Reservoir Dogs

A heist movie that never shows the actual heist, Quentin Tarantino's 1992 directorial debut <i>Reservoir Dogs</i> introduced many of Tarantino's trademarks: a nonlinear narrative, intense violence and glib, larger-than-life characters with epic stretches of dialogue. At the time, of course, critics mostly focused on the violence, and in particular a scene of torture that remains one of film's most shocking moments. The movie was a modest success at first, but went on to find a large cult following after <I>Pulp Fiction</I> introduced the general public to Tarantino.