Ah, the 90s. It was the electric decade that gave us The Spice Girls, Tamagotchis and Friends. We said hello to Harry Potter, Google and the Brit Pop movement. And no 90s kid will ever forget learning the dance moves to the macarena at the school disco, or proudly putting on their Sporty Spice-inspired tracksuit bottoms to go meet friends in the park. 

Yep, they were ten great years. And the decade didn’t disappoint when it came to films. The biggest movies were of course Titanic, Independence Day, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Jurassic Park. But they were just for starters.

If, like us, you’re feeling a little nostalgic and want to revisit a 90s film, we’ve rounded up nine of the best ones available to watch on Netflix – and ranked them. It’s a tough job, but it might help you to decide on which classic to watch tonight.

Let’s take a look…

9. Groundhog Day

Very apt for the times, no wonder Groundhog Day has been trending on Netflix.  Bill Murray stars as Phil Connors, the smug weatherman condemned to relive the same day over and over again (sound familiar?).

8. Boyz N The Hood

A blistering depiction of growing up in inner-city Los Angeles, Boyz N The Hood dissects questions of race, class, relationships, violence, and future prospects. It follows the story of three childhood friends, Darrin (Ice Cube), Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr) and Ricky (Morris Chestnut). Warning: you will cry. 

7. Hook

Steven Spielberg’s live-action take on Peter Pan is a childhood favourite for many, largely thanks to charming performances by Robin Williams and Julia Roberts. Peter Pan (Willams) is forced to return to Neverland after his children are abducted by Captain Hook. With some help from Tinkerbell (Roberts) and the Lost Boys, he must battle against his old foe to save his kids.

6. You’ve Got Mail

One Stylist writer recently declared You’ve Got Mail as being “the most relatable film on Netflix right now”. Nora Ephron’s classic sees bookstore owner Joe (Tom Hanks) fall head-over-heels for an unsuspecting Kathleen (Meg Ryan), who runs a rival bookshop of her own. The first half of the movie takes place almost entirely online, through emails and chat room messages – something we can all pause our Zoom calls to relate to.

5. True Romance

Considering how violent this Quentin Tarantino film is, it’s easy to forget what a weirdly beautiful love story True Romance is. Comic-book lover and Elvis fanatic Clarence (Christian Slater) meets fellow nerd and sex worker Alabama (Patricia Arquette). The pair quickly fall in love and get into a lot of trouble. The two hit the road for California, but are chased by a gang of very angry people.

4. The Truman Show

Ever get the feeling that someone is watching you? Well The Truman Show will well and truly feed that paranoia. It follows the story of Truman Burbank , played by Jim Carey, a man who lives a seemingly perfect suburban life with his wife Meryl (played by Laura Linney). Truman soon starts to notice starts to notice things are not what they seem and he decides to escape the life that he’s always known in search for the truth.

3. Ghost

Anyone order a pottery wheel for lockdown? Don’t worry, Ghost has you covered what that iconic scene. Sam (Patrick Swayze) and Molly (Demi Moore) are happily in love, but their romance is cut short when Sam is murdered in the street. Unable to tell Molly that her life is in danger, Sam’s spirit starts contacting hilarious psychic Oda Mae (Whoopi Goldberg) in order to save her. 

2. Babe

I give you the purest, most feel-good family film of the 90s. Babe is a tearjerker but there are plenty of laughs along the way. Babe, an orphaned pig, learns to herd sheep after Arthur Hoggett, a farmer, wins him in a contest at a country fair. However, Rex, Hoggett’s lead sheepdog, doesn’t like Babe.

Altogether now: “If I had woooords…”

1. Clueless

Clueless is the iconic reworking of Jane Austen’s classic, Emma. You’ve probably watched it 50 times, but why not watch it again?  Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is a wealthy, well intentioned but slightly spoilt high-school student who is learning to cope with adolescence and its problems. With some help from her best friend Dionne, she makes new girl Tai (Brittany Murphy) her new social project.

Be prepared to quote every line. 

Images: various studios