The 1990s was something of a golden era for Hollywood. The top talent included everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio through to Claire Danes, Helena Bonham Carter, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Johnny Depp, meaning our screens were aflame with thespian charisma and beautiful faces.   

A trip to the local cinema was guaranteed to offer up something good, with plenty of gripping and original movies making their way onscreen. Franchises had not yet stolen away the individuality of the many offerings that were there for us to choose from, and there was a real sense of new ground being broken and a move away from the tried and tested formulas of yesteryear.  

Should you ever fancy a trip back down memory lane, then here are three of the best films of the 90s for you to watch and enjoy all over again. 

Rounders (1998)

Released towards the close of this golden age of filmmaking, Rounders nonetheless has all of the hallmarks of classic 90s cinema. Featuring the fresh-faced charms of Matt Damon and Edward Norton, it tells the story of two friends who need to win a high-stakes poker game to pay off a dangerously large debt. With beautifully depicted drama, all of the thrills of the casino, and the very best acting talent of the era, it is gripping, gorgeously shot, and has been repeatedly praised by the experts for its accurate depiction of the game at its centre.  

Titanic (1997)

At the time of its release in December 1997, Titanic became one of the greatest films in cinematic history. Pulling in $1.84 billion worldwide, it not only became the first movie to surpass the billion-dollar mark, but also took the title of highest grossing film of all time, an accolade it held onto for an astonishing 13 years. As if this wasn’t enough, it not only gained the greatest number of Oscar nominations ever (14), but won more Academy Awards than any other film too, taking home 11 different gongs on the night. For anyone who’s watched it, this should all come as little surprise, for Titanic is a true tour de force. Telling the story of ill-fated lovers Jack and Rose, who meet aboard the doomed ship, this epic romance and disaster film narrates one of the greatest human tragedies in history, and tells it through the intimate lens of the duo’s great and beautiful relationship. If it doesn’t leave you reaching for the tissues at the end, you simply don’t have a heart.    

Schindler’s List (1993)

Directed and coproduced by Steven Spielberg, Schindler’s List was always destined to be a movie great, yet this epic historical period drama still manages to exceed all audience expectations. Tragic and moving at once, it tells the real-life story of Oskar Schindler, a Sudeten German businessman who saved the lives of over a thousand Polish Jews during World War II, by employing them in his factories – at great personal risk. Shot entirely in black and white, the film was approached by Spielberg as a documentary, yet this doesn’t mean it’s in any way lacking in emotion. Poignant and often heartrending, it is rightly considered to be one of the greatest films ever made. You will watch it and weep.  

Which of these cinematic masterpieces will you revisit first?