#1 of 134 Best-rated film of 1990
1990 Biography Drama Crime 2h 26m English
92 Metascore $47.1M worldwide
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Goodfellas earned $47.1M worldwide; the year's biggest hit, Ghost, earned $505.7M.
About Goodfellas Best of 1990
Best Movies of 1990, Ranked
1,711 films on the site were released in 1990, and 134 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. Goodfellas tops the list, ahead of Reversal of Fortune and The Killer. The biggest hit was Ghost with $505.7M worldwide, and Dances with Wolves won Best Picture at the 1991 Oscars.
- films released in 1990
- 1,711
- ranked by rating
- 134
- worldwide, top 10 hits
- $3.2B
- award wins
- 50
#1 of 1990
What Is the Best Movie of 1990?
Goodfellas is the best-rated film of 1990, with a rank value of 91/100 from critics and audiences, ahead of Reversal of Fortune (88/100). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
#1 of 134 Ranked
Top 25 Movies of 1990, Ranked
Reversal of Fortune and The Killer follow Goodfellas. Drama is the most common genre in the top 25 (21 films). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
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2. Reversal of Fortune 93 Metascore (Metascore 93 out of 100)1990 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 51m
Dir. Barbet Schroeder No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences
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3. The Killer 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100)1990 · Action, Drama · 1h 51m
Dir. John Woo No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences
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4. An Angel at My Table 79 Metascore (Metascore 79 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))1990 · Biography, Drama · 2h 38m
Dir. Jane Campion No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences
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5. The Witches 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100)1990 · Adventure, Mystery · 1h 31m
Dir. Nicolas Roeg No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences
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6. Misery 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100 (23 critic reviews))1990 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 47m
No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences
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7. Edward Scissorhands 74 Metascore (Metascore 74 out of 100 (19 critic reviews))1990 · Drama, Fantasy · 1h 45m
Dir. Tim Burton No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences
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8. Awakenings 74 Metascore (Metascore 74 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))1990 · Drama · 2h 1m
Dir. Penny Marshall No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences
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8. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100 (22 critic reviews))1990 · Biography, Drama · 1h 23m
Dir. John McNaughton No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences
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10. The Freshman 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100)1990 · Comedy, Crime · 1h 42m
Dir. Andrew Bergman No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences
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11. The Grifters 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100)1990 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 50m
Dir. Stephen Frears No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences
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12. My Twentieth Century 81 Metascore (Metascore 81 out of 100 (5 critic reviews))1990 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 44m
Dir. Ildikó Enyedi No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences
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13. Cyrano de Bergerac 79 Metascore (Metascore 79 out of 100 (19 critic reviews))1990 · Drama, History · 2h 17m
Dir. Jean-Paul Rappeneau No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences
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14. Dances with Wolves 72 Metascore (Metascore 72 out of 100 (20 critic reviews))1990 · Adventure, Drama · 3h 1m
No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences
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15. Glory 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100 (22 critic reviews))1990 · Biography, Drama · 2h 2m
Dir. Edward Zwick No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
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16. Metropolitan 77 Metascore (Metascore 77 out of 100 (5 critic reviews))1990 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 38m
Dir. Whit Stillman No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
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17. Pump Up the Volume 77 Metascore (Metascore 77 out of 100)1990 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 42m
Dir. Allan Moyle No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
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17. The Long Walk Home 73 Metascore (Metascore 73 out of 100)1990 · Drama, History · 1h 37m
Dir. Richard Pearce No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
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17. The Plot Against Harry 77 Metascore (Metascore 77 out of 100)1990 · Comedy, Crime · 1h 21m
Dir. Michael Roemer No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
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20. Miller's Crossing 66 Metascore (Metascore 66 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))1990 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 55m
Dir. Ethan Coen No Echo Score: ranked 72/100 on critics & audiences
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21. Postcards from the Edge 71 Metascore (Metascore 71 out of 100)1990 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 41m
Dir. Mike Nichols No Echo Score: ranked 72/100 on critics & audiences
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22. After Dark, My Sweet 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100 (23 critic reviews))1990 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 54m
Dir. James Foley No Echo Score: ranked 72/100 on critics & audiences
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23. House Party 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))1990 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 40m
Dir. Reginald Hudlin No Echo Score: ranked 71/100 on critics & audiences
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24. Mr. & Mrs. Bridge 73 Metascore (Metascore 73 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))1990 · Drama · 2h 6m
Dir. James Ivory No Echo Score: ranked 70/100 on critics & audiences
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25. Avalon 68 Metascore (Metascore 68 out of 100 (22 critic reviews))1990 · Drama · 2h 8m
Dir. Barry Levinson No Echo Score: ranked 70/100 on critics & audiences
Box office
What Were the Highest-Grossing Movies of 1990?
Ghost earned $505.7M worldwide, ahead of Home Alone ($476.7M). The top 10 took $3.2B together; 227 films released in 1990 have a box office record here. Grosses that look like data errors are left out.
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#1 $505.7M worldwide Ghost $217.6M domestic · Drama -
#2 $476.7M worldwide Home Alone $285.8M domestic · Comedy -
#3 $463.4M worldwide Pretty Woman $178.4M domestic · Comedy - #4 $424.2M worldwide Dances with Wolves $184.2M domestic · Adventure
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#5 $261.3M worldwide Total Recall $119.4M domestic · Action -
#6 $245.1M worldwide Back to the Future Part III $88.3M domestic · Adventure -
#7 $240M worldwide Die Hard 2 $117.5M domestic · Action -
#8 $221.3M worldwide Presumed Innocent $86.3M domestic · Mystery -
#9 $202.1M worldwide Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles $135.4M domestic · Action -
#10 $202M worldwide Kindergarten Cop $91.5M domestic · Action
Awards
Which 1990 Movies Won the Most Awards?
Dances with Wolves leads with 11 wins from 28 nominations, then Cyrano de Bergerac with 7 wins. Dances with Wolves won Best Picture at the 1991 Oscars. In all, 44 films released in 1990 have award nominations on the site, with 50 wins between them.
- Dances with Wolves 11 / 281990 · Adventure, Drama · 11 wins from 28 nominations
- Cyrano de Bergerac 7 / 151990 · Drama, History · 7 wins from 15 nominations
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Dick Tracy 5 / 191990 · Action, Thriller · 5 wins from 19 nominations - Ghost 5 / 171990 · Drama, Mystery · 5 wins from 17 nominations
- Goodfellas 5 / 131990 · Biography, Drama · 5 wins from 13 nominations
- The Grifters 2 / 81990 · Drama, Thriller · 2 wins from 8 nominations
- Reversal of Fortune 2 / 71990 · Drama, Mystery · 2 wins from 7 nominations
- Misery 2 / 41990 · Drama, Thriller · 2 wins from 4 nominations
By genre
What Is the Best 1990 Movie in Each Genre?
The highest-ranked 1990 film of 12 genres, from Biography (Goodfellas) to War (Glory). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.
- Goodfellas 92 Metascore
- Reversal of Fortune 93 Metascore
- The Killer 82 Metascore
- The Witches 78 Metascore
- Misery 75 Metascore
- Edward Scissorhands 74 Metascore
- Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 80 Metascore
- The Freshman 78 Metascore
- The Grifters 86 Metascore
- Cyrano de Bergerac 79 Metascore
- Dances with Wolves 72 Metascore
- Glory 78 Metascore
Release months
When Were 1990's Movies Released?
September was the busiest month of 1990 with 162 releases; its best-rated film is Goodfellas. January shows 333 because films whose exact release day is unknown are stored on January 1.
- January Best: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer333
- February Best: Glory146
- March Best: House Party128
- April Best: Miami Blues123
- May Best: Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!90
- June Best: Total Recall116
- July Best: The Freshman85
- August Best: The Witches112
- September Best: Goodfellas162
- October Best: Reversal of Fortune129
- November Best: Misery141
- December Best: Edward Scissorhands146
- January (Best: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer): 333
- February (Best: Glory): 146
- March (Best: House Party): 128
- April (Best: Miami Blues): 123
- May (Best: Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!): 90
- June (Best: Total Recall): 116
- July (Best: The Freshman): 85
- August (Best: The Witches): 112
- September (Best: Goodfellas): 162
- October (Best: Reversal of Fortune): 129
- November (Best: Misery): 141
- December (Best: Edward Scissorhands): 146
Languages
Which Languages Were 1990's Movies In?
55% of 1990's films with a known language are in English (931). Japanese comes next with 91 films, out of 54 languages in all.
English 
Japanese 
Cantonese 
French 
Russian 
Spanish 
German 
Malayalam 
Italian 
Turkish 
Portuguese 
Arabic 
Tagalog Every year
Best Movies by Year
A best-of page for each of 55 years, from 1900 to 2026 (so far). Before 1980 there is one page per decade, for its first year (1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970); from 1980 every year has its own.
2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
FAQ
Best Movies of 1990: Questions & Answers
Quick answers about 1990's best-rated films, biggest hits and awards, from the lists above.
What is the best movie of 1990?
Goodfellas is the best-rated film of 1990 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 91/100 from critics and audiences. Reversal of Fortune is second and The Killer third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).
About Goodfellas What was the highest-grossing movie of 1990?
Ghost earned $505.7M worldwide, the most of any 1990 release on the site. Home Alone follows with $476.7M.
1990 box office Which 1990 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?
Dances with Wolves (1990) won Best Picture at the 1991 Academy Awards.
Dances with Wolves Which 1990 film won the most awards?
Dances with Wolves has the best award record of the 1990 releases on the site: 11 wins from 28 nominations.
1991 awards season How many movies were released in 1990?
The site lists 1,711 films released in 1990. 134 of them are ranked, and September had the most releases with a known day (162).
How are the best movies of 1990 ranked?
Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases). Only feature films count (60 minutes or longer, no concert recordings), and a film needs enough ratings, box office or award attention to be ranked.