12 Incredible '90s Films That Only the Cool Kids Recall

      These remarkable ’90s films that only the cool kids remember played a significant role in shaping that period's teen culture and relative affluence. We experienced nearly all of them in theaters. As with all opinions, this is subjective, so please share your thoughts if you feel we've overlooked any titles.

      Kids (1995)

      Shining Excalibur Films – Credit: C/O

      It's difficult to convey just how riled up some individuals were about Kids in 1995 due to its explicit depiction of sex and drugs.

      This film is unique among coming-of-age movies from the ’90s because it doesn't revolve around a high school. Instead, its characters roam the streets, parks, bodegas, and homes where parents are absent, engaging in questionable activities.

      Directed by Larry Clark and penned by Harmony Korine when he was still close in age to his teenage characters, Kids marked the inception of the careers for two iconic Gen X actresses, Chloe Sevigny and Rosario Dawson (as seen above). It also boasts one of the best soundtracks ever, featuring Folk Implosion’s “Natural One.”

      For context, that object Chloe Sevigny is holding in the photo? It’s a public phone. People used to hunt for change just to use a grimy phone. When people say everything was better in the ’90s, remember that reaching out to friends often meant using public payphones.

      Pump Up the Volume (1990)

      New Line Cinema – Credit: C/O

      Christian Slater portrays a pre-internet edgelord who operates a pirate radio station to express his teenage angst while playing rebellious music.

      Living in a Phoenix suburb, he goes by Mark during the day, where he is a shy high school student struggling to fit in. However, at night, he transforms into Hard Harry, a Gen X shock jock who critiques parental double standards and unexpectedly features… Leonard Cohen?

      That choice of music is one of many clues that Harry is actually a sensitive individual, more motivated by sorrow than by anger. Pump Up the Volume stands out as one of the most intriguing ’90s films, as it quickly became outdated once the internet became widespread—there was no longer a need for pirate radio to voice unscripted opinions.

      Yet, it’s hard not to see parallels with our modern lives, where our behavior often differs between the real world and online.

      Freeway (1996)

      Republic Pictures – Credit: C/O

      If you typically think of Reese Witherspoon as a producer and star of harmless rom-coms and family dramas, you should watch Freeway and prepare for a shock. This very dark, very ’90s reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood is one of our favorite largely overlooked dark comedies from a decade that excelled in that genre.

      In this film, Witherspoon plays an illiterate runaway fleeing law enforcement after her mother, a sex worker, and her abusive stepfather are arrested. She unwittingly steps into an even worse predicament by accepting a ride on her way to her grandmother’s house, only to find herself targeted by the Big Bad Wolf, aka Bob Wolverton, a creep played by a fearless Kiefer Sutherland.

      The film features an impressive supporting cast that includes Den Hedaya, Amanda Plummer, Brooke Shields, Bokeem Woodbine, and Brittany Murphy. Impressive indeed.

      It was produced by Oliver Stone, naturally.

      Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)

      Sony Pictures Releasing – Credit: C/O

      Is Can’t Hardly Wait a film for Gen X or Millennials? It features a lineup of rising and soon-to-be stars from Gen X, including Ethan Embry, Lauren Ambrose, Seth Green, Melissa Joan Hart, and of course, Jennifer Love Hewitt (above), who ties it all together.

      The soundtrack is undeniably Gen X—named after a Replacements song and featuring astounding tracks by Run-DMC and Guns N Roses—but the characters blur the lines between the two generations at the close of a relatively carefree decade for suburban youth. Unbeknownst to them, they are about to step into a much more daunting era and world.

      This film is one of the most lighthearted and enjoyable movies from the ’90s, drawing inspiration from ’80s teen films. Yet, it also provides insight into those moments of youth when you are free from responsibilities, navigating the problems you unintentionally create for yourself as you embark on adulthood.

      The writers and directors, Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont, also created a fantastic Gen X satire that is included in our list of Intelligent Movies Disguised as Silly Films.

      Dazed and Confused (1993)

      Gramercy Pictures – Credit: C/O

      Here’s another question: Is Dazed and Confused a movie for Baby Boomers or Gen X? It features a cast of Gen X actors, from Ben Affleck to Parker Posey to Matthew McConaughey, yet it takes place