This article contains mention of sexism and homophobia.

Summary

• Cult classic films from the 1990s may not age well due to offensive depictions and outdated themes.
• It's important to recognize flaws in iconic movies from the past, even if they were once groundbreaking.
• As art evolves, newer filmmakers learn from the successes and failures of those who came before them.

It's expected that not every movie from decades past will age well, as the ideas surrounding what's acceptable to say and do on film have changed a lot. There are some cult classic films from the 1990s that were hailed as great contributions to cinema at the time but should be reevaluated. More often than not, offensive depictions of people's identities and ideologies are the red flags in these movies. As more diverse filmmakers and writers are given a voice in Hollywood, this is becoming less of an issue, but past films should still be viewed with a critical eye.

Some of the most influential movie directors of the 1990s got their start with projects that have earned cult classic status but haven't aged the best by today's standards. These movies and the creative teams behind them shouldn't necessarily be forgotten or torn down, but it's important to recognize the flaws in all pieces of media, even if they're considered important and iconic. Art and filmmaking have evolved and become more complex with each generation because new artists are informed by the successes and failures of those who came before them.

10 Cruel Intentions (1999)

Directed by Roger Kumble

What the adaptation of the classic French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses lacks in complexity and class, it makes up for in pure, unadulterated scandal.

The explosive combination of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair is the highlight of Cruel Intentions. What the adaptation of the classic French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses lacks in complexity and class, it makes up for in pure, unadulterated scandal. However, teenage sexuality and exploitation are at the forefront of Cruel Intentions, making it difficult to let loose and enjoy the horrible things the characters are doing to each other.

Additionally, the weaponization of sexuality and homophobia takes the viewer out of the experience of the movie and immediately dates the script. Gellar's character, Kathryn, is depicted more harshly than Sebastian (Phillippe) because she's the villain. However, this makes her character slightly one-dimensional and uplifts Sebastian. Part of this characterization is fair, as Sebastian does evolve and attempts to change, and his ending is even harsher than Kathryn's. The original screen iteration of the book, the 1988 Dangerous Liaisons, is a bit easier to watch because of its difference in place and period.

9 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

Directed by Tom Shadyac

Jim Carrey's talents are wasted in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Though the character has some funny quirks, there's too much wrong with the movie to watch it today without cringing. The movie falls victim to jokes and plot points that don't reflect contemporary culture. Ace Ventura uses Carrey's signature facial expressions as the crux of every joke, making them grow stale within the first few minutes. Additionally, his character's treatment of women and blatant homophobia makes it endlessly uncomfortable.

One of the worst parts of Ace Ventura is how the trans character, Einhorn, is treated. Though the character is the villain, the story humiliates her by publicly outing her and making a joke about Ventura being attracted to her. This is a disrespectful and outdated portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community. The movie could have easily been just as effective without using trans identities as a plot twist. Though aspects of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective are nostalgic, the movie doesn't have the star power of some of Carrey's other work, making it easy to forget.

8 Dazed And Confused (1993)

Directed by Richard Linklater

Before Richard Linklater made history with the Before Trilogy and Boyhood, he told a more traditional high school story through Dazed and Confused. Though Dazed and Confused can be credited with launching the career of Matthew McConaughey and having some of the most iconic dialogue of the 1990s, there are still dated aspects of the film. Primarily the hazing and violence the older high school boys use to terrorize the younger ones. While it's clear that this is a terrible thing, it's also played for laughs.

Overall, the successes of Dazed and Confused outweigh the issues, as the movie is regarded as one of the best of the 1990s and one of the more accurate portrayals of high school. Few films from this era can claim they didn't glamorize violence and make sexism seem cool. However, it's impossible to ignore that there are practically no female characters with development or substance present in the film, which is something no movie should get away with today.

7 She’s All That (1999)

Directed by Robert Iscove

Today, She's All That is ed as a classic, but there are harsh realities of rewatching 1990s rom-coms. It's also known for being one of the biggest perpetrators of sexist tropes that run rampant in the genre. There is a scene in She's All That in which Laney (Rachael Leigh Cook) literally takes off her glasses and is then considered beautiful by the charming and handsome Zack (Freddy Prinze Jr.). This is the scene that sparked one thousand parodies, and rightly so, as Laney's treatment throughout the movie is terrible.

She's the butt of the joke to Zack and his friends until he finds himself attracted to her and suddenly realizes that she has value. Her interests and beliefs are played for laughs, and there's little to no pushback on the concept that her makeover makes her a better and more fulfilled person, and Zack barely does anything to redeem himself in the eyes of the audience. Though it's a harmless and fun movie, on the one hand, it teaches generations of youths all the wrong lessons about love and self-acceptance.

6 Buffalo ’66 (1998)

Directed by Vincent Gallo

A young Christina Ricci stars in Buffalo '66 alongside Vincent Gallo, who also directed the movie and contributed to the screenplay.

A young Christina Ricci stars in Buffalo '66 alongside Vincent Gallo, who also directed the movie and contributed to the screenplay. Though technically Buffalo '66 is a triumph of independent filmmaking, the story should be viewed through a critical lens, considering it begins with Gallo's character kidnapping Ricci's character and ends with the pair of them falling in love. While Buffalo '66 doesn't condone this behavior and is commenting on it, there have been many instances in which the intentions of the film have been misinterpreted.

It's not just the film itself that stirs up controversy so much as the offscreen dynamic. In the years since its release, Ricci has described the environment on set with Gallo as a difficult one, especially considering the actress was only 17 when the film was shot (via Huff Post). To this day, Gallo is a controversial figure, and his behavior on set has been under intense scrutiny, with Buffalo '66 being no exception. Additionally, Layla's (Ricci) lack of agency throughout the narrative can be upsetting to viewers.

5 Reality Bites (1994)

Directed by Ben Stiller

It's hard to imagine a more quintessential 1990s cast than that of Reality Bites. Featuring Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Ben Stiller in an ill-fated love triangle, it's difficult to feel sympathy for the disaffected youths seen onscreen in Reality Bites. The film is a precursor to the mumblecore genre and presents a slice-of-life narrative about a group of lost twenty-somethings in Texas. Stiller proved to be a solid director in his feature debut but has found greater success in his other work.

Though Reality Bites might speak to young people feeling lost and uncertain, the film's central problems aren't as relevant because of how the world has changed. If anything, audiences might be jealous of the characters, as they don't have the pressures of the internet or social media. Additionally, the romance between Lelaina (Ryder) and Troy (Hawke) is slightly one-dimensional, and neither character is overly likable. Though there's nothing inherently wrong with Reality Bites, its chief annoyance for audiences might be the self-indulgence of the characters and filmmaking.

4 Chasing Amy (1997)

Directed by Kevin Smith

He plays Holden, a man who falls in love with Alyssa, played by Joey Lauren Adams, but discovers she's a lesbian.

Ben Affleck stars in Chasing Amy, which perpetuates the issues of homophobia that were common in the '90s. He plays Holden, a man who falls in love with Alyssa, played by Joey Lauren Adams, but discovers she's a lesbian. However, Chasing Amy hinges on the outdated idea that a straight man can win over a lesbian woman, using it as a subversion of the rom-com formula. More recently, the director, Kevin Smith, has opened up about how the movie has aged. This is a reminder that in 1997, sexuality wasn't discussed openly, and Chasing Amy was boundary-pushing (via Buzzfeed).

Instead of taking a nuanced look at how sexuality is fluid and might change over time or that biphobia often prevents people from fully exploring their identities, Chasing Amy pokes fun at the entire LGBTQ+ community. Chasing Amy is ultimately not about Alyssa but about Holden discovering that the world is bigger than he ever imagined. Being a product of its time and lacking context, Chasing Amy fails to unpack its full context. There are much better films from the New Queer Cinema moment of the time about identity, but Chasing Amy never claimed to be part of that list.

3 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Directed by Steve Barron

Visually, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can't compete with any of the live-action movies of today, as the turtle suits have aged from slightly uncanny to downright unsettling. Compared to the 2014 iteration by Michael Bay, the '90s movies are cult classics, but this is thanks to nostalgia rather than quality. Adapting an iconic comic book character is never easy, and there was enormous pressure on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to do justice to the source material. While it's interesting to see how the studio imagines the turtles might look in the real world, the story works better in animation,

While it's not completely fair to compare live-action to animation, the 1990 movie could have gone further in capturing the aesthetic and visual style of the comics. It's undeniable that the film was a box office smash and that the following sequels cemented this adaptation as the definitive version for many years. However, there's still room for a more cohesive and effective version within the canon, as the movie lacked the stylized and campy sensibilities of other live-action comic book films like Tim Burton's Batman.

2 Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993)

Directed by Mel Brooks

The best parts of Robin Hood: Men in Tights are the performances from the stellar cast of comedians that Brooks assembled.

Though some of Mel Brooks' funniest movie scenes take place in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, it's not his strongest film and hasn't aged well in some aspects of its humor. It's expected that comedy movies from decades past will have dated elements as expectations and standards have changed, but the depictions of female characters like Maid Marian (Amy Yasbeck) and Latrine (Tracey Ullman) center their sexuality and physical attractiveness as the most important parts of their roles. While this is played for laughs, it still fails to develop their characters.

Additionally, outside the social issues in the film, it's just not on the same level as the classics from the director, gets off to a slow start, and relies on trope-based jokes to engage the audience. This comes through in the use of puns and sight gags like the Everlast chastity belt or when Rottingham hires a mafia boss to take out Robin during the archery competition. The best parts of Robin Hood: Men in Tights are the performances from the stellar cast of comedians that Brooks assembled. They make Robin Hood: Men in Tights sharper through their work.

1 Last Action Hero (1993)

Directed by John McTiernan

Last Action Hero

Last Action Hero came out after the action movie boom of the 1980s that thrust Arnold Schwarzenegger to fame and created the buff and bulging action hero archetype. The movie attempted to interrogate the formula of these movies and poke fun at them through a satirical lens. However, for a variety of reasons, it bombed at the box office and only achieved cult classic status thanks to its availability on the internet many years later. It's one of Schwarzenegger's most poorly received movies to date.

In the years since its premiere, Last Action Hero has ebbed and flowed in popularity, as it didn't deserve the vitriol it got in the '90s, but still has plenty of issues. While Schwarzenegger's career didn't end after the movie, his reputation shifted slightly, and the film added a flop to his legacy. Certain problems have also come to light, like the lack of logic in the multiverse plotlines and the darkness of the premise, as Danny turns to movies in the wake of his father's death. The original structural problems distracted audiences and critics from these aspects of the story, but they've become clearer with time.