’90 nostalgia is at its peak, and there’s no time like the present to revisit some of the best crime films put to screen. The ’70s had their own golden age of high-tension stories set in the world of crime, but a couple of decades later, these movies dominated at the box office.
The ’90s were known for their jaded view of the world, and heavy hitters like Quentin Tarantino, Michael Mann, and the great Martin Scorsese delivered some of their best.
1990’s Best Crime Film Is Goodfellas
Martin Scorsese has made a career out of bloody crime films, but Goodfellas is his undisputed best. The film brought together acting, cinematography, and sound in a way that no other had before or since. Ray Liotta stars in his breakout role as Henry Hill, the Irish-Italian mobster who can never be a Made Man.
Inspired by the real Henry Hill’s story depicted in the book Wiseguy, Goodfellas follows the character as he rises through the ranks of an Italian mob family. Liotta was a standout in the film, but it was Joe Pesci who terrified everyone when asking how he was funny. He steals the show, earning him the statue for Best Supporting Actor in the performance of a lifetime.
1991’s Best Crime Film Is The Silence of the Lambs
Thomas Harris disturbed and fascinated the world when he first created the cannibal therapist, Hannibal Lecter. The serial killer has been portrayed many a time, but Anthony Hopkins became the scariest film villain in the role. The actor starred next to Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs, giving an iconic line that fans still argue the pronunciation of to this day.
One of the rare horror films to be in the running for Best Picture at the Oscars, The Silence of the Lambs remains the scariest thriller, largely because it was so realistic. Harris was influenced by the real psychological profilers at the FBI and created a franchise that still terrifies. When women were a rarity in positions of authority, Clarice Starling never hesitated to protect women from an insatiable killer and influenced a generation.
1992’s Best Crime Film Is A Few Good Men
Whether Tom Cruise could handle the truth in A Few Good Men is up for debate, but it created the best crime film of 1992. The movie was largely a courtroom drama, but centered around a harrowing crime committed by a group of Marines while guarding Guantánamo Bay. The Rob Reiner film was written by Aaron Sorkin, an adaptation of the stage play he had written about the same subject.
A Few Good Men became an instant classic in the final courtroom scene when Cruise and Jack Nicholson go head-to-head. The film raises the question of whether the military should really be unchecked, especially when it comes to a fellow Marine’s life. The story is so gripping that the crime in question rattles the cage of all the characters, leading to its dramatic conclusion.
1993’s Best Crime Film Is The Fugitive
Film adaptations of television series aren’t always guaranteed success, and regarding The Fugitive, even its stars thought it would fail. Instead, the Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones feature became the notable exception as it followed a man’s quest to prove his innocence after the death of his wife. Ford brings his natural charisma to the role of Dr. Kimble, a man convicted of the murder.
When Kimble escapes prison, he doesn’t go on the lam but insists on solving her murder. The Fugitive became the gold standard for thrillers, not just because it was a decent nail-biter, but because of the characters. Kimble is devastated at his wife’s murder, made even worse because he can’t prove his innocence. The powerful performances and universal story made everyone want Kimble to find the identity of the one-armed man.
1994’s Best Crime Film Is Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino has had some controversial opinions lately, but his magnum opus always impresses. The director’s fascination with crime culminated in the non-linear film, Pulp Fiction. Told in separate vignettes, the film follows colorful characters as they circle the same criminal syndicate in Los Angeles.
There are too many quotable lines to count and standout performances from Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson. Pulp Fiction also served as a resurgence for John Travolta, whose dance sequence rivaled the specific lines of dialogue. They don’t make movies like these anymore.
1995’s Best Crime Film Is Heat
Michael Mann’s Heat is not only a great crime film but one of the best films of the decade. Robert De Niro shows up a couple of times on this list because of his contribution to the genre, but along with his scene partner, Al Pacino, the two created an iconic dynamic that has never been replicated since. Heat is a remake of a Michael Mann TV movie, following Neil McCauley, an intelligent career criminal.
After a heist goes wrong, homicide detective Vincent Hanna does everything he can to track him down. The brilliance of Heat is Pacino and De Niro’s dynamic, which differs from many other crime films. In one of the best scenes in film history, the two have a tension-filled talk at a diner where they realize they are more alike than they may seem. With a killer final act, Heat is a must-watch for any fan of film.
1996’s Best Crime Film Is Fargo
Everyone was fooled by Fargo’s declaration that the film was based on a true story, but that was just part of the Joel and Ethan Coen aesthetic. Known more for their outrageous comedies, the co-directing duo delivered a fantastic crime film that had the hallmarks of their original work. In the titular town of Fargo, North Dakota, a desperate man arranges for his wife to be kidnapped.
As it typically goes in Coen Brothers’ films, things go off the rails almost immediately. Frances McDormand stars as the pregnant sheriff whose optimism and goodwill lead her to the culprits as she follows their trail of blood. It is the rare crime film of the ’90s that focuses on good triumphing in a bleak world.
1997’s Best Crime Film Is L.A. Confidential
Before Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind, L.A. Confidential proved Russell Crowe would be a star. Based on the novel of the same name, the noir story follows three detectives pulled into a police conspiracy following police officers beating several inmates on Christmas Eve. Also starring Guy Pearce and Kevin Spacey, the film was a who’s who of ’90s cinema.
It was a travesty that Pearce didn’t rise to the level of fame he should have, considering the powerful performances in the film. These detectives, who had every right to hate each other, came together to fight police corruption in an extremely timely story.
1998’s Best Crime Film Is American History X
As uncomfortable viewing as the film is, American History X is more topical than even when it first premiered in 1998. After his breakout role in Primal Fear, Edward Norton starred in an even more visceral role as Derek, a former neo-Nazi who returns from prison to stop his brother from making his same mistakes. Edward Furlong stars as Derek’s brother, Danny, who finds kinship in all the wrong places.
Told through a series of black and white flashbacks, American History X shows how young men can be radicalized in a world full of hate. The film should be required viewing, especially in a world where this feeling has become more and more prevalent. A harrowing picture, Norton’s film shows the brutal crimes that led his character to realize the error of his ways.
1999’s Best Crime Film Is The Talented Mr. Ripley
Not too long after Matt Damon’s breakout role in Good Will Hunting, the actor and screenwriter doubled down on his success. In another Oscar-nominated venture, Damon plays a young man given the opportunity of a lifetime. After assuming someone else’s identity, Tom Ripley travels to Italy to convince Jude Law’s spoiled Dickie Greenleaf to return to his parents. Immediately seduced by Dickie’s affluent lifestyle, Ripley becomes obsessed until this obsession turns to murder.
Patricia Highsmith’s famous novel also led to another adaptation on Netflix’s, Ripley, but the 1999 version had all the feeling of a classic true crime story. Damon melts into the role of the compulsive murderer who takes the opportunity where he can find it. Ultimately a tragedy, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a captivating film that showed a promising beginning for many young actors.