10 Massively Underrated Movies From The 1990s

Home Alone meets Die Hard? It's a crime that we all forgot about this movie!

Strange Days Ralph Fiennes
Universal Pictures

The 1990s was littered with some truly huge movie moments from start to end. This was the decade when Star Wars returned to cinemas after a 16 year break, when Tom Hanks won back-to-back Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, and when massive franchises like Jurassic Park, Toy Story, and The Matrix first got their starts.

It's also the decade that spawned Batman & Robin, but hey, nobody's perfect.

The '90s was also one of the last decades where pure star power mattered more than recognisable IP, meaning that all sorts of weird, risky, original films were greenlit off the back of a single actor's involvement - a trend that led to countless box-office flops, sure, but it also led to tons of unique and interesting movies.

With so much going on in the '90s, it's not surprising that many of its greatest hits have either fallen off the radar over the last three decades, or simply weren't appreciated during their original theatrical runs. Either way, this neglect has resulted in a treasure trove of underrated gems that are definitely worth digging out.

10. Mimic

Strange Days Ralph Fiennes
Miramax

While the production troubles suffered by 1997's Mimic mean that the film isn't as good as it could have been, it's nonetheless a worthy addition to director Guillermo Del Toro's unique filmography.

Following a group of survivors who must combat a species of insect that has evolved to mimic humans, the film flopped at the box-office and received a mixed critical reception, but don't let that turn you off.

The picture features just enough of that signature Del Toro weirdness to elevate it above your average horror fare, with excellent creature design and an impressively cinematic atmosphere - especially considering the rather dull subway environments the story takes place in.

If for no other reason than to see Josh Brolin get eaten by a human-sized cockroach in a massive shower of blood, Mimic is a movie you should not miss.

Contributor
Contributor

Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.