A Glean movie guide
90s Action Icons
Pure adrenaline from a golden era.
The decade of practical stunts, high-concept thrills, and the birth of digital spectacle.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The gold standard for sequels, blending cutting-edge effects with a high-stakes emotional core.
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.
- 02
The Matrix
A revolutionary blend of philosophy and groundbreaking 'bullet time' combat that redefined the genre.
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.
- 03
Heat
A masterclass in crime drama featuring the most realistic and intense shootout in cinema 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.
- 04
Speed
A relentless, high-concept thriller that maintains incredible momentum from start to finish.
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.
- 05
The Fugitive
A perfectly paced game of cat-and-mouse between two Hollywood heavyweights at the top of their game.
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
Point Break
The ultimate adrenaline-junkie heist film, featuring iconic surfing and skydiving sequences.
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.
- 07
Leon: The Professional
A stylish and emotionally charged story of a lonely assassin and his unlikely young protégé.
Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps.
- 08
Hard Boiled
An essential Hong Kong action classic featuring breathtaking, long-take gunfights and incredible choreography.
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
- 09
Face/Off
John Woo’s operatic masterpiece of stylized violence and delightfully over-the-top lead performances.
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.
- 10
The Rock
The peak of 90s blockbuster energy, delivering explosive set pieces against the backdrop of Alcatraz.
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.
- 11
Mission: Impossible
A tense espionage thriller that launched one of cinema's most enduring and stunt-heavy franchises.
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
The Fifth Element
A vibrant, imaginative sci-fi adventure that stands out for its unique visual flair and eccentric characters.
In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.