True crime stories are the obsession of the moment, but the history of fictionalized stories about criminals who wreak all kinds of havoc is incredibly rich and action-packed while, at the same time, offering the occasional comment on society, law enforcement, and what desperation can do to people. In this list, we’re taking a look at some truly great gems from the 1990s that deliver on that promise while also mixing in some high-concept creativity and spectacle.
1. Heat
Year: 1995
Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 170 minutes
Director: Michael Mann
Trailer: Watch here
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro finally got to share the screen in Michael Mann’s sprawling crime drama (both were, of course, in Godfather II, but shared no scenes), and the results are tense and explosive. The verisimilitude that Mann is known for is present in every scene, particularly in moments when the two are facing off, either with a gun in their hands (the film delivers one of the greatest heist scenes that has ever been filmed with the chaotic post-bank robbery gunfight) or simply sitting at a table together. The depth of these characters and the space given to an exploration of their motivations and obsessions will get under your skin and stay there long after hearing Moby’s “God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters” over the end credits.
2. Point Break
Year: 1991
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Gary Busey
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 141 minutes
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Trailer: Watch here
A green FBI agent (Keanu Reeves) goes undercover to investigate a string of bank robberies, leading him to charismatic adrenaline junkie Bodhi (the late Patrick Swayze) and his group of like-minded criminal surfers. Kathryn Bigelow directs this amped-up heist film, exploring then-little-known cultural enclaves of extreme sports with intense surfing and skydiving scenes that seduce Reeves’ character and the audience. Then she yanks us all back into reality with bloody action sequences and bank robberies that serve as a reminder to the high-stakes game these characters are playing.
3. True Romance
Year: 1993
Cast: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini
Genre: Crime, Romance
Rating: R
Runtime: 119 minutes
Director: Tony Scott
Trailer: Watch here
Before he shook up all of Hollywood with Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino penned the screenplay for this unorthodox love story between a comic book store employee and a sex worker (Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette) who fall in love and head to California to start a new life together with big dreams and a suitcase full of cocaine that the Mob is desperate to get back. A rollercoaster ride that unleashes mayhem from beginning to end, thanks to Tony Scott’s skillful direction, Tarantino’s memorable dialogue, and a large cast of familiar faces who make four-course meals out of every scene they get, True Romance is a must-watch.
4. Face/Off
Year: 1997
Cast: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 138 minutes
Director: John Woo
Trailer: Watch here
John Woo made a name for himself with several Hong Kong action classics such as The Killer and Hard Boiled, but he didn’t find true success in the US until this audacious actioner. Starring John Travolta (who had also worked with Woo on Broken Arrow in his post-Pulp Fiction boom period) and Nicolas Cage, Face/Off tells the high-concept story of an FBI agent and a terrorist-for-hire whose mutual hatred for each other and years-long deadly cat and mouse game somehow leads to the two men switching faces and identities, threatening the city of Los Angels and terrorizing each other in the process. While the action scenes are epic and beautiful in Woo’s trademarked style, the film also delivers in its less explosive moments when its two leads are simply pulling off subtly brilliant impersonations of the other’s mannerisms and characters.
5. True Lies
Year: 1994
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Eliza Dushku
Genre: Action, Crime, Comedy
Rating: R
Runtime: 141 minutes
Director: James Cameron
Trailer: Watch here
James Cameron is known for making big-budget action films that look and feel like no other, but with this film, he decided to bring the noise and bring some laughter to go with it. Here, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a counter-terrorism agent who has spent years hiding what he does from his wife and daughter (Jamie Lee Curtis, Eliza Dushku), a secret that turns all of their lives upside down when they suddenly learn the truth. Mixing Arnold and Curtis’ top-tier action-comedy chops with a chase scene between a horse and a motorcycle, an awkwardly comedic yet seductive pole dance scene, and a Harrier jet flying in the middle of a city shows that True Lies is yet another highly entertaining reminder of Cameron’s ability to create a crowd pleaser.
6. Die Hard With A Vengeance
Year: 1995
Cast: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 128 minutes
Director: John McTiernan
Trailer: Watch here
It’s not set during Christmas and the scale is a bit larger with all of Manhattan now serving as John McClane’s battleground, but director John McTiernan managed to create a Die Hard film that stands up to the original in his return to the franchise after sitting out the sequel. This time, McClane (Bruce Willis) teams up (and butts heads) with an electronics store owner (Samuel L. Jackson) to stop a mysterious terrorist named Simon (Jeremy Irons). Willis and Jackson have terrific chemistry as they fight for their own lives, and the lives of millions of New Yorkers, and though Irons doesn’t surpass what Alan Rickman gave us with Hans Gruber, he still brings more than enough menace to the table.
7. New Jack City
Year: 1991
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Judd Nelson
Genre: Crime, Drama
Rating: R
Runtime: 97 minutes
Director: Mario Van Peebles
Trailer: Watch here
Blade is usually the first film that comes to mind whenever most people think of Wesley Snipes. But the film that first set him on the path to superstardom was Mario Van Peebles’ gangster film, in which Snipes plays ruthless and ambitious drug kingpin Nino Brown, who is targeted by a team of cops (Ice-T, Judd Nelson, Van Peebles) determined to bring him down. Bullets, betrayals, and personal vendettas get our attention, but the film takes its time as it shows us how destructive the drug epidemic can be (especially in Black and brown neighborhoods), and that the war against drugs has just as many casualties as any other.
8. Timecop
Year: 1994
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mia Sara, Ron Silver
Genre: Sci-Fi, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 99 minutes
Director: Peter Hyams
Trailer: Watch here
Based on the Dark Horse comic book series, Time Cop imagines a world where time travel is such a day-to-day reality that it warrants government oversight and protection with an elite force at the ready to keep it clear from abuse and falling into the wrong hands. Jean-Claude Van Damme is captivating to watch as the star of the film and that unit, wrestling with grief and Ron Silver’s crooked politician. Their performances (Silver is in full villain-you-love-to-hate mode here), action sequences that benefit from Van Damme’s unique physical skills, and fun ’90s-era visual effects help make this one of Van Damme’s best.
9. Desperado
Year: 1995
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 104 minutes
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Trailer: Watch here
A sequel to Robert Rodriguez’s groundbreaking independent film El Mariachi, here the unnamed musician (Antonio Banderas) uses his guitar case filled with weapons to take his revenge on the drug lord whose underlings killed his girlfriend and destroyed his hopes of becoming a musician. Not only does it have the kind of gunfights that were clearly influenced by the films of John Woo, but it also introduced U.S. audiences to Salma Hayek and Rodriguez while further establishing Banderas as a star on the rise following dramatic turns in high-profile films like Philadelphia and Interview With The Vampire.
10. Dead Presidents
Year: 1995
Cast: Larenz Tate, Chris Tucker, Keith David
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 119 minutes
Director: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
Trailer: Watch here
After the success of Menace II Society, Allen and Albert Hughes followed up with this film about an African-American Vietnam vet (Larenz Tate) who comes back home to New York, realizes how limited his options are, and decides to organize an armored car robbery with his friends. Between the gunfights and the needle drops, it shows how the Black community is often brutally reminded of how much this country continues to expect so much from them, and give back little to nothing in return.