Films in the thriller genre kind of dominated the '90s in a lot of ways. While they weren't all huge hits at the box office, the decade played host to plenty of thrillers that have gone down as being considered among the best in the history of the genre.
A few were crafted by some of the most acclaimed directors in modern memory while others are little-seen independent films that were met with rave reviews. The users at Letterboxd certainly love their movies and the ratings from their reviews have helped determine what the best thrillers of the decade actually were.
Miller's Crossing (1990) - 3.91
- Stream on Starz
One of the few high-rated thrillers on Letterboxd from the '90s to not be a wildly popular movie is Miller's Crossing. It didn't even gross back its budget in theaters but it's worth checking out to get an early look at the work of The Coen Brothers, two of the most prominent filmmakers today.
Set in the Prohibition era, Miller's Cross tells the story of Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) as he plays both sides of a rival gang war against each other. Though not a commercial hit, it was named on several lists about the greatest films in history and 35% of users have given it four stars.
Misery (1990) - 3.92
- Stream on HBO Max and Max Go
Whenever the horror or thriller genres are being discussed, the name Stephen King is bound to come up a handful of times. The prolific writer has had many of his works adapted into movies or TV shows and one of the best ever was 1990's Misery.
The plot focuses on an obsessive fan (Kathy Bates) who holds her favorite author (James Caan) captive, forcing him to write her a story. The film made history as Bates's Best Actress Academy Award made Misery the only King adaptation to win an Oscar. Four stars is the most common score given out (42%).
Lost Highway (1997) - 3.94
- Rent on Vudu
If there's any director known for mind-bending films between the '70s and '90s, it's David Lynch. From Eraserhead to Dune to Mulholland Drive, Lynch has made plenty of trippy movies. One of his better thrillers ever, which is saying something, is Lost Highway.
Just trying to lay out the plot is a wild task considering the film centers on a musician (Bill Pullman) who receives tapes of him and his wife (Patricia Arquette) at home before he is convicted of murder. He then disappears and is replaced by a young mechanic. Though confusing, it's engaging and fans gave it four stars most often (33%).
The Sixth Sense (1999) - 3.94
- Rent on Apple TV
Although it wasn't his first film, The Sixth Sense was the one that certainly put M. Night Shyamalan on the map. This established his signature style for delivering things like suspense and shocking plot twists as people everywhere talked about this movie for years.
Starring Bruce Willis as a child psychologist tasked with helping a patient (Haley Joel Osment) who can speak with ghosts, the film grossed nearly $700 million. The twist ending revealing that Willis's character was a ghost the entire time has become iconic, as have some of the lines from the movie. Most users gave it four stars (37%).
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) - 3.95
- Stream on HBO Max
The tail end of the decade was apparently a big one for thrillers. Along with The Sixth Sense came Eyes Wide Shut, which was made by acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick. The film is a modernized version of a 1926 novella titled Traumnovelle.
Kubrick was behind the camera and in front of it were more stars like Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The story sees a doctor (Cruise) who embarks on a wild night after his wife (Kidman) admits she contemplated an affair. Both a critical and commercial success, Eyes Wide Shut also did well with Letterboxd users, who have it at four stars (29%) most often.
The Usual Suspects (1995) - 3.97
- Rent on Vudu
Before there was The Sixth Sense, it could be argued that the best twist ending came a few years prior in The Usual Suspects. Right off the bat, the loaded cast stood out as this movie starred the likes of Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, and more.
Through flashbacks, the story is told by a con man named Roger "Verbal" Kint as he recounts the events leading up to a massive gunfight on a boat. In the end, it gets revealed that Kint was actually the mastermind behind it all, stunning audiences. Most reviews have it at four stars (35%).
L.A. Confidential (1997) - 3.98
- Stream on IMDb TV
Once again, it's a thriller that is filled with some of the top acting talents from the '90s. L.A. Confidential stars Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, Guy Pearce, and many others.
Bringing everyone together worked well as this film was nominated for Best Picture while winning Best Adapted Screenplay and scoring Basinger a Best Supporting Actress win. The story follows a trio of police officers in 1953 as they investigate several murders around Hollywood. Again, four stars (36%) is the most common rating.
Se7en (1995) - 4.28
- Stream on Peacock
Another iconic director to make a tremendous thriller in the '90s is David Fincher. He has continued down that path into the 2010s with films like Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but it's still hard to top what he accomplished in 1995 with Se7en.
The movie tells the story of two detectives (Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt) as they hunt down a serial killer whose murders are based on the seven deadly sins. It's a tense, dark film with a shocking ending, so it's no wonder four stars (32%) and five stars (31%) are the scores given out most often.
Pulp Fiction (1994) - 4.32
- Stream on AMC+
There are many out there who believe that this Quentin Tarantino movie is among the greatest ever made. It was certainly influential as Pulp Fiction helped to popularize the concept of non-linear storytelling and still gets talked about decades later.
For the most part, the plot is tough to nail down completely because the film actually tells multiple stories at once. They surround a gangster, his wife, two hitmen, and a boxer. Praised for the unique concept, tremendous cast (Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Burce Willis, and more), and strong writing, Pulp Fiction has most often received a perfect rating (42%).
Perfect Blue (1997) - 4.35
- Rent on Apple TV
It's not often that you'll find an animated movie listed among thrillers but Perfect Blue isn't your ordinary flick. Based on a novel of the same name, this is one of the more intriguing animated films ever made, mostly due to the genre it falls into.
Focusing on a singer who is moving into the world of acting only to get stalked by an obsessive fan and a ghost from her past, Perfect Blue is harrowing, intense, and keeps the viewer on their toes. It received the perfect five star score on the website a whopping 35% of the time.