8 Best Movies Released in 1999 Besides 'Fight Club' & 'The Matrix', Ranked by RT

1999 is widely regarded as one of the greatest years in cinema history – and it was truly a year of cult classics. Here're the eight best movies of 1999, which go beyond international hits like Fight Club and The Matrix.

8. 'Girl, Interrupted', 1999

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 53%

18-year-old Susanna Kaysen is admitted to a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt. There, she meets Lisa, a sociopath and frequent escapee. The two quickly find common ground and soon begin planning their escape together.

Girl, Interrupted is an adaptation of Kaysen's autobiographical book of the same name. The project was especially significant for Winona Ryder – the actress played the lead role and acquired the rights to the novel, serving as an executive producer.

Her costar was Angelina Jolie, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of the rebellious and manipulative Lisa.

7. 'Sleepy Hollow', 1999

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%

Sleepy Hollow is a loose adaptation of Washington Irving's short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It is the third collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.

New York City, 1799. Constable Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of mysterious murders. Several victims have been found decapitated, and their heads are missing.

The locals are convinced that the legendary Headless Horseman is behind the crimes. Initially skeptical of the local tales, Crane soon begins to suspect that the murders may indeed be supernatural.

6. 'Eyes Wide Shut', 1999

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%

Dr. Bill and his wife, Alice, seem like the perfect couple. They live a comfortable life, but behind their flawless marriage lie resentment and dissatisfaction.

After Alice confesses her fantasies of physical intimacy with other men to her husband, a jealous Bill finds himself at a masquerade party.

Eyes Wide Shut was Stanley Kubrick's final film – the director died four days after completing the edit. Kubrick explores the fine lines of marriage and fidelity; ironically, the lead actors, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, separated shortly after the movie's release.

5. 'The Virgin Suicides', 1999

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Sofia Coppola's debut movie is based on the eponymous novel by Jeffrey Eugenides. Coppola carefully adapted the novel for the screen, capturing its melancholy tone.

Set in the summer of 1975, the movie follows the Lisbon family as they raise their five daughters. After the youngest daughter, Cecilia, commits suicide, their parents decide to isolate the other girls from the outside world. They forbid the girls from going to parties, interacting with their peers, or entering into romantic relationships.

The sad sisters attract the attention of neighborhood boys, who watch their rapid decline.

4. 'Magnolia', 1999

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

In this multilayered epic drama, acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson explores the topics of fate and destiny through nine interconnected stories with biblical motifs.

The movie boasts an impressive cast, including Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Julianne Moore. Magnolia won the Berlinale Prize and received Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Song.

Set in the San Fernando Valley, the film follows several parallel storylines: a police officer dreams of love, a former child prodigy now works in an electronics store, a coach says goodbye to his ailing father, and a trophy wife undergoes an inner transformation.

3. 'American Beauty', 1999

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

Lester is going through a midlife crisis: his job is unfulfilling, he is unhappy in his marriage, and he has a strained relationship with his teenage daughter.

His life changes when he meets Angela, his daughter's charming friend, who inspires him to make changes.

In 2000, American Beauty triumphed at the Oscars, winning five awards, including Best Picture. Through the complex relationship of a married couple, Sam Mendes revealed the underbelly of the American dream, showing that behind the facade of an ideal family life, there're conflicts and unresolved problems.

2. 'Being John Malkovich', 1999

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Being John Malkovich brought together two talented filmmakers: director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.

Unable to earn a decent living as a puppeteer, Craig takes a job in a strange office located on the seven-and-a-half floors of a building.

There, he falls in love with his striking colleague, Maxine, and discovers a door into the mind of renowned actor John Malkovich. The puppeteer decides to start a business selling tickets to the movie star's mind.

1. 'The Straight Story', 1999

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

David Lynch's The Straight Story is strikingly different from his other works – it lacks his signature surrealist motifs and dreamlike sequences, and it's one of his most simple works.

It tells the story of 73-year-old Alvin Straight, who learns that his brother Lyle has suffered a stroke. Despite his own health issues, Alvin is determined to visit him. The two men haven't spoken in years, so it's time for them to put their differences aside and make peace.

The problem is that Lyle lives in another state, and Alvin doesn't have a driver's license. Since buses between the cities aren't running, the old man decides to hit the road on a lawnmower.