In what seemed like a normal heist film, Quentin Tarantino’s debut Reservoir Dogs revolutionized the art of direction and screenwriting. The 1992 cult classic was made on a shoestring budget but it oozes with high-quality character building and suspense. The basic premise involves six criminals who are hired to steal a diamond. Each of the criminals is unaware of their real identity. But when the heist goes awry leading to a police ambush, the characters confront each other with suspicion as one of them might just be an undercover cop.
Praised for its fast-paced thrills, acting ensemble, and Tarantino’s casual back-and-forth dialogues, the film cemented his career as an iconic filmmaker. Here are a few films that are similar in tones and story to this indie crime drama.
American Animals (2018)
Shot like a part-heist film and part-mockumentary, American Animals narrates the real-life attempt of a few college students to steal rare and high-priced manuscripts from their college library. Their attempts to do something new in their life leads to one of the most outrageous art heists in US history.
The real-life characters are also interviewed in the film, revealing the exhilaration as well as the pointlessness of their failed robbery. It functions well as a coming-of-age drama too as the two best friends Evan Peters and Barry Keoghan) have their own reasons to initiate the heist, in what seems like a misguided path to achieve their so-called American dream.
City On Fire (1987)
City on Fire is a Hong Kong crime thriller from the '80s that served as a direct influence on Reservoir Dogs. Much like the latter, City on Fire too deals with an undercover cop who joins a group of jewel thieves. When the robbery turns into an unintended massacre, the robbers attempt to unmask the imposter among them.
The film is notable for giving Chow Yun-fat his big break who went to gain popularity in Asian as well as North American cinema. While Tarantino has never directly quoted the film, City on Fire bears many similarities with his debut, from its premise to the Mexican standoff towards the end. One can say that Tarantino smoothened this film’s edges to present the world his own pulpy, hyperviolent reinterpretation.
Widows (2018)
A genre-defying entry in the heist genre, Widows narrates the tale of the titular widows of a few robbers, all of whom die in a firefight. When their leader’s wife (Viola Davis) obtains some clues for her husbands’ next job, she decides to recruit the rest of the wives too to embark on a multi-million heist that also has a political conspiracy involved. The underlying politics in the film with the clash between two Alderman candidates add further to the ominous tone of the film.
Viola Davis drew praise for her lead portrayal of Veronica Rawlings, and Daniel Kaluuya who has a supporting role as one of the secondary antagonists. Further, director Steve McQueen has experimented greatly with his style as Widows functions well as an amalgamation of well-written meaningful cinema as well as popcorn entertainment.
QT8: The First Eight (2019)
This is a documentary made for the definitive Tarantino cinephile. The film traces the origins of Quentin Tarantino’s amateur yet focused style of writing and directing along with interesting behind-the-scenes stories of his first eight films, with The Hateful Eight being the latest one featured.
As it focuses on his initial breakthroughs, the film focuses significantly on Reservoir Dogs and its making, featuring animated retellings and interviews with cast-members Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, and Harvey Keitel. Apart from the jokes on the violence and color-coding of the characters in Reservoir Dogs, Keitel also opens up on how he helped in the film’s financing and Madsen touches upon certain significant issues, such as Harvey Weinstein and Tarantino’s long-standing relationship that all but ended in light of Weinstein's downfall following the revelations of the #MeToo movement.
Inside Man (2006)
Written and directed by Spike Lee, this bank heist film is a pretty unconventional ‘joint’ for the director’s style. Still, he experiments with the genre in his own accord by crafting a film that relies on some classic heist tropes without being too cliched. Inside Man is bolstered by a talented ensemble comprising of frequent collaborator Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, and Clive Owen.
Central to the film's premise is a high-level heist that a bank robber has been pulling off that eventually turns into a hostage situation when a broker and a police detective get involved in the conspiracy. Inside Man makes for an energetic and thrilling ride that can take unprecedented twists and turns as the story progresses.
Snatch (2000)
Guy Ritchie’s crime comedy stars an ensemble of men from different classes who are all brought together in a plot involving a high-priced diamond. The characters with their names and traits add to the bizarre tone of the film, ranging from the bounty hunter Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones) to Irish traveler and boxer Mickey O'Neil or ‘One Punch’ Mickey' (Brad Pitt in one of his weirdest roles).
Even though the film has the standard touch of most of the stylish productions written and directed by Guy Ritchie, viewers can get a Tarantino-esque feel to Snatch too, with its wisecracking dark humor and multiple storylines.
The Departed (2006)
A Boston based remake of the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed is a fast-paced thriller with several unanticipated twists and turns. The film gives viewers an insight into the world of the Irish mobs as one such mob leader (Jack Nicholson) plants a mole (Matt Damon) in the city’s police department. Meanwhile, an undercover agent (Leonardo DiCaprio) tries rising the ranks in the very same mob.
A lot of confusion and violence ensues as the paths of these three characters cross leading to an engaging crime drama, bolstered by classic Scorsese tropes, Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing, and the three lead performances.
The Killer (1989)
In this cult hit that arguably skyrocketed Hong Kong cinema's Heroic Bloodshed subgenre into popularity, director John Woo crafts a saga of poetic violence and betrayal along with a certain philosophy behind all the carnage. Here, Chow Yun-fat stars as a hired assassin who faces a conspiracy against himself, prompting him to join forces with a police officer (played by Danny Lee).
Even though both the leads had collaborated earlier in City on Fire, The Killer is fresher in the memory of cinephiles for the revenge drama’s stylish execution. But along with the violence, Woo’s thriller also delivers on emotions with unapologetic melodrama from the start that fits the film’s style.
New Jack City (1991)
A clash of good and evil set during the crack epidemic, New Jack City details the rise of a powerful, megalomaniac drug lord Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes), who’s more than eager to hire new members in his crew. One of these new recruits turns out to be Scotty Appleton (Ice-T), an undercover detective who uses his morality to seek revenge from the film’s antihero.
Directed by and co-starring Mario Van Peebles, the film plays out as a slick thriller oozing with style. But at the same time, the story attempts to understand the internal conflicts and hardships that several Black neighborhoods face.
The Wolfpack (2015)
The Wolfpack covers the life of the Anguilo family that dwells in a suburb of New York and home-schools their children in confinement. With no access to the world outside, the Anguilo brothers and sisters emulate the traits of their favorite movie characters, even designing intricate costumes to go along with the act. Reservoir Dogs is one such film that impresses the children. However, when one of them accidentally steps outside, there’s no turning back for the rest of the siblings. After more than a decade, the eponymous pack is finally released to everyday human society.
A documentary on a bizarre real-life story, The Wolfpack does feature some elements from Reservoir Dogs -- including its poster. This is a unique film in this list as Reservoir Dogs didn't just influence a filmmaker's story and style, but real people's lives as well.