A Glean movie guide
90s Action Essentials
Pure adrenaline, 90s style.
The high-octane blockbusters and stylized thrillers that defined a decade of cinema.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Matrix
A mind-bending sci-fi spectacle that redefined action choreography and visual effects for the modern era.
Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.
- 02
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
A groundbreaking sequel that pairs revolutionary digital effects with relentless, high-intensity practical stunts.
Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 is sent back in time to protect young John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah, he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.
- 03
Speed
A masterclass in high-concept tension that keeps the momentum high and the stakes simple.
Tensions run high when a crazed bomber rigs a Los Angeles bus with a device that will kill everyone on board if the vehicle's speed dips below fifty miles per hour.
- 04
Heat
An intense, realistic crime saga famous for one of the most visceral and influential street shootouts in film history.
Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.
- 05
The Fugitive
A perfectly paced cat-and-mouse thriller driven by iconic chase sequences and a desperate search for the truth.
Wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to death, Richard Kimble escapes from the law in an attempt to find the real killer and clear his name.
- 06
The Rock
The quintessential 90s blockbuster featuring high-stakes pyrotechnics and a unique prison-break premise.
When vengeful General Francis X. Hummel seizes control of Alcatraz Island and threatens to launch missiles loaded with deadly chemical weapons into San Francisco, only a young FBI chemical weapons expert and notorious Federal prisoner have the skills to penetrate the impregnable island fortress and take him down.
- 07
Point Break
An iconic blend of extreme sports and undercover grit that defined the early 90s action aesthetic.
In Los Angeles, a gang of bank robbers who call themselves The Ex-Presidents commit their crimes while wearing masks of Reagan, Carter, Nixon and Johnson. Believing that the members of the gang could be surfers, the F.B.I. sends young agent Johnny Utah to the beach undercover to mix with the surfers and gather information.
- 08
Face/Off
A wild, stylized thriller that pushes a high-concept identity-swap plot to its most entertaining extremes.
In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.
- 09
Independence Day
The definitive 90s disaster epic featuring massive scale, alien invasions, and unforgettable aerial combat.
Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived. Its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.
- 10
True Lies
A massive action-comedy that balances incredible practical stunts with a playful, high-stakes spy narrative.
A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.
- 11
Mission: Impossible
A sleek espionage thriller that launched a legendary franchise with its iconic, high-tension set pieces.
When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he's surprised to learn that he's the prime suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.
- 12
Blade
A dark, stylish vampire hunter tale that pioneered the gritty comic book action aesthetic of the late 90s.
The Daywalker known as "Blade" - a half-vampire, half-mortal man - becomes the protector of humanity against an underground army of vampires.