Thelma & Louise – The Silence of the Lambs – Naked Lunch – My Own Private Idaho – Terminator 2: Judgment Day – New Jack City – Beauty and the Beast

1991: World Premieres
1991: U.S. Releases
1991: Still Left to See
1991: Cannes Festival

Looking Back



Moving Ahead



Browse Films by
Title / Year / Reviews

Home / E-Mail
The Movies of 1991: World Premieres
 By Grade // By Title // Last update: November 3, 2024


Top Ten List

1. JFK Dir. Oliver Stone. Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pesci A–
2. Daughters of the Dust Dir. Julie Dash. Cora Lee Day, Barbara-O, Alva Rogers A–
3. Boyz N the Hood Dir. John Singleton. Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut A–
4. The Silence of the Lambs Dir. Jonathan Demme. Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins A–
5. Thelma & Louise Dir. Ridley Scott. Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Keitel A–
6. Malina Dir. Werner Schroeter. Isabelle Huppert, Mathieu Carrière, Can Togay A–
7. Terminator 2: Judgment Day Dir. James Cameron. Arnold Schwarzenegger A–
8. Slacker Dir. Richard Linklater. Richard Linklater, Mark James, Dan Kratochvil A–
9. Beauty and the Beast Dirs. Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise. Voice of Paige O'Hara A–
10. Cape Fear Dir. Martin Scorsese. Nick Nolte, Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange A–


Full Listing of Films Screened
= Full Review   /   = Capsule   /   = Feature or Blog Post   /   = Grain of Salt

Beauty and the Beast Dirs. Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise. Voice of Paige O'Hara A–
Boyz N the Hood Dir. John Singleton. Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut A–
Cape Fear Dir. Martin Scorsese. Nick Nolte, Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange A–
Daughters of the Dust Dir. Julie Dash. Cora Lee Day, Barbara-O, Alva Rogers A–
Edward II Dir. Derek Jarman. Steven Waddington, Tilda Swinton A–
Flirting Dir. John Duigan. Noah Taylor, Thandie Newton, Nicole Kidman A–
JFK Dir. Oliver Stone. Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pesci A–
Madonna: Truth or Dare Dir. Alek Keshishian. Documentary of concert tour A–
Malina Dir. Werner Schroeter. Isabelle Huppert, Mathieu Carrière, Can Togay A–
Naked Lunch Dir. David Cronenberg. Peter Weller, Judy Davis, Ian Holm A–
Poison Dir. Todd Haynes. Edith Meeks, Larry Maxwell, Scott Renderer A–
Raise the Red Lantern Dir. Zhang Yimou. Gong Li, Cao Cuifen, He Saifei A–
The Silence of the Lambs Dir. Jonathan Demme. Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins A–
Slacker Dir. Richard Linklater. Richard Linklater, Mark James, Dan Kratochvil A–
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Dir. James Cameron. Arnold Schwarzenegger A–
Thelma & Louise Dir. Ridley Scott. Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Keitel A–

Danzón Dir. María Novaro. María Rojo, Daniel Rergis, Margarita Isabel B+
Delicatessen Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro. Jean-Claude Dreyfus B+
Frankie & Johnny Dir. Garry Marshall. Michelle Pfeiffer, Al Pacino, Kate Nelligan B+
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse Dirs. Fax Bahr, et al. B+
My Own Private Idaho Dir. Gus Van Sant. River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves B+
Once Around Dir. Lasse Hallström. Holly Hunter, Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Aiello B+
Point Break Dir. Kathryn Bigelow. Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Gary Busey B+
Prospero's Books Dir. Peter Greenaway. John Gielgud, Mark Rylance B+
Praise House Dir. Julie Dash. Laurie Carlos, Viola Sheely, Terri Cousar B+
Rhapsody in August Dir. Akira Kurosawa. Sachiko Murase, Hidetaka Yoshioka B+
Rush Dir. Lili Fini Zanuck. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jason Patric, Sam Elliott B+

Barton Fink Dir. Joel Coen. John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis B
Bugsy Dir. Barry Levinson. Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley B
Children of Nature Dir. Friðrik Þhor Friðriksson. Gísli Halldórsson B
City of Hope Dir. John Sayles. Vincent Spano, Tony Lo Bianco, Joe Morton B
Dogfight Dir. Nancy Savoca. River Phoenix, Lili Taylor, Richard Panebianco B
The Double Life of Véronique Dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski. Irène Jacob B
Finding Christa Dir. Camille Billops, James Hatch. Experimental documentary B
The Fisher King Dir. Terry Gilliam. Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl B
High Heels Dir. Pedro Almodóvar. Victoria Abril, Marisa Paredes, Miguel Bosé B
Khush Dir. Pratibha Parmar. Documentary about LGBTQ people of Indian descent B
Lovers: A True Story Dir. Vicente Aranda. Jorge Sanz, Victoria Abril B
The Lovers on the Bridge Dir. Leos Carax. Denis Lavant, Juliette Binoche B
Mississippi Masala Dir. Mira Nair. Sarita Choudhury, Denzel Washington B
Thousand Pieces of Gold Dir. Nancy Kelly. Rosalind Chao, Chris Cooper B
A Woman's Tale Dir. Paul Cox. Sheila Florance, Gosia Dobrowolska B
Zentropa Dir. Lars von Trier. Jean-Marc Barr, Barbara Sukowa, Jørgen Reenberg B

At Play in the Fields of the Lord Dir. Héctor Babenco. Tom Berenger B–
Black Robe Dir. Bruce Beresford. Lothaire Bluteau, August Schellenberg B–
Caught Looking Dir. Constantine Giannaris. Louis Selwyn, Bette Bourne B–
Closet Land Dir. Radha Bharadwaj. Madeleine Stowe, Alan Rickman B–
Dead Again Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson B–
Jungle Fever Dir. Spike Lee. Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, John Turturro B–
Kafka Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Jeremy Irons, Theresa Russell, Ian Holm, Joel Grey B–
Married to It Dir. Arthur Hiller. Beau Bridges, Stockard Channing B–
New Jack City Dir. Mario Van Peebles. Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Allen Payne B–
The Ox Dir. Sven Nykvist. Stellan Skarsgård, Eva Fröling, Max von Sydow B–
Proof Dir. Jocelyn Moorhouse. Hugo Weaving, Genevieve Picot, Russell Crowe B–
Queen of Diamonds Dir. Nina Menkes. Tinka Menkes, Jeff Douglas B–
Rambling Rose Dir. Martha Coolidge. Laura Dern, Lukas Haas, Robert Duvall B–
Strip Jack Naked Dir. Ron Peck. Documentary about making of Nighthawks B–
Switch Dir. Blake Edwards. Ellen Barkin, Jimmy Smits, JoBeth Williams B–

The Addams Family Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld. Raúl Juliá, Anjelica Huston C+
The Adjuster Dir. Atom Egoyan. Elias Koteas, Arsinée Khanjian, Maury Chaykin C+
The Ballad of the Sad Café Dir. Simon Callow. Vanessa Redgrave, Cork Hubbert C+
City Slickers Dir. Ron Underwood. Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby C+
Close My Eyes Dir. Stephen Poliakoff. Saskia Reeves, Clive Owen C+
Enchanted April Dir. Mike Newell. Josie Lawrence, Miranda Richardson C+
The Five Heartbeats Dir. Robert Townsend. Robert Townsend, Michael Wright C+
Fried Green Tomatoes Dir. Jon Avnet. Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson C+
Grand Canyon Dir. Lawrence Kasdan. Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, Steve Martin C+
L.A. Story Dir. Mick Jackson. Steve Martin, Victoria Tennant, Sarah Jessica Parker C+
Little Man Tate Dir. Jodie Foster. Adam Hann-Byrd, Jodie Foster, Dianne Wiest C+
Madame Bovary Dir. Claude Chabrol. Isabelle Huppert, Jean-François Balmer C+
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear Dir. David Zucker. Leslie Nielsen C+
The Rapture Dir. Michael Tolkin. Mimi Rogers, David Duchovny, Patrick Bauchau C+
Twenty-One Dir. Don Boyd. Patsy Kensit, Jack Shepherd, Rufus Sewell C+

Billy Bathgate Dir. Robert Benton. Loren Dean, Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman C
The Hours and Times Dir. Christopher Münch. David Angus, Ian Hart C
Meeting Venus Dir. István Szábó. Niels Arestrup, Glenn Close, Erland Josephson C
The Prince of Tides Dir. Barbra Streisand. Nick Nolte, Barbra Streisand C
The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Dir. John Bailey C
Sleeping with the Enemy Dir. Joseph Ruben. Julia Roberts, Patrick Bergin C
Soapdish Dir. Michael Hoffman. Sally Field, Kevin Kline, Elisabeth Shue C
Sólo con tu pareja Dir. Alfonso Cuarón. Daniel Giménez Cacho, Claudia Ramírez C
Under Suspicion Dir. Simon Moore. Liam Neeson, Laura San Giacomo C
Young Soul Rebels Dir. Isaac Julien. Valentine Nonyela, Mo Sesay C

Defending Your Life Dir. Albert Brooks. Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn C–
For the Boys Dir. Mark Rydell. Bette Midler, James Caan, Arye Gross C–
Impromptu Dir. James Lapine. Judy Davis, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson C–
Night on Earth Dir. Jim Jarmusch. Winona Ryder, Gena Rowlands C–
Where Angels Fear to Tread Dir. Charles Sturridge. Rupert Graves C–

Backdraft Dir. Ron Howard. William Baldwin, Kurt Russell, Robert De Niro D+
Salmonberries Dir. Percy Adlon. k.d. lang, Rosel Zech, Oscar Kawagley D+
Shadows and Fog Dir. Woody Allen. Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, John Malkovich D+

Hook Dir. Steven Spielberg. Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts D
Nothing But Trouble Dir. Dan Aykroyd. Chevy Chase, Demi Moore, Dan Aykroyd D
Regarding Henry Dir. Mike Nichols. Harrison Ford, Annette Bening, Mikki Allen D
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Dir. Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner, Alan Rickman D

A Kiss Before Dying Dir. James Dearden. Matt Dillon, Sean Young D–

Whore Dir. Ken Russell. Theresa Russell, Benjamin Mouton, Antonio Fargas F