100 Best Movies of 1995, Ranked by Tomatometer
1995 was a very well-rounded year in film. While kids marveled at the epic visual effect innovations in movies like Toy Story and Jumanji, ma and pops could indulge in the gritty drama of action/thrillers like Heat and Seven. Or bask in the charm and romance of French Kiss and The Bridges of Madison County.
Teens could temper their angst with humor in selections like Mallrats or Clueless. Or, escape the real world altogether with sci-fi faves in 12 Monkeys or Ghost in the Shell. And comedies Friday, Tommy Boy, and Boys on the Side transcended social lines and delivered laughs that audiences wouldn’t soon forget.
With our guide to the 100 best movies of 1995, break down an incredible year for cinephiles of all tastes. It’s ranked by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh movies first. Next, Fresh movies with at least 20 reviews and a 60%+ Popcornmeter. And then come the audience picks: Rotten movies with a 60%+ Popcornmeter and 20,000+ user reviews!
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(Photo by Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection. A GOOFY MOVIE.)
First, a few honorable mentions across genres that did not make the list, like superheroes (Batman Forever, Judge Dredd, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers), comedies (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Casper, Father of the Bride Part II, The Brady Bunch Movie), sci-fi (Waterworld, Mortal Kombat, Species, Johnny Mnemonic). While they didn’t have the outstanding reviews on the Tomatometer or Popcornmeter to make the cut, some hit big at the box office, while others live on in cult infamy.
One movie that had no problem with any metric: Toy Story, Pixar’s first film and the one to rock the animation world to its core. Directed by John Lasseter, the entirely computer-animated feature heralded the era of 3D animation dominance, and Toy Story would franchise into an infinity of sequels, video games, talking action dolls (not a flying toy) and beyond. In what would become the beginning of the end for widespread 2D hand-drawn feature animation, a few movies stand out, like Balto (an Amblin-produced movie based on the sled dog who helped deliver antitoxin to a town in desperate need) and Whisper of the Heart, directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, a Studio Ghibli coming-of-age film about young love and aspirations that will melt your heart. And no 90s kid could forgive a 1995 movie list that didn’t highlight A Goofy Movie, the wacky yet heartfelt father-son road trip movie about Disney character Goofy and his wayward son Max, featuring unforgettable songs from pop idol, Powerline (played by Tevin Campbell).
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(Photo by Gramercy / Courtesy Everett Collection. THE USUAL SUSPECTS.)
At the 68th Academy Awards, the 13th-century Scottish rebellion epic Braveheart took home top prizes for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography (as well as Best Makeup and Best Sound Effects Editing). Other Best Picture nominees still got their flowers, like space program disaster film Apollo 13 winning Best Film Editing and Best Sound, the quirky and heartwarming farm flick Babe nabbing Best Visual Effects, the Jane Austen classic Sense and Sensibility earning Best Writing – Adapted, and Il Postino: The Postman taking home Best Music. Other standout Academy Award-winning films include the captivating ensemble crime thriller The Usual Suspects (Best Screenplay – Original), and Disney’s Alan Menken-scored animated romance Pocahontas (Best Music – Musical or Comedy, Best Original Song).
The top acting award winners were Best Actress Susan Sarandon as a spiritual adviser to a death row inmate in Dead Man Walking, and Best Actor Nicolas Cage with raw drama Leaving Los Vegas. Other notable performances include Mira Sorvino as a sex worker struggling with her interpersonal relationships in Mighty Aphrodite, Richard Dreyfuss as a struggling high school music teacher in Mr. Holland’s Opus, and Mare Winningham as a successful folk singer with a strained relationship with her punk-rock sister in Georgia.
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Horror and thrillers contributed their fair share. Seven, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, still has audiences shouting box-related inquiries. John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness still resonates, whether because of the Lovecraftian tone or Carpenter’s signature chilling score. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci take no guff in Las Vegas gambling thriller Casino. And don’t miss Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle notable performances in the neo-noir mystery thriller Devil in a Blue Dress.
The sci-fi/fantasy genre had a memorable year. Director Kathryn Bigelow teamed with screenwriters James Cameron and Jay Cocks to deliver the dark techno-thriller Strange Days. Tank Girl, based on a post-apocalyptic comic series, employs unique special effects and prosthetics (ever want to see Ice-T get kangaroo jacked?), and has become a feminist cult classic. 12 Monkeys, starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, twisted audiences’ minds with a mind-bending trip through time, so stylish that it earned a Best Costume Design nomination. And few movies stand out more in anime culture than Ghost in the Shell. The animated cyberpunk noir aimed at adult viewers appealed to audiences on two fronts: combining iconic action scenes with philosophical ideas about the future of technology. It would spawn several sequel movies and series, and a live-action adaptation.
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(Photo by New Line / Courtesy Everett Collection. FRIDAY.)
In a year of great comedies, a few gems secured their place in film history. Though critically panned, Adam Sandler created an endlessly quotable cult classic for 90’s kids in his back-to-school goof-fest, Billy Madison. It’s no wonder a movie about a man-child going back to school resonated more with 1995’s youth more than it did Siskel and Ebert! Not to be outdone by their SNL co-star, David Spade and Chris Farley give an laugh-out-loud performance in the zany blue-collar road trip flick, Tommy Boy. Coming off a micro-budget hit called Clerks, director Kevin Smith’s gave us Mallrats, a laugh-a-minute love letter to geeks, for geeks. Other the other end of the social class spectrum, Clueless takes a wealthy, popular teen girl and depth and dimension to her and her crew. An adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, Clueless blends 90s-centric humor with a timeless heartfelt story about growing up. And, perhaps more quotable of all is the Ice Cube-Chris Tucker neighborhood comedy Friday. F. Gary Gray delivers a sidesplitting picture of South Central Los Angeles so funny you’ll be screaming “DAAAAMN!” with a side of “Bye, Felicia” to haters.
If you pine for a good romantic film, you can’t go wrong with enduring favorites like Sabrina, French Kiss, and Before Sunrise. And if you desire to see 1995 from an LGBTQ+ perspective, you may be interested in Boys on the Side, Jeffrey, or The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. (Tyler Lorenz)
