18 of the Best, Most Transporting Movies of the 90s

Long before the era of Ozempic, facelifts at 35, and billionaires fixated on becoming centenarians, 1992’s Death Becomes Her offered a darkly hilarious and sublimely camp vision of two dueling rivals, Madeline and Helen—played by Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn—who drink a magic potion that promises eternal youth. Cue some of the most absurd fight scenes of all time. “That was totally uncalled for,” purrs Helen after Madeline blasts an enormous hole in her stomach. “Some advice,” Madeline purrs back. “I would stay out of a bathing suit for a while.”

True Romance (1993)

The ’90s were a great time for off-beat thrillers involving couples in which one (or both) were stylish criminals (see also: Natural Born Killers, Buffalo ’66, Wild at Heart). Enter: True Romance, starring Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette as young lovers who find themselves on the run after the former kills the latter’s pimp and accidentally makes off with $5 million worth of stolen cocaine. Like all of the best ’90s movies, Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino’s crime caper was initially a box-office flop but has since become an enduring classic—not least because of its landmark style (all leopard faux-fur coats, Hawaiian shirts, and slouchy jeans).