.  

Sophia Coppola - The Virgin Suicides (1999) 

Based on the novel of the same name, The Virgin Suicides is about five sisters (one played by Kirsten Dunst) who are closely monitored after the youngest sister attempts suicide. It’s a drama, to be certain, but there is also an undercurrent of dark humor that kind of creates an almost unsettling quality to an already pretty dark story. 

This “unsettling quality” would show up in Coppola’s later films, like Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and especially, The Beguiled. Still, if I were to jumble up all of those movies and throw The Virgin Suicides into the mix, then most people likely wouldn’t be able to tell which is her debut picture, since they’re all the marks of a professional.  

Ridley Scott - The Duelists (1977) 

Ridley Scott is probably most known for movies like Alien, Blade Runner, and the Best Picture-winning Gladiator, but his debut, The Duelists, starring Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine as warring soldiers who duel each other for decades, was already the mark of master director. 

It’s so good that one of his most recent films, The Last Duel, kind of feels similar in tone and direction. The budget is much higher for The Last Duel, but the acting, pacing, and direction in The Duelists is just as good as it is in the recent film, which is astounding to say the very least.  

Alejandro González Iñárritu - Amores Perros (2000)

The first part of the “Trilogy of Death” (with 21 Grams and Babel), Amores Perros, which roughly translates to "love’s a bitch," slammed into audiences like a car crash with this interesting narrative that connects three separate people to an automobile accident. 

Alejandro González Iñárritu would later go on to direct one of my favorite movies ever in Birdman, but a lot of the electric filmmaking that made that movie so great, was even evident in Amores Perros, which shocks and breaks your heart, sometimes in the very same scene. 

Sam Raimi - The Evil Dead (1981) 

Sam Raimi's come a long way since his debut picture, The Evil Dead. He's helming Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and he came to commercial recognition with his Spider-Man trilogy.   

But, to many, he'll always be "The Evil Dead guy," and for good reason. The first Evil Dead is a seminal entry in ‘80s horror that innovated a lot of unique techniques, such as the camera chasing the characters. Sure, his later Evil Dead movies might be more popular, but that first movie announced a fresh new director, and he'd be here to stay.   

Spike Jonze - Being John Malkovich (1999) 

If you love meta movies, then you’re undoubtedly familiar with the work of Spike Jonze. His second film, Adaptation., was perhaps even more meta than his first, and he managed to make the children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, into a semi-meditative movie featuring James Gandolfini.   

Being John Malkovich garnered him a Best Director Oscar nomination. The film has such a unique strangeness to it that you might attribute it to Charlie Kaufman’s cerebral writing, but, you can see that Spike Jonze’s brain is definitely on a similar wavelength with his other films not written by Kaufman. Being John Malkovich is one of the reasons why some people call 1999 one of the best years in cinema, and this was Spike Jonze’s debut picture. Outstanding!    

Ryan Coogler - Fruitvale Station (2013)  

Before Black Panther, before Creed, there was Fruitvale Station, a film so infuriating that it had this writer seething in his seat when he first saw it. Chronicling the events that led up to the real life death of Oscar Grant, Fruitvale Station seems like the work of an artist who had spent years in the director’s seat, not a directorial debut.  

Coogler's next picture is the hotly anticipated sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but you could see the talent in his first picture, which he made at the tender age of 25. Damn.  

Ari Aster - Hereditary (2018) 

I think it says a lot that Ari Aster only has two feature films to his name, but he's already established himself as one of the leading voices in modern day horror. This was all due to Hereditary, which is still the scariest movie I've ever seen. 

He would later go on to make Midsommar, and one could argue that Midsommar is the better Ari Aster film. Whichever you prefer, I don't think anybody will argue the greatness of Hereditary. Making one of the scariest movies of all time as your very first feature film is no laughing matter. In fact, it’s quite terrifying to be this good.    

Rob Reiner - This Is Spinal Tap (1984) 

Rob Reiner has proven that he can be successful in any genre. He mastered fantasy with The Princess Bride, tackled horror with Misery, and dabbled in romantic comedies with When Harry Met Sally.

But, my favorite, and a lot of people's favorite movie of his, is his debut, the infinitely quotable mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap. The film is probably the funniest rock movie ever made, and it's done in such a way that Spinal Tap seems like a legit band. It's actually kind of sad that they aren't a real band, though, because some of their songs really kick ass.   

What other prominent directors do you think made a great movie on their first try? For news on today's great directors, make sure to swing by here often!   

We all love a good cameo by a celebrity appearing as themselves for a brief, but fun, little moment. However, what I have always found more amusing is when a famous person portrays themselves in a more prominent starring role from a movie, or in a TV guest appearance that serves as the main focus of that episode (or episodes), or even as the lead of the whole story. With Nicolas Cage playing himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, we wanted to take a look at our picks for some more of the best performances by athletes, musicians, or actors who played themselves.

Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Movies)

Future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris was still best known as the star of Doogie Howser M.D. when he stole the show in the 2004 stoner comedy classic Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle as a highly dramatized version of himself. The Emmy nominee would reprise the role in two sequels that more heavily blend the actor’s reality with increasingly absurd fiction, including getting kicked out of Heaven by Jesus in A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas after he was previously gunned down by prostitutes in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. 

Cate Blanchett (Coffee And Cigarettes)

Every vignette in Coffee and Cigarettes - Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 anthology of short films starring celebrities as themselves - is gold, but Cate Blanchett leads one of the more unique and thought-provoking of the bunch called “Cousins.” The segment is, additionally, one of the most profound testaments of the two-time Oscar winner’s chameleonic talent, as she makes it so easy to forget she is playing both herself and her brunette relative, Shelly, who struggle to relate to each other while catching up in a hotel lobby.

James Van Der Beek (Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23)

In 2012, James Van Der Beek made his big return to TV as a series regular on Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 in a role very close to his heart: James Van Der Beek. The actor brilliantly pokes fun at his post-leading the Dawson’s Creek cast career and predicts his future Dancing with the Stars stint as the famous best friend of Krysten Ritter’s Chloe - the title character of ABC’s short-lived, but much-acclaimed, comedy.

Bill Murray (Zombieland)

Most people would consider Bill Murray’s surprise appearance in Zombieland to be one of the greatest cameos of his career (and there are several incredible examples to choose from). However, with only four other characters in the main cast of the classic 2009 zombie comedy, I think we can justifiably count the Oscar nominee’s iconic, hilariously dead-pan portrayal as his post-apocalyptic self as a starring role despite lasting mere minutes. 

Keanu Reeves (Always Be My Maybe)

Another example of a relatively brief appearance that still earns the right to be called a starring role occurs in 2019’s Always Be My Maybe when Marcus (Randall Park) is shocked to learn that his childhood friend (and crush), Sasha (Ali Wong) is dating none other than Keanu Reeves. The John Wick star pulls no punches in his partially improvised portrayal of a wonderfully absurd version of himself in the Netflix original rom-com, in which, during a restaurant double-date, he shows up wearing glasses with no lenses and asks the waiter for a dish that plays with “the concept of time.”

Heather Langenkamp (New Nightmare)

After playing Nancy Kerrigan in two Nightmare on Elm Street movies made her one of the top Scream Queens of the 1980s, Heather Langenkamp would give, arguably, her best performance in the franchise when she returned - not as Nancy, but as herself - in 1994’s New Nightmare. The cleverly meta thriller, in which the actress is taunted by a demon assuming the appearance of Freddy Krueger, also stars fellow horror icon Robert Englund as this new take on the iconic villain and himself as well as writer and director Wes Craven.

The Beatles (A Hard Day’s Night)

The cinematic phenomenon of famous musicians offering a fictionalized peek into their lives off-stage (such as Nick Cave in 2014’s quasi-documentary 20,000 Days on Earth or Foo Fighters in the horror-comedy Studio 666 more recently) arguably began with The Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr exhibit solid comedic timing and profound athleticism while running from a swarm of screaming fans in 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night - the first of a number of dramatized films the Fab Four made together.

LeBron James (Trainwreck)

Pro basketball star LeBron James has portrayed himself onscreen several times and most recently in 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy - a sequel to the hit Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes collaboration from 1996. However, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Small Forward received the most acclaim of his acting career so far for playing himself in Trainwreck - star and writer Amy Schumer’s 2015 rom-com which depicts him and Bill Hader’s “sports doctor to the stars” as best friends.

Stan Lee (Mallrats)

Before his heartbreaking death in 2018, Stan Lee perfected the art of the cameo by appearing in countless Marvel movies. One of his first and most prominent acting gigs (for which he was actually mentioned in the opening credits, too) was as himself in Kevin Smith’s 1995 Clerks follow-up, Mallrats. The comic book icon makes you a “true believer” in his acting ability when he shows up for a couple of scenes to give comic book-obsessed Brody (Jason Lee) some much-needed relationship advice. 

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

It is no secret among die-hard Seinfeld fans that Jason Alexander’s deeply neurotic and troublesome character, George Costanza, was heavily inspired by the personality and life experiences of co-creator Larry David. On his follow-up to Seinfeld - the long-running, HBO original comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm - David has earned several Emmy Award nominations for playing a version of himself who makes George look like a saint, burning bridges with Hollywood heavies and alienating friends and average bystanders at every turn.  

Kate Winslet (Extras)

Star and co-creator Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire Extras is chock full of amazing celebrity guest appearances, but Kate Winslet made a damn good case to be considered the funniest in the Emmy-winning comedy’s history. The British Titanic star is seen playing a nun on the set of a film about the Holocaust (which she admits she agreed to star in purely to win an Oscar, having not yet won for The Reader) before later proving herself to be a master in double entendres when offering fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen), phone sex tips.

John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)

It is a bit rare for an actor to appear in a movie as him or herself while also playing the title character, but 1999’s Being John Malkovich - from from writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze - is also a rare kind of movie, and in many ways, too. The two-time Oscar nominee is understandably shocked and frightened by the discovery that a Manhattan puppeteer (John Cusack) has been using a magical portal to be able to take a walk in his shoes for 15 minutes at a time in this wildly creative comedy.

Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce)

Another rare example of an actor playing themselves in the titular role of a film is Bruce Campbell in My Name is Bruce, which is also the last film the B-movie icon directed himself. Campbell is hilarious in the 2007 horror-comedy as a boozy, washed-up version of himself who is forced to channel his iconic Evil Dead character, Ash Williams, in order to defeat a demon wreaking havoc on a small town in Oregon.

Oprah Winfrey (30 Rock)

Another example of a memorably, and often awkwardly, hilarious guest appearance on an acclaimed TV comedy is Oprah Winfrey on Season 3 of 30 Rock. Liz Lemon (star and creator Tina Fey) is delighted to find the larger-than-life media mogul seated next to her on an airplane and cannot help but seize the opportunity to received a dose of wisdom, but who could really blame her for that?

Kevin Garnett (Uncut Gems)

As much as I agree that Adam Sandler deserved greater awards attention for his lead performance in the relentless 2019 thriller Uncut Gems, I think we should be more angry at the fact that former NBA player Kevin Garnett received no awards attention at all. I would go so far as to say I’m glad the Safdie Brothers did not get the athlete they originally wrote the part for (the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire) because Garnett is electrifying as himself (circa 2012), whose interest in a rare opal sets off a series of increasingly dire circumstances for the Sandler as self-destructive jeweler, Howard Ratner.

The This Is The End Cast

The whole point of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 2013 directorial debut This is the End is to watch the entire cast (including Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, and many, many more) as hilariously exaggerated versions of themselves who struggle to endure the Apocalypse and a merciless barrage of gags at their expense. Highlights also include an excruciatingly vain (and demonically possessed) Jonah Hill; a lewd, coke-snorting Michael Cera; an axe-wielding Emma Watson; and Channing Tatum employed by a cannibalistic Danny McBride as his sex slave.

You've got to love seeing a famous person let loose and introduce a different, completely fictional side of themselves to the world on screen. I cannot wait to see more examples of actors playing themselves in the future.

Before Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, but after, er, the actual term “meta,” there were meta movies. The most recent and exciting meta movie is the new Nic Cage vehicle, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which has the longest buddy comedy f-bomb, if you haven’t seen it yet. Now, only time will tell if this will be one of the most Nicolas Cage movies ever, but I think it's safe to say that it's definitely destined to be one of the most meta movies ever, as it concerns Nic Cage playing himself, and his, well, "unbearable weight of massive talent."

But, as mentioned earlier, there have already been quite a few meta movies before this most recent film, and I, Rich Knight, the writer of this article, am going to pick my brain so that you, the reader, can watch them for yourself. Without further ado, I'm rolling out the red carpet from my mind palace, so that you can take a step inside my brain and learn about five other meta movies to watch before you see The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.         

Adaptation. (2002) 

Well, looky here. If it isn't our good friend, Nicolas Cage, right at the start. In this early 2000s dramedy, Nic Cage plays both the writer, Charlie Kaufman (who's made several amazing movies, by the way), as well as his (made up for the film) brother, Donald Kaufman, in this twisty meta movie. Charlie, who is a legit screenwriter, is struggling to adapt the nonfiction book, The Orchid Thief, which is also a legit book, into a movie. Meanwhile, his "brother" is writing his own screenplay that somehow mimics all the tropes that his brother, Charlie, warns him against. It's…unique, to say the very least.    

Spike Jonze (who you'll see on this list again in a second) directed this oddball film that also stars Meryl Streep, who plays The Orchid Thief's writer, Susan Orlean, as well as Chris Cooper, who plays the actual orchid thief that the book is named after. This movie is just one huge spiral down a drain of lunacy, and it has one of the most bonkers third acts I've ever seen in my entire life. That alone definitely lands it on this list, but it also delves deep into the idea of what it even means to be a creator in the first place.  

Stream Adaptation. on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Adaptation. on Apple TV.
Rent/buy Adaptation. on Amazon.  

Being John Malkovich (1999) 

Spike Jonze made another meta movie before Adaptation., called Being John Malkovich, which was also written by Charlie Kaufman. In this comedy, John Cusack plays a puppeteer who one day finds a portal into John Malkovich's head, and he schemes a way to make a profit off of it with his co-worker, played by Catherine Keener. Like Adaptation., it’s a strange one.  

Being John Malkovich, which has an interesting ending that might have to be explained to be understood, is probably the most meta movie on this entire list. Malkovich is actually in the film, but he's playing an exaggerated version of himself, so it's hard to really tell where the character ends, and the actor begins. Thematically, these characters are literally getting inside his headspace. I mean, is this really what it's like to be inside Malkovich's head? What does John Malkovich even think about Being John Malkovich? I really want to know!   

Rent/buy Being John Malkovich on Apple TV. 
Rent/buy Being John Malkovich on Amazon. 

Last Action Hero (1993) 

Definitely the most underrated Arnold Schwarzenegger movie ever, this action comedy by Die Hard director, John McTiernan, is about a kid named Danny (played by Austin O’Brien), who gets a special ticket that allows him to go into the screen and go on adventures with his favorite action hero, Jack Slater (Schwarzenegger). Together, they have to stop a playfully over-the-top villain (Charles Dance) who enters into the real world. It’s really fun!   

Last Action Hero is super meta since it plays with all the tropes that Schwarzenegger relied on back in his heyday. And a lot of the time, you wonder if the movie is laughing with Arnold, or at him. Thankfully, Schwarzenegger is very much in on the joke, so the film feels like both a homage and also a send-up to the popular movies in the early ‘90s. Definitely check this one out if you’re a fan of Arnold’s most popular period in pop culture.  

Stream Last Action Hero on Netflix.
Rent/buy Last Action Hero on AppleTV. 
Rent/buy Last Action Hero on Amazon.

Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) 

Controversial opinion, but I think Wes Craven’s New Nightmare is the best A Nightmare on Elm Street movie. Directed by Wes Craven and also starring Wes Craven, Heather Langenkamp, and Robert Englund as themselves (actually, Robert Englund plays himself AND Freddy Krueger), this meta movie is about the making of a movie that actually becomes a reality. Langenkamp must become Nancy again from the first film in order to stop Freddy Krueger (known as the Entity) from taking her son.  

A lot of people like to argue that New Nightmare was just a warmup for Scream, but I think New Nightmare is a lot more interesting (And more meta!) than Scream for actually tapping into the brain of its director’s imagination. If you dig horror, then you owe yourself a watch of this meta masterpiece. 

Stream Wes Craven’s New Nightmare on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Wes Craven’s New Nightmare on Apple TV.   
Buy Wes Craven’s New Nightmare on Amazon.  

My Name Is Bruce (2007) 

And lastly, I’m a teensy bit reluctant to showcase this last one since some people might find it racist, but I think the closest movie to the upcoming The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, is probably My Name Is Bruce, which stars Bruce Campbell, as himself, being kidnapped by a teenage fan of his to destroy an ancient Chinese god named Guan Di. Bruce Campbell’s past movies are brought up relentlessly in this film, and there are several callbacks to The Evil Dead movies.   

But, it’s the evil Chinese god part that people might be offended by. I think I get what Bruce Campbell, who directed the film, was going for, as I’m almost positive he was trying to satirize racist depictions of Asians, but I don’t know if he accomplished what he was aiming for. So, just keep that in mind if you plan to watch this film, since all the meta stuff around Guan Di is pretty good. It’s just the Guan Di aspect itself I’m not really into. 

Buy My Name Is Bruce on Amazon.   

In the end, meta movies are usually pretty fun since you feel like you’re “in” on some kind of joke. For more information on other mind bending flicks, make sure to stop by here often!  

When I think of actors who make great villains, Catherine Keener is far from the first person to cross my mind. That may be exactly what made her performance as the villain of Netflix’s fun, time travel adventure, The Adam Project, so unexpected and memorable.

Yet, while looking up some of the best Catherine Keener movies for this particular list, I came to realize that the two-time Academy Award nominee has actually been mastering the art of playing bad for years now, as you will be able to see by streaming the titles below. Let’s start, however, with a role that is not quite so sinister, from one of the earlier years of her career.

Johnny Suede (Amazon Rental)

An aspiring musician (Academy Award winner Brad Pitt) struggles to maintain the style and personality of the rock ’n roll legends he idolizes.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: In what is described in the promotional material as a “smooth comedy” from acclaimed writer and director Tom DiCillo, things start shakin’ up for Brad Pitt’s title character from Johnny Suede after he begins a romance with Catherine Keener’s Yvonne, who challenges him to begin seeing himself for who he really is.

Rent/Buy Johnny Suede on Amazon.

Being John Malkovich (Peacock)

After taking a job as a file clerk, a puppeteer (John Cusack) finds a portal hidden in his office building that allows him to inhabit the mind of actor John Malkovich (Malkovich as himself).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Johnny Suede’s Brad Pitt makes a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in 1999’s Being John Malkovich alongside Catherine Keener, who received her first Oscar nomination for playing the scheming, manipulative Maxine Lund in this extremely inventive, surreal, satirical fantasy from writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze.

Stream Being John Malkovich on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Being John Malkovich on Amazon.

Death To Smoochy (Amazon Rental)

A disgraced, fired children’s TV star (Academy Award winner Robin Williams) plots revenge against his replacement (Academy Award nominee Edward Norton), who is already growing disillusioned by his job dressing as a purple dinosaur as it is.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Three years after Being John Malkovich, Catherine Keener played a TV producer in another dark, bizarre and unique, but highly misunderstood and unjustly underrated, satire called Death to Smoochy, which fellow star Danny DeVito also directed.

Rent/Buy Death To Smoochy on Amazon.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (HBO Max)

A middle-aged tech store employee (Academy Award nominee Steve Carell) is urged by his friends to make some changes to his life after they discover that he has never had sex.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Catherine Keener gives one of the sweetest and funniest performances of her career as a woman who falls for Carell’s titular character in 2005’s The 40-Year-Old Virigin - the theatrical, feature-length directorial debut of Judd Apatow, which remains one of his most beloved smash hits to this day.

Stream The 40-Year-Old Virgin on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The 40-Year-Old Virgin on Amazon.

Into The Wild (Netflix)

Wishing to get away from his privileged life and start anew, a recent college graduate (Emile Hirsch) abandons all of his belongings and sets out on a cross-country trip hitchhiking to Alaska, encountering a unique variety of interesting characters along the way.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: In 2007, Catherine Keener gave yet another sweet, but not very funny, performance as a fellow nomad who proves to be an especially inspirational figure to Hirsch’s Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild - director Sean Penn’s mesmerizing dramatization of author Jon Krakauer’s cautionary non-fiction tragedy.

Stream Into The Wild on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Into The Wild on Amazon.

Capote (HBO Max)

Acclaimed writer Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman in a well-deserved Oscar-winning performance) becomes dangerously and emotionally attached to an inmate (Clifton Collins Jr.) on death row for the murder of a Kansas family while researching the crime for his latest book.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: In 2006, Catherine Keener earned her second Academy Award nomination for playing Harper Lee, who would one day publish To Kill A Mockingbird, in Capote - an intriguing inside look at the real life story behind the shocking non-fiction crime novel, In Cold Blood.

Stream Capote on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Capote on Amazon.

An American Crime (Tubi, IMDb TV, Peacock)

A single mother (Catherine Keener), with the help of her subservient six children and other neighborhood youngsters, subjects a teenage girl (Elliot Page) to horrific and senseless abuse after her parents put her and her younger sister in their care while they are away.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Catherine Keener’s villainous role in The Adam Project looks like Mary Poppins when compared to her Emmy nominated portrayal of Gertrude Baniszewski in An American Crime - a Showtime original, feature-length dramatization of the unspeakable circumstances surrounding Sylvia Likens’ death in 1960s Indiana.

Stream An American Crime on Tubi.
Stream An American Crime on IMDb TV.
Stream An American Crime on Peacock.

Get Out (Amazon Rental)

A Black photographer (future Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya) cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong while visiting the parents of his white girlfriend (Alison Williams), unaware how horrifyingly correct his instincts would turn out to be.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: While this thriller is not a true story, but very true to real life in many upsetting aspects, Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning debut as a writer and director, Get Out, features a brilliantly subtle, yet equally disturbing, performance by Catherine Keener that draws some amusing parallels to the plot of Being John Malkovich.

Rent/Buy Get Out on Amazon.

Incredibles 2 (Disney+)

After they are forced to come out of hiding to save the day, a family of superheroes (including Holly Hunter as Elastigirl) are given a much-desired second chance to “relive the glory days” and hopefully reinforce public opinion about vigilanteism.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Without giving too much away, Catherine Keener’s naturally endearing quality, once again, proves to be an effective misdirect for her character in 2018’s Incredibles 2 - the long-awaited, action-packed sequel to one of the best Pixar movies from returning writer and director, Brad Bird.

Stream Incredibles 2 on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Incredibles 2 on Amazon.

The Croods Movies (Peacock Premium, Hulu)

After their home is destroyed, a family of cave people search for a new place to live and later discover a whole new way of living when they cross paths with a more “evolved” family.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Another notable voice acting performance from Catherine Keener is as the motherly Ugga Crood from 2013’s fun prehistoric animated hit, The Croods, whom she would reprise alongside the all-star cast of The Croods: A New Age in 2020.

Stream The Croods on Peacock Premium.
Rent/Buy The Croods on Amazon.

Stream The Croods: A New Age on Hulu.
Rent/Buy The Croods: A New Age on Amazon.

Where The Wild Things Are (Netflix)

Disillusioned by the common pressures of boyhood, the angsty and overly imaginative Max (Max Records) runs away from home and finds himself in a strange land where unusual beasts reside.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: In 2009, Catherine Keener reunited with Being John Malkovich director Spike Jonze for a visually stunning and surprisingly dark adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s seminal children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, in the role of Max’s mother.

Stream Where The Wild Things Are on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Where The Wild Things Are on Amazon.

Enough Said (HBO Max)

A divorced massage therapist (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) discovers that her new client (Catherine Keener) is the ex-wife of her new beau (James Gandolfini), which she keeps secret as she allows her new friend to vent about the previous relationship.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: Years after she made a funny appearance on Seinfeld, Catherine Keener gives one of her most endearing performances in 2013’s Enough Said - a clever romantic comedy from Oscar-nominated writer and director Nicole Holofcener.

Stream Enough Said on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Enough Said on Amazon.

The Adam Project (Netflix)

A troubled 12-year-old (Walker Scobell) crosses paths with a pilot who also happens to be his future self (Ryan Reynolds) and joins him on an adventure to ensure a better tomorrow by preventing the invention of time travel.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Catherine Keener: When you are done binging the other great Catherine Keener titles above and have a better understanding of how well she has played a villain in the past, revisit her race across time against Reynolds and Scobell in The Adam Project - Netflix’s, overall, critically well-liked tribute to Amblin-produced sci-fi classics, from director Shawn Levy.

Stream The Adam Project on Netflix.

This is just the tip of iceberg of what to look out for if you are a Catherine Keener fan, but they most definitely round out the majority of the actress’ greatest hits.

If you’ve ever heard of the name John Malkovich, it’s probably because he has been in Hollywood for many, many years. From starring in Academy Award-winning films to having major parts in TV shows, Malkovich has continuously proven he is a master at his craft. 

If you’re looking for the best John Malkovich movies and TV shows, here is where you can find them streaming, or available to rent, right now. 

Places In The Heart (1984)

The Academy-Award winning film, Places in the Heart, tells the story of a widower who lives in Texas with her two children during the Great Depression, and how she fights to provide for her family despite not having her husband anymore, using her own determination and the help of others. 

John Malkovich stars as Mr. Will, a blind veteran from World War 1, and for his performance he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. And, because of that, I can fully recommend this as one of his best films, as not only does he give a master class in acting, but his character is complex and amazing to follow. It’s also one of Sally Field’s best movies. 

Rent Places in the Heart on Amazon.

Ripley’s Game (2002)

Now this is a thriller that will surely, well, thrill you. Ripley’s Game, starring John Malkovich, follows the story of Tom Ripley, a criminal who offers a dying man the ultimate way to provide for his family after his death - assassinate a crime boss, and get paid blood money. And of course, he accepts for the sake of his family's lives.

This was one of the first films I ever saw where Malkovich starred, and it made me want to see him in so many other thrillers. Malkovich has had leading-man potential from his earliest roles, but seeing him in this film was like a completely different animal. I truly enjoyed it, as Ripley was a great character to watch. 

Rent Ripley’s Game on Amazon.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

I mean, with a title like that, you know that John Malkovich is the star. Being John Malkovich is a fantasy comedy film that tells the story of Craig Schwartz, an unemployed puppeteer who takes a job as a file clerk. One day, he finds a strange, small hidden door that leads into the mind of John Malkovich, the actor. 

This movie is hilarious. While John Malkovich plays a satirical version of himself, the way in which he does so just makes you want to re-watch this film over and over again. For many people, this was probably one of the first Malkovich films they saw, and it was one of my first, too, besides Ripley’s Game. The ending is crazy and makes you want to re-watch it immediately. Such a great film. 

Stream Being John Malkovich on Peacock.
Rent Being John Malkovich on Amazon.

Billions (2018-2019)

In this popular Showtime series, Billions mainly follows Bobby Axelrod, a hedge fund manager who deals in the world of finance, and gains power through his wealth one day at a time - even through illegal means. But, with his newfound wealth, there also are others who would do anything to take him down. 

Malkovich was actually on the third season of Billions, where he played Grigor Andolov, a Russian oil oligarch who has no problem chopping off an arm to get what he wants. And, he is so great. Malkovich as a villain never disappoints, and he certainly didn’t portraying Grigor. Who doesn’t love a murderous monologue? Only Malkovich can do them so well. Definitely one of the best Showtime shows yet.

Stream Billions on Showtime.

In The Line Of Fire (1993)

Moving on, we have the political thriller, In the Line of Fire. This film follows a former CIA agent who is planning to assassinate the president of the United States - and the agent from the Secret Service who is tracking his every move and trying to hunt him down before he succeeds. 

In the Line of Fire was another film that nabbed Malkovich an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and for good reason. Him as Mitch Leary makes my skin crawl every time - in a good way, because his acting is just so good. His chemistry with Clint Eastwood is off the charts fantastic, and they create a great cat and mouse game that will capture your interest instantly. 

Stream In The Line Of Fire on Netflix.
Rent In The Line Of Fire on Amazon.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005)

If you’re looking for an insane, fantasy adventure, check out The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This film follows humans, robots, and aliens alike as they set off on a quest across the galaxy in order to find the meaning of life, all while having intense adventures along the way. 

John Malkovich doesn’t have a huge role in this film, but his part as Humma Kavula is one of the best of the film. The costuming? On point. The acting? Fantastic. Even just watching him eat is one of the most entertaining parts of this movie, as ridiculous as it is. He’s just so funny - as is the rest of the film, and it's certainly worth the time to watch. 

Stream The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on Hulu.
Rent The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on Amazon.

Death Of A Salesman (1985)

Based on the play of the same name, Death of a Salesman tells the story of Willy Loman, a traveling salesman who is going through a crisis, and looks back on his life to figure out where it all went wrong, while the present continues to fall apart. 

This version of the film was actually made for television, however I think it’s one of the best versions of this play there is and should have had a theatrical release, as it's so captivating. Both John Malkovich (who plays Biff) and Dustin Hoffman (who plays Willy) have some amazing chemistry and truly made this movie. This is one of those films where you only have to watch it once, but when you do, you’ll never forget it. Truly, one of Malkovich’s best. 

Stream Death of a Salesman on Pluto TV.
Rent Death of a Salesman on Amazon.

The New Pope (2019)

In this dramatic miniseries, The New Pope, we follow Pope Pius XIII from The Young Pope, as well as Pope John Paul III, the titular pope, who has taken over the role from the young pope when he suffered a heart attack. However, after the young pope wakes up, and claims he is the rightful pope, it throws their lives for a loop and shakes up the entire Vatican.

Let me say this here - Jude Law and John Malkovich should be in more shows or movies together because they were the best part of this series. While it is a continuation of The Young Pope and you should watch that miniseries before this one, it’s so good and the story is one of the best. John Malkovich is perfect in his role, as is everyone else. 

Stream The New Pope on HBO Max.

Eleni (1985)

In this movie based on a true story, Eleni stars John Malkovich as Nick, an immigrant from Greece who is now a successful journalist, and travels back to his home to figure out the cause of his mother’s death years ago during the Greek Civil War - including who he has to take down in order to avenge her. 

While this film isn’t one of John Malkovich’s most known roles, I knew I needed to list it here. Again, Malkovich is a leading man in every way, and he knows how to capture your attention, and that’s exactly what Eleni did. Paired with his acting, the story of a mother’s pure intentions for her child, and the revenge tale, it will have you intrigued from beginning to end. 

Rent Eleni on Amazon.

The Killing Fields (1984)

In this drama, based on the stories of two journalists, The Killing Fields follows the story of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, and the experiences of an American and a Cambodian reporting on the civil war. 

John Malkovich really brings real-life photojournalist Al Rockoff (whose pictures from the Vietnam War, Cambodia, and other areas of conflict were made famous) to life. The film was also nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won in three other categories.

Rent The Killing Fields on Amazon.

Of Mice And Men (1992)

Based on the novel of the same name, Of Mice and Men tells the story of George and Lennie, two workers from a farm who work every day trying to make ends meet and travel constantly, while also dreaming of the day when they get to live on their own land. 

Of Mice and Men has is a great novel, and usually, the film adaptations are always great too, and this one is no different. John Malkovich portrays Lennie Small so well alongside Gary Sinise, and it tells a brilliant story of what it’s like to live during the Great Depression, and wanting to live the American Dream. If I could pick any adaptation of the novel, this would be the one. 

Stream Of Mice And Men on Tubi.
Rent Of Mice And Men on Amazon.

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

While this is one of Glenn Close’s best movies, it’s also one of John Malkovich’s best films as well. Dangerous Liaisons stars Close and Malkovich as two high society members in France who come up with a plan to get back at everyone who has ever harmed them in the past, a scheme that not only will change their lives, but the ones of their enemies as well. 

This film is just ridiculous - in all the right ways. Dangerous Liaisons features some of the worst people imaginable that would do anything to get their way, but you can’t help but enjoy it. John Malkovich and Glenn Close are perfect together, and create a dramatic tale that is perfect for your movie night. 

Stream Dangerous Liaisons on HBO Max.
Rent Dangerous Liaisons on Amazon.

Space Force (2020 - Present)

Last but not least, we have Space Force. This series on Netflix, starring Steve Carell and written by Greg Daniels (of The Office fame) is focused on a new division of America’s military, called Space Force, and its goal to get back on the moon - led by the four-star general, Mark R. Naird. 

There are so many shows like Space Force out there, but the series itself is truly one of a kind and definitely for people who love a good political satire. This workplace comedy is so funny and John Malkovich’s character, Dr. Adrian Mallory, is unhinged in the best way and brings some truly hysterical moments of comedy that will have you wiping tears from your eyes. Certainly give this show a try. 

Stream Space Force on Netflix.

With everything John Malkovich has done, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had upcoming movies out soon for all of us to enjoy. But, until then, here are some of the best, and no matter what you pick, I’m sure that you’ll enjoy your time, regardless.  

There is a good chance that you’ve seen one, two, or dozens of movies starring John Cusack over the years, even if you didn’t plan on it. If you flip through channels at any given time on any given day, you’re bound to run across something like High Fidelity, Con Air, or maybe even One Crazy Summer (if you’re lucky). But, this isn’t really a bad thing. In fact, spending a lazy afternoon with any one of those movies is time well spent, even if you’ve seen any number of Cusack’s films multiple times over the years.

But, what if you aren’t trying to catch one of those movies halfway through on cable and want to experience one of them the way they were meant to be seen? Fear not, as we have put together a list of the best John Cusack movies and how you can watch them streaming or through physical media…

High Fidelity (2000)

Stephen Frears’ 2000 romantic comedy, High Fidelity, which is based on Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel of the same name, follows Chicago record shop owner and hopeless romantic Rob Gordon (John Cusack) as he attempts to make sense of both his personal and professional life after being dumped by his longtime girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle). But, just as one door closes, another opens when he meets the bohemian musician Marie DeSalle (Lisa Bonet), giving Rob’s life new meaning. This budding relationship, however, is made all the more complicated when a tragedy brings Laura back into Rob’s life.

Stream High Fidelity on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy High Fidelity on Amazon.
Buy High Fidelity on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Say Anything (1989)

Cameron Crowe’s iconic ’80s coming-of-age story, Say Anything, centers on lovable slacker Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) and class valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye), as they navigate that brief yet pivotal period in life known as the summer between high school graduation and the start of college. Though the two are madly in love with one another, the reality of their different paths and the weight of the pressure applied by outside force, including Diane’s overbearing father, Jim (John Mahoney), may prove to be too much for the couple as they face a difficult situation.

Stream Say Anything on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Say Anything on Amazon.
Buy Say Anything on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Directed by visionary filmmaker Spike Jonze and written by the talented Charlie Kaufman, the 1999 mind-bending dark comedy, Being John Malkovich, centers on Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), and out-of-work puppeteer whose life is on the brink of falling apart when he takes a job at a doctor’s office that leads to a rather unique discovery. At his new job (which is between the seventh and eighth floors of an office building) Craig discovers a portal that leads not to a new world or alternate universe but instead to the mind of actor John Malkovich. The bizarre story only gets crazier from there, especially after John Malkovich himself learns of the hidden door.

Stream Being John Malkovich on Peacock. 
Rent/Buy Being John Malkovich on Amazon.
Buy Being John Malkovich on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Identity (2003)

James Mangold’s 2003 movie, Identity, which is a modern-day take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, follows a group 10 strangers (including John Cusack’s former cop and current limo driver Ed Dakota) as they weather a storm in a motel in the middle of the Nevada desert. In standard murder mystery fashion, the strangers begin to be picked off one by one, leading the survivors to try and get to the bottom of the deaths and find the murderer before it’s too late. 

Stream Identity on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Identity on Amazon.
Buy Identity on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil (1997)

Clint Eastwood’s 1997 adaptation of John Berendt’s book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, follows journalist John Kelso (John Cusack) as he travels to Savannah, Georgia, where a high-profile murder trial is set to get underway. The more John learns of the mysterious case the more he becomes wrapped up in the drama surrounding it. The already delicate situation takes another turn when the young reporter becomes acquainted with Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey), the defendant in the case who claims to have shot and killed his former lover out of self-defense.

Rent/Buy Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil on Amazon.
Buy Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Eight Men Out (1988)

One of the best baseball movies that also happens to be one of the most tragic, Eight Men Out tells the story of the infamous 1919 Chicago White Sox who purposely lost the World Series after a group of gamblers offered them more than their greedy owner ever could: a decent amount of money. When the team is caught after the fact, star players Chick Gandil (Michael Rooker), Eddie Cicotte (David Strathairn), Shoeless Joe Jackson (D.B. Sweeney), who all went along with the plan, and Buck Weaver (John Cusack), who denied participation but failed to stop them, are given the moniker “The Black Sox” and are given lifetime banishments from professional baseball. 

Stream Eight Men Out on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Eight Men Out on Amazon.
Buy Eight Men Out on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Bullets Over Broadway (1994)

In Woody Allen’s 1994 dark comedy, Bullets Over Broadway, struggling playwright David Shayne (John Cusack) finds out that working with the mafia in 1920 New York isn’t the best way to go about making his big break, after making a deal with crime boss Nick Valenti (Joe Viterelli), who agrees to help David make his Broadway debut. With the financial backing from the mobster also comes some demands, including making his girlfriend the star of the show, a decision that makes the already messy situation even worse. 

Buy Bullets Over Broadway on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Serendipity (2001)

Peter Chelsom’s 2001 romantic comedy, Serendipity, follows Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale), two strangers who have a chance encounter in New York City at Christmastime. Instead of making a conscious effort to follow true love the pair leave their future up to chance. This doesn’t immediately pay off, but over the years the potential soulmates cannot stop thinking about one another, even as they prepare for their respective weddings. But, on the eve of exchanging their vows, the two decide to put their future in their own hands and seek each other out before it’s too late, in one of the best movies on Netflix.

Stream Serendipity on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Serendipity on Amazon.
Buy Serendipity on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Love And Mercy (2015)

In Bill Pohlad’s 2015 biographical drama, Love and Mercy, the story of Brian Wilson (a founding member of the iconic musical group The Beach Boys) is told over the course of two timelines: one set in the 1960s as Wilson (played by Paul Dano) withdraws from his bandmates and society, and a second set in the 1980s that follows Wilson’s (played by John Cusack) budding relationship with future wife Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks). Both sections of the movie spend a great deal of time focusing on Wilson’s battle with mental illness and the way in which it shaped both his personal and professional relationships, and how he learned to overcome the pressures of fame.

Stream Love and Mercy on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Love and Mercy on Amazon.
Buy Love and Mercy on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Con Air (1997)

Simon West’s 1997 action thriller, Con Air, which is undoubtedly one of the most absurd movies of the late ‘90s, follows recently-paroled inmate (and former Army Ranger) Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) as he attempts to stop Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom (John Malkovich) and other inmates from flying to a non-extradition country after hijacking a prison transport plane. And, though he doesn’t have much help on the plane, Poe gets some assistance from U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin (John Cusack) who, besides Poe’s wife Tricia (Monica Potter) is perhaps the only person on the ground who doesn’t think he’s part of the coordinated attack. 

Stream Con Air on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Con Air on Amazon.
Buy Con Air on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Better Off Dead (1985)

The 1985 teen comedy Better Off Dead centers on Lane Meyer (John Cusack) as he is dumped by his girlfriend, Beth Truss (Amanda Wyss), so that she can be with Roy Stalin (Aaron Dozier), the captain of their high school ski team. Absolutely heartbroken by the tragedy that has fallen upon him, Lane becomes lost in a downward spiral of depression that is much more intense than the standard teen angst he’s used to dealing with. That all changes when he meets Monique Junot (Diane Franklin), a French exchange student whose honor he later defends the only way anyone in an ‘80s movie could: a ski race against Roy.

Buy Better Off Dead on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

One Crazy Summer (1986)

The 1986 romantic comedy One Crazy Summer (which was directed by Better Off Dead’s Savage Steve Holland), follows Hoops McCann as he spends the summer between high school and art school with his best friend’s family on Nantucket Island. Initially looking for inspiration to complete his art school application, Hoops soon finds himself falling head over heels for Cassandra Eldridge (Demi Moore). The movie has the same basic format of the previous Cusack-Holland collaboration, but instead of a ski race, One Crazy Summer ends with an epic boat race.

Stream One Crazy Summer on Kanopy.
Rent/Buy One Crazy Summer on Amazon.
Buy One Crazy Summer on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Honorable Mentions

Before you to yourself: “Hey, they didn’t include Stand By Me, that must be some kind of major oversight,” please note that is not the case. Cusack’s portrayal of Dennis “Denny” Lachance adds a great deal of emotional weight to the Stephen King adaptation, especially when you think about how the character’s death touched practically every character. But, with it being a supporting role (and minor at that), it is best included in the “Honorable Mentions” section. Other great Cusack movies that see him in a minor role or being a part of a large ensemble cast include The Thin Red Line and Adaptation.

Honestly, making a list of the best John Cusack movies was no easy task; not because there were a lack of titles to choose from but instead because there are so many. And though we don’t yet know when we’ll see John Cusack again, there are plenty of great upcoming 2021 movies to look forward to while we wait.

• Related: The Best Movies On Amazon Prime

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

It is never a surprise to see an A-lister like Brad Pitt play the lead of the latest blockbuster. What is surprising, and sometimes even more memorable, is when he makes a guest appearance on a Friends episodes, or lends his voice to a smaller role in an animated film like Happy Feet Two, or finally takes a part in one of the Marvel movies (such as, for instance, Deadpool 2) that only lets him show his face for mere seconds.

Those are only a few examples of the times the Academy Award-winning star of such hits as Fight Club and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood spent a moment out of the spotlight and on the sidelines in classy and hilarious fashion. The following is a list of highlights from Brad Pitt’s career as an all-star of cameos, such as this (very) brief appearance in another modern classic.

Being John Malkovich (Himself)

There are many celebrities who appear as themselves in writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze’s 1999 fantasy dramedy, Being John Malkovich, including John Malkovich in the title role, who learns about about a portal that sends people directly into his mind. When Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), who found the portal in a Manhattan office building, discovers he can occupy the two-time Academy Award nominee’s mind indefinitely, he uses the opportunity to finally make a living as a puppeteer, inspiring a televised documentary about his success. Popping up in that doc during red carpet footage is none other than Brad Pitt, who makes his half a second on camera worth it with an almost charmingly smug side eye at future Get Out star Catherine Keener’s character, Maxine.

Friends (Will Colbert)

Just a couple of years later, Brad Pitt had a much larger role in one of the best Friends Thanksgiving episodes of the hit NBC sitcom’s 10-year run, called “The One with the Rumor.” In the Season 8 classic, he plays Will Colbert - an old friend of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica (Courteney Cox) with a life-long vendetta against his high school bully, Rachel, played by Pitt’s then-wife Jennifer Aniston, who discovers that he and Ross started the titular rumor of her being a hermaphrodite when they were teens during yet another hilariously problematic Turkey Day feast for the gang. It is no surprise that one of the best Friends guest appearances would earn Pitt his first Emmy Award nomination.

Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (Bachelor #1)

You could technically call this other very brief spot in 2002’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind the next of Brad Pitt’s most notable “TV show” appearances. As a supposed favor to his friend, George Clooney (who directed writer Charlie Kaufman’s adaptation of late TV personality Chuck Barris’ highly-fictionalized memoir about his double life as a CIA assassin), Pitt is seen as a contestant on the classic game show The Dating Game dressed in a cheesy 1970s get-up loud enough to make any words unnecessary. Another Ocean’s Eleven cast alum sitting silently next to him as Bachelor #2 is Matt Damon in one of three films he and Pitt both cameo in on this list.

King Of The Hill (Patch Boomhauer)

As for another genuine TV appearance by Brad Pitt that you may not have noticed when it first aired, in 2003, he lent his voice to creator and star Mike Judge’s long-running animated hit series King of the Hill in a Season 8 episode named after his character, Patch Boomhauer. The brother of the sometimes indecipherable, car-loving horndog, Jeff Boomhauer (voiced by Judge), comes into town to announce that he is engaged to marry his brother’s former flame, Katherine (voiced by fellow Oscar winner Laura Dern), but quickly shows signs of not being as committed to the relationship as he claims. Honestly, I would have given Pitt an Emmy Award (or at least a nomination) for how perfectly he matches Boomhauer’s motor-mouth cadence amid such a limited vocabulary.

Happy Feet Two (Will The Krill)

The second of Brad Pitt’s voice acting roles on our list is also the second movie cameo he shares with his friend and frequent collaborator Matt Damon. The duo spent hours together in a voice recording studio (an unusual method for many animated movies) to star in 2011’s Happy Feet Two as a pair of krill respectively named Will and Bill, whom you could infer are romantically linked by Bill’s heartbreaking reaction to Will wanting to “split up” after becoming the remaining members of their herd. These two Hollywood heavies effortlessly steal the show of Mad Max director George Miller’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning Happy Feet with hilarious dysfunctional banter as one of the ocean’s smallest known creatures.

The Jim Jefferies Show (Weatherman)

Being a Hollywood heavy is exactly what made Brad Pitt’s role as the resident weatherman of Comedy Central’s The Jim Jefferies Show so bewilderingly and hilariously unexpected. Apparently, the movie star, being a fan of the Australian host’s stand-up career, asked if he could have some involvement on the satirical talk show and gladly accepted giving comically bleak updates on climate change in a total of seven episodes before being “replaced” with Seth Rogen as Cole Kleen in 2018. However, Pitt was able to make a quasi reprisal of his meteorological role in a surprise appearance on John Krasinski’s Some Good News series on YouTube.

Deadpool 2 (Vanisher)

Of course, the one Brad Pitt cameo that I would genuinely deem as the most bewilderingly and hilariously unexpected is his role as the invisible X-Force member aptly named Vanisher in Deadpool 2. In fact, I think the blink-and-you-miss-it reveal in the 2018's Ryan Reynolds-led sequel, which he apparently accepted at the request of being compensated with Starbucks Coffee, is one of the funniest superhero movie cameos of all time, not counting any of the late Stan Lee’s appearances. Several moments from this particular movie also make that list, including Matt Damon as a redneck sharing his philosophy of toilet paper with his friend, played by Alan Tudyk, before having an awkward run-in with Josh Brolin as Cable.

Since Matt Damon is reportedly returning to his surprise role as “Actor Loki” from Thor: Ragnarok in the upcoming fourth installment, Thor: Love and Thunder, perhaps that is a sign that Brad Pitt should one-up his buddy by playing Vanisher again in Deadpool 3, if they can find a way to explain how he survived that electric shock. Or, is there another cameo by the actor and producer that you would rather see honored again?

This poll is no longer available.

Like with Wes Anderson films, you know a Charlie Kaufman movie when you see one. And this may be even more impressive in regards to Charlie Kaufman since more than half of his films weren’t even directed by him. They’re from his screenplays, as it’s his writing that always stands out. It’s not so much his voice as it is his themes and labyrinthine storytelling. Case in point, his latest movie, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, is based off of a novel, but still distinctly fits in with the kind of cerebral films that the writer/director has been known for over the years.

In truth, Charlie Kaufman is probably the only modern day screenwriter who could get a list of this sort just from his writing alone. Now, granted, Charlie Kaufman is not for everyone, and some of his movies are so far out there that I probably wouldn’t recommend them to anybody I know. But for that rare person who is genuinely interested in getting lost in a movie, then there’s no better storyteller in Hollywood than Charlie Kaufman. Here are his best films, both written and directed, ranked.

8. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

Even though Charlie Kaufman doesn’t particularly like George Clooney’s directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, is still a pretty good movie. It follows The Gong Show host, Chuck Barris (played by Sam Rockwell) and his double life as a CIA assassin.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is a pretty enjoyable film, but it’s definitely the least Kaufman-esque movie on this list. This seems to be by design since George Clooney apparently changed up the script quite a bit, which is why Kaufman isn’t particularly fond of this film. So, while it’s a decent movie, it’s kind of bland in its delivery and mostly devoid of Kaufman’s cerebral storytelling, which is more to its detriment than its benefit.

7. Human Nature (2001)

Michel Gondry’s first film (the director and Kaufman would work together again on a much more beloved film), Human Nature is weird, but not so much in a good way. It’s a story about a woman named Lila (played by Patricia Arquette) who grows hair all over her body and returns to nature to be sexually liberated. She ends up writing a book about her experience and eventually meets a sexually repressed scientist (played by Tim Robins), as she’s looking for a mate. They both discover a man raised by apes (played by Rhys Ifans), and the scientist tries to condition him to adapt to society. But it’s hard, since it’s nigh-impossible to overcome one’s human nature. The scientist shocks the man ape every now and then with a buzzer to prevent him from humping things. It’s somewhat humorous.

Human Nature definitely feels like an entry-level Charlie Kaufman film, but its comedy feels like it misses the mark more often than it hits it. The characters are all really silly, which may be more because of Michel Gondry’s directing-style rather than Kaufman’s writing. But if you want to gently introduce somebody into the world of Kaufman, then there’s a far better Gondry/Kaufman film to steer them in the direction of.

6. Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York is the most Charlie Kaufman movie ever made. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Synecdoche, New York is about a theater director who commits to a production so deeply that it eventually takes over his life. He also creates his own little world inside of a warehouse. That’s the best I can explain it, because honestly, this is the most existential movie you will ever see in your entire life, and that’s putting it lightly.

Famed movie critic, Roger Ebert, once called Synecdoche, New York the best of movie of the decade. And I can only attribute that to the fact that he was much smarter than I’ll ever be. I said earlier that Kaufman is known for his labyrinthine storytelling, and this movie is the clearest example of that. You can get so lost in this movie that you almost forget that you’re even watching a movie, which I guess is the point. It’s an audacious film, to be sure. Just not a very clear one.

5. Anomalisa (2015)

I’m sure there’s a perfectly rational reason for why Anomalisa had to be a stop-motion film (and I just love that it was up against children’s films like Inside Out and Shaun the Sheep Movie at the 2016 Academy Awards), but I’m not entirely sure what it is. It’s the story of a an extremely lonely man named Michael (voiced by David Thewlis) who sees everybody in his life as looking and sounding exactly the same (all voiced by Tom Noonan). This is all part of what is known as the Fregoli delusion, which is a real disorder where people believe that everybody is the same person. Things are awful for Michael until he meets a woman in a hotel who actually looks and sounds different (voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh). But since this is a Charlie Kaufman film, things of course don’t end well.

Anomalisa has an interesting concept, but it’s surprisingly played straight. Despite its plot, it’s a story that anybody can relate to since it’s entirely human to feel completely alone at times. This one is actually one of Kaufman’s hardest films to process because of all the real emotions running through it.

4. I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

The most recent film on this list, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is based on a novel of the same name, but could just as well be a Charlie Kaufman joint. The story is about a woman (played by Jessie Buckley) who is thinking of ending her relationship with her boyfriend (played by Jesse Plemons) on the way to visiting his parents on their farm. But it’s also quite scary, and most of it takes places in a car to and from the farm. Plus, the protagonist may not be who you think it is. Because of course it isn’t.

While there are a few deviations from the book (mostly in the ending), Charlie Kaufman deep dives into the minds of his characters like no other writer/director. It seems like a fairly simple story, but it turns super subversive, and creepy because of it. It’s the kind of film where you need to watch and re-watch it just to catch every little detail, and even then, you might not grasp all the different character dynamics all throughout the film.

3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

The other Charlie Kaufman/Michel Gondry project, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is undoubtedly Charlie Kaufman’s most popular film. Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet as a couple going through a tough break-up, the movie poses this question: If you could medically forget somebody’s existence, would you do it? And if so, what ramifications does that have on the person who’s being forgotten? There really aren’t any easy answers for that in this movie, nor should there be.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is probably Kaufman’s most accessible movie. The concept is out there, but it’s easy enough to digest, and the plot is relatable. It’s not his most interesting film, but it’s probably his most complete.

2. Being John Malkovich (1999)

Being John Malkovich was the debut movie for both Charlie Kaufman and filmmaker Spike Jonze, and what a debut! It’s about a puppeteer (played by John Cusack) who finds a door that leads into John Malkovich’s head. He and his wife, Lotte (played by Cameron Diaz with frizzy hair!) realize that anybody can go through the door, and she goes through as well, realizing that she likes women and creating a sort of love triangle with a woman named Maxine (played by Catherine Keener) and John Malkovich. It’s bizarre, but in all the best ways.

When I think of Charlie Kaufman, I think of Being John Malkovich. Its story is perplexing and existential, but also enjoyable throughout. The concept is something only Charlie Kaufman could come up with, but it’s never really dark or nihilistic like some of his later stories. It’s fun and audacious, and you feel like you’re along for the ride. It’s a safe, enjoyable Charlie Kaufman film that I can recommended to anybody, no problem.

1. Adaptation (2002)

I’ll tell you, Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze make a really great team. In Charlie Kaufman’s best film, Nicolas Cage plays Charlie Kaufman and Charlie Kaufman’s fictional brother, Donald. Charlie Kaufman is adapting the real book, The Orchid Thief, but has severe writer’s block, while his brother, Donald, is a budding screenwriter who wants to write banal action fluff that eventually makes its way into the climax of the film. It’s super meta, but in a way where you don’t feel excluded from the actual story, and even feel a little smart for being able to follow it completely. Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper also fill in key roles.

Adaptation is Charlie Kaufman’s funniest film, and all the better for it. I love movies like Anomalisa and I’m Thinking of Ending Things, and Charlie Kaufman is a really talented director, but I feel like he gets a little too dark when he has complete creative control. Adaptation is the perfect mixture of Kaufman’s cerebral storytelling, and Spike Jonze’s often off-beat approach to his direction. So, Adaptation is a mindbender, but an approachable one. It might not be the Kaufman devotee’s favorite film (that would likely be Synecdoche, New York), but when it comes to all the plusses and none of the minuses of Charlie Kaufman’s oeuvre, you would be hard pressed to find a better movie of his than Adaptation.

Charlie Kaufman is still one of the most fascinating writers in Hollywood today. You never go into a Charlie Kaufman movie knowing what you’re going to get, and that’s a good thing. But what’s your favorite Charlie Kaufman movie? Sound off in the comments.

This poll is no longer available.

After writing for a variety of television shows through most of the 1990s, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman broke out on the big screen in a massive way when he teamed up with director Spike Jonze to make Being John Malkovich. While not exactly a box office phenomenon, never getting more than a limited release, it became an instant favorite among cinephiles who fully embraced its imagination and wonkiness. Kaufman has since gone on to make a number of equally incredible films as both a writer and a director, including Adaptation., Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Synecdoche, New York, and I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, but fans will never forget the film that served as his big break out.

Part of what makes Charlie Kaufman’s films so fun for fans is the fact that they demand analysis, and his feature debut is no exception – hence what we’re here to discuss today. Being John Malkovich’s ending is a wild one, and in this feature we’re going to break down both what unfolds, and what it means. In case it’s been a minute since you’ve last seen the film, let’s begin with the former…

What Happens At The End Of Being John Malkovich

Picking up eight months after “John” (really John Cusack’s Craig) tells his agent that he wants to transition his career from acting to puppetry, the third act begins as a pregnant Maxine (Catherine Keener) sets up a nursery and “John” settles in to watch a television special about his work. It’s revealed that Malkovich’s clout has successfully elevated the art form in notoriety, and that he’s earned great fame and accolade for his contributions to the field – but the documentary also highlights that his relationship with Maxine has been on a steep decline following the announcement of her pregnancy… which is only further highlighted by the fact that “John” is watching television all by himself while his wife is in the other room.

His special over, “John” makes his way to the Metropolitan Opera House for a performance of his latest performance piece, which has a human-sized puppet elegantly dancing with a ballet company.

The Kidnapping

When “John” makes his way home, a massive birthday cake in hand, he realizes that Maxine is gone and that the apartment has been raided. Hearing the phone ringing, he finds it and answers it. On the other line is Dr. Lester (Orson Bean), calling from the seventh-and-a-half floor of the Mertin-Flemmer building, and he explains that he and his group have kidnapped Maxine, and that they will kill her if Craig doesn’t leave Malkovich’s body immediately.

Hanging up on them, “John” sits in contemplation. Dr. Lester informs the members of his group, including Lotte (Cameron Diaz) that Craig has called their bluff. While they do indeed have Maxine, and she is tied up, they have no intention of actually hurting her. Knowing that the group must enter Malkovich before the end of his 44th birthday, Lotte asks why the group can’t just enter the actor-turned-puppeteer’s mind, but Lester notes that doing so with Craig in control would merely get them pushed down into Malkovich’s subconscious.

Upset and still feeling scorned, Lotte decides that she is going to personally execute the threat made to “John,” and she pulls a gun out of her purse to shoot Maxine – saying, “If I can’t have you, no one can.” Dr. Lester exclaims that Maxine can’t be killed, and the manipulative business woman uses the temporary distraction to dive into the Malkovich door for the first time. Lotte follows her, but as Lester predicted, Craig’s influence leads them to be shoved into Malkovich’s subconscious. A chase ensues through the actor’s memories until they both find themselves dropped on to the side of the New Jersey Turnpike in a torrential downpour.

With Maxine scrambling and successfully grabbing Lotte’s gun, the two women have an emotional reckoning. Lotte remains incredibly hurt by Maxine’s betrayal, but Maxine explains that she really did love her in her own way… and that the baby she is carrying came from a time when Lotte was controlling Malkovich, not Craig.

Craig's Change Of Heart

Meanwhile, “John” gets drunk in a bar, and winds up getting in a fight when a fellow patron recognizes him. Getting a glimpse of himself in a bar mirror, “John” calls Lester to tell him not to hurt Maxine, and that he will leave Malkovich. Craig makes good on his promise, dropping a few feet away from where Lotte and Maxine are, and the real John Malkovich returns to control of his body for the first time in months. It’s a short-lived experience, though, as Lester and his group file into the Malkovich door.

Lotte and Maxine successfully hail down a car, and Craig runs up to them arguing that his willingness to sacrifice being John Malkovich proves his love for his former business partner. He is promptly told to “fuck off,” and the car drives away. He screams that he is going to go back to the Malkovich door, kick Lester out, and continue to demonstrate his love… but this by itself shows his ignorance about how the door really works.

A Jump To The Future

Seven years later, a balding Charlie Sheen arrives at “John Malkovich’s” house. Malkovich has taken on Lester’s look in both hair and clothing style, and has married Lester’s former assistant, Floris (Mary Kay Place). “John” takes Charlie upstairs and begins recruiting him to be a part of the new group that will enter the next vessel.

Said next vessel is Emily (Kelly Teacher), who is then shown having a pool day with her two moms, Maxine and Lotte. As the three are shown to be having a wonderful day, it’s revealed that Craig went through with his threat to try and reenter the Malkovich door and is powerlessly trapped inside Emily’s mind – miserable at his inability to get Maxine to love him.

It’s a wild ending, and one that we’re excited to dig into – starting with an explanation of exactly what the hell is happening as characters filter in and out of John Malkovich’s brain.

What Happens To Craig, Maxine And Lotte In Being John Malkovich

Being John Malkovich is ultimately about a truly strange love triangle formed between Craig, Lotte, and Maxine, and as strange as their relationship is from the get-go – with Craig being married to Lotte and then falling in love with Maxine, only to then learn that Lotte is in love with Maxine as well – things end in an even more bizarre place.

As explained during the second act of the movie, Dr. Lester and his group need to enter the Malkovich door before midnight on his 44th birthday, with the given reason being that entering the door after that point in time would result in the collective being diverted to a “larval vessel” and getting absorbed. Lotte knows this, and it’s possible that Maxine is informed of what’s going on during her kidnapping, but Craig doesn’t.

Craig winds up making good on his shouted promise to try and return to Malkovich so that he can win Maxine’s heart, but doing so diverts him to the aforementioned larval vessel – who happens to be Emily, Lotte and Maxine’s daughter. Assuming that Craig didn’t wait a few days/weeks before trying the door again, this means that he experienced the birth of Emily as a passenger in the newborn’s mind, and he will presumably be trapped there forever, viewing the world through her eyes with absolutely zero control. And making it hurt all the more is that he simultaneously has to watch the loving relationship between his ex-wives.

Odd? Certainly. But the truth is that Being John Malkovich was originally going to end on an infinitely more bizarre note…

The Original Being John Malkovich Ending

Those who have followed Charlie Kaufman’s work know that his movies have only gotten stranger in the years since Being John Malkovich – but it feels necessary to note that his particular penchant for weird didn’t exactly manifest out of nothing. The truth is that as wild as the end of the 1999 film is, the end as it was originally scripted was far more over the top.

The original ending of Being John Malkovich was unearthed by Badass Digest in 2014, and it’s ridiculous just how much the third act changed over the course of development. The differences between the early versions and the final cut of the film are many, starting with the fact that the plan wasn’t always to have Malkovich change careers from acting to puppeteering. Instead, the early version of the script saw Malkovich become famous as a puppet, with Craig letting everyone in the world know that he is pulling the metaphorical strings.

Craig takes his show to Vegas, where he has Malkovich perform scenes from On The Waterfront and juggle chainsaws – but his dominance in the puppeteering market is eventually challenged. Derek Mantini a.k.a. The Great Mantini (who is referenced in a news broadcast at the start of the film for having operated a giant Emily Dickenson puppet) challenges Craig to a duel of sorts: the Malkovich puppet and a Mantini-controlled Harry S. Truman are to co-star in a performance of the play Equus, and then fans would choose which one of the puppeteers would be banned from the art.

Meanwhile, it’s revealed that Dr. Lester and his group aren’t quite as innocent as they seem, as the reality is that they are being led by the literal Devil, who goes by the alias Mr. Flemmer (in turn revealing that the Mertin-Flemmer building was co-founded by Satan). During the second act of the Equus performance, Flemmer teleports in and livens up the show by “possessing” the Truman puppet. The audience is wowed as the Truman puppet juggles bowling pins before transforming into a giant swan and exploding. From the remains emerges the real Harry Truman, who urges the audience to vote for Mantini – which they do in overwhelming numbers.

Defeated, Craig leaves Malkovich’s body, which gives the opening for Mr. Flemmer, Dr. Lester, and the rest of the group to enter the door. Malkovich becomes a godlike being, transforming most of the world into black-and-white, and he flies into midtown Manhattan to organize a massive choreographed number that finds people dance until they die.

During all of this, Lotte winds up falling in love with her chimpanzee, Elijah, and together they organize a resistance group to try and stop Flemmer. The last resort is to try and plant a bomb behind the Malkovich door, but Lotte is interrupted when she runs into Craig at the Mertin-Flemmer building. They make peace, and Lotte invites Craig back to where she lives – and as they walk we see a wire extending from Craig’s arm. Panning up, we see that he is being controlled by The Great Mantini, but then it’s revealed that Mantini has wires as well, and is being controlled by Flemmer. The final shot was originally meant to dive into the Devil’s mouth, with the inside looking similar to the Malkovich tunnel.

Between the extra money that would have been required to pull all of this off, and the absolute nuttiness of it, it’s not entirely surprising that this isn’t the conclusion of Being John Malkovich, but we can certainly always appreciate the brilliant madness of Charlie Kaufman’s vision.

What are your thoughts on the ending of Being John Malkovich? Would you have preferred to see the original ending? Hit the comments section with all of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions on the matter, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more of our regular Ending Explained features.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Jordan Peele’s new horror classic Get Out has sparked conversations not only about the horror comedy genre but about race, interracial romances, cultural appropriation, and so many other hot button topics. Get Out approaches these serious topics with a playful nature and easy to digest tone. It’s rightfully earned its place as one of the best horror films of the 21st century. Currently, Get Out isn’t available on any subscription streaming service. It is, however, available to rent or buy on Amazon.

The news of Get Out not being available on Netflix, Hulu, or Prime might damper your weekend plans. Even if you’ve already seen Get Out, it’s one of those great movies that presents new layers of brilliance with every revisit. However, on the bright side, there are plenty of other great movies in a similar style of Get Out. These movies either share a theme or tone with Get Out.

Us - HBO Now

What It's About: Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) goes on vacation with her family only to encounter a doppelganger version of herself, one she met as a child. The doppelganger Adelaide also has a family that mirrors Adelaide’s. The families enter into an all-out battle to occupy the space of the living. Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss also have roles in Us.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: Us is another one of Jordan Peele’s horror creations. It’s a bit more serious than Get Out, but presents similar commentary on oppression and class. Us also has a really good twist that will likely shock you even more than Get Out’s twist.

Stream it on HBO Now here.

Parasite- Hulu

What It's About: Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award winning film follows the Kim and Park families. The poor Kim family schemes their way into the rich Parks’ lives, but it’s not all caviar and champagne as things quickly escalate. Parasite’s cast includes Song Kang-ho, Choi Woo-shik, and Cho Yeo-jeong.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: Parasite and Get Out are both really layered suspense stories. They also both deal with hierarchies, and one group benefiting from the mistreatment of another. Parasite and Get Out also both explore implicit biases, one in terms of race and another based on class.

Stream it on Hulu here.

The Twilight Zone - Cinemax

What It's About: Based on the TV series of the same name, The Twilight Zone movie features four short segments directed by and starring an ensemble cast. John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller direct The Twilight Zone segments. The ensemble cast includes Albert Brooks, Dan Aykroyd, John Lithgow, and Burgess Meredith.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: The Twilight Zone takes everyday situations and adds a paranormal or horror element to them. Something as standard as a plane ride becomes terrifying when mixed with a creepy Twilight Zone element. Essentially, Get Out does the same thing. It takes a simple everyday act, like meeting your girlfriend or boyfriend’s parents, and makes it even more of a nightmare. Jordan Peele has also added his own stamp to the Twilight Zone world by acting as a developer of the reboot.

Stream it on Cinemax here.

The First Purge - Cinemax

What It's About: The Purge franchise has been around since 2013, spanning four movies and a TV series. The First Purge finally goes into how the Purge was created. It starts as an experiment, but four films in and it has become a way of life. The First Purge cast includes Y’lan Noel and Marissa Tomei.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: All The Purge movies focus on how the evil elite use purge day to murder those they deemed not worthy to exist in society, usually people with low incomes, criminals, and minorities. Get Out and The Purge share in their exploration of the rich and powerful creating a system to abuse and murder those they see as less than human.

Stream it on Cinemax here.

Midsommar - Amazon Prime

What It's About: A couple (Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor) on the brink of a breakup, are forced together after tragedy strikes. They then head to Sweden with friends as part of an attempt to observe a pagan cult.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: Midsommar gives you a sense of unease from the moment it starts to the conclusion. Get Out offers a different sense of unease, but both films slowly unravel new details to their audiences, making for a satisfying conclusion when everything is revealed.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Hereditary - Amazon Prime

What It's About: The matriarch of the Graham family dies, and the family soon learns that a sinister entity curses their family. Buried secrets start to be revealed as the family must fight against their destined demise. Toni Collette, Ann Dowd, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, and Milly Shapiro star in Hereditary.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: Hereditary and Get Out share the unsettling nature of family and traditions. Tradition acts as a villain in both these films. It haunts the Graham family, but it acts as a pardon for the Armitage family. It allows them to justify all their actions.

Stream it on Amazon Prime here.

Being John Malkovich-Starz

What It's About: Craig (John Cusack) discovers a secret door that leads to the mind of actor John Malkovich. Craig and others use Malkovich’s mind and body to act out some of their fantasies. Being John Malkovich also stars Cameron Diaz, Charlie Sheen, and Catherine Keener.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: Being John Malkovich is another really well done movie about taking control of someone’s body without their consent. Catherine Keener also appears in both films, so if you’re a fan of the actress, then you get a double dose of her trying to take over someone’s body.

Stream it on Starz here.

The Stepford Wives (1975) - Tubi, (2004) - Cinemax

What It's About: The Stepford Wives is based on a book by Ira Levin. It spun two feature films, one in 1975 starring Katharine Ross and another in 2004 starring Nicole Kidman. The basic premise (spoiler alert) is that men are replacing their wives with robots to make them more compliant to their wants and needs.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: The two versions of The Stepford Wives diverge in many ways, but they both keep the basic premise of the original book, and that’s what connects them with Get Out. The whole idea of stealing someone’s body or likeness to turn them into domestic slaves runs through all of these films.

Stream the 1975 version on Tubi here.

Stream the 2004 remake on Cinemax here.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)-Crackle

What It's About: Invasion Of the Body Snatchers has experienced many remakes throughout film history. It originated from Jack Finney’s science fiction novel The Body Snatchers. The 1956 version was the first film, and then came Body Snatchers (1993), followed by The Invasion (2007) and Assimilate (2019). The basic premise (spoiler alert) is that aliens begin taking over human bodies, turning them into emotionless pod people.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: Get Out and Invasion of the Body Snatchers both deal with the idea of body’s being invaded. In Invasion of the Body Snatchers it is by aliens, but in Get Out, it’s by older white people.

Stream it on Crackle here.

The Invitation - Netflix

What It's About: The Invitation follows a man (Logan Marshall-Green) as he attends a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife (Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband (Michiel Huisman). Things become increasingly more intense as the couple revisits demons of the past, and a sinister plan at work starts to become clear.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: The Invitation keeps you in the dark through most of the film. It slowly reveals what’s really going on, and Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and David (Michiel Huisman)’s true intentions for their guests. Get Out also slowly offers viewers pieces of the puzzle until the full picture comes together. They both play on the idea of letting tension build before the bomb goes off.

Stream it on Netflix here.

Escape Room- Starz

What It's About: A group of strangers are invited to participate in an exclusive escape room experience. They quickly discover that you either escape the room or you die. Each room becomes increasingly more dangerous and harder to solve. Escape Room starsTaylor Russell, Logan Miller, and Deborah Ann Woll.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: In both Escape Room and Get Out, the quicker you put together the pieces of the overall mystery, the better your odds of survival. Both main characters in these movies must use their wits, and rely on a bit of luck, to escape their dangerous situations.

Stream it on Starz here.

The Cabin In the Woods- Hulu

What It's About: A group of college kids decide to spend the weekend at a secluded cabin. They accidentally unleash a group of zombies heading to kill them. However, there are greater forces at work manipulating the situation to ensure a gory end for the students. Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anne Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford star in The Cabin in the Woods.

Why Get Out Fans Will Like It: The Cabin in the Woods and Get Out might be the best horror comedies created in the last ten years. They both pay homage to the horror drama while also adding a bit of playful satirical elements as commentary on society and horror films.

Stream it on Hulu here.

The best horror films shock you, challenge your sense of reality, and make you take notice of societal monsters and terrors. Get Out and most of these films do one or all of these things. They’re all worth watching if you’re in the mood for a scare.

As fans were quick to point out following the release of Jordan Peele's Get Out last year, the fact that the movie stars Catherine Keener creates a funny connection to Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich. After all, both movies star the actress as characters who participate in procedures to put the mind of one person in the body of another. It's a cute fan theory to suggest that they are connected, but surprisingly I was the first person to bring it up to Keener when I interviewed her last week:

I had the immense pleasure of interviewing Catherine Keener and Bob Odenkirk last week during the Los Angeles press day for Incredibles 2 -- where they feature as the star newcomers to the cast -- and my final question to the pair was in reference to the legacy of the Pixar superhero franchise. Recognizing that it has been 14 years since the release of the first Incredibles, I asked if there was a role from their past that they would love to reprise. Keener essentially opted out of the question, saying that when she is done with a role she's done with it, but then I kind of dropped her jaw revealing the Get Out/Being John Malkovich connection.

For those not familiar with one or both of the movies (get ready for spoilers), here's the breakdown. In Being John Malkovich, Catherine Keener plays Maxine Lund, a woman who, along with a co-worker, discovers a special portal in a strange office building that allows a person to access the mind of actor John Malkovich. In Get Out, it's a bit more sinister and targeted, as Keener's character, Missy Armitage, is a hypnotherapist who traps black men and women in the depths of their own minds so that their consciousness can be replaced by an aging white man/woman. The fan theory is essentially that Maxine leaves her peaceful existence at the end of Being John Malkovich, changes her name, and starts up a similar operation in Connecticut -- though that's pretty dark.

That being said, it's a fan theory of which Jordan Peele himself approves. Late last year the writer/director was asked by Vanity Fair about the connection between Get Out and Being John Malkovich, and went as far as to sanction it, saying,

Those wanting to enjoy Catherine Keener's performances in either of those films can do so, as both are now available on Digital, Blu-ray, and DVD. If you want to see her most recent awesome work, however, you should definitely head to a theater near you this weekend, as Incredibles 2 will be in theaters everywhere.

Internet theorists have been having a field day with Get Out. People love pouring over the incredibly successful social horror film, concocting theories that range from entirely plausible to entirely silly. One of the goofier ones is the idea that Get Out takes place in the same universe as Being John Malkovich, with Catherine Keener, who stars in both films, as the link between them. Both movies are about body snatching and the theory claims that Keener's two characters are actually one and the same. Director-writer Jordan Peele happens to love the theory, and whether it was intentional or not, he considers it to be true.

Reddit is swimming with internet theories about popular movies, and Get Out just happens to lend itself beautifully to even the craziest of ideas. In a video for Vanity Fair, Jordan Peele went through some of these fan theories, either debunking or confirming them to the masses. While Peele thought some of these theories were brought on by "the power of marijuana," he gets a real kick out of the one where Get Out is a secret sequel to Being John Malkovich. Both movies involve a cabal of elders seeking eternal life through body stealing and Catherine Keener stars in the two movies. Though her characters are seemingly unrelated, the theory posits that her Malkovich character joins with the elders and changes her identity in order to further experiment with gaining extended life, eventually leading to the hypnosis-brain surgery seen in Get Out.

It's hardly a perfect theory, but it's enough for Jordan Peele. The similarities between the two movies were not lost on the director and he once told Spike Jonze (the director of Being John Malkovich) about the internet theory. It got a chuckle out of Jonze, which Peele is taking as a blessing and a confirmation that their movies are connected. That's a win for the Internet!

Now that awards season is underway, we can expect to hear a bit more from Get Out. The horror film has already scored some notable wins and nominations, but only time will tell if it has enough momentum to make it to the Academy Awards. Stick with CinemaBlend and we'll be sure to keep you updated with new information. In the meantime, check out our 2018 movie list for all your theater plans.

In Hollywood, certain actors get known for certain sorts of roles. Once an actor shows a particular skill or affinity for a certain type of performance, it makes sense to put that actor back into a similar position. It's a sure thing and trying something new doesn't always work.

Actors, for the most part, don't like this, as it keeps them in a box and doesn't let them try new things. Every once in a while, an actor is given a chance to shine by doing something new. A lot of the time, all this does is remind us why these actors only play particular roles. Sometimes, however, an actor shows up in the last role you'd expect them to take, and absolutely nails it. Here are 10 times actors blew us away by trying something we never saw coming.

Daniel Craig, Logan Lucky

Most people probably weren't all that familiar with Daniel Craig as an actor before he was tapped to be the new James Bond. If you had seen him before, it was likely in a movie like Layer Cake. For this reason, it was surprising to see him pop up in the recent Steven Soderbergh heist movie Logan Lucky, playing a southern, bank-robbing convict with a penchant for explosives. If we hadn't ever seen Craig before, we would have assumed that's who he was. He's the highlight of Logan Lucky and now we want to see what else he can do.

Jim Carrey, The Truman Show

While Jim Carrey has made a wide variety of films by this point in his career, back in 1998, he was really only known for ridiculous over-the-top comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Those films fell in line with the work he'd done on television as part of the sketch comedy show In Living Color. This is why nobody knew quite what to expect when he stepped out of that comfort zone for the first time in The Truman Show. The surreal drama had none of the slapstick humor we expected from the actor, and yet, he was absolutely perfect in the role. This opened several new doors for Carrey as a bona-fide Movie Star.

Robin Williams, One Hour Photo

Similar to Jim Carrey, there was a time when Robin Williams was known strictly for comedy. His frenetic personality lent itself perfectly to movies and TV shows that just had you laughing until you hurt. He surprised us a lot as he began to shift to more dramatic films like Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting, where he won an Academy Award. However, that shift wasn't nearly as impressive as the one he made in One Hour Photo. Playing a photo developer who develops an unhealthy obsession with his customers, Williams wasn't just surprisingly serious, he was terrifying.

Charlize Theron, Monster

Charlize Theron has been stunning audiences throughout her career. It's no surprise that she's often cast as the femme fatale or in some other role that has sex appeal as a key component. However, for her Oscar-winning turn in Monster, the actress didn't just change the sort of role she played, she changed everything about her. Theron was unrecognizable in the role of a serial killer, which may have helped audiences look past the actress and see the performance to be something truly special. We haven't seen her do anything like it since.

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Your first exposure to Heath Ledger could have come from a few different places. Perhaps you knew him from the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, or maybe you saw him in A Knight's Tale or Brokeback Mountain. Whatever sort of film you used to associate with Heath Ledger, nobody knew what to expect when he was cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Few people probably expected the performance we got. The fact that nobody saw it coming is half the reason Ledger's role has become so iconic, even in such a short time. The Joker has been around for decades, but now everybody who takes on the role is competing with Heath Ledger

Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Jonah Hill made his name working in comedies written by the likes of Judd Apatow and starring the likes of Seth Rogen. As such, Hill became associated throughout his early career not simply with comedy, but with a particular brand of comedy. This made his role in Moneyball a stand-out moment for the young actor. Hill plays a Yale-educated math nerd, and if anything, he's the straight man when paired with Brad Pitt. Moneyball earned Hill his first Oscar nomination, which was well deserved. It also started him on a path toward other films that have also earned him award nominations.

Emma Watson, The Bling Ring

Emma Watson spent a decade of her life making a single film franchise, so in this case Watson wasn't simply known for a single type of role, but in fact a single role, Hermione Granger. A couple years after the Harry Potter franchise wrapped, Watson took a part which was about as far from the family friendly Hermione as you could get. In The Bling Ring, Watson played a character at the center of a group of Hollywood thieves who broke into the homes of celebrities. Everybody loves Hermione, but Watson proved she could play a role that's utterly detestable, as well.

Steve Carell, Foxcatcher

Steve Carell found his way to the public eye on The Daily Show and so it would make sense that when he made the leap to film, he started out in comedies. We expect to see him in movies like the 40-Year-Old Virgin or adding his voice to the Despicable Me franchise. What we don't expect to see him do is play a psychotically obsessed wrestling coach who becomes a murderer in Foxcatcher. Carell's role as John du Pont not only isn't funny, it's truly chilling. It's not that we didn't believe the actor was capable, we just never thought we'd see it.

Cameron Diaz, Being John Malkovich

We're not sure that anybody in Being John Malkovich is really playing to type, as a Charlie Kaufman movie is pretty much the definition of unusual. However, while everybody else in the cast had certainly been in their share of offbeat films before, Cameron Diaz was probably the last person we would think of for the role she played. Diaz had done all sorts of comedies up to this point, and while Being John Malkovich probably still technically counts, it's a bizarre sort of humor. Her character is as far from the romantic comedy sex appeal we were used to seeing as possible. She was plain and more than a little odd. She was perfect.

Michael Keaton, Clean and Sober

While Michael Keaton has made his name in just about every sort of movie imaginable at this point, in the late 1980s his movies all had the same thing in common -- comedy. From Mr. Mom to Johnny Dangerously, Keaton made some really funny movies. Before Keaton surprised us by being Batman, however, he surprised us by playing a drug addict who struggles to make his way out of addiction. It was the last thing in the world we expected from the actor at the time, but it was a harbinger of things to come, such as the number of amazing dramatic roles he's played recently.

It is not unusual for actors to be become attached to particular types of parts. Certain films become iconic, or certain roles become so memorable that you can’t think of the character without thinking of the actor, or vice versa. But John Malkovich has them all beat. He doesn’t simply have a movie where his name appears before the title, be has a film where his name is the title. What does the actor think about Being John Malkovich more than 15 years later? Well, he compares the movie to the way bad sex, or possibly great sex, can affect your life.

Malkovich feels that the movie had a truly major impact on cinema, but that it had nothing to do with him. Instead, he says that the introduction of director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman to the movie world is what the movie should ultimately be known for. For himself, however, he told Rolling Stone that the legacy of the film is like the legacy of oral sex.

So that’s a ...vivid metaphor. It’s not entirely clear what "your life becomes a blowjob" means, beyond being the greatest sentence I’ve had the chance to type in my career. As bizarre as it sounds at first, it may actually be a fitting comparison. How do you have a conversation with John Malkovich about a movie that has his name in the title? Even if you honestly believe it’s a wonderful movie, anything you say is going to come across as the conversational equivalent of a blowjob.

Ultimately the problem is that it’s difficult to talk about the movie without discussing the bizarreness that came from the its premise. You can’t talk about John Malkovich the character without also talking about John Malkovich the actor. Maybe it’s not so much a blowjob as it is a self-referential circle jerk.

We can certainly agree that the movie introduced Hollywood to two unique filmmakers that the movie business is all the richer for. Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman have gone on to make some of the greatest, and strangest, movies in recent memory. We’re glad they got the chance to make Being John Malkovich, even if it did rish turning the actors life into a blowjob.

As incredibly bizarre and unique as Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich is, the reality is that it was almost much, much weirder. Details about the conclusion of an earlier script have come to light online, and to call it fascinating is an extreme understatement.

This new Being John Malkovich early script info has surfaced thanks to Badass Digest, which has a fully detailed breakdown of the movie's original ending in all its weirdo glory. Beginning at about the start of the third act - which has Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) lock his wife, Lotte (Cameron Diaz), in a chimpanzee cage and leave with Maxine (Catherine Keener) to permanently take over John Malkovich's body. The big change, however, is that Craig doesn't turn Malkovich into a great puppeteer, but instead publicizes that Malkovich is a puppet and becomes famous as his controller. He gets his own show in Las Vegas, "doing scenes from On the Waterfront and juggling chainsaws."

Trouble eventually comes in the form of The Great Mantini, another world famous puppeteer who becomes incredibly jealous of Craig's success with Malkovich. He challenges the newcomer to an on-stage puppetry duel that will be judged by the puppet fan community, and the loser has to quit the business forever. The idea is that they have to perform a theatrical performance of Equis, starring Malkovich and The Great Mantini's puppet, which looks exactly like former president Harry Truman.

This is where things kind of go off the deep end. You know that group of old people seeking immortality in the movie, led by the kindly Lester (Orson Bean)? The early draft of the script actually had this group being followers of The Devil - who disguises himself as Mr. Flemmer (for whom the Mertin-Flemmer building is named). The Devil has a plan to move the old people into Malkovich and use him to take over the world - but obviously this is problematic with Craig not letting them in. This leads Mr. Flemmer to possess the Harry Truman puppet during Craig's duel with The Great Mantini, and he uses it to perform some extraordinary tricks:

Craig loses and leaves Malkovich, allowing the old people access to the vessel and the ability to carry out the Devil's mission. Malkovich levitates in the air and flies out onto the streets of New York, making the world dance until they die. From there there are details about a resistance group led by Lotte and Elijay - the chimpanzee whom she has fallen in love with - and an eventual reunion with Craig. It all ends with a crazy twist ending the first suggests that The Great Mantini has long been pulling Craig's strings, but also that The Great Mantini is being controlled by strings pulled by Mr. Flemmer.

I would recommend getting all of the strange little details over at the source. According to the story, changes were made due to budgetary restrictions, and it's not hard to see why (making Malkovich fly over New York City would have been a tad bit difficult for such a small production). Would you ever want to see this version actualized, or are you satisfied with the ending that was in the film?

Your guide to Netflix streaming is back with Toy Story 3, a time-traveling hot tub, and a portal into the Twilight Zone. Yet again we're bringing you a handful of new or notable selections from Netflix's Instant Watch catalogue. Some will be classics, some will be little-seen gems, some will be shows you might have missed, and some...some will be crap so awful they simply has to be seen to be believed. Here's what's FlixWorthy this week, kids.

Toy Story 3

(2010, Rated G, 102 min.)

Do I even need to sell you on this one? It's Pixar, a company that can damn near do no wrong (even if I still don't have any real desire to see Cars). It's the third film in one of the most beloved family-friendly series in recent memory. It won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. It's freakin' Toy Story, man! If Pixar and Disney decide to continue the franchise, I have no doubt they'll come up with something good, but I almost wish they would simply let Toy Story 3 be their final word on Buzz, Woody, and the gang. It's hard to imagine a more eloquent, more emotional, more pitch-perfect send-off for Andy's toys, especially since there are quite a few audience members who have literally grown up with the movies, their development paralleling Andy's. In Toy Story, Pixar has given us that all-too-rare commodity: a perfect trilogy. Now if only Netflix would add the first two movies to their streaming catalogue.

Double-Feature It With...

Up

(2009, Rated PG, 96 min.)

Speaking of perfection, I challenge you to find a more beautifully realized cinematic moment than the montage that carries us through the lives of Carl and Ellie. You may find some that equal it, but I doubt you'll find any that surpass the simple and elegant way it tells an entire story almost entirely through visuals. Granted, you may have a hard time fully appreciating it over the sound of your blubbering. The rest of the film is a great, entertaining adventure, but Up is never better than during the time we spend with Carl and Ellie. And yes, I realize I've recommended it before, but I don't care. I can't think of a better pairing for Toy Story 3.

Hot Tub Time Machine

(2010, Rated R, 100 min.)

There have been plenty of movie premises that sounded ridiculous over the years. Some, such as Snakes on a Plane, prove that just because a one-line pitch makes you laugh, that doesn't mean it can hold up for 90 minutes. Others prove just crazy enough to work -- witness Hot Tub Time Machine. HTTM fully embraces the stupidity of its premise, but then crafts a support structure composed of a solid cast, more pop culture references than you can count, and the best running joke involving the severing of a man's arm this or any other generation has ever seen. The motley assemblage of John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, and Clark Duke somehow manage to work as a group of friends hoping to recapture their youth by returning to the scene of hedonism past, and the script by Josh Heald, Sean Anders, and John Morris takes great pleasure in embracing then inherent logical gaps in any time travel story.

Double-Feature It With:

Being John Malkovich

(1999, Rated R, 112 min., HD)

Speaking of bizarre concepts, you'd be hard pressed to find one odder than that of Being John Malkovich. But whereas Hot Tub Time Machine gleefully seizes hold of the ridiculous, Being John Malkovich sets up camp squarely in the middle of the peculiar. An office located on the 7 1/2th floor. Brain portals hidden behind filing cabinets. An army of Malkovichi. It doesn't get any weirder than this, and I'm fairly certain his appearance in this movie is directly responsible for Charlie Sheen eventually losing his mind.

Glee

(1966, Not Rated, One Season Available, HD)

Ah, Glee. Every once in a while there's some monumental pop culture phenomenon that seizes ahold of the public consciousness, and which I just don't get. Glee is one such phenomenon, settling in alongside American Idol, the Twilight series, and the Transformers movies. But while their successes may befuddle me, that doesn't mean I can deny them. So for all you Gleeks out there (That is what you prefer to be called, isn't it? Did you intentionally name yourself after a cartoon monkey?), Netflix has added the first season of Glee to its streaming catalogue. This is part of the deal Netflix just signed with Fox, so presumably more seasons will become available in the future. So you'll be able to sing along while dancing around your living room in your underwear at your leisure, if that's the sort of thing you're into.

Double-Feature It With:

Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey

(1993, Rated PG, 83 min.)

If you'd like a musical journey more eclectic than a bunch of twentysomethings pretending to be teenagers while covering modern pop hits, perhaps you'd like to learn the history of the theremin. If you have no idea of what a thermin is, I assure you that you've encountered one if you've ever watched any '50s monster movies. The unmistakable warbling sound has become synonymous with rubber-suited alien invaders and giant radioactive critters of every sort. This great little documentary introduces us to the man who invented the device, a refugee from the Russian communist revolution who was later dragged back by Soviet agents and forced to invent spy tech. Suck on that, Mr. Glockenspiel.

The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones

(1992, Not Rated, Three Seasons Available)

Showing us "the early years" of popular characters is always a gamble. Especially when George Lucas is involved. Try as we might, some of us will never be able to fully enjoy the original Star Wars films without picturing Hayden Christensen's head under the iconic Vader mask in every scene, probably whining about sand. Thankfully, when Lucas decided to create a series focusing on various stages of Indiana Jones' adolescence, the results were considerably more enjoyable than the glimpses he provided at mini-Vader. Airing in the early '90s, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles followed the adventures of Henry Jones Jr. as both a child (Corey Carrier) and as a young adult (Sean Patrick Flannery). While his most epic adventures were still years away, the series sees Indy traipse around the globe, encountering a parade of famous personages, getting into trouble, and covertly teaching the young audience about history. The show is hit and miss, but there are plenty of gems to be found, and it's a great sneaky instructional tool. Netflix has added all three of the volumes previously released on DVD, so clear your schedule, dive in, and try to forget that The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ever happened.

Double-Feature It With:

Beauty and the Beast

(1987, Not Rated, Three Seasons Available)

Another fond relic from my childhood, Beauty and the Beast is the sort of show that would probably never make it to air these days. Or if it did, the middle-aged leads would be rewritten as a pair of love-struck teens. Come to think of it, I'm kind of astonished that remake hasn't happened yet. Screw that noise. Give me Linda Hamilton, a leonine Ron Perlman as Vincent, and love amongst the sewers.

The Stand

(1994, Unrated, Four eps.)

While many of Stephen King's works have made it to the big screen, for both good (The Shawshank Redemption, The Mist) and ill (Dreamcatcher, Secret Window), there was a time during the '90s when it seemed like a year couldn't go by without a new miniseries or TV movie adaptation of his books. Some were quite forgettable (The Langoliers), but some are fondly remembered even today. Top of this list would be It (the first half, anyway) and this version of King's epic, post-apocalyptic tome, The Stand. While stuck within the confines of a TV budget, the series was event television at the time, and sported a solid cast including Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, Miguel Ferrer, Matt Frewer, and Ossie Davis. Until one of the cable networks decides to throw a few million at it to make a definitive version unhampered by network standards and practices, this one will have to do.

Double-Feature It With:

Sons of Anarchy

(2008, TV-MA, Two Seasons Available, HD)

You shouldn't need any excuse to check out FX's excellent biker drama, but if you simply must have a tie-in, how about this: Stephen King did a cameo in a season three episode last year. Granted, you can't watch that episode since season three isn't streaming yet. But like I said: you shouldn't need an excuse.

The Twilight Zone

(1959, Not Rated, Three Seasons Available, HD)

It wasn't long ago that I raved about the new Blu-ray release of The Twilight Zone's first season. If my lavish praise didn't sway you enough to pick up the set, good news: Netflix has posted a whole mess of classic Twilight Zone, all available in glorious HD. As I said in the review, the show looks amazing in HD despite being 50 years old, and most of the episodes still hold up wonderfully. While TZ has been in syndication for longer than many of us have been alive, it's fascinating to revisit the show back to back. For every well-known classic such as "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," you'll likely discover several gems you've either never seen or simply don't remember. What, you'd rather be watching The Voice?

Double-Feature It With:

Mission: Impossible

(1966, Not Rated, Seven Seasons Available, HD)

Yes, long before Tom Cruise was starring in increasingly incoherent big-screen Mission: Impossible flicks, the IMF was undertaking impossible missions at the behest of Jim Phelps (Peter Graves). Netflix has added all seven seasons of the series, and supposedly the show is pretty damn good for about half of those. Either way, keep your eyes out for Martin Landau and Leonard Nimoy.

To read the FlixWorthy archives, click here!