We’re continuing our adventures through the lost movies of the 1990s. This is episode 5 and I gotta say guys, this is a supreme list of films. As always, I have a movie from each year of the decade ranging from silly comedy and action, to gripping drama and clenching suspense. So, sit back and let’s get into it.
Men at Work (1990)
First up is a comedy that is an all-time favorite of mine, some would say it was lost for good reason however in 1990 a groundbreaking comedy would be released about a couple of surfing garbage men that stumble onto a dead body in Men at Work. Written, directed by, and starring Emilio Estevez, his brother Charlie Sheen, and Keith David.
Now Men at Work is one of those comedies you will either have a blast with or not get into at all. But, if you love silly, 100% mindless humor, then this one’s a fast-paced ride of amazing nonsensical hilarity. Estevez and Sheen are great in the leads. Sheen is known for comedy after his sitcom era but at this time he was relatively new to the genre outside of Major League and he knocked it out of the park. This central plot is stupidly humorous and when Keith David gets thrown into the mix this movie is a riot of action and comedy. David delivers a ton of laughs, there are even more quotable lines during its tight runtime and with the small beach town setting Men at Work is a laughable escape. Now it’s not perfect, the finale doesn’t quite stick the landing but with all these cartoonish characters, and all the absurdity being rooted in a bit of reality, Men at Work is a comical ride watching as garbage men and their observer figure things out while evading a corrupt businessman, a pair of relentless bike cops and a pair of bumbling hitmen.
Not Without My Daughter (1991)
Next up is a tense drama about an American woman who goes to visit her husband’s family in Iran only to learn he plans to keep them there in 1991s Not Without My Daughter starring Sally Field and Alred Molina from director Brian Gilbert.
I remember being in my early teens and my family watching this movie. I remember coming out of my room and seeing the whole fam a mess of people in tears. At the time I couldn’t have been less interested. But later when I was in college, I actually watched it from start to finish and it’s without question a gripping ride of dramatic highs and lows. It’s a tried-and-true woman in peril flick, in this case a mother trying to get her daughter back into the states. It’s an international battle of custody between not just a mother and father but between what feels like a mother and an entire country. Sally Field is the driving force here and she delivers a knockout performance you can easily connect with. Molina is convincing as well despite his character not being thoroughly written. His change of personality does feel more like a plot device and the overall emotional current here is surface level, it doesn’t dive much into the cultural subtext, but it was the early 90s and at the core, seeing Field fight to get her daughter back is plenty gripping enough on its own.
Gladiator (1992)
Now this movie follows a couple of teens going to high school in a rough part of Chicago who also take part in an underground boxing circuit. Against all odds they became friends. And against their will they became opponents in 1992s Gladiator starring James Marshall, Cuba Gooding Jr, and Brian Dennehy.
When people hear Gladiator, they naturally think of Russell Crowe. However, when you’re a true-blue 80s and 90s geek like me, the name Gladiator makes you think of Brian Dennehy and his illegal boxing circuit stocked with high school fighters. I love the grittiness of this movie and despite the ridiculousness of the plot, the world of the film is still more than able to pull you in to take the ride of surface level emotions, procedural friendships, and in the ring melodrama. Gladiator is not a perfect film, but it is perfect for its needs. It’s a movie about teens you connect with, and despite no one in this movie truly feeling like a high school student it’s still easy to turn a blind eye to in order to take the journey of these two characters and their ultimate clash with Dennehy who brings this movie the menacing villain it needed. This one’s well-acted for the most part. Dennehy and Gooding Jr are solid and Marshall, despite being a bit stiff does the job too and overall this movie is still a suspenseful boxing movie meets high school thriller mashup.
Judgment Night (1993)
This action thriller centers on a group of friends heading to a boxing match that make a wrong turn and find themselves in a fight for survival. Don’t Move. Don’t Whisper. Don’t even breathe. It’s Judgement Nights from 1993 starring Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jr., Dennis Leary, Stephen Dorff, and Jeremy Piven. Directed by Stephen Hopkins.
I always love sitting down for this movie. I think it blends a great real-time plot that has layers of suspense, grittiness, and unnerving tension. Then there is the blend of characters, all friends, one, a little brother with their own history and different dynamics that evolve over the course of the story. Finally, there is the awesome performance from Denis Leary. I wished he would’ve played more seedy villains like he does here but nonetheless he’s awesome. He’s capable, confident, and intimidating and I love how he handles himself in this character. And sure, Judgment Night is essentially a Die Hard-ish ride, it’s still a thrilling one filled with tons of action. The settings are perfect for the needs of the film with this rundown city coming in as the perfect backbone for all the twists and turns the storyline takes. You also can’t talk about Judgement Night without talking about the world class soundtrack that blended rap with hard rock resulting in the perfect soundtrack for this plot and this movie can easily sweep you up and have you in the middle of the action.
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Admittedly this movie isn’t necessarily lost but it’s certainly under-mentioned as it follows a pair of psychopathic lovers who embark on a road trip of murder and media glorification in Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers from 1994 starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, and Robert Downey Jr.
I think this film was far ahead of its time and delivered a completely visceral experience. It’s one of those movies you pull something new from each time you watch it. When I watched it as a young teen it was a completely sadistic ride of visual carnage with its odd camera angles, coloring changes and everything else this movie throws at you. Later in high school I was able to dive more into the concepts of media exploitation and the commercialization of violence. I was also able to truly appreciate the performances from Harrelson and Lewis who are perfect as this Bonnie and Clyde-esque couple that become a media sensation. Natural Born Killers was an ambitious movie from a storytelling aspect to a filmmaking aspect, to the themes it explored, and I think it’s actually aged better over time. Even if you’ve seen this movie, you will be pulled into its demented ride and all these years later it’s awesome to see both Lewis and Harrelson, much younger in their careers going all in on these performances to make this twisted tale a timeless one.
Dead Presidents (1995)
This gritty crime thriller is set in the 60s and follows a Vietnam vet dealing with social and civil rights issues back home that sees an opportunity to create a better life for his family, or potentially destroy it in 1995s Dead Presidents directed by the Hughes brothers. Starring Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker, and a solid supporting cast.
To me Dead Presidents delivers a gritty, decade spanning exploration of the cost of war, not just in terms of service, but more so the lasting impacts it can have on a veteran’s life. Here, an African American veteran who after his service in Vietnam finds his dreams shattered in the harsh realities of post-war America. Dead Presidents is lined with emotional and dramatic intensity and is complemented with incredible cinematography and direction. This movie has a strong atmosphere and feels like stepping back in time when watching. It’s also extremely well-acted. Tate is certainly the lead, but the ensemble cast is able to bring life, energy, and most important screen presence to bolster these characters. This film also delivers the suspense of a heist when the story takes a darker turn. I think the main hindrance in this one is that it maybe tries to accomplish too much, some of the characters, some of the motives, and a few of the turns feel a bit contrived but it’s nothing that gets in the way of the impact this movie delivers.
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)
This thrilling film is set in the late 1800s and follows a bridge builder and a legendary hunter who attempt to fend off lions attacking workers in Stephen Hopkins’ The Ghost and the Darkness from 1996. Starring Val Kilmer, Michael Douglas, Tom Wilkinson, and a group of vicious lions.
This movie received mixed reviews upon its release, and I think it was because it falls into a trap that certain films like this often can. That being its foundation is a bit too similar to something closer to a prestige film. A time-period setting, a pair of A-List actors in the lead. The backdrops of the African landscapes and the need of building a bridge to connect civilizations. But really all The Ghost in the Darkness is an action thriller with savage lions as the villains. This is more Black Rain than Dancing with Wolves and it’s an entertaining escape. Douglas is soaking it in as a legendary hunter. Kilmer is fine, nothing special but they do have a somewhat tense chemistry together that works well for the needs of this plot. The production design has a natural visual appeal, and the tension elevates nicely as the violence of the carnage increases with each attack. And sure, it’s not perfect, there are some modest pacing issues but overall, the tease of these lions lurking all around these characters isn’t necessarily Jaws, but it is guilty pleasure suspense.
Breakdown (1997)
Coming up next is a gripping thriller about a man who searches for his wife when she goes missing after their car breaks down in the desert. It’s a movie that claimed, “it could happen to you” and that movie is 1997s Breakdown starring Kurt Russell, J.T. Walsh, M.C. Gainey, and Kathleen Quinlan.
Over the course of his career Kurt Russell has played big bold characters with inflated personalities. But some of his best films are his simpler movies and that is exactly what Breakdown is. It doesn’t try to get too clever; it doesn’t work in too many twists and turns. Breakdown is about a normal couple on a road trip and when the wife goes missing the layers of this mystery peel back in a grounded and eerily normal way. What makes this movie so intense, and unnerving is that it feels like these situations could actually happen. Russell kills it as a normal husband pushed to the edge, and you can’t help but sympathize with his helplessness, and invest in his determination to find his wife. The supporting cast is awesome, creepy but not forced creepy, again nothing here is overdone. All of the characters in this movie feel like real people, you have crossed paths within your own life and the authentic atmosphere in Breakdown creates waves of tension. With a well-crafted mystery that will have you locked in.
Belly (1998)
Next up is a high energy crime drama about a couple of young gangsters making a living on armed robberies who both had dreams of getting out of the life but instead find the walls closing in on them in Belly from 1998 directed by Hype Williams. Starring hip-hop legends led by Nas, DMX, and T-Boz, as well as Tyrin Turner and Taral Hicks.
Now I can see where some would relegate Belly as a case of style over substance however, I would contend the opposite. Yes, the plot is a bit overly jumbled, and it does lack a smooth procedural flow and yes placement of a stylistic montage is a focus over continuity. Yet there’s something cool and interesting about this movie that makes the raw performances, and fragmented storytelling an intriguing ride. Some could argue there aren’t really any likable characters and there’s no denying the glorification of violence, but music video man Hype Williams delivers what you would expect, a full feature film that very much plays like a music video in many places. The dialogue is a bit self-righteous at times but the edginess, and the grittiness of this movie make it feel more like a real-life exploration of street crime and the repercussions of one’s actions. The music as you’d expect is perfectly curated and the lifeblood of this movie’s energy and sure there are better films in this genre, but Belly has many more positives than negatives.
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
This crime caper is a solid remake that follows a rich playboy that steals art for amusement but finds his match in a seductive detective in John McTiernan’s The Thomas Crown Affair from 1999 starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, and Denis Leary.
I’ve only seen the original Thomas Crown Affair once many years ago, but I do think this remake, regardless of its comparisons to the original, is a fantastic film. First you get this perfectly layered and structured plot that lays out a devilishly entertaining caper, then you get the perfectly sized supporting cast and front and center is the seductively charged performances from Brosnan and Russo. I remember watching this movie countless times as a teen. Rene Russo was and always will be my Mrs. Robinson and even today at 70 I’d still take her on a romantic weekend in La Jolla if my wife wouldn’t be filing divorce papers at the same time. She’s awesome in this one with a perfect blend of toughness and vulnerability. Then you get Brosnan who is essentially Bond without the Walther PPK. He’s smooth, charming, and he and Russo are dynamite together. The Thomas Crown Affair just feels sleek, worthy of the lavish lifestyle of its main character and the rewatch value because of this movie’s cinematic elegance is timeless.
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2025 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die
