This 90s Movies Quiz Will Stump Even The Smartest Fans
- by Edward Cambro
- – on
- in Movies and TV
For whatever can be said about the culture and the music of the 1990s, its contribution to the film is substantially underappreciated. I’d go so far as to say it is one of the best decades for the film in history. Not only for Hollywood, either--for international cinema as well, and spanning beyond movies that were simple Oscar bait. There were even good horror movies! Action movies were still made in earnest without constantly winking to the audience with smugly superior self-awareness! Indeed, post-modernism hadn’t quite poisoned the well just yet. And, sure, there wasn’t enough noir, but that can be said about every decade outside of the 40s and 50s.
The influence of 90s cinema can be felt still to this day. The indie-boom helped launched the career Wes Anderson and made even common audiences interested in what else films outside the major studios offered. There were superhero adaptations too, which laid the keel for the eventual cultural takeover we’re experiencing now.
Since we’re almost 20 years removed from the 20th century, and with hindsight being 20/20, now seems like a good time to cash-in on the oncoming and inevitable 90s nostalgia kick. So, put on some flannel, stop the hair washing and get ready for an exhaustive, genre-skipping cinema-hop of the 90s.
What movie is this?
Every action movie since then (and several video games too) have tried to replicate this film’s stylized gunplay in fist-fights. Nobody’s attempted to replicate its meandering philosophizing, however. Not a big surprise there. However, the film is still highly influential for its sci-fi scope and it's Japanese-Goth fashion sense that has plagued high schoolers since the film’s initial release in 1999. While the sequels never quite worked, we still have this original classic and Agent Smith’s wonderful monologuing.
What movie is this?
Quentin Tarantino’s first film is, well, like almost all of his other films: not quite linear, full of bubblegum dialogue, and punctuated with directorial flair and unflinching violence. This film is almost calm in comparison to his other films, but that stillness--most of the movie takes place in one small warehouse--creates a sense of claustrophobia, especially as more of the doomed bank robbers return with their stories of escape and perceived scores, agendas, and loyalties tested. The dialogue is infinitely quotable, but there’s nothing I can repeat here, especially in mixed company.
What movie is this?
When Tim Burton’s vision of Batman became to bizarrely sexual and dark, Warner Brothers hired Joel Schumacher to make it subtly sexual and neon-tinged. This film, along with its sequel, are the only two Batman movies to ever require the viewer to wear sunglasses. This film saw the reinvention of Two-Face and Riddler as Ritalin and motive-deprived cartoons, the introduction of Robin, and bat-nipples. Yay. Oddly, this film was criticized for also depicting the Batmobile climbing on walls and rooftops, yet Batman Begins did the same thing and was celebrated for it. Funny thing that.
What movie is this?
Virtually any detail will give away this already obvious film, but let’s fill in this word count as best we can. The movie tells the story of Jack and Rose, two fictional people among over two thousand possible real stories that could have been told about this famous shipwreck. And no, we’re not talking about the Edmund Fitzgerald. Anyway, the rest goes exactly like this: poor boy meets rich girl looking for a thrill, erotic art is made, glass gets fogged, iceberg is hit, the door is floating, idiot drowns, priceless heirloom is lost forever for no actual reason.
What movie is this?
The Coen Brothers are a strange type of talented. Their slanted view of the world makes their crime movies darker, the comedies funnier, and their flawed and hubristic characters all the more real--even if their traits are bizarre and unrealistic. They have an incredible eye for human failure and frailty, and their dialogue is just so damn good. Here, a white-Russian swilling, burnout named The Dude has his rug defiled by nihilists. His journey to replace it involves relationships, a Vietnam veteran named Walter, bowling, and a stolen CCR collection.
What movie is this?
“I see dead people.” Yeah, I know. Look, we could probably just end the entire entry with the one-two punch of that quote and accompanying visual, but let’s color this in any way. Not quite a horror movie and not quite a drama, this movie exists as a kind of dark fairy tale. Sure, nothing is solved, and nobody’s happy by the end of it, but hey, that’s life. Unless we’re talking about one of the ghost characters. Then, I don’t know what to say to help them. Avoid guys with proton packs?
What movie is this?
Sure, this movie has some brutal visuals and great performances, but there’s one scene that always stuck with me. No, not any of the sins-themed crimes (not even the sloth or lust scenes). Rather, the late, great R. Lee Ermey’s police captain is trying to have a meeting with his officers, but an obstinate phone keeps ringing. He answers it, “This is not even my desk!” and angrily hangs up. This never fails to make me laugh. I can’t explain it. Anyway, it turns out Kevin Spacey is the creepy villain. Who would have thought?
What movie is this?
It’s either an adorable tale of every child’s fantasy of having their toys come to life, or it’s a subtlety horrifying tale of lost privacy and a group of lost souls forever stuck in a Sisyphean cycle of being loved and discarded by an endless line of ignorant and uncaring children until the day they’re sold to someone else to start the cycle elsewhere and without the other toys they’d come to call friends or tossed in the trash to await death. Either one.
What movie is this?
This is the Tarantino movie with the dancing, the fake bible verse everyone fails to accurate recall and the watch that was hidden from the Vietnamese in two people’s anal cavities. Also, the suitcase. Anyway, there isn’t much to say about this film that hasn’t been said a thousand times before. It’s funny. It’s sad. It’s clever. It’s a great movie. Also, that tying-off scene is just wonderfully triggering. While it’s a shame we probably will never get a Vega Brothers spin-off, this movie is perfect as a standalone, and for anyone interested in the art of directing.
What movie is this?
The 90s was a bit weird. Shakespeare was cool again and was resold to Gen-Xers into modern-day remakes usually starring Julia Styles. There was O, based on Othello, Hamlet 2000, several Romeo and Juliet iterations, and this film, which was based on Taming of the Shrew. Here, Kat, our shrew, dreams of going to Sarah Lawrence (the subtlest and most brilliant joke in the film) but just has to get through prom. Possible twins Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also star.
What movie is this?
Look, it’s nigh impossible to talk about this movie without revealing its title, so bear with me. Acerbic, small-market weatherman Phil Connors is tasked to cover a rodent-centric winter-themed holiday festival, which he despises. He ends up stranded in a one-horse town and is forced to live the same day over and over again in a time loop only he notices until he lightens up a bit. While never confirmed, it’s been suggested that Connors spends the equivalent of 10,000 years living the same day over again.
What movie is this?
This movie exists to show naysayers that action movies don’t/couldn’t/shouldn’t have a head on its shoulders. This visually stunning and deep story distills the cops vs. robbers’ gimmick of most crime films to its core. It explores the similarities between those who enforce the laws and those who break it. The protagonist and antagonist even like each other’s company. The film details the personal lives and philosophies of these characters and asks the audience a question of whose side they would personally choose.
What movie is this?
Wes Craven’s later Scream movie franchise was more famous for breaking the fourth wall and exploring the tropes, cliches, and themes of slasher movies, but this one did it first, and arguably better. While not technically part of the Freddy Krueger canon (god knows what’s canon anyway right now), the plot follows Heather Langenkamp--the actress who played Nancy in the original Nightmare film--playing herself. She’s a mother trying to raise her son and trying to distance herself from the role she’s known for. Then Freddy becomes real and starts hurting the people in her life. Some people have no luck.
What movie is this?
Has anyone ever had an erotic reverie that featured rose petals so prominently that they fit a particularly artsy and made a thematic point about their life at that point? Perhaps a better question would be this: Has anyone ever had a sexual fantasy that involved rose petals at all? No, probably not. Regardless, the film’s snappy dialogue (particularly from Lester) is worth the price of admission (especially his “job description” scene). Its treacly sentimentality may not be for everyone, but the suburban hell stuff is on point.
What movie is this?
This is the movie that made everyone want Morgan Freeman to narrate everything. And for everyone to then do horrible impressions of Morgan Freeman narrating everything. Regardless, here, Freeman plays Red, a man serving a very long sentence in prison. He befriends Andy, a new inmate who was wrongfully jailed for the murder of his wife. The story follows several years’ worth of their friends and the lives of the other prisoners and guards at the penitentiary.
What movie is this?
This movie is famous more so for its heavy Minnesota accents and patois than it is for its great storytelling and strange comedy. It is infinitely quotable, and despite it purportedly being a true story, it’s entirely fictional--building something of weird mythology around the film and its characters. We follow Marge Gunderson, a local police officer investigating the kidnapping and ransom of a local woman. Of course, this is a 90s Coen Brothers movie, and that means that Steve Buscemi does make an appearance and is soon after taken out.
What movie is this?
This film not only captures an industry at the height of its power and the moment of its decline, but it also celebrates that magical time after the pill and before AIDS. Taking place in the late 70s and into the early 80s, this Goodfellas-structured film depicts the Golden Age of the American porn scene, and its sad decline with the rise of videotape. Our lead is Dirk Diggler who is very talented (just not as a singer or actor). Fill in the blanks from there.
What movie is this?
We only get a few “last days of school.” Freedom feels especially great on those days. Though taking place in 1976, the film is ageless in its portrayal of that thirst for freedom, and that youthful chrysalis that feels eternal but is so very brief. It’s about getting a little too much freedom and partying. There’s a sense of rebellion in the air and a sense that anything was possible and could happen at any time--including a paddling by a young Ben Affleck.
What movie is this?
Whenever I argued with my parents, they reminded me that at the very least they weren’t as bad as Kevin McAllister’s, who literally forgot him at home while they entire family went on vacation. On a related note, I miss John Hughes. Anyway, poor destructive Kevin is the black sheep of his loud, miserable, upper-middle-class family. Thank goodness all that pent-up frustration and psychopathic anger was taken out on the robbers who came to rip off their home. And poor Kevin barely even got a thank you.
What movie is this?
The first film in this long-running franchise is still the best. The dinosaurs are treated with admiration and wonder, not merely as vehicles of mild horror and escalating threat. Also, it had both Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill sharing the screen, the latter of whom wore a really neat hat. Honestly, despite Dr. Hammond committing crimes against God and science, this film is a two-hour highlight reel. Everything here is a classic--from the delayed full reveal of the dinosaurs to the character work, to the awesome “Clever girl” scene. This movie rules. I just feel bad for Newman.
What movie is this?
It’s rare for a sequel to be as good as the original. Here, It is difficult to choose between this film and the original. That’s how classic it is. While its predecessor had a tech-noir (like the club!) and horror vibe to it, this one is a pure actioner. This time, thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s increased popularity, his model Terminator is programmed to be a good guy, tasked to protect John Conner from Robert Patrick’s now-iconic T-1000.
What movie is this?
The Golden Age of the Western is long gone, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been a few worthy entries. This one came in 1992 and saw an aging Clint Eastwood plays William Munny--an outlaw turned farmer turned outlaw again. His farm is failing, and his kids need to eat, so he takes on a $1,000 bounty to take down a man who hurt a woman. Sadly, the town of Big Whiskey, Wyoming does not actually exist, or I would have moved there years ago.
What movie is this?
Despite this incredibly popular film essentially started the sub-genre in 1999 (Cannibal Holocaust doesn’t quite meet the criteria), it would be more than a decade before found-footage films became a major sensation. Sure, the film isn’t for everybody (see Family Guy’s rather accurate parody). The film keeps things rather vague intentionally--we’re meant to already know about this “real life case” going in. If nothing else, the promotional work that went into the film was a stroke of genius.
What movie is this?
This incredibly depressing yet incredibly funny film launched director Danny Boyle to superstardom, along with the film’s star Ewan McGregor. It follows poor boys in Edinburgh slogging through life and fading due to their heroin addiction. It’s certainly a coming of age movie, but not everyone gets to come. It’s a sad but true statement, and its meditations on the generationally poor are rather unflinching. The directorial flourishes are brilliant, and the humor does something to distract from the stark brutality of Renton’s everyday life.
What movie is this?
A woman with a heart of gold meets a lonely but kindly millionaire. Which part of that seems the most unlikely? That’s right, the latter. Originally meant to be a statement on treatment of the lower working class, it was somehow turned into a rom-com. We all remember the iconic necklace scene. Anyway, Richard Gere and Julia Roberts star (which one is playing against type?) in this unlikely but harmless bit of fun. This tope has been replicated many times, but this is the most memorable.
What movie is this?
Tim Burton was at his best when he focused on making dark fairy tales, fables and parables. This is probably the best of the lot in that case. It follows Edward, who has scissors for hands. Take a wild guess at the name of this movie. A porn parody was also made of this film. Guess what the scissors were replaced with. Anyway, this movie also made Winona Ryder the most unlikely of America’s Sweethearts (though no less deserving). It also started the Burton’s lifetime obsession with Johnny Depp, so take that along with it.
What movie is this?
To say I'm biased about this movie is an understatement. It's the first movie I remember seeing in theaters. For me, it perfectly distills who Batman is. It also tells the only love story that ever really worked for the character. But, this is still Batman after all. To say the relationship failed is an understatement. There's a villain who dresses like Death in an even worse mood. Through flashbacks we get backstories of Batman, Joker and Andrea Beaumont; the story ends as all children's movies should: a heartbreaking bloodbath.
What movie is this?
I love film noir, and this film is based on one of the best noir novels of all time. Despite needing to clean up the extremely graphic content and abbreviate the story substantially or else the run-time would be double that of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this adaptation is simply brilliant. Taking place in post-World War II Los Angeles, three police officers work-related cases involving corruption. Featuring Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey and an ethereal and mythic Kim Basinger in an Academy Award-winning roll.
What movie is this?
Nobody makes a gangster movie like Martin Scorsese. He mythologizes them while humanizing them. He glamorizes but never relents when showing the consequences of this violent lifestyle. Here, Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci are sent down to mob-up Las Vegas’ casinos (hint-hint). As per usual, the movie is long, the dialogue is quotable line by line, the story is based on a true story, and it ends with the lead in a kind of emotional/situational purgatory. Also, Sharon Stone plays an absolute maniac.
What movie is this?
There are few moments of dread a kid can feel watching a movie like there was when Mufasa, king of the food chain, eliminated by his operatic--and in hindsight, rather obviously named--brother Scar in a biblical betrayal. Filled with likeable characters and catchy songs, this film was a crowning achievement in Disney’s animation Golden Age. Simba and his journey into adulthood, responsibility, and courage were handled with class, and the messaging never bashed us over the head. Also, we still all cry at the scene where Simba tries to wake Mufasa!
What movie is this?
This animated film starring Robin Williams is still so popular a better part of 25 years after it was released that Disney is developing a live-action remake. For all the boys and girls who crushed on the respective leads, it'll be a weird bit of transference on seeing them in real life. Also, as an adult, being reminded that the parrot is called Iago is, in hindsight, one of Disney's smartest jokes. It's Shakespeare, get it? Also, Jaffar is the best-dressed villain outside of Hannibal Lecter.
What movie is this?
He thinks life is like a box of chocolates. That should be the only clue anyone needs to identify this movie, outside of seeing Tom Hanks’ posture and his Bob Haldeman haircut. Still, need more? Vietnam. Shrimp. Lieutenant Dan. “I'm sorry I had to fight in the middle of your Black Panther party.” Elvis Presley. An imbecile’s good luck. More shrimp. The lead character gets strung-along by the love of his life for decades and only getting her at the end when she's dying and needs help taking care of her kid.
What movie is this?
Well, at least this is a comedy. Unless the audience is as equally as neurotic and socially awkward as Mike, then this is a horrifying documentary. It is for me, at least. Here, Mike is a nice but uncomfortable man trying to start a career and get a girlfriend. He lacks for confidence and apparently doesn't have shoulders. It doesn't help that his friends are doing better than he is either. But at least he gets to hook up with early-90s Heather Graham. Who let her out of the Black Lodge?
What movie is this?
This film takes its initial question--“What the hell happened?”--and turns it into “Who is Keyser Soze?” In short, he's this mythic kingpin of crime (unrelated to Spider-Man). A possibly fictional criminal Boogeyman who controls all crime. He might have been involved with an explosion on a boat and a massive amount of substances disappeared. Maybe Soze was responsible for this and the take down of some New York criminals. Maybe he was one of them. The twist always shocks, though, in hindsight, the simplest answer is always the correct one.
What movie is this?
As far as comedies go, well, this isn't one of them. Of all the films on this quiz, this one is the dreariest. And it's a redemption story. The titular corrupt cop is, well, corrupt. He does and deals substances. He gambles with and ruins lives. While investigating an unforgivable crime, he is forced to react to his own failings in one of the most brutal scenes committed to film. The funny thing is, he probably would've been okay if the Mets won the pennant.
What movie is this?
Improvised hair gel. Accidental and poorly targeted circumcision. A man hires a private detective to track down his high school sweetheart years later and collect information on her that he could use to win her over. No, this is not a prequel or sequel to John Fowles’ The Collector. This is actually a rom-com. Then again, the last rom-com we covered prominently featured human trafficking, so I guess everything's on the table. Ben Stiller would be miscast as a bad guy anyway.
What movie is this?
Sure, it can be a bit maudlin at times, and a bit overwrought, but that’s Cooper’s style. Thankfully, when adapting his work, Michael Mann--who wrote and directed both this movie and Heat--trimmed much of the fat. Of course, Mann doesn’t make a movie under 2 hours and 45 minutes, so it wasn’t that deep a cut. Taking place during the French and Indian War, a group of trappers attempts to rescue and return a British colonel’s taken daughter. As per Mann, there are a lot of big emotions and charged action scenes.
What movie is this?
Sure, it's a Batman movie, but it was also directed by Tim Burton. So, yeah, it's more of a dark fairy tale. However, with the inclusion of Catwoman and Batman’s continued descent into isolation and madness, there's an undeniable tension between the two. All that leather, the whips, and the point object certainly drive the point home. It's still likely the darkest and strangest live-action Batman film ever produced, and everyone knows how much the parent’s groups boycotted and lambasted it. However, I that's just another reason to love this film.
What movie is this?
In real life, actor Nicolas Cage is obsessed with Elvis Presley. In this surprisingly linear and approachable David Lynch film, Cage plays a character named Sailor, who is equally obsessed with the King of Rock’n’Roll. This tale of Sailor and Lula is what Grease would be if it were R-rated. Greasers, switchblades, rockabilly and a scary performance by Willem Dafoe add layers to this colorful crime feature. It deserves more attention than it gets.
What movie is this?
Speaking of evil alien bugs, here's another movie about them. Only this one has an important x-factor that the prior film sadly lacked: Jeff Goldblum. This movie had everything audiences crave for in action films. Little internal logic, Data from Star Trek wearing a wig, charming Will Smith launching catch-phrases like missiles, Jeff Goldblum warning us of incoming disaster, cute kids saying dumb things, Vivica A. Fox stripping for our freedom, Adam Baldwin playing an Adam Baldwin character, insane stereotypes and plenty of 'splosions.
What movie is this?
This German-language crime thriller is a triumph. Taking place essentially in real-time and with artful and experimental directing choices, this film is colorful, dream-like and dynamic without sacrificing tension. Here, Lola must race around Berlin to collect 100,000 Deutsche Marks needed to save her boyfriend's life. Themes of fate vs. free will,chaos theory and cause and effect are all prevalent here and are well-explored despite the fact the film hardly takes a breath. There's also alternate events, dimensions and possibly time travel. This is essentially a German David Lynch film with a greater sense of fun.
What movie is this?
This low-key and underappreciated Tarantino film is a loose adaptation of crime writer Elmore Leonard’s “Rum Punch” (full disclosure: I adore Elmore Leonard's books). While the basics remain the same--a middle-aged stewardess is caught in a cocaine smuggling jackpot--there are enough differences to enjoy both as separate entities. Two things the film has over the book: bikini girls with machine guns and a beautiful R&B and Motown score.
What movie is this?
This sleeper hit is so iconic that it's identifiable from just the accompanying image. Even if I didn't add one, the dialogue is full of classic and well-worn lines. “I ate his liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti,” “Was she a great big fat person,” and “Wouldja?” Are as iconic as Lecter’s infamous escape scene, Bill’s “Goodbye Horses” dance number, or that eerie slither. NBC should never have canceled Hannibal, and I will never forgive them. No one should.
What movie is this?
This is the final Star Trek film to featuring The Original Series cast. In their final adventure, Captain Kirk has to make peace with the Klingons as the Berlin Wall in space comes down not long after the real-world one did. Themes of aging, the anxiety of the future and regret originally introduced in Wrath of Khan are finally brought to the forefront. In the end, The Enterprise and her crew ride off into the sunset one last time, ushering in a new era of peace by kicking an alien in his knee-testicles. I love Star Trek.
What movie is this?
Perhaps the best mob movie of all time. Perhaps Martin Scorsese’s magnum opus. Perhaps the best film of the 90s. Quite possibly the greatest film of all time. As the tagline says, it's 30 years of life in the mafia. The real-life story of Henry Hill is largely insane, yet it's not at all surprising that it's 99% accurate according to the man himself...and the FBI. Brilliantly structured to seduce the audience with the gangster lifestyle just to turn it all around and make us realize how easy it would be for anyone to delude themselves about that life, it is an American morality tale at its core.