Movies

15 90s Movies That Made No Sense But We Loved Them Anyway

15 90s Movies That Made No Sense But We Loved Them Anyway
Image credit: Legion-Media, October Films, Warner Bros., Fine Line Features, The Samuel Goldwyn Company

From Lynch to Wachowskis, the '90s were a wild time for movies.

These movies, with their bizarre plots that twist and turn in ways no one could predict, their characters who sometimes do things that make zero sense, and their endings that leave us with more questions than answers, still found a special place in our hearts; it's like they have this weird charm that makes us overlook all the confusion.

1. Go (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

The lives of several young Los Angelenos intersect and spiral out of control over the course of one frenetic night involving a drug deal gone wrong; Ronna Martin, trying to avoid eviction, decides to play amateur drug dealer for a night, which sets off a chain of events affecting her co-worker Simon, who's on his own misadventure in Las Vegas, and actors Adam and Zack, who find themselves caught in a drug bust turned blackmail scheme, all converging in unexpected and comedic ways.

2. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%

Laura Palmer, a troubled high school student in the small town of Twin Peaks, navigates a double life filled with dark secrets involving drugs, abuse, and supernatural entities; in the days leading to her murder, she encounters chilling revelations about herself and the people around her, including the demonic entity BOB who haunts her.

3. The City of Lost Children (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

In a surreal dystopian port city, a mad scientist named Krank, who cannot dream, kidnaps children to steal their dreams, but his plans are challenged by a strongman named One and a streetwise orphan, Miette, who embark on a daring rescue mission through a bizarre and dark world.

4. Naked Lunch (1991)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

William Lee, an exterminator-turned-writer, accidentally kills his wife and finds himself in a hallucinogenic journey within his own mind and the surreal city of Interzone, where he encounters bizarre creatures and plots as a secret agent, blurring the lines between reality and drug-induced fantasies.

5. eXistenZ (1999)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%

In a near-future where virtual reality games merge with physical reality, game designer Allegra Geller is on the run after an assassination attempt, plunging her and a marketing trainee, Ted Pikul, into a reality-bending game of her own creation, challenging their perceptions and identities.

6. Lost Highway (1997)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%

Jazz saxophonist Fred Madison, after being convicted for the murder of his wife Renee, mysteriously transforms into a young mechanic, Pete Dayton, leading to a twisted noir tale of identity, infidelity, and surreal encounters with a cryptic man who sends disturbing VHS tapes to Fred's home.

7. Pi (1998)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

Max Cohen, a reclusive number theorist, becomes obsessed with finding a unifying numerical pattern in the stock market and nature, but his quest drives him into madness and physical torment, as he is pursued by a Wall Street firm and a Jewish cabalistic sect, both seeking to exploit his discoveries.

8. Natural Born Killers (1994)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%

Mickey and Mallory Knox, a young couple united by their traumatic pasts, embark on a violent cross-country spree, becoming media sensations and cult heroes, as they are pursued by a fame-obsessed detective and leave a trail of chaos in their wake.

9. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%

Journalist Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo embark on a drug-fueled trip to Las Vegas under the guise of covering a motorcycle race, descending into a psychedelic exploration of the American Dream and encountering various oddities and eccentrics in the heart of Sin City.

10. The Ninth Gate (1999)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 43%

Rare book dealer Dean Corso is hired by a wealthy collector, Boris Balkan, to authenticate a book that allegedly can summon the Devil, leading him across Europe on a dangerous investigation that involves murder, occult practices, and a mysterious woman who shadows his every move.

11. 12 Monkeys (1995)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

Convict James Cole is sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future to prevent a deadly virus unleashed by the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, but finds himself in a complex web of perceived madness, love, and a desperate quest to unravel the truth behind the pandemic and his own reality.

12. Being John Malkovich (1999)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Unhappy puppeteer Craig Schwartz discovers a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich, leading to a bizarre journey of identity theft, body possession, and unrequited love, as he and his co-worker Maxine exploit the discovery, transforming their lives and Malkovich's.

13. Gummo (1997)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 38%

In the tornado-ravaged town of Xenia, Ohio, a group of eccentric, aimless youths engage in a series of disconnected vignettes that depict their bizarre activities, petty crimes, and the grim realities of their existence, painting a bleak portrait of American life.

14. Wild at Heart (1990)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 65%

Lovers Lula and Sailor flee from her mother and the gangsters she hires to kill Sailor, embarking on a passionate and dangerous road trip filled with bizarre characters and violent encounters, all while trying to stay true to each other against all odds.

15. The Fifth Element (1997)

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Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

In the 23rd century, cab driver Korben Dallas becomes entangled in the quest to find the Fifth Element, a mystical being capable of stopping a cosmic evil from destroying Earth, joining forces with a mysterious woman, Leeloo, and a ragtag team to save humanity.