Image credit: Capella International, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., SPE, Walt Disney Studios, Columbia Pictures, Morgan Creek Entertainment
The '90s were a golden age for movies, but let's be honest – not all of them were Oscar-worthy.
Here are some of the underrated mystery movies from the '90s that, despite their flaws – or perhaps because of them – are totally worth your time.
1. The Real McCoy (1993) In "The Real McCoy," Kim Basinger plays Karen McCoy, a former bank robber freshly released from prison. She wants to go straight and be there for her son, but a gangster named Jack (Terence Stamp) kidnaps her kid and demands that she pull off one more job. So Karen teams up with an amateur crook, J.T. (Val Kilmer), to rob a bank.
Throughout the film, they plan, rehearse, and narrowly avoid being caught. Cops are on their tail, led by an officer who's still bitter about never catching her the first time. The suspense? Delicious. The acting? Eh. The plot holes? Don't even ask. But that's what makes it a treat.
2. The Saint (1997) Val Kilmer stars as a master of disguise named Simon Templar in "The Saint."
Templar's a freelancer who steals stuff for high-paying clients. When he gets hired to steal a cold fusion formula from a scientist named Emma (Elisabeth Shue), he poses as multiple characters to win her trust, but eventually falls for her. Now, he's caught between love and duty, all while being pursued by his Russian ex-client who wants the formula for nefarious reasons.
A blend of bad accents and questionable plot choices make this one a must-watch. And it made $169.4 million at the box office, so someone out there loved it.
3. Jade (1995) David Caruso, fresh off his "NYPD Blue" fame, plays David Corelli, an assistant district attorney. He investigates the murder of a wealthy socialite, and the main suspect is his ex-lover, Trina (Linda Fiorentino), who's now married to his pal, Matt (Chazz Palminteri). The clues point to a mysterious call girl named "Jade," whose specialty services have been enjoyed by some of the city's most powerful men.
Amid police chases and extremely '90s dialogue, Corelli tries to prove Trina's innocence, or maybe find out she's guilty after all?
4. Diabolique (1996) Two women team up to murder a man who's been making their lives miserable. In "Diabolique," Mia (Isabelle Adjani) and Nicole (Sharon Stone) drown Nicole's husband, who's also Mia's lover, in a bathtub. They dump his body in a pool, but when the pool is drained, the body's gone. Vanished! This leads to a frenzied search for the truth as police start sniffing around.
Meanwhile, Nicole begins to suspect that Mia might be double-crossing her. Is the dead guy really dead?
5. Never Talk to Strangers (1995) Rebecca De Mornay plays Sarah, a psychologist who gets involved with a mysterious man named Tony (Antonio Banderas). But soon after, weird stuff starts happening. Her apartment gets trashed, and creepy gifts begin to appear. Is it Tony or her obsessed client Max (Harry Dean Stanton) who's stalking her?
The movie has Sarah snooping around Tony's past, while constantly looking over her shoulder, wondering who she can trust.
6. The Rich Man's Wife (1996) Halle Berry stars as Josie, a woman stuck in a loveless marriage with a wealthy but aloof husband. During a trip, she meets a charming stranger, Cole (Peter Greene), and spills her marital woes. Soon enough, her hubby winds up dead, and she's the prime suspect. So, Josie has to clear her name while dealing with a relentless detective, a creepy stranger who knows a bit too much, and a past that just won't stay buried.
7. Color of Night (1994) Bruce Willis plays Bill, a psychologist suffering from color blindness after a patient's suicide. He moves to L.A. to recover and becomes embroiled in a murder mystery when his friend and fellow psychologist gets killed. Bill takes over his group therapy sessions and tries to figure out which patient could be the killer. Along the way, he falls for a mysterious woman named Rose (Jane March).
Sex scenes? Check. Multiple identities? Check. A convoluted plot that has you scratching your head? Double-check. Despite its flaws, or perhaps because of them, it bagged a Razzie Award. Yep, it's that kind of movie.
8. Palmetto (1998) Woody Harrelson plays Harry, a reporter who gets falsely imprisoned and loses his job. Once he's out, he's desperate for cash and gets involved in a kidnapping scheme with Rhea (Elisabeth Shue), the wife of a wealthy businessman. The plan? To fake the kidnapping of Rhea's stepdaughter, Odette (Chloe Sevigny), and collect a hefty ransom.
From poorly disguised identities to failed ransom hand-offs, Harry ends up way over his head.
9. Incognito (1997) Jason Patric plays Harry, a gifted art forger who wants to pull off the ultimate scam: creating a fake Rembrandt. With the help of his girlfriend (Irene Jacob) and an art dealer, he crafts the masterpiece. But as the painting goes up for auction, suspicions arise, and Harry becomes a hunted man.
