Almost everyone on this list encompass the biggest names the industry had to offer during this iconic decade in film. And while this is of course debatable, there’s also a good argument that all of these juggernauts delivered the most iconic entries of their respective filmographies throughout the 1990s.
These directors accomplished in a single decade what most filmmakers hope to achieve throughout their entire careers. These streaks are truly for the Hollywood history books. Now, with all that said: here are ten big-name directors with incredible streaks in the 1990s.
10Wes Craven
Although he released what is perhaps his masterpiece in the prior decade, the eighties were a weird time forWes Craven. On one end of the critical spectrum wasNightmare on Elm Street(1984), one of the bestslasher moviesever made. But on the opposite end wasThe Hills Have Eyes Part II(1985) with a rare approval rating of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. And those were only two of his seven projects from that decade.
But in the nineties, Craven had a better focus on quality over quantity. Sure, he still released six films, butThe People Under the Stairs(1991) andWes Craven’s New Nightmare(1994) are both among the most underrated horror films of the decade. Then, there’sScream(1996). It rivalsNightmare on Elm Streetas the seminal Wes Craven film, and its follow up inScream 2(1997) established the property as one of the biggest franchise’s on the Hollywood block. Of course, entries in that beloved slasher franchise are still being released today, and we all have Craven to thank for it.
Related:These Are the Best Wes Craven Films, Ranked
9Michael Mann
Off the bat, the most critically acclaimedMichael Mannfilm from the decade wasHeat(1995). A hesit film, it featured the likes of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Val Kilmer. And frankly, it’s looked back on in a contemporary light in very venerable fashion. It’s one of the most successfulfilms of its kindto ever hit the big screen, and what’s more regarding Mann’s case on this list is thatHeatwas released between two other critical darlings.
He put outThe Last of the Mohicans(1992) a few years prior, and it received massive acclaim across the board. But his work onThe Insider(1999) at the end of the decade really solidified Mann’s spot on this list. He had a great run in the 2000s, too, with films likeAli(2001),Collateral(2006), andPublic Enemies(2009). But in the nineties, Mann was pitching nothing but heat.
8Spike Lee
There are two other decades worth noting when it comes to the career of American filmmakerSpike Lee: the eighties, and the aughts. In the former, he released his masterpiece inDo the Right Thing(1989). There wasn’t much outside of that, though. In the 2000s, he released the biggest box office success of his career withInside Man(2006), which is also a qualityheist filmin itself. And there was also25th Hour(2002) from that decade, but nothing else truly worth noting.
In the nineties, however, Lee released a whopping nine feature films. A few of them were qualitative duds, but for the most part, he brought his A-game with titles such asMo’ Better Blues(1990),Jungle Fever(1992),Crooklyn(1994), andClockers(1995). Of course, this was also the decade in whichMalcolm X(1992) was released, establishing Denzel Washington as his greatest collaborator. And the two rounded out the nineties to perfection withHe Got Game(1998).
7Paul Thomas Anderson
He comes in at number seven, yetPaul Thomas Andersondidn’t even make his feature directorial debut until half of the decade had ended.Hard Eight(1996) is just aboutas underrated as they come, too. But with his sophomore follow-upBoogie Nights(1997), PTA released perhaps the greatest project of his career. And he wasn’t even done, as he put outMagnolia(1999) right at the turn of the decade.
Make no mistake:There Will Be Blood(2007) givesBoogie Nightsa valiant run for its money with regard to determining PTA’s masterpiece. But the fact that he put out two other films of the highest quality within just four years ofBoogie Nightsultimately rendered this the hottest streak of PTA’s career.
6David Fincher
This streak fromDavid Fincherwas one for the history books, as bothSe7en(1995) andFight Club(1999) are among the highest-quality films of the entire decade, let alone Fincher’s filmography. The former followed two detectives (Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt) as they tracked down a serial killer (played by Kevin Spacey), and the result was a box office hit that also resonated fondly with critics. That endgameplot twistremains among the most iconic in all of film, too.
And as forFight Club: it’s undoubtedly worth writing home about, but its cult classic status has rendered it one of the most well-known movies of the past thirty years. It would be a travesty, however, to forget aboutThe Game(1997). Starring Michael Douglass, it’s among the most underrated film both of Fincher’s career and of the entire decade. And its thrilling plot totally holds up today. Fincher also had a decent run in the 2000s and an even better one in the 2010s, but he was at his best in the nineties.
5Quentin Tarantino
Of course, the most relevant film worth writing home about here isPulp Fiction(1994). It wonQuentin Tarantinohis first Oscar, one forBest Original Screenplay, and the film had several other nominations to boot. Plus, it raked in fantastic money in theaters, and has since been preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Film Registry. But those stats don’t even tell the whole tale, as this is a truly significant piece of American cinema. Perhaps the most influential of the decade.
Just two year before that, though, he put out his debutReservoir Dogs(1992) to a massively successful degree. And then, toward the end of the decade, he adapted Elmore Leonard’s novelRum Punchinto a critical darling calledJackie Brown(1997). It’s ultimately hard to argue a run of that caliber.
Related:10 Actors We Want to See in Quentin Tarantino’s Final Film
4The Coen Brothers
Kicking off the decade,JoelandEthan CoenreleasedMiller’s Crossing(1990), an underrated gangster flick. They then followed up wonderfully withBarton Fink(1991). After that,The Hudsucker Proxy(1994) was divisive among both fans and critics. But on the other hand,Fargo(1996) andThe Big Lebowski(1998) are both among the most famous and respected pieces put out in the nineties regardless of director.
Any three films from those above six (save perhaps forThe Hudsucker Proxy) would result in a legendary streak within the decade at hand. But the fact that the Coen Brothers did release all of those projects in justthe 1990smeans they ultimately land here at number four.
3Martin Scorsese
This acclaimed American director had a great stretch in the seventies, releasing five films — most notablyMean Streets(1973) andTaxi Driver(1976). In the eighties, too,Martin Scorsesehad an admirable run: another five films including Oscar darlings likeRaging Bull(1980) andThe Color of Money(1986), among a couple prominent others.
But almost withGoodfellas(1990) alone, one could argue Scorsese peaked in the nineties. It’s one of the most acclaimed movies ever made, and of course, it was only the beginning of Scorsese’s legendary stretch from this decade.Cape Fear(1991) came next, followed byThe Age of Innocence(1993) andCasino(1995) soon after. NeitherKundun(1997) norBringing Out the Dead(1999) got much done commercially, but they were both of high enough quality in the end.
2Steven Spielberg
Of course,Steven Spielbergalso had a streak for the ages in the eighties, with seminal releases likeRaiders of the Lost Arc(1981) andE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(1982) releasing throughout that decade. But the subsequent ten-year stretch saw what was perhaps an even more impressive run ofSpielberg projects.
He kicked the nineties off withHook(1991) to a mediocre degree, but rallied in historic fashion just two years later. He released two projects in one year:Jurassic Park(1993), an absolute juggernaut in terms of financial success, on top ofSchindler’s List(1993), one of the most acclaimed films of the decade with dozens of awards to its name. But there’s alsoSaving Private Ryan(1998), which is among the most acclaimed war films ever made. With those three titles alone, Steven Spielberg undoubtedly makes the list.
1James Cameron
Behind Spielberg who appeared earlier in the list,James Cameronis the second-highest grossing director in the history of film, with $8.6 billion garnered throughout his career. Roughly $3.2 billion of that was accrued in the nineties alone — and perhaps an even more impressive stat is that $2.2 billion of that number was grossed just byTitanic(1997). It of course starred Kate Winslet alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, and it’s undoubtedly Cameron’s most notable film of the decade — aside from itsrecord-breaking box office results, it also won eleven out of fourteen nominations at the Oscars, and has since been preserved in the National Film Registry.
But from a qualitative standpoint, Cameron’s best film was perhapsTerminator 2: Judgment Day(1991). It of course starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, marking the second of three collaborations between the two — the third of which would come a few years later withTrue Lies(1994). Also a solid film. In the end, it’s not even worth noting the other decades in which Cameron released his films — he arguably peaked in the 1990s, and ultimately tops the list.
