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[MagnaderAlpha]

If it's what kind of horror/science fiction they can use, considering how it was viewed back when a lot of us were more ignorant of it, maybe some take on Virtual Reality like it was being done in the 90s. Have it about a fantasy VR console that is all the rage (though keep the graphics looking like how they did back in the day, Lawnmower Man-styled BS). Maybe have a certain developer that is striving to create the most realistic and immersive VR game EVER (a game that includes the ability to feel pain when your avatar gets hurt). Testing this game, the lead programmer dies and becomes a sorta "ghost in the machine" within the program. Still finding potential in the concept and not wanting to waste the work, the higher ups task the co-programmer to salvage as much possible. He takes it home to his basement lab and suddenly the "ghost in the machine" is turned loose on the neighborhood. The "ghost" starts to "infect" some teens VR consoles and turn them into murderous zombies, while "possessing" appliances to kill other people. A group of our main "cool 90s teens" have to band together to stop this threat. Takes some inspiration from the 80s movies Pulse, Shocker, as well as the 90s Arcade, Lawnmower Man and Brainscan.

Main teen dude has to look like a cross between T2 Edward Furlong and Boy Meets World's Ryder Strong. Gotta also have some chill "smart girl" with Felicity-styled hair with name like Skylar or Willow (she loves reading Wuthering Heights and listening to Sarah McLachlan). Also, the doofy best friend who thinks he's a player, tries to talk all hip, but is really a total dweebo.

 

[sixteen-bit]

The Craft

 

[Timeaisis]

The X-Files, obviously.

 

[jstripes]

Games would be bigger influences.

Not really. Games already hit the mainstream consciousness in the '80s, and most teens and tweens were still out hanging with friends in the '90s.

Like, maybe one of them would have a Gameboy, or something, or maybe playing a multiplayer game in the basement instead of D&D.

 

[Spiritual_Chaos]

1. Switch the genre completely:

 

[Spiritual_Chaos]

2. Or wait till the kids are 17-18:

 

[number11]

Teen slashers and teen rom coms is what comes to mind when I think of 90s films.

 

[NealMcCauley]

Reservoir Dogs
Pulp FIction
Heat
John Grisham and Tom Clancy adaptations (basing this off how often they'd be on cable TV)
Se7en
Fight Club
Bowfinger
Clueless

 

[Chojin]

Bingo
Problem Child
Air Bud
Beethoven
Event Horizon

 

[PantherLotus]

American 80s culture: Fear of the unknown as the analogue becomes digital, as we reach out to the stars, as supernatural fears recede into the darkness replaced by fears of aliens from other worlds.

Antagonists: bullies, authority / the government, aliens, the unknown -- ET, Goonies, Top Gun, The Last Starfighter, Back to the Future, etc.

American 90s culture: Fear of losing control over our minds, our independence, our freedom, as the digital transitions to the internet, as machines become all-powerful and all-knowing, as we lose control over technology.

Antagonists: robots, AI, our own minds, being trapped in a simulation -- The Matrix, Dark City, Star Trek (Holodek), Terminator 2, Jurassic Park

 

[Master Of Illusion]

Twin Peaks
Jacob's Ladder
The Matrix
X-Files (no shit)
[Tim Burton in general]
Contact
Lost Highway
Neon Genesis Evangelion


I'd watch that.

 

[suikoden352]

Something Tim burton, terminator 2, x files, etc.

I think if they were to do a stranger things in the 90's then it would work better if it ran off of music videos or tv at the time instead of movies as those were more of the strength of the 90's than movies being a 90's kid myself (born in 1989). I would dig a stranger things based with music references instead of movie references even though I know westworld already does that to an extent. Hell, replace d&d with magic the gathering and put in a bbs or early internet icq or whatever to expand the story to other areas of the world.

 

[BocoDragon]

Home Alone.

 

[MrCunningham]

Not really. Games already hit the mainstream consciousness in the '80s, and most teens and tweens were still out hanging with friends in the '90s.

Like, maybe one of them would have a Gameboy, or something, or maybe playing a multiplayer game in the basement instead of D&D.

Maybe one of the kids could have a magic Sega Game Gear that could allow him or her to control people's action in real life?...

https://youtu.be/W3lqIdb05VE