A cult classic movie is quite literally one that has developed a cult following. Often, the movie didn’t perform well at the box office when it was released; sometimes, it was even panned by critics. But years, even decades later, the film is looked back on fondly, especially by a passionate group of fans who have created a unique subculture and will discuss everything positive about the movie with anyone who will listen.
However, some ‘90s cult classics didn’t quite evolve with the times, even if they remain highly regarded by their fanbases. These movies pushed the envelope when they were released, but now, 30+ years later, they seem slightly problematic, some more so than others. That doesn’t mean fans like them any less, but it raises eyebrows when measured by today’s socially accepted norms.
20
‘The Crush’ (1993)
Directed by Alan Shapiro
The Crush is one of those silly movies that could’ve only come from the mind of a male screenwriter; in this case, it’s Alan Shapiro, who also directed this questionable cult classic. The film centers on Nick (Cary Elwes), a twenty-eight-year-old writer who becomes the object of obsession for a fourteen-year-old girl, Adrian (Alicia Silverstone). She then begins to increase her advances until the situation turns dangerous.
Another entry in a long line of quasi-erotic thrillers about poor, helpless men stalked by dangerous, man-eating women, The Crush is neither good enough to warrant its salacious premise nor trashy enough to be enjoyable as a so-bad-it’s-good classic. Although Shapiro based the film on real-life events, resulting in a lawsuit from the girl who inspired Silverstone’s character, The Crush is terribly executed and lacks any real depth. To make matters worse, Silverstone was seventeen at the time, making this film creepy in every possible way.
The Crush
- Release Date
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April 2, 1993
- Runtime
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89 minutes
19
‘American Pie’ (1999)
Directed by Paul Weitz
Once the face of raunchy, barrier-pushing comedies, American Pie made massive waves with its risque content holding nothing back to create one of the most shocking and over-the-top comedies of its era. The film follows a group of high-school friends who, tired of still having not lost their virginities, form a pact that they will each do whatever it takes to have intercourse before senior prom. Each member of the group uses different tactics and tendencies to reach their goal, even resorting to the most shocking and uncomfortable things imaginable.
While American Pie certainly revolutionized a new era of sexually charged comedies that would define the following decade in culture, this style that it created has certainly not aged with grace. The film is relatively blatant with its less-than-ideal treatment of female characters, treating them more like sex objects to earn than as actual human beings. While the various sequels and spinoffs would certainly be much worse in this regard, the original film, much like a pie left out for too long, has grown some noticeable mold over the years. — Robert Lee
18
‘Never Been Kissed’ (1999)
Directed by Raja Gosnell
The film that cemented Drew Barrymore as a bonafide leading lady, Never Been Kissed sees her playing Josie Geller, a twenty-five-year-old reporter who poses as a high schooler to research an article. Things get complicated when she develops a crush on her teacher, Sam Coulson (Michael Vartan).
Never Been Kissed‘s premise is silly in a rom-com sort of way. However, it’s the very problematic relationship between Sam and Josie that makes this ’90s cult classic icky. Yes, Josie is twenty-five, but Sam doesn’t know that, meaning he openly flirts and allows himself to develop feelings for a girl who he believes is still a teenager, a student of his, no less. Although well-meaning and supported by Barrymore’s never-ending charisma, Never Been Kissed is still all sorts of weird.
17
‘Clifford’ (1994)
Directed by Paul Flaherty
The premise for 1994’s Clifford is basically, “What if we did Problem Child but with Martin Short playing the ten-year-old?” Martin Short is one of the funniest people in the business, capable of doing over-the-top comedy like few others can. However, this uncanny premise is too bizarre for even him, and the screenplay’s paper-thin story doesn’t do him any favors.
To some, Clifford will be admittedly funny. Short is doing what he does best, and he is fully committed to the shtick. However, the film itself is bad and not funny or enjoyably bad—it’s uncomfortably bad. The child Clifford is not so much a menace as he is an actual psychopath, causing explosions and destroying lives just for the heck of it. Whereas other similar films portray their child protagonists as mischievous but ultimately harmless to others, Clifford depicts its lead character as an unhinged demon who ultimately gets away with everything.
Clifford
- Release Date
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April 1, 1994
- Runtime
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89 Minutes
16
‘Ace Ventura: Pet Detective’ (1994)
Directed by Tom Shadyac
One of the standout comedic outings of Jim Carrey during the 90s, Ace Venture: Pet Detective helped cement him as one of the decade’s biggest stars, with countless cult classic comedies to his name. The film sees Carrey as Ace Ventura, a detective who specializes in cases revolving around animals and other pets, who finds himself on the case of a lifetime when he must uncover the whereabouts of the Miami Dolphins’ missing mascot. His quest for the truth sees him face off against many zany characters and has him up to wild antics.
There’s still a lot to love about Ace Ventura that has made it one of the most beloved cult classic comedies of the decade, yet it’s undeniable that the film’s ending and villain twist have aged like sour milk. The major twist in the final acts of the film is that female police lieutenant, Einhorn, has been male ex-kicker Ray Finkle for the Dolphins this entire time, a facet that by itself has already grown to be in poor taste. What pushes it over the edge is Ace’s visceral reaction and outing of the truth, creating a scene that was comedic at the time, but has grown to be deeply uncomfortable and transphobic in nature. —Robert Lee
15
‘Dazed and Confused’ (1993)
Directed by Richard Linklater
A movie that highlights everything negative and borderline illegal about teenage life, from hazing to drug use and gun violence, Dazed and Confused became a surprise cult classic for Gen X. The movie portrays so many things that are frowned upon today due to the ever-changing sociocultural climate. None of those things were right back in the ‘90s either, but they weren’t viewed with the same lens as they are today.
In the 2020s, with the drug crisis, deaths by hazing, and the gun law debate, Dazed and Confused would have hit too close to home. The star-studded cast includes everyone from Matthew McConaughey (yes, it’s the movie from which his signature phrase “Alright, alright, alright” originates) to Ben Affleck, Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, and Milla Jovovich, adding to its appeal. Although quite puzzling and often outright off-putting, the coming-of-age comedy remains one of the defining ones of the ‘90s.
14
‘Space Jam’ (1996)
Directed by Joe Pytka
Combining the massive popularity of Michael Jordan and the NBA with the cartoon antics of the Looney Tunes, Space Jam was an instant fan-favorite among children of the ’90s, yet its flashy, candy-coated filmmaking simply doesn’t hold up under modern standards. While aspects like the 2D animation still look beautiful to this day, various aspects like its underwhelming writing, Jordan’s stilted performance, and some uncomfortable visuals make the film not nearly as great as nostalgia would have one believe.
Another major factor is the massive focus placed upon product placement and celebrity cameos in the film, with these distracting features simply being much more prominent downsides to modern audiences than in the ’90s. Lola Bunny, as a character, while certainly a fan-favorite nowadays with a wide array of different interpretations, is at her absolute worst in her introductory film, having little personality aside from being strange, bunny sex-appeal in a family movie.
Space Jam
- Release Date
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November 15, 1996
- Runtime
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88 Minutes
13
‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ (1991)
Directed by Stephen Herek
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead didn’t age too poorly since a remake was released in April 2024. Still, some aspects of the coming-of-age black comedy don’t quite sit right. The premise is about a 17-year-old teen who takes over caring for her siblings when the elderly babysitter their parents hired for the summer suddenly dies. Rather than call the police and give the woman the dignity she deserves, much less adhere to her parents’ rules, the rebellious Sue Ellen “Swell” Crandell (Christina Applegate) uses the opportunity to prove that she’s mature and can handle it.
That part of the premise is wonderful, showing how a typically irresponsible teen steps up to the plate. But leaving parents in the dark, ignoring a dead woman, and potentially putting four young kids in a dangerous situation is not the type of lesson to pass on to impressionable kids. Of course, the movie is still downright hilarious, and the elderly babysitter was a bit of a tyrant anyway. Nonetheless, Swell’s resorting to everything from stealing to lying about her age does not make her an admirable role model.
12
‘Natural Born Killers’ (1994)
Directed by Oliver Stone
A movie about a pair of adults who went through traumatic childhoods, became mass murderers, and are glorified by the media hits a little too close to home. Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis) make a sport out of killing and enjoy spreading their names around so they can take the credit. It’s all fiction, but the idea of this pair senselessly murdering so many people while status-hungry members of the media capitalize on them to raise their professional profiles is insensitive to anyone who has family that has been a victim of killers.
Loved by audiences but hated by critics, Natural Born Killers is violent, over-the-top, and far too real, even allegedly inspiring real-life crimes. The couple in Natural Born Killers might seem innocent, but are anything but, which is even more terrifying. The movie ends with the pair getting away with everything they have done, making it even more frustrating. Most troubling is the attention paid to how the media sensationalizes violent crimes, a growing issue in today’s climate.
11
‘The Lawnmower Man’ (1992)
Directed by Brett Leonard
A painful inevitability that comes from the constant progress and evolution of technology and visual capabilities is that older films that were once considered groundbreaking can be transformed into uncanny, visual nightmares when viewed under a modern lens. When it comes to 90s films, no singular film more prominently shows the massive progress and evolution made in 3D visuals and special effects quite like The Lawnmower Man. While it was far from a visual feast when first released, it was at the very least considered passable by the standards of the era.
However, with 3D graphics having such an exponential rise in terms of capabilities and visual standards, The Lawnmower Man‘s visuals have gone from visually compelling to laughably low quality. While other films with now-dated visuals at the very least have effective writing and execution to bank on, The Lawnmower Man’s below-average adaptation of the King classic has had it slowly lose its cult classic status as technology continues to progress year after year.