Nostalgia tends to creep up on us—particularly in regard to films. If you’re an ’90s or early 2000s kid, you understand the familiarity of reaching for your go-to snacks, getting cozy under a blanket, and hitting play on a film that immediately transports you back. These movies didn’t just make us laugh—they formed our childhoods, dictated trends, and became ingrained in our cultural heritage. Here’s a top 10 countdown of unforgettable movies that shaped Gen X and Millennial movie nights, each filled with iconic scenes, classic lines, and unlimited rewatchability.
10. Pokémon: The Movie 2000
To kids who spent their weekends swapping cards or stuck to their Game Boys, this film was the whole shebang. Based on Ash Ketchum’s journey to restore balance by bringing together legendary Pokémon, it immortalized the magic and mania of the franchise at its height. To many fans, it was not merely a movie—it was childhood in a bottle on the screen.
9. The Princess Diaries
Picture discovering your clumsy, unpopular high school self is really a princess. That daydream materializes in The Princess Diaries, Anne Hathaway’s delightful makeover, and JulieAndrews’s elegance stealing the film. It’s a feel-good watch for anyone who ever felt invisible in high school and wished for something more.
8. Shrek
Yes, it’s given rise to a million memes, but beneath the hype, Shrek was revolutionary. A dark fairy tale with a heart of gold, a sense of humor, and a set of truly unforgettable characters, it upended the genre. With Donkey’s witty one-liners and Shrek’s reluctant heroism, it’s little wonder this film has become a classic of millennial youth.
7. Jurassic Park
Few films have combined awe and fright as well as Jurassic Park. With awe-inspiring special effects that remain unchallenged to this day, the movie brought dinosaurs to life in a manner that was previously unimaginable. Its combination of scientific marvels, suspense, and plain old-fashioned blockbusting thrills makes it as nostalgic as it is ageless.
6. Jaws
Nothing is more summery than Jaws—and nothing frightened a generation of bathers quite so much as it either. Spielberg’s thriller about a killer shark is straightforward, tense, and supremely effective. Far more than a film, it became a cultural reference point and the template for the contemporary blockbuster.
5. Scream
Half campy, half terrifying, Scream revitalized horror for the ’90s. With its self-referential humor, surprise twists, and Sidney Prescott’s legendary face-off with Ghostface, it’s a movie that left people laughing, screaming, and peeking through their fingers. It’s been dictating Halloween costumes and fright-flick nights ever since.
4. Clueless
Before Regina George, there was Cher Horowitz—fashionable, snarky, and absolutely iconic. Clueless made Beverly Hills high school life a comedy of manners, influencing fashion trends and slang that are still quoted today. Alicia Silverstone’s performance cemented Cher in the pop culture firmament, and the movie is just as fresh and humorous today as it was in 1995.
3. 10 Things I Hate About You
A Shakespearean comedy reimagined as a teen rom-com in high school? Guess what? It’s pure genius. With Heath Ledger’s charm, Julia Stiles’ quick wit, and a soundtrack that defined an era, 10 Things I Hate About You became the quintessential ’90s teen love story. It’s witty, touching, and forever quotable—a gem of the genre.
2. The Breakfast Club
No movie captures the nuance of adolescence like The Breakfast Club. Five teenagers from various cliques held for detention dismantle barriers and discover they’re more similar than they imagined. With biting dialogue and poignant moments, it became a teen anthem for identity—just as applicable now as it was during the ’80s.
1. Mean Girls
Some films amuse, but Mean Girls captured a generation. With the iconic one-liners to the stinging portrayal of high school cliques, Tina Fey’s script captured the adolescent experience with both humor and candor. Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, and the entire cast developed a phenomenon that continues to influence pop culture two decades on.
These movies aren’t just favorites from the past—they’re time machines, taking us back to school dances, sleepovers, and endless summer nights. Whether you’re rewatching them for comfort or discovering them for the first time, one thing’s certain: nostalgia never gets old.