15 Best 90s Drama Movies

By Vlad Zakh · February 10, 2025

United States Drama thought provoking

The Shawshank Redemption barely broke even in theatres and is now the most beloved film here, while American Beauty and Fight Club show the decade’s darker turn. Rain Man is a road-trip drama built on two brothers’ chemistry, A Few Good Men has one of the great courtroom monologues, and Magnolia is a sprawling, strange ensemble. Boogie Nights, The Truman Show, Jerry Maguire, Se7en, The Green Mile and Good Will Hunting round out the list.

Rain Man (1988) 01

Rain Man (1988)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 88% Metacritic 65

A fast-talking hustler discovers his estranged brother is an autistic savant during a cross-country road trip.

Directed by Barry Levinson · 2h 14m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars27 wins & 26 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
A Few Good Men (1992) 02

A Few Good Men (1992)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A military lawyer takes on a case that ends with one of cinema's great courtroom outbursts: "You can't handle the truth!"

Directed by Rob Reiner · 2h 18m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Magnolia (1999) 03

Magnolia (1999)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 82% Metacritic 78

Sprawling, strange, and one of the most ambitious ensemble dramas of the decade.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson · 3h 09m · Rated R

Nominated for 3 Oscars28 wins & 59 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Boogie Nights (1997) 04

Boogie Nights (1997)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 91% Metacritic 87

An ensemble rise-and-fall story that made a porn-industry setting feel almost tender.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson · 2h 36m · Rated R

Nominated for 3 Oscars36 wins & 64 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Criterion Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Truman Show (1998) 05

The Truman Show (1998)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 94% Metacritic 90

An ordinary man slowly discovers his entire life has been broadcast as a reality television show.

Directed by Peter Weir · 1h 43m · Rated PG

Nominated for 3 Oscars42 wins & 69 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Jerry Maguire (1996) 06

Jerry Maguire (1996)

TMDB ★ 7.3

Show me the money, and somehow it still lands every single time.

Directed by Cameron Crowe · 2h 19m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, TNT, TBS, tru TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Se7en (1995) 07

Se7en (1995)

IMDb ★ 8.6 RT 84% Metacritic 65

One of the most atmospheric detective films ever made, and still unnerving.

Directed by David Fincher · 2h 07m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar29 wins & 44 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Green Mile (1999) 08

The Green Mile (1999)

IMDb ★ 8.6 RT 78% Metacritic 61

A death row prison guard witnesses miraculous events around a gentle inmate convicted of a brutal crime.

Directed by Frank Darabont · 3h 09m · Rated R

Nominated for 4 Oscars15 wins & 37 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Good Will Hunting (1997) 09

Good Will Hunting (1997)

IMDb ★ 8.4 RT 97% Metacritic 71

A brilliant but troubled janitor with a gift for mathematics is guided by a therapist towards self-acceptance.

Directed by Gus Van Sant · 2h 07m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars25 wins & 61 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Fight Club (1999) 10

Fight Club (1999)

IMDb ★ 8.8 RT 81% Metacritic 67

A satire so stylish that a lot of viewers missed it was a satire at all.

Directed by David Fincher · 2h 19m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar12 wins & 38 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
American Beauty (1999) 11

American Beauty (1999)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 87% Metacritic 84

A suburban father's midlife crisis upends his family when he becomes infatuated with his daughter's friend.

Directed by Sam Mendes · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 5 Oscars112 wins & 102 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Goodfellas (1990) 12

Goodfellas (1990)

IMDb ★ 8.7 RT 93% Metacritic 92

A young man's rise through the ranks of the mob gives way to paranoia, betrayal and violence.

Directed by Martin Scorsese · 2h 25m · Rated R

Won 1 Oscar44 wins & 38 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Schindler's List (1993) 13

Schindler's List (1993)

IMDb ★ 9.0 RT 98% Metacritic 95

Essential and difficult, and still one of the most important films ever made.

Directed by Steven Spielberg · 3h 15m · Rated R

Won 7 Oscars91 wins & 49 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Forrest Gump (1994) 14

Forrest Gump (1994)

IMDb ★ 8.8 RT 75% Metacritic 82

A one-man tour through three decades of American history.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis · 2h 22m · Rated PG-13

Won 6 Oscars51 wins & 74 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 15

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

IMDb ★ 9.3 RT 89% Metacritic 82

Hope as an active choice, not a passive feeling, patiently built over two and a half hours.

Directed by Frank Darabont · 2h 22m · Rated R

Nominated for 7 Oscars21 wins & 43 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, TNT, TBS, tru TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

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Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.