10 Cult Classics Everyone Should Watch At Least Once (2023)

A '90s cult classic starring Winona Ryder, Cher, and Christina Ricci – what more do you really need to know? Is it perfection? Probably not, but it's pretty close.

The Plot: Set in 1963, a teenage girl, Charlotte, moves to a New England town with her mother, Rachel, and little sister, Kate. During the course of a year, Charlotte finds her first love, works on her relationship with her mother, and goes through many changes involving herself and the world around her. Anyone who was an awkward teen is sure to identify with Charlotte!

Released: 1990

Starring: Winona Ryder, Cher, Christina Ricci, & Bob Hoskins

An iconic flick starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. If you love dark humor, fantastic outfits, and a touch of sci-fi, this is the movie for you!

The Plot: Two frenemies, actor Madeline and author Helen, fall in love with the same man, Dr. Ernest Menville. After Madeline marries Ernest in the early 1980s, Helen's life rapidly declines. Over a decade later, Helen reemerges, more successful and beautiful than ever, and Madeline becomes extremely jealous of her formerly frumpy friend and sets out to find immortality. Unbeknownst to Madeline, Helen drank the same elixir years prior and now the frenemies face immortality together. Hilarity ensues, cementing Death Becomes Her as a camp classic!

Released: 1992

Starring: Meryl Steep, Goldie Hawn, & Bruce Willis

I know, I know....you're thinking "How many Winona Ryder movies are going to be on this list?" The answer is two. (There could be an entire list devoted to Winona movies, but I'll stop with these.) One of my absolute favorite films, Edward Scissorhands, is a movie for the ages.

The Plot: Set in the 1960s, Edward lives a lonely life in a Gothic castle. One day, a cheery Avon lady, Peg, leaves her pastel suburban neighborhood to visit the abandoned castle. Peg finds Edward and takes pity on the outcast, so she decides to bring him home with her. Once there, Edward falls in love with her daughter, Kim. Whether you want to laugh or cry, Edward Scissorhands is a must-see!

Released: 1990

Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, & Dianne Wiest

So, The Long Kiss Goodnight is vastly different from the other movies you're going to see on this list. I'm not usually a fan of action flicks, but there's just something about this film that I adore. Also, Samuel L. Jackson is at his best in this one!

Plot: Single mother and schoolteacher, Samantha Caine, has retrograde amnesia and cannot remember any of her life prior to the past eight years. After a car accident, Samantha's memories and previous life comes back to haunt her. Teaming up with private investigator, Mitch, Samantha leaves home to set things right and discover who she really was.

Released: 1996

Starring: Geena Davis & Samuel L. Jackson

Whenever I see a post about Practical Magic, I am literally shocked at how many people have not seen this film. The cast, the sets, everything is just perfect. TBH, it's worth the watch just for the ~aesthetic.~

Plot: Two witch sisters grow up in a small town under the watchful eye of their magical aunts. Polar opposites since childhood, the sisters must band together after accidentally committing a crime. There's plenty of comedy, romance, and a killer (no pun intended) soundtrack!

Released: 1998

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, & Dianne Wiest

What can I say about Pleasantville? It's a little weird and a lot of fun. This is one of the movies I watched by chance at 2 o'clock in the morning when there was literally nothing else on, and yet I consider myself lucky to have found such a gem.

The Plot: Two bickering siblings find themselves trapped in a Leave It to Beaver-esque television show. At first, they try to find every possible way to leave the sitcom vortex, but then they have the power to change their own lives and the lives of the characters within the show for the better.

Released: 1998

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Tobey Macguire, William H. Macey, & Joan Allen

So, by this point, you're thinking "This writer obviously only watches movies with the same five actors," and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong. But, honestly,The Banger Sistersis an underrated feminist, comedy gem!

The Plot: In the early 2000s, two former groupies known as "the Banger Sisters" reunite. Suzette kept living the rock 'n' roll life long after its heyday ended, while Lavinia decided to go the more domestic route, marrying and having children. When the two women meet again, they realize that they're each trapped in their own ways and decide to help each other find themselves all over again.

Released: 2002

Starring: Goldie Hawn & Susan Sarandon

Thanks to my mom, I have, IMHO, wonderful cinematic taste, and this is one of the first films she introduced me to. Baby Boom also started my love of baby-centric '80s movies, which happen to be some of my top comfort movies!

The Plot: Yuppie J.C.'s perfectly planned life is thrown into turmoil when she inherits a baby from a relative. After losing her marketing job, she decides to pack up everything and move to New England. Things don't go smoothly in the beginning, but after some time, she starts her own company, meets the man of her dreams, and becomes more successful than she ever could have imagined!

Released: 1987

Starring: Diane Keaton & Sam Shepard

Honestly, doesn't everyone love Fried Green Tomatoes? It's just one of those movies that literally everyone in my family loves. And it is the rare occasion where the movie is actually better than the book! (Not that I would say no to either one.)

The Plot: In the early 1990s, unhappy housewife Evelyn Couch forms a friendship with the lonely Ninny Threadgoode. Ninny tells Evelyn stories from the 1920s-1940s about her old hometown, Whistle Stop, and the people who lived there, especially Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison. Evelyn becomes empowered by the tales of Idgie, Ruth, and Ninny and decides to take control of her life again.

Released: 1991

Starring: Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, & Mary-Louise Parker

If any movie deserves the title "cult classic," it's Blast From the Past. It's weird, it's wonderful, it's hilarious. It features Brendan Fraser at his '90s best and Sissy Spacek being her ever delightful self. Need I say more?

The Plot: During the Cuban Missile Crisis, scientist Calvin and his wife, Helen, decide the world is ending and it's time to live in their fallout shelter. They have a son named Adam who spends the first 35 years of his life underground. (I promise this isn't a horror movie.) After deciding the world should be safe enough, Calvin and Helen send Adam to the world above to bring back supplies and, hopefully, a wife. Once he leaves the shelter, Adam meets Eve, a sarcastic, but caring woman, and falls madly in love. Although skeptical at first, Eve starts to fall in love with Adam. However, along the way, there are plenty of comedic circumstances that keep the lovebirds apart.

Released: 1999

Starring: Alicia Silvestone, Brendan Fraser, Christopher Walken, & Sissy Spacek