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Though people talk about the auteur revolution of the 1970s, or the warm, populist glow of neon-soaked ‘80s movies, the 1990s were an incredibly assured time in filmmaking. Romantic comedies went deeper and darker; Black filmmakers were rising to the forefront and telling their own stories; and technology had advanced to the point that things that had never been possible before were suddenly up on the screen. Plus, it was still an era when a mega-blockbuster might be an Edwardian period drama set on a boat with not a single superhero in sight. Strange days, truly.
What's Love Got to Do With It? (1993)
I'm not the only one who'll die on the hill of "Angela Bassett was robbed at the Oscars" (no disrespect to Best Actress Holly Hunter), but regardless, her performance here is wildly memorable, elevating what might have been a more standard biopic with a committed performance that never feels like mimicry. Tina Turner's life story has such a powerful dramatic arc that it would have been hard for a movie to go too far wrong. You can stream What's Love Got to Do With It? on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.
Boyz n the Hood (1990)
Writer/director John Singleton’s debut earned him an Academy Award nomination, and the movie’s reputation has only grown with time. The movie follows Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) as he’s sent to live with his father (Laurence Fishburne) in South Central LA, with the pressures of gang culture all around him. You can stream Boyz n the Hood on Starz or rent it from Prime Video.
Goodfellas (1990)
Martin Scorsese's epic take on the life of real-life mobster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) is an indisputable classic of the genre—in fact, it's the movie many people think of first when you mention gangster movies. Scorsese has rarely been better, but the movie's performances (from Liotta, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, and Joe Pesci) are where it soars. You can stream Goodfellas on Netflix and Max or rent it from Prime Video.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
It’s easy to forget that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan don’t meet for nearly the entirety of the movie—that’s how memorable their chemistry is. A kid’s request (to a very-1990s radio talk show) for a new girlfriend for his grieving dad culminates in a memorable meeting at the Empire State Building. You can rent Sleepless in Seattle from Prime Video.
Waiting to Exhale (1996)
This Terry McMillan adaptation about the power of female friendships has an all-time great cast led by Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon. You can stream Waiting to Exhale on IFTTT