This year marks the 30th anniversary of Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino‘s second movie and arguably one of the greatest movies that he ever helmed. Tarantino had previously made his theatrical directorial debut with Reservoir Dogs in 1992, but it was Pulp Fiction that made him a rising star in Hollywood, and it even earned Tarantino his first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Pulp Fiction‘s influence on the films that came after it has been immense, and that’s why we’re taking the opportunity to throw a spotlight on three movies that each capture a small part of the vibe that made Pulp Fiction so special. But there’s only one original, and Pulp Fiction is in a league of its own.
Out of Sight (1998)
Out of Sight is not a Tarantino film, but director Steven Soderbergh definitely captures a Tarantino-esque tone in this adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s novel. Jennifer Lopez plays Karen Sisco, a U.S. Marshal who stumbles upon bank robber Jack Foley (George Clooney) as he’s escaping from prison. After getting the upper hand on Karen, Jack forces her to ride in the trunk with him as he gets away.
Although Karen is incensed by the ordeal, she also finds herself attracted to Jack even while she’s attempting to bring him to justice. Jack also feels an attraction to Karen, which may complicate both of their lives.
Watch Out of Sight on Peacock.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Guy Ritchie made his directorial debut with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and this film definitely feels like it was influenced by Pulp Fiction. The story follows Eddie (Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), Soap (Dexter Fletcher), and Bacon (Jason Statham), a group of friends who find themselves in hot water with a local a local crime boss. To pay off a massive debt, the guys hatch a scheme to rob their neighbors after they return from robbing a drug operation.
Eddie and his friends may not be master thieves, but they have quite a talent for getting themselves into even more trouble. Along the way, the guys come into possession of two vintage shotguns that are extremely valuable and highly sought after by “Hatchet” Harry Lonsdale (P. H. Moriarty), the crime lord that Eddie is indebted to. But if Harry finds out they have the guns, that’s the least of their problems.
Rent or buy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels on Prime Video.
Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Out of the three films listed here, only Bad Times At the El Royale has a nonlinear structure similar to the one that Pulp Fiction used. The movie follows a group of strangers including Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm), and Emily Summerspring (Madame Web‘s Dakota Johnson) as they check into the El Royale hotel in 1968. And each of these men and women come with their own backstories and secrets.
Of that group, Darlene is the only one who doesn’t have a hidden agenda. But as the stories of these strangers converge, a cult leader, Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth), and his followers arrive at the hotel to retrieve one of their own. And just for fun, Billy will be leaving a few dead bodies in his wake.
Rent or buy Bad Times at the El Royale on Prime Video.
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