4. Reservoir Dogs

Trailer

Reservoir Dogs: Quentin Tarantino’s directing debut, and arguably one of his best films. If you say you love indie movies, and you haven’t seen Reservoir Dogs, then you’re not a true indie movie lover. Reservoir Dogs represents the epitome of what it means to be a great independently made movie.

Everything about this movie is iconic, from the tipping scene, to the torture scene, to the frickin’ opening credits: A bunch of guys in suits, walking down the street in slow motion, to music. You will never forget these scenes; they glue to your brain like a tumor, and they will never leave. The movie is funny, vulgar, violent, and interesting in so many different ways that it’s impossible to not remember this movie.

Quentin Tarantino mainstreamed the non-linear movie format. Reservoir Dogs is about a group of guys robbing a bank. Thing is, you only see what happens before and after the heist; the actual robbery is never seen, but only mentioned through dialogue. This sets up a very unique storytelling method that sounds weird on paper, but shines on execution.

I like this movie because of how many boundaries it pushed, in terms of violence, language, and overall setup. Trust me, you will NEVER forget Reservoir Dogs, even if you tried. Whether you think it’s too violent, too vulgar, or too boring is up to you, but Tarantino undoubtedly debuted with unmatched intensity. It could arguably be the best independent film ever made. It’s that great of a movie, and a must-see if you love indie films, or anything about movies at all.