Rent Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Stuck in a Warehouse with Snitches and Psychos - Reservoir Dogs review by griggs

Starts with a diner argument about Madonna, ends in a blood-soaked standoff, and somehow everything in between feels inevitable. Even after countless rewatches, Reservoir Dogs feels raw but precise—tight dialogue, tighter framing, and a structure that withholds just enough to keep you on edge.

It’s not about the heist; it’s about the wreckage. A bunch of sharp-dressed strangers unravel in a warehouse, bleeding, screaming, and second-guessing who screwed them. The tension comes not from what’s happening, but what’s already happened—and what’s being hidden.

Harvey Keitel gives it a bruised soul, Steve Buscemi brings wiry paranoia, and Michael Madsen… well, that warehouse scene is still hard to watch. The violence isn’t cartoonish; it’s grim, awkward, and deeply personal. What’s impressive is how much it gets from so little. One main location, a flashback or two, and a script that crackles like a live wire. Stylish, sure, but never style over substance. It’s a debut that knows exactly what it’s doing—and exactly who’s not walking out.

Mister Mister - Reservoir Dogs review by CP Customer

I can still recall seeing Reservoir Dogs for the first time and stumbling out of the cinema, shocked by the experience. Here was a film about a botched bank robbery that brought a certain freshness to the genre, although its use of violence remains self indulgent and thoughtless. This blu ray features a strong high definition transfer but this format highlights the low budget origins of the film. The gritty urban feel of the environments and blood letting are very noticeable by their limitations. This doesn't detract from the fabulous dialogue and soundtrack which remain key components. With the exception of Pulp Fiction its a real shame Tarantino hasn't challenged us much since this explosive debut.

Still An Innovative Crime Film - Reservoir Dogs review by GI

For me Reservoir Dogs remains Quentin Tarantino's best film even though it's a low budget heist movie it was so innovative and unquestioningly a huge surprise back in 1992. There just hadn't been an American crime film like this and despite its reputation for extreme violence there is in fact little on screen that is shocking or gratuitous. It is a however, by its nature, a violent film and Tarantino the writer cleverly made a heist film in which the heist is never seen. Brilliantly edited with flashback snippets that provide back story it is basically about the aftermath of the crime where the robbers arrive at their rendezvous in an abandoned warehouse after the robbery has apparently gone seriously wrong. The robbers all have codenames based on colours and they suspect one of their number is a 'rat'. Despite it's innovative structure and funny conversations about Madonna songs and whether it's right to tip waitresses this is actually a film with much of its storyline stolen from a Hong Kong film called 'City On Fire' (1987), something Tarantino is loathe to admit to this day! (If you don't believe me watch it and you'll soon see.) In any event I don't mean to take anything away from Reservoir Dogs, it remains a significant crime film and viewed today it is still very powerful even when you know how it pans out. The cast of Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen (superb as the psycho 'Mr Blonde') and Steve Buscemi make this a film that you must see.