(Photo by Miramax / courtesy Everett Collection)
The Best Movies of 1994, Ranked by Tomatometer
We’re ranking the best-reviewed and most popular movies of 1994! It was a banner year for film, including the full-throated arrival of the American independent scene with Clerks breaking through and Pulp Fiction‘s nomination for Best Picture, the apex of the Disney Renaissance with The Lion King, and the release of The Shawshank Redemption, an easy argument for most beloved movie of the past 30 years.
There are three tiers to our ranking of the best movies of 1994. The first are Certified Fresh movies — films that reached a 75% Tomatometer score from at least 40 reviews. Besides everything mentioned in the opening paragraph, 1994 Certified Fresh movies include the Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock thriller Speed, Gillian Armstrong’s adaptation of Little Women, Tim Burton’s biopic of Ed Wood, and The Professional with prime scary Gary Oldman.
The next batch of movies are Fresh films with a positive Audience Score, including Studio Ghibli‘s Pom Poko, James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s last collaboration True Lies, John Waters’ twisted suburban satire Serial Mom, and Dumb & Dumber, co-starring Jim Carrey who was deep in his strong ’90s run (The Mask of this same year is Certified Fresh).
Following the Fresh movies are Rotten movies with strong Audience Scores. These are films that general crowds have propped up as some enduring favorites, including Stargate (which launched a sci-fi media franchise), Norman Jewison’s rom-com Only You, the controversial Natural Born Killers, and the bizarre Martin Short/Charles Grodin cult comedy Clifford.
Forrest Gump won the Academy Award for Best Picture, beating Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and Shawshank. The top 10 grossing movies were led by Lion King with over $300 million, followed by Gump, True Lies, The Santa Clause, The Flintstones (with its Rotten Tomatometer and negative Audience Score, it’s the only movie here not to appear on this best-of guide), Clear and Present Danger, Speed, The Mask, Interview with the Vampire, and Maverick.
#1
Adjusted Score: 102173%
Critics Consensus: One of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of all time, Hoop Dreams is a rich, complex, heartbreaking, and ultimately deeply rewarding film that uses high school hoops as a jumping-off point to explore issues of race, class, and education in modern America.
Synopsis: Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St…. [More]
Starring: Steve James, William Gates, Arthur Agee, Sheila Agee
Directed By: Steve James
#2
Adjusted Score: 105767%
Critics Consensus: Directed with sly refinement by Robert Redford and given pizazz by a slew of superb performances, Quiz Show intelligently interrogates the erosion of public standards without settling on tidy answers.
Synopsis: Queens-born Herbie Stempel (John Turturro) becomes an unlikely hero after winning on America’s beloved game show, “Twenty One.” When the… [More]
Starring: John Turturro, Rob Morrow, Ralph Fiennes, Paul Scofield
Directed By: Robert Redford
#3
Adjusted Score: 103099%
Critics Consensus: Dark, stylish, and captivating, Heavenly Creatures signals both the auspicious debut of Kate Winslet and the arrival of Peter Jackson as more than just a cult director.
Synopsis: Wealthy and precocious teenager Juliet (Kate Winslet) transfers from England to Christchurch, New Zealand, with her family, and forms a… [More]
Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse, Diana Kent
Directed By: Peter Jackson
#4
Adjusted Score: 100512%
Critics Consensus: A terrific popcorn thriller, Speed is taut, tense, and energetic, with outstanding performances from Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, and Sandra Bullock.
Synopsis: Los Angeles police officer Jack (Keanu Reeves) angers retired bomb squad member Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) by foiling his attempt… [More]
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton
Directed By: Jan de Bont
#5
Adjusted Score: 99010%
Critics Consensus: A gleefully entertaining backstage comedy, Bullets Over Broadway features some of Woody Allen’s sharpest, most inspired late-period writing and direction.
Synopsis: Struggling 1920s playwright David Shayne (John Cusack), having failed to secure financing for his latest work, reluctantly makes a deal… [More]
Starring: John Cusack, Jack Warden, Chazz Palminteri, Joe Viterelli
Directed By: Woody Allen
#6
Adjusted Score: 97671%
Critics Consensus: The Secret of Roan Inish is a gentle fairy tale filled with optimism that’s suitable for the whole family.
Synopsis: Fiona (Jeni Courtney) is a young Irish girl with an unusual family history, including a long-missing baby brother. When she… [More]
Starring: Mick Lally, Eileen Colgan, John Lynch, Jeni Courtney
Directed By: John Sayles
#7
Adjusted Score: 97671%
Critics Consensus:Crumb is a frank and surreal chronicle of artistic expression and family trauma, offering an unblinking gaze into the mind and work of cartoonist Robert Crumb that will endear as much as it unsettles.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Terry Zwigoff creates a complex but affectionate portrait of his longtime friend, underground cartoonist Robert Crumb. A notorious curmudgeon… [More]
Starring: Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Charles Crumb, Maxon Crumb
Directed By: Terry Zwigoff
#8
Adjusted Score: 97341%
Critics Consensus: Like Body Heat, The Last Seduction updates film noir techniques for a modern era, imbuing this erotic film with ’90s snark.
Synopsis: Looking to escape her unhappy marriage, villainous femme fatale Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) convinces her husband, Clay (Bill Pullman), to… [More]
Starring: Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, Bill Pullman, J.T. Walsh
Directed By: John Dahl
#9
Adjusted Score: 97257%
Critics Consensus: While its premise is ripe for comedy — and it certainly delivers its fair share of laughs — Priscilla is also a surprisingly tender and thoughtful road movie with some outstanding performances.
Synopsis: When drag queen Anthony (Hugo Weaving) agrees to take his act on the road, he invites fellow cross-dresser Adam (Guy… [More]
Starring: Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Bill Hunter
Directed By: Stephan Elliott
#10
Adjusted Score: 96923%
Critics Consensus: Thanks largely to stellar all-around performances from a talented cast, The Madness of King George is a funny, entertaining, and immensely likable adaptation of the eponymous stage production.
Synopsis: Aging King George III (Nigel Hawthorne) of England is exhibiting signs of madness, a problem little understood in 1788. As… [More]
Starring: Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm, Rupert Everett
Directed By: Nicholas Hytner
#11
Adjusted Score: 95840%
Critics Consensus:Once Were Warriors isn’t an easy watch, but the raw power of its story — and the performances of an excellent cast — reward viewers who rise to the challenge.
Synopsis: An unemployed Maori living in the Auckland slums, Jake Heke (Temuera Morrison) has a terrible temper that he takes out… [More]
Starring: Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, Julian Arahanga
Directed By: Lee Tamahori
#12
Adjusted Score: 102606%
Critics Consensus: Emotionally stirring, richly drawn, and beautifully animated, The Lion King is a pride within Disney’s pantheon of classic family films.
Synopsis: This Disney animated feature follows the adventures of the young lion Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), the heir of his father,… [More]
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair
Directed By: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
#13
Adjusted Score: 106115%
Critics Consensus: Injecting its compendium of crime tales with the patois of everyday conversation, Pulp Fiction is a cinematic shot of adrenaline that cements writer-director Quentin Tarantino as an audacious purveyor of killer kino.
Synopsis: Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) are hitmen with a penchant for philosophical discussions. In this… [More]
Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel
Directed By: Quentin Tarantino
#14
Adjusted Score: 102185%
Critics Consensus: Hugh Grant ably snatches up the bouquet of leading man status with Four Weddings and a Funeral, a sparkling romantic comedy given real charm by its chummy ensemble and Richard Curtis’ sharp-witted screenplay.
Synopsis: Lovable Englishman Charles (Hugh Grant) and his group of friends seem to be unlucky in love. When Charles meets a… [More]
Starring: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon Callow
Directed By: Mike Newell
#15
Adjusted Score: 99177%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to a powerhouse lineup of talented actresses, Gillian Armstrong’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women proves that a timeless story can succeed no matter how many times it’s told.
Synopsis: In this 1994 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic, the March sisters confront growing pains, financial shortages, family tragedies and… [More]
Starring: Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Trini Alvarado, Samantha Mathis
Directed By: Gillian Armstrong
#16
Adjusted Score: 97094%
Critics Consensus: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp team up to fete the life and work of cult hero Ed Wood, with typically strange and wonderful results.
Synopsis: Because of his eccentric habits and bafflingly strange films, director Ed Wood (Johnny Depp) is a Hollywood outcast. Nevertheless, with… [More]
Starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette
Directed By: Tim Burton
#17
Adjusted Score: 94756%
Critics Consensus: It’s solidly directed by Robert Benton and stacked with fine performances from an impressive cast, but above all, Nobody’s Fool is a showcase for some of Paul Newman’s best late-period work.
Synopsis: Donald “Sully” Sullivan (Paul Newman) is an expert at avoiding adult responsibilities. At 60, he divides all his time between… [More]
Starring: Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy, Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis
Directed By: Robert Benton
#18
Adjusted Score: 94006%
Critics Consensus: With its quirky characters and clever, quotable dialogue, Clerks is the ultimate clarion call for slackers everywhere to unite and, uh, do something we guess?
Synopsis: Dante (Brian O’Halloran) is called in to cover a shift at his New Jersey convenience store on his day off…. [More]
Starring: Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonauer
Directed By: Kevin Smith
#19
Adjusted Score: 93840%
Critics Consensus: A richly textured romantic comedy, I Like It Like That draws on a smart script and spirited performances to tell a refreshingly original story.
Synopsis: Chino (Jon Seda) isn’t the best husband to Lisette (Lauren Vélez). His job as a bicycle messenger can barely support… [More]
Starring: Luna Lauren Velez, Jon Seda, Tomas Melly, Desiree Casado
Directed By: Darnell Martin
#20
Adjusted Score: 99770%
Critics Consensus: Steeped in old-fashioned storytelling and given evergreen humanity by Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, The Shawshank Redemption chronicles the hardship of incarceration patiently enough to come by its uplift honestly.
Synopsis: Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murders of his wife and… [More]
Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Directed By: Frank Darabont
#21
Adjusted Score: 92674%
Critics Consensus: Even if all it had to offer were writer-director Wong Kar-wai’s thrillingly distinctive visuals, Chungking Express would be well worth watching; happily, its thoughtfully drawn characters and naturalistic performances also pack a potent dramatic wallop.
Synopsis: Every day, Cop 223 (Takeshi Kaneshiro) buys a can of pineapple with an expiration date of May 1, symbolizing the… [More]
Starring: Brigitte Lin, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Faye Wong
Directed By: Kar-Wai Wong
#22
Adjusted Score: 91175%
Critics Consensus: A richly layered look at the complex interactions between a widowed chef and his daughters, Ang Lee’s generational comedy Eat Drink Man Woman offers filmgoers a tasty cinematic treat.
Synopsis: Master Chef Chu (Sihung Lung) is semi-retired and lives at home with his three unmarried daughters, Jia-Jen (Kuei-Mei Yang), a… [More]
Starring: Sihung Lung, Kuei-Mei Yang, Chien-Lien Wu, Yu-wen Wang
Directed By: Ang Lee
#23
Adjusted Score: 90424%
Critics Consensus: Well cast and sharply directed, Fresh serves as an attention-getting calling card for writer-director Boaz Yakin as well as a gripping urban drama.
Synopsis: Fresh (Sean Nelson) is a 12-year-old drug dealer who finds himself trapped in a web of poverty, corruption and racial… [More]
Starring: Sean Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Samuel L. Jackson, N’Bushe Wright
Directed By: Boaz Yakin
#24
Adjusted Score: 90843%
Critics Consensus: Filled with style and dark, lurid energy, The Crow is an action-packed visual feast that also has a soul in the performance of the late Brandon Lee.
Synopsis: The night before his wedding, musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his fiancée are brutally murdered by members of a… [More]
Starring: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, David Patrick Kelly
Directed By: Alex Proyas
#25
Adjusted Score: 85255%
Critics Consensus: With its claustrophobic setting heightening the tension and seasoned stars doing excellent work, Death and the Maiden is prime Polanski.
Synopsis: Paulina Escobar (Sigourney Weaver) is convinced that the guest (Ben Kingsley) her lawyer husband (Stuart Wilson) brings home is the… [More]
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, Stuart Wilson, Karen Strassman
Directed By: Roman Polanski
#26
Adjusted Score: 84007%
Critics Consensus: Heartfelt and quirky, though at times broad, Muriel’s Wedding mixes awkward comedy, oddball Australian characters, and a nostalgia-heavy soundtrack.
Synopsis: Socially awkward Muriel Heslop (Toni Collette) wants nothing more than to get married. Unfortunately, due to her oppressive politician father… [More]
Starring: Toni Collette, Bill Hunter, Rachel Griffiths, Jeanie Drynan
Directed By: P.J. Hogan
#27
Adjusted Score: 84007%
Critics Consensus: Perfecting the formula established in earlier installments, Clear and Present Danger reunites its predecessor’s creative core to solidly entertaining effect.
Synopsis: Agent Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) becomes acting deputy director of the CIA when Admiral Greer (James Earl Jones) is diagnosed… [More]
Starring: Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer, Joaquim de Almeida
Directed By: Phillip Noyce
#28
Adjusted Score: 83591%
Critics Consensus: It misses perhaps as often as it hits, but Jim Carrey’s manic bombast, Cameron Diaz’ blowsy appeal, and the film’s overall cartoony bombast keep The Mask afloat.
Synopsis: When timid bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carrey) discovers a magical mask containing the spirit of the Norse god Loki,… [More]
Starring: Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene
Directed By: Chuck Russell
#29
Adjusted Score: 82755%
Critics Consensus:Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book may not hew as closely to the book as its title suggests, but it still offers an entertaining live-action take on a story best known in animated form.
Synopsis: When his father is killed by a jungle tiger, Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee) is orphaned and grows up in the… [More]
Starring: Jason Scott Lee, Cary Elwes, Lena Headey, Sam Neill
Directed By: Stephen Sommers
#30
Adjusted Score: 82341%
Critics Consensus:The Client may not reinvent the tenets of the legal drama, but Joel Schumacher’s sturdy directorial hand and a high-caliber cast bring John Grisham’s page-turner to life with engrossing suspense.
Synopsis: Fast-paced thriller, based on the John Grisham bestseller, about a boy whose life is endangered after he stumbles across vital… [More]
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia
Directed By: Joel Schumacher
#31
Adjusted Score: 81506%
Critics Consensus:Wes Craven’s New Nightmare adds an unexpectedly satisfying – not to mention intelligent – meta layer to a horror franchise that had long since lost its way.
Synopsis: Reality and fantasy meet in unsettling ways in this installment of the long-running horror series, which finds director Wes Craven… [More]
Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Miko Hughes, David Newsom
Directed By: Wes Craven
#32
Adjusted Score: 80843%
Critics Consensus: With sensitive direction from Rose Troche and terrific work from co-writer/star Guinevere Turner, Go Fish plays a winning hand.
Synopsis: After leaving behind her girlfriend to attend college in Chicago, young lesbian Max West (Guinevere Turner) is introduced to Ely… [More]
Starring: V.S. Brodie, Guinevere Turner, T. Wendy McMillan, Migdalia Melendez
Directed By: Rose Troche
#33
Adjusted Score: 88113%
Critics Consensus: Tom Hanks’ rigorously earnest performance keeps Forrest Gump sincere even when it gets glib with American history, making for a whimsical odyssey of debatable wisdom but undeniable heart.
Synopsis: Slow-witted Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) has never thought of himself as disadvantaged, and thanks to his supportive mother (Sally Field),… [More]
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
#34
Adjusted Score: 78512%
Critics Consensus: Pivoting on the unusual relationship between seasoned hitman and his 12-year-old apprentice — a breakout turn by young Natalie Portman — Luc Besson’s Léon is a stylish and oddly affecting thriller.
Synopsis: Mathilda (Natalie Portman) is only 12 years old, but is already familiar with the dark side of life: her abusive… [More]
Starring: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello
Directed By: Luc Besson
#35
Adjusted Score: 77756%
Critics Consensus: Undeniably uneven and too dark for some, The Ref nonetheless boasts strong turns from Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey, as well as a sharply funny script.
Synopsis: Bickering spouses (Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey) annoy the cat burglar (Denis Leary) who takes them hostage in their Connecticut home…. [More]
Starring: Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.
Directed By: Ted Demme
#36
Adjusted Score: 76925%
Critics Consensus:The Santa Clause is utterly undemanding, but it’s firmly rooted in the sort of good old-fashioned holiday spirit missing from too many modern yuletide films.
Synopsis: Divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) has custody of his son (Eric Lloyd) on Christmas Eve. After he accidentally kills a… [More]
Starring: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd
Directed By: John Pasquin
#37
Adjusted Score: 100336%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 1970s France, teens Christine (Virginie Ledoyen) and Gilles (Cyprien Fouquet) are restless, prematurely disillusioned and utterly appalled by their… [More]
Starring: Virginie Ledoyen, Cyprien Fouquet, Laszlo Szabo, Jean-Pierre Darroussin
Directed By: Olivier Assayas
#38
Adjusted Score: 90629%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The high-spirited Nelly (Emmanuelle Béart) is happy in her marriage, but her husband, Paul (François Cluzet), can’t get beyond his… [More]
Starring: Emmanuelle Béart, François Cluzet, Marc Lavoine, Nathalie Cardone
Directed By: Claude Chabrol
#39
Adjusted Score: 83398%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Chinese martial arts student Chen Zhen (Jet Li) is studying in Kyoto, Japan, when he learns his mentor has died… [More]
Starring: Jet Li, Chin Siu Ho, Billy Chow Bei-Lei, Yasuaki Kurata
Directed By: Gordon Chan
#40
Adjusted Score: 97255%
Critics Consensus:Exotica simmers with sex and obsession, while successfully doubling as an extreme character study.
Synopsis: In the upscale Canadian strip club Exotica, Christina (Mia Kirshner) is the most popular dancer, and she’s visited nightly by… [More]
Starring: Bruce Greenwood, Mia Kirshner, Don McKellar, Arsinée Khanjian
Directed By: Atom Egoyan
#41
Adjusted Score: 96225%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: As Spain sits on the precipice of civil war in 1930, Fernando (Jorge Sanz) opts to go AWOL from the… [More]
Starring: Fernando Fernán Gómez, Jorge Sanz, Penélope Cruz, Miriam Díaz-Aroca
Directed By: Fernando Trueba
#42
Adjusted Score: 91921%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jackie (Karen Sillas) is an executive assistant. Michael (Tom Noonan) is a paralegal. By day, they work together at the… [More]
Starring: Karen Sillas, Tom Noonan
Directed By: Tom Noonan
#43
Adjusted Score: 83504%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A man (Daniel Auteuil) tries to cope with losing his wife (Isabelle Huppert) and 15-month-old son to another man…. [More]
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Daniel Auteuil, Jérôme Deschamps, Karine Viard
Directed By: Christian Vincent
#44
Adjusted Score: 91087%
Critics Consensus: Beautiful performances and the subtle hand of master Louis Malle make this adaptation of Chekov’s Uncle Vanya an eccentric presentation of an enduring classic.
Synopsis: In this imaginative reworking of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” filmmaker Louis Malle both distances the playwright’s work and makes it… [More]
Starring: Wallace Shawn, Julianne Moore, Brooke Smith, Larry Pine
Directed By: Louis Malle
#45
Adjusted Score: 91087%
Critics Consensus: Fast and frenetic, The Paper captures the energy of the newsroom thanks to its cast and director on first-rate form.
Synopsis: Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) is an editor at the New York Sun, a tabloid paper facing financial cuts. His pregnant… [More]
Starring: Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, Marisa Tomei
Directed By: Ron Howard
#46
Adjusted Score: 89586%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On a summer morning in 1958, photographer Art Kane assembled a remarkable array of leading jazz musicians in New York… [More]
Starring: Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Buck Clayton
Directed By: Jean Bach
#47
Adjusted Score: 88419%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On their way to start a new life at a sheep farm in rural Virginia, the Turner family are halted… [More]
Starring: Tom Guiry, Helen Slater, Jon Tenney, Brittany Boyd
Directed By: Daniel Petrie
#48
Adjusted Score: 87919%
Critics Consensus:To Live (Huo zhe) offers a gut-wrenching overview of Chinese political upheaval through the lens of one family’s unforgettable experiences.
Synopsis: Fugui’s (Ge You) gambling leads him to lose everything, including his wife, Jiazhen (Gong Li), and his home. Over the… [More]
Starring: You Ge, Gong Li, Niu Ben, Tao Guo
Directed By: Yimou Zhang
#49
Adjusted Score: 87516%
Critics Consensus: Inscrutably strange, yet undeniably compelling, Arizona Dream is anchored by magnetic performances from Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway.
Synopsis: Axel (Johnny Depp) gets caught up into the family car business when his cousin, Paul (Vincent Gallo), coaxes him to… [More]
Starring: Johnny Depp, Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Lili Taylor
Directed By: Emir Kusturica
#50
Adjusted Score: 86169%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Shape-shifting raccoons band together to save their forest homeland from the bulldozers of greedy land developers…. [More]
Starring: Kokondei Shinchou, Makoto Nonomura, Yuriko Ishida, Norihei Miki
Directed By: Isao Takahata
#51
Adjusted Score: 86168%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The sophomore feature from Tsai Ming-liang (REBELS OF THE NEON GOD; GOODBYE, DRAGON INN) finds the acclaimed master of Taiwan’s… [More]
Starring: Kuei-Mei Yang, Lee Kang-sheng, Chao-jung Chen
Directed By: Ming-liang Tsai
#52
Adjusted Score: 83838%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Margot (Isabelle Adjani) is one of several in line to inherit the crown in France, where Roman Catholics and Protestants… [More]
Starring: Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Vincent Perez
Directed By: Patrice Chéreau
#53
Adjusted Score: 75258%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After the father of Riyo (Yûki Kudô) dies, she becomes the arranged wife of Matsuji (Akira Takayama), a migrant worker… [More]
Starring: Yûki Kudô, Akira Takayama, Tamlyn Tomita, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Directed By: Kayo Hatta
#54
Adjusted Score: 83088%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: During the 1980s, uptight Ted Boynton (Taylor Nichols) is a salesman working in the Barcelona office of a Chicago-based company…. [More]
Starring: Taylor Nichols, Chris Eigeman, Tushka Bergen, Mira Sorvino
Directed By: Whit Stillman
#55
Adjusted Score: 81335%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In the Soviet Union during the summer of 1936, Army commander Sergei Petrovich Kotov (Nikita Mikhalkov), his wife, Marusia (Ingeborga… [More]
Starring: Oleg Menchikov, Ingeborga Dapkounaite, Nikita Mikhalkov, André Oumansky
Directed By: Nikita Mikhalkov
#56
Adjusted Score: 80838%
Critics Consensus: A personal project that warmly reflects on director Spike Lee’s childhood, Crooklyn is an episodic celebration of family and the indelible facets of one’s hometown.
Synopsis: As her teacher mother, Carolyn (Alfre Woodard), and her jazz musician father, Woody (Delroy Lindo), worry over monthly bills, grade-schooler… [More]
Starring: Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo, David Patrick Kelly, Zelda Harris
Directed By: Spike Lee
#57
Adjusted Score: 78493%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A British schoolmaster (Albert Finney) retires with dignity, despite illness and an unfaithful wife (Greta Scacchi)…. [More]
Starring: Albert Finney, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Modine, Julian Sands
Directed By: Mike Figgis
#58
Adjusted Score: 77721%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: They were the literati of the Jazz Age, but their lives weren’t as glamorous as the society pages made them… [More]
Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Matthew Broderick, Campbell Scott, Peter Gallagher
Directed By: Alan Rudolph
#59
Adjusted Score: 75002%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jade Li (Sandra Oh) is an independent 22-year-old Chinese-Canadian struggling to live the life she wants while not disappointing her… [More]
Directed By: Mina Shum
#60
Adjusted Score: 74583%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Like the Anna Sewell novel that inspired it, this film adaptation is told from the perspective of a majestic stallion… [More]
Starring: Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Jim Carter, Peter Davison
Directed By: Caroline Thompson
#61
Adjusted Score: 73761%
Critics Consensus: If it doesn’t reach the heights of director James Cameron’s and star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s previous collaborations, True Lies still packs enough action and humor into its sometimes absurd plot to entertain.
Synopsis: Secretly a spy but thought by his family to be a dull salesman, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is tracking down… [More]
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton
Directed By: James Cameron
#62
Adjusted Score: 70670%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Nanni Moretti (Nanni Moretti) goes on three disparate journeys. First, he rides through Rome on a scooter, musing on… [More]
Starring: Nanni Moretti, Renato Carpentieri, Antonio Neiwiller, Carlo Mazzacurati
Directed By: Nanni Moretti
#63
Adjusted Score: 76267%
Critics Consensus:When a Man Loves a Woman delves into the complex dynamics of a marriage shadowed by addiction, aided by strong performances from Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan.
Synopsis: A wife and mother of two daughters, Alice Green (Meg Ryan) has developed a severe drinking problem. While her husband,… [More]
Starring: Andy Garcia, Meg Ryan, Lauren Tom, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Directed By: Luis Mandoki
#64
Adjusted Score: 71675%
Critics Consensus: It isn’t terribly deep, but it’s witty and undeniably charming, and the cast is obviously having fun.
Synopsis: This film update of the “Maverick” TV series finds the title cardsharp (Mel Gibson) hoping to join a poker contest… [More]
Starring: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner, Graham Greene
Directed By: Richard Donner
#65
Adjusted Score: 71426%
Critics Consensus: A relentlessly stupid comedy elevated by its main actors: Jim Carrey goes bonkers and Jeff Daniels carries himself admirably in an against-type performance.
Synopsis: Imbecilic best friends Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) stumble across a suitcase full of money left… [More]
Starring: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Teri Garr
Directed By: Peter Farrelly, Robert Farrelly
#66
Adjusted Score: 70423%
Critics Consensus: Its overly pretentious and melodramatic leanings notwithstanding, Backbeat explores the beginnings of the Fab Four with striking authenticity, soaring rock ‘n’ roll verve, and a strong admiration for its subjects.
Synopsis: In 1960, close friends Stuart Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff) and John Lennon (Ian Hart), along with bandmates Paul McCartney (Gary Bakewell),… [More]
Starring: Sheryl Lee, Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart, Gary Bakewell
Directed By: Iain Softley
#67
Adjusted Score: 67250%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: His father’s demise leaves young Will Stoneman (Mackenzie Astin) and his mother struggling to save their farm from financial ruin…. [More]
Starring: Mackenzie Astin, Kevin Spacey, David Ogden Stiers, August Schellenberg
Directed By: Charlie Haid
#68
Adjusted Score: 58769%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 1980s Paris, a series of murders captures public attention. Meanwhile, the gorgeous Daiga (Yekaterina Golubeva) moves from Lithuania to… [More]
Starring: Yekaterina Golubeva, Richard Courcet, Alex Descas, Béatrice Dalle
Directed By: Claire Denis
#69
Adjusted Score: 67259%
Critics Consensus: Despite lacking some of the book’s subtler shadings, and suffering from some clumsy casting, Interview with a Vampire benefits from Neil Jordan’s atmospheric direction and a surfeit of gothic thrills.
Synopsis: Born as an 18th-century lord, Louis is now a bicentennial vampire, telling his story to an eager biographer. Suicidal after… [More]
Starring: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Stephen Rea
Directed By: Neil Jordan
#70
Adjusted Score: 66676%
Critics Consensus: Kathleen Turner proves an ideal match for John Waters’ suburban satire in Serial Mom, even if the somewhat scattershot end results often lack the expected bite.
Synopsis: A seemingly perfect wife and mother (Kathleen Turner) from Baltimore gains celebrity status as a serial killer…. [More]
Starring: Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterston, Ricki Lake, Matthew Lillard
Directed By: John Waters
#71
Adjusted Score: 66341%
Critics Consensus: Intriguingly strange and visually distinctive, The Hudsucker Proxy is ultimately almost — but not quite — as smart and absorbing as it needs to be.
Synopsis: Greedy executive Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman) hopes to take control of the company he works for by purchasing a… [More]
Starring: Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Newman, Charles Durning
Directed By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
#72
Adjusted Score: 63335%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Harry (Jack Thompson), a middle-aged father who suffered through the death of his wife, is ready to get back into… [More]
Starring: Jack Thompson, Russell Crowe, John Polson, Deborah Kennedy
Directed By: Geoff Burton, Kevin Dowling
#73
Adjusted Score: 66008%
Critics Consensus:Reality Bites may be too slick to fulfill its promise as a profound statement on Generation X, but an appealing ensemble and romantic sizzle make for an entertaining dive into the ennui of youth.
Synopsis: After college, Lelaina (Winona Ryder) films a documentary about herself and friends as they flounder in their attempts to forge… [More]
Starring: Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo
Directed By: Ben Stiller
#74
Adjusted Score: 61921%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Six-year-old Susan Walker (Mara Wilson) is skeptical of the Christmas myth surrounding Santa Claus, a trait she perhaps learned from… [More]
Starring: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, Mara Wilson
Directed By: Les Mayfield
#75
Adjusted Score: 61087%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Carlo (Stefano Dionisi) and Riccardo Broschi (Enrico Lo Verso) are a brother act: Ricardo is a composer who writes the… [More]
Starring: Stefano Dionisi, Enrico Lo Verso, Elsa Zylberstein, Jeroen Krabbé
Directed By: Gérard Corbiau
#76
Adjusted Score: 50109%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The daughter (Fairuza Balk) of a small-time hustler (Harvey Keitel) remembers her last year of high school in 1962 Portland,… [More]
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Fairuza Balk, Kelly Lynch, Vincent D’Onofrio
Directed By: Anthony Drazan
#77
Adjusted Score: 62923%
Critics Consensus: Featuring a swoon-worthy star turn by Brad Pitt, Legends of the Fall‘s painterly photography and epic sweep often compensate for its lack of narrative momentum and glut of melodramatic twists.
Synopsis: In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) lives in the wilderness with his sons, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred… [More]
Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond
Directed By: Edward Zwick
#78
Adjusted Score: 59003%
Critics Consensus:Jason’s Lyric is a sexually charged film whose violent streak weakens or, depending on your perspective, supports the melodrama.
Synopsis: In a violent, drug-infested neighborhood in Houston, Jason (Allen Payne) dreams of something better. He works as a TV salesman… [More]
Starring: Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Treach
Directed By: Doug McHenry
#79
Adjusted Score: 60674%
Critics Consensus: A contrived romantic mystery and ponderous pacing make Immortal Beloved a not-so-joyful ode to Ludwig van Beethoven, despite Gary Oldman’s best efforts to inject some passion into proceedings.
Synopsis: This biography chronicles the life of infamous classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven (Gary Oldman) and his painful struggle with hearing… [More]
Starring: Gary Oldman, Jeroen Krabbé, Isabella Rossellini, Johanna ter Steege
Directed By: Bernard Rose
#80
Adjusted Score: 58920%
Critics Consensus: Despite a committed performance by Jodie Foster, Nell opts for ponderous melodrama instead of engaging with the ethical dilemmas of socializing its titular wild child.
Synopsis: Cut off from the modern world, Nell (Jodie Foster) is a wild child, who has lived her entire life with… [More]
Starring: Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson, Nick Searcy
Directed By: Michael Apted
#81
Adjusted Score: 57172%
Critics Consensus:Stargate has splashy visuals and James Spader to recommend it, but corny characterization and a clunky script makes this a portal to ho-hum.
Synopsis: In modern-day Egypt, professor Daniel Jackson (James Spader) teams up with retired Army Col. Jack O’Neil (Kurt Russell) to unlock… [More]
Starring: Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson, Viveca Lindfors
Directed By: Roland Emmerich
#82
Adjusted Score: 55005%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A childhood incident has convinced Faith Corvatch (Marisa Tomei) that her true love is a guy named “Damon Bradley,” but… [More]
Starring: Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr., Bonnie Hunt, Joaquim de Almeida
Directed By: Norman Jewison
#83
Adjusted Score: 53563%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Flustered college student Carol (Debra Eisenstadt) visits John (William H. Macy), one of her professors, and asks how she can… [More]
Starring: William H. Macy, Debra Eisenstadt
Directed By: David Mamet
#84
Adjusted Score: 54090%
Critics Consensus:Natural Born Killers explodes off the screen with style, but its satire is too blunt to offer any fresh insight into celebrity or crime — pummeling the audience with depravity until the effect becomes deadening.
Synopsis: Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis are two young, attractive serial killers who become tabloid-TV darlings, thanks to a sensationalistic press… [More]
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones
Directed By: Oliver Stone
#85
Adjusted Score: 50835%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A high-school basketball star (Duane Martin) is torn by loyalties to a drug dealer (Tupac Shakur) and an ex-player (Leon)…. [More]
Starring: Duane Martin, Leon, Tupac Shakur, David Bailey
Directed By: Jeff Pollack
#86
Adjusted Score: 50336%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In this sequel to the seminal surfing movie, documentarian Bruce Brown again explores choice international surf destinations, this time visiting… [More]
Starring: Robert August, T.J. Barron, Jeff Booth, Bruce Brown
Directed By: Bruce Brown
#87
Adjusted Score: 50503%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Nervous high school senior Tom Lawrence (Chris Young) visits Port Chester University, where he gets a taste of politically correct… [More]
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Chris Young, Jon Favreau, David Spade
Directed By: Hart Bochner
#88
Adjusted Score: 40253%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Born of a flower and growing to only a couple of inches tall, poor Thumbelina (Jodi Benson) is worried she’ll… [More]
Starring: Jodi Benson, Kenneth Mars, Charo, Gino Conforti
Directed By: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman
#89
Adjusted Score: 37565%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Businessman Manny Singer (Ray Liotta) needs a reliable nanny to watch his daughter, Molly (Tina Majorino), in the absence of… [More]
Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Ray Liotta, Tina Majorino, Wendy Crewson
Directed By: Jessie Nelson
#90
Adjusted Score: 37337%
Critics Consensus: Senselessly violent and mean-spirited, Killing Zoe fails to deliver a much needed cleverness to back up its hyper-stylized flourishes.
Synopsis: An adept safe-cracker, Zed (Eric Stoltz) arrives in Paris for his latest gig: a bank robbery organized by his old… [More]
Starring: Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Gary Kemp
Directed By: Roger Avary
#91
Adjusted Score: 36169%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: While studying at Oxford University in 1914, a young T.S. Eliot (Willem Dafoe) meets and is instantly smitten with Vivienne… [More]
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Miranda Richardson, Rosemary Harris, Tim Dutton
Directed By: Brian Gilbert
#92
Adjusted Score: 33072%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Ever since childhood, nerdy Danny O’Shea (Rick Moranis) has felt inferior to his brother, Kevin (Ed O’Neill), a former college… [More]
Starring: Rick Moranis, Ed O’Neill, John Madden, Shawna Waldron
Directed By: Duwayne Dunham
#93
Adjusted Score: 38095%
Critics Consensus: Easy to admire yet difficult to love, Wyatt Earp buries eye-catching direction and an impressive cast in an undisciplined and overlong story.
Synopsis: The epic biography of western lawman Wyatt Earp, who at an early age, is taught that nothing matters more than… [More]
Starring: Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Jeff Fahey
Directed By: Lawrence Kasdan
#94
Adjusted Score: 31085%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An ex-bull rider (James Rebhorn) trains his son (Luke Perry), who becomes the world rodeo champion in 1987 Oklahoma…. [More]
Starring: Luke Perry, Stephen Baldwin, James Rebhorn, Cynthia Geary
Directed By: John G. Avildsen
#95
Adjusted Score: 29421%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Although they are each engaged to other people, former athlete Mike Gambril (Warren Beatty) and vocalist Terry McKay (Annette Bening)… [More]
Starring: Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Katharine Hepburn, Garry Shandling
Directed By: Glenn Gordon Caron
#96
Adjusted Score: 25336%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 1970s rural Mississippi, Vietnam veteran Stephen Simmons (Kevin Costner) adjusts to life after military service. Plagued by nightmares about… [More]
Starring: Elijah Wood, Kevin Costner, Mare Winningham, Lexi Randall
Directed By: Jon Avnet
#97
Adjusted Score: 21168%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Mischievous youngsters Spanky (Travis Tedford) and Buckwheat (Ross Elliot Bagley) lead an anti-girl organization, and they pick their buddy Alfalfa… [More]
Starring: Travis Tedford, Bug Hall, Brittany Ashton Holmes, Kevin Jamal Woods
Directed By: Penelope Spheeris
#98
Adjusted Score: 20170%
Critics Consensus: While it’s admittedly well-meaning, With Honors handles its themes in strictly remedial fashion.
Synopsis: Academia meets street smarts when Monty Kessler (Brendan Fraser), a graduate student struggling to finish his program, loses his thesis… [More]
Starring: Joe Pesci, Brendan Fraser, Moira Kelly, Patrick Dempsey
Directed By: Alek Keshishian
#99
Adjusted Score: 19838%
Critics Consensus: Ill-conceived and desperately unfunny, Clifford stars Martin Short as a 10-year-old boy. You read that correctly. That’s the joke.
Synopsis: When his brother asks him to look after his young son, Clifford (Martin Short), Martin Daniels (Charles Grodin) agrees, taking… [More]
Starring: Martin Short, Charles Grodin, Mary Steenburgen, Dabney Coleman
Directed By: Paul Flaherty
#100
Adjusted Score: 13335%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Horror films and computer games fascinate teenager Michael (Edward Furlong), and a CD-ROM that portrays murder from the killer’s point… [More]
Starring: Edward Furlong, Frank Langella, T. Ryder Smith, Amy Hargreaves
Directed By: John Flynn
