The Best Movie Of Each Year From 1925-2025

Honourable Mentions: The Hunt for Red October, Misery, Total Recall

Martin Scorsese had long established himself as one of the finest filmmakers of the 20th century by the time 1990 rolled around, having before that point directed the likes of Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy, and Raging Bull, so it could be seen as the mother of all flexes when he delivered what many consider to be his greatest work so far into his career - a feat he has a habit of repeating every few years.

Adapted from the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, which told the story of real-life Mafia enforcer-turned-informant Henry Hill, Goodfellas was Scorsese's first true crime epic - a saga that shifted between the various incarnations of America's post-war self and the greed and violence that remained a mainstay throughout. Technically marvellous and immaculately drawn, Goodfellas boasted an ensemble of Godfather-level proportions, matching regular Scorsese collaborator Robert DeNiro with the likes of Paul Sorvino, Ray Liotta, and a never scarier Joe Pesci, as well as a tremendous Lorraine Bracco.

Not only is it an immaculately realised adaptation, but also the perfect post-script to the end of a decade - and an era.