There have been a few iconic looks in cinema history, James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot, and Woody in Toy Story (truly iconic). Arguably the most memorable attire for a host of movie fans however is the black suits and skinny ties of a Quentin Tarantino masterpiece set to leave Amazon Prime Video on the 10th of January.
Reservoir Dogs is a 1992 classic that has spawned countless homages and imitators but can't be beaten. There's nothing quite as effortlessly cool as that opening credits sequence with Little Green Bag playing (although it was actually meant to be Pink Floyd's Money).
Of course, that's the only real slick part of the plan as we then immediately see the gang's heist has gone wrong, with Mr Orange (Tim Roth) bleeding out in the back of Mr White's (Harvey Keitel) car. There are plenty of other big names too with Steve Buscemi, Michael Mann and Chris Penn (as well as Tarantino himself) making up the gang. Almost all of the members are referred to by a colour, being Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange and Mr. Pink.
What follows is a masterclass of non-linear storytelling with paranoia and suspicion running rife. It's hard to believe this was Tarantino's first movie, and it has been met with near-universal acclaim, including a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The warehouse setting and standoffs remind me of one of my favourite action movies of recent years, Free Fire but of course, Reservoir Dogs did it many decades before.
Be warned this is not a movie for the faint-hearted. Tarantino's works are known for their excessive violence. and the same applies here, mainly thanks to one infamous scene, but if you can get past that. this is a brilliant movie that you need to watch while you have the chance to.
2024 will surely be a year full of some great new movies, but there's nothing like a bit of nostalgia and you should act fast to catch Reservoir Dogs while it's still on Prime Video. As a note, for US readers, the movie is on both Fubo and Paramount Plus stateside.