10 Underappreciated 90s Thrillers You Must Watch

Nic Cage plays a Texan drifter looking for work, when he ends up in Red Rock he takes an opportunity when J T Walsh mistakes him for a hit man he hired to kill his young wife, played by Lara Flynn Boyle.

Things start to go wrong quickly when Cage takes a similar offer from his target with the clear idea of skipping town with both down payments before an unfortunate accident lands him in the local jail as the real hit man played by a menacingly eccentric Dennis Hopper turns up in town.

To say much more of the plot would spoil the joy of its ever surprising twists and developments. Cage as a lead plays it subdued with just flashes of his well-known trait for losing it. Walsh and Hopper are excellent in support and really stand out in the closing third. Boyle ably acts her part but is definitely the weak link as she isn’t quite enough the femme fatale she was shooting for.

It’s a tight neo-noir thriller in the Coen vein and easily deserves credit to the same level of Fargo and Blood Simple. Director John Dahl showed promise of becoming a household name in the genre, following up with solid thrillers such as Rounders, Roadkill, and The Last Seduction before a sideways move to a solid TV career.

Surprisingly, this was overlooked for theatrical release and went straight to TV. It’s is absolutely worth searching out and deserves much more attention.