Pulp Fiction was, is, and always be my favorite movie of all time. Upon first seeing it back in high school, I had no idea how beloved the film was, which says something. Its structure was unlike anything I had ever seen. The dialogue heavy script actually genuinely entertained me. There’s so much not happening, yet so much happening within the script. You have to be patient to better understand it.

I recall upon my first watch that I didn’t feel the same way that I do now. It took some time. I had to look into the full plot breakdown on Wikipedia and give it a few days. After that, I told those closest to me that it was my favorite movie of all time. Once again, this is without anyone or thing telling me that I should feel this way. To this day, my Letterboxd account will tell you that I have seen over 3,700 films, but not a single one has come close to my appreciation for Pulp Fiction.

Before Pulp Fiction, I was gaining a better appreciation for film, or how Martin Scorsese would explain it: “Cinema.” The term has been making a sort of comeback as it is clear that audiences are crazing for more mature films that takes its time. We have already seen it between this year’s Oppenheimer & Killers of the Flower Moon. Even Babylon was my favorite movie of 2022. But it was films like The Godfather, Casino, Psycho, and others that become my gateway into films of the like. One fateful night, I remember watching Pulp Fiction on Netflix in my family’s basement by myself. Needless to say, my life has certainly changed since.

What makes Pulp Fiction work is how dialogue heavy it is. There’s never a dull moment, because the dialogue is continuously going. When the film opens up on a couple of strangers at a diner, you get the sense of importance due to how random it is. When it suddenly cuts to its opening credits after the couple attempt to rob a diner of all places, you know that this is going to be highly unpredictable. It’s when the film changes course after its opening credits to John Travolta’s & Samuel L. Jackson’s hitmen characters is when you become even more invested. The dialogue between these two characters not only feels like a real conversation, but they go on to mention very intelligent things that not all viewers may be aware of. It’s one of those things that director Quentin Tarantino as he balances violence with intelligence. To me, he shows how invested viewers are interested in violence, or drama, when there is some intelligent things behind its characters.

While I’d almost say the aspect of dialogue carries the film, the film also knows how to stay silent as we get scenes like the camera following Bruce Willis’ character walking through this path. Due to how unpredictable everything has become, the viewer thinks anything can happen. So, when Willis is walking through this pathway, there is not much going on, but the viewer is engaged with it, because of what they have been witnessed to beforehand. It’s what keeps the film unpredictable.

I really want to talk about the structure here. The structure is unlike anything I have ever seen. It’s all over the place, yet it all connects, requiring the viewer to pay attention. To me, it was one of my favorite aspects about it and it continues to be the case. Since then, I have seen other films try to follow suit. For example, the horror film Trick ‘r Treat does the same thing to perfect results. It’s one of those things that you have to be careful with and I think Pulp Fiction is the prime example of how to get it right.

I do have to recognize that this film may not for everyone, and that’s okay. That’s the whole point of doing what I am doing with my reviews. Just because this film is highly adored doesn’t mean I expect everyone to feel the same way that I do. If your all time favorite movie also happens to be something that has been highly critically panned, I am not here to judge. In fact, I believe films and how we approach them come from our upbringings and how they reflect our current life. Pulp Fiction became one of those movies of celebration that I would watch whenever I accomplished something . I don’t think I could ever watch this on a regular basis. It is just one of those films that I have come to appreciate at the right times, because it feels like one of the those things that I don’t want to take for granted.

Circling back to why this may not be for everyone. It is very dialogue heavy and there are moments where it feels like not much is really happening. There is even a shocking moment, even for me, involving Willis & Ving Rhames’ character. While shocking, it’s also satisfying with what happens next. It’s certainly not one of those movies that I think would have done well for me immediately. It took me a couple of attempts to watch the first two Godfather films due to how dialogue heavy films with not much action was not something I was accustomed to. Quite frankly, Pulp Fiction wouldn’t have worked if it wasn’t for films like The Godfather. Tarantino is heavily influenced by other filmmakers, yet shows that he has a vision of his own. He has famously even mentioned that he didn’t go to film school and that he studied films, which is ironic, because of how much I have studied this film.

Overall, Pulp Fiction deserves its recognition. Its script allows for characters to have natural dialogue and an unorthodox structure that manages to still connect in the end. If anything, it is Tarantino’s way of saying that violence starts somewhere and has an everlasting loop based on specific variables. If it wasn’t for this film, I don’t know if I’d be here reviewing films. If you haven’t seen it, give it a try. If you have seen and didn’t like it, that’s okay – give it a another try if possible. If you have seen and loved it, watch it again.

VERDICT: Perfect