19 essential 90s movies for staying in on summer nights
Remember those summer vacation nights that you had to stay in and watch movies, since none of your friends had cars? Looking back, they weren’t so bad… and a lot of these essential films from the 90s haven’t aged too badly either. After sponsoring the Berlin Film Society screening the cult classic Hackers from 1995, we’ve been riding the wave of 90s nostalgia.
If you’re ready for a nostalgic re-watch, we’ve got a list of 19 1990s flicks for the next summer evening that you want to stay in and stay cool:
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Can you hear the spy theme music already? Tom Cruise might have gone a little crazy in the last twenty years or so, but the classic heist film holds up. Here’s a fun 90s fact! Mission: Impossible was the last major motion picture released on Betamax — does anyone remember Betamax VHS tapes?!
Jurassic Park (1993)
There is nothing scarier than the raptors in the original Jurassic Park. For the quality of CGI in 1993, these dinos still look pretty convincing.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Listen to Uma! If you’ve never seen this classic Tarantino film or are simply due for a re-watch, don’t be a square and mosey on down. It’s got everything: burgers, murders, and a soundtrack that simply screams summer cool.
Titanic (1997)
Nothing like young Leo and Kate Winslet freezing their butts off in the icy cold water at the end to make you appreciate the heat. And that steamy scene in the car! Whether “My Heart Will Go On” makes you cringe or tugs your heartstrings, it’s not a bad choice for date night 😉
Se7en (1995)
This gory crime thriller is not for the weak of stomach. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman follow a serial killer who strikes against the seven deadly sins. It’s definitely an edge-of-your-seat and watch-through-your-fingers pick.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Forrest Gump is a larger-than-life character, and if you haven’t seen this film yet, do it just for the jokes about the future, like when Forrest meets Elvis as a truck driver and his friend’s investment in “some kind of fruit company” called Apple Computer.
The Matrix (1999)
Yas, Keanu! The Matrix is just barely on the right side of Y2K to be included in this list. Re-watch it for the action sequences, all the pleather, and hey man *extremely large bong rip* what if this is all happening in a computer right now?
Demolition Man (1993)
Set in 2032, this is going to be the right choice if you want your future-looking nineties film with a lot more kaboom, pow, and blammo. Fun fact: in the European versions of this film, they swapped out all of the references to Taco Bell for Pizza Hut. Spot the differences!
The Fifth Element (1997)
The last in our suggestions (for now) of 90s sci-fi, The Fifth Element has everything you need if the previous two weren’t weird enough for you: Bruce Willis in his prime, Milla Jovovich’s perpetually cosplay-worth Leeloo, Chris Tucker as the outrageous space diva MC, and that blue alien lady singing opera that still gives me chills.
Dangerous Minds (1995)
There was some controversy over this in the Grover office, but our Comms manager insists this Michelle Pfeiffer vehicle is re-watchable. If your 90s nostalgia contains a lot of love for gangster rap and R&B from the era, this is definitely your pick.
Waynes World (1992)
Radical! Excellent! Party on!! Wayne and his world are absolutely emblematic of slacker culture and still a totally tubular choice for a laid back viewing party.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
If you want to go all out for a themed viewing you can’t get much cooler than mixing up some White Russians to chill with The Dude. That’s ice, a splash of vodka, coffee liqueur of your choice, and filled to the top with full fat milk.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Guns, suits, and code names have never been cooler. You wanna watch a bunch of bad dudes being bad dudes, and have the stomach for torture scenes? Reservoir Dogs is worth a re-watch.
Clueless (1995)
Clueless is the quintessential 90s film. The only question here is, why don’t we have this closet yet?!
Trainspotting (1996)
Worth the re-watch just for that baby on the ceiling scene, you know the one I’m talking about. Also might make you think twice about going out partying for the rest of the weekend.
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
This is another date night pick, as Baz Luhrmann’s modern take on the star-crossed lovers set on Verona Beach is completely dreamy. It’s also my personal favorite portrayal of the King of Cats, Mercutio, but young Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes don’t disappoint as the title characters.
The Truman Show (1998)
Did you know the Truman Show delusion is a real thing, that some people think they’re starring in a reality show with everyone around them as actors 24/7?? Don’t think too hard about it…
Men In Black (1997)
The funky little aliens in Men In Black scared the hell out of me as a kid, but they’d probably be OK now. And who hasn’t wanted one of those flashlights that erases everyone’s memory at least once?
Groundhog Day (1993)
No list of 90s classics would be complete without Bill Murray making an appearance more than once. This movie is set in the fall-winter, but that makes it an even better choice for snuggling on a sweltering summer night.
