Image credit: Daiei Studios, MGM, ORF, SPE, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros., Channel Four Films, PolyGram, New Line Cinema, Trimark Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Palm Pictures, Artisan Entertainment, Zeitgeist Films, Miramax, October Films, Gramercy Pictures, Toho Company
When you cast your mind back, it's obvious that the '90s were a standout era for twisted psychological thrillers.
In this feature, we're revisiting 20 psychological thrillers from the 90s that have not only aged gracefully but continue to set the bar for the genre. Here we are in 2023, and these films still stand tall as examples of riveting storytelling and skilled filmmaking.
1. "Cure" (1997) Rotten Tomatoes score: 94% In Tokyo, a detective investigates a series of bizarre murders where different perpetrators with no connection to each other commit similar crimes, all linked by a mysterious amnesiac.
2. "The Vanishing" (1993) Rotten Tomatoes score: 49% A man becomes obsessively determined to discover the fate of his girlfriend who mysteriously disappeared, leading him to a chilling confrontation with the abductor.
3. "Pi" (1998) Rotten Tomatoes score: 88% A paranoid mathematician searches for a key number that will unlock the universal patterns found in nature, spiraling into obsession and madness.
4. "Exotica" (1994) Rotten Tomatoes score: 95% In a Toronto nightclub called Exotica, the lives of several troubled characters intersect, revealing complex relationships and personal traumas.
5. "Funny Games" (1997) Rotten Tomatoes score: 72% A family's holiday turns nightmarish when they are held hostage and tortured by two young men in a series of sadistic "games."
6. "Lost Highway" (1997) Rotten Tomatoes score: 68% A jazz saxophonist is accused of murdering his wife and, upon entering a mysterious, mind-altering world, he transforms into a young mechanic and embarks on a dark journey.
7. "The Game" (1997) Rotten Tomatoes score: 77% A wealthy banker's life is turned upside down when his brother gifts him a mysterious game that integrates with his reality in increasingly disturbing ways.
8. "Ringu" (1998) Rotten Tomatoes score: 98% A journalist investigates a cursed videotape that is rumored to kill the viewer seven days after watching it, uncovering a haunting history.
9. "Following" (1998) Rotten Tomatoes score: 84% A young writer, who follows strangers for inspiration, finds himself caught in a criminal underworld after he steps too far into the life of a thief.
10. "eXistenZ" (1999) Rotten Tomatoes score: 74% In a near-future where reality and virtual reality are blurred, a game designer on the run tests her new virtual reality game, leading to a surreal and mind-bending experience.
11. "Perfect Blue" (1997) Rotten Tomatoes score: 83% A Japanese pop idol's transition to an acting career takes a dark turn as she experiences delusions and threats to her identity, blurring the lines between reality and her roles.
12. "Fallen" (1998) Rotten Tomatoes score: 40% A Philadelphia detective investigates a series of murders that seem connected to an executed serial killer, leading him into a supernatural battle against an ancient, malevolent spirit.
13. "Cube" (1997) Rotten Tomatoes score: 63% A group of strangers wakes up in a maze of deadly mystery rooms, and must use their wits to survive the lethal traps and uncover the reason behind their abduction.
14. "The Ninth Gate" (1999) Rotten Tomatoes score: 43% A rare book dealer seeks out the last two copies of a demonic text for a wealthy collector, leading him into a world of occult dangers and dark secrets.
15. "Shallow Grave" (1994) Rotten Tomatoes score: 71% Three friends find their new roommate dead with a large sum of money, leading to paranoia, deceit, and murder as they decide what to do with it.
16. "A Simple Plan" (1998) Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% The discovery of a crashed plane with over four million dollars in cash leads three men into a deepening moral crisis and a spiral of deceit and murder.
17. "Dark City" (1998) Rotten Tomatoes score: 76% A man wakes up with no memories in a bizarre city controlled by mysterious beings altering reality, and must uncover his past to save himself and the city.
18. "The End of Violence" (1997) Rotten Tomatoes score: 29% In Los Angeles, a successful film producer's life intertwines with a surveillance expert and a Hispanic movie extra, exploring themes of violence, voyeurism, and media.
19. "In the Mouth of Madness" (1994) Rotten Tomatoes score: 58% An insurance investigator discovers that the horror novels of a missing author are coming to life, leading to a surreal and terrifying journey into madness.
20. "Arlington Road" (1999) Rotten Tomatoes score: 63% With a growing sense of unease, a college professor starts to suspect his new neighbors could be mixed up in some terrorist scheme, culminating in an unforeseen and heartbreaking end.
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