Overview
A stewardess caught in a dangerous game of deceit must outsmart both the law and a ruthless arms dealer to secure her freedom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- sardonic
- witty
- suspenseful
- crime movie night
- tarantino marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Pam Grier's commanding star turn, Tarantino's lively dialogue, and the film's intricate crime plotting, while finding its pace somewhat lackadaisical.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jackie uses the agents' offer while secretly designing a theft from Ordell, turning competing factions against one another.
Jackie converts arrest, financial precarity, and Ordell's threat into leverage for her own escape and financial independence.
Pam Grier's lead role and the film's engagement with her star persona connect the crime narrative to 1970s blaxploitation cinema.
Extended exchanges among Jackie, Ordell, Max, and the investigators make ordinary talk function as threat, bargaining, and misdirection.
Films like Jackie Brown, and why
Out of Sight
shared neo-noir crime plotting, sharp dialogue, morally flexible characters, and a carefully concealed confidence game
Pulp Fiction
shared nonlinear crime storytelling, witty criminal dialogue, intersecting schemes, and cool genre self-awareness
Foxy Brown
shared female-led crime narrative, blaxploitation influence, criminal deception, and independent-minded protagonists
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
shared heist mechanics, criminal underworld tension, charismatic dialogue, and shifting loyalties
Movie Details
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Release Date
- 1997-12-25
- Runtime
- 154 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (7143)
Cast
- Pam Grier
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Robert De Niro
- Bridget Fonda
- Michael Keaton
- Robert Forster
- Michael Bowen
- Chris Tucker
- LisaGay Hamilton
- Tommy Lister Jr.
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Jackie Brown about?
- A savvy Los Angeles stewardess turns a police deal and a gangster’s betrayal into an elaborate plan to steal her way to freedom.
- What is Jackie Brown like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Jackie Brown as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Jackie Brown violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Jackie Brown as moderate.
- What did critics think of Jackie Brown?
- Critics broadly praised Pam Grier's commanding star turn, Tarantino's lively dialogue, and the film's intricate crime plotting, while finding its pace somewhat lackadaisical.
- Which films are like Jackie Brown?
- Films with a similar feel include Out of Sight, Pulp Fiction, Foxy Brown, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
- How long is Jackie Brown?
- Jackie Brown runs 154 minutes.
- Where can I watch Jackie Brown?
- In United States, Jackie Brown streams on MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel.
