10 Great 1990s Thriller Movie Classics You Probably Haven’t Seen

Although many excellent thrillers are produced annually, the 1990s felt like la belle époque for the genre. In the years after Blood Simple, filmmakers rebelled against the milquetoast mores of 1980s cinema. Taking inspiration from ‘40s noirs, the ‘90s delved into thrillers’ darkest, most provocative recesses. This era’s neo-noir style shared recognisable tropes across different movies. Red convertible road-tripping through the Arizona desert, atmospheric motels, neon-lit saloons, rampant violence, Elvis-like, leather-clad antiheroes. The ‘50s template of the western genre was updated, swapping horses for Cadillacs.

Cinephiles are typically already familiar with this decade’s thriller masters: Quentin Tarantino, the Coen Brothers and Martin Scorsese. On the other hand, a wealth of entertaining thrillers have been lost to the annals of cinema history. This is attributable to their status as direct-to-video or TV movies, being poorly publicised, lacking A-list stars, or receiving limited distribution. There is a never-ending lineup of stalwart movies to be recovered from this decade. This list aims to bring to light forgotten ‘90s titles to satisfy thriller fans.

1. Trouble Bound (1993)

Ex-con Harry Talbot (Michael Madsen) goes on the run across Arizona with waitress Kit Kalifano (Patricia Arquette). Kit is attempting to outrun her mafioso grandmother’s henchmen. She also wishes to get revenge on the man who murdered her father. There are appearances from Billy-Bob Thornton and Seymour Cassel.

With zeitgeist costumes, a neo-rockabilly soundtrack and neon lighting, Trouble Bound is emblematic of ‘90s fashion. Its sumptuous stylishness is supported by its painterly cinematography of desert landscapes. It differs from similar lovers on the run movies because Harry and Kit do not get along at-all well. Typically, the screenplay would have the characters flirting, yet Harry positively despises Kit for much of the film. The repartee between her defensiveness and his amplifying annoyance is where Trouble Bound succeeds as a comedy.

Of all of the titles in his storied filmography, this is the one that best showcases Madsen’s distinctive persona: a neo-noir, B-movie icon of cool. Patricia Arquette is equally legendary, bringing her usual charm and sweetness Similarly, Trouble bound provides her a leading role canvas to express her unique brand of comedy. With its bumbling mobster characters and exhilarating, swerving storyline, Trouble Bound is especially recommendable to fans of Sicilian American mafia movies.

2. The Immortals (1995)

Nightclub owner Jack (Eric Roberts) recruits eight criminals to synchronously commit four different heists. Jack’s mafioso boss (Tony Curtis) suspects it was Jack who orchestrated the robberies and invades his nightclub. The cast includes: Chris Rock, Tia Carrere and William Forsythe.

Aesthetically, with its slick costumes and evocative set design, The Immortals is a time capsule for cool ‘90s pop culture. That said, the movie’s core themes of unity and acceptance are more pertinent today than they were upon its release. In interviews, actress Cate Blanchett has referred to some of her films as “Trojan Horses.” This is where, she divulges, a poignant message is “sneaked in,” under the guise of an entertaining genre picture. The Immortals is a prime example of this technique. For the four heists, Jack strategically pairs opposites together. A sexist with a woman, a homophobe with a homosexual, a racist with an African American and an intellectual with a mentally disabled man.

At first, the prejudiced member of the duo inevitably expresses their stigma. Subsequently, the persecuted individual is repulsed and angered by their behaviour. As the film progresses, however, these pairs forge an unlikely bond. In spite of their differences, they reluctantly begin to understand and develop affection for one another. United by a common enemy, they touchingly empathise and recognise the humanity in the other. They question their prejudices, even becoming close friends. Although The Immortals quenches genre fans with classic tropes, wild action and stylish panache, its message of love, humanity and forgiveness ranks it a cut above brasher thrillers of its ilk. In the contemporary politically-divided climate, The Immortals is particularly valuable for today’s audiences to consider.

3. Black Day Blue Night (1995)

The movie opens with a tarantula crawling across a highway. On a road trip through the southwest, outgoing Rinda Woolley (Michelle Forbes) gives shy Hallie Schrag (Mia Sara, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) a ride. The women forge an unlikely friendship and pickup a mysterious, seductive hitchhiker named Dodge (Gil Bellows, The Shawshank Redemption). One of them has a past that soon catches up, spiralling into disaster.

Firstly, Black Day Blue Night is an idiosyncratic entry into neo-noir for being especially female-centric and character-driven. Rather than a fast-paced plot, it favours a simple story and a meditative, atmospheric tone, underscored with tragedy. A “hangout movie,” the focus is upon the drifting characters’ romances, conversations and traumas. This provides the players with sufficient space to craft admirable performances. The reflective feeling is facilitated by the soothing chiaroscuro lighting. This is best manifested when a cigarette cherry glows in a car’s darkness, the smoker flashed by lightning. The effect is further realised through the sparsity of the haunting, catchy, reverb blues guitar score.

As usual, under-appreciated maestro J.T. Walsh delivers the film’s most proficient acting work. He plays the sly, snarky, calculating Lieutenant John Quinn. In his complex, nuanced rendition, Walsh continues to prove that his ability is on-par with the most revered names in the business. Nevertheless, the movie’s most memorable character is a Navajo gas station owner, embodied by Thomas Redhouse. Although Black Day Blue Night is his sole IMDB credit, he steals the show with his effortless naturalism and dry wit. 

4. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

In Pennsylvania, Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) is a schoolteacher and mother suffering from amnesia. She has no recollection of anything that transpired before she washed up on a beach, eight years prior. After her past violently arrives at her home, Samantha embarks on a road trip to rediscover her identity. She is aided by private detective Mitch Hennessy (Samuel L. Jackson). Thriller regulars Brian Cox and David Morse also star.

In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Samuel L. Jackson named Mitch Hennessy his personal favourite of all the characters he has portrayed. He has also stated several times that The Long Kiss Goodnight is his favourite of all the movies he has appeared in. Undeniably, Jackson’s turn as the deadbeat, seedy and wise-cracking Hennessy is the film’s crown jewel. He dispenses consistent comic relief, in what is perhaps Jackson’s funniest performance. Hennessy’s character arc is also particularly heartwarming and inspiring. Additionally, while most actors embody a character with a uniform persona and tone, Geena Davis is tasked with seamlessly transitioning from a smily, folksy housewife into a merciless assassin.

Her mastery of both ends of this spectrum not only makes the film’s progression fascinating, it exemplifies her adept command over the acting craft. The consequence is perhaps the most badass female action hero to-date, surpassing The Bride in Kill Bill. Hidden gem The Long Kiss Goodnight has been criminally unsung and forgotten. It is an unconventionally ideal Christmas movie, whilst containing some of the most riveting set pieces and suspense sequences. A film that deserves to be seen by more people, it should be heralded as one of the greatest action movies of the ‘90s.

5. Top of the World (1997)

Soon-to-be exes Ray (Peter Weller) and Rebecca Mercer (Tia Carrere) are gambling in a Las Vegas casino when it is robbed. Ray is implicated, chased by the police and goes up against the casino’s shady boss, Charlie Atlas (Dennis Hopper). Whilst trying to clear his name, Ray attempts to salvage his collapsed marriage, but Rebecca is now dating Atlas.

Top of the World is a chaotic yet fun action ride, with a memorable theme tune. Using farcical, lighthearted comedy, it professes perpetual, entertaining gunplay and eccentric characters. Moreover, there is a nail-biting climax at the Hoover Dam and an epic car chase of explosions and barrel rolls. Dennis Hopper’s interpretation of the cheeky, sarcastic, yet ominous fat cat casino boss expands upon the relentless villains he brought to life in Blue Velvet and Speed.

Furthermore, Hopper’s then-newfound niche playing cruel authority figures, continuing through Land of the Dead, is ironic, given his former status as a hippie icon. Ray seeing his wife now in a relationship with another, richer man examines jealousy, despair and inadequacy. Thematically, Top of the World debates true love versus financial wealth.

Tonally, the location choice in Top of the World signifies what is known in photography and internet culture as a ‘liminal space.’ The casino’s yellow Regency Revival hotel rooms of bouquet vases and the Memphis Milano-carpeted hallways, in hindsight, invoke the concept’s uncanny “sense of nostalgia, lostness and uncertainty.” The prominent ‘90s nostalgia sentiment is hauntingly felt in the ersatz, cathedral-sized casino floor. This comprises of two-storey plastic trees, internal balustrade restaurants, neon lighting, an interior railway and a faux arbor.

Given that Top of the World was released on the cusp of the 21st century, the liminality of its transient location makes it all the more sentimental for contemporary viewers. The colourful interior design time travels to the recent past. A bygone aesthetic of an arguably more carefree, optimistic era. That being said, the filming location, Buffalo Bill’s in Primm, Nevada, retains the same appearance to this day.