Summer is often an ideal time for some R&R, so what better way to kick back than with a crowd-pleasing action flick on your flat screen? Below is our list of the kind of 90s hit films that have often aired on cable TV stations over the decades. They’re arguably so irresistible that you may have even watched some of these from start to finish back in the day — with commercial breaks!

Featuring plenty of familiar faces and A-listers, see below our list of the best action B-movies from the 1990s that are definitely worth a revisit in this digital/streaming age.

8 Total Recall (1990)

Actor-politician-bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger simply had to make this list, eh? His Netflix series FUBAR was just renewed for a second season, and his docuseries on the same streamer is also worth a tune-in. But looking back to the ’90s, Total Recall certainly comes to mind as standout B-movie.
Acclaimed director Paul Verhoeven’s futuristic sci-fi hit follows construction worker Douglas, who visits a company that plants false memories into people’s brains, in order to experience the thrill of Mars without actually going there. having to travel there. Of course, everything goes wrong, and Douglas starts to question his own reality. Featuring a femme fatale turn by Sharon Stone alongside plenty of ultraviolent sequences, Total Recall is a thrill ride that’s best consumed with pizza, beer and friends.
Related: The 11 Greatest Debut Action Movies of All Time

7 Point Break (1991)

20th Century Fox

“House. Road House.” Nick Frost’s bumbling character in Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz named Point Break as one of his all-time favorites, so we shouldn’t exactly dismiss Keanu Reeves’ action B-movie as just another popcorn flick. Patrick Swayze also shines in this L.A.-set thriller that follows a gang of bank robbers who commit their crimes while wearing masks of former U.S. Presidents Reagan, Carter, Nixon, and Johnson. The F.B.I. sends young Agent Johnny Utah (Reeves) undercover at the beach to join the group, who also happen to be surfers. Featuring a plethora of one-liners and edge-of-your-seat sequences, Point Break is definitely worth rewatching.

6 The Last Boy Scout (1991)

Warner Bros.

Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans teaming up during they hey-day? Yes, please. The Last Boy Scout has a ridiculous premise, with a ludicrous opening sequence involving a shootout during a football game — but Willis is irresistible in his action-hero persona that simply never fails. He plays a gruff detective who joins forces with an ex-quarterback to try and solve a murder case involving a pro football team and a politician. The Last Boy Scout might already be in your DVD collection — might be worth dusting off…

5 Demolition Man (1993)

Warner Bros.

Watch out — Wesley Snipes appears twice on our list! And meanwhile, lead actor Sylvester Stallone has even come forward recently to praise Demolition Man, saying it was ahead of time. The sci-fi film centers on a war-torn Los Angeles, where cop John Spartan (Stallone) and criminal Simon (Snipes) are sentenced to “CryoPrison,” and when Spartan is thawed out decades later, the city is no longer L.A. but rather “San Angeles.” An early-career turn by Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock as a cop from the future assisting Spartan in tracking down Simon is alone worth a rewatch.

4 The Crow (1994)

Miramax Films

In the wake the Alec Baldwin on-set shooting during production of Rust, one can’t help but think back to the late, great Brandon Lee’s death. In the underrated The Crow, he played a rock musician who is quite literally brought back from the dead to seek revenge against those who murdered him and his lover. Production was halted when Lee was fatally wounded by a prop gun. The Crow was completed, however, and Miramax ultimately distributed the end result. It’s a unique premise for a dark movie shrouded by tragedy, but worth a tune-in.
Related: Action Movies from the ’80s That Need a Sequel

3 Escape from L.A. (1996)

Paramount Pictures

Another heads up — Steve Buscemi also makes our list twice! John Carpenter’s Escape from L.A. is a worthy follow up to is his Escape from New York (1981) and has since achieved a “cult classic title.” Both films starred Kurt Russell as Snake in a more apocalyptic version of society, which sees Los Angeles becoming its own island following a massive earthquake. Snake is tapped to retrieve the rebellious daughter of the U.S. President, as she holds the detonator to a weapon that will quite simply end the world. With a movie like Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer hitting the masses soon, we’d say Escape from L.A. is a fitting title to enjoy in the meantime.

2 Con Air (1997)

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Talk about another quotable B-movie that’s replayed on TV countless times over the decades. Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, and John Malkovich lead the action thriller, Con Air, about a prison break aboard an aircraft transporting criminals. A stellar ensemble cast also features Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, Dave Chappelle, and Danny Trejo. Hey, maybe it’s not the most thought-provoking material, but the end result did garner two Academy Award nominations. And Cage steals every scene, as per usual.

1 Blade (1998)

New Line Cinema

And then there’s that other Wesley Snipes classic from the 1990s — only this time, it’s riddled with vampires. In the signature titular role, Blade is a vamp-human hybrid who seeks to rid the world of the evil of all the villainous vampires out there. Blade spawned a whole film franchise, and there’s even a reboot in the works, due out in 2025. But in the meantime, check out Snipes kicking some serious vampire butt in this epic B-movie. There are a lot of flops out there these days on the action-film front, so it’s refreshing seeing Snipes fully committed in this dark take on the classic blockbuster.