Top 10 Most Disturbing 1990s Movies

Arguably overshadowed by “Pulp Fiction,” which was released two years later, Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut gave movie lovers an early glimpse into what the Oscar-winning auteur was made of. As part of the early ‘90s indie cinema boom that revolutionized the film industry, “Reservoir Dogs” defied movie studios’ tropes and clichés in a number of ways — chiefly among them, its reprehensible main characters. A gang of seasoned career criminals, they’re not above using extreme violence to pull off the unseen heist that drives the film’s plot. With no one to root for and not a single moral compass in sight, Tarantino gleefully challenges his audience’s expectations to thrilling — and chilling — effect.

Who’d have guessed that this prequel-slash-sequel-slash-spin-off of a cult classic ABC detective drama would turn out to be one of the best horror movies of the ‘90s? And that it’d feature arguably one of the greatest performances in a scary movie, that of Sheryl Lee reprising her “Twin Peaks” role of Laura Palmer? After exiting the show during its second season due to creative disagreements, beloved surrealist director David Lynch agreed to return in helming this follow-up — but this time, Lynch did things his way… and it really shows. “Fire Walk with Me” strongly foreshadows his narratively experimental approach to the show’s 2017 Showtime revival. In typical David Lynch fashion, it’ll freak you out and break your heart.

Maybe this is controversial to say, but has any film director had as consistently strong of a run as Rob Reiner did from 1986 to 1992? Reiner’s penultimate project before the ruinous 1994 family drama “North” brought that run to a screeching halt, the Stephen King adaptation “Misery” is perhaps best-known for Kathy Bates’ Oscar-winning performance as deluded fangirl Annie Wilkes. Bates-as-Wilkes takes “Stanning” Paul Sheldon, her favorite writer as played by James Caan, several steps too far: she holds him hostage and forces him to write a book that caters to her demands — and that’s somehow the least of her many transgressions.

Visionary director Stanley Kubrick’s final film, this challenging psychological drama casts then-real-life husband-and-wife duo Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as a married couple who dig into the disturbing underbelly of New York City. What follows is a one-night odyssey of hedonism, debauchery, and uncovering a secret society. Almost more disturbing than the actual content that the film depicts? Maybe the fact that, despite the events of the film taking place over the course of an evening, it actually took over a year of shooting before Kubrick’s production finally wrapped — a fact acknowledged even by Guinness World Records, who deemed it the longest constant film shoot ever. That Stanley was a real perfectionist.

When the “7” in your film’s title refers to the “Seven Deadly Sins,” it’s pretty clear that you’re not starting off in a very cheerful place. The gloomy, rainy, almost dystopian setting… the troubled, traumatized detectives… director David Fincher’s jet-black neo-noir is not intended for the faint of heart. Fincher’s true mainstream breakthrough after Alien 3 had flopped a few years earlier, “Seven” chills to the bone as a result of the future Oscar nominee’s distinctive filmmaking style. Of course, Andrew Kevin Walker’s juicy, twisty script is the film’s backbone, and the clashing lead performances of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman underscore its palpable tension, making it real. Has such a dark, shiver-inducing plot twist ever resulted in this many memes?

This cerebral, sensual Canadian thriller was more than just a little controversial at the time of its premiere at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. Director David Cronenberg was then better-known for his body horror movies, like “The Fly,” “Videodrome,” and “Scanners,” so the idea of a Cronenberg “romantic drama” must’ve seemed odd to fans. Thankfully, the ever-daring filmmaker retained his signature, deeply gross spark with “Crash.” Without going into all the literally gory details, Cronenberg’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s 1973 novel holds up as being hard to stomach. Its all-star cast, including American stars James Spader, Holly Hunter, and Rosanna Arquette, goes all-in, portraying a found family of “symphorophiliacs.” Google it… or, uh, maybe don’t.

All things considered, it’s not shocking that there are multiple films on our list that have Quentin Tarantino’s distinctive fingerprints on them. Directed by “Scarface” screenwriter Oliver Stone, who rewrote Tarantino’s original screenplay alongside David Veloz and Richard Rutowski, “Killers” is an over-the-top action bonanza that doubles as a bitter, biting social and cultural satire. Stone’s film ignited a fiery discourse when released, receiving widespread criticism for its use of graphic, even excessive violence. It’s hard to deny that “Natural Born Killers” is a slickly-made, highly entertaining shoot-’em-up that has something to say — your mileage may vary, however, when it comes to the way its message is expressed.

This deeply chilling meta-commentary from director Michael Haneke is, and this is not a scientific assessment, the textbook definition of a “feel-bad movie.” Haneke’s unorthodox slasher movie is even more effective due to its skewering of the genre’s conventions, even refusing to be confined to a single genre altogether. The unflinching brutality of “Funny Games” is underscored by its pure-evil antagonists, innocuously named “Peter” and “Paul.” This Austrian cult classic will have you questioning not only the film’s reality, but your own — Haneke seems to be provoking his audience to ask themselves what they want out of movies… and at that point, why do they want it? Nothing like a little existential crisis to wash down “Funny Games.”

While this Best Picture winner didn’t introduce Hannibal Lecter to the silver screen (that honor belongs to Michael Mann’s 1986 “Manhunter”), it certainly turned the disgraced, man-eating former psychiatrist into a household name. Even more impressive? Anthony Hopkins’ most famous character is on screen for just under 30 minutes, and yet his presence (sometimes his lack thereof) casts an ominous shadow over the entire film’s events. Somehow the only horror film ever to have won the Academy’s highest honor, it was only the third film ever to win the Academy’s Big Five awards. Legendary director Jonathan Demme’s tense, visceral masterpiece isn’t just a pulse-pounding, fingernail-devouring thriller — it’s a thought-provoking, though controversial, meditation on systemic injustice.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

A Raw, No-Holds-Barred Exploration of ‘90s NYC Youth Culture

John Carpenter’s Supernatural Horror Flick Will Have You Questioning Your Reality

Jeez… Sam Neill Really Couldn’t Catch a Break in the ‘90s!

Robert De Niro’s Ex-Con Terrorizes a Lawyer & His Family in Martin Scorsese’s Gripping Film

Imagine “Best in Show” Filmmaker Christopher Guest Directing “American Psycho”

Japanese multi-hyphenate auteur Takashi Miike plays his audience’s expectations like a harp in what seemingly starts out as a lighthearted romantic drama. Recently widowed Shigeharu becomes smitten with Asami — after a series of “auditions” set up by a film producer friend of the former’s in which young women would vie for his attention. When she disappears, he descends into a rabbit hole that would make even Hannibal Lecter’s blood run cold. Twisty and twisted, “Audition” is a journey into darkness that’s guaranteed to churn the stomach of even the most hardened movie lover.