It’s no secret that Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 heist film, Reservoir Dogs, is considered to be one of the greatest independent films of all time.
Tarantino initially planned to shoot the crime thriller with his friends on a budget of just $30,000, however, it managed to impress actor-producer Harvey Keitel, who signed on as a co-producer. This show of faith enabled Tarantino and his producer Lawrence Bender to raise $1.5 million in funding for the film and Reservoir Dogs went on to garner $2.9 million at the global box-office. Its popularity soared after the success of Tarantino’s next offering — the groundbreaking Pulp Fiction (1994).
Despite not being heavily promoted during its theatrical run, the film became a modest success in the United States after grossing $2.9 million against its scant budget. It achieved higher popularity after the success of Tarantino’s next film, Pulp Fiction (1994).
Written and directed by Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs was his feature-length directorial debut and stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Edward Bunker and Tarantino himself in the main cast.
Reservoir Dogs is only available to watch on Netflix until November 14, after which it will leave the streamer. The cult classic highlights several of Tarantino’s hallmarks including gory crime, profanity, nonlinear storytelling, and a plethora of pop culture references.
The film first premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival and went on to become its most talked-about movie, post which it was picked up for distribution by Miramax. In 2024, a survey of 500 filmmakers and critics, conducted to commemorate Sundance’s 40th anniversary, ranked Reservoir Dogs second among the festival’s ‘Top 10 Films of All Time’.
Reservoir Dogs follows a group of thieves who unite to carry out a meticulously planned diamond heist. However, when the operation collapses into chaos and turns into a bloody ambush, the men look inwards and realise that one of their own is a police informant. Suspicion and paranoia engulf the group as tensions heighten and the situation threatens to escalate before the authorities intervene.
With a smashing 90 per cent critics approval rating and 94 per cent audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s no doubt that Reservoir Dogs is a favourite across the board.
Praising the film, one audience member wrote: “One of my favorite movies, always keeps you on the edge not knowing what is going to happen next, performances are incredible, plot is great, one of Tarantino’s best.”
While another viewer said of Tarantino’s debut: “Incredible movie! It’s impossible this was Tarantino’s first movie!”
A third viewer, in a glowing review, stated: “STILL one of my VERY favourite movies. Saw when it first came out and saw it again in the theater today because they are doing a Tarantino film fest. Every actor carries their weight and together, they made a classic. The characters, the story, the music…everything is perfection. Not for the faint of heart or those who don’t like a little blood with their gore.”
And yet another impressed audience member wrote: “Masterpiece! Fantastic acting, script and directing. Tarantino changing the gangster film genre.”
One critic said of the film: “Quentin Tarantino hit a home run with his feature debut, Reservoir Dogs, and cinema would never be the same.”
While another reviewer declared: “Undoubtedly one of the best films of the 1990s, and probably one of the best directorial debuts of all time, Reservoir Dogs announced the arrival of one of contemporary cinema’s hottest talents – and he came out shooting.”
Reservoir Dogs is leaving Netflix on November 15.