Psychological thrillers underwent a golden age in the 1990s, a decade in which audiences saw some of the best in this genre released. The films that created a profusion of suspense, terror, and twisted mystery were crucial to 90s subculture, inspiring fashion, film, and illicit underground organizations of rebellious teens. The troubled characters, their stressed mental states, and the now-well-known actors who portrayed them can rip the rug from under you, make you root for the bad guy, and upend your own morality for the sake of the plot. The mind-bending films that make up this list will give you more than entertainment in way of something to think about - or something you can’t stop thinking about. The twist endings are not in short supply with some of Hollywood's biggest names in thrills making their names known in the era of radical new ideas when terror and delusion were made fashionable.
If you’re looking for a throwback thrill to scratch that creepy itch then we won't let the suspense build any further. We've pieced together the clues and put together this list of psychological thrillers from the most radical decade in history that’s sure to get your heart racing and your mind puzzling.
Fight Club (1999)
Plagued by chronic insomnia, the Narrator tries to find ways to fill his time, often going to support groups for diseases he doesn’t have, unable to find a moment of peace within his buzzing mind. While on a flight home from a business trip, the Narrator meets Tyler Durden, a soap salesman with a magnetic, charismatic personality. After a few drinks at a bar, Tyler asks the Narrator to hit him, leading to a fistfight that leaves the men in an elated, cathartic state, agreeing to fight each other again. These continued fights turn into regularly scheduled events of brute force and wild emotional expression. The two begin recruiting members who must follow the eight rules of Fight Club as they beat each other in a supportive, community environment. But when members of the club go on to enlist in Tyler's anti-corporate organization by the name of Project Mayhem, engaging in vandalism and rebellious acts in hopes of bringing down modern civilization, the Narrator tries to stop them.
Of course, that's when things really take a turn and the Narrator learns what his mind was up to when he thought he was sleeping. Based on the novel of the same name by author Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club is a staple of 90s culture, earning a huge fanbase and a cult following. This cult following was dangerous, though, as many underground fight clubs and Project Mayhem-style organizations had to be shut down by police following the film's rise in popularity. Starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter, Fight Club garnered praise for its visceral thrills and thought-provoking story.
Misery (1990)
Annie is Paul Sheldon's biggest fan, though the romance novelist has decided to move away from the frilly love stories she holds so dear. While driving home in a blizzard, Paul gets in an accident, leaving him unconscious in the driver's seat, and who should happen upon him but a nurse by the name of Annie Wilkes. When Paul wakes up he finds himself with two broken legs, bedridden in the home of Ms. Wilkes who he lets read his new manuscript out of gratitude for her rescuing him from the crash. When she reads that Paul has killed off the main character of her favorite story she becomes enraged. Not wanting the story to end she forces Paul to burn the only copy of his manuscript and begin work on a new novel where the character comes back to life. Paul tries to escape his captor's clutches, but when Annie discovers he has been leaving his room she goes to extremely disturbing measures to keep him caged, leading the fiction writer to fight for his life in this dark drama that shows what can happen when the line between love and hate wears thin. Based on a Stephen King novel of the same name, Misery received a 90% approval rating by critics who noted the standout performances of stars James Caan alongside Kathy Bates, who won the Academy Award for her role as the deranged Annie.
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Directed by Adrian Lyne (Flashdance), Jacob's Ladder follows American infantryman Jacob Singer after he returns home from the Vietnam War. His mind is plagued with strange hallucinations coupled with flashbacks of what he witnessed overseas. Singer begins to unravel and those around him try to help as the madness overtakes him. When Jacob gets in contact with several of his fellow platoon mates he finds that he isn’t the only one suffering from these strange experiences but when he’s admitted to a nightmarish hospital, he finds that the reality he’s living in is not what it seems. The experiences that Jacob and his platoon-mates underwent were inspired by the reports of a hallucinogenic substance being tested on soldiers in the Vietnam War, which the Pentagon has denied. The special effects that Adrian Lyne utilized to create the horrifying hallucinations that the soldiers experienced were all filmed with a camera with no use of post-production effects. Critics noted the film's layering of deep sadness and despair with bizarre art and historical warfare.
The Bone Collector (1999)
Starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, The Bone Collector takes audiences on the case of a cold-blooded killer posing as a taxi driver whose fares never make it to their destinations. When officer Amelia Donaghy discovers a mutilated corpse, she brings her clues to detective Lincoln Rhyme, formerly the head of NYPD’s forensics department before a tragic accident left him without the use of his limbs. By studying the clues to find the location of the next victim, Rhyme instructs officer Donaghy on where to go and what to look out for as he cannot be on the ground of the investigation. After piecing together the twisted puzzle, the two realize who the killer is, and what strange, sick motive led him to create the murderous game he’s playing. Critics note that while the story may be absurd, the serial killer flick is suspenseful, has a good recipe for thrills, and features a quality, talented cast.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
When Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts working with 9-year-old Cole Sear, he learns more about himself than he expected. Cole harbors a dark secret and eventually tells Malcolm that he can see ghosts walking around as if they are still living, unaware that they have died. He begins to use his power for good, saving a young girl from the same fate as her deceased sister, and begins to feel comfortable with his relationship with the dead. In Malcolm's attempts to help the anti-social young boy, who he believes is delusional, he learns of his own fate in the twisted tale which put M. Night Shyamalan on the map. Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, this Bruce Willis film received notoriety for its use of clues that keep the audience ever so close to figuring out the twist ending, hinting at the terrifying truth along the way.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Based on a Patricia Highsmith novel of the same name, The Talented Mr. Ripley stars Matt Damon as Tom Ripley alongside Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf. Tom craves the life that Dickie lives, carefree in an extravagant home, surrounded by beautiful landscapes, lovely women, and with a wealthy father to foot the bill. Tom would rather be a fake somebody than a real nobody, and Dickie and his girlfriend Marge soon find out what extreme lengths he would go to in order to accomplish just that. The film was shot mainly in Italy, with Damon losing 30 pounds and learning the piano to portray Tom and Law learning to play the saxophone for his role as Dickie. The role of Meredith Logue was added to the script with actress Cate Blanchett in mind, who later accepted the role of Ripley’s love interest. The film received positive reviews with critics calling the film an intelligent, insidious thriller.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Adapted from the 1988 Thomas Harris novel, The Silence of the Lambs follows Clarice Starling who is assigned with interviewing Hannibal Lecter, a cannibal and former psychiatrist who resides behind bars. Starling hopes that her conversations with the incarcerated killer will give her insight into the mind of a serial murderer who removes the skin of the young women that he kills. Starling must find the killer before it’s too late, and the man helping her may have ulterior motives for providing his assistance. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins star in this gumshoe thriller that deals with themes of sexual politics and gruesome subject matter. The film gradually garnered critical acclaim, with a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and critics calling the film a horror masterpiece noting the terrifying qualities of Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter.
12 Monkeys (1995)
12 Monkeys stars Bruce Willis as James Cole, a time traveler from the year 2035 sent back to the 1990s to gather information about a plague that exterminates the majority of the world's population. Upon his arrival, he is placed in a mental hospital where he makes the acquaintance of Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), a patient with anti-corporatist views who is the leader of the rebellious group The Twelve Monkeys. Cole makes the connection between Goines and the virus and must try and save humanity before the virus is released. The film was tough to shoot, with crew members reporting a shortage of both money and time, ongoing weather issues in the Philadelphia and Baltimore spring, technical glitches in mechanical props, and no use of sound stages. The crew pulled through though, finishing the film only one week later than their projected schedule. The film draws inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo as well as the French short film La Jetée, in which the characters are haunted by depictions of their own deaths. Critics noted that while the film's plot is slightly jumbled, the plot twists and performances make 12 Monkeys an exhilarating experience.
Lost Highway (1997)
Written and directed by David Lynch, Lost Highway is a cult classic film that follows Fred Madison, a jazz saxophonist in Los Angeles who receives a strange message on his phone along with videotapes that arrive at his doorstep depicting a murder. With no recollection of the crimes taking place, Fred is now the main suspect. While in prison, Fred is plagued by the vision of a strange, pale-faced man, and while suffering from extreme headaches in his cell, he suddenly switches places with a young mechanic named Pete Dayton. Pete is then released from the prison but is followed by detectives who wish to learn more about him as the twisted tale leads the men or the man to the Lost Highway Hotel, where a fever dream of terror ensues. The film received mixed reviews but fans of Lynch’s dreamy style enjoy the film's horror and strange surrealist style. The film searches for deeply hidden truths that humanity would rather brush over, creating the artful sequences from Lynch’s own dreams that go down dark passages into the human psyche.
Flatliners (1990)
Starring Kiefer Sutherland alongside Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, and Oliver Platt, Flatliners is the story of medical student Nelson Wright and his classmates in their attempts to discover what occurs on the other side when you die. The students secretly die in a controlled environment by stopping their hearts and then resuscitating each other and discussing what they saw on the other side. Those who have died begin to experience strange hallucinations which haunt them when they wake. The students find that they must confront the sins of their pasts while dealing with the paranormal consequences of crossing over to the other side. The film has been called greatly entertaining by critics, who have noted its original, intelligent story. Sutherland went on to star alongside Elliot Page in the 2017 follow-up film of the same name, in which a deleted scene indicates that Sutherland’s character is in fact the same character he portrayed in the previous Flatliners film now living under a new identity.
Hideaway (1995)
Based on the 1992 Dean Koontz novel of the same name, Hideaway stars Jeff Goldblum as Hatch Harrison, who gets into a car accident while driving home from his family’s lakeside cabin. After two hours in the ICU, Hatch is revived by Dr. Jonas Nyebern, who was warned about bringing a patient back after being gone for so long, his nurse attempting to stop him after “what happened last time”. Hatch starts to experience visions of tunnels of light. When Hatch’s visions turn from tunnels to murders he realizes that he is seeing the killings in real-time, but his family and the police do not believe him. Hatch uncovers a terrifying link between himself and the killer, who he must stop before someone else gets killed, namely his own daughter, Regina. Koontz asked for a rewrite of the film as it is drastically different from his novel, but with a lack of communication that did not take place. The result is a piece of mind-bending horror with a great performance by Jeff Goldblum.
Malice (1993)
This neo-noir thriller film follows Andy and Tracy Sullivan, newlyweds who decide to rent part of their home to a surgeon named Jed Hill. Andy is the dean at the local college where a young woman is attacked by a serial rapist. Dr. Hill operates on the young woman, saving her life. Andy then discovers the body of another student who has been raped and murdered by the same assailant. Andy is interviewed by police but as he leaves the station he learns that his wife Tracy is undergoing an emergency operation, carried out by Dr. Hill. An operation that leads to a malpractice lawsuit, and news of a surprise pregnancy that leads Andy to question what has been going on while he is at work. This tale of strange circumstances, secrets, and twists earned a B+ on CinemaScore, with actors who keep you guessing throughout the over-the-top suspense.
Stir of Echoes (1999)
Tom Witzky is a working-class man in Chicago, living with his wife Maggie and his son Jake, who has the supernatural ability to commune with the dead. While at a party, Tom agrees to be hypnotized by his sister-in-law and experiences visions of a missing girl, Samantha Kozak, who disappeared six months prior. Tom becomes obsessed with Samantha and begins his own investigation into her disappearance. Samantha begins plaguing Tom's mind and tells him to dig. Tom obeys, digging holes in the yard and destroying his house in desperation. Tom is haunted by the missing girl until he uncovers the dark secret of her disappearance in this Kevin Bacon-starring thriller. The film is based on the homonymously named novel by Richard Matheson, a novel that director David Koepp purchased a copy of at a used bookstore, inspiring him to adapt the book into a film. Film critic Roger Ebert describes the film as one of Kevin Bacon’s best performances and notes Koepp's ability to mix the supernatural into the mysterious.
Cube (1997)
Six strangers awake inside a prison made of cubic cells with no memory of how they got there. The group tries to find a way out by discussing why they all might have ended up there. One of the group is an architect, who may have more information than he lets on. The group moves from room to room searching for a sign of light but they fall into various traps as they go, unable to figure out what triggers them or which direction they lead. Madness ensues as members of the group turn on each other, the claustrophobic nature of the cube taking over. The film was inspired by an episode of the original Twilight Zone television series. The episode, titled "Five Characters in Search of an Exit", follows five strangers trapped in a pit of darkness. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, with critics praising its unique premise, gripping pace, and intelligent writing.
Cape Fear (1991)
In this remake of the 1962 thriller, Robert De Niro stars as Max Cady, a convicted sex offender who would not have gone to prison if it weren’t for attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) knowingly withholding evidence that would have led to his acquittal. Fourteen years later, Cady is now out of prison and decides to seek vengeance, devoting his life to destroying that of Sam and his family. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Cape Fear was nominated for multiple awards, winning four and placing second in three. The film was originally developed by Steven Spielberg, who wanted Bill Murray to portray Cady and Harrison Ford to play the role of Bowden. After Spielberg traded the film to Scorsese, having deemed it too violent, Nick Nolte was cast. Nolte, who is 6’1”, had to lose weight for the role, and his counterpart De Niro, who stands at 5’9” had to gain muscle in order for De Niro to appear as the stronger man.
The Good Son (1993)
Twelve-year-old Mark loses his mother and must go live with his aunt and uncle while his father is on a business trip in Tokyo. Mark sees his cousin Henry display some strange, psychopathic behavior, including killing a neighbor's dog and causing a major traffic pileup on the highway. Mark is unable to tell his aunt and uncle about what he has witnessed due to Henry’s threats, but when he learns of his cousin's heinous plots, he decides he must do something before it’s too late. Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin star in this thriller written by celebrated English novelist Ian McEwan. The film was released alongside a tie-in novel which further expanded on the film, detailing how Henry was born a psychopath who is unable to understand the emotions of love and sorrow, and that the character finds pleasure in selfish acts and tormenting others. Film critic Roger Ebert called the film a creepy, unpleasant experience, with others noting its suspenseful and gripping storyline.
Dolores Claiborne (1995)
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Dolores Claiborne stars Kathy Bates as the title character. Dolores works as a domestic servant for her elderly employer with whom she has a struggle. Dolores is caught by a mailman who sees her standing over the elderly woman with a rolling pin. When her employer dies Dolores insists she did not kill her, though the police finger her as a suspect. According to Dolores her employer, Vera, threw herself down the staircase and begged to be put out of her misery. When Dolores’s daughter comes to town to support her mother she uncovers shocking truths about the murder and about her life as well. The film plays with themes of repression and has been cited as a piece of feminist film, mixing a structure of an investigative noir crime thriller with a maternal melodrama. Dolores Claiborne received positive critical reviews, with many praising Kathy Bates's performance, for which she was nominated for Best Actress at the 22nd Saturn Awards.
The Game (1997)
Michael Douglas and Sean Penn star in The Game, an American thriller written by writing duo John Brancato and Michael Ferris and directed by David Fincher, a well-known director of thrillers such as Fight Club, Seven, Panic Room, Zodiac, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In The Game, audiences follow successful anti-social banker Nicholas Van Orton, who is given a strange experience as a birthday gift by his brother Conrad. The experience is participation in a real-life game that grows more and more personal as it continues. Nicholas begins to fear for his life and attempts to elude the game's creators, but with no one he can trust, Nicholas must find answers on his own. David Fincher decided to make his film different from others in that the story doesn’t play straight, things don’t add up, and they don’t give out too much information. Critics praised the film's casting and noted the edginess and surprises that come up along the way.
Primal Fear (1996)
Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on a case that he supposes is going to be quite easy. He tends to take on jobs for the money rather than for finding the truth or any sense of morality. His newest case is that of an altar boy who is accused of brutally murdering an archbishop. Vail unravels the dark secrets of the Church as the simple case he took on becomes much more complicated and much more dangerous. Richard Gere stars as the avaricious Martin Vail in this dark and twisted tale, which earned a B+ on CinemaScore with critics praising the performance of supporting actor Edward Norton, who won multiple Best Actor awards for his role as Aaron Stampler, the boy who Vail is defending in the case.
Pi (1998)
Max Cohen is a number theorist who suffers from Schizoid personality disorder and as a result lives with extreme paranoia, confusing hallucinations, and excruciating headaches. Max attempts to make stock predictions by programming his computer, but this leads to a malfunction with his computer printing out a strange number before crashing. Max talks about the number with his mentor who is clearly shaken by the finding, recommending he take a break from his work. An obsessed Cohen is unable to stop his work, and the number keeps reappearing in his research. Max figures out the pattern and has an epiphany before collapsing only to awaken with the ability to visualize the stock market patterns he was searching for. Max is now the target of dangerous and ill-intentioned Wall Street agents who will stop at nothing to get the information while Max will do anything to make it all stop.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this low-budget movie was the first film to ever be available for download on the internet. The film received positive critical reviews with Roger Ebert giving Pi three and a half out of four stars and others noting the eeriness and intensity of the story.
Single White Female (1992)
Allison Jones recently broke up with her fiancé Sam, and after putting an ad in the paper she quickly becomes close friends with her new roommate, Hedra Carlson. But when Allison rekindles things with Sam, Hedra becomes jealous. She attempts to win Allison’s attention back, buying her a puppy and hiding messages from her betrothed. With things turning from strange to hostile to violent, Hedra shows that she will do anything to get as close to Allison as possible. Allie must fight for her life in this erotic thriller, which is based on the 1990 novel of the same name by John Lutz. The film received praise from critics who cited the outstanding performance by the two female leads as well as the tense thrills and excellent direction.
Kiss the Girls (1997)
Morgan Freeman stars as Alex Cross, a forensic psychologist who is now on the case of finding his missing niece along with seven other missing young women. When two of the women’s bodies are found the detectives focus on a masked man who goes by the name Casanova. A woman named Kate manages to escape the clutches of Casanova, and after interviewing her Cross believes that killing is not the initial motive and goes on to theorize that the captor is a collector of imprisoned women. Clues lead Cross from Los Angeles to North Carolina where he realizes the killer is closer than he thought and must race against time to apprehend Casanova before it’s too late. Critics praised the film's writing, specifically the dialogue between Freeman and his costar Ashley Judd, who portrays the escapee, Kate. Freeman went on to reprise his role as Alex Cross in the 2001 sequel titled Along Came a Spider.
Sleeping With the Enemy (1991)
Laura Burney fakes her death in order to get away from her violent, abusive husband Martin. After changing her identity, Laura moves to Iowa and starts dating a local teacher named Ben. While Laura tries to move forward and live a free and happy life, Martin realizes his wife never died and does everything he can to track her down. He cannot live without her, and he won't let her live without him. When Martin confronts the happy new couple, Laura must once again fight for her life. Sleeping With the Enemy plays with themes of stalking and obsession in this film where the star can run, but she can’t hide. The film, which stars Julia Roberts, was a box office success, grossing over 174 million dollars worldwide and finishing second at the box office behind Highlander II: The Quickening.
Open Your Eyes (1997)
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Cesar has it all, a successful career, impressive cars, and is now chasing the love of his life, Sofia. But when an ex-fling becomes jealous, tragedy strikes as she forces them into a car accident, killing herself and disfiguring Cesar’s face beyond surgical repair. Cesar begins to hide his scars behind an emotionless mask, ashamed of the way that he looks. When kind and loving Sofia re-enters his life, Cesar believes things are not all that they seem. Cesar begins to experience disorienting episodes of rage as the line between dream and reality blurs. The film, which stars Eduardo Noriega (Vantage Point) alongside award-winning actress Penélope Cruz (Blow), received positive reviews with critics calling the film an unforgettable experience and a beautifully orchestrated, jaw-dropping thriller.
Funny Games (1997)
Georg and Anna, along with their son Georgie, are on holiday at a picturesque lakeside cabin when two young men stop by asking to borrow eggs. Things go from odd to frustrating when the clumsy men appear to accidentally break items in the house, and when Anna asks Georg to remove them from the premises, the family is taken hostage by the men, who subject them to violent and terrifying torture. Throughout the film, one of the intruders, Paul, breaks the fourth wall, making the audience accomplices of their crimes and explaining to viewers the motives behind some of their actions for the sake of the plot. Funny Games, called shocking and upsetting by critics, plays with the line between fiction and reality as it manipulates the audience's expectations of films in its genre.