Pulp Fiction
1994 · Directed by Quentin Tarantino
The movie that made indie mainstream and made everybody's cousin want to write a screenplay. Still works. Still quotable.
Why It's Cult
Pulp Fiction is the entry point to the Tarantino filmography, and for a lot of people, to the idea that movies could be structured non-linearly and still make sense. Twenty-five years later the twist structure has been copied to death and this one still feels fresh. The Jack Rabbit Slim's scene is a masterclass in how to shoot a dinner.
The Plot, Officially
Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) are two hit men who are out to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their employer, mob boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames). Wallace has also asked Vincent to take his wife Mia (Uma Thurman) out a few days later when Wallace himself will be out of town. Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is an aging boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his fight. The lives of these seemingly unrelated people are woven together comprising of a series of funny, bizarre and uncalled-for incidents.
Gateway Scenes
Act 1
The Jack Rabbit Slim's twist contest.
Pure cinema joy. Travolta and Thurman. The Batusi. Uma Thurman's bob.
Starring
John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
