The 1990s produced some of the best detective movies of all time, with twisty psychological dramas and hilarious crime comedies. Filmmakers like Michael Mann, John Woo and the Coen brothers all brought their unique style to detective stories in the 1990s, resulting in a variety of great movies which pushed the boundaries of the genre. Many of the best detective movies from the 1990s have gone down as classics.
A good detective movie can take many different forms, depending on whether it chooses to focus on the mystery or the action. In either case, it’s important to have compelling detective characters for the audience to spend time with. Fortunately, the 1990s produced plenty of brilliant on-screen investigators. Whether they kick-started new franchises or stuck to brilliant standalone movies, these characters made the 1990s a golden age for detective movies.
10 Best ’80s Detective Movies
The 1980s introduced compelling detective stories that spanned a variety of genres, from gritty thrillers to influential buddy cop films.
Rush Houris one of thebest buddy cop movies of the 1990s, sticking to the genre’s winning structure while adding in some brilliant twists.Rush Houris a culture clash comedyabout an American cop who is saddled with a detective from Hong Kong as they team up to investigate a kidnapping in Los Angeles. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan make the perfect duo, with Chan often playing the straight man.
The plot is mostly a means of propelling the lead duo from one humorous interaction to another, as well as providing some fun action sequences.
Rush Hourpresents a compelling mystery, but the plot is mostly a means of propelling the lead duo from one humorous interaction to another, as well as providing some fun action sequences. Chan has always had a reputation for audacious stunts, andRush Hoursees him jumping onto a moving bus, falling through a cavernous hotel lobby and beating up wave after wave of criminal goons. He mixes in plenty of great physical humor too, and Tucker gets his own chance to try and mimic Chan’s heroics.
Kathryn Bigelow’s heist classic stars Keanu Reeves as FBI agent Johnny Utah, a former college football star tasked with infiltrating a gang of bank robbers drawn together by their love of surfing. Although it’s a slightly ridiculous premise,Point Breakis convincing enough to make its audience believe in the incalculable importance of surfing, and the twisted philosophy of Patrick Swayze’s Bodhi.
Although it’s a slightly ridiculous premise,Point Breakis convincing enough to make its audience believe in the incalculable importance of surfing.
Reeves and Bodhi are a compelling pair inPoint Break’s ongoing push-and-pull.As Bodhi tests Johnny’s loyalty to the gang, he pushes past the point of merely sussing out whether he is a cop or not. This is wherePoint Breakgets the most interesting, when both men have their cards laid out on the table, and they are waiting to see who blinks first. Bigelow packs in more than a few explosive action scenes, but there is just as much tension in the final scene, as the two men simply talk to one another beneath the dome of a thunderstorm.
John Woo’sHard Boiledis a must-watch for action fans, as it has inspired countless imitators over the years. From the teahouse shootout at the beginning to the final showdown amid the burning rubble of the hospital,Hard Boiledshowcases Woo’s mastery of spectacular action. Chow Yun-fat is a commendable hero as the rogue detective who goes after a violent Triad leader.
Hard Boiledshowcases Woo’s mastery of spectacular action.
Hard Boiledwas Woo’s last movie in Hong Kong before he started working in Hollywood. Some of his American movies have suffered from studio meddling, butHard Boiledshows what he’s capable of with the handbrake off. His take on aDirty Harry-style drama about a righteous loose cannon cop is endlessly entertaining. Even if the detective story itself is unremarkable, the action scenes more than make up for it.
The Fugitivestars Harrison Ford as a surgeon falsely accused of killing his wife, and Tommy Lee Jones as the diligent U.S. Marshal tasked with tracking him down. The two men embark on a cross-country manhunt, with a potent mix of action and suspense. Although Ford plays the titular protagonist,The Fugitivefollows the story just as much from the perspective of law enforcement.
The two men embark on a cross-country manhunt, with a potent mix of action and suspense.
The genius ofThe Fugitiveis that both characters are equally justified in their actions, so the outcome of their game of cat-and-mouse is always up in the air. Richard Kimble merely wants to find his wife’s killer and clear his name, while Samuel Gerard only wishes to catch the man he has been assigned to catch. They don’t interact often, but they inhabit each other’s minds throughout.Jones turns what could easily be a supporting role into a fascinating character.
AlthoughMen in Blackfeatures two humans chasing a giant bug around Manhattan to prevent an alien invasion,it’s still a detective movie at its heart.Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones play a pair of buddy cops just likeBad BoysorLethal Weapon.The differences are largely superficial, because their interesting dynamic is just as relatable. Smith plays the brash young rookie with a lot to learn, while Jones plays the more jaded senior detective who has seen half of everything in the galaxy already.
There’s a human element that makes the Arquillian death ship and the giant insectoid invader feel strangely grounded and urgent.
Men in Blackis filled with great quotesthat emphasize the gulf between the two characters. However, despite their differences, Agents J and K care deeply for one another. There’s a human element that makes the Arquillian death ship and the giant insectoid invader feel strangely grounded and urgent. The incisive sci-fi comedy, tailor-made for conspiracy theorists and believers in extra-terrestrials, is just a delightful bonus.
L.A. Confidentialfeatures an outstanding cast, all of whom are at the top of their game. The fantastic acting makes the most out of the script, which adapts a James Ellroy novel with just as much criminal intrigue and verve. The story follows three detectives with conflicting styles who compete and collaborate to investigate a massacre which throws up a few inconsistencies.
Throughout some blistering action scenes and plenty of twists in the case,L.A. Confidentialnever loses sight of its characters.
L.A. Confidentialis set in the 1950s, and in some ways it’s a throwback to the film noir era of detective movies. What makesL.A. Confidentialmore modern is its focus on the psychology of its many characters. Those who first appear to be shallow archetypes turn out to be far more nuanced. Throughout some blistering action scenes and plenty of twists in the case,L.A. Confidentialnever loses sight of its characters.
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were both among the biggest stars of the 1980s and 1990s, but they hadn’t worked together sinceThe Godfather Part II,despite working with some of the same directors in the same genres.Heatlived up to their billing, as Michael Mann’s thriller pitted them against each other as a cop and a criminal embroiled in a frantic game of cat-and-mouse with neither one allowing an inch.
Heathas some hair-raising action sequences, but it’s just as captivating in the quiet moments that reveal more about the two men, and the strange bond between them.
Heathas some hair-raising action sequences, like the shootout on the streets of Los Angeles in broad daylight, but it’s just as captivating in the quiet moments that reveal more about the two men, and the strange bond between them. Pacino’s detective is just as flawed as De Niro’s thief, and there is an unspoken respect between them. Decades later,Michael Mann is now working onHeat 2, which will serve as both a sequel and a prequel.
The Coen brothers have always been able to put their own spin on familiar genres, andFargois their comedic take on a murky detective thriller. Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson is not the typical detective seen in movies with grisly murders and kidnapping conspiracies. She’s positive, well-adjusted and down-to-Earth. One of the central jokes ofFargois that she is so unlike the typical troubled detective trope, although she probably has a lot more in common with real-life law enforcement.
Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson is not the typical detective seen in movies with grisly murders and kidnapping conspiracies.
Fargois one of thebest Coen brothers' movies, with a hilarious script that balances its dark humor with a genuinely compelling criminal case. McDormand’s supporting cast are all superb, especially William H. Macy as a milquetoast car salesman who gets in over his head with a kidnapping plot, and Steve Buscemi as an irate crook for hire who turns every line into a memorable quote.
Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman partner up inSevenas two detectives who must track down an eccentric serial killer who chooses his victims based on the seven deadly sins. David Fincher’s immersive direction brings the audience into the minds of the two detectives, and he hints at the tension between their two perspectives just enough to show why they complement each other so well, but also why they are prevented from fully becoming one.
David Fincher’s immersive direction brings the audience into the minds of the two detectives.
Sevenexemplifies the gritty detective thrillers of the 1990sbetter than any other movie. The premise seems almost impossible, but there is enough detail in both the crimes and the detective work to make it believable. It’s more accurate to say thatSevenis only possible in the darkest, direst of circumstances, but John Doe isn’t too dissimilar to some other infamous killers from American history.Seven’s unforgettable endinghas ensured its place as a crime classic, and it also gave a boost to Brad Pitt in the early years of his career.
Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter is often described as one of the great villains in film history, but this restrictive tag doesn’t quite encompass all that Hannibal is inTheSilence of the Lambs.More than just a villain, he is an ally and a mentor to Clarice Starling. His fascination with her helps her discover the real villain, a serial killer who wears the skin of his victims in a macabre display of his confused identity.
There are countless threads to tease out fromTheSilence of the Lambs,but it is, first and foremost, an utterly absorbing detective thriller.
Hannibal may enjoy the flickers of fear that he can inspire in Clarice, but there is rarely any real danger that she will become his next victim. The real danger is that he will force her to confront the very real horrors within herself. There are countless threads to tease out fromTheSilence of the Lambs,such as the movie’s examination of gender dynamics, its view of the criminal justice system, and nuanced approach to trauma, but it is, first and foremost, an utterly absorbing detective thriller.
