A Glean movie guide
90s Action Hidden Gems
Skip the blockbusters.
Gritty, intense, and overlooked thrillers that defined the decade's edge.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Deep Cover
A gritty, noir-influenced undercover thriller that stands as one of the era's most overlooked gems.
Black police officer Russell Stevens applies for a special anti-drug squad which targets the highest boss of cocaine delivery to LA—the Colombian foreign minister's nephew. Russell works his way up from the bottom undercover, until he reaches the boss.
- 02
One False Move
This masterclass in tension relies on sharp character work rather than spectacle to deliver its impact.
Following a series of drug deals and murders, three criminals -- Fantasia, Ray Malcolm and Pluto -- travel from Los Angeles to Houston, finally arriving in a small Arkansas town to go into hiding. Two detectives from the LAPD, who are already on the case, contact the town's sheriff, Dale Dixon, to alert him of the fugitives' presence in the area. Underestimating Dixon, the criminals have no idea what they are about to face.
- 03
The Last Boy Scout
A quintessential buddy-action film packed with the sharp, cynical dialogue that defined 90s cinema.
Somewhere in Los Angeles, the city of broken dreams, a stripper is murdered. Now, the private detective she had hired and her ex-footballer boyfriend are going to find her murderer... if they don't kill each other first. But the more they dig, the deeper they become enmeshed in a web of extortion, blackmail and corrupt politics hidden beneath the surface of professional football.
- 04
Judgment Night
An intense, urban 'wrong place, wrong time' thriller that keeps the pacing relentless from start to finish.
Four young friends, while taking a shortcut en route to a local boxing match, witness a brutal murder which leaves them running for their lives.
- 05
The Replacement Killers
Features highly stylized, ahead-of-its-time action choreography that marked a bold Hollywood debut.
Hired assassin John Lee is asked by Chinatown crime boss Terence Wei to murder the young son of policeman Stan Zedkov. Lee has the boy in his sights, but his conscience gets the better of him, and he spares the child's life. Afraid that Wei will take revenge on his family in China, Lee seeks out expert forger Meg Coburn to obtain the passport he needs to get out of the country, but a band of replacement killers is soon on his trail.
- 06
Hard Rain
A unique environmental setting elevates this high-concept heist film above standard genre fare.
An armored car driver tries to elude a gang of thieves while a flood ravages the countryside.
- 07
Trespass
Walter Hill delivers a contained, high-tension premise that remains a frequently overlooked action staple.
Two Arkansas firemen, Vince and Don, get hold of a map that leads to a cache of stolen gold in an abandoned factory in East St. Louis. What they don't know is that the factory is on the turf of a local gang, who come by to execute one of their enemies. Vince sees the shooting, the gang spots Vince, and extended mayhem ensues. As Vince and Don try to escape, gang leader King James argues with his subordinate Savon about how to get rid of the trespassers.
- 08
Ricochet
A classic cat-and-mouse revenge thriller featuring powerhouse performances that deserve more recognition.
An attorney is terrorized by the criminal he put away years ago when he was a cop.