Best Movies Of 1998: The Top 10 Movies That Defined The Year

What were you doing back in 1998? Perhaps you were building a nuclear bunker if the movies of 1998 are anything to go by.

From end-of-the-world action in Armageddon to the doomsday-mongering of Deep Impact, we’re just grateful we had a touch of Jackie Chan in Rush Hour and Robin Williams in Patch Adams to lighten things up in our collection of the best movies of 1998.

Saving Private Ryan

When it comes to the best movies of 90s, it’s hard not to salute Saving Private Ryan.

This lump-in-your-throat drama charts the plight of U.S soldiers going behind enemy lines during the infamous Normandy Landings during World War II. With stellar acting from Tom Hanks as Captain Miller and Matt Damon as Private Ryan, it follows the heartbreaking story of a soldier with no experience thrust into war. Winning five Oscars, it’s no surprise it was the highest-grossing of all movies in 1998. 

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95%
• IMDb rating: 8.6/10

The Truman show

The Truman Show isn’t just one of the best movies of 1998, it’s the zeitgeist movie of the year.

Way ahead of its time, it gave us a glimpse into a future where the lines of marketing, reality TV and ethics are blurred. Jim Carey is at his very best, giving a gifted performance of Truman – a man born into a fake world with him at the centre. It wouldn’t be so eerie if it didn’t ring so true. This movie will stay with you for some time.

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89%
• IMDb rating: 8.1/10

Armageddon

Bringing sexy to sci-fi, Armageddon is one of the top action movies 1998 gave us. Despite its end-of-the-world storyline, it’s hard to take this movie too seriously.

Serving up doses of cheesy lines and plenty of rom-com moments, will Bruce Willis save the day? Who even cares with a soundtrack as rousing as its cast (Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton). 

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73%
• IMDb rating: 6.7/10

Doctor Dolittle

Is there anything that Eddie Murphy can’t do? Impersonations, dating Spice Girls, and now talking to the animals! It’s not us he needs to convince though – if Doctor Dolittle can’t convince his family that he can communicate with animal species, his future is a very uncertain one indeed.

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 34%
• IMDb rating: 5.4/10

There’s Something About Mary

Strap yourself in for one of the funniest movies of the decade, let alone one of the top 1998 movies Hollywood gave us.

The Farrelly brothers are stamped all over it, with witty lines, scenes that will shock you (the hair gel incident is all we’re saying) and comedy moments you could never laugh at with your mother in the room! With Ben Stiller (Ted) winning our hearts, as he tries to win over Mary (Cameron Diaz) and a brilliant cameo from Lee Evans, it’s college humour at its very best.

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61%
• IMDB rating: 7.1/10

Rush Hour

Bringing all the bromance feels, the pairing of Jackie Chan (Detective Inspector Lee) and Chris Tucker (Detective James Carter), deliver action-comedy gold.

Assuming the role of rival FBI detectives, the duo has to work together to overcome their differences and solve the case. With ass-kicking and belly-laughing in equal measures, it’s one of the top action movies in 1998.

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78%
• IMDb rating: 7/10

Deep Impact

The end is nigh, again! In our second sci-fi doomsday movie of the year, this understated more dramatic and technically astute movie might not have the gloss of Armageddon, but it does share the same fear-mongering that 1998 liked to instill in viewers. 

Thankfuly we have Morgan Freeman in charge of the situation to put us all at ease.

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 43%
• IMDB rating: 6.2/10

Godzilla

Godzilla’s been clamping his claws into New York City since 1954, yet we never seem to tire of this well-told tale. Reprising his ‘lizardy’ ways, this giant beast returns to the city to cause havoc one more time. Despite being one of the hits of the year, it remains very lowly rated by critics – go watch the original!

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 28%
• IMDb rating: 5.4/10

The Waterboy

Kathy Bates is perfectly cast as the overbearing mother of Bobby Boucher Jnr (Adam Sandler no less) in this teen-humour movie. Bobby might be a lowly waterboy, but when his secret tackling skills are discovered by the college football team, his fate takes a turn for the better.

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71%
• IMDb rating: 6.2/10

Patch Adams

Only the magic of Robin Williams could tell such a story so beautifully, and given his life, so poignantly too.

This simple yet touching film is loosely based on the true story of Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams, a Doctor who helps transform the lives of his patients using comedy and laughter, following his stint at a mental health institute when suffering from depression.

• Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73%
• IMDb rating: 6.8/10