A Glean movie guide
90s Action: The Golden Era
Pure adrenaline, no filters.
Relive the decade of high-concept thrills, practical stunts, and explosive blockbusters.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Matrix
A mind-bending fusion of cyberpunk philosophy and revolutionary combat that defined late-90s aesthetics.
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 masterclass in pacing that redefined visual effects and the relentless chase movie.
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
Heat
A sprawling, realistic crime saga featuring one of the most intense urban shootouts 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
The ultimate 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 Rock
High-octane Michael Bay at his peak, set against the claustrophobic 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.
- 06
The Fugitive
A perfectly executed manhunt that balances smart detective work with desperate, high-stakes action.
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.
- 07
Face/Off
A wild, stylized John Woo spectacle where the lead actors swap identities and ballistic signatures.
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.
- 08
Point Break
An atmospheric cult classic that blends undercover crime with the adrenaline of extreme sports.
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.
- 09
True Lies
A massive James Cameron production that successfully mixes globe-trotting espionage with domestic comedy.
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.
- 10
Mission: Impossible
The film that launched a legendary franchise with its intricate heists and iconic suspense sequences.
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.
- 11
Leon: The Professional
A gritty, emotional tale of an assassin and his protégé featuring uniquely tactical gunplay.
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.
- 12
Con Air
A quintessential 90s ensemble piece packed with over-the-top characters and explosive set pieces.
Newly-paroled former US Army ranger Cameron Poe is headed back to his wife, but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" taking the “worst of the worst” prisoners, a group described as “pure predators”, to a new super-prison. Poe faces impossible odds when the transport plane is skyjacked mid-flight by the most vicious criminals in the country led by the mastermind — genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, and backed by black militant Diamond Dog and psychopath Billy Bedlam.