Overview
A heist gone wrong reveals the dark side of trust among criminals.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- sardonic
- witty
- tense
- crime movie night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an intelligent, energetic, hard-hitting independent crime thriller distinguished by Tarantino's direction, dialogue, nonlinear storytelling, and strong ensemble performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The robbery is largely withheld while warehouse confrontations and character-centered flashbacks gradually reveal how the plan unraveled.
The surviving thieves turn on one another at the rendezvous point after suspecting an undercover police informant.
Casual banter, pop-cultural conversation, and prominently staged music contrast with torture, shootings, and betrayal.
The principal survivors gather in a premeditated warehouse rendezvous and conduct the central investigation through escalating arguments.
Films like Reservoir Dogs, and why
Pulp Fiction
nonlinear crime storytelling, volatile criminal alliances, dark humor, and stylized violence
The Killing
contained criminal tension, betrayal, abrasive dialogue, and morally compromised characters
The Usual Suspects
neo-noir atmosphere, criminal paranoia, escalating mistrust, and hard-edged violence
Mean Streets
independent crime filmmaking, corrosive masculinity, and sudden bursts of brutality
Movie Details
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Release Date
- 1992-09-02
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 8.1 / 10 (15862)
Cast
- Harvey Keitel
- Tim Roth
- Michael Madsen
- Chris Penn
- Steve Buscemi
- Lawrence Tierney
- Randy Brooks
- Kirk Baltz
- Edward Bunker
- Quentin Tarantino
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Reservoir Dogs about?
- After a diamond robbery collapses into bloodshed, color-coded thieves trap themselves in a warehouse of suspicion, betrayal, and escalating violence.
- What is Reservoir Dogs like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Reservoir Dogs as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Reservoir Dogs violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Reservoir Dogs as graphic.
- What did critics think of Reservoir Dogs?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an intelligent, energetic, hard-hitting independent crime thriller distinguished by Tarantino's direction, dialogue, nonlinear storytelling, and strong ensemble performances.
- Which films are like Reservoir Dogs?
- Films with a similar feel include Pulp Fiction, The Killing, The Usual Suspects, and Mean Streets.
- How long is Reservoir Dogs?
- Reservoir Dogs runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Reservoir Dogs?
- In United States, Reservoir Dogs streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
