In a decade when crime features likeThe Silence of the Lambs,Fargo, andThe Usual Suspectswere winning Oscars, filmmakers seeking to make their mark in the genre were challenged to meet the precedent. While many succeeded, there’s a canon of 90s crime movies that were simply terrible, unwatchable, and left behind; however, among that crop is a batch of flicks that are so bad, they’re good.Titles like this fail miserably with critics but secure a legacy with audiences who recognize that all the flaws and missteps are the exact reasons said title is actually worth watching.
While the so-bad-it’s-good genre is the backbone of the B-movie industry, there are plenty of mainstream theatrical releases that fit the bill. Whether they are laughably awful from poor dialogue, misplaced action sequences, or just weak performances and storylines, these crime features find a home in a genre that celebrates the misfortunes of their production.
10’Inspector Gadget' (1999)
Directed by David Kellogg
For the generations that grew upwith this 90s Disney classic,Inspector Gadgetclearly exhibits all the signs of a movie that is so inherently bad it’s entertainingly good. Following a devastating accident, security officer John Brown (Matthew Broderick) takes on a new identity as a cybernetic police officer, Inspector Gadget, with the help of a brilliant inventor, Brenda (Joely Fisher). Desperate for Brenda’s research and technological advancements, the evil Sanford Scolex (Rupert Everett) schemes to destroy the city with it.
Inspector Gadgetis sensory overload with its quick edits, loud and explosive action sequences, and unique performances; however, the theme song and iconic jingle unlock core memories for its original viewing audience.While a PG movie about a human Swiss-Army Knife seems off-the-wall, it’s exactly whyInspector Gadgetis among the best so-bad-it’s-good crime movies of the 1990s.
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadgetcan be streamed on Disney+ in the U.S.
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9’Snake Eyes' (1998)
Directed by Brian De Palma
The trailer alone set expectations lowfor this film, making it one that audiences knew would be entertainingly bad.Snake EyesstarsNicolas Cageas Detective Rick Santoro, a ruler breaker with an extreme personality, who attends a high-profile boxing match only to find himself thrust into a murder investigation, locking down the entire arena to piece together who assassinated the Defense Secretary in attendance.
Cage is joined by a star-studded line-up, includingGary Sinise,John Heard,Carla Gugino, andStan Shaw. Set against the backdrop of an Atlantic City casino,Brian De Palma sets audiences up for sequences of chaotic, glittering paranoia that allow audiences to call the bluffs and call out all the cards.Snake Eyesgets its entertainment value from Nicolas Cagebeing Nicolas Cage and from its failure to successfully produce an arthouse thriller.
Snake Eyes
Snake Eyescan be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.
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8’Judge Dredd' (1995)
Directed by Danny Cannon
A popcorn so-bad-it’s-good feature,Judge Dreddis one of the many crime-fighting features to sizzle during the 90s. Oscar-nominatedSylvester Stallonestars as the titular character,a police officer in a dystopian societywhere officers wield judiciary power; however, Dredd has been accused of a crime he didn’t commit and embarks on a path to clear his name and eliminate his murderous adversary.
Judge Dreddis a film that self-sabotages, but that is key to the entertainment value.It’s an obvious departure from the comic book source material and the elevated violence doesn’t do it any favors; however, it’s a guilty pleasure 90s crime film that is best served with a healthy dose of razzing and commentary from the audience.
Judge Dredd
Judge Dreddcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
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7’The Rookie' (1990)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Trying too hard with one-liners,The Rookieis a buddy cop movie that is bad enough to be good.Directed by and starringClint Eastwood,the 90s crime drama finds seasoned detective Nick Pulovski (Eastwood) seeking revenge for the death of his former partner, dragging his new rookie partner, David Ackerman (Charlie Sheen), along whether he likes it or not.
The Rookietries too hard to be macho with its forced dialogue and exposition without any strategic placement; however, that’s what makes it laughable and entertaining over three decades later.Recognizablyone of the worst in Eastwood’s directional canon, this 90s flick is everything audiences could ask for in a so-bad-it’s-good mainstream release.
The Rookie
The Rookiecan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
6’Wild Wild West' (1999)
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld
Taking thecrime-stopping antics to a steampunk western,Wild Wild Westis pure insanity; however, the star-studded cast and oddball antics make up for the hard-fallen failure to win over the Western genre and instead fall into the “so bad” rankings.Will SmithandKevin Klinestar as special agents James West and Artemus Gordon as they race cross-country to save President Grant from the devilishly diabolical Confederate Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh).
It’s hard to tell what is more wild in this film, the bizarre characters and bits or the acclaimed Kenneth Branagh as the steam-punk maniac.Wild Wild Westis trulya “What did I just watch” type of film, prompting audiences to question what the filmmakers were thinking. But therein lies the badge of honorthis buddy cop feature possesses along with the others in this specific genre—it fails in every way that matters but succeeds in every unintended way.
Wild Wild West
Wild Wild Westcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
5’Steel' (1997)
Directed by Kenneth Johnson
Before the success of the MCU and DCU, there wasShaquille O’NealfightingJudd NelsoninSteel. Shaq stars as John Henry Irons, a military scientist who dons a metal suit of his own creation to take on a former colleague, Nathaniel Burke (Nelson), who is using the suit’s ability for evil. Try explaining this crime-fighting feature to someone who hasn’t looked it up and convince them it’s a real movie.
Of course, it sounds like an unbelievable concept, but that is the beauty of why it’s a bad-good movie to watch. The performances inSteelare wrapped up in camp and an underdeveloped premise with an “I have to see this with my own eyes” appeal from its less-than-cinematic ingredients.
Steelcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
4’Southie' (1998)
Directed by John Shea
Southieis a low-hanging90s crime featurethat is so desperate to be serious, which makes it all the more reason audiences don’t take it seriously. After running away to New York and leaving behind his days of crime, Danny Quinn (Donnie Wahlberg) returns to his Boston neighborhood three years later, only to be faced with another desperate choice that leads him back to the past he tried to leave behind.
It’s an obvious early installment in the careers of its big-name stars like Wahlberg,Rose McGowan, andWill Arnett,and it shows. The character arcs are rooted in accepting who you are and will always be, fertilized by clichés of a crime-for-the-right-reasons premise.Southieis fueled by melodrama and a premise that failed to bring anythingnew to the Boston table, unlike its modern counterparts likeBlack Mass.
Southiecan be streamed on Fandango in the U.S.
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3’Hard to Kill' (1990)
Directed by Bruce Malmuth
As one of the mostnotable B-movie action starsin Hollywood,Steven Seagaland his features consistently offer audiences the opportunity to appreciate a bad movie.Hard to Killis self-explanatory in its title, with Seagal starring as Mason Storm, an LAPD detective who awakens from a seven-year coma and seeks his opportunity to get revenge on the mob assassins who put him in it.
This multi-genre crime movie is exactly what you’d expect it to be, which is why it fits the so-bad-it’s-good prerequisites.There’s ridiculous action and cringe romance all in the name of a poorly executed vendetta story.Hard to Killis mindless entertainment that meets the lowest of expectations, making it all the more enjoyable to watch.
Hard to Kill
Hard to Killcan be streamed on Apple TV in the U.S.
Watch on AppleTV
2’Batman & Robin' (1997)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Infamously terrible entertainment that’s become a staple in this genre,Batman & Robinranks among the best bad movies. StarringGeorge Clooneyas the caped crusader, Batman and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) battle Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) to save Gotham with the help of Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone).
This campy installment in the Batman legacy stands alone with its unique tone that’s not quite cinematic and not quite comic book, falling somewhere in a messy gray area.Batman & Robinis a vivid, loud 125-minute crime-fighting feature that, as it ages today, solidifies its place as a foundationalso-bad-it’s-good-movie of not only the 1990s but of all time.
Batman and Robin
Batman and Robincan be streamed on Max in the U.S.
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1’Samurai Cop' (1991)
Directed by Amir Shervan
Perhaps one of the mosticonic installments in the so-bad-it’s-good genre,Samurai Copis a legendary B-movie. A skilled swordsman and admirer of Japanese culture, police officer Joe Marshall (Matt Hannon) is called upon to confront the Katana, a rogue group of the Yakuza wreaking violent havoc on Los Angeles. The action flick also co-stars B-movie royaltyRobert Z’Dar.
Samurai Copsets audiences' expectations appropriately and delivers an amateur production of a multi-genre but mostly misguided crime flick that replicates themes and clichés of the films that came before it rather with entertainingly poor execution.The movie reaches a particular audience that values the successful failure of films in this genre and the B-movie genre, welcoming the chaos, cringe, and camp with open arms.
