The 90s were an amazing time for film. Goodfellas, Schindler’s List, Se7en released and changed movies forever. Massive directors like Frank Darabont, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino all found their footing in that decade. But 2 years in particular stand out as exemplary: ‘94 and ‘99. With their 30 and 25 year anniversaries just happening now, I figured I’d finally settle for myself which time was better.

In this list, I’ll rank my top 5 favorites from each year against each other and in the end, one year will come out victorious.

#10: The Hudsucker Proxy

Release: 1994 | Starring: Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh | IMDb: 7.2

Absolutely the one most underrated movies out of the entire decade, The Hudsucker Proxy is a total enigma. It’s like if Forrest Gump didn’t have questionable racist implications, just funny and sweet and heartfelt all the way through. Tim Robbins in his second best performance of 1994, the Coen brothers at the top of their game, and a completely perfect story all the way through. One of my personal favorites, and a tragically overlooked gem.

#9: Being John Malkovich

Release: 1999 | Starring: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz | IMDb: 7.7

Charlie Kaufman has always been able to deliver wild surrealism with that magical touch of humanity, and paired with Spike Jonze’s masterful direction, Being John Malkovich is undoubtedly beautiful. The plot seems simple on the surface, but as the story progresses, the layers pile and pile until you’re left with one of the most emotionally jarring endings to any film. John Cusack and Cameron Diaz obviously sell (especially Diaz), but John Malkovich himself gives a monstrous performance and makes this a comedic powerhouse as well as mentally destructive. A great sequel in Adaptation. and a brilliant standout of ‘99.

#8: The Green Mile

Release: 1999 | Starring: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan | IMDb: 8.6

Despite making some of the best films of the 90s, Frank Darabont is depressingly overlooked when other directors are mentioned. Even so, The Green Mile is a masterclass of film. If Being John Malkovich got you emotional, then this will tear you to shreds and give you a visceral experience from which you will never recover. I think about it every couple of days, and it still chokes me up to think about Michael Clarke Duncan’s earth shattering performance. The way Stephen King’s story handles death row so compassionately keeps you enraptured for the entire 3 hour long runtime. If you have a chance, please give it a watch.

#7: The Crow

Release: 1994 | Starring: Brandon Lee, Rochelle Davis | IMDb: 7.5

I have no idea how to defend The Crow. The fans are vile, I’ve discussed the remake in great length, and it really shouldn’t stand among the leagues of ‘94’s other hard hitters. That aside, this delivers on every single front. The action, the performances, the camerawork, the story, all give off a masterful vibe of authenticity unrivaled by a lot of action movies. Everything is done up to such an absurd degree, and it makes for a magical viewing experience that hits everybody differently. The soundtrack alone lives in the hall of fame, and it stands next to The Hudsucker Proxy as one of the most underrated films of the 90s.

#6: The Matrix

Release: 1999 | Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie Anne-Moss | IMDb: 8.7

It’s impossible to talk about the 1990s without talking about The Matrix. The Wachowski’s masterclass in action filmmaking shakes the world to this day, and for good reason. I don’t even know how to talk about it without just raving about it like most people. To keep it concise, the plot is expertly done, the style and feel of it are beautiful, and the action is unparalleled by anything before or since. Words can’t do it justice, and if you haven’t seen it, what are you really doing?

#5: The Shawshank Redemption

Release: 1994 | Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman | IMDb: 9.3

Surprise surprise, the highest rated movie on IMDb is prominent on this list. It’s amazing and everyone knows it’s amazing. Frank Darabont delivers again, even stronger than The Green Mile. Tim Robbins gives his best performance since earlier this year, and Morgan Freeman shows why he’s one of the best actors of all time. A powerful emotional core, a mature and beautiful friendship between two men, and an ending to end all endings. Brilliant.

#4: The Lion King

Release: 1994 | Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons | IMDb: 8.5

The Lion King brought animation up from a genre to a medium of film. Disney’s remake of Macbeth formed an entire new section of the movies for which I and others are eternally grateful. From the magical opening sequence to the masterful musical theater songs, everything is done with unrivaled quality that stands the test of time to this day. A truly exquisite work of art.

#3: Fight Club

Release: 1999 | Starring: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt | IMDb: 8.8

If you thought The Crow’s fans were bad, you haven’t seen anything yet. Unlike The Crow, though, it’s easy to see why Fight Club has gotten so much notoriety. It’s essentially all you could ever ask for in a movie. Biting social satire, expert performances, a completely perfect story, and an outrageous plot twist. Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and David Fincher are all at the tops of their games with this nihilistic view of masculinity. Endlessly rewatchable and disturbingly funny, Chuck Palahniuk’s story will surely be remembered as one of the best films of ‘99.

#2: Magnolia

Release: 1999 | Starring: Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore | IMDb: 8.0

It doesn’t get more emotional than this. Paul Thomas Anderson’s interconnecting masterpiece is more powerful than The Green Mile and Being John Malkovich combined. Magnolia twists and turns through parental abandonment, toxic masculinity, and drug addiction, all colliding in the most shocking and spectacular climax nobody could ever guess. There’s layers upon layers, connections stringing through the entire plot, riddles wrapped in mysteries. If you want to be a writer, director, or an actor, then I would warn against seeing Magnolia because almost nothing anybody can do will top this.

#1: Pulp Fiction

Release: 1994 | Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson | IMDb: 8.9

I can only say this bluntly: Pulp Fiction is the best movie ever made. It’s unmatched. If Magnolia was a 10 bordering on an 11, Pulp Fiction is a 15 narrowly missing a 16. It’s just perfect. No part of this movie is less than stellar, and the whole is even more than the sum of its already incredible parts. The nonlinear storytelling changed film for the better, and it cemented Tarantino as a masterful director. I could rant for hours about it, but it’s best if you just watch it for yourself. It stands as the best movie of ‘94 or ‘99.

So, which year wins? Against what I thought when I began writing, I firmly believe 1999 takes the trophy. While 1994 delivers some of the hardest hitting films, 1999 has a much more consistent output. With ‘94 I knew what I would put on the list, but for ‘99 I struggled to pick just 5 to use. So many were overlooked, like American Beauty, Election, The Sixth Sense, and more. Both years are legendary, but 1999 solidly wins.