The 1990s gave us some of the most popular, influential and endlessly rewatchable movies of the modern era. It was a decade of alien invasions and time-travelling cyborgs, killer dinosaurs and masked murderers, existential sci-fi and comedies that made the everyday misery of office life somehow hilarious.
And while plenty has changed since then, the best ’90s movies have lost very little of their appeal. Whether you’re returning to an old favourite or discovering one for the first time, these 10 films are well worth revisiting in 2026.
How to Watch the Best ’90s Movies Today
Most, if not all, of the movies covered below are available to stream somewhere today. Depending on where you live, you may find them on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+ or another streaming service.
Availability can vary considerably between countries, however, due to regional licensing agreements. A movie included with a subscription in one country may be unavailable – or only available to rent or buy – somewhere else.
A VPN can help you access your usual streaming services while travelling by masking your location. Just make sure you have legal access to the platform and content you’re watching, and choose a reputable VPN with next-gen antivirus that offers strong privacy and security features.
Which ’90s Movies Should You Rewatch Today?
Whatever your favourite genre, there’s something in the ’90s worth revisiting. And even if you’ve already seen every movie on this list, sometimes a dose of ’90s nostalgia is exactly what you need.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
James Cameron’s seminal sci-fi sequel remains a masterclass in combining white-knuckle action with genuinely compelling characters. Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his most iconic, while Linda Hamilton delivers a powerhouse performance as Sarah Connor and Edward Furlong makes an impressive debut as her son, John.
Robert Patrick’s chilling T-1000 remains one of cinema’s great villains, and the film’s blend of practical and visual effects has aged remarkably well. More than three decades later, T2 also feels surprisingly relevant in an age increasingly preoccupied with AI, technology and the threat of global conflict.
Office Space (1999)
Never seen Office Space? You’re missing out.
Written and directed by Mike Judge, best known for Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill, this cult comedy stars Ron Livingston as Peter Gibbons, a disillusioned office worker whose attitude towards his soul-crushing job changes dramatically after an unusual hypnotherapy session.
Its cubicles, printers and late-’90s corporate culture may look increasingly retro, but anyone who has ever hated their job will find plenty here that still rings painfully true.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Tom Hanks won his second consecutive Academy Award for Forrest Gump, and it remains one of his most recognisable performances.
The film follows Forrest through decades of American history as he makes friends, falls in love and repeatedly finds himself at the centre of extraordinary events. It tugs at the heartstrings more than once, but there are plenty of laughs along the way too.
Whether you find it sentimental or irresistible – or a little of both – Forrest Gump remains a defining film of the decade.
Independence Day (1996)
Independence Day pits Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman against an alien invasion threatening to wipe out humanity. It’s big, ridiculous, enormously entertaining blockbuster filmmaking – exactly as it should be.
The film strikes a winning balance between humour, tension and spectacle, and many of its visual effects still look fantastic 30 years after its release. Add one of the most memorable presidential speeches in movie history and you have a blockbuster built for repeat viewing.
The Matrix (1999)
Few science-fiction movies changed the game quite like The Matrix.
Its action sequences blew audiences away in 1999, but the Wachowskis’ film had far more on its mind than bullet time and black leather. Its exploration of artificial intelligence, technology, identity, free will and the nature of reality has arguably become even more fascinating with age.
Those ideas give you plenty to chew on, but The Matrix never forgets to entertain. It remains sleek, brilliantly paced and thrilling more than 25 years later.
GoldenEye (1995)
After a six-year absence from cinemas, James Bond returned with a bang in GoldenEye. The film marked Pierce Brosnan’s debut as 007 and helped usher the character into a new post-Cold War era.
Brosnan immediately looks at home in the tuxedo, while Sean Bean makes for a memorable adversary and Famke Janssen has a great deal of fun as the deadly Xenia Onatopp.
The movie also inspired one of the most beloved first-person shooter games of the decade, adding another layer to its ’90s legacy. As a Bond film, though, GoldenEye remains a hugely entertaining watch in its own right – and for many fans, it’s still Brosnan’s finest outing as 007.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park launched a franchise that continues more than three decades later, but the original remains incredibly difficult to beat.
Its groundbreaking visual effects were revolutionary in 1993 and, combined with some exceptional practical effects, still hold up remarkably well today. The famous T. rex attack is the obvious showstopper, but the velociraptors in the kitchen, the first sight of a living dinosaur and John Williams’ soaring score are just as unforgettable.
It’s funny, frightening and filled with a genuine sense of wonder that blockbuster cinema rarely captures quite so perfectly.
12 Monkeys (1995)
12 Monkeys gave audiences a very different Bruce Willis. Best known at the time for Die Hard and Moonlighting, Willis delivers a more vulnerable, haunted performance in Terry Gilliam’s dystopian science-fiction film.
He plays James Cole, a prisoner sent back in time to investigate the origins of a devastating virus that wiped out most of humanity. Madeleine Stowe co-stars, while Brad Pitt delivers one of his most memorable early performances.
Dark, strange and deliberately disorienting, 12 Monkeys is the kind of movie that rewards repeat viewing – especially once you know where its twisting story is headed.
Scream (1996)
Wes Craven’s Scream didn’t just launch a hugely successful horror franchise; it helped reinvent the slasher movie for a new generation.
An eighth film is in the works, and Ghostface has since become one of horror cinema’s most recognisable villains, but the original film remains a standout thanks to its likeable characters, razor-sharp dialogue and clever awareness of the genre conventions it gleefully exploits.
It’s scary, funny and smarter than many of the films that followed in its wake. Three decades later, Scream still knows exactly how to make an audience jump – and laugh.
Toy Story (1995)
With Toy Story 5 bringing Woody, Buzz, Rex and the rest of the gang back to the big screen in 2026, there’s no better excuse to revisit where it all began.
More than three decades have passed since Toy Story became the first fully computer-animated feature film, and while animation technology has advanced enormously since then, the movie itself has lost remarkably little of its charm.
The secret is that the technology was only ever part of the attraction. At its heart, Toy Story is built around memorable characters, terrific voice performances, clever dialogue and a surprisingly emotional story about friendship, jealousy and finding your place in the world.
To infinity, beyond and, apparently, another sequel.
