Entertainment
Growing up, you did a lot of things that your parents probably shook their head at and said no to. And if you were a '90s baby, that meant crimping your hear, wearing crop tops, and enjoying PG-13 pop culture. For me, that meant sneaking over to a friend's house and enjoying one of the many '90s movies you shouldn't have watched, but did anyway Because, hi, it was the '90s
When I wasn't trying to record my favorite songs off of the radio, I was busy heading to Blockbuster with my mom and siblings to grab a few new releases to binge over the weekend. Although my mother was strict in certain areas, there was a high level of leniency when it came to what she let us watch. Some might not agree with it, but I'm thankful that she let me live a little. There were some films that were an "absolutely not," but for the most part, we spent a lot of time either at the movie theatre or at home watching movies as a family.
Now that I'm older and have the time to reflect, majority of the films I watched were really adult based and I had no business even pulling it off the shelf at Blockbuster. Where there's a will, there's a way though and these 11 '90s movies you shouldn't have watched as a kid, but have no regrets about will remind you just how much of the edge you were living on.
1
'A Low Down Dirty Shame'
Written, directed and starring Keenan Ivory Wayans, A Low Down Dirty Shame was filled with lies, deceit, sex, drugs, and of course, money. Co-starring a young Jada Pinkett-Smith, the action-comedy — though not extremely popular — is one of those films that I know I shouldn't have loved as a kid, but I totally did. If not for Jada's kick-ass attitude, definitely for Wayman's hilarious sidebars.
2
'Pulp Fiction'
Cited as Quentin Tarantino's second feature film, the now iconic Pulp Fiction set a few standards in Hollywood back in 1994. Nominated for seven Oscars, the film was filled with a mix of humor, violence, pop culture references, cinematic allusions, and more, and has been said to be one of the best films of all time. Though all of the above makes for an interesting reason to watch, as an child under 10, Pulp Fiction shouldn't have been on my radar. Thanks, mom.
3
'Belly'
Quite possibly one of my favorite movies ever, Belly gave me everything I could have possibly asked for from some of my favorite artists at the time. Starring rappers DMX, Nas, Method Man, and TLC's T-Boz, the Hype Williams-directed film is literally a cult classic. Despite the graphic sex and violence scenes from the cast, Belly will always get a round of applause in my book.
4
'Cruel Intentions'
If you loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you loved anything starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. This is probably why my love for Cruel Intentions still reigns supreme now. Not to mention, there was an oh-so-fine Ryan Phillippe who made me want to grow up so bad. Nothing says "I shouldn't be watching this" like seeing Phillippe and Gellar, who portray step-siblings, discussing their desire to sleep with one another, right?
5
'Wild Things'
Wild Things might have hosted an all-star cast, but the 1998 erotic thriller wasn't for all eyes to see. Though Neve Campbell was on her way to becoming one of America's sweethearts, her steamy kiss with Denise Richards and Matt Dillon — along with plenty of other unmentionable scenes — proved that no one under 25 should have been watching this in the '90s.
6
'The Silence of the Lambs'
Regardless if you were a kid or an adult, Anthony Hopkins's creepy and perfect portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter was something that no one should have been exposed to.
7
'Boogie Nights'
Starring Mark Wahlberg, the 1997 film Boogie Nights told a dramatic story about a young nightclub dishwasher who became a popular porno star. If that isn't enough to say I shouldn't have been watching this, I'm not sure what is.
8
'American Pie'
The teen movie of all teen movies, 1999's American Pie was a box-office hit, and rightfully so. Going back to my love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alyson Hannigan's role as Michelle pushed me to want to see this film even though I know I was way too young to watch. I mean, come on, I was only in the sixth grade.
9
'54'
Another Ryan Phillippe film, 54 shed light on New York's world famous disco club, Studio 54. Co-starring Neve Campbell, Selma Hayek, and Mike Myers, 54 was nothing but drugs, sex, and more drugs all over the screen. Though it made me a little infatuated with the disco era, 54 wasn't anything I should have been requesting for my mom to pick up on her weekly run to Blockbuster.
10
'Friday'
Another cult classic, 1995's stoner comedy Friday is one that even now in current day, never gets old. Now a trilogy, the timeless first installment starred rapper and former NWA member Ice Cube, and gave comedian Chris Tucker his first starring role. Although it's surely a favorite amongst many, due to its content, I absolutely shouldn't have even been turning my eyes at the television when this came on.
11
'Candyman'
1992's horror film Candyman is one of my least favorite movies strictly because it scares me to no end. Even as an adult, I refuse to turn this movie on. That also includes its two sequels. Nope. No thanks.
