The Shawshank Redemption (Photo by Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection)
We’re ranking the best-reviewed and most popular movies of 1994! It was a banner year for film, including the full-throated arrival of the American independent scene with Clerks breaking through and Pulp Fiction‘s nomination for Best Picture, the apex of the Disney Renaissance with The Lion King, and the release of The Shawshank Redemption, an easy argument for most beloved movie of the past 30 years.
There are three tiers to our ranking of the best movies of 1994. The first are Certified Fresh movies — films that reached a 75% Tomatometer score from at least 40 reviews. Besides everything mentioned in the opening paragraph, 1994 Certified Fresh movies include the Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock thriller Speed, Gillian Armstrong’s adaptation of Little Women, Tim Burton’s biopic of Ed Wood, and The Professional with prime scary Gary Oldman.
The next batch of movies are Fresh films with a positive Audience Score, including Studio Ghibli‘s Pom Poko, James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s last collaboration True Lies, John Waters’ twisted suburban satire Serial Mom, and Dumb & Dumber, co-starring Jim Carrey who was deep in his strong ’90s run (The Mask of this same year is Certified Fresh).
Following the Fresh movies are Rotten movies with strong Audience Scores. These are films that general crowds have propped up as some enduring favorites, including Stargate (which launched a sci-fi media franchise), Norman Jewison’s rom-com Only You, the controversial Natural Born Killers, and the bizarre Martin Short/Charles Grodin cult comedy Clifford.
Forrest Gump won the Academy Award for Best Picture, beating Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and Shawshank. The top 10 grossing movies were led by Lion King with over $300 million, followed by Gump, True Lies, The Santa Clause, The Flintstones (with its Rotten Tomatometer and negative Audience Score, it’s the only movie here not to appear on this best-of guide), Clear and Present Danger, Speed, The Mask, Interview with the Vampire, and Maverick.
#1
Adjusted Score: 102283%
Critics Consensus: One of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of all time, Hoop Dreams is a rich, complex, heartbreaking, and ultimately deeply rewarding film that uses high school hoops as a jumping-off point to explore issues of race, class, and education in modern America.
#2
Adjusted Score: 101465%
Critics Consensus: While frothy to a fault, Four Weddings and a Funeral features irresistibly breezy humor, and winsome performances from Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell.
#3
Adjusted Score: 99937%
Critics Consensus: Robert Redford refracts the sociopolitical and moral issues posed by the subject material through a purely entertaining, well-acted lens.
#4
Adjusted Score: 103353%
Critics Consensus: Dark, stylish, and captivating, Heavenly Creatures signals both the auspicious debut of Kate Winslet and the arrival of Peter Jackson as more than just a cult director.
#5
Adjusted Score: 100580%
Critics Consensus: A terrific popcorn thriller, Speed is taut, tense, and energetic, with outstanding performances from Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, and Sandra Bullock.
#6
Adjusted Score: 99195%
Critics Consensus: A gleefully entertaining backstage comedy, Bullets Over Broadway features some of Woody Allen’s sharpest, most inspired late-period writing and direction.
#7
Adjusted Score: 97811%
Critics Consensus: The Secret of Roan Inish is a gentle fairy tale filled with optimism that’s suitable for the whole family.
#8
Adjusted Score: 97811%
Critics Consensus: Crumb is a frank and surreal chronicle of artistic expression and family trauma, offering an unblinking gaze into the mind and work of cartoonist Robert Crumb that will endear as much as it unsettles.
#9
Adjusted Score: 97502%
Critics Consensus: Like Body Heat, The Last Seduction updates film noir techniques for a modern era, imbuing this erotic film with ’90s snark.
#10
Adjusted Score: 97416%
Critics Consensus: While its premise is ripe for comedy — and it certainly delivers its fair share of laughs — Priscilla is also a surprisingly tender and thoughtful road movie with some outstanding performances.
#11
Adjusted Score: 97070%
Critics Consensus: Thanks largely to stellar all-around performances from a talented cast, The Madness of King George is a funny, entertaining, and immensely likable adaptation of the eponymous stage production.
#12
Adjusted Score: 103862%
Critics Consensus: Emotionally stirring, richly drawn, and beautifully animated, The Lion King is a pride within Disney’s pantheon of classic family films.
#13
Adjusted Score: 95984%
Critics Consensus: Once Were Warriors isn’t an easy watch, but the raw power of its story — and the performances of an excellent cast — reward viewers who rise to the challenge.
#14
Adjusted Score: 95724%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to a powerhouse lineup of talented actresses, Gillian Armstrong’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women proves that a timeless story can succeed no matter how many times it’s told.
#15
Adjusted Score: 101046%
Critics Consensus: One of the most influential films of the 1990s, Pulp Fiction is a delirious post-modern mix of neo-noir thrills, pitch-black humor, and pop-culture touchstones.
#16
Adjusted Score: 97320%
Critics Consensus: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp team up to fete the life and work of cult hero Ed Wood, with typically strange and wonderful results.
#17
Adjusted Score: 96842%
Critics Consensus: The Shawshank Redemption is an uplifting, deeply satisfying prison drama with sensitive direction and fine performances.
#18
Adjusted Score: 94937%
Critics Consensus: It’s solidly directed by Robert Benton and stacked with fine performances from an impressive cast, but above all, Nobody’s Fool is a showcase for some of Paul Newman’s best late-period work.
#19
Adjusted Score: 94196%
Critics Consensus: With its quirky characters and clever, quotable dialogue, Clerks is the ultimate clarion call for slackers everywhere to unite and, uh, do something we guess?
#20
Adjusted Score: 92976%
Critics Consensus: A richly textured romantic comedy, I Like It Like That draws on a smart script and spirited performances to tell a refreshingly original story.
#21
Adjusted Score: 92890%
Critics Consensus: Even if all it had to offer were writer-director Wong Kar-wai’s thrillingly distinctive visuals, Chungking Express would be well worth watching; happily, its thoughtfully drawn characters and naturalistic performances also pack a potent dramatic wallop.
#22
Adjusted Score: 91331%
Critics Consensus: A richly layered look at the complex interactions between a widowed chef and his daughters, Ang Lee’s generational comedy Eat Drink Man Woman offers filmgoers a tasty cinematic treat.
#23
Adjusted Score: 90551%
Critics Consensus: Well cast and sharply directed, Fresh serves as an attention-getting calling card for writer-director Boaz Yakin as well as a gripping urban drama.
#24
Adjusted Score: 88455%
Critics Consensus: Filled with style and dark, lurid energy, The Crow is an action-packed visual feast that also has a soul in the performance of the late Brandon Lee.
#25
Adjusted Score: 85417%
Critics Consensus: With its claustrophobic setting heightening the tension and seasoned stars doing excellent work, Death and the Maiden is prime Polanski.
#26
Adjusted Score: 84156%
Critics Consensus: Heartfelt and quirky, though at times broad, Muriel’s Wedding mixes awkward comedy, oddball Australian characters, and a nostalgia-heavy soundtrack.
#27
Adjusted Score: 84156%
Critics Consensus: Perfecting the formula established in earlier installments, Clear and Present Danger reunites its predecessor’s creative core to solidly entertaining effect.
#28
Adjusted Score: 83677%
Critics Consensus: It misses perhaps as often as it hits, but Jim Carrey’s manic bombast, Cameron Diaz’ blowsy appeal, and the film’s overall cartoony bombast keep The Mask afloat.
#29
Adjusted Score: 82551%
Critics Consensus: Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book may not hew as closely to the book as its title suggests, but it still offers an entertaining live-action take on a story best known in animated form.
#30
Adjusted Score: 82464%
Critics Consensus: The Client may not reinvent the tenets of the legal drama, but Joel Schumacher’s sturdy directorial hand and a high-caliber cast bring John Grisham’s page-turner to life with engrossing suspense.
#31
Adjusted Score: 81637%
Critics Consensus: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare adds an unexpectedly satisfying – not to mention intelligent – meta layer to a horror franchise that had long since lost its way.
#32
Adjusted Score: 79976%
Critics Consensus: With sensitive direction from Rose Troche and terrific work from co-writer/star Guinevere Turner, Go Fish plays a winning hand.
#33
Adjusted Score: 78716%
Critics Consensus: Pivoting on the unusual relationship between seasoned hitman and his 12-year-old apprentice — a breakout turn by young Natalie Portman — Luc Besson’s Léon is a stylish and oddly affecting thriller.
#34
Adjusted Score: 77110%
Critics Consensus: The Santa Clause is utterly undemanding, but it’s firmly rooted in the sort of good old-fashioned holiday spirit missing from too many modern yuletide films.
#35
Adjusted Score: 76850%
Critics Consensus: Undeniably uneven and too dark for some, The Ref nonetheless boasts strong turns from Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey, as well as a sharply funny script.
#36
Adjusted Score: 100299%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#37
Adjusted Score: 94819%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#38
Adjusted Score: 86609%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#39
Adjusted Score: 97378%
Critics Consensus: Exotica simmers with sex and obsession, while successfully doubling as an extreme character study.
#40
Adjusted Score: 96220%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#41
Adjusted Score: 91992%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#42
Adjusted Score: 86634%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#43
Adjusted Score: 91204%
Critics Consensus: Beautiful performances and the subtle hand of master Louis Malle make this adaptation of Chekov’s Uncle Vanya an eccentric presentation of an enduring classic.
#44
Adjusted Score: 91050%
Critics Consensus: Fast and frenetic, The Paper captures the energy of the newsroom thanks to its cast and director on first-rate form.
#45
Adjusted Score: 89646%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#46
Adjusted Score: 88470%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#47
Adjusted Score: 87992%
Critics Consensus: To Live (Huo zhe) offers a gut-wrenching overview of Chinese political upheaval through the lens of one family’s unforgettable experiences.
#48
Adjusted Score: 87513%
Critics Consensus: Inscrutably strange, yet undeniably compelling, Arizona Dream is anchored by magnetic performances from Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway.
#49
Adjusted Score: 86213%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#50
Adjusted Score: 86212%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#51
Adjusted Score: 83944%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#52
Adjusted Score: 78080%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#53
Adjusted Score: 83118%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#54
Adjusted Score: 81385%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#55
Adjusted Score: 81385%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#56
Adjusted Score: 80945%
Critics Consensus: A personal project that warmly reflects on director Spike Lee’s childhood, Crooklyn is an episodic celebration of family and the indelible facets of one’s hometown.
#57
Adjusted Score: 78559%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#58
Adjusted Score: 77857%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#59
Adjusted Score: 75039%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#60
Adjusted Score: 79351%
Critics Consensus: Forrest Gump may be an overly sentimental film with a somewhat problematic message, but its sweetness and charm are usually enough to approximate true depth and grace.
#61
Adjusted Score: 74849%
Critics Consensus: If it doesn’t reach the heights of director James Cameron’s and star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s previous collaborations, True Lies still packs enough action and humor into its sometimes absurd plot to entertain.
#62
Adjusted Score: 70732%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#63
Adjusted Score: 76574%
Critics Consensus: When a Man Loves a Woman delves into the complex dynamics of a marriage shadowed by addiction, aided by strong performances from Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan.
#64
Adjusted Score: 71849%
Critics Consensus: It isn’t terribly deep, but it’s witty and undeniably charming, and the cast is obviously having fun.
#65
Adjusted Score: 71590%
Critics Consensus: A relentlessly stupid comedy elevated by its main actors: Jim Carrey goes bonkers and Jeff Daniels carries himself admirably in an against-type performance.
#66
Adjusted Score: 70464%
Critics Consensus: Its overly pretentious and melodramatic leanings notwithstanding, Backbeat explores the beginnings of the Fab Four with striking authenticity, soaring rock ‘n’ roll verve, and a strong admiration for its subjects.
#67
Adjusted Score: 67299%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#68
Adjusted Score: 68706%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#69
Adjusted Score: 60976%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#70
Adjusted Score: 67195%
Critics Consensus: Despite lacking some of the book’s subtler shadings, and suffering from some clumsy casting, Interview with a Vampire benefits from Neil Jordan’s atmospheric direction and a surfeit of gothic thrills.
#71
Adjusted Score: 67110%
Critics Consensus: Reality Bites may be too slick to fulfill its promise as a profound statement on Generation X, but an appealing ensemble and romantic sizzle make for an entertaining dive into the ennui of youth.
#72
Adjusted Score: 63385%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#73
Adjusted Score: 64236%
Critics Consensus: Intriguingly strange and visually distinctive, The Hudsucker Proxy is ultimately almost — but not quite — as smart and absorbing as it needs to be.
#74
Adjusted Score: 62031%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#75
Adjusted Score: 61165%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#76
Adjusted Score: 51970%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#77
Adjusted Score: 63110%
Critics Consensus: Featuring a swoon-worthy star turn by Brad Pitt, Legends of the Fall‘s painterly photography and epic sweep often compensate for its lack of narrative momentum and glut of melodramatic twists.
#78
Adjusted Score: 59077%
Critics Consensus: Jason’s Lyric is a sexually charged film whose violent streak weakens or, depending on your perspective, supports the melodrama.
#79
Adjusted Score: 60850%
Critics Consensus: A contrived romantic mystery and ponderous pacing make Immortal Beloved a not-so-joyful ode to Ludwig van Beethoven, despite Gary Oldman’s best efforts to inject some passion into proceedings.
#80
Adjusted Score: 59036%
Critics Consensus: Despite a committed performance by Jodie Foster, Nell opts for ponderous melodrama instead of engaging with the ethical dilemmas of socializing its titular wild child.
#81
Adjusted Score: 57330%
Critics Consensus: Stargate has splashy visuals and James Spader to recommend it, but corny characterization and a clunky script makes this a portal to ho-hum.
#82
Adjusted Score: 55118%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#83
Adjusted Score: 53646%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#84
Adjusted Score: 52818%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#85
Adjusted Score: 52983%
Critics Consensus: Natural Born Killers explodes off the screen with style, but its satire is too blunt to offer any fresh insight into celebrity or crime — pummeling the audience with depravity until the effect becomes deadening.
#86
Adjusted Score: 50385%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#87
Adjusted Score: 44386%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#88
Adjusted Score: 38121%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#89
Adjusted Score: 37646%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#90
Adjusted Score: 37424%
Critics Consensus: Senselessly violent and mean-spirited, Killing Zoe fails to deliver a much needed cleverness to back up its hyper-stylized flourishes.
#91
Adjusted Score: 36211%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#92
Adjusted Score: 34296%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#93
Adjusted Score: 38361%
Critics Consensus: Easy to admire yet difficult to love, Wyatt Earp buries eye-catching direction and an impressive cast in an undisciplined and overlong story.
#94
Adjusted Score: 31126%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#95
Adjusted Score: 29511%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#96
Adjusted Score: 25386%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#97
Adjusted Score: 21212%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#98
Adjusted Score: 20252%
Critics Consensus: While it’s admittedly well-meaning, With Honors handles its themes in strictly remedial fashion.
#99
Adjusted Score: 14684%
Critics Consensus: Ill-conceived and desperately unfunny, Clifford stars Martin Short as a 10-year-old boy. You read that correctly. That’s the joke.
#100
Adjusted Score: 13386%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.