The 1990s were some of the best years in movie history, with some of the even Wes Anderson made their directorial debuts in the 90s. Films like The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, Toy Story, and Heat all came out in that decade, proving just how incredibly strong it was.

These are just a handful of the films that people instantly recognize and love, with countless more that can be added to the list. It's worth not forgetting the incredible ones that seem to have left the public consciousness, as the 1990s provided some of the greatest movies and movie references that no one seems to talk about anymore. Perhaps they slipped away because they were overshadowed by the director's other films, or the lead actor is known for something else. No matter what, though, there are movies that are worth revisiting and ing.

10 In The Line Of Fire (1993)

Directed by Wolfgang Peterson

First up is the 1993 film, In the Line of Fire. Directed by Wolfgang Peterson, In the Line of Fire tends to go under the radar compared to some of his most iconic movies, including Das Boot, and The NeverEnding Story. While those two films are incredible in their own right, helping to shape the movie industry upon release, In the Line of Fire is one of Wolfgang Peterson's best movies despite not being talked about nearly as much as a lot of his filmography.

In the Line of Fire tends to be overshadowed by Clint Eastwood's performance in Unforgiven, which was released the year before.

The cast for In the Line of Fire is unbelievably good, with Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich giving particularly incredible performances. In fact, Malkovich was nominated for a Best ing Actor Academy Award for the film. In the Line of Fire is a tense political thriller about a former CIA agent who has become disillusioned and plans to assassinate the President of the United States. It's riveting and layered, and one of the best forgotten films of the 1990s.

9 The Quick And The Dead (1995)

Directed by Sam Raimi

Sandwiched between Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy and Spider-Man trilogy, The Quick and the Dead never seems to get the love that it deserves. Not only is it a great Western in its own right, but it is also painfully underrated in Sam Raimi's entire filmography. He was able to translate his unique style to the Western genre, making something unforgettable and singular all at the same time.

It also featured one of Leonardo DiCaprio's earlier performances, prior to Romeo + Juliet and Titanic fame, showing the immense amount of talent he already had while the potential he still had yet to tap into. The Quick and the Dead is a fascinating look at an emerging star, ed by a stellar cast made up of Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, and Gene Hackman. It's absolutely worth revisiting, and shouldn't be lost to time, deserving to be thought of alongside some of the greatest Westerns of all time.

8 Blood In Blood Out (1993)

Directed by Taylor Hackford

The 'hood genre became incredibly popular in the 1990s, focusing on the African American and Mexican American experience in the United States at the time. Films like Menace II Society, Boyz n the Hood, Friday, and Set it Off became standards for the genre. Still, others might have been popular at the time, but slowly lost relevance within mainstream culture. It's worth looking back at Blood In Blood Out, given it stands alongside the best films in the genre.

Released in 1993, Blood In Blood Out revolves around the lives of three Chicano relatives from 1972 to 1984. Three hours long, this epic ended up becoming a cult classic among the Mexican American community but definitely deserves to be reevaluated as one of the most underrated films of the 1990s. Damien Chapa, Jesse Borego, and Benjamin Bratt gave some of the best performances in their entire careers.

7 Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai (1999)

Directed by Jim Jarmusch

Unfortunately for Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, it was released in 1999, a notoriously amazing year for movies, almost guaranteeing the film's fade into obscurity. Where Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is concerned, though, is that it plays a significant role in why 1999 was one of cinema's greatest years ever. Jim Jarmusch was never a big name director, content to craft indie masterpiece after indie masterpiece. Even then, Ghost Dog feels like it doesn't get nearly as much love as Stranger Than Paradise or Night on Earth.

If anything, Forest Whitaker's performance as a hit man who studies Bushido is mesmerizing on every level, and the subtle range of emotions he shows in this is jaw-dropping. It's also just an extremely cool movie with a stellar soundtrack. In fact, one of cinema's coolest scenes is in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, perfectly capturing what makes the film so great.

6 Days Of Being Wild (1990)

Directed by Wong Kar-wai

When people think of the Hong Kong film auteur Wong Kar-wai, they typically think of Fallen Angels, Chungking Express, and In the Mood For Love. For good reason, too, as they are some of the greatest films of all time, but Days of Being Wild tends to fall to the wayside compared to these cultural behemoths. Released in 1990, Days of Being Wild was only the second feature film by Wong Kar-wai, coming just two years after As Tears Go By. The film is the official start of Wong Kar-wai's "Love" trilogy, which includes In the Mood for Love, and 2046.

Days of Being Wild was essentially a proof of concept for the themes that Wong Kar-wai would go on to explore over the rest of his career, with the film being anchored by a stunning performance from the late Leslie Cheung as a playboy that gets tangled up in the lives of several women. Days of Being Wild is brilliant, honestly, and deserves to be ed as much as what came after. It was also the introduction to Tony Leung as a frequent collaborator with the legendary director.

5 Strange Days (1995)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Written by James Cameron and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Strange Days is a staple of the cyberpunk genre in cinema. Because of that, it's such a shame that it doesn't get talked about as much as it should, getting relegated to cult classic status instead of being one of the most popular pieces of science fiction media. Perhaps the status of both Cameron and Bigelow overshadows it, with the latter making incredible films like Point Break, and The Hurt Locker, which won Bigelow Best Director at the Academy Awards.

Strange Days is essential cyberpunk that deserves to be talked about in the same way Blade Runner does.

Set in an alternate reality Los Angeles during the last two days of 1999, Strange Days revolves around a black marketeer of an electronic device that allows s to experience the recorded memories of someone else. It features Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett in the lead roles, delivering some of their most underrated performances ever. Strange Days is essential cyberpunk that deserves to be talked about in the same way Blade Runner does.

4 Dark City (1998)

Directed by Alex Proyas

Released in 1998, Dark City is a highly influential tech noir film that revolves around an amnesiac man who attempts to clear his name and discover his identity after being suspected of murder. What Dark City is perhaps known for was how it was able to transfer classic noir tropes into a science fiction setting, fit for the sensibilities at the turn of the millennium. It was also a major influence on Christopher Nolan's landmark film, Memento.

It's truly a shame that Dark City has fallen into obscurity, as it is still one of the most beautiful movies to come out in decades, with incredible production design and atmosphere. There really isn't anything that looks quite like Dark City. It's haunting and beautiful and deserves so much more than to simply be forgotten, which unfortunately looks to be its fate.

3 Bound (1996)

Directed by The Wachowskis

The Wachowski Sisters are largely known for their seminal work as directors on The Matrix franchise, changing not only the face of science-fiction on film, but cinema as a whole with the 1999 masterpiece, The Matrix. It absolutely deserves all its flowers, but just a few years prior to its release, the Wachowskis made their directorial debut with the incredibly underrated movie, Bound. The film centers on a woman who longs to escape her abusive mobster boyfriend, entering into an affair with an ex-con as the two attempt to steal $2 million from the mafia.

Today, Bound is unfortunately relegated to being a cult classic instead of the bonafide hit it should absolutely be, acting as an essential film in the LGBT cinematic canon. It's a beautiful noir tale that shows just how talented the Wachowskis were from the very start of their careers, paving the way for them to change film history forever.

2 Walking And Talking (1996)

Directed by Nicole Holofcenor

Master of the mumblecore genre, Nicole Holofcener made her directorial debut in 1996 with the poignant film, Walking and Talking. Three decades later, and it still ranks as one of Holofcener's best movies, and is hugely influential for what came next, alongside directors like Noah Baumbach and Richard Linklater. Despite being an essential film of the genre, it feels largely forgotten on the world stage, existing only as a moment in time in independent cinema.

Nothing that exciting happens in Walking and Talking, as the characters do quite a bit of what the name implies. What works so well about the film is how fully realized the characters are, with Katherine Keener giving an exceptional performance as the main character. The characters in Walking and Talking feel like real people, as the film grasps onto naturalism every step of the way.

1 Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Directed by George Armitage

John Cusack is a romantic comedy legend, with films like Say Anything and High Fidelity being some of the best the genre has to offer. Because of this, it's disappointing that one of his greatest romantic comedies, the troubled Grosse Pointe Blank, seems to never be brought up when discussing other movies in his career. It features some of John Cusack's best comedic work in his career, capturing all the charm that made him such an endearing actor.

The premise of Gross Pointe Blank is so good, as John Cusack plays an assassin who returns to his hometown for his high school's ten-year reunion, and is tasked with killing the father of his high school sweetheart. Cusack is amazing in this opposite of Minnie Driver. The two have incredible chemistry, elevating the already amazing premise in the process. Grosse Pointe Blank is undoubtedly one of John Cusack's best films and a forgotten gem of the 1990s that deserves to be talked about more.