1996 in Film

Why 1996 you might ask?

Because it was the year I was born.

Being a ’96 baby, I was intrigued to find out what the most popular films from that year was. So that’s what I did. I searched around the web for pre-existing lists of the best films from 1996 and compiled a master list of the films most appeared.

Disclaimer: Each of the lists I found were written on opinion, so this master list is essentially the most popular opinions.

I’ll start off with a list of the top 10 highest-grossing films from 1996 as a comparison to those deemed the best of the decade.

1. Independence Day
2. Twister
3. Mission: Impossible
4. The Rock
5. The Nutty Professor
6. Ransom
7. The Birdcage
8. A Time to Kill
9. 101 Dalmatians
10. The First Wives Club

Now onto the master list countdown;

10. Jerry Maguire

When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent with the only athlete who stays with him and his former colleague.

This film has an average rating of 7.3 on IMDb.

“‘Jerry Maguire’ is a movie I can watch over and over again.” – Film_riot

9. Scream

A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a new killer, who targets the girl and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game.

This film has an average rating of 7.2 on IMDb.

“Scream is the best teenage horror slasher film in the 90’s and it is my all time personal favourite film in the horror genre” – ivo-cobra8

8. Independence Day

The aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind’s best weapon is the will to survive.

This film has an average rating of 7.0 on IMDb.

“Never mind the stereotypical characters, Never mind the non-existent logic. Never mind that the dialogue is inane and bordering on the idiotic. THIS IS GREAT ACTION” – Rammstein-2

7. From Dusk Till Dawn

Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.

This film has an average rating of 7.2 on IMDb.

“I loved this film for many reasons. For one, the switch from a crime thriller to a horror thriller was seamless” – jesuit25

6. Mission: Impossible

An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organisation.

This film has an average rating of 7.1 on IMDb.

“Brian De Palma brings Mission: Impossible to the big screen in an explosive and action-packed adventure” – MR_Heraclius

5. The English Patient

At the close of World War 2, a young nurse tends to a badly-burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair.

This film has an average rating of 7.4 on IMDb.

“This romantic love story sweeps across the screen with epic proportions equal to the vast desert regions against which it is set” – jhclues

4. Breaking the Waves

Oilman Jan is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when Jan urges her to have sex with another.

This film has an average rating of 7.8 on IMDb.

“‘Breaking the Waves’ is a roller-coaster ride and I feel for the characters in this movie, I feel their pleasure and pain, bitter sweet” – groo-8

3. Secrets and Lies

Following the death of her adoptive parents, a successful young black optometrist establishes contact with the biological mother – a lonely white factory worker living in poverty in East London.

This film has an average rating of 8.0 on IMDb.

“For me, its greatness lies in the resonance of the story lines, the brilliant acting, and Mike Leigh’s direction” – wainot

2. Trainspotting

Renton, Deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.

This film has an average rating of 8.1 on IMDb.

“This film became almost a cultural phenomenon as soon as it was released in Britain in February 1996” – RobertF87

1. Fargo

Jerry Lundegaard’s inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen’s bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.

This film has an average rating of 8.1 on IMDb.

“Boy, this is a good movie. In its bare bones it is a crime drama but the Coen brothers constantly undercut the seriousness with a quirky irony” – rmax304823

Of course this list is purely opinion so let me know in the comments which film on this list is your favourite!

What year do you want me to do next in films?

Live Long And Prosper – E