One of the most classic independent and cult films of all time and Quentin Tarantino’s first feature film.

The ‘Greatest Independent Film of all Time’ as titled by Empire Magazine.

Commercially and moderately critically successful on release, it was generally well received even though it was also a controversial film for its depictions of violence and heavy use of profanity.

Critical reviews for the film were mostly positive with main praise going to its direction, cast, performances, character dialogue and non-linear storytelling with Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times stating that “Tarantino’s palpable enthusiasm, his unapologetic passion for what he’s created, reinvigorates this venerable plot and, mayhem aside, makes it involving for longer than you might suspect.” Similarly, the film was as game-changing as it was well reviewed with Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News comparing the film’s effect to that of the 1895 film L'Arrivée d'un Train en Gare de la Ciotat, when audiences supposedly saw a moving train approaching the camera and ducked. In this way, Bernard said that Reservoir Dogs had a similar effect in that people were not ready for it.

Criticism of the film’s strong language and violence is a major part of the film’s legacy with it famously forcing viewers to walk out during its most intense moments of which included horror film director Wes Craven and special effects artist Rick Baker. The main reason for this reaction, as Baker explained, was due to the unnerving violence and its heightened sense of realism, a fact to which Tarantino responded stating “That’s OK. It’s not their cup of tea. But I am affecting them. I wanted that scene to be disturbing.”

Today, it stands on Rotten Tomatoes at 90% with a critical consensus stating “Thrumming with intelligence and energy, Reservoir Dogs opens Quentin Tarantino’s filmmaking career with hard-hitting style.”