(Photo by Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection. TOY STORY.)
1995 was a very well-rounded year in film. While kids marveled at the epic visual effect innovations in movies like Toy Story and Jumanji, ma and pops could indulge in the gritty drama of action/thrillers like Heat and Seven. Or bask in the charm and romance of French Kiss and The Bridges of Madison County.
Teens could temper their angst with humor in selections like Mallrats or Clueless. Or, escape the real world altogether with sci-fi faves in 12 Monkeys or Ghost in the Shell. And comedies Friday, Tommy Boy, and Boys on the Side transcended social lines and delivered laughs that audiences wouldn’t soon forget.
With our guide to the 100 best movies of 1995, break down an incredible year for cinephiles of all tastes. It’s ranked by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh movies first. Next, Fresh movies with at least 20 reviews and a 60%+ Popcornmeter. And then come the audience picks: Rotten movies with a 60%+ Popcornmeter and 20,000+ user reviews!
#1
Critics Consensus: Entertaining as it is innovative, Toy Story reinvigorated animation while heralding the arrival of Pixar as a family-friendly force to be reckoned with.
#2
Critics Consensus: Thought-provoking and beautifully filmed, Before Sunrise is an intelligent, unabashedly romantic look at modern love, led by marvelously natural performances from Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.
#3
Critics Consensus: The rare family-friendly feature with a heart as big as its special effects budget, Babe offers timeless entertainment for viewers of all ages.
#4
Critics Consensus: Sense and Sensibility is an uncommonly deft, very funny Jane Austen adaptation, marked by Emma Thompson’s finely tuned performance.
#5
Critics Consensus: In recreating the troubled space mission, Apollo 13 pulls no punches: it’s a masterfully told drama from director Ron Howard, bolstered by an ensemble of solid performances.
#6
Critics Consensus: Hard-hitting and breathtakingly effective, La Haine takes an uncompromising look at long-festering social and economic divisions affecting 1990s Paris.
#7
Critics Consensus: This re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Crookback King relocates the story in 1930 and features an indelible star turn for Ian McKellen as the monstrous and magnetic King Richard.
#8
Critics Consensus: A powerful, thought-provoking film that covers different angles of its topic without resorting to preaching, Dead Man Walking will cause the viewer to reflect regardless of their political viewpoint.
#9
Critics Consensus: A stunning feat of modern animation, Ghost in the Shell offers a thoughtful, complex treat for anime fans, as well as a perfect introduction for viewers new to the medium.
#10
Critics Consensus: An outstanding sophomore feature, Welcome to the Dollhouse sees writer-director Todd Solondz mining suburban teen angst for black, biting comedy.
#11
Critics Consensus: Humor, interesting characters, and attention to details make the stylish Devil in a Blue Dress an above average noir.
#12
Critics Consensus: Oscar-awarded Nicolas Cage finds humanity in his character as it bleeds away in this no frills, exhilaratingly dark portrait of destruction.
#13
Critics Consensus: A charming romantic comedy with political bite, Rob Reiner’s American President features strong lead performances and some poignant observations of politics and media in the 1990s.
#14
Critics Consensus: Sentimental, slow, schmaltzy, and very satisfying, The Bridges of Madison County finds Clint Eastwood adapting a bestseller with heft, wit, and grace.
#15
Critics Consensus: With a perfect cast and a sly twist on the usual Hollywood gangster dynamic, Get Shorty delivers a sharp satire that doubles as an entertaining comedy-thriller in its own right.
#16
Critics Consensus: Boasting taut, high energy thrills and some cracking dialogue courtesy of an uncredited Quentin Tarantino, Crimson Tide finds director Tony Scott near the top of his action game.
#17
Critics Consensus: Like many twenty-somethings, The Brothers McMullen can be a tad self-absorbed, but they’re still likely to win you over with their (slightly profane) charm.
#18
Critics Consensus: The plot’s a bit of a jumble, but excellent performances and mind-blowing plot twists make 12 Monkeys a kooky, effective experience.
#19
Critics Consensus: Smart, funny, and thoroughly well-cast, To Die For takes a sharp – and sadly prescient – stab at dissecting America’s obsession with celebrity.
#20
Critics Consensus: Expertly shot and edited, The Usual Suspects gives the audience a simple plot and then piles on layers of deceit, twists, and violence before pulling out the rug from underneath.
#21
Critics Consensus: Safe‘s eerie social satire and somewhat sterile stylization is balanced by comedic undertones and an impressive, understated performance from Julianne Moore.
#22
Critics Consensus: A brutal, relentlessly grimy shocker with taut performances, slick gore effects, and a haunting finale.
#23
Critics Consensus: Though Al Pacino and Robert De Niro share but a handful of screen minutes together, Heat is an engrossing crime drama that draws compelling performances from its stars — and confirms Michael Mann’s mastery of the genre.
#24
Critics Consensus: A funny and clever reshaping of Emma, Clueless offers a soft satire that pokes as much fun at teen films as it does at the Beverly Hills glitterati.
#25
Critics Consensus: While You Were Sleeping is built wholly from familiar ingredients, but assembled with such skill — and with such a charming performance from Sandra Bullock — that it gives formula a good name.
(Photo by Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection. A GOOFY MOVIE.)
First, a few honorable mentions across genres that did not make the list, like superheroes (Batman Forever, Judge Dredd, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers), comedies (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Casper, Father of the Bride Part II, The Brady Bunch Movie), sci-fi (Waterworld, Mortal Kombat, Species, Johnny Mnemonic). While they didn’t have the outstanding reviews on the Tomatometer or Popcornmeter to make the cut, some hit big at the box office, while others live on in cult infamy.
One movie that had no problem with any metric: Toy Story, Pixar’s first film and the one to rock the animation world to its core. Directed by John Lasseter, the entirely computer-animated feature heralded the era of 3D animation dominance, and Toy Story would franchise into an infinity of sequels, video games, talking action dolls (not a flying toy) and beyond. In what would become the beginning of the end for widespread 2D hand-drawn feature animation, a few movies stand out, like Balto (an Amblin-produced movie based on the sled dog who helped deliver antitoxin to a town in desperate need) and Whisper of the Heart, directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, a Studio Ghibli coming-of-age film about young love and aspirations that will melt your heart. And no 90s kid could forgive a 1995 movie list that didn’t highlight A Goofy Movie, the wacky yet heartfelt father-son road trip movie about Disney character Goofy and his wayward son Max, featuring unforgettable songs from pop idol, Powerline (played by Tevin Campbell).
#26
Critics Consensus: An entertaining Jackie Chan stunt-fest in which the impressive action sequences overcome the low production value and by-the-numbers plot.
#27
Critics Consensus: The first and best Pierce Brosnan Bond film, GoldenEye brings the series into a more modern context, and the result is a 007 entry that’s high-tech, action-packed, and urbane.
#28
Critics Consensus: Not all of its many intriguing ideas are developed, but The City of Lost Children is an engrossing, disturbing, profoundly memorable experience.
#29
Critics Consensus: My Family‘s emotional impact is dulled by sentiment, but this well-acted drama strikes a universal chord with its multi-generational look at Mexican-American life.
#30
Critics Consensus: Impressive ambition and bravura performances from an outstanding cast help Casino pay off in spite of a familiar narrative that may strike some viewers as a safe bet for director Martin Scorsese.
#31
Critics Consensus: Much like its subject’s time in office, Nixon might have ended sooner — but what remains is an engrossing, well-acted look at the rise and fall of a fascinating political figure.
#32
Critics Consensus: Copycat‘s outstanding cast helps this often unpleasant thriller transcend the less palatable elements of its standard-issue story.
#33
Critics Consensus: Distractingly violent and historically dodgy, Mel Gibson’s Braveheart justifies its epic length by delivering enough sweeping action, drama, and romance to match its ambition.
#34
Critics Consensus: An understated examination of grief, Maboroshi is a deeply moving drama thanks to Koreeda’s patient direction and achingly naturalistic performances by its impressive ensemble.
#35
Critics Consensus: Alfonso Cuarón adapts Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel with a keen sense of magic realism, vividly recreating the world of childhood as seen through the characters.
#36
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#37
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#38
Critics Consensus: Well-acted and beautifully filmed, Shanghai Triad deftly depicts a young man’s coming of age against the backdrop of mob violence and its punishing legacy.
#39
Critics Consensus: Smoke draws in a stellar ensemble, holds the audience’s attention with a robust blend of connected stories, and sends viewers out on a pleasurable high.
#40
Critics Consensus: Well-acted and absorbing, Persuasion offers a loose Jane Austen adaptation that captures the essence of the author’s timeless appeal.
#41
Critics Consensus: With Pruitt Taylor Vince’s naturalistic performance and sympathetic direction from James Mangold, Heavy soars as an affecting exploration of loneliness.
#42
Critics Consensus: The Flower of My Secret finds Almodóvar revisiting old themes in a new, more subdued key, yielding a slight but vivacious work that delivers the pleasure of a punchy novella.
#43
Critics Consensus: Living in Oblivion dives into the folly of filmmaking with a sharp satire that sends up indie cinema while working as an entertaining independent picture in its own right.
#44
Critics Consensus: Mute Witness is a slickly crafted horror/thriller with some surprising comic twists.
#45
Critics Consensus: The White Balloon tells a simple yet powerfully effective story through a child’s eyes, inviting audiences to see familiar surroundings from a different perspective.
#46
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#47
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#48
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#49
Critics Consensus: Mighty Aphrodite may not stand with Woody Allen’s finest work, but it’s brought to vivid life by a thoroughly winsome performance from Mira Sorvino.
#50
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
(Photo by Gramercy / Courtesy Everett Collection. THE USUAL SUSPECTS.)
At the 68th Academy Awards, the 13th-century Scottish rebellion epic Braveheart took home top prizes for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography (as well as Best Makeup and Best Sound Effects Editing). Other Best Picture nominees still got their flowers, like space program disaster film Apollo 13 winning Best Film Editing and Best Sound, the quirky and heartwarming farm flick Babe nabbing Best Visual Effects, the Jane Austen classic Sense and Sensibility earning Best Writing – Adapted, and Il Postino: The Postman taking home Best Music. Other standout Academy Award-winning films include the captivating ensemble crime thriller The Usual Suspects (Best Screenplay – Original), and Disney’s Alan Menken-scored animated romance Pocahontas (Best Music – Musical or Comedy, Best Original Song).
The top acting award winners were Best Actress Susan Sarandon as a spiritual adviser to a death row inmate in Dead Man Walking, and Best Actor Nicolas Cage with raw drama Leaving Los Vegas. Other notable performances include Mira Sorvino as a sex worker struggling with her interpersonal relationships in Mighty Aphrodite, Richard Dreyfuss as a struggling high school music teacher in Mr. Holland’s Opus, and Mare Winningham as a successful folk singer with a strained relationship with her punk-rock sister in Georgia.
#51
Critics Consensus: What Friday might lack in taut construction or directorial flair, it more than makes up with its vibrant (albeit consistently crass) humor and the charming, energetic performances of its leads.
#52
Critics Consensus: A work of mournful maturity that sacrifices little of its director’s signature energy, Clockers is an admittedly flawed drama with a powerfully urgent message.
#53
Critics Consensus: A feel-good story brought to life by a terrific ensemble cast, Mr. Holland’s Opus plucks the heartstrings without shame — and with undeniable skill.
#54
Critics Consensus: Sensitive direction and a terrific cast help Unstrung Heroes get at the heart of human grief — and depict the relationships that can start the healing process.
#55
Critics Consensus: Abel Ferrara’s 1995 horror/suspense experiment blends urban vampire adventure with philosophical analysis to create a smart, idiosyncratic, and undeniably odd take on the genre.
#56
Critics Consensus: Pack your bags and leave them Boys on the Side to experience the kind of sisterhood that makes you laugh and cry through the bumpy, quirky road of life.
#57
Critics Consensus: Rob Roy is an old-fashioned swashbuckler that benefits greatly from fine performances by Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, and Tim Roth.
#58
Critics Consensus: This black-humored thriller features characters who are more obnoxious than clever. During the second half, the movie descends into gratuitous violence.
#59
Critics Consensus: Don Juan DeMarco proves that a slight story can translate to entertaining cinema if it’s acted out by a pair of well-matched professionals enjoying their craft.
#60
Critics Consensus: Jeffrey offends as readily as it amuses, but an outstanding performance from Patrick Stewart keeps it from going completely off the rails.
#61
Critics Consensus: Desperado contains almost too much action and too little story to sustain interest, but Antonio Banderas proves a charismatic lead in Robert Rodriguez’s inventive extravaganza.
#62
Critics Consensus: While decidedly not for all tastes, Dead Man marks an alluring change of pace for writer-director Jim Jarmusch that demonstrates an assured command of challenging material.
#63
Critics Consensus: Magical and morbid, Antonia picturesque landscapes and proficient performances elevate a somewhat pedestrian parable.
#64
Critics Consensus: Strange Days struggles to make the most of its futuristic premise, but what’s left remains a well-directed, reasonably enjoyable sci-fi fantasy.
#65
Critics Consensus: Perhaps less than the sum of its parts, Othello is still highly entertaining, and features excellent performances from Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh.
#66
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#67
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#68
Critics Consensus: A Goofy Movie offers enough of its titular ingredient to satisfy younger viewers, even if most parents will agree that this beloved character deserves better.
#69
Critics Consensus: Much like a real-life visit Home for the Holidays, this Thanksgiving-set dramedy can get a little bumpy — but it also has its share of fondly memorable moments.
#70
Critics Consensus: Sydney Pollack’s Sabrina doesn’t do anything the original didn’t do better, but assured direction and a cast of seasoned stars make this a pleasant enough diversion.
#71
Critics Consensus: It struggles to find a balance between its humor and its message, but The Last Supper‘s sharp script and well-chosen cast offer just enough nourishment for fans of black comedy.
#72
Critics Consensus: Die Hard with a Vengeance benefits from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson’s barbed interplay, but clatters to a bombastic finish in a vain effort to cover for an overall lack of fresh ideas.
#73
Critics Consensus: If it fails to make the most of its intriguing premise, In the Mouth of Madness remains a decent enough diversion for horror fans and John Carpenter completists.
#74
Critics Consensus: Pocahontas means well, and has moments of startling beauty, but it’s largely a bland, uninspired effort, with uneven plotting and an unfortunate lack of fun.
#75
Critics Consensus: Mallrats colorfully expands the View Askewniverse, even if its snootchie has lost a few of the bootchies boasted by its beloved predecessor.
(Photo by Fox. Courtesy Everett Collection. DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE.)
Action fans ate good in 1995. Heat united Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for one of the greatest face-offs in crime thriller history. Die Hard with a Vengeance united Bruce Willis’s John McClane with Samuel L. Jackson’s Zeus Carver in a popular franchise shakeup. And for the first time, James Bond is pit against another 00 Agent in the Pierce Brosnan-Sean Bean vehicle, Goldeneye. One action flick you don’t want to sleep on is Robert Rodriguez’s Western gunslinging extravaganza, Desperado, starring Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas.
Horror and thrillers contributed their fair share. Seven, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, still has audiences shouting box-related inquiries. John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness still resonates, whether because of the Lovecraftian tone or Carpenter’s signature chilling score. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci take no guff in Las Vegas gambling thriller Casino. And don’t miss Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle notable performances in the neo-noir mystery thriller Devil in a Blue Dress.
The sci-fi/fantasy genre had a memorable year. Director Kathryn Bigelow teamed with screenwriters James Cameron and Jay Cocks to deliver the dark techno-thriller Strange Days. Tank Girl, based on a post-apocalyptic comic series, employs unique special effects and prosthetics (ever want to see Ice-T get kangaroo jacked?), and has become a feminist cult classic. 12 Monkeys, starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, twisted audiences’ minds with a mind-bending trip through time, so stylish that it earned a Best Costume Design nomination. And few movies stand out more in anime culture than Ghost in the Shell. The animated cyberpunk noir aimed at adult viewers appealed to audiences on two fronts: combining iconic action scenes with philosophical ideas about the future of technology. It would spawn several sequel movies and series, and a live-action adaptation.
#76
Critics Consensus: Waiting to Exhale looks at life’s ups and downs from an underseen perspective — albeit one that’s poorly served by uneven acting and a sporadically interesting story.
#77
Critics Consensus: Balto is a well-meaning adventure with spirited animation, but mushy sentimentality and bland characterization keeps it at paw’s length from more sophisticated family fare.
#78
Critics Consensus: Despite a strong cast and story inspired by incredible real-life events, Murder in the First is strictly second rate.
#79
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#80
Critics Consensus: A feast for the eyes with a somewhat malnourished plot, Jumanji is an underachieving adventure that still offers a decent amount of fun for the whole family.
#81
Critics Consensus: Powder has some interesting and potentially affecting ideas, but they’re ultimately dust in the wind of a drama that strains far too obviously for uplift.
#82
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#83
Critics Consensus: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar seeks to celebrate individuality, but is too timid and predictable to achieve its admittedly noble aims.
#84
Critics Consensus: French Kiss is effervescent like good champagne but its spirit fizzles in a film that isn’t as intoxicating as its stars.
#85
Critics Consensus: Kids isn’t afraid to test viewers’ limits, but the point of its nearly non-stop provocation is likely to be lost in all the repellent characters and unpleasant imagery.
#86
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#87
Critics Consensus: It’s hard to fault Higher Learning‘s goals; unfortunately, writer-director John Singleton too often struggles to fit his themes within a consistently engaging story.
#88
Critics Consensus: A Walk in the Clouds aims for sweeping period romance, but quickly unravels thanks to a miscast leading man and a story that relies on cheap melodrama.
#89
Critics Consensus: While unconventional, Tank Girl isn’t particularly clever or engaging, and none of the script’s copious one-liners have any real zing.
#90
Critics Consensus: In spite of its young leading man’s heroic efforts to hold it all together, a muddled message prevents The Basketball Diaries from compelling as a cautionary tale.
#91
Critics Consensus: Bad Boys stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have enjoyable chemistry; unfortunately, director Michael Bay too often drowns it out with set pieces and explosions in place of an actual story.
#92
Critics Consensus: The usual pulp delights of Tales From the Crypt are too few and far between in Demon Knight — a disappointingly slack and by the numbers siege flick.
#93
Critics Consensus: Though it benefits from the comic charms of its two leads, Tommy Boy too often feels like a familiar sketch stretched thin.
#94
Critics Consensus: Audiences who enjoy Adam Sandler’s belligerent comic energy may find him in joyously obnoxious form as Billy Madison, but this thinly-plotted starring vehicle surrounds its star with an aggressively pedestrian movie.
#95
Critics Consensus: Despite a terrific soundtrack and a strong early performance from Renee Zellweger, Empire Records is mostly a silly and predictable teen dramedy.
#96
Critics Consensus: Hackers has a certain stylish appeal, but its slick visuals and appealing young cast can’t compensate for a clichéd and disappointingly uninspired story.
#97
Critics Consensus: Rife with stereotypes that undermine its good intentions, Dangerous Minds is too blind to see that the ones it hurts are the audience.
#98
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#99
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#100
Critics Consensus: Nature Calls in this Ace Ventura sequel, and it’s answered by the law of diminishing returns.
(Photo by New Line / Courtesy Everett Collection. FRIDAY.)
In a year of great comedies, a few gems secured their place in film history. Though critically panned, Adam Sandler created an endlessly quotable cult classic for 90’s kids in his back-to-school goof-fest, Billy Madison. It’s no wonder a movie about a man-child going back to school resonated more with 1995’s youth more than it did Siskel and Ebert! Not to be outdone by their SNL co-star, David Spade and Chris Farley give an laugh-out-loud performance in the zany blue-collar road trip flick, Tommy Boy. Coming off a micro-budget hit called Clerks, director Kevin Smith’s gave us Mallrats, a laugh-a-minute love letter to geeks, for geeks. Other the other end of the social class spectrum, Clueless takes a wealthy, popular teen girl and depth and dimension to her and her crew. An adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, Clueless blends 90s-centric humor with a timeless heartfelt story about growing up. And, perhaps more quotable of all is the Ice Cube-Chris Tucker neighborhood comedy Friday. F. Gary Gray delivers a sidesplitting picture of South Central Los Angeles so funny you’ll be screaming “DAAAAMN!” with a side of “Bye, Felicia” to haters.
If you pine for a good romantic film, you can’t go wrong with enduring favorites like Sabrina, French Kiss, and Before Sunrise. And if you desire to see 1995 from an LGBTQ+ perspective, you may be interested in Boys on the Side, Jeffrey, or The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. (Tyler Lorenz)<
