Overview
A darkly comedic journey through the underbelly of Los Angeles crime.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- witty
- irreverent
- menacing
- late night cinephile viewing
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics overwhelmingly regard Tarantino’s inventive nonlinear structure, writing, performances, and thrilling blend of violence and dark comedy as exceptionally energetic and original.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Jules and Vincent, Mia and Vincent, and Butch storylines are presented out of chronological order and converge through recurring characters.
Tarantino combines gangster conventions, exploitation imagery, witty banter, diner culture, and pop references into a self-conscious crime film.
Jules interprets a dangerous encounter as a chance to abandon his life as an enforcer.
Los Angeles locations, hard-edged compositions, and sudden graphic violence create a heightened neo-noir atmosphere.
Films like Pulp Fiction, and why
Jackie Brown
nonlinear neo-noir crime storytelling, sharp dialogue, intersecting criminal lives, and darkly comic violence
Goodfellas
stylized gangster crime, fragmented chronology, pop-cultural dialogue, and morally unstable characters
Fargo
interwoven criminal narratives, deadpan brutality, eccentric dialogue, and dark comic tone
Reservoir Dogs
nonlinear crime structure, heightened violence, and cynical yet playful genre revisionism
Movie Details
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Release Date
- 1994-09-10
- Runtime
- 154 min
- Rating
- 8.5 / 10 (30973)
Cast
- John Travolta
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Uma Thurman
- Bruce Willis
- Ving Rhames
- Harvey Keitel
- Eric Stoltz
- Tim Roth
- Amanda Plummer
- Maria de Medeiros
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- 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 Pulp Fiction about?
- A wildly nonlinear Los Angeles crime mosaic where hit men, gangsters, a mobster’s wife, and a boxer collide amid wit, violence, and uneasy possibilities of redemption.
- What is Pulp Fiction like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pulp Fiction as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Pulp Fiction violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Pulp Fiction as graphic.
- What did critics think of Pulp Fiction?
- Critics overwhelmingly regard Tarantino’s inventive nonlinear structure, writing, performances, and thrilling blend of violence and dark comedy as exceptionally energetic and original.
- Which films are like Pulp Fiction?
- Films with a similar feel include Jackie Brown, Goodfellas, Fargo, and Reservoir Dogs.
- How long is Pulp Fiction?
- Pulp Fiction runs 154 minutes.
- Where can I watch Pulp Fiction?
- In United States, Pulp Fiction streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
