If the theatrical re-release of Steven Spielberg's The Silence Of The Lambs all coming out within the same decade. But those big titles are just the beginning, as the '90s were also responsible for some of the genre's most criminally underseen entries to date.
Many excellent films didn't receive their due credit in theaters. Audiences ignored everything from gritty cop dramas starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Laurence Fishburne to high-concept box office bombs such as Nick Of Time and Hard Rain. In other words, the decade's contributions to the thriller genre are noteworthy, even if audiences didn't pick up on their quality at first.
Blue Steel (1990)
Stream On Roku
Blue Steel was directed by Near Dark). The film follows Jamie Lee Curtis' Megan Turner, a rookie cop who learns that the very serial killer she's after is the man who shares her bed.
Curtis gives a commanding performance (one of the best of her career) in the lead role. Furthermore, the film's impact is bolstered by a more than adequately grim tone, making Blue Steel a worthy viewing for any fan of high-stakes emotional drama and flying bullets. It can be overbearing at times, even grim, but Ron Silver makes for an excellent villain.
State Of Grace (1990)
Not Currently Available To Stream
State Of Grace is arguably one of the most underappreciated films of the '90s, thriller or otherwise. The cast is rock solid, pairing acting legends Sean Penn and Gary Oldman in the lead roles -- the former as an undercover cop and the latter his childhood friend/prominent gang member.
Oldman steals the show as Jackie Flannery, but there's also Jackie's older brother/crime boss Frank (Ed Harris) and his sister, Kathleen (Robin Wright, in one of her follow-up roles to her The Princess Bride debut). Toss in a flawed but more than functioning pace, excellent cinematography, and a ing casting including John C. Reilly and John Turturro.
Deep Cover (1992)
Rent On Amazon
Deep Cover finally got some love with its gorgeous recent release via The Criterion Collection, but it's still one of the decade's more under-seen crime drama/thrillers. Jeff Goldblum is icy as drug dealer David Jason, just one year before he pulled a one-eighty as the jokey Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park.
But it's Laurence Fishburne who holds it all together as DEA Agent Russell Stevens Jr. Fishburne had had small but memorable roles in Apocalypse Now, The Cotton Club, King of New York, and even A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, but Deep Cover was the first time he was first billed, made all the more impressive considering the fact his co-star was Jeff Goldblum.
Red Rock West (1993)
Not Currently Available To Stream
Red Rock West wasn't picked up for distribution by a major studio nor was it an independent thriller that made it big. No one wanted the film, even with Nicolas Cage and Dennis Hopper on the cast, and it was sold off to HBO. But those who watched it loved it (for the most part). It's layered and not as accessible as a piece of blockbuster cinema, but Red Rock West is one tightly-written little crime drama, and it's the type of project perfectly suited for Cage's talent.
Cage portrays Michael Williams, an unemployed ex-marine hired by a bar owner (legendary character actor J.T. Walsh) to kill his wife. It's a case of mistaken identity, and before Williams can run off with half the money (and the man's wife), the real, already-hired, assassin comes into town. Like John Carpenter's The Thing, Red Rock West is a superb film that was widely dismissed at the time of its release, and the latter's fate should change much as the former's has.
The Last Seduction (1994)
Stream On Roku
The Last Seduction is a Men In Black's Linda Fiorentino in an Oscar-worthy performance), a femme fatale with no qualms about who she screws over. Peter Berg stars as young insurance agent Mike Swale, who at first s Gregory in her scheming, but may ultimately pay a price as result.
The Last Seduction should have been massive for Fiorentino. But because it had premiered on HBO prior to hitting the big screen, it was ineligible for Academy consideration of any sort. It's a shame, and Seduction more than deserves to find its audience.
Just Cause (1995)
Stream On DirecTV
Just Cause can be an unfocused movie from time to time, but Laurence Fishburne steals his scenes even though he's paired with someone as formidable as the late Sean Connery. It's a murder mystery with some shocking (if not always expertly pulled off) twists and a suitably despicable villain. Connery portrays law professor Paul Armstrong. When he's dragged back into court and the public spotlight to defend a man, he's victorious, but all may not be as cleared up as it seems.
Fishburne portrays Detective Tanny Brown, a Floridian cop who is one of several who beat Armstrong's client during questioning. Det. Brown comes across as surly, even going so far as to impede Armstrong's investigation. But the true motivations behind all the characters (who aren't Armstrong) are what makes the film well worth checking out.
Nick Of Time (1995)
Stream On Amazon
John Badham (who directed the superior thrillers Blue Thunder and WarGames) helmed the mid-'90s Johnny Depp action vehicle Nick Of Time. Depp portrays an ant who must assassinate the governor of California or Christopher Walken's Mr. Smith will kill his daughter.
While mostly forgettable on the surface level, the film is elevated by a real-time format, much in the way it was later done by 24. It was an interesting gimmick, but far from enough to make the film a box office success at the time of its theatrical release.
The Jackal (1997)
Stream On Freevee
One year after he starred in Primal Fear (one of Redditors' favorite thriller movies), Richard Gere co-starred alongside a chilling Bruce Willis in The Jackal. Willis portrays the titular character: a hitman so devoid of a personality or identity that he's effectively untraceable. Gere, meanwhile, is imprisoned IRA terrorist (with an unconvincing accent), Declan Mulqueen.
Mulqueen just so happens to be the one man who knows what "The Jackal" looks like (even through his dime store disguises the audience is supposed to take very seriously). The Jackal isn't a masterpiece, but it is moody and a good addition to a '90s action/thriller marathon. It makes a particularly good pairing with Willis' equally silly and entertaining Mercury Rising, released the following year.
Kiss The Girls (1997)
Rent On Amazon
A thriller that functions as a horror movie, Kiss The Girls is one of two James Patterson adaptations starring Morgan Freeman as Detective Alex Cross. The plot follows Cross as he attempts to track down a killer by the name of "Casanova."
One poor sequel (Along Came a Spider) and a poorly-received Tyler Perry-led reboot later and Kiss The Girls has mostly been forgotten. However, it's worthy of rediscovery for what it is: a solid if not exactly groundbreaking Sunday afternoon thriller.
Hard Rain (1998)
Stream On HBO Max
Christian Slater was one of Hollywood's biggest stars throughout the mid-to-late '80s and a good chunk of the '90s. His level of clout began to sink fast, though, and pretty soon he was starring in Uwe Boll's Alone in the Dark (among many other direct-to-video films). If that didn't start with Hard Rain's big-time box office flopping, the financial failure put the nail in the coffin.
But it's also a solid, if not exactly spectacular, high-budget/high-concept '90s actioner. Morgan Freeman is in peak villain mode, Slater is riding high on action star vibes from John Woo's Broken Arrow. There's also Minnie Driver and Randy Quaid in prominent ing roles. The plot follows all involved as they fight for a cash truck in the middle of a torrential rainstorm.
