The 1990s were quite the era for movie-making. Blockbusters reached their apex. The most celebrated auteurs of today made their first, scrappy features. The mid-budget movie — something many writers and critics believe is dead today — was alive and well. For many working right now, be it actors or directors, it’s an era they can look back upon with a sense of nostalgia, and a renewed appreciation for the movies they might have been too young to love when they were first released. Now, the biggest actors and directors — including Ari Aster, Jacob Elordi and the Safdie Brothers — have revealed their 90s favourites.
We can thank IndieWire for that. During their themed 90s week, they spoke to over 60 industry legends about the movies of that era they loved the most. Their answers are enlightening, when you consider the work they make today.
Take Ari Aster for example. The man behind Midsommar and Hereditary is widely seen as the king of contemporary horror, but only one of the 10 projects he chose could be considered part of that genre. Instead, his lists include the staple gangster flick Goodfellas, Stanley Kubrick’s thriller Eyes Wide Shut, the Todd Haynes drama Safe and Paul Verhoeven’s batshit Starship Troopers. His horror inclusion? Lars von Trier’s miniseries The Kingdom, which will get a third season later this year. His list in full, according to IndieWire, was as follows:
Ari Aster’s favourite 90s movies
- Goodfellas
- Eyes Wide Shut
- Topsy-Turvy
- Starship Troopers
- And Life Goes On
- Defending Your Life
- Safe
- The Kingdom & The Kingdom II
- Raise the Red Lantern
- The Hudsucker Proxy
Jacob Elordi of Euphoria fame also took part. For context, Jacob is one of the few survey participants who was born in the late 90s, and so is unlikely to have any memories of actually going to the cinema during the 90s. So his list feels like a mix of childhood nostalgia (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and smart, archival watches he’s engaged with throughout his teenage years and adult life, like Wes Anderson’s underseen debut Bottle Rocket, My Own Private Idaho and the controversial Aussie classic Romper Stomper.
Jacob Elordi’s favourite 90s movies
- Bottle Rocket
- Romper Stomper
- Magnolia
- Before Sunrise
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- The Player
- My Own Private Idaho
- Three Colours: Blue
- Good Will Hunting
- The Truman Show
The Safdie Brothers, of Good Time and Uncut Gems fame, also threw their individual top 10s into the IndieWire poll. It was a mix of French arthouse (Beau Travail) and American popcorn comedy (Big Daddy). The Safdies have always found themselves occupying the in-between space in cinema, and so it makes sense that their list would be so versatile.
The Safdie Brothers’ favourite 90s movies
- Goodfellas
- The Lovers on the Bridge
- Close-Up
- Jackie Brown
- Short Cuts
- The Player
- Kids
- Beau Travail
- Fargo
- Indecent Proposal
- Hero
- Naked
- Single White Female
- Narrow Margin
- Ed Wood
- Crooklyn
- The Wedding Singer
- Big Daddy
- Boogie Nights
- The Slums of Beverly Hills
- Total Recall
- Cliffhanger
- Buffalo ’66
- Fire in the Sky
Other artists who took part in the poll include John Boyega, Sean Baker, Lulu Wang and Carrie Coon. You can read the full rundown here.