Sleepovers are a must for every childhood. It’s where pranks are had, friendships are bonded, and most importantly, movies are watched. Today, kids can browse a multitude of apps and scroll through an endless list of films, but back in the ‘90s, it was about that glorious trip to the local video store to rent the perfect movie for one’s slumber party. Without further ado, let’s look at the movies that were played at every sleepover in the ‘90s.
One has to wonder how many kids felt like paleontology was their destiny after popping in Jurassic Park at a sleepover.
Jim Carrey movies were never not on a sleepover must-have list, especially Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Every scene, every joke, every ridiculous thing Carrey did made for a great time alongside a large pizza and a two-liter of soda.
Alicia Silverstone and Co. came together and set a new standard for teen movies in 1995, and it wasn’t just older kids who enjoyed this movie. Kids of all ages instantly fell for the iconic lines, fashion, and comedy of Clueless as soon as Cher asked, “Should I leave a note?”
For as many remakes and reboots as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has gotten over the years, the original movie from 1990 still reigns supreme. Everything from the costume design to the gritty nature of the crime-fighting sewer turtles made kids go bananas. It gave parents headaches as kids would spend the rest of the night trying to emulate the turtles' every move while play-fighting in the living room.
If there was one genre of movie that was undeniable to almost every kid in the ‘90s, it was a kid-friendly sports movie, and none of them were as sought out for sleepovers as the ones from The Mighty Ducks series. However, D2 is arguably the best of the franchise because of the addition of Kenan Thompson and the Beverly Hills scenes that many ‘90s kids still quote today.
Wayne’s World may not seem like the typical sleepover movie, but it was the ‘90s, and parents were way more hands off. Kids were allowed to indulge in humor that may have been a little beyond their years, but they didn’t care that they didn’t get every joke. All that mattered were the head-banging and schwing!
Will Smith was like an addiction for kids in the ‘90s. His movies were the go-to for wanting a sleepover movie to be comical and action-packed, which Men in Black was.
The ‘90s kids that would later become Hot Topic teens most definitely made their parents rent The Craft for every single sleepover they had growing up.
Long before The Super Mario Bros. Movie raked in millions of dollars at the box office, Mortal Kombat caused countless VHS tapes to fly off Blockbuster shelves.
When Michael Jordan was enlisted to save the Looney Tunes using his basketball skills, a sports moment in history and cinema was born.
Roughly 69% of all '90s kids' personalities were based on watching Adam Sandler movies in the ‘90s.
Much like how Gen X really came of age due to Porky’s and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, millennials did the same with American Pie.
The Spice Girls were the biggest sensation in the late ‘90s, and kids ate up everything they released — from candy to dolls to their very own movie, Spice World. Was it the greatest film ever made? No. Even then, kids knew that. But it didn’t matter because the Spice Girls were in it, and the songs were amazing.
The Power Rangers were basically The Beatles for ‘90s kids, and the movie pushed the hysteria into hyperdrive.
Every generation has those few films that will stick with them forever and never fail to take them back to a time and place, and for millennials, one of those is The Sandlot. Its perfectly balanced plot combined the beauty of friendships and a silly storyline, and that made it a must-have at slumber parties since 1993.
Slumber parties were about more than just prank calls and board games; they were also about watching a horror movie together and bonding over the innate fear it instilled in everyone in the room.
If there is one actor’s work that should forever be introduced to kids, it’s Robin Williams'. He made some of the most beloved movies from the ‘90s that kids just could not get enough of, from Mrs. Doubtfire to Jack, but it was the wildlife adventure of Jumanji that made sleepovers everywhere much more thrilling.
Looking back, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was not the most appropriate movie for kids, but it was a different time.
Movies centered around a holiday usually are destined only to be played during that part of the year, and that is where Hocus Pocus vastly differed from the start. It was one of the first movies that made ‘90s kids realize spooky season could be anytime!
Kung fu movies started making their way into moviegoers' hearts in the ‘70s, and The Karate Kid only pushed that interest further the following decade. In the ‘90s, almost every kid was enrolled in a karate class because of a number of movies and TV shows, including the 3 Ninjas series. However, 3 Ninjas Kick Back is the best of the bunch because of the adventures in Japan.
Batman Returns was and is still one of the best comic book movies due to Michael Keaton leading a stellar cast as the Dark Knight himself alongside some of the best villains to ever grace the big screen: Michelle Pfeiffer and Catwoman and Danny DeVito as The Penguin.
Titanic caused a lot of excitement and inspired kids everywhere to become obsessed with one of the most horrific things in modern history. However, that may not be the reason it was a big hit at sleepovers because imagine being a parent in the ‘90s and being able to put on a three-plus hour movie that would keep a bunch of kids occupied...
Kendra Beltran went to college with no game plan and found herself falling back on her love of writing soon after graduating all the way back in 2009. Since then, she's written for MTV Geek, Cosplay Central, Collider, Apartment Therapy, and many other sites that allowed her to showcase her love of all things pop culture. When she isn't writing, Kendra is either hosting her show, Crushgasm, baking all the cookies, or spoiling her fur baby, Mason.
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