Pulp Fiction (1994)

Thriller Crime Comedy Directed by Quentin Tarantino
→ Influenced 11 films ← Inspired by 10 films

A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.

Sources

Influenced By

  1. His Girl Friday (1940)
    "The rapid-fire dialogue and overlapping conversations in Howard Hawks' screwball comedy influenced the witty banter in *Pulp Fiction*. Tarantino even had actors watch *His Girl Friday* to capture the desired pacing and delivery." 7 Classic Films That Inspired Quentin Tarantino's Movies Andrea M. Ciriaco Collider
  2. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
    "Robert Aldrich's film noir featured a mysterious glowing box, which inspired the enigmatic briefcase in *Pulp Fiction*. The briefcase's contents are never revealed, adding to its mystique, much like the box in *Kiss Me Deadly*." Far Out Magazine source
  3. Black Sabbath (1963)
    "Tarantino cites Mario Bava's three-story horror anthology as the structural template for Pulp Fiction's interlocking three-story format." source
  4. The Bodyguard (1973)
    "Sonny Chiba's Karate Kiba (US: The Bodyguard) opens with a fabricated 'Ezekiel 25:17' quote — the direct source of Jules Winnfield's signature monologue." source
  5. Band of Outsiders (1964)
    "Godard's Bande à part dance sequence is the direct model for Mia and Vincent's Jack Rabbit Slim's twist contest. Tarantino's production company A Band Apart is named for it." source
  6. Charley Varrick (1973)
    "Don Siegel's lean crime film is one of Tarantino's repeatedly cited touchstones for the criminal-underworld procedural tone of Pulp Fiction." source
  7. Le Doulos (1962)
    "Jean-Pierre Melville's 'cool, professional criminal' archetype is a direct ancestor of Pulp Fiction's hitman-as-protagonist framing." source
  8. Le Samouraï (1967)
    "Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, this French noir film influenced the costume design and the stoic demeanor of characters in *Pulp Fiction*. Tarantino and costume designer Betsy Heimann discussed French noir films featuring Alain Delon, leading to the distinctive black suits worn by characters." Alain Delon Wikipedia
  9. Scarface (1983)
    "Quentin Tarantino's film contains elements reminiscent of "Scarface," particularly in its portrayal of crime and violence. The film's intertwining stories of criminals and hitmen echo the chaotic underworld depicted in "Scarface."" 10 Sprawling Crime Sagas To Watch If You Like Scarface Ben Sherlock ScreenRant
  10. King of New York (1990)
    "Quentin Tarantino has expressed admiration for "King of New York," considering it a cinematic masterpiece that influenced his filmmaking style. The film's narrative structure and character development bear similarities to Tarantino's work." This Forgotten Gangster Movie Is One of Quentin Tarantino's Favorites Angelo Delos Trinos CBR

Influenced

  1. Go (1999)
    "Doug Liman's film is structured as three interlocking Pulp-Fiction-style narratives (party girl, drug deal, Vegas trip) revolving around the same night." source
  2. 2 Days in the Valley (1996)
    "John Herzfeld's ensemble crime piece was widely identified at release as a Pulp Fiction descendant — interlocking criminals, dark comic tone, LA setting." source
  3. The Big Lebowski (1998)
    "Coens' film shares Pulp Fiction's nonlinear digressive structure, aggressive needle-drop pop scoring, and willingness to break action for stylized dialogue." source
  4. Memento (2000)
    "Nolan's reverse-chronology structure built directly on Pulp Fiction's normalization of nonlinear narrative for mainstream audiences in the late '90s." source
  5. Amores Perros (2000)
    "González Iñárritu's three interconnected stories converging on a Mexico City car crash use the Pulp Fiction structural template scaled to operatic tragedy." source
  6. Smokin' Aces (2006)
    "Joe Carnahan's hitmen-converging-on-one-target film is structurally and tonally a maximalist Pulp Fiction descendant." source
  7. The Prestige (2006)
    "Nolan admired the structure of *Pulp Fiction*, which influenced his use of non-linear storytelling in *The Prestige*." Cinematic style of Christopher Nolan Wikipedia
  8. Snatch (2000)
    "Ritchie has cited Quentin Tarantino as an influence on his work." Guy Ritchie Wikipedia
  9. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
    "The film's non-linear narrative and dark humor influenced Ritchie's approach to storytelling, leading to comparisons between the two films." Pulp Fiction: 5 Movies That Influenced It (& 5 Movies It Influenced) Ben Sherlock ScreenRant
  10. The Rock (1996)
    "The use of a hypodermic needle to the heart in "The Rock" mirrors a memorable scene from "Pulp Fiction."" RogerEbert.com source
  11. Desperado (1995)
    "Quentin Tarantino's film inspired Rodriguez's use of dark humor and stylized violence in "Desperado."" DESPERADO (1995) • Frame Rated Jono Simpson Frame Rated

Pulp Fiction (1994), directed by Quentin Tarantino, was inspired by 10 earlier films — including His Girl Friday, Kiss Me Deadly, and Black Sabbath — and has been cited as an influence on 11 later works, such as Go, 2 Days in the Valley, and The Big Lebowski. Check out the citations below.