Pulp Fiction Review: Crime Cinema at Its Most Dangerous
- Niels Gys
- Nov 18
- 3 min read
TL;DR
Pulp Fiction is the cinematic equivalent of getting robbed, blessed, seduced, and slapped across the face with a cheeseburger — and somehow wanting more.
A criminal masterpiece that still makes modern movies look like budget CCTV footage.
Equip your coffee table like a morally flexible cinephile:
Criminal Fantasy Fulfillment
Rooting for the crooks in Pulp Fiction is like eating cake with a knife you stole, it feels so wrong but God, it slides down beautifully.
Every segment oozes the seductive fantasy of criminal life without ever pretending it's moral. Hitmen talk philosophy, boxers gamble with fate, gangsters stroll through diners like they own the air. No capes, no TED-talk morality, just swagger, sin, and the kind of bad decisions that make angels quit their job.
If you watch this and don’t secretly want to try crime, congratulations: you might be a cop.
Plot & Pacing
Despite the chaos, the pacing is tighter than a mob boss’s alibi. Every scene hits:
No filler.
No Netflix bloat.
No “episode 7 slump.”
It’s a crime anthology that snaps together like a puzzle built by a drunk philosopher.
Reddit still argues about which segment is the best — and the funniest part is: they’re all wrong. All the segments are legendary for completely different reasons.
Characters & Performances
The cast is a rogue’s gallery of iconic criminals, each more magnetic than the last.
Fans on Letterboxd worship these characters like saints, except CRIMENET has a strict “no saints” policy, so we’ll call them charming degenerates instead.
Every performance feels handcrafted and marinated in pure attitude. Modern crime films wish they had characters half this alive.
Dialogue & Writing
This is where the film straight-up robs the competition.Dialogue today? Beige.Dialogue here? Weaponized poetry.
Reddit threads still quote entire scenes like religious scripture. Tarantino’s script is a masterclass in criminal banter, dangerous, funny, intellectually sharp, and dripping with personality.
Every sentence could be printed on a t-shirt and still hit.
World & Atmosphere
The film's world feels grimy, lived-in, and deliciously untrustworthy.
It’s Los Angeles,but not the influencer-friendly, sanitized version.
No, this is crime L.A. A place where taxis smell like regret, diners host nervous breakdowns, and every neon sign is judging you.
If GTA ever wants to feel cinematic again, it should rewatch this and take notes. (Check our GTA Crime Hub for more chaos.)
Books your mother will judge you for owning:
Direction & Style
Tarantino flexes here like a man who just discovered cinema and decided everyone else had been doing it wrong.
Stylish? Yes.
Bold? Obviously.
Pretentious? Occasionally, but in the same way a hitman in a suit is pretentious. You forgive it because it looks excellent.
Every frame has personality. Every cut has attitude. Every stylistic gamble pays off.
Soundtrack & Mood
The soundtrack isn’t just good, it’s a character.
It struts.
It smirks.
It commits crimes.
Search any Reddit thread and you’ll see people still discovering these tracks and yelling “WHY DOES THIS SLAP SO HARD?”
Because it does.
It slaps with intention.
Morality & Madness
The movie does not care about your ethics.And that is refreshing.
Instead of a lecture, you get a cocktail of violence, comedy, and existential crisis that leaves you questioning your own taste, and loving it.
Rewatchability
It’s endlessly rewatchable.
Every scene hits differently depending on your mood, age, or number of questionable life choices.
Fans still watch this annually like it’s a holiday tradition, Crime Christmas, if you will.
FAQ
Is Pulp Fiction worth watching in 2025? Only if you enjoy razor-sharp dialogue, criminal swagger, and feeling alive.
Is Pulp Fiction confusing? Only if you've never talked to more than one criminal in a day.
Is Pulp Fiction funny? Funny enough to make you question whether you’re a good person. That’s a yes.
Can I show this to my parents? Absolutely — if you want to ruin Christmas forever.
Does Pulp Fiction hold up? It doesn’t just hold up — it stands over modern cinema with a baseball bat.
End your shopping spree like a true outlaw:
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