10 Massively Underrated 1990s Movie Performances

Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game is a movie which deserves reappraisal in general; an early attempt by a mainstream filmmaker to incorporate LGBTQ+ themes into an accessible genre movie, the film is an underrated success, both thrilling and moving in equal measure.

Understandably given the film’s central twist, much of the acclaim heaped on the flick upon its release fell on the shoulders of love interest Jaye Davidson, who had never acted before securing the pivotal role. Davidson’s performance is indeed stellar, but upon re-evaluation Stephen Rea’s understated depiction of a conflicted IRA man on the run from his former collaborators and the law alike is a powerful piece of acting.

Rea moves through a range of emotion during the film’s lengthy runtime, approaching both love and fear with the same sense of nervous intensity which makes him both relatable and volatile. The performance swerves between being deeply empathetic and unsparingly harsh, and Rea navigates difficult emotional territory with grace and apparent ease.

It’s a shame we didn’t see more of the actor as a put-upon anti-hero, as The Crying Game gives the impression of a charming, brooding leading man in the making.