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Edition · 1991
The Year in Film · 1991

Best of 1991

The films that defined 1991 — ranked by IMDb score.


These films defined 1991 — the year's highest-rated releases, ranked by IMDb score. Some are awards bait, some are popcorn fare, some quietly snuck in under the radar. All earned their place on the list.

  1. 01.
    Sandhesam

    Sandhesam

    1991·Dir. Sathyan Anthikad·137 min·9.0

    After his retirement, Raghavan Nair (Thilakan) is back at his home. His long cherished dream to spend his retired life along with his family is thwarted after seeing his two sons brawling each other over their political differences.

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  2. 02.
    Kilukkam

    Kilukkam

    1991·Dir. Priyadarshan·155 min·8.7

    Nandini is an illegitimate child who comes to Ooty in search of her father. She meets Joji, a tourist guide, and pretends to be mentally unstable in order to get shelter in his house.

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  3. 03.
    The Silence of the Lambs

    The Silence of the Lambs

    1991·Dir. Jonathan Demme·119 min·8.6

    Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

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  4. 04.
    Terminator 2: Judgment Day

    Terminator 2: Judgment Day

    1991·Dir. James Cameron·137 min·8.6

    Ten years after the events of the original, a reprogrammed T-800 is sent back in time to protect young John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah, he fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.

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  5. 05.
    Thalapathi

    Thalapathi

    1991·Dir. Mani Ratnam·157 min·8.5

    Surya, a courageous man who was raised in the slums, fights for the rights of the poor and befriends Deva, who hires him as his commander and changes his life completely.

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  6. 06.
    Paris Is Burning

    Paris Is Burning

    1991·Dir. Jennie Livingston·78 min·8.2

    Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.

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  7. 07.
    A Brighter Summer Day

    A Brighter Summer Day

    1991·Dir. Edward Yang·237 min·8.2

    A boy experiences first love, friendships and injustices growing up in 1960s Taiwan.

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  8. 08.
    Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

    Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

    1991·Dir. George Hickenlooper·96 min·8.1

    A chronicle of the production problems — including bad weather, actors' health, war near the filming locations, and more — which plagued the filming of Apocalypse Now, increasing costs and nearly destroying the life and career of Francis Ford Coppola.

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  9. 09.
    Raise the Red Lantern

    Raise the Red Lantern

    1991·Dir. Zhang Yimou·125 min·8.1

    In 1920s China, 19-year-old Songlian becomes a concubine of a powerful lord and is forced to compete with his three wives for the privileges gained.

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  10. 10.
    Beauty and the Beast

    Beauty and the Beast

    1991·Dir. Gary Trousdale·84 min·8.0

    Follow the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself in the castle of a prince who's been turned into a mysterious beast. With the help of the castle's enchanted staff, Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all -- that true beauty comes from within.

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  11. 11.
    JFK

    JFK

    1991·Dir. Oliver Stone·189 min·8.0

    Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.

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  12. 12.
    Pappa ante Portas

    Pappa ante Portas

    1991·Dir. Vicco von Bülow·84 min·7.9

    Heinrich Lohse, a strict and highly efficient purchasing manager at a company bulk-orders 40 tons of mustard and enough typewriting paper for 40 years just to get discount. Heinrich's boss decides it’s time for him to retire early. Heinrich suddenly finds himself with nothing to do—except micromanage his household, much to the dismay of his wife Renate and their son Dieter

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  13. 13.
    Boyz n the Hood

    Boyz n the Hood

    1991·Dir. John Singleton·112 min·7.7

    In the middle of the Los Angeles ghetto, drugs, robberies and shootings dominate everyday life. During these times, Furious tries to raise his son Tre to be a decent person. Tre's friends, on the other hand, have little regard for the law and drag the entire neighborhood into a street war...

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  14. 14.
    Fried Green Tomatoes

    Fried Green Tomatoes

    1991·Dir. Jon Avnet·130 min·7.7

    Amidst her own personality crisis, a southern housewife meets an outgoing old woman who tells her the story of Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, two young women who experienced hardships and love in 1920s Whistle Stop, Alabama.

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  15. 15.
    Night on Earth

    Night on Earth

    1991·Dir. Jim Jarmusch·129 min·7.6

    A quintet of cabbies in five cities and their remarkable fares on the same eventful night.

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  16. 16.
    The Commitments

    The Commitments

    1991·Dir. Alan Parker·118 min·7.6

    Jimmy Rabbitte, just a thick-ya out of school, gets a brilliant idea: to put a soul band together in Barrytown, his slum home in north Dublin. First he needs musicians and singers: things slowly start to click when he finds three fine-voiced females virtually in his back yard, a lead singer (Deco) at a wedding, and, responding to his ad, an aging trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan.

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  17. 17.
    The Lovers on the Bridge

    The Lovers on the Bridge

    1991·Dir. Leos Carax·126 min·7.6

    Set against Paris' oldest bridge, the Pont Neuf, while it was closed for repairs, this film is a love story between two young vagrants: Alex, a would be circus performer addicted to alcohol and sedatives and Michele, a painter driven to a life on the streets because of a failed relationship and an affliction which is slowly turning her blind.

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  18. 18.
    The Five Heartbeats

    The Five Heartbeats

    1991·Dir. Robert Townsend·121 min·7.6

    In the early 1960s, a quintet of hopeful, young African-American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group improves, turns pro, and rises to become a top flight music sensation. Along the way, however, the guys learn many hard lessons about the reality of the music industry.

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  19. 19.
    Thelma & Louise

    Thelma & Louise

    1991·Dir. Ridley Scott·130 min·7.6

    Taking a break from their dreary lives, close friends Thelma and Louise embark on a short weekend trip that ends in unforeseen incriminating circumstances. As fugitives, both women rediscover the strength of their bond and their newfound resilience.

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  20. 20.
    The Double Life of Véronique

    The Double Life of Véronique

    1991·Dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski·98 min·7.6

    Véronique is a beautiful young French woman who aspires to be a renowned singer; Weronika lives in Poland, has a similar career goal and looks identical to Véronique, though the two are not related. The film follows both women as they contend with the ups and downs of their individual lives, with Véronique embarking on an unusual romance with Alexandre Fabbri, a puppeteer who may be able to help her with her existential issues.

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  21. 21.
    Barton Fink

    Barton Fink

    1991·Dir. Joel Coen·117 min·7.6

    A renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.

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  22. 22.
    Only Yesterday

    Only Yesterday

    1991·Dir. Isao Takahata·119 min·7.6

    In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self.

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  23. 23.
    All the Mornings of the World

    All the Mornings of the World

    1991·Dir. Alain Corneau·115 min·7.5

    Following the death of his wife, a renowned musician ostracises himself from the outer world and dedicates his life to music. However, his life changes when a young man approaches him to learn music.

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  24. 24.
    Delicatessen

    Delicatessen

    1991·Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet·99 min·7.5

    In a post-apocalyptic world, the residents of an apartment above the butcher shop receive an occasional delicacy of meat, something that is in low supply. A young man new in town falls in love with the butcher's daughter, which causes conflicts in her family, who need the young man for other business-related purposes.

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  25. 25.
    A Scene at the Sea

    A Scene at the Sea

    1991·Dir. Takeshi Kitano·101 min·7.5

    A deaf garbage collector happens upon a broken and discarded surfboard. The discovery plants in him dreams of becoming a surf champion. Encouraged by his also deaf girlfriend, he persists against all odds.

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  26. 26.
    La Belle Noiseuse

    La Belle Noiseuse

    1991·Dir. Jacques Rivette·238 min·7.5

    The former famous painter Frenhofer lives quietly with his wife on a countryside residence in the French Provence. When the young artist Nicolas visits him with his girlfriend Marianne, Frenhofer decides to start again the work on a painting he long ago stopped: La Belle Noiseuse. And he wants Marianne as model.

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  27. 27.
    Europa

    Europa

    1991·Dir. Lars von Trier·113 min·7.5

    Just after World War II, an American takes a railway job in Germany, but finds his position politically sensitive with various people trying to use him.

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  28. 28.
    The Fisher King

    The Fisher King

    1991·Dir. Terry Gilliam·138 min·7.5

    Two troubled men face their terrible destinies and events of their past as they join together on a mission to find the Holy Grail and thus to save themselves.

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  29. 29.
    Mediterraneo

    Mediterraneo

    1991·Dir. Gabriele Salvatores·96 min·7.4

    Greek Sea, World War II. An Italian ship leaves a handful of soldiers in a little island; their mission is to spot enemy ships and to hold the island in case of attack. The village of the island seems abandoned and there isn't a single enemy in sight, so the soldiers begin to relax a little. Things change when their ship is hit and destroyed by the enemy, and the soldiers find themselves abandoned there.

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  30. 30.
    Toto the Hero

    Toto the Hero

    1991·Dir. Jaco Van Dormael·91 min·7.4

    80-year-old Thomas recounts his childhood and middle age through a series of flashbacks and dream sequences. Thomas believes he’s been taken away from a better life at birth; following a hospital fire, he vividly recalls being swapped with another new-born, and subsequently grows up in a poorer neighbouring household.

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  31. 31.
    Enchanted April

    Enchanted April

    1991·Dir. Mike Newell·95 min·7.3

    When married British women Rose Arbuthnot and Lottie Wilkins decide to take a break from their respective spouses, they stay at a castle in Italy for a quiet holiday. Joining the ladies is Caroline Dester, a young socialite, and Mrs. Fisher, an older aristocrat. Liberated from their daily routines, the four women ease into life in rural Italy, and each finds herself transformed by the experience.

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  32. 32.
    Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

    Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

    1991·Dir. Tom Stoppard·117 min·7.3

    Rosencrantz and Guildensterm, minor characters from the play 'Hamlet', find themselves on the road to Elsinore Castle at the behest of the King of Denmark. The duo encounter a band of players before arriving to find that they are needed to try to discern what troubles the prince Hamlet. Meanwhile, they ponder the meaning of their existence.

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  33. 33.
    Dogfight

    Dogfight

    1991·Dir. Nancy Savoca·94 min·7.3

    In the fall of 1963, Eddie Birdlace is an 18-year-old Marine Corps volunteer who is about to ship out with three of his buddies for a tour of duty in Vietnam. Planning a massive blowout for their last night in San Francisco, Eddie, his buddies, and a number of other Marines set up a contest they call a "dogfight”.

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  34. 34.
    A Brief History of Time

    A Brief History of Time

    1991·Dir. Errol Morris·80 min·7.3

    This shows physicist Stephen Hawking's life as he deals with the ALS that renders him immobile and unable to speak without the use of a computer. Hawking's friends, family, classmates, and peers are interviewed not only about his theories but the man himself.

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  35. 35.
    Point Break

    Point Break

    1991·Dir. Kathryn Bigelow·122 min·7.3

    In Los Angeles, a gang of bank robbers who call themselves The Ex-Presidents commit their crimes while wearing masks of Reagan, Carter, Nixon and Johnson. Believing that the members of the gang could be surfers, the F.B.I. sends young agent Johnny Utah to the beach undercover to mix with the surfers and gather information.

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  36. 36.
    Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

    Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

    1991·Dir. Nicholas Meyer·110 min·7.3

    After years of war, the Federation and the Klingon empire find themselves on the brink of a peace summit when a Klingon ship is nearly destroyed by an apparent attack from the Enterprise. Both worlds brace for what may be their deadliest encounter.

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  37. 37.
    Cape Fear

    Cape Fear

    1991·Dir. Martin Scorsese·128 min·7.3

    Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, Bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? 14 years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.

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  38. 38.
    Saajan

    Saajan

    1991·Dir. Lawrence D'Souza·181 min·7.2

    Breaking conventional barriers, a poor, disabled orphan befriends the son of a wealthy businessman. However, their friendship is put to the test after both friends fall in love with the same woman.

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  39. 39.
    Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken

    Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken

    1991·Dir. Steve Miner·88 min·7.2

    A runaway orphan, young Sonora, persists in a menial job mucking stables in Doc Carver's travelling stunt show. Her great wish is to become a death-defying "diving girl," but Doc refuses her pleas. Undaunted, Sonora's gutsy resolve finally convinces him to give her a break. On the brink of stardom, however, a cruel twist of fate threatens to destroy her dream.

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  40. 40.
    Johnny Stecchino

    Johnny Stecchino

    1991·Dir. Roberto Benigni·115 min·7.2

    Good hearted but not very wordly-wise, Dante is happy driving the school bus for a group of mentally handicapped children, while feeling he is somehow missing out on life and love. So he is very excited when after nearly being knocked down by her car he meets Maria, who seems immediately enamoured of him. He is soon invited to her sumptuous Palermo villa, little suspecting that this is part of a plot. He bears an amazing likeness to Maria's stool-pigeon gangster husband and it would be convenient for them if the mobster, in the shape of Dante, was seen to be dead and buried.

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— End of Chapter —