Movie Auditor › Rankings › 1990s
Best Movies of the 1990s, Ranked by IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDB
800 films from the 1990s are in our catalog; the 100 best are ranked below. Top of the list is The Shawshank Redemption ('1994), at 9.3 on IMDb. The average IMDb score across this list is 8.0. Biggest split between audiences and critics: Primal Fear, 7.7 on IMDb against 47 on Metacritic.
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| # | Movie | Genre | IMDb | Tomato | Meta | TMDB | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Shawshank Redemption '1994 | Drama / Crime | 9.3 | 89% | 82 | 8.7 | Frank Darabont |
| 2 | Schindler's List '1993 | Drama / War | 9.0 | 98% | 95 | 8.6 | Steven Spielberg |
| 3 | Forrest Gump '1994 | Comedy / Drama / Romance | 8.8 | 75% | 82 | 8.5 | Robert Zemeckis |
| 4 | Pulp Fiction '1994 | Thriller / Crime / Comedy | 8.8 | 92% | 95 | 8.5 | Quentin Tarantino |
| 5 | Fight Club '1999 | Drama / Thriller | 8.8 | 81% | 67 | 8.4 | David Fincher |
| 6 | The Matrix '1999 | Action / Sci-Fi | 8.7 | 83% | 73 | 8.3 | Lana Wachowski |
| 7 | GoodFellas '1990 | Drama / Crime | 8.7 | 93% | 92 | 8.4 | Martin Scorsese |
| 8 | The Silence of the Lambs '1991 | Crime / Thriller / Drama | 8.6 | 95% | 86 | 8.3 | Jonathan Demme |
| 9 | Se7en '1995 | Crime / Mystery / Thriller | 8.6 | 84% | 65 | 8.4 | David Fincher |
| 10 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day '1991 | Action / Thriller / Sci-Fi | 8.6 | 90% | 75 | 8.2 | James Cameron |
| 11 | Saving Private Ryan '1998 | War / Drama | 8.6 | 94% | 91 | 8.2 | Steven Spielberg |
| 12 | The Green Mile '1999 | Fantasy / Drama / Crime | 8.6 | 78% | 61 | 8.5 | Frank Darabont |
| 13 | Léon: The Professional '1994 | Crime / Drama / Action | 8.5 | 76% | 64 | 8.3 | Luc Besson |
| 14 | The Lion King '1994 | Animation / Drama | 8.5 | 92% | 88 | 8.3 | Roger Allers |
| 15 | Life Is Beautiful '1997 | Comedy / Drama | 8.6 | 80% | 58 | 8.4 | Roberto Benigni |
| 16 | The Usual Suspects '1995 | Drama / Crime / Thriller | 8.5 | 87% | 76 | 8.2 | Bryan Singer |
| 17 | American History X '1998 | Drama | 8.5 | 84% | 62 | 8.3 | Tony Kaye |
| 18 | Good Will Hunting '1997 | Drama | 8.4 | 97% | 71 | 8.2 | Gus Van Sant |
| 19 | Toy Story '1995 | Comedy / Animation | 8.3 | 100% | 96 | 8.0 | John Lasseter |
| 20 | Braveheart '1995 | Drama / War | 8.3 | 74% | 68 | 7.9 | Mel Gibson |
| 21 | American Beauty '1999 | Drama | 8.3 | 87% | 84 | 8.0 | Sam Mendes |
| 22 | Heat '1995 | Crime / Drama / Action | 8.3 | 84% | 76 | 7.9 | Michael Mann |
| 23 | Jurassic Park '1993 | Sci-Fi | 8.2 | 91% | 68 | 8.0 | Steven Spielberg |
| 24 | Reservoir Dogs '1992 | Crime / Thriller | 8.2 | 90% | 81 | 8.1 | Quentin Tarantino |
| 25 | The Truman Show '1998 | Comedy / Drama | 8.2 | 94% | 90 | 8.2 | Peter Weir |
| 26 | The Sixth Sense '1999 | Mystery / Thriller / Drama | 8.2 | 86% | 64 | 8.0 | M. Night Shyamalan |
| 27 | Princess Mononoke '1997 | Fantasy / Animation | 8.3 | 93% | 78 | 8.3 | Hayao Miyazaki |
| 28 | Casino '1995 | Crime / Drama | 8.2 | 79% | 73 | 8.0 | Martin Scorsese |
| 29 | L.A. Confidential '1997 | Crime / Mystery / Thriller | 8.2 | 99% | 91 | 7.8 | Curtis Hanson |
| 30 | Unforgiven '1992 | Western | 8.2 | 96% | 85 | 7.9 | Clint Eastwood |
| 31 | The Big Lebowski '1998 | Comedy / Crime | 8.1 | 79% | 71 | 7.8 | Joel Coen |
| 32 | Fargo '1996 | Crime / Drama / Thriller | 8.1 | 95% | 88 | 7.8 | Joel Coen |
| 33 | Trainspotting '1996 | Drama / Crime | 8.1 | 93% | 83 | 8.0 | Danny Boyle |
| 34 | Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels '1998 | Comedy / Crime | 8.1 | 75% | 67 | 8.1 | Guy Ritchie |
| 35 | Titanic '1997 | Drama / Romance | 8.0 | 88% | 75 | 7.9 | James Cameron |
| 36 | Groundhog Day '1993 | Romance / Fantasy / Comedy | 8.0 | 93% | 72 | 7.6 | Harold Ramis |
| 37 | Twelve Monkeys '1995 | Sci-Fi / Thriller / Mystery | 8.0 | 88% | 75 | 7.6 | Terry Gilliam |
| 38 | Beauty and the Beast '1991 | Romance / Animation / Fantasy | 8.0 | 95% | 95 | 7.7 | Gary Trousdale |
| 39 | Before Sunrise '1995 | Drama / Romance | 8.1 | 100% | 79 | 8.0 | Richard Linklater |
| 40 | Aladdin '1992 | Animation / Fantasy / Romance | 8.0 | 96% | 86 | 7.7 | Ron Clements |
| 41 | Scent of a Woman '1992 | Drama | 8.0 | 82% | 57 | 7.8 | Martin Brest |
| 42 | In the Name of the Father '1993 | Drama | 8.1 | 94% | 84 | 7.9 | Jim Sheridan |
| 43 | The Nightmare Before Christmas '1993 | Fantasy / Animation | 7.9 | 95% | 82 | 7.8 | Henry Selick |
| 44 | Dances with Wolves '1990 | Drama / Western | 8.0 | 87% | 72 | 7.8 | Kevin Costner |
| 45 | Toy Story 2 '1999 | Animation / Comedy | 7.9 | 100% | 88 | 7.6 | John Lasseter |
| 46 | La Haine '1995 | Drama | 8.1 | 96% | - | 8.1 | Mathieu Kassovitz |
| 47 | The Iron Giant '1999 | Animation / Drama / Sci-Fi | 8.1 | 96% | 85 | 8.0 | Brad Bird |
| 48 | Magnolia '1999 | Drama | 8.0 | 82% | 78 | 7.7 | Paul Thomas Anderson |
| 49 | Home Alone '1990 | Comedy | 7.8 | 66% | 63 | 7.5 | Chris Columbus |
| 50 | True Romance '1993 | Action / Crime / Romance | 7.9 | 93% | 59 | 7.5 | Tony Scott |
| 51 | Carlito's Way '1993 | Crime / Drama / Thriller | 7.9 | 84% | 66 | 7.8 | Brian De Palma |
| 52 | JFK '1991 | Drama / Thriller | 8.0 | 85% | 72 | 7.6 | Oliver Stone |
| 53 | Edward Scissorhands '1990 | Fantasy / Drama / Romance | 7.8 | 92% | 74 | 7.7 | Tim Burton |
| 54 | The Fugitive '1993 | Action / Thriller / Drama | 7.8 | 96% | 87 | 7.5 | Andrew Davis |
| 55 | Boogie Nights '1997 | Drama / Comedy | 7.9 | 91% | 87 | 7.6 | Paul Thomas Anderson |
| 56 | A Few Good Men '1992 | Drama | 7.8 | 85% | 62 | 7.6 | Rob Reiner |
| 57 | The Wrong Trousers '1993 | Animation / Comedy | 8.3 | - | - | 7.8 | Nick Park |
| 58 | Tombstone '1993 | Western / Action | 7.8 | 76% | 50 | 7.6 | George P. Cosmatos |
| 59 | Misery '1990 | Drama / Thriller | 7.8 | 86% | 75 | 7.8 | Rob Reiner |
| 60 | A Bronx Tale '1993 | Drama / Crime | 7.8 | 97% | 80 | 7.9 | Robert De Niro |
| 61 | Philadelphia '1993 | Drama | 7.7 | 81% | 66 | 7.7 | Jonathan Demme |
| 62 | The Game '1997 | Drama / Thriller / Mystery | 7.7 | 77% | 63 | 7.6 | David Fincher |
| 63 | What's Eating Gilbert Grape '1993 | Romance / Drama | 7.7 | 90% | 73 | 7.7 | Lasse Hallström |
| 64 | Three Colors: Red '1994 | Drama / Mystery / Romance | 8.0 | 100% | 100 | 7.9 | Krzysztof Kieślowski |
| 65 | Ghost in the Shell '1995 | Action / Animation / Sci-Fi | 7.9 | 95% | 76 | 7.9 | Mamoru Oshii |
| 66 | Ed Wood '1994 | Comedy / Drama | 7.8 | 92% | 71 | 7.5 | Tim Burton |
| 67 | Apollo 13 '1995 | Drama | 7.7 | 92% | 78 | 7.5 | Ron Howard |
| 68 | Donnie Brasco '1997 | Crime / Drama / Thriller | 7.7 | 88% | 77 | 7.5 | Mike Newell |
| 69 | Gattaca '1997 | Sci-Fi / Drama | 7.7 | 82% | 64 | 7.6 | Andrew Niccol |
| 70 | Mulan '1998 | Animation | 7.7 | 92% | 72 | 7.9 | Tony Bancroft |
| 71 | Being John Malkovich '1999 | Comedy / Drama / Fantasy | 7.7 | 94% | 90 | 7.4 | Spike Jonze |
| 72 | As Good as It Gets '1997 | Drama / Comedy / Romance | 7.7 | 86% | 67 | 7.4 | James L. Brooks |
| 73 | Clerks '1994 | Comedy | 7.7 | 90% | 70 | 7.4 | Kevin Smith |
| 74 | Awakenings '1990 | Drama | 7.8 | 81% | 74 | 7.8 | Penny Marshall |
| 75 | The Fifth Element '1997 | Sci-Fi / Action | 7.6 | 70% | 52 | 7.6 | Luc Besson |
| 76 | Three Colors: Blue '1993 | Drama | 7.8 | 98% | 87 | 7.6 | Krzysztof Kieślowski |
| 77 | Primal Fear '1996 | Crime / Drama / Thriller | 7.7 | 77% | 47 | 7.7 | Gregory Hoblit |
| 78 | The Sandlot '1993 | Comedy / Drama | 7.8 | 66% | 55 | 7.6 | David Mickey Evans |
| 79 | Chungking Express '1994 | Drama / Comedy / Romance | 7.9 | 89% | 78 | 8.0 | Wong Kar-Wai |
| 80 | Die Hard: With a Vengeance '1995 | Action / Thriller | 7.6 | 60% | 58 | 7.3 | John McTiernan |
| 81 | Perfect Blue '1998 | Animation / Thriller | 8.0 | 85% | 67 | 8.3 | Satoshi Kon |
| 82 | Children of Heaven '1997 | Drama | 8.2 | 83% | 77 | 7.9 | Majid Majidi |
| 83 | Boyz n the Hood '1991 | Drama / Crime | 7.7 | 93% | 76 | 7.6 | John Singleton |
| 84 | The Insider '1999 | Drama / Thriller | 7.8 | 96% | 85 | 7.5 | Michael Mann |
| 85 | Dazed and Confused '1993 | Comedy / Drama | 7.6 | 94% | 82 | 7.3 | Richard Linklater |
| 86 | Baraka '1992 | Documentary | 8.5 | 85% | 74 | 8.2 | Ron Fricke |
| 87 | The Remains of the Day '1993 | Drama / Romance | 7.8 | 96% | 86 | 7.4 | James Ivory |
| 88 | Sling Blade '1996 | Drama | 8.0 | 96% | 85 | 7.5 | Billy Bob Thornton |
| 89 | South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut '1999 | Animation / Comedy | 7.7 | 81% | 73 | 7.3 | Trey Parker |
| 90 | Back to the Future Part III '1990 | Comedy / Sci-Fi | 7.5 | 79% | 55 | 7.5 | Robert Zemeckis |
| 91 | Thelma & Louise '1991 | Drama / Crime | 7.6 | 87% | 89 | 7.6 | Ridley Scott |
| 92 | The Straight Story '1999 | Drama | 8.0 | 95% | 86 | 7.7 | David Lynch |
| 93 | The Last of the Mohicans '1992 | War / Drama | 7.6 | 88% | 76 | 7.4 | Michael Mann |
| 94 | Office Space '1999 | Comedy | 7.6 | 82% | 68 | 7.4 | Mike Judge |
| 95 | The Godfather Part III '1990 | Crime / Drama / Thriller | 7.5 | 67% | 60 | 7.4 | Francis Ford Coppola |
| 96 | Interview with the Vampire '1994 | Horror / Drama / Fantasy | 7.5 | 66% | 62 | 7.4 | Neil Jordan |
| 97 | The Celebration '1998 | Drama | 8.0 | 91% | 82 | 7.7 | Thomas Vinterberg |
| 98 | Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge '1995 | Comedy / Drama / Romance | 8.0 | 100% | - | 8.5 | Aditya Chopra |
| 99 | Total Recall '1990 | Action / Sci-Fi | 7.5 | 80% | 60 | 7.3 | Paul Verhoeven |
| 100 | Miller's Crossing '1990 | Drama / Thriller / Crime | 7.7 | 93% | 66 | 7.4 | Joel Coen |
Our catalog covers roughly the 8,800 most-rated films on TMDB, so lesser-known titles may be missing. Order uses a confidence-weighted IMDb score so a perfect score from a handful of votes does not beat a well-established classic; the scores shown are the raw ones.
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