The 1990s were a special time for creating some weird and downright bizarre films that pushed every boundary imaginable. It was a decade that started seeing a snowball effect in terms of the advancement of technology and techniques of special effects and visuals that helped provide an outlet for the filmmaker’s wildest ideas. Before the time of big-budget franchises and endless sequels, studios were more likely to take risks both in terms of films with weird source material and the way the films were shot, which produced some incredible and extremely odd films.
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Many of these movies took weirdness to new heights in almost every aspect of cinema to create some intense, thought-provoking, and mind-bending film experiences. Movies like the shocking Freaked, which presented some grotesque characters and haunting sequences, and Harmony Korine’s Gummo, which provides a unique and mostly horrifying snapshot of small-town America and its inhabitants. Many films throughout the 1990s wanted to confound and push limits with the audience, and even to this day, they can be appreciated for the incredible spectacles that they are.
10 Arizona Dream (1993)
Starring Johnny Depp And Jerry Lewis
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Arizona Dream RFantasyComedyDramaRomance
Arizona Dream follows Axel, a New York naturalist’s assistant, as he travels to Arizona for his uncle’s wedding and encounters an eccentric family. There, he meets two peculiar women, becomes romantically involved, and is drawn into the whimsical yet troubled dynamics of their lives.
Director Emir Kusturica Release Date January 6, 1993 Writers David Atkins Cast Faye Dunaway , Jerry Lewis , Johnny Depp , Lili Taylor , Vincent Gallo , Paulina Porizkova , Michael J. Pollard , Polly Noonan , Tricia Leigh Fisher , Candyce Mason , Alexia Rane , Ann Schulman , Patricia O’Grady , James R. Wilson , Erik Polczwartek , Kim Keo , Sal Jenco , Vincent Tocktoo , Ivan Borodin Runtime 142 minutes Expand
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In a film where anything seems possible at any given moment, it is almost impossible to get comfortable and settle into watching Emir Kusturica’s Arizona Dream. Johnny Depp stars as the leading man, Axel, in this surrealist comedy that sees his character returning to his hometown in Arizona to help his uncle with his Cadillac dealership. That is pretty much where the normalcy ends, as he quickly becomes involved in a bizarre love triangle between a young woman (Lili Taylor) and an eccentric, old widow (Faye Dunaway).
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The original edit for the film was approximately four hours long, which gives some indication that a lot of scenes were cut, or the film was crammed full of various sequences to hit the new runtime. Depp plays his usual quirky and nuanced self, which helps hold the film’s plot together. It features many hallucinations, a woman wishing to kill herself to be reincarnated as a turtle, and a friendly game of Russian Roulette, which produces a film that is a dazzling cocktail of the macabre and the bizarre.
9 Pi (1998)
Starring Sean Gullette And Mark Margolis
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A cultured, black-and-white film about a brilliant genius and mathematician who is obsessed with number theory and finding underlying numerical patterns in the real world, on the surface, doesn’t sound like one of the weirdest films of the 1990s. Darren Aronofsky’s Pi sees Sean Gullette star as Max, the mathematician, with a plot that seamlessly blends paranoia and psychological horror to create an existential nightmare of a film.
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Director Darren Aronofsky wong the Directing Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.
The film was well received, earning several awards for both the direction and screenplay, with Aronofsky putting his signature touches all over the production. Pi has a number of disturbing visuals, and Gullette’s performance as an intelligent man who is drawn into a paranoid and haunted state is truly gripping to watch. The real weirdness in the film is shown through the unraveling of his mind as he falls further down the rabbit hole due to his mathematical obsession, with claustrophobic and frightening cinematography that places the audience firmly in his mindset.
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8 Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)
Starring Johnny Depp And Benicio Del Toro
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas RComedyDramaAdventure
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 1998 film directed by Terry Gilliam, based on Hunter S. Thompson’s novel. The movie stars Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke and Benicio Del Toro as Dr. Gonzo, who embark on a chaotic and drug-fueled journey through Las Vegas. The film explores themes of excess, hedonism, and the American Dream, showcasing a surreal and psychedelic portrayal of the 1970s counterculture.
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*Availability in US Director Terry Gilliam Release Date May 22, 1998 Writers Tony Grisoni , Alex Cox , Terry Gilliam , Tod Davies Cast Tobey Maguire , Gary Busey , Mark Harmon , Christina Ricci , Johhny Depp , Cameron Diaz , Benicio Del Toro , Ellen Barkin Runtime 118 minutes Main Genre Adventure Expand
Based on legendary ‘gonzo’ journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the film stars Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro as the oddball duo of Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo. The pair take a drink and drug-fueled trip through Las Vegas, encountering bizarre adventures and crazy situations, abandoning their initial journalistic intentions to instead dive head first into an LSD-laced journey through all that Vegas has to offer. In one of Depp’s most acclaimed and celebrated roles, he and del Toro share a palpable camaraderie that only embraces and exacerbates the madness shown on screen.
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Fear is a double-edged sword, with some viewers following the pair headfirst into the insanity and depravity, with others holding back and looking at it through sober eyes. Either way, the weirdness of the film is dialed all the way up and elevated by the brilliant, larger-than-life performances of the leading men. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has stood the test of time, with scenes such as Duke, high on ultra-purified acid, hallucinating that the hotel clerk is a moray eel entering popular culture and making it one of the most iconic, hallucinatory experiences in modern cinema.
7 Lost Highway (1997)
Starring Bill Pullman And Patricia Arquette
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Lost Highway RDramaMysteryThriller
Lost Highway is a psychological thriller directed by David Lynch. Released in 1997, the film stars Bill Pullman as Fred Madison, a jazz saxophonist entangled in a complex mystery involving his wife and a parallel existence. The narrative combines elements of surrealism and noir, weaving a story that challenges perceptions of identity and reality. Patricia Arquette co-stars, and the enigmatic plot unfolds through Lynch’s signature atmospheric and stylistic approach.
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*Availability in US Director David Lynch Release Date January 15, 1997 Writers David Lynch , Barry Gifford Cast Bill Pullman , Patricia Arquette , John Roselius , Louis Eppolito , Jenna Maetlind , michael massee Runtime 134 minutes Main Genre Drama Expand
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In one of David Lynch’s most surreal and intriguing films, Lost Highway sees Bill Pullman play jazz musician Fred Madison, who is accused of brutally murdering his wife. In the usual ‘Lynchian’ style, the film has his signature use of tense atmosphere and eerie performances that leave the audience unsure of who or what to trust. The film is told in a nonlinear fashion, which helps elevate the tension and creates moments where the audience knows more than the characters, which creates many unique moments of weirdness and suspense.
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The film’s plot is incredibly abstract, seeing Bill being convicted of the murder before suddenly vanishing and being replaced by a young mechanic who is now leading a totally different life. It has many layers of complexity through the changing characters, the disjointed narrative, and the intertwining plotlines that make it a bizarre and mind-bending experience. Lost Highway is an explosion of sex, murder, and nightmarish fantasies that defy logical interpretation from the viewer, which adds to the overall madness of the film.
6 Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Starring Tim Robbins And Elizabeth Peña
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8.8/10 Jacob’s Ladder RHorrorMysteryDrama
Jacob’s Ladder is a horror mystery centering on a mourning father and scarred Vietnam War vet named Jacob that is dealing with dissociation. After his child dies, Jacob struggles to separate reality from his delusions. Jacob’s Ladder stars Tim Robbins alongside Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, and Jason Alexander.
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*Availability in US Director Adrian Lyne Release Date November 2, 1990 Writers Bruce Joel Rubin Cast Ving Rhames , Danny Aiello , Matt Craven , Eriq La Salle , Tim Robbins , Elizabeth Peña , Pruitt Taylor Vince , Jason Alexander Runtime 113 minutes Main Genre Horror Expand
In a film that is both haunting and strange, Jacob’s Ladder follows the story of Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins), a modern-day postal worker who begins to have bizarre and terrifying visions from his old military days. The visions are so lucid and twisted that he begins to question the reality he now lives in, unsure whether to trust his life, his dreams, or his memories. The plot of the film sees Jacob descend into a psychological meltdown of paranoia and confusion as some of his old platoon comrades reveal they are also dealing with the same issues.
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Robbins’ performance as a man on the edge who gets abducted, abused, and tortured is incredibly authentic, and he brings a horrifying realism to the hellish sequences. Several scenes, such as when he is taken into hospital, wheeled past deformed and nightmarish characters before being strapped down and injected through the forehead, are incredibly graphic and disturbing. It’s a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, with the storyline, pacing, and acting performances all creating a truly weird masterpiece.
5 Being John Malkovich (1999)
Starring John Cusack And John Malkovich
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Being John Malkovich RComedyDramaFantasy
Being John Malkovich: This film follows the story of an unsuccessful puppeteer named Craig who discovers a portal that leads into the mind of actor John Malkovich. The phenomenon soon entices others to explore the bizarre and controlling world of inhabiting another person’s consciousness.
Director Spike Jonze Release Date October 29, 1999 Cast John Cusack , John Malkovich , Cameron Diaz , Catherine Keener , Mary Kay Place , Orson Bean , Charlie Sheen , Reggie Hayes , W. Earl Brown , Carlos Jacott , Willie Garson , K.K. Dodds , Byrne Piven , Judith Wetzell , Gregory Sporleder , Octavia Spencer , Ned Bellamy , Eric Weinstein , Madison Lanc , Kevin Carroll , Gerald Emerick , Richard Fancy , Patti Tippo , Daniel Hansen , Mariah O’Brien Runtime 113 minutes Expand
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In potentially one of the most original and perfectly crafted films of the entire decade, Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich is almost the epitome of a bizarre theatrical premise. The film is about struggling puppeteer Craig (John Cusack), who discovers a hidden portal that leads into John Malkovich’s mind (and body), giving him the chance to experience the life Malkovich lives as a successful movie star. While the story is bizarre enough, the earnest performances given by the entire cast provide a genuine layer of realism that makes it equal parts admirable and unsettling.
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The 10 Weirdest Films From The 1990s On This List: |
IMDb Rating: |
|---|---|
|
Arizona Dream (1993) |
7.2/10 |
|
Pi (1998) |
7.3/10 |
|
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) |
7.5/10 |
|
Lost Highway (1997) |
7.6/10 |
|
Jacob’s Ladder (1990) |
7.4/10 |
|
Being John Malkovich (1999) |
7.7/10 |
|
Freaked (1993) |
6.4/10 |
|
Bad Boy Bubby (1993) |
7.3/10 |
|
Gummo (1997) |
6.6/10 |
|
Naked Lunch (1991) |
6.9/10 |
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Being John Malkovich was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director, Original Screenplay, and Actress, making it one of the most successful bizarre films produced in the ’90s. The critical acclaim it received is a testament to the incredibly unique and strange premise that is full of twists, paradoxes, and sinister undertones. Malkovich gives a one-of-a-kind performance, forced to play himself, and also surreal variations of his own character in an expert depiction of self-parody and loss of identity.
4 Freaked (1993)
Starring Alex Winter And Randy Quaid
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Freaked PG-13ComedyScience FictionHorror
Freaked is a satirical comedy-horror film directed by Tom Stern and Alex Winter. The story revolves around a former child star, played by Alex Winter, who becomes the unwilling center of a bizarre freak show after being transformed by a toxic chemical. The film features a blend of absurd humor and grotesque imagery, with supporting appearances by Randy Quaid, Brooke Shields, and William Sadler.
Director Tom Stern , Alex Winter Release Date September 11, 1993 Studio(s) Tommy , Chiodo Bros. Productions Writers Alex Winter , Tom Stern , Tim Burns Cast Alex Winter , Randy Quaid , Michael Stoyanov , Megan Ward , Keanu Reeves Runtime 80 Minutes Main Genre Comedy Expand
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Turning into a modern-day cult classic, Freaked sees Alex Winter play former child star Ricky Coogin, who travels to South America to endorse and promote a fertilizer called ‘Zygote 24’. Strange from minute one, things descend further into insanity when Ricky and his friends Ernie and Julia attend a local freakshow that sees a mad scientist transform the three into hideous, deformed oddities. Freaked‘s cast of bizarre mutated characters and comedic scenarios make it one of the strangest black comedies of the decade.
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The freakshow sees a collection of characters like Ortiz the Dog Boy, a giant arthropod Worm, a literal anthropomorphic cow Cowboy, the Bearded Lady, and Sockhead, all of which sound as disturbing as they appear on screen. In a film that was deemed too weird for previous studio executives after a series of poorly rated screenings, the film failed to gain widespread distribution. It’s only in recent years that a true appreciation was gained for the film’s offbeat humor and grotesque cast of characters that make it an underrated gem of weird 90s cinema.
3 Bad Boy Bubby (1993)
Starring Nicholas Hope And Ralph Cotterill
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Bad Boy Bubby NRCrimeDramaComedy
Bad Boy Bubby follows the life of a man kept isolated by his mother for thirty years, believing the outside world to be toxic. Upon encountering his estranged father, Bubby is thrust into this unfamiliar world, exploring its complexities and unusual aspects as he adapts and navigates his new reality.
Director Rolf de Heer Release Date September 1, 1993 Cast Nicholas Hope , Ralph Cotterill , Claire Benito , Syd Brisbane , Ullie Birvé , Natalie Carr , Celine O’Leary , Carmel Johnson , Grant Piro , Audine Leith , Lucia Mastrantone , Nikki Price , Fille Dusselee , Andy McPhee Runtime 114 minutes
While other strange films in the ’90s generally had some comedic elements, like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, or surreal sequences that still felt based in reality, like Arizona Dream, Bad Boy Bubby is a film that takes a different turn. It follows the story of Bubby, a mentally challenged man who has been held captive in his house by a mother who is cruel, vindictive, and abusive. It goes on to reveal his journey after escaping the home and his confusing and disturbing journey of self-discovery.
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The film’s bizarreness is grounded and amplified by its seeming authenticity, a brutal and unflinching look at the underbelly of a horrific world, and one of the most original films that has ever come out of Australian cinema.
The film is deeply challenging and unsettling from start to finish, with little pause for breaks in the perversion. Bubby’s mother regularly forces the two to engage in incestuous sex, and there are multiple instances of animal abuse, with Bubby killing his pet cat by wrapping it in cling film. The film’s bizarreness is grounded and amplified by its seeming authenticity, a brutal and unflinching look at the underbelly of a horrific world, and one of the most original films that has ever come out of Australian cinema.
2 Gummo (1997)
Starring Linda Manz And Max Perlich
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Gummo DramaComedy
Gummo depicts the lives of teenagers Solomon and Tummler in Xenia, Ohio, a town struggling to recover from a devastating tornado in the 1970s. The film explores their aimlessness and the bleakness of their environment, providing a glimpse into the residual impact of disaster on a community.
Director Harmony Korine Release Date October 17, 1997 Cast Jacob Reynolds , Linda Manz , Chloë Sevigny , Carisa Glucksman , Darby Dougherty , Jacob Sewell , Mark Gonzales , Daniel Martin , Harmony Korine , Max Perlich Runtime 89 minutes
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Similar in tone to Bad Boy Bubby, Harmony Korine’s Gummo is a series of incredibly raw and strange vignettes that show the lives of residents in a small Midwestern town that was decimated by a tornado. The narrative is loose and disjointed, shot on a low budget in a documentary-style format, which makes it feel that much more gritty and genuine. It mainly follows a young boy named Solomon, who narrates much of the film, and other strange characters, such as a mute adolescent known as Bunny Boy.
Director Harmony Korine approached local people in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, to see if they would appear in the film or use their homes for shooting to add a layer of authenticity to the film.
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As well as the main scenes, which provide a raw and unsettling look at the poverty-stricken American subculture, there are a number of more random shots that are interspersed throughout the film. These sequences include a man offering his disabled sister for sex, Solomon having dinner in a dirty bath, and a drunk man making sexual advances towards a male person of short stature. While other movies may focus on bizarre, paranormal visions and outlandish premises, Gummo takes what is truly weird and strips it to the bare essentials, creating a horrifyingly realistic film that is impossible to look away from.
1 Naked Lunch (1991)
Starring Peter Weller And Judy Davis
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Naked Lunch RDramaMystery
Director David Cronenberg Release Date December 27, 1991 Writers William S. Burroughs , David Cronenberg Cast Peter Weller , Judy Davis , Ian Holm , Julian Sands , Roy Scheider , Monique Mercure , Nicholas Campbell , Michael Zelniker Runtime 115 Minutes Main Genre Drama Expand
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An impossibly weird film adapted from William S. Burroughs’ 1959 novel, David Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch follows an exterminator, Lee (Peter Weller), whose wife begins taking his insecticides to use as a recreational drug. Lee is then arrested and begins hallucinating due to his own exposure to the chemicals, where he believes he is a secret agent and is tasked to kill his wife by his boss, a giant talking beetle. It is an incredibly strange story, filled with paranoia, drugs, and sexual misadventures.
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Weller performs his role with a master stroke of nuanced charm and subtle madness that helps contrast with the most surreal and fever-dream visuals. The whole plot is wonderfully absurd, with genuinely compelling performances and the perfect balance of nightmarish scenes with bizarre imagery that create a strange, haunting film that never lets up. Naked Lunch has weirdness running through its core and in every aspect of the film, making it not just one of the strangest films of the ’90s but one of the weirdest films of all time.
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